Excerpt
Inside the hidden cave the loud cheer rose from the faithful grew in intensity and echoed painfully in Alliya's ears. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her tiny body shook with uncontrolled sobs. In cold terror and paralyzed by shock, Alliya realized the horror below had been meant for her. She gasped for air, unable to catch her breath as her heart began to race. She wanted to look away, get out and run away, but her feet were still frozen to the spot. Against her will, she watched the final act of the ritual.
Patrolese brought the dogs to the edge of the altar as Magna poured Madina's blood into a bowl. Her mouth curved into a twisted smile as the animals eagerly lapped at the red liquid. After the bowl had been licked clean, she tossed the still warm heart in their midst and allowed the hounds to tear it to pieces. Then, with a nod to her consort, the High Priestess left the altar.
After securing the dogs by their chains, Patrolese located a small lever hidden in one corner of the altar stone. A slight tug on the arm made the center section split, sending Madina's lifeless body into its depths. Reaching out, he dropped one of the torches that were positioned around the stone into the pit and watched, his emotions unmoved, as the center of the site burst into a blanket of flame. Only when he was satisfied that there would be no evidence that little Madina didn’t really join the goddess to be reborn with her on earth, did he turn and also leave the area.
Shaking, Alliya finally freed herself from the crack in the cave. She raced for the doorway, stumbling on loose stones and falling face down onto the dirt floor. Sobbing, she clawed at the ground and crawled the rest of the way to the opening. She had to get away from the temple and never return. It was all a lie, her world, her religion, everything she knew was gone.
The bright light outside momentarily blinded her as she emerged from the cave, but she ignored it, her fear driving her. Part way down, her foot dislodged some rocks, sending her tumbling once more down the face of the cliff. Her tiny body rolled down the embankment until she was roughly deposited at the foot of the crag.
Upon landing, the soft area of her temple gave way to the sharp, unyielding edge of a large rock. Bright colors danced before her eyes and began to erase all memory of the vicious murder that she had just witnessed.
As blackness lowered its dark curtain over her, Alliya was returned to the security of ignorance.