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.

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

my hair pulled out,

area in the Light Realm. How had I never

the key

stomach fluttered excitedly. I wanted to get back to Jared and tell him about this

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

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

ready, though. I had to wait for them

bonfire crackling

My stomach growled.

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

a plate full of delicious feast food. I tucked right into the lamb shish kabob. The meat

up

was full, so I shoved the shish kabob at him. He grinned

the best food I've had in

some stray juice off his

music at first and the village leader told a

embellished or exaggerated, did have some roots in

talking about witches and how Saboreef had been a place witches were hunted and somehow one of the witches survived and became a powerful

an interesting

through, I glanced at Jared and saw

talking, the musicians began

out of his daze. He smiled and tightened his arm around my shoulders. There

“What's going on?"

answer with words. Jared pulled me against him

you?" I

this

determination, but we

while the villagers danced around the fire. Eventually, the rest of the Saboreef missionaries joined in

dance with me," I pleaded with

twirling figures as they moved around the fire in

around each other and got caught up in the fray of villagers as they danced and

I smiled. I skipped and hopped, feeling like I was

I felt like I could just run and spin around with the rest of

the dance. I felt like I could just run and spin around

Now and then, I looked at him

I thought my legs would

something to drink," I said, fanning myself

to a table