Page 152 of Queen of War and Ruin

I follow my brother’s gaze to the tiny stone temple perched on the outskirts of Detec. There’s a house next to the temple with a cozy thatched roof and an open door. I watch for a moment longer, and an older man with a bushy beard steps through the door with a basket under his arm. He must be the priest. He walks toward his henhouse, and Elrick turns to Anura.

“Think he remembers us?” Elrick asks.

Anura just smiles. Elrick turns to me, then to Zarek.

“You ready?” he asks.

“Of course,” Zarek replies. His voice is cool and confident, as smooth as the ribbon that bound us together in Vsenrog.

I just nod. I don’t trust myself to speak.

Elrick turns his horse off the main road, and we walk slowly toward the temple. It’s a small, rough stone building with tall windows that shine like diamonds in the early morning sunlight. It looks ancient, like it’s been here ever since the mountains rose from the earth.

And it is nothing at all like the temple in Vsenrog where I walked down the aisle in my bridal red before a crowd of people I’d never met.

I try to swallow that memory as Elrick dismounts before the fence that surrounds the temple. His horse drops her head into the thick grass as he ties her to the hitching post. I try to focus on the sound of her contented grazing instead of the frantic beating of my heart.

Elrick offers me his hand as I dismount. I take it, strangely glad it’s him and not Zarek holding my trembling fingers. I glance over at the snake of Vsenrog, but he’s turned away from me to face Petrys. If he’s nervous, I can’t tell.

Elrick smiles as he lifts the latch on the gate. The hinge protests slightly as it swings open. Elrick takes my hand, then gestures at the open gate. And the path leading to the temple’s narrow front door.

“You’re sure about this?” my brother whispers.

My heart races inside my chest. I glance down at the dusty, dark blue servant’s dress I’m wearing, and I try not to think about the silk bridal gown Anura helped me into in Vsenrog.

“I’m sure,” I whisper.

Elrick’s eyes dance as he grins at me. And then he pulls me forward, through the gate, and onto sacred ground.

The old man sets his basket of fresh eggs down on the grass and comes to meet us as we walk up the path. I’m expecting questions, or maybe an offer to pray with us, but instead, the old man throws his arms around Elrick, and then Anura.

“Back so soon?” the man asks. “What is it this time? Run into some problems?”

His eyes sparkle as he speaks, making me think this is some kind of joke I don’t quite understand. Elrick and Anura smile at each other.

“No problems at all,” Elrick tells the man. “In fact, we’re here for the same reason.”

“Oh?”

Elrick turns to me with a strangely formal little bow. “This,” he says, “is my sister, Lilias.”

And then he turns to Zarek with the same sort of bow.

“And this,” he continues, “is Zarek. The man she has chosen.”

“Ah,” the priest replies. “I understand.”

I glance at Zarek, but he turns away, almost like he’s suddenly fascinated by the irritated squawking emanating from the henhouse.

“And you’re here to witness?” the priest continues, nodding solemnly at Elrick, Anura, and Petrys.

“We are,” Anura answers.

The priest nods. His expression is serious, but his eyes dance in the sunlight.

“And do you approve?” the priest asks.

My breath catches in the back of my throat. What kind of a question is that?