Dancer by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online

visible future for the first time. Laughter and lust, caring and conversation have been offered to me, and I will attempt to take it.”
    The older woman smiled, “You wish to have children?”
    Del shook her head. “No. I have a daughter. I wish for a purpose beyond entertainment, a life with meaning and someone to share it with.”
    “What if the goddess leaves you as she left all of us?” Paj was petulant, her arms crossed over her breasts. She was a typical Na-Lanvin, golden skin with brown hair. Her face was especially lovely.
    “Then, I will take my payment and leave, seeking my purpose elsewhere. For some reason, Kurat does not foresee that as a likely scenario.” Del smiled again.
    One of the middle women asked, “Did he dress you like that?”
    Del held back a full response. “Yes. Why?”
    “It is merely typical of him to dress his female in as little as possible. I wonder where he found it?”
    Del grinned. “My luggage. It is a Nyal dance costume right down to the sandals.”
    The older two women hooted with laughter, the woman who had spoken looked appalled and the younger ones looked confused.
    The older one explained. “They are her own clothes, Paj, Tori. He didn’t make her wear anything.”
    Del didn’t mention that he hid all of her other clothing. He had been demonized enough by these women, she wasn’t about to add fuel to the fire.
    She explained. “I am looking at this from a point of view outside your own culture. I do not know your social morays, I will learn as I go, and I do not doubt that I will make a few mistakes.”
    “My name is Kahla, by the way. I was the High Prefect’s first lover all those decades ago. The goddess was with me for three days, but I only spent one in his bed.” The oldest of the women sighed. “He was in such a hurry that I could never imagine him as a proper lover after that.”
    Del looked at the faces surrounding her. “You cannot talk me out of it, but may I come to you with questions if I have them after the fact?”
    Kahla smiled. “It will be too late then.”
    Del chuckled. “It is too late now. It was too late when I met his gaze over the crowded dining hall and definitely too late when he courted me over dinner.”
    Paj frowned. “Courted you?”
    “Yes. A slow seduction of wine and words.” She would have said more but Kurat came through the double doors. The wood shattered around him and the women jumped and scattered.
    Del stared at the man who was wearing the gods within him quite thoroughly. “You could have knocked.”
    “Come with me, Delyth. It is time.” The eyes were solid black, and she knew that it was not Rothu or Kurat who was talking.
    She rose to her feet and took the hand he extended. “Pleased to meet you.”
    His lips quirked up at the corners. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”
    His fingers closed warmly over hers as he led her through the halls with no care for her shorter legs. They walked directly through the palace and out into a wide span of gardens. Central to the garden was a stone ruin.
    “Welcome to the selecting ground. Step forward and meet your goddess.”

Chapter Nine
    Delyth Raygen of Terra stepped forward and waited to see some sign that the goddess she was called for was there.
    Del could feel something in the air aside from the watchers gathering around the paved edge of the neat garden. She bent and removed her sandals, somehow craving the touch of the ground under her feet. The standing stones beckoned, so she walked into their centre, breathing deep and extending her hands to either side.
    The suns went down with shocking suddenness, plunging her into darkness. Light bloomed around her, swirling and twisting in glowing chains around the confines of the ruins. The light gathered closer and closer to Del until it was encasing her from head to foot.
    A riot of scents came to her as she stood in the maelstrom of goddesses fighting for a place inside her. Forests, fire, blood and water came to