“Itis a trial that will test Trin’s soul in the same way your first time as aslave tested yours,” the Goddess assured him.
Thrace felt asurge of panic.
“Whatare you saying? What are they doing to her? I have to get to her!”
“Andyou shall. But when you see Trin again, she will notbe the same female who left you.”
“Whatdoes that mean? Please, Goddess…” Thrace looked around. “I…I can’tstand the idea of her being hurt.”
“Somepain is necessary to help her see the way,” thevoice said softly. “But you will be able to heal her—providing she comes to you.”
“Whatdo you mean, providing she comes?” Thracedemanded. “You’re the Goddess—can’t you tell if she’ll be willing to come to meor not?”
“Thereare many different futures, my son. I can only point my children in the rightpath and hope that they take it.”
“Well,I’m willing to try—willing to do anything to get her back,” Thrace said,exasperated. “But how in the Seven Hells am I going to get to her?”
“Away will be provided. You need only take it.”
“Away? What way?” He looked around but the voice and the presence which hadfilled the air around him was suddenly gone. What the hell? Thracerubbed his forehead. Had he imagined the whole thing? Was his stress over Tringetting the better of him—giving him hallucinations? But no, the presence ofthe Goddess had been so real…
Justthen the hailing frequency sounded from his viewscreen.
“Whatthe hell?” he muttered again. Flipping on the screen to take the call, he wasconfronted with a blonde haired female and a male with long, dark red hair wholooked Kindred.
“Thrace S’ver?”the male said, addressing him. “Greetings, brother. You don’t know us but weknow you. And we’re here to help.”
Chapter Thirty-three
“Please,no more,” Trin whispered through dry lips. “Please, High Priestess, I feel so weak.”
“Youare weak or you would not have alloweda male to penetrate you.” Betina, the high priestess gave her a disgusted lookfrom under the elaborate headdress she wore. It was jet black, like her longrobes, and encrusted with rubies the size of Trin’s thumb.
Trinwondered listlessly if her mother’s money had helped pay for the elaborate headgear. If so, she had made a sizable investment into one of the ugliest articlesof clothing Trin had ever seen. It had stiff folds on either side and was peakedin front, coming to a point like a bird’s beak which cast the priestess’ssallow, narrow features into shadow. Her beady eyes glinted from the darkness,raking Trin with a judgmental stare that made her feel naked.
Asa matter of fact, she was naked—abjecthumiliation was part of the ritual she was undergoing in an attempt to cleanseherself from the male influences she had allowed to enter her body. But beingnaked wasn’t nearly the worst part of the experience so far. Not nearly.
Trinpassed a hand over her eyes, trying not to remember…wishing she could forget…
Hermother had been waiting to meet her at the front door of their domicile whenshe came home to Zetta Prime. She hadn’t even allowed Trin to enter the housefor fear she would contaminate it. Instead, she had taken her straight to the Temple of the Goddess ofJudgment, a vast, gray building with tall, imposing walls and numerous hoodedpriestesses roaming its echoing halls in bare feet.
Thehigh priestess, Betina, had taken one look at Trin and dragged her to the innersanctum of the main worship hall to stand before the huge, frowning statue ofthe Goddess of Judgment.
“Stripher!” the high priestess had ordered and two gray robed priestesses hadcomplied, tearing Trin’s clothing from her body and leaving her standing therenaked and shivering in the echoing chamber.
“OhGoddess of Judgment,” Betina intoned, looking up at the tall, frowning statue.“One stands before you who has been Defiled. She has allowed a male to enterher and in so doing she has become unclean.” She pointed a finger at Trin.“Admit your sin!”
“I…”Trin’s voice had come out as a croak. “I…forgive me, Goddess—I have sinned. Ihave…allowed a male to…to penetrate me.” She took a gulping breath. “And…Ienjoyed it. I…I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me.”
“Sheenjoyed it!” Betina sucked in herbreath in horror.
“I…couldnot help it,” Trin mumbled. “I could not…could not stop the pleasure I feltwhen…when he was with me.” She looked up at the statue which seemed to scowl ather in anger. “Which is why I ask for forgiveness.”
“Forgivenesscannot be had simply for the asking.” Betina’s beady black eyes narrowed. “Itmust be earned with sacrifice. Onlythrough pain and mortification of your body and spirit can purification beachieved.”
“Iunderstand,” Trin said humbly. “I will do whatever is necessary.”
“Proveit.” The priestess pulled something long and silver out of her flowing robesand handed it to Trin.
Trinlooked down at the pair of heavy, blunt sheers that lay in her palm and thenback up again at the priestess.
“What—?”
“Cutit off.” Betina motioned to her hair. “Cut it off as a sign of your humilityand your devotion to the Goddess.”
“All…allright.” Trin had always considered her hair one of her best features but shelifted the heavy sheers without hesitation and began to cut. She couldn’t seewhat she was doing so she knew she must be making a mess of it. But that didn’tmatter now—all that mattered was making up for what she had done.
I deserve it, she toldherself as long strands of her thick black hair drifted down around her barefeet. I have to pay for what I did andthis is the only way.
Herhead felt lighter and the cool breeze sweeping through the echoing worshipchamber chilled the back of her neck when she was finished and handed the sheersback. She hoped that standing naked before the Goddess and cutting her hairmight be all she had to do, but she was wrong.
Theritual was just getting started.
Afterher hair was cut, Betina brought out a stone chalice, so large and heavy shehad to hold with both hands. Strange markings were carved around the outsideand the inside of it was stained an ominous reddish-brown.
“What…whatis that for?” Trin had asked hesitantly.
“Nowyou must bleed for your sins,” the priestess told her. “Bleed the evil fromyour body and give your blood to show your remorse.” She withdrew a long,curving ceremonial dagger with a jeweled handle and pressed it to the inside ofTrin’s elbow.
Trinstifled a gasp as the blade bit deep and watched as her blood overflowed and pouredin ruby rivulets down her arm and into the stone goblet. After a while, shebegan to get dizzy and wondered how much blood she had to give to atone for hersins. She felt weak and shaky when the deep cup was finally filled and one ofthe lesser priestesses bandaged her arm.
Butshe still wasn’t done.
“Bringme the hrakka,” Betina demanded. Oneof the other priestesses disappeared for a moment. When she returned, she helda long handled instrument with four sharp, parallel claws curving from its end.
“What…whatare you going to do with that?” Trin asked, eyeing the needle sharp claws indismay.
“Asyou have allowed defilement and impurity to enter into you, so you must bemarked on the outside to show your evil,” the priestess intoned. As Trin triednot to flinch, she dragged the sharp claws down her arms and legs, over thetops of her breasts, her belly and buttocks—even her cheeks—scoring andscratching every inch of Trin’s body with long, bloody welts that stung andached fiercely.
Trintried not to cry out but the pain was intense. She shifted uneasily and thepriestess slapped her hard across the cheek.