Blood of the Goddess Book I: The Locust King
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Locusts at the Gate Chapter 2: A New Name Chapter 3: The Capital Prepares Chapter 4: The Princess is Dead, Long Live the Princess Chapter 5: Outside the Gates Chapter 6: Inside the Black Tent Chapter 7: Surrender at the Temple Chapter 8: The Cult of the Locust Chapter 9: The Locust's Tenets of Faith Chapter 10: Mourners on the Cliff Chapter 11: The Eye of Betrayal Chapter 12: The Dead King's Bedchamber Chapter 13: The Arms of the Goddess Chapter 14: Zayaan of the Narim Chapter 15: The Eyes of the Priestess Chapter 16: A More Permanent Disguise Chapter 17: Tribute Chapter 18: Sacrifice of the New Moon Chapter 19: The Lost Bird Chapter 20: Manah and the Priestess Chapter 21: Desert Creatures Chapter 22: Become the Swarm Chapter 23 The Price of Betrayal Chapter 24: Life Under the Locust Chapter 25: Wild Rose Chapter 26: The Lady Wren Chapter 27: Thought and Desire Chapter 28: The Lady's Captivity Chapter 29: The Wine Maiden Chapter 30: End of Childhood Chapter 31: The Children of Aisha Chapter 32: The Forest Runner Chapter 33: Three Sisters Chapter 34: The Hunt Chapter 35: Bones in the Forest Chapter 36: Lullaby Chapter 37: The Hunter's Horn Chapter 38: Ways Between Ways Chapter 39: Morning Star Chapter 40: A Prophecy for Baraz Chapter 41: Equinox Fires Chapter 42: The Lord Prince Takri Chapter 43: Evening Star Sets Chapter 44: Chaos in the Courtyard Chapter 45: Dasha Chapter 46: Memories Chapter 47: The Body Slave Chapter 48: Caged Beasts Chapter 49: Message from the Capital Chapter 50: Heresiarch Chapter 51: The Color of Blood Chapter 52: Winter Winds Chapter 53: The Bookmaker's Closet Chapter 54: Wrapped in Dignity and Beauty Chapter 55: Vessel of the Goddess Chapter 56: Cracks in the Walls Chapter 57: Two Brothers Chapter 58: The Court of Women Chapter 59: Favored of the King Chapter 60: The Sweetest Fruit Chapter 61: Daughter of the Temple Chapter 62: A Nation of Bastards Chapter 63: The Lute Player Chapter 64: Aisha's Prayer Chapter 65: Promises Chapter 66: Lives Lost Chapter 67: The Tea Maker Chapter 68: Object of DesireChapter 21: Desert Creatures
Seven days after the new moon, the Swarm completed preparations for the initiation of the noble born sons of Adyll into the Swarm.
At the western checkpoint, Zayaan watched for the arrival of the new conscripts from Adyll. Below the blur of the dark blue mountains to the west he caught the first glimpse of the boys along with their escort of Swarm soldiers. He reached into his pack, pulling out a flat polished metal disk about the size of his hand. He turned to face east towards the camp and held the disk aloft to catch the sun’s rays. He flipped it up and down three times and waited, then repeated the pattern. From the camp another light responded, acknowledging his signal.
Their initiation would take place as soon as they arrived.
Zayaan rubbed the scar on his face at the memory of his own initiation, the day he had lashed out in white hot anger against the strigoi-viu Mahleck, and paid the price. Now, he hid the embers of that fire deep within his heart. If he ever wanted to leave the camp of the Locust alive to rejoin his sister, he needed to focus on one thing – blind obedience to the authority of the Locust. If he could prove his willingness to submit to the commander of the camp, he would be able to take his rightful place as a prince in the court of the Locust, high atop the cool mountains of Adyll in the capital city. He would not miss this chance.
His father told him his destiny was to rule at the side of an Adyllian Queen, a woman descended from the bloodline of the Goddess Aaysha, The Life-Bringer. His family would visit Her temple in the capital of Adyll every year during the summer solstice. The shy yellow-haired girl at the palace bore no resemblance to the fierce woman with hawk wings the Narim worshipped. Even if she had been a goddess, that future disappeared for Zayaan along with his people when Mahleck and the Swarm descended on the Narim.
He remembered his father teaching him how to survive in the desert as a child.
Be still and watch. Darkness allows the jackals to take the weak and injured from our herd to nurture themselves and their young. They attack in the night when they cannot be seen, and they attack together. It is better to be a living predator than a dead sheep, and it is better to be a part of a pack than to die alone. Observe the animals: how they survive, how they fight, what they eat. They are our teachers. Do as they do. The desert teaches us to become what we need to be in order to survive. Sometimes we must be the desert mouse who hides in the sand. Sometimes we must be jackals.
He packed up his bag and headed back to camp. Everyone was required to take part in the cruelty that was to follow.
To survive the Swarm, you become a Locust, thought Zayaan.
After stowing his bag in his tent, Zayaan made his way to the training ground at the center of the camp to take his place among the other members of the Swarm. A large cookfire crackled in the middle of the field surrounded by torches lit against the oncoming darkness.
The Adyllian conscripts arrived as the sun set, herded into the training ground by their captors. Dehydrated and weak from their march across the desert, some had already collapsed before reaching the camp and were dragged by their fellow brothers. Those who were still standing were forced to their knees on one side of the training field. The young men waited, swaying trying to remain upright. The desert winds blew the dust around them in eddies, causing the banner of the Locust flying above the commander’s tent to rumble and snap. The boys waited for their fate. Their sunburnt faces streaked with tears and sweat.
At least they have each other, thought Zayaan. He looked for his cousin Takri in the crowd but did not see him. They had been kept separate from each other since their arrival in the camp over a year ago.
Zayaan wondered how many other boys would suffer the same fate Takri surrendered him to last year. Once his friend and cousin, now just another Locust. Zayaan swallowed his grief. He would not apologize for surviving. He would do what he must even if it meant cruelty by his own hands this night.
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