Red as Ruby

Chapter 24

Gritting my teeth, I turned my back on the beauty of the courtyard and began my trek back around the temple. The goddess' sanctuary, it turned out, had been conveniently located on the exact opposite side of the temple from our camp. An inconvenient fact Damien had neglected to mention. As I trudged through the dense underbrush and overgrown vines, I wrestled with my tumultuous emotions. Anger bubbled up inside me at each step, fueling my determination. Damien had known what the offering would be - me! And he'd conveniently forgotten to share that little detail.

The moon's silvery light bathed the ancient stone walls of the temple, casting eerie shadows that danced and flickered in my peripheral vision. But I was not afraid of ghosts or mystical creatures. No, my enemy was much more mundane. A man. A prince. An infuriatingly handsome prince who had lied to me.

Moving through the dense underbrush, I could feel the crunch of leaves and the unsettling squish of moss under my boots. My breaths turned visible in the chill air, blending with the faint, ethereal glow of the moonlight filtered through the canopy of trees. The temple's physicality was imposing, yet as I continued to trek, the emotional weight it carried was far heavier.

I felt a betrayal of trust, a sting sharper than any sword. The revelation about Damien had catapulted our relationship into an abyss of uncertainty. The anger within me was a tempest, as turbulent as the aether in my veins, spurred on by the bitter taste of deception. Damien, who was a prince by birth but a liar by choice, had become the enemy I had to confront.

The camp was set in a small clearing, a solitary beacon in the otherwise menacing wilds, lit by a modest fire. The glow was a warm invitation compared to the temple's cold, imposing stone. The smell of burning wood and sizzling rabbit meat wafted to me, and I knew I was close. I moved faster, rushing toward the familiar sight and smell of our camp, my anger momentarily overshadowed by relief.

As I neared, my eyes caught sight of a commotion at the camp's edge. Figures moved in the glow of the firelight, their silhouettes engaging in what seemed like a heated debate. I recognized Damien's imposing figure immediately, his hands held up defensively as though to ward off a physical attack. His voice rose above the others, firm and commanding, "You are not going in that temple!"

Kalara, a spitfire if there ever was one, was the first to round on Damien, her fiery red hair illuminated in the dancing firelight. Her lips were drawn tight, her eyes flaring with a wrath that rivalled my own. "You have no right, Damien!" she spat, her fingers curled into fists. Caelie, ever the voice of reason, was struggling to keep her temper in check, her usually calm hazel eyes brewing. "Damien, we've been through this," she said, her voice low, but the edge was hard.

Anwen, on the other hand, was a volcano on the brink of eruption. The usual twinkle in her eyes was replaced by a hard glint, her hands clenched so tight that the knuckles were white. She was holding Kalara back, her arm stiff across her chest, but the effort was causing her to shake. "You don't get to decide for Heloise, Damien," she snarled, her voice a dangerous whisper.

Liora, the calmest amongst us, was un-surprisingly the calmest. Her brows furrowed in confusion and fear, she watched the escalating argument with wide eyes. Yet beneath the innocence, there was a steely determination. "Damien," she began, her soft voice surprisingly steady, "Heloise is our friend. We have to help her, we can't just stand by and do nothing."

Standing slightly apart from the heated fray, I decided it was time to intervene. Clearing my throat, a sharp, deliberate sound that cut through the tension like a well-aimed arrow, I drew their attention. The effect was instantaneous. The verbal onslaught ceased, and five pairs of eyes turned to regard me. A moment of stunned silence ensued, then, recognition.

Caelie was the first to react, her eyes lighting up as relief washed over her features. "Heloise!" she cried out, rushing towards me, her previously stern demeanor replaced by uncontainable joy. Anwen, her fists unclenching, let out an exhalation that seemed to carry the weight of the world. A broad smile replaced the hard glint in her eyes, and she too, bolted towards me.

Kalara, feisty as ever, was momentarily stunned before her fiery spirit rekindled. "Well, it's about damn time!" she exclaimed, grinning ear to ear, her previous anger overshadowed by delight. Liora, always the quiet one, simply stood still for a moment, her eyes welling up with tears before she too, rushed forward.

Their embraces were warm, filled with relief and love. Their joy bubbled over, enveloping me in a cocoon of warmth and acceptance. It was a moment of unity, of camaraderie, amidst the turmoil, a beacon of hope that strengthened our resolve.

Pulling away slightly from our shared embrace, Caelie managed to regain some of her earlier sternness. A frown tugged at her brows as she looked me over. "Heloise, you look like you've been chased through hell by a dragon," she stated matter-of-factly. Laughter erupted from the group, their mirth a stark contrast to the gravity of her words. I couldn't help but join in.

As the joyous echo of our laughter faded into the night, the reality of our situation started to seep back in. Their smiles faltered, their eyes reflecting their dawning concern. Kalara was the first to break the silence, her voice hesitant. "What happened at the temple, Heloise?" One by one, they echoed her question, their gazes bearing into me with unspoken urgency.

A leaden silence fell over us as I measured my response. My eyes flicked towards Damien, who'd been quietly observing our interaction. A slight nod from him was all the confirmation I needed. I turned back to my friends, mustering a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Perhaps you should ask Damien," I said, my voice steady, my gaze unwavering. Their puzzled expressions quickly turned to Damien, who met their gazes with a grim determination of his own.

"Why would we asked Damien? But more importantly, why are you covered in custard?" Caelie asked, crossing her arms as she awaited an answer.

"Well," I began, casting a sidelong glance at Damien who was trying – and failing – to suppress a grin. "It began with this lovely trapdoor which, as it turns out, was a one-way ticket to Arachnophobia Central. The spiders were huge, and the spiderwebs were... stickier than expected." I shuddered at the memory, causing a round of sympathetic grimaces to ripple through the group.

"Then there were the riddles, because of course there were," I said, rolling my eyes dramatically. "Because what's an ancient temple without a bit of cryptic nonsense, right?" This elicited a chorus of laughter. "But the fun really started with the doors."

"Wait, the doors?" Caelie interjected, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Oh, yes," I confirmed, nodding gravely. "The doors. With gorgon noses. Because, you know, who doesn't want a stone-cold sniff as they're trying to pass through?"

"Breathtaking," Kalara quipped, unable to contain her amusement any longer.

"Quite literally," I shot back, smirking. "Then there was the quicksand, the near-sacrifice to the Goddess Rubina – who, by the way, has a killer fashion sense – and, of course, the custard."

"Custard?" Caelie asked, her tone incredulous.

"Oh, yes," I said, grinning broadly. "Remember the prankster god Impisphorus that we used to pray to as children so that we could do fun pranks? Turns out he has a thing for custard." I gestured towards my custard-covered clothes. "And finally, he sent me off with a children's rhyme, a weird map, and, well, all of this." I motioned at myself, eliciting another round of laughter from the group.

"So, yeah," I finished, shrugging. "Just another day in paradise, I suppose."

"And how does Damien come into play?" asked Caelie.

"Yeah well as it turns out, I don't have to make an offering to the gods for the Blessing, I AM the offering. I was supposed to sacrifice myself."

"What?" my friends exclaimed in unison.

"And I'm pretty sure Damien here knew about it. Didn't you, Damien?"