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

tilted my head as far as I could, without getting my hair pulled out, and saw the lines from a

area in the Light Realm. How had I never seen

could be the key to

get back to Jared and tell him about this new map. New hope swelled in my chest, threatening

this time. If I'd seen the marks in a mirror, then I probably would have made the connection. But

to Jared," I said, too

wait for them to change

was a bonfire crackling away and the delicious, mouthwatering

My stomach growled.

just been

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

met up with

kabob at him. He

swear, this is the best food I've had

stray

playing on the other side of the bonfire. They played slow, soft music at

listened intently. Local stories, though most were embellished or exaggerated, did have some roots in actual

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

was an

glanced at Jared and saw his eyes glazed

leader stopped talking, the musicians began playing a louder, faster

arm around

“What's going on?"

didn't answer with words. Jared pulled me against him

gotten into you?"

this

was more to his enjoyment and determination, but we were here to have a good time. I wasn't

while the villagers danced around the

with me," I

hands and pulled him out into the twirling figures as

other and got caught up in the

hopped, feeling like I was

was no real pattern to the dance. I felt like I

the dance. I felt like I could

kept my hand tightly in Jared's. Now and then, I looked

danced until I thought my

I said, fanning myself with my

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