Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
But when she scanned their faces, which were familiar to her from last night, Addie saw that some of them were missing and the rest looked pale and drawn. Like Sparki, these women looked like they’d had a terribly rough night. In fact, a few of them could barely stand and were leaning against the girls on either side of them, who were scarcely in better shape.
“Come on, girls—take your place in line. Don’t keep us waiting any longer,” Ls Hissa exclaimed, frowning impatiently.
“Come on, over here,” Sparki whispered to Addie and tugged her hurriedly over to stand with the other girls.
Addie found herself standing at the very end of the line, which was a good thing. Maybe she could avoid drawing attention to her new fangs and the weird markings on her back, she thought hopefully.
But her hope was dashed when Ls Prissa rose from her throne-like chair and began to speak.
“As all of you know, last night at the Choosing Ceremony one of you was primed to be crowned the Queen of Night. Today, during The Revelation, we shall see which one of you that is. Now then…” she looked up and down the line of girls. “All present and accounted for, I see. Except for Teeza, who paid the price for her disobedience last night when she refused to drink of Sheelash’s Bounty.”
“But what about Keelish?” Ls Tissa asked, from her throne. “Where is she?”
“She didn’t make it, your Ancientness,” one of the other girls said in a low voice. “The…the poison overcame her. It spread through her body in great, black streaks until she couldn’t breathe. She’s gone.” Then she broke down into sobs.
Addie’s stomach churned. Gone? As in dead? She thought of the lines of blood poisoning that had been spreading from her own spider bite. If Drago hadn’t healed her, would she be dead now too? She had a bad feeling that she would be. How awful!
But Ls Prissa didn’t seem sad at all.
“Ah, well—we always lose one or two,” she said, waving her hand as though the girl’s death was just collateral damage and nothing to get upset about. “Stop that caterwauling,” she added, frowning at the crying girl. “We all know when we’re chosen to participate in this ancient rite that some of us might not make it. Why, during my Choosing Ceremony, three years ago, we lost five of the original twenty.”
Addie frowned—something wasn’t adding up. Had Ls Prissa said she’d participated in the Choosing Ceremony only three years ago? But how could that be—she looked like she was seventy-five or eighty at least. Weren’t only young women asked to participate?
“Now then, I’m glad to see that most of you made it through the night,” Ls Prissa went on, without giving any further explanation. “Today is the time of The Revelation—it’s time to see who among you will be crowned the Queen of Night. So strip!”
Addie jumped at the harsh command, thinking she must have misunderstood. Her Translation Bacteria must be acting up—right?
Wrong. Because the girls all around her began peeling off their black dresses to stand naked and shivering before the three thrones. Addie realized she hadn’t misunderstood—the Council of Aged Ones actually expected everyone to get naked.
Addie didn’t like this a bit! She started slowly backing towards the door. Maybe she could sneak out while everyone was undressing…
Unfortunately her stealthy movements didn’t go unnoticed.
“You there—the off-worlder girl!” Ls Prissa snapped, pointing one bony finger at Addie. “Come back here—where do you think you’re going?”
“Oh, well…I just think it would be wrong for me to participate any further in your holy ritual,” Addie said quickly. “I mean, I’m an outsider here—the honor should go to one of the Vargan girls—not me. So I was just going to—”
“Going to sneak out and shirk your duty, were you?” Ls Prissa narrowed her surprisingly young eyes. “I don’t think so. Guards—bring her back into line and strip her!” she ordered.
Suddenly there were two armed Vargan guards standing on either side of Addie. They took her by the elbows and marched her back, only this time they took her to the very center of the line, right in front of the three Aged Ones.
“All right, all right,” Addie told them when one of them started pulling at her dress. “I can take off my clothes myself—leave me alone!”
“Stand down—let the off-worlder undress herself,” Ls Hissa ordered.
Addie was relieved when the guards backed off, but even more reluctant to get undressed now that she knew there were men in the room. However, she wasn’t being given a choice. The guards were still hovering nearby so she had to reluctantly pull the black dress over her head.
She held the mass of fabric to her breasts, trying to cover herself as much as possible. But it turned out that it wasn’t her front the Aged Ones were interested in.