The Empire is sweeping the land, taking cities and towns by force. Nami, a young priest dedicated to the Goddess Ceres, is ready to sacrifice himself as Numidia falls, but his slave, lover, and protector Avan saves Nami from the temple flames against his will.
Alive and outraged, Nami travels to the city of Gran Terra to consult the Great Temple, but Avan’s love is changing Nami’s worldview. When he sees the Great Temple has become a hive of greed and indulgence, he challenges the idea of dying for a deity. However, the High Priest has another idea, and Nami will have to find every ounce of strength inside himself if he’s to escape the Temple alive with Avan by his side.
Alive and outraged, Nami travels to the city of Gran Terra to consult the Great Temple, but Avan’s love is changing Nami’s worldview. When he sees the Great Temple has become a hive of greed and indulgence, he challenges the idea of dying for a deity. However, the High Priest has another idea, and Nami will have to find every ounce of strength inside himself if he’s to escape the Temple alive with Avan by his side.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
“The bells in Nami’s long white hair tinkled as he knelt before Ceres’s altar. He bowed his head in prayer, his hair covering his face like a shroud. He prayed fervently to his Goddess, hoping Ceres would hear his desperate cries for mercy. The lifeless statue of a beautiful woman towered over him, her marble face carved into a perpetual blank stare.
Nurturer and mother, protect your children in their darkest hour. Keep Avan safe, I beseech you. I will give my life to this end. I offer up my blood and flesh to you in exchange for his precious soul. Nami’s prayer was barely more than a fevered whisper uttered in haste. He didn’t have much time. Smoke and blood would soon stain the sacred stones of the temple. The Imperial army left no temples standing in its wake. All the Imperials brought to the land was death, ruin, and conquest.
The rattling of plate mail interrupted Nami's reverie. Nami knew the identity of the familiar presence in the room without even laying eyes on him. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and stood up to meet his friend and protector, Avan.
“Nami, I come bearing grim news.” Avan knelt before Nami on one knee, raising his head to behold Nami’s sparkling blue eyes. Nami should have chastised him for it. A mere slave was not allowed to look him in the eye. Instead, he smiled, glad to see steadfast loyalty shimmering in Avan's dark eyes.
“Avan, stand and report. Is the situation as dire as the rumors suggest?” Nami’s voice was soft and sweet like song. His voice had barely deepened as he ascended to manhood, and he sounded like a boy despite counting twenty years since his birth.
Chapter One
“The bells in Nami’s long white hair tinkled as he knelt before Ceres’s altar. He bowed his head in prayer, his hair covering his face like a shroud. He prayed fervently to his Goddess, hoping Ceres would hear his desperate cries for mercy. The lifeless statue of a beautiful woman towered over him, her marble face carved into a perpetual blank stare.
Nurturer and mother, protect your children in their darkest hour. Keep Avan safe, I beseech you. I will give my life to this end. I offer up my blood and flesh to you in exchange for his precious soul. Nami’s prayer was barely more than a fevered whisper uttered in haste. He didn’t have much time. Smoke and blood would soon stain the sacred stones of the temple. The Imperial army left no temples standing in its wake. All the Imperials brought to the land was death, ruin, and conquest.
The rattling of plate mail interrupted Nami's reverie. Nami knew the identity of the familiar presence in the room without even laying eyes on him. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and stood up to meet his friend and protector, Avan.
“Nami, I come bearing grim news.” Avan knelt before Nami on one knee, raising his head to behold Nami’s sparkling blue eyes. Nami should have chastised him for it. A mere slave was not allowed to look him in the eye. Instead, he smiled, glad to see steadfast loyalty shimmering in Avan's dark eyes.
“Avan, stand and report. Is the situation as dire as the rumors suggest?” Nami’s voice was soft and sweet like song. His voice had barely deepened as he ascended to manhood, and he sounded like a boy despite counting twenty years since his birth.
