He shuffled back a few steps and bolted into the grove after the others, looking to return to the protection of the group.
The grove was lined with neatly shaped flagstones that covered the ground around the altar. They’d once have been pure white marble, but now they were stained by the blood of several people who’d either died trying to protect the sacred area or had sought refuge against the tide of death flowing through the town. A figure sprawled near the altar must have been a priestess of sorts. The woman was wearing long white robes embroidered with flowing patterns created in silver thread.
Torben had seen similar robes that the Bywater priest had worn on particular feast days—not that he’d attended the ceremonies at the Gods’ Grove particularly often. The last time he’d stepped
