Sieper. Bits of the
things she’d heard years ago in the marketplace were remembered. Rumors of his
ability to read the weather surfaced. How could he possess such a talent? The
Mistress touched women, never men. Did he serve the Lord of Shadows? He’d
spoken of ownership and of her as being a reward from the Cabal. Had Sieper
been one of the men who had lurked and awaited the arrival of the gray priests?
She sighed. Would
she ever regain all the memories of the time before her capture?
She rolled the too
long trouser legs and used a scrap of cloth torn from her gown as a belt. The
sleeves of the shirt hung well below her hands and she pushed them up. How
fortunate she’d been to find Sieper’s clothes on the line. As she’d fled
through the alleys, she’d peered into the streets. The few women she’d seen had
been escorted by one or even several men.
While she waited for
true dark, she fingered the scar on her wrist. Her hand flew to her mouth and
she stifled a scream.
An obese man, head
shaved and scalp oiled, faced her. He held a metal rod with a serpent curled
around the staff. A globe of swirling mist topped the rod. Her body trembled.
The evil in the priest’s thoughts nauseated her. The serpent raised its head.
The fangs bit into her wrist and sent molten fire through her veins. An endless
scream echoed in her head and she sought darkness as she had before.
When Ashiera emerged
from the place where night was eternal, a few stars shone in the sky. A pale
sliver moon had risen. She struggled to her feet and exercised muscles
stiffened by the cramped position.
Flee. Leave the
city.
The urgency of the
command made her lose all caution. “Who are you?”
The Place of
Choosing. You must go there.
“Where is this
place?
In the
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