The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,5

gasped, dropping the sponge back in the half-scrubbed pot. “I didn’t mean to, I swear! I promise it won’t happen again, Head Cook!”

“No, it won’t,” the Head Cook said flatly. “Because you’re not coming back in my food prep area again—not even to scrub pots! From now on, you’re on fresher duty every day.”

“Oh, but—” Elli began.

“Let’s see if you’re better at scrubbing toilets than you are at scrubbing pots,” the Head Cook continued. She sneered at Elli. “I didn’t want you here, anyway. I heard what kind of filth you got up to with that warrior at the humans’ party.”

Elli felt as though the other woman had punched her in the stomach.

“I…he…he drugged me,” she managed to get out at last.

“A likely story.” The Head Cook’s words dripped with sarcasm the way her ‘special of the day’ dripped with grease. “Two other novices snuck out to that party, but they didn’t act like hoydens, did they?”

“They…they didn’t drink the punch,” Elli whispered.

Shame rolled over her again. If only she hadn’t told anyone what had happened to her with the mysterious stranger in the closet at the party! But she’d been so upset and frightened and the human doctor had told her it was all right to talk about it. Everyone in the Med Center had been so nice—not like the other priestesses at all. They seemed to think it was all Elli’s fault that the male had touched her—her fault that her body had reacted to his touch.

“Please, you don’t understand. I—” she began, desperate to explain herself. She was dismally aware that all activity had stopped around them and everyone in the whole food prep area was watching.

“I know your kind, missy,” the Head Cook interrupted, shaking a condemning finger at Elli. “You’re not fit to serve the Goddess—not even scrubbing pots or toilets! But here you are, so we’ve got to put up with you. Now, go see what the Priestess Superior wants, you miserable girl!”

Hot words rose to Elli’s lips, but she knew from experience that fighting with authority figures only ended in more punishments. She didn’t want to scrub toilets every day, but it was better than being assigned endless, monotonous meditation in her plain white room.

Also, at the moment all she wanted to do was get out of the spotlight. So instead of talking back and giving the other priestesses even more grist for their gossip mill, she turned and fled, going as quickly as she could to the suite of the Priestess Superior.

Never should have told, she thought, swallowing down tears of rage and shame as she ran along the corridors. Never, ever should have told!

Three

The suites of the Priestess Superior and the Senior Priestesses, who were her direct subordinates, were located on the level above the Sacred Grove. They had their own private lift-tube which ran from the main area, with the communal living space and the food prep area, right up to their small, private wing of the Mother Ship.

When she’d first come to the Mother Ship, Elli had come up this lift every day to tend the Descending Priestess Superior. But she still felt awe when she rang the chime and the door to the Priestess Superior’s suite slid open, revealing an opulent setting.

To start with, there was carpet on the floor instead of the bare, cold metal of her own little cell. It was a thick, rich pile in a deep blue and green swirled pattern that you sank into when you stepped inside. (Barefoot, of course, since none of the novices were allowed to wear shoes.) Then there was the furniture—the couch in front of the fireplace was huge and plush and overstuffed, covered in some kind of suede-like leather in deep blue that matched the carpeting.

On the walls were works of priceless art in gleaming gold frames and there were a few tables that had expensive-looking vases and knick-knacks scattered here and there. Elli made certain to stay well clear of those—she didn’t want to be accused of breaking anything.

“I was told to come and see the Ascending Priestess Superior?” she said to the priestess who had opened the door, making it a question.

The priestess scowled at her.

“Oh yes—you’re the novice who snuck out to the human party and shamed herself with a male, aren’t you?”

“I…” Elli felt the shame roll over her again but she decided not to let the priestess—who was only the maid of the Ascending Priestess Superior—see it. “I was told to come