“The son of the goddess.” Her eyes went wide. “What have you done? Why do I have to answer? What is this?”
I had known it was only a matter of time until she realized what I had done. I pressed forward. “Who worships Arion?”
“Many ... many people do,” she said with a groan. “Why am I being forced to say things that I don’t want to? This isn’t how truth serum works!”
“Why does Arion want to attack Dea’s believers?”
“Because he hates his mother and wants to destroy her!” The words were just above a whisper, as if she were trying desperately to contain them. She jumped to her feet and took the tray of food and threw it against the wall.
“What rules and laws did you change at the temple?” I asked.
Her words were coming out a garbled mess as she fought against the compulsion. Was the fountain water giving her the strength to resist?
“Get away from Lia!”
I had been so focused on the high priestess that I hadn’t realized Dolion had entered the room. He positioned himself between us, as if he meant to protect me.
“Did priestesses used to marry?” I demanded.
“Yes!” she shrieked, pulling on her hair like the pain would prevent her from answering.
“Who changed it?”
She tried to clamp her lips shut. “Many ... many high priestesses changed things!”
I realized that she was avoiding the question and speaking in generalities. I needed her to be more specific. “What changed withpriestesses marrying? How did it change? And when? Why was it altered? Tell me why!”
Lysimache fought every word that escaped her lips. “Be-because ... couldn’t risk ... them ...”
The high priestess started to scream while she reached for Dolion’s belt and yanked out his short sword. She kicked him in the chest and knocked him against the far wall.
She’s going to kill me.
Adrenaline surged as I prepared for her to leap at me. I heard Thrax and Zalira coming up the stairs. They must have heard the chaos. I was about to call on my aspect when the high priestess suddenly stopped screaming.
Because she lifted Dolion’s blade and, with a malicious smile, drew the sword against her own throat, cutting her vocal cords.
Blood streamed from her neck as she collapsed to the floor.
“No!” I tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of my tunic and ran over to her, putting pressure on the wound. “You do not die,” I said. “We are not done!”
She managed to smile at me, blood staining her teeth.
Her words from earlier echoed in my head.
I win, daughter of Ajax.
“What happened?” Thrax asked. Dolion explained it to him, but I was focused on stopping the bleeding.
Lysimache made a gurgling sound, and it sounded as if she was choking on her own blood. Drowning in it.
The cut was too deep. She wouldn’t survive.
I put my face over hers, making certain that she was looking into my eyes. “When you face the goddess, she is going to give you exactly what you deserve,” I promised her.
The high priestess’s expression changed at my words to one of horror, and then she was gone—her mouth wide, her eyes glassy and open.
I should have brought Xander with me. He could have stopped her before she was able to kill herself. What had she been about to say?What would have been so important that she would take her own life rather than be forced to answer?
