Of Thorns and Ice by Kenzie Skye

Author:Kenzie Skye [Skye, Kenzie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

Six

Gwen

The next morning, Bastian and I are awoken by a loud knock on the door. I groan, not wanting to leave the comfort of the bed.

I give Bastian a questioning look, and he frowns as if it's unusual for someone to be knocking on his door.

That doesn't make me feel any better.

"Get dressed, little one," Bastian orders me as he slips on his black pants and shirt.

I quickly do as he says and take in a deep breath as Bastian opens the door.

On the other side is an elderly man wearing a plain white robe with intricate gold embroidery along its edges. He looks like he's in his late seventies or early eighties but nonetheless manages to stand tall and proud despite his age.

"Good morning," he greets robotically. "The priestess sent me. I'm here to take you both down to the Temple."

Bastian's spine stiffens. He turns to me. "I'll be back, little one."

The old man clears his throat. "You're to bring your sacrifice as well."

Bastian's lips thin, and I see his hands ball into fists at his side. "Why? She has nothing to do with this."

"I'm simply the messenger," the old man tells him flatly, with all the warmth of a reptile.

Bastian glares at him before he finally takes my hand. He squeezes it in reassurance, but after everything I've heard about this priestess, it doesn't abate my worry.

The old man steps aside so we can exit the room, gesturing for us to follow him down the hallway toward a large set of double doors at the end of it. He pushes them open and steps forward into what appears to be an inner sanctum within the palace walls.

I blink in surprise when we step through the double doors. It's like a totally different world from the rest of the ice palace.

We're surrounded by lush green vegetation and fragrant flowers as far as my eyes can see. There's even a small pond filled with brightly colored koi fish in one corner.

The air is heavy with incense from burning sticks placed around us in small clay pots, making me feel almost reverential in this sacred space.

The old man leads us further inside until we come across a magnificent white marble temple situated at its center, its pillared facade rising high above us like something out of a fairy tale. We step through its giant stone archway and into its spacious interior.

The floor is covered in colorful inlaid marble, and a large double staircase leading to a second floor connects to its left wall. The ceiling is at least several stories high and furnished with a crystal clear skylight. It's like the inside of a giant jewel.

The old man leads us through the center nave of the temple, where a priestess dressed entirely in red is waiting for us.

She's a middle-aged woman with high cheekbones and deep green eyes. Her chestnut brown hair is pulled back into a tight bun, and she's wearing several gold and silver bracelets on both wrists.

She acknowledges the old man with a nod.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.