Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
“We felt it would be better to gather more information before we talked to you,” Gwafa said. “We have no choice but to honor the word of our ancestors, but you are my beloved daughter, and I refuse to blindly hand you over to a man whose character I know nothing about.”
Amastan nodded. “We set about attempting to find out more about this race of people and, in particular, this warrior you are promised to.”
Safia studied first her grandfather’s set features and then her father’s. It came to her what they had planned to do, and she had to blink back tears at the enormity of their intended sacrifice. She’d questioned their loyalty to her, and all along they had planned to challenge this warrior for her, a man reputed to be so skilled in battle they could not win the war without him. Still, once she was properly handed over to him, they were willing to fight his claim if they determined he would not make a good husband to her.
She shook her head. “You can’t. If he’s as good as he’s reputed to be, you would be throwing your life away.”
“I don’t believe in worrying about things we have no control over,” Amastan reiterated, as he had so many times in the past. “It is best to gather as much information as possible and be prepared.”
“They would not be alone in fighting for you, Safia,” Izem reassured. “I would make it known that he would not walk away with you without challenge.”
She shook her head. “You have a wife. If I’m promised to him and he fights with us and defeats our enemy, I will honor the word of our people.” Even making the promise was terrifying, but the thought of such a fierce man fighting and killing her brothers or father or grandfather and taking her anyway was too much for her to bear.
“We will meet him before he is judged,” Amastan declared. “Safia must read the cards tonight, and then we will go to the caves for more answers.”
The cards her grandfather referred to had been handed down from mother to daughter for centuries. They were hand-drawn and hand-painted by an ancestor in vivid, vibrant colors that never seemed to fade. For Safia, the cards came to life and revealed answers when the right questions were asked. She always carried them with her, and they seemed to have a life of their own. One card in particular, the one she referred to as the goddess card, she carried against her skin next to her heart.
The cards had their own secrets. The deck could disappear and be flat under any clothing she wore, hiding the large stack. The goddess card was never shown to anyone else, not ever. It held tremendous power, and over time, Safia had noticed that the image looked very much like Aura, as if Safia’s ancestor had known Aura’s and had drawn her on the card. Once Safia’s mother had given her the cards to read, they never again responded to her mother. They would only “speak” to Safia.
She wasn’t certain she wanted to read the cards and see what was in store for her family. It wasn’t just her family, but the entire tribe. Not even just the entire tribe. The people innocently living their lives in Dellys had no idea a terrible threat was approaching their small city.
Safia couldn’t stall any longer, not with her family, who were all staring at her expectantly. They were just as uneasy as she was after the revelations Amastan and Gwafa had disclosed. She rubbed her temples, her head beginning to hurt. Once more, she stood, moving to sit in front of a small table that was carved from ancient wood and polished lovingly by every one of her female ancestors. Various rocks were embedded in the wood, each a different shape, all quite unique in composition.
She took the pouch from beneath her shirt and pulled the deck from it. At once she felt the cards tuning themselves to her. More than anything, she wanted to ask the cards about the mysterious man she was promised to. She was filled with such trepidation and even resentment. At the same time, her family was facing a terrible crisis. The evil creeping toward them was very real. She had to acknowledge it, whether she wanted to or not. Every weapon in their arsenal had to be utilized. The cards were one of the most powerful tools her people had.
Safia had been brought up almost from the time she was born with the idea that she would lead in a crisis. That she would sacrifice. Her time was now, and she knew, no matter the circumstances, she would rise to the occasion, even if that meant she would eventually leave her family. If this man saved her people, he would be owed everything.