by Nicola Marsh
Sensing my curiosity, she said, “When I became part of Joss’s family, I took on the Eiros customs.” She touched the cross. “Incorporated my original faith. My parents both teleported to Eiros when I was young. They were gifted. I wasn’t. But I was allowed to stay because of them.”
“I didn’t mean to pry—”
“You didn’t.” She patted my shoulder in an affectionate gesture so reminiscent of Nan I almost burst into tears. “Now, off you go, all of you. Prepare Holly for what she’ll face.”
Uriel shooed us out amid a flurry of thanks and groans from full tummies while her last words echoed in my head.
What she’ll face … what she’ll face …
The lone cookie I’d managed to eat threatened to come back up. As if having Cadifor’s crony coming after me, finding my mom, mastering impossible tasks, searching for Arwen, and facing a potential battle against the lord of darkness with the fate of the world hanging in the balance wasn’t bad enough, I also had to face my friends with the truth, face my true feelings for Joss, and face the possibility that Nan might not pull through. It was enough to have me surreptitiously rubbing my stomach and focusing on anything but my urge to hurl.
I couldn’t stomach evil, yet the impending battle I would have to win would be steeped in it. Time to toughen up. Starting now.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
My first Saturday morning of formal lessons at Eiros tightened the noose of responsibility, strangling me. From the tense expressions of the Sorority as they divulged each new gem of wisdom, expectations were high. Failure wasn’t an option. Lucky me.
While I lapped up the facts the same way I did in English and chem, it was the constant surveillance that wore me down. With every fact imparted, one of the Sorority would scan my face, checking how I was coping, how I was absorbing vital details. It was exhausting.
Now they’d sprung my first pop quiz. After half a day? Did they think I was a freaking brainiac? Discounting the fact that the information was new to me, the lessons sounded like they were in another language most of the time, and the content was beyond crazy.
“How did our civilization begin?”
I rolled my eyes at Mack. Bring it on, Leader.
“With equal sharing of light and dark. But Cadifor got greedy, became jealous of Bel because people were happier in sunlight, and bad things happened under the cloak of darkness so people resented and blamed him.”
I rested on my outstretched arms, settling into the story I thought was cool. “In an effort to control and punish them further, Cadifor staged a battle. Bel won and banished him to permanent darkness underground, along with his loyal consorts.”
This is the part that scared the crap out of me—that I was the only one who could stop Cadifor. If Bel was all-powerful and such a clever sun god, why did he place the future of the world in one descendant’s shaky hands? Surely he could’ve dumped this responsibility on some other poor sucker’s head? But no, I happened to be the lucky female descendant with a freaky sun affinity and the hopes of a NYC-wannabe community hanging over me like a storm cloud. Holly Burton, come on down.
“Bel’s spell is powerful, but can be broken if Cadifor gains control of Arwen, rejoins forces with Mider and Nemain, and brings about the last great war to end civilization.”
Mack nodded, glancing down at his book for the next question. “Good. Next question: describe our religion.”
Another easy one. “Based on the ancient druids, a system of Neo-paganism worshipping Belenus, the sun god, with the main goal being to return to a peaceful existence in the golden age.” It all sounded very hippie and New Age to me, but hey, who was I to question their idealism? I didn’t know what I believed in anymore.
Mack ticked another question off his exhaustive list, which I’d caught a glimpse of when he flipped the cover of his notebook. “Lifestyle?”
Another cinch. Maybe they were softening me up for the tough stuff to come? “The emphasis at Eiros is tree crops, reforestation, and organic gardening. Main areas of interest for those living here include ecology, astronomy, astrology, and sacred building construction.” Which I found funny, for the bulk of the housing appeared roughshod at best, like a ghetto had been transported out here along with Central Park. A few of the houses, like Uriel’s, were well kept, but combined with the sky’s gray pall, the rest seemed grimy and depressing.
Suitably impressed by my rote learning, if his proud smile was any indication, Mack moved down his list. “Describe the role of warriors in Eiros society.”
A subject close to my heart, and I risked a quick glance at Joss, who’d appeared impassive during my morning lessons, his indifference spurring me on to prove myself. While I liked the guy, he also had the ability to seriously piss me off.
“Warriors are born into the role of protectors. They police Eiros, maintaining the peace, enforcing laws, ensuring safety. They enter formal training at ten years of age and move into the apartments on the community fringe. Along with earning a high school diploma, they study all aspects of combat and hone their psychic powers.”
I shot Joss another glance, but he kept his back turned, and I wondered how he’d coped with being thrust into a warrior’s life so early. He’d lost both his parents, then he’d probably had to deal with leaving Uriel too, while still a kid, only to be indoctrinated into fighting and protecting while getting a grip on algebra and English. Way too heavy. Was that the reason for his worldliness? He had a maturity most guys in their twenties didn’t possess; maybe dealing with all that loss so young and being forced to grow up quickly during training did that to a guy.
Maeve fired off a quickie. “Why are we called a sorority when we have male members?”
I bit back a smile as Maeve stuck out her tongue at Oscar, the grumpiest male member, who scowled. “Because Belenus was the first leader and he designed the Sorority to be a mix of sexes, empowering both males and females with his light. Which also explains why he didn’t label it a fraternity, implying a male brotherhood only.”
Mack scanned his list for the next question when Oscar held up his hand, permanent scowl grimmer than ever. “This is a waste of time.” He jerked a thumb in my direction. “She can obviously recite facts back to us for the next decade. Let’s test her on the important stuff, like her role during Beltane next weekend.”
Mack glanced up from his list and nodded. “Why don’t we head over to the temple now, run through the ritual there?”
Oscar leaped to his feet. “Action at last,” he muttered, while the rest of us ignored him.
Maeve bounced ahead, exuberant as ever, while Joss held out his hand and helped pull me to my feet. Shame old-world manners had gone out of fashion. I kinda liked it.
Mack took a step, stopped, and turned to face me. “You’re doing well, Holly. Much better than any of us could’ve hoped.”
“Thanks. I think.”
He smiled and headed off in Maeve’s direction, while Joss released my hand, his blue eyes as intense as ever.
“He’s right. You’re a sponge for facts.”
I shrugged, his praise meaning far more than anyone else’s. “Why don’t you call me a nerd and be done with it?”
A hint of a smile flickered across his face. “I’d like to call you many things, Holly Burton, but nerd wouldn’t be one of them.”
Mortified Joss had the power to make me blush so easily, I followed the others, his silent strength beside me a comfort.
I watched Maeve stroll ahead, Mack’s long strides, Oscar slouching along beside him, and it hit me that apart from training me, I didn’t actually know what the Sorority did.
“We ensure smooth running of the community, act as guidance counselors, stuff like that.”
I had half a mind to think something really nasty and let Joss read that. Instead, I settled for the more mature approach of asking more questions. “So you’ve all been born and raised here? Schooling?”
“Home-schooled, and yeah, Sorority members are born and
bred here.”
Except me. What was I? Some no-name drifting between parallel existences, handy for the odd Arwen hunt but belonging nowhere? Story of my life, really.
“You don’t do the self-pity thing well,” he said, his voice steely, his expression unimpressed. “You belong here. You chose your destiny the moment you agreed to embark on this quest, so you’re one of us now. Suck it up.”
“What bit your ass?”
He dragged a hand through his hair. “Not all of us get a choice in what we do, but we have to stick with it and do our best.”
“Yeah, or the world ends,” I muttered, annoyed by his animosity. I was here, wasn’t I? Filling my head with all these ridiculous facts about an ancient culture depending on a sixteen-year-old to save them? Getting a handle on some seriously spooky crap? “Believe me, I get it, I don’t need you ramming it down my throat.”
Interesting. He’d mentioned not everyone having a choice. Did Warrior Boy not want the job of protecting me and it was thrust upon him? “You didn’t get a choice? Is that what this snit is about?”
His head jerked back as if I’d slapped him, his blue eyes blazing with bitterness. “Let’s just say you’re not the only one who has something to prove.”
Unease slid through me. Had Joss mucked up in some way? Did he truly know what he was doing? I’d put my trust in him to protect me; what if he wasn’t up to it? What then? Desperate to keep him talking and discover more, I made light of the situation. “Don’t tell me. You’re on probation?”
His expression twisted into a grimace. “Something like that,” he said, defiant as he stared me down, silently challenging me to make something of his reluctant admission. “It doesn’t mean I won’t protect you with everything I can, even if it kills me.”
Startled by his vehemence, my heart stalled.
“Holly? Come on, you guys.” Maeve broke our silent deadlock when she called out. I silently cursed the bad timing. My warrior had some serious shit going on and I needed to know what it was. Before it got us both killed.
“Let’s get moving,” he snapped, before carefully, deliberately, wiping his expression.
“This isn’t finished,” I hissed under my breath, but he ignored me, raising a hand in the group’s direction to signal our falling in.
As we followed the others, fear made my pulse skip in time with my steps as I analyzed everything he’d said. It sounded like protecting me was some kind of test for him, a job he had no choice about. What happened if he failed, and who had coerced him into this? And why was he moody and forbidding sometimes, and reluctantly caring others?
The weekend lessons at Eiros I could do without, but a chance to interrogate my mysterious warrior and discover the truth? I was so there.
Climbing down a steady decline through thick forest, I envisioned what the Temple of Grian would look like: a cross between the Acropolis, the Coliseum, and Stonehenge? When we finally stopped, my first glimpse far surpassed my imagination.
“The Temple of Grian,” Mack announced unnecessarily, earning another scornful glare from Oscar.
Nestled into the bottom of the hill, the temple had eight towering stone columns covered in now-familiar symbols. Circular stone benches were arranged in concentric spirals toward the middle, where a stone altar took center stage. There was no roof; lush grass covered the floor, wildflowers spilled over the backs of benches in abundance, and bees buzzed in the background.
I didn’t say a word, eager to explore, to take everything in. Thankfully, the others picked up on my reluctance to talk. The silence was peaceful, restful, at odds with the tense group dynamic.
“The temple is set out in a mandala design, oriented to nature, the four compass points, and positions of the stars and planets.”
I glanced at Mack, not exasperated by the lesson for once. I wanted to know everything I could about this place. The second I’d seen it I felt something indescribable tugging at me, something I’d never experienced.
A feeling of coming home.
“It’s beautiful.”
Even Oscar lost his scowl at my declaration, the four of them flanking me as I picked my way down the hill toward the temple.
When my foot hit the first stone step leading toward the altar, I froze, overcome by the rightness of all this. It felt strange after my constant doubts about the validity of this quest, after the doubts that had plagued me my whole life.
Not being good enough for my mom to stick around.
Not being anything other than a burden, a responsibility my Nan couldn’t shirk.
Not fitting in at school.
Not having friends like everyone else.
Not being cool enough or pretty enough or funky enough to be anything but a loner, a loser.
Yet all that faded as I focused on the altar, oblivious to everything and everyone bar the pale sun fighting its way through the omnipresent gray, bathing me in welcoming warmth and the certainty that every step I took would bring me closer to why I was here.
My ballet flats made soft scuffling sounds as I picked my way down the uneven stone path, but I didn’t stumble. With shoulders squared, I marched toward the altar like I’d been born to do it, basking in the sense of power flooding through me.
For someone who’d always flown under the radar, I was so far over and beyond the radar right now it wasn’t funny. But I wasn’t scared by this inexplicable assuredness that being here was right. For the first time in my life, I felt like I’d found my place, a place I fit.
The Sorority hung back when I reached the altar, probably waiting to see what I’d do, whether I’d bungle this.
Driven by an inner certainty, I stepped behind the altar, confident I would find the source of my newfound confidence. I saw the flicker of flames within a cylindrical stone receptacle surrounded by a spiral of rocks, a fire without a wick or kindling of any kind, a fire that drew me for no other reason than I knew I had to be near it. I knelt and held out my hands to the flame to warm them, not surprised when my palms burned so intensely they could’ve blistered.
I sensed a presence next to me, and was relieved when Joss placed his hand on my shoulder before joining me on his knees.
“How did you know Bel’s fire was here?”
I opened my mouth to speak, trying to articulate even half of what I was feeling. Inadequately, I settled for, “It called to me.” I tapped my chest. “In here.”
An inner confidence nothing could shake as long as I was there, near the flame, filled me. I remembered feeling the same serenity when sunbathing by Lake Wolfe, the sun caressing my skin making me feel warm and safe and happy, one of the few times in my life I didn’t feel lonely. In that moment, standing by this tiny flame that reproduced the same security, I really, truly believed I could be bonded to some ancient sun god.
“Never doubt you’re the Scion. Never, you hear me?” Joss’s blatant approval was as dazzling as the flame that drew me.
“You know what you said earlier, about me doing my best?” I pointed to the flame. “When I’m near this, I feel I can.”
The intense blue of his eyes rivaled a Wolfebane summer sky for brightness, but it was the expression in those beautiful eyes, a compassion that snatched my breath, that made me want to fling myself in his arms and cherish this surreal moment.
“I’ll grant you Bel’s fire is special, but you don’t need it to be powerful.” I stiffened as he reached out and traced a heart over my left breast. “You’ve had that power in here all along.”
There was nothing remotely sleazy in his touch, his unwavering sincerity proof of that, but the instant he touched me there, fire of another kind raced through my body. “Tell me more,” I murmured, unsure whether I was asking to hear more poetic reassurances or more facts about Bel.
A small part of me couldn’t help but be disappointed when our intimacy shattered and he reverted to his typical aloofness. “Bel’s fire never goes out; it’s our sacred sign of him watching over us always.”
I w
as glad we were back on familiar, offhand terms and my heart could return to its normal rate. “What happens at Beltane?”
“We formally welcome you into the community, celebrate the light.”
He glanced at the Sorority and I immediately got the impression he was holding something back. I didn’t want to push. For now, I wanted to bask in this feeling of rightness, wanted to hold on to it, no matter how intangible and fleeting.
“Here.” Joss pulled a small bag of fruit from his pocket. “An offering. Lay it around the altar in a circle.”
Maeve handed me a bag of flowers, Oscar gave me vegetables, and Mack passed me small branches from a tree I couldn’t identify. When I’d laid the last apple, potato, sunflower, and twig, I stepped back, sure the flame burned brighter.
The Sorority raised their hands in the greeting sign, murmuring “Stay warm,” and it felt the most natural thing in the world—and not lame at all—when I pressed palms with each of them.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I’ve never been super brave. Confronting cheerleaders who’d snatched my books out of sheer bitchiness? Made me want to vomit. Reading my science paper on conduction in front of the class? I actually did vomit; later, thank goodness.
So when the first prickling coldness of a pending vision swept over me, I should’ve blabbed to the Sorority—loudly, to cover the knocking of my knees. Instead, I did the unthinkable for a coward like me. I asked them to leave. I asked for some private time to wander the temple, absorb the ambiance, and get connected.
They bought it, except Joss, who with the barest inclination of his head indicated he’d be waiting for me in the nearest grove.
Mouthing “thanks,” I waited until they’d climbed the spiral path and disappeared from view before sinking onto the nearest stone bench and letting the fear overcome me. My stomach churned with unusual force and I clutched it in the hope of warding off the escalating queasiness. It didn’t help as the roiling intensified until I could hardly breathe.