FORTY
Together, they threw the corpse onto the pyre they'd built on the ground at the foot of the stone altar. They piled more wood on top of it until it resembled a bonfire more than a funeral pyre. Then they stepped forward together and thrust their torches into it, setting it alight.
Rosa bit her lip, bringing a breeze into the grove to fan the flames. The quicker the corpse became ashes, the better, for the night was cold and dark, and it would be many hours before the sun would warm the land again.
She moved closer to Chase, craving his warmth more than that of the fire.
"Shall we go back to bed?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her.
She longed to say yes, but she could not. "We must keep vigil until all traces of the body are gone. You go home if you wish, and back to bed.
