Daemon shook his head. “Too obvious. And I don’t know when, orif, he’s going to have another meeting with her.”
Raneese nodded, her finger still circling the rim.
“I need this to get to her as soon as possible, Neese. Opal is far enough away from Kalmeera that it wouldn’t be the obvious choice. So while I’m here, I need you to bethere.Please.”
Raneese raised her eyes to meet his. Sadness and understanding mixed with the swirls of chocolatey browns that made up her irises. After swallowing the remaining contents of her glass, she snatched the letter from his hand.
“I’ll do it. But only because you said please.”
A smile tugged at his lips as he raised his glass of whiskey to his captain.
To his friend.
As a new day broke, and Raneese and the crew pulled away from the harbor, Daemon shadow-walked to the opposite side of the island where the Moonstone Temple of the Goddess Narissa and her priestesses stood atop the highest mountain.
A sense of calm washed over him as he reached the bottom of Mount Uttara.
He’d always felt at home here. Felt at peace.
Daemon pulled on his power and shadow-walked to the highest point that magic could carry him. When he reached the base of the sanctuary, he stared up the massive expanse of steps that led into the clouds and began to climb.
Long ago, wards had been set at the base of the stairs that led to the temple. Markings that temporarily stripped people of their abilities as they climbed the nine-thousand steps that led to the mountain’s peak.
It was said that the Goddess herself placed the wards there to keep people from entering the sacred grounds unannounced. To test their mettle and their devotion.
And it was only once the final step was crossed that their magic was returned.
Daemon maintained a steady pace as he took step after step. Even though he did this every other month, sometimes multiple times during his stay, it never got any easier.
It’s no wonder the priestesses never leave the damn sanctuary.
The air thinned around him the higher he climbed, making breathing more difficult, but still, he pressed on.
It was past midday by the time he reached the top.
Despite it being winter, the islands held the warmth of summer throughout the year, and he was dripping with sweat. Even the coolness that came with the high altitude couldn’t soothe the heat of his skin.
After the first hour, he’d removed his coat. By hour two, his vest.
But by the time he reached the top, his chest was bare, and his skin glistened in the afternoon sun.
As he crossed the final step, it was as if a lead blanket had been lifted from his shoulders, and his magic flowed freely through his veins once more.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.” High Priestess Darya’s voice was as cool as a summer breeze. Her sky-blue linen robes draped down her body and pooled on the ground at her feet, the long billowing sleeves covering the delicately tattooed hands that were laced together at her waist. Encircling her hips was a simple silver chain adorned with crystals and shells that tinkled in the breeze.
Every priestess of the Sapphire Isles wore the same robes, but what set the High Priestess apart was the circlet around her brow. It was a simple band of silver with a modest tear-shaped sapphire in the center. But, simple as it may be, it marked her as the head of this temple.
Even as a prince, Daemon didn’t mess with her authority.
“Good to be back, High Priestess. Is everything well?”
The priestess nodded, then turned on her heel.
He followed after her as she headed toward the largest of the buildings, taking in the scene around him. He would never get over the beauty of the sanctuary grounds.
Columns of opaque white stone, with large swirls of arctic blue and periwinkle, lined the path before the steps and shimmered in the sunlight. However, due to the high elevation, there wasn’tmuch in the way of vegetation. But where there was a lack of greenery, there was an abundance of scenery.
Snow-capped mountains created jagged cuts through the horizon, and beyond them sat a glistening expanse of deep blue water that stretched as far as the eye could see.
