33. Tiana

Chapter thirty-three

Tiana

A s the doors swung wide, I gasped.

My pulse quickened, and my eyes darted around. Pillars of polished black marble swirled high, well beyond the magical light flickering from brass braziers standing before them. My eyes followed the columns into the darkness, never finding the ceiling they supported.

Standing to either side were hundreds of masked and robed figures forming rows that ran the length of the chamber, facing inward. The eerie congregation created the impression of a grand walkway. As soon as I appeared in the doorway, the figures burst into a discordant hum that undulated in an odd, mystical pattern, sending a shiver across my skin.

The eagle prodded me to walk forward .

My feet rebelled.

I stumbled.

He gripped my elbow with one hand, and tried to comfort me by rubbing tiny circles in the small of my back.

His touch sent fear raging through me.

With the next step, our procession began.