Princess of Death (Three Provinces Book 1) by Renee Travis Read Free Book Online

trembling; I could tell he wouldn’t last much longer against the pull of this overly shadowed place.
    Quickly we left the burial ground, once outside the fence I felt better, not much with the terrors it contained only inches from me, but better.  Our Alu companions transformed and Nam and I began our trek farther into the woods.
    When we got about half way I smelled something cooking, looking deeper into the forest I saw a small fire twenty feet or so off the road.
    “Hello!” I called, who could possibly be camping in Tatidu Forest? Hope flickered within me, maybe it was Ishtar? The sensible part in me knew it wasn’t.
    “Another Princess in the Dark Pines? How strange.” The voice was female and had the same ethereal sound as ghosts did. But I could tell it was very much alive.
    As a group of women came to stand before us, Nergal and Ekur took their normal forms next to Nam and I.
    “Another princess you said?” Nam asked.
    I observed the women, they all looked the same. Dressed in tattered gowns of silver, white, gray, pale blue and deep purple, their hair all long, windblown and not brushed, the same shades as their dresses, skin tones matched as well. They were lithe and beautiful, uncanny with eyes that glowed.
    “Yes,” said the one standing in front, “we offered her food and shelter but she did not seem to hear us and kept going.” The ten or so standing behind her all pointed at once down the road.
    “Death Nymphs?” Nergal seemed very curious and I couldn’t blame him. They were uncommon to come across, but I wasn’t surprised to find them, especially this close to a P.O.T... I gave him a confirming nod.
    “Did she say anything?” I asked.
    “Just muttered about how close she was,” their leader said. The nymphs behind her chorused:
    “Must get there, I’m almost there.”
    “Weird, aren’t they?” Ekur mused.
    “They’re Death Nymphs, what do you expect?” Nam sounded annoyed.
    “Lampades to be correct and I am Ibbi.” The one in front said, she was smiling and her teeth looked very white and very sharp.
    “Thank you for the information.” I gave a tiny bow to be polite; having Lampades pissed at you was never a good thing.
    “We are happy to give it, but two things Princess Ereshkigal,” Ibbi said.
    “And those would be?”
    “First, she was being pulled by the Place of Taint outside the forest. She passed us not two hours ago. Second, all information comes with a price.” Ibbi’s face turned feral-looking at her words. The Lampades behind her all snarled at the same time.
    “I figured as much. What is the cost?” This was not unexpected, all I could hope was she understood her information had not been worth much.
    “You are a Princess. You do not owe them anything!” Ekur exclaimed.
    “It is how Death Nymphs work,” Nam explained. He had made his way so he was standing very close to me, leaving the Alus behind us again, where I thought they’d be better help in case Ibbi’s band was larger than she was letting us see.
    “Our sister, we require your assistance.” Ibbi’s eyes reflected sadness for a moment. The rest of her troupe parted and in the middle crouched a nymph I had not noticed before.  Her hair was sparkling blue, skin sea green but dried out looking.  Her eyes were like pools of water, and she wore the same dress as the nymphs surrounding her.
    “What is a water nymph doing in Adura?” Nam asked the question we had all been thinking.
    “She strayed too far and touched the boundary of Adura and Biri.”
    “Oh crap,” I muttered, stepping closer to her and the poor little water nymph just stared at me, in pain. Nymphs were purely magic; where they lived reflected what shape they took. Death (Lampades), Insanity (Maenads) and Star Nymphs (Astariaes) lived in Adura. Water, Sky and Earth Nymphs lived in Biri. Nymphs of plants, healing and the Arts came from Nannaru.
    “Can you change her back?” Ibbi wanted to know.
    I touched the Nymph, “why