The Temple of Sacrifice

by Tameri Etherton

  “Marissa raped Rhoane.”

  Hearing herself say it out loud made it all the more terrible, all the more real. “She’s my sister. Why would she do this?” Tears stung her eyes and she bit her cheek to keep from crying. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—think it possible Rhoane had wanted what she saw in his bedchamber.

  You know why. Kaida pawed at the bed, growling. You are Darennsai. You do not let her determine your fate. Think long on your actions. What you do this night affects all of Aelinae.

  Her heart beat wildly with a ferocity that frightened her. Uncontrollable rage sped through her veins, equaled in strength by her ShantiMari’s desire to be unleashed.

  Damn it, but Kaida was right.

  What she did this night wasn’t about her. Wasn’t about her hurt, her anger, or even Rhoane’s rape. But she refused to let Marissa go unpunished. “Are you suggesting I take Marissa to my mother? I have no proof. It will be her word against mine. Zakael won’t be any help. Hell, he probably encouraged her. Can’t I just kill her?”

  You are asking the wrong questions.

  “You can be annoying at times, you know.” Kaida’s tongue lolled to the side of her mouth. “Stop laughing, you mangy beast. Come on.” Before Kaida stopped her, she sprinted from the room.

  By the time she reached Marissa’s rooms, she’d shoved her pain aside and replaced it with calculated calm. At her sister’s open door, she covered herself with shadow and stepped lightly to where Marissa reclined on her bed, humming to herself.

  It amused her that Marissa thought so little of Taryn’s skill with ShantiMari that she didn’t expect retaliation. She took advantage of her sister’s self-assuredness to sift through her thoughts. A black stain, much like the one she bore, wove through Marissa’s being. Unlike Taryn’s, the stain found welcome refuge in her sister’s thoughts and power. When she’d had enough of the detritus found there, Taryn placed her sword on Marissa’s neck. Kaida stayed in the corner, her golden eyes fixed on the crown princess.

  “Make one sound and it will be your last,” Taryn said, letting the shadows slip away.

  Marissa’s lids flew open, and she glared at Taryn. She opened her mouth to speak and seeing the blade at her throat, closed it.

  “I should kill you for what you’ve done. The gods know I want to.” Taryn held the sword tighter, delighting in the fear she saw in Marissa’s eyes. “But I won’t. Not tonight, at least.”

  Her ShantiMari burned through her. She fought to keep her focus, to not give in to her rage. “My blade wants your blood.” She moved it to above Marissa’s heart, pressing it down to make a small cut in the pale skin.

  Marissa gasped, sinking into the bed, away from the sharp tip, but there was no escape.

  “Afraid you might be poisoned? Ynyd Eirathnacht knows you well and wants revenge.” Taryn sent a thread of her Dark ShantiMari down the blade into Marissa’s body. “Shall I let her have it? She relishes the taste of your fear.” Taryn bent to swipe the cut with a fingertip, tasting the blood in her mouth. “I know it was you who placed this sword over Hayden’s heart.”

  Marissa shook her head, a look of pleading in her beautiful eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Taryn laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. “I’m the Sword Bearer of Ynyd Eirathnacht. I am the one who saved Hayden and was poisoned by your spell. The sword sings to me of your fears and darkest secrets. I know your father wanted this for you.”

  Taryn flicked the sword at her sister. “He longed for you to be the Eirielle. When that didn’t happen, he planned Lliandra’s murder. It was you who poured the poison into your own mother’s drink. But she survived your treason, never knowing it was her daughter who sought her death. For a crown, Marissa? Or was it for more?” Taryn looked deep into Marissa’s violet eyes. There was no triumph, only cunning and a small bit of fear.

  Taryn stepped back, removing the sword from Marissa’s heart. “I know what it is you desire, sister.” She held out her hand and a vision played as if on a screen. It showed Marissa, clothed in rich fabrics covered in jewels, wearing a crown studded with diamonds the size of a child’s hand, sitting at Rykoto’s side as his immortal queen.

  “I also know what it is you fear.” A new image danced on Taryn’s hand. It showed Rykoto tearing tiny bits of flesh from Marissa in a prolonged orgy. Taryn fought the urge to recoil from the image and the grotesque pleasure Rykoto received from eating her heart. Instead, she kept her hand steady, watching the horror that played across Marissa’s pale face.

  “You wouldn’t.” Marissa stared at Taryn’s hand. “Please, kill me before that.”

  “Give you mercy when you’ve shown me none?” Taryn let the image fade.

  False tears slid over Marissa’s cheeks. Behind the ruse, Taryn saw hatred in her steady gaze. “Please don’t hurt me.” Her voice held just the right amount of remorse.

  Marissa’s ShantiMari flared around her, and Taryn raised her sword higher until the point was level with her sister’s eyes. “Don’t, Marissa. Just because you’ve never seen me use my power, don’t assume I have none.”

  The lavender threads faltered and then receded. Taryn lowered her sword and pressed her hand against the shallow cut on Marissa’s chest. Blood oozed beneath her fingers through Marissa’s robe. “This will heal. Mostly. Every time you think of this night, I expect it won’t be pleasant.”

  “We’re more alike than you think,” Marissa said, her voice flat, detached.

  “We’re nothing alike—you’re selfish and cruel.”

  Marissa’s eyes held a shred of sadness for a moment and then filled once more with animosity. “You can’t see it right now, but someday you will.”

  “I know you detest me, but how could you do that to Rhoane? He trusted you.”

  “Who’s to say it was all me? It wasn’t as if Rhoane stopped once he saw you. I’d say that makes him culpable, wouldn’t you?” A cruel smile spread across her face.

  Taryn slammed Marissa against the wall with her ShantiMari. Her sister gasped and groped at the invisible hand that choked the life from her.

  “You drugged him, you fucking bitch. You had to make him think you were me to even get him to touch you. What we have, Rhoane and I, you’ll never know and for that, I am sorry for you.”

  Taryn threw her on the bed, releasing her throat with a twinge of regret. She finally understood the cause of Marissa’s muted ShantiMari. As much as she wanted to kill her sister, she couldn’t destroy the innocent life inside her. The child was, after all, her nephew.

  Through her gasps, Marissa glared at Taryn. “I don’t need your pity. You’re an ignorant Offlander pig and will never be my equal.” Marissa raised her chin, drawing in a deep breath. “Mother will never love you as she loves me. Never.”

  The words stung, but Taryn couldn’t let her sister know how much they hurt. “I’m going to leave you now before I do something I might not regret, like cut your fucking head off. Stay away from Rhoane.”

  “You might think you can erase me from his life, but you’ll find that harder to accomplish than you think. I suppose now you’ll take him home and have him purified. Oh, yes, I know all about the Eleri customs. You might be able to cleanse his body, dear sister, but in his mind, he’ll always know what he did.” She ran a hand over her body in a suggestive manner. “I think he quite liked the change.”

  A roar of blood rushed through her, clouding her hearing for a moment. Taryn struggled to steady herself. Her grip tightened on the sword. She imagined Marissa’s head bobbing off her shoulders to the floor. Taryn fought with her emotions. It would be too easy to kill Marissa. For one brief moment, Taryn saw into Marissa’s mind and knew that Rhoane had frightened her. He pounded his anger into her. He’d hurt her.

  Taryn bound her sister to keep her from moving or speaking and then set several wards around her rooms to prevent her from leaving. Many long days would pass before they wore off and Taryn expected to be far from Gaarendahl by then. Just before
she left, Taryn turned to Marissa, saying only one word.

  “Pain.”

  Marissa’s face contorted with silent anguish and the wound bled anew.

  “You’ve chosen your path. Now I choose mine. If you ever fuck with me or my loved ones again, I will kill you.”

  A soulful melody from her sword and pendant swirled around the room, echoing Taryn’s words into an unbreakable oath. Kaida howled, adding an eerie end to the song. Marissa visibly shook against the headboard and Taryn turned away before compassion made her do something stupid.

  Marissa deserved whatever she got. Her sister played too many dangerous games and one day her duplicitousness would catch up to her. Kaida was right—the night wasn’t just about Taryn’s revenge on her sister. She had to think of the good of Aelinae.

  Taryn strode down the silent hallway to Rhoane’s room, sword in hand, alert to any danger. Thus far, Zakael had yet to appear, but he had a nasty habit of being where she least expected to see him. She knocked on the wooden door, the sound echoing off the stone walls with a horrendous clanging. When no one answered, she entered cautiously, calling out Rhoane’s name. He came around a corner, sword drawn, eyes wild.

  “Rhoane, it’s me.”

  He paused, incomprehension shadowing his face.

  Taryn gently lowered his blade. “All is well, Rhoane. I am here.”

  He blinked and took a step back. “Is it really you?” Then he held the sword to her throat. “What have you done to Taryn?”

  She held out her hand to show him the runes glittering in the dim light. In Eleri, she said, “Rhoane, it is me, the Darennsai. It is Taryn.” At the sound of her name, he dropped the sword and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

  “I have failed you, my beloved.” His words came out slurred from the remnants of the drug.

  She knelt before him and reached to embrace him, but he backed away. “No! Do not touch me. I am tainted.”

  Tears spilled over her cheeks. “Rhoane, we have to leave right now. I am going to take you to the vier, where you will be purified.”

  “Yes, purification.” He put a hand on his head. “She drugged me.”

  “I know.” She stood and waited for him to rise on unsteady legs. “Can you ride?”

  “Well enough.” Her ShantiMari wrapped around him, lifting him up, supporting much of his weight. He sagged into her power, pulling it around him like a comforting blanket.

  What few belongings they had she threw into their bags, the whole time keeping an eye on Rhoane. His unsteady gait made their escape difficult. They slipped quietly from the castle to the stables, where they saddled the horses as quickly as they could.

  Once they were across the long bridge and outside the gates, Taryn allowed herself to look back. Gaarendahl loomed large against the cliff, its windows dark and foreboding. A single window glowed against the blackness. Within the golden frame, one lone figure stood. Zakael’s gaze bore into her, but he didn’t try to stop them. A sick feeling nestled in her thoughts that he’d gotten from them exactly what he wanted.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Taryn watched Rhoane that evening and for the next several days as he slipped deeper into himself. On good nights, several morsels of food would pass his lips before he waved her off. If their skin came within a hair’s distance of touching, he jerked away as if scalded. Each day brought new challenges and she accepted them with composed serenity. Inside she roiled with hatred for her sister and questioned her decision to let her live. The baby. She’d spared Marissa’s life for the unborn child she carried. For that, she would endure Rhoane’s pain, taking as much as he’d allow as her own. She’d take it all if she could, if it meant he’d return to her. Her Rhoane.

  They rode hard for the first few days, stopping at night to sleep for a few hours before they saddled up again. Rain battered them relentlessly, slanting from the north or blowing gusts from the east. Their clothes were soaked through and even the horses were a soggy mess, but Taryn pushed them on with a merciless desire to get home.

  After a week of hard riding, a village appeared on the horizon like a beacon of warmth and it took Taryn all of a second to make the decision to stay there for the night. When they reached the stables, Rhoane slid off his horse, regarding her, uncomprehending.

  “We need rest and provisions.” Her ShantiMari folded itself around him, warming his cold skin, keeping him upright. Kaida waited until they were inside the inn before she ran off to hunt. She’d not left Rhoane’s side since Gaarendahl and considered it her duty to protect the Surtentse. Kaida’s presence allowed Taryn to rest, but the grierbas was just as exhausted as she.

  After a silent meal in the common room, the innkeeper led them to their room. When they were alone, Taryn went to Rhoane. He reflexively jerked away when she put a hand on either side of his face. “Look at me.”

  He raised his eyes to hers. In them, she saw his pain and shame. A searing heat coursed through her pendant and bonds, overwhelming her. It would’ve knocked her backward, but Rhoane held her steady, knowing what she hadn’t. This was the torture Rhoane had felt every moment of every day since his betrayal. Her touch only amplified it. The pain he’d allowed her to take, it was nothing compared to the torment he suffered. Bitter tears stung her eyes.

  “Kiss me.”

  “I am tainted.” He tried to pull away, but she held him close.

  “Please let me in, Rhoane, or this will destroy us.” She put her lips to his and he stiffened, but didn’t pull away. Encouraged, she pressed her body against his, welcoming the warmth of him, melting into their kiss. Despite his objections, his body responded to hers. She stripped his jerkin over his head, quickly followed by his shirt, and pushed him onto the bed.

  She kissed his eyes and nose, then his lips before moving down his chest and across his abdomen. When she untied his breeches, he shook his head. “No, you will be tainted.”

  Taryn tugged on his pants, pulling them off. Rhoane lay on the bed naked, his face a torment of fear, anguish, and desire. She stripped off her clothes and stood before him, robed only in her shining hair. The pulse in his throat quickened as she lay next to him, kissing the heartbeat on his neck. “We will be purified together, my love.” She rolled on top of him, kissing his lips, tasting ale on his tongue.

  His eyes were wild, and he put up his hands to stop her. “Do not do this, Taryn. You should not touch me.”

  “I am yours, Rhoane. For all ages. Your trials are mine. We will suffer together and be healed as one.” She slid him inside her and he closed his eyes, arching his back to meet her. A small, agonized moan escaped his lips and she kissed it away. Her ShantiMari enveloped him in its healing power. Physically he held back, but mentally he left himself exposed, vulnerable.

  Taryn entered his thoughts with trepidation, but he coaxed her further into his mind, inviting her to understand the struggle he battled. She witnessed Marissa’s seduction, then rape, and Rhoane’s subsequent reaction. How naive of her to think she could take his pain as her own. To relieve him of the burden when doing so would never alleviate the memory. He blamed himself for everything that had happened. He could’ve stopped himself and didn’t.

  Tears coursed angry streaks down her cheeks and she shrieked at the heavens for what Marissa had done to him. How easily she’d been manipulated! She’d been far too trusting. Going to Gaarendahl had nothing to do with Taryn learning to use her Dark powers. Zakael never intended to help her. In fact, Taryn could see now how the whole affair had been carefully planned so Marissa could rape Rhoane. To destroy their bonds. To weaken Taryn.

  Rhoane was studying her, a look of surprise on his face. He’d opened his mind to her in the hopes she would hate him, but she couldn’t hate Rhoane for what he did. She understood. He was used by her half-sister and half-brother in the most vile, disgusting way imaginable and Taryn would never forgive either of them, but of Rhoane? He needn’t ask for forgiveness. He did nothing wrong. They’d not weakened her. They’d str
engthened her love for Rhoane.

  His ShantiMari enveloped them, comforting in its strength. Finally, he gave himself to her completely. When she arched her back, he exploded inside her, whispering her name over and over again.

  Far away, in a castle overlooking the stormy sea, Taryn knew Marissa felt their union and cried out in bitter pain. The wound above her heart bled anew.

  Taryn lay next to Rhoane, their naked bodies tangled together, their powers coalesced into one. “You are tainted now.” Sadness tinged his words.

  “I know.” Taryn stroked his smooth chest. “And in a little while I am going to be tainted again.” She propped on her elbow to kiss him.

  “You mock me.”

  “Never, my love.”

  His eyes flinched for the merest of moments.

  “What is it?” She traced his forehead with her fingertip.

  “We should not have done this. Father will never allow the purification. I will be sheanna once more.”

  Taryn shushed him, letting her hair fall over his chest. “You leave that to me.”

  He absently stroked her hair as she hoped he would.

  “If only for tonight, let there be just the two of us in this world. Only our happiness matters. Tomorrow, in the harsh glare of the sun, we will once more know our sadness.”

  “When did you become so wise?” He entwined his fingers around a handful of her hair, gently pulling her to him. He rolled her over, entering her so tenderly Taryn held her breath. He moved as if she were made of the finest Danuri glass and the slightest pressure might shatter her.

  Rhoane held her arms above her head, stroking the soft undersides down to her torso and farther still to her hips. He raised himself up, watching as he entered her again and again in such a way like he wished to memorize every detail of their lovemaking as if it was the first time.

  Or the last.

  Taryn shuddered at the thought and Rhoane bent his head back in delirious rapture. They came together, faster and stronger than either expected. His eyes became wild again, this time with desire. He fell on her, pulsing deep into her body. She wrapped her hands in his long Eleri hair, pulling it ever so slightly and then scratching down his back.