Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7) Read Online Free PDF Page B

time…
    “Pythia.”
    “Pythia…of course.” Ranka’s eyes widened hearing the same name coming from my lips along with her own.
    “You know of the Oracle o f Delphi?”
    “Who do you think sent me on this quest?” I told her and suddenly Ranka was on her knees bowing to me as if I’d just told her I was now her Goddess and she should be worshipping me.
    “Uhhh Ranka…what are you doing?” I asked hoping she would get up off the floor any second now. But then there was a knock on the door before someone barged in and I panicked not knowing what to do. I dropped to the floor and pretended to be looking for something, hoping that whoever just entered would think that this was what Ranka was doing also.
    “Ranka, the King sent me.”
    “Ah ha, here it is!” I shouted pretending to pick something up and giving Ranka a look of urgency, telling her that we still had a role to play here. Thankfully she took the hint and got to her feet, a lot swifter than I did I might say. Well in my defence I was still injured.
    “Is this the slave girl?” The large round woman asked and jingled when she moved thanks to having half her arms covered in bangles. Ranka placed herself between me and the scary woman, making the woman’s beady eyes bulge. 
    “This is the Chosen…” I coughed reminding her not to slip up and she paused looking back at me before carrying on,
    “…Chosen girl to be the King’s new concubine.” Ranka corrected and the big woman rolled her eyes and went to go around Ranka to get to me when Ranka stopped her. Her hand shot out and gripped onto the woman’s arm and I could see the pressure she applied, one that made the woman wince.
    “She is a favourite of the King’s and he has expressed to me the importance of her safety Parmida, so I suggest you do not let him down and displease him, for he put her in my care for a reason.” Now this definitely got her attention. Those little eyes stayed wide this time as she took in the sight of me.
    “I understand,” she said in a way that I didn’t doubt it for a second as I think everyone under Draven’s rule knew what it meant to piss him off.
    “Now let me see what I have to work with,” she said once Ranka deemed it safe for her to pass. I had to admit, it was quite nice having someone to stand up for you when the occasion asked for it.
    “But her hair?” the woman said confusing me. Okay so I knew I must have been a mess but was it really that bad? I raised a hand up and one feel of the knotted mess pretty much answered that question for me. Ranka gave a little shake of her head and the woman moved swiftly on to the next question.  
    “What is your name, girl?” She snapped out the question obviously thinking that Ranka’s warning only went as far as keeping my body safe and ready for a night with the King, but she obviously didn’t give a shit about my mind.
    “She doesn’t remember who she is so the King has decided to name her when he sees fit. Until then he calls her his Little Lamb.” Oh great, thanks Ranka, just what I wanted, to take that animal nickname with me for the rest of this bonkers trip!
    “Very well. I see she has injuries, are these just on her face or extended to the body as well, as the healing time will only add to the year.” I screwed up my face in confusion. What was this woman talking about? Ranka must have recognised what I was thinking because she said,
    “Getting a concubine ready for the King usually takes a year in preparation.” I almost choked on my own tongue hearing this.
    “A year!?” I shouted at which I received a dirty look from Miss Persian Piggy who stood next to me, snorting her disbelief, from what I could only assume was my behaviour, but screw that! A bloody year getting ready to see Draven, jeez what was I going to be doing, re-growing new skin after they scrubbed me raw!
    “Allow time for her to heal but nothing else, Parmida,” Ranka said ignoring my outburst. The woman she called