Promise (Book 2 of "The Whispers of Rings")

It's been three months since Josselyn set foot into Lord Markov's estate. She returns to Anastas in her search for answers to her family's murder. Along the way she meets acquaintances, both old and new. Cyprus Reyner, an unexpected lead, shows himself in one of Josselyn's frequented establishments and he may hold the key to what she seeks.

~~~~~ Excerpt ~~~~~

Sitting quietly under Elwyn’s peaceful gaze, I wondered for the hundredth time that hour what force had brought me back to the Temple in Anastas. This very building had held me under lock and key; my life to be forfeit for a crime I did not commit. This was somewhere I had never wanted to return to, and yet, here I was. Elwyn’s stare seemed to mock me; the vision of peace and harmony, and the unknowing goddess to hundreds of ravenous wolves. I tossed a coin at her feet and bowed my head, wondering how one was suppose to pray. I repositioned my hood to cover most of my face and all of my hair.

My family had sold me before I could even grasp the concept of a religion. Once I learned of the many gods people worshiped, I felt no higher power would ever allow me to suffer as I did. I decided to follow my own set of morals and pave my own life instead of counting on an unseen spirit.

Shortly after I’d become a member of the Terryn household, Jeremi had explained to me why people felt the need to follow a force far superior to human existence; someone that would keep them safe from harm through prayer and faith. Victoria held her own religion that she practiced quietly, but Jeremi had never believed in any sort of god nor afterlife. I wondered if together they had crossed over into the peaceful sanctuary they both deserved. The vivid image of their lifeless bodies strewn across the bed crossed my mind again. The scene haunted my dreams, and the scent of their blood was still fresh in my memory.

I was here because I had to know who killed the two people I loved most in this world. Afterlife or not, their deaths weighed heavily on my heart every single day. I needed closure desperately. I had no leads, evidence or proof. I didn’t remember the faces or names of the guards that had captured me or the people who’d kept me prisoner. Even so, this was the first place they’d taken me immediately following the murders, and this is where I would begin my hunt.

Sweat beaded my brow and the insides of my palms. I did my best to keep my hands from shaking in fear. I couldn’t go back to their dungeons, I wouldn’t. I had to stay strong.

“Have you come for Elwyn’s blessing, m’lady?” The soft, deep voice of a cleric set my nerves on edge. I clutched the cloak tight around my neck and kept my eyes to the floor.

“No, Father, I have questions that beg answering.” I glanced at my coin at the statue’s feet. “But if her blessing will answer them for me, then I will gladly accept it.”

Save for the cleric and I, the Temple was empty. It was the end of the working day, and by now Elwyn’s followers had abandoned her in exchange for wine and carnal luxuries. The quiet temple was in my favor, however, as I needed to speak to the cleric alone.

“It’s not often we have visitors at this hour.” My heart raced as his slippered feet approached in careful steps. “Are you troubled, child?”

“More than you could ever know.” I replied quietly.