Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 78 : As Soon As Possible

*Eliza*

The elder women led me away from the village into the woods a little way. I glanced back, but Jared was already out of my eyesight.

They brought me to a sacred temple. There were statues of the Moon Goddess in the doorway.

Mesmerized by the temple and the carvings, I totally forgot about Jared being far away.

“What is this place?" I gasped, placing my hand on one of the carvings.

“A holy, sacred place of the Moon Goddess," one of the elders said.

I sighed and shook my head. Well, that was obvious. I was kind of hoping for a little more than that.

Inside the temple, at the center, was a large opening in the floor. Water bubbled up from a natural spring underneath.

“You can bathe here. We have fresh clothes when you're ready."

I nodded but walked around the pool to the shrine at the head of the temple. There was a statue in the shrine that looked like it was meant to be the Moon Goddess. She had features that seemed familiar but that weren't usually associated with the Moon Goddess.

Where had I seen this woman before? It felt like a distant memory or a dream, something I should remember but couldn't quite grasp…

There was a stone placard in front of the statue. It read, “Luna of Blackfire."

“Miss Eliza," an elder called to me.

“I'm coming."

I stripped down and got into the pool. The women came in with me. They washed me and tamed my hair. Once I was dried off, they handed me a gorgeous dress, nicer than anything I'd seen or worn in a long time.

It was satin, dark emerald, and perfect for this kind of tropical night warmth.

“These tattoos," one of the elders said, running her fingers up my arm with the curse marks. Her eyes were distant and glazed over as she studied them.

“What about them?" I asked, creasing my brow.

The elder frowned and ran her thumb over my arm. “Is this a place in the Light Realm, a map?"

“A map?" I gasped.

The elder nodded. “It is familiar to me, like the lines of a map, something from the Light Realm."

All I could do was shrug.

started brushing my hair, I turned my arm toward the light and I

could, without getting my hair pulled out,

area in the Light Realm. How had I never seen

be the key

stomach fluttered excitedly. I wanted to get back to Jared and tell him about this new map. New hope swelled

hadn't seen the connection before. Maybe it was because I'd been looking at it upside down all this time. If I'd seen the marks in a mirror, then I probably would have made the connection. But being

back to Jared," I said, too eager to wait any

women weren't ready, though. I had to wait for them to change

bonfire crackling away

My stomach growled.

good meal. We'd just been eating quick snacks here and there

the fire and got me a plate full of delicious feast food. I tucked right into the lamb shish kabob. The meat was so tender and juicy, I couldn't stop eating. It hit my stomach so satisfyingly that my

up

I shoved the shish kabob at him. He

best

some stray juice off

They played slow, soft music at first and

intently. Local stories, though most were embellished or exaggerated, did have some

been a place witches were hunted and

was an

glanced at Jared and saw

stopped talking, the

of his daze. He smiled and tightened his arm around my shoulders. There was a new

“What's going on?"

me against him and

into you?"

this

more to his enjoyment and determination, but we

clapped along with the music while the villagers danced around the fire. Eventually, the rest of the Saboreef missionaries joined in the

me,"

his hands and pulled him out into the twirling

and held my hands tightly. We spun around each other and got caught up in the fray of villagers as they danced

stung as I smiled. I skipped and hopped, feeling like I was floating over the

no real pattern to the dance. I felt like I could just run

was no real pattern to the dance. I felt like I could just run and spin

hand tightly in Jared's. Now and then, I looked at him and saw

danced until I thought my legs would

to drink," I said, fanning myself with

dancing bodies and we headed to a table with drinks on it. He grabbed a beer