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At that moment, the darkness receded, and I collapsed into Aza's embrace, crying.
CHAPTER 3
Strong arms lifted me out of the now-cooled water. Wrapped in a blanket, I was carried back to bed. I was too tired to open my swollen eyes. I had cried for Alex for a long time while I lay in Aza's arms, who didn't let go of me but comforted me and gently stroked my hair.
Now, I had no more strength; I just wanted to shut out the world so I could process and recharge.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, Aza sleeping beside me. A glance out of the window told me that it was already evening. It was dusk, and the sky was a dark purple.
I looked gratefully at my friend, who had not left my side. My gut told me this had also been the case in the previous days.
As quietly as possible to not wake her, I peeled myself out of the blankets. As I had been carried straight from the bath to the bed, I was naked under the covers. I looked around searchingly until I discovered a dress on a stool that Aza had apparently put out for me while I was in the bathroom.
It was a light summer dress in buttercup yellow with white embroidery around the edges. The shoulders were covered with short cap sleeves. I quickly slipped into it, and it felt good.
My hands immediately found the amulet, now lying freely on my décolleté for all to see. As soon as my fingers touched it, I relived my last dream. I had been Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's sister and a priestess of Avalon. Strange, because the necklace she had been given by Tanael in my dream resembled mine like a twin. Coincidence? The amulet was supposed to protect Morgan from non-human beings.
My imagination was obviously playing tricks on me, so I shook my head with a grin. Nevertheless, I wondered whether I was allowed to show my necklace wherever I was. Hecate and Aza and the person who had lifted me out of the bath had already seen it. It hadn't been taken from me, nor was I standing on a pyre. Was this place a secret hideout for the Amazons?
Another glance at the dress, which the Knights of John would also have thrown into the flames, confirmed my belief that the necklace would not be dangerous to me here.
Still barefoot, I crept past the bed where Aza slept peacefully and deeply until I reached the door through which Hecate had disappeared a few hours ago.
I quietly opened it a crack and peeked around the corner. On the other side, there was a long corridor with several doors. Candlesticks and beautiful paintings were on the walls.
My gaze fell on the painting directly opposite me, and my eyes widened. Shortly afterward, I hastily closed the door behind me and stood in front of the painting.
Was it The Birth of Venus by Botticelli?
Two paintings further on, I discovered a Madonna by Raphael. But another painting, a few doors down, magically drew me in.
The Musicians by Caravaggio.
That couldn't be. I had stood before the original so many times that I knew it was in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I leaned forward in disbelief. Every brushstroke was clearly visible, so it wasn't a print. Then it must be an excellent forgery.
Before I could think any more about the paintings, I heard a familiar shrill voice from the room next to me. The door was ajar. It was Hecate's voice. I stood there, frozen.
"You know my opinion on this subject!" Her words cut like a sword through the silence that otherwise prevailed here. I cautiously pushed myself closer to the doorway.
"It's far too dangerous!" she hissed like a snake. "But you don't want to see it because you're blinded. Blinded by memories of something that will never return because it mustn't!"
A low growl followed this warning. But the silver-eyed woman did not let this stop her.
"I've seen it. It almost destroyed the girl. And it wouldn't stop at us either. Besides, he won't let it either," she continued to rant.
"Neither I nor she is the evil here!" a dark male voice suddenly roared. "He's to blame for everything. And believe me, it wasn't an easy decision for me to make. But there's no other way!"
Startled, I held my breath. My pulse began to race. Tanael Baldur was in the room, and I was still in his grip! How could that be?
"As soon as our task is done, it will no longer have any meaning," he said calmly, and the coldness in his voice made me shiver. That traitor! He had betrayed us all. He was the one who had Alex's death on his conscience. Anger rippled through my veins. Hot and so powerful that everything else faded into the background.
"You shouldn't have brought Myrina here! This will be your downfall!" Hecate spat out at the exact moment I ripped open the door.
"You really shouldn't have done that!" I shouted in a rage. I grabbed the heavy candlestick on a table next to the door and threw it straight at the now surprised-looking Tanael. He narrowly dodged the projectile. Already armed with a small cast-iron statue, I glared at him defiantly.
"Please leave us alone, Hecate," Tanael murmured menacingly without letting go of my gaze.
Hecate laughed spitefully. "Well, have fun, you two!" Without making the slightest noise, she floated past me and closed the door behind her.
