Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Well, that’s a relief.
Not.
Since obviously I didn’t go home with a king! And what the actual fuck? Bidding? Is this like a child-bride thing?
Of course, I know it isn’t. Or maybe it was, but it didn’t turn out that way. The devil got me. And this is where it all happened. And then he took me to Pennsylvania, and turned me into a dumb human, and my life became a CPS-foster-care nightmare.
And speaking of the devil—the eros devil—isn’t he some kind of love god? So what the actual fuck? Just lies, lies, lies coming out of Callistina right now.
“Your palace will be your sanctuary.” Callistina is still talking. I have kinda tuned her out, but when she says the word ‘sanctuary’ I pay attention again. “No one will be able to hurt you there. The magic you will have, tiny sister…” She takes a moment that she really doesn’t have to spare to gaze fondly into my eyes. “Your magic will be unstoppable. Father is going to make sure of it. And one day, we will meet again and we will be…” Her eyes go up and look around, like she’s being sneaky. Or about to tell a secret. “And we will be,” she whispers, “the most powerful sisters in all the realms. OK?” She’s still got her hand on my cheek, and she strokes it for a moment, sighing. “You’ll see. It’s all been planned. Now let’s go. I’m taking way too long and Father is going to be so angry.”
I sigh as she begins tugging me down the hallway once again. Then we turn a corner and my mouth actually drops open in awe.
Because now we’re in a huge room filled with massive doors. I’m talking twenty-five feet high, at least. Like they were made for giants.
“OK.” Callistina stops in front of the first door, out of breath. Then she licks a finger and wipes a smudge off my cheek. “You go in—”
“Not by myself!” And again, I can hear the fear in my little-girl voice.
“Fine. I’ll take you in. But I can’t stay. I’m needed. I have to give you away during the Caretaker Ceremony.”
Oooooooohhhh. Hmm. So that’s the part all the beautifully-dressed teenage lion-girls are playing tonight. They are giving away their little sisters.
Which is… gross.
“Are you ready now?”
I look down the line of doors and for some reason, I am compelled to count them. There are twelve. This number means something, but I can’t immediately put my finger on it. And then I’m out of time. Callistina knocks on the door, making it open of its own accord.
And then we walk through into yet another world.
4
The throne room is just as grand as the rest of the palace, but it is surrounded by fog. And even though Callistina was giving off the impression that our father would be in here waiting for us, there is not one man acting like a god and sitting on a throne.
There are four of them.
I let out a long exhale of frustration. Because of course there are four of them. One is just too easy.
They are each sitting upon a grand throne and pretty much all look alike. Older, bearded—though not long beards, kinda short—and wearing various forms of godlike garb. Variations of togas and…I squint my eyes at the man sitting in the first throne on my far left. Because he’s different. His clothes are Egyptian. And immediately, my mind goes to the statue of Pell inside his tomb.
“Oh, fuck.” This comes out in my little-girl voice before I can stop it. But thankfully, the four gods on the four thrones are roaring different things at Callistina, and they don’t hear me.
Four. And they each have a banner over their throne declaring who they are.
The one from Egypt is called Ptah. He is wearing mummy wrappings. But they’re not old and gross, the way I normally picture mummy wrappings, but bright, bright white. And they cover every bit of his body, with the exception of his face, which is covered in green skin, and his head, which is covered in a bright blue cap.
Fucking Egyptian gods were so weird. They’re the ones who looked chimera too. I’m not all up on the whole pantheon or anything, but I do remember alligator men, and bird men, and dog men being among the strange depictions of these gods.
And this makes me pause. Because… yeah. Chimera. I feel like a revelation is coming about this whole thing.
The next one is called Cronus. Who, if I remember correctly from studying ancient gods in fourth grade, was a titan. A primordial Greek god who came before all the ones we know so well.
Then Zeus in chair three. Everyone knows him. He’s the god of gods.
And then, of course, the one we love to hate—Saturn on the far right from ancient Rome.