“Over the centuries, you must have forgotten your genesis.” It feels wrong to not correct him. He’s so earnest in his belief in me. It doesn’t feel right to let them think I’m their goddess. Maybe once Boss is out of the picture, I’ll get them to understand.
Daisy is in her usual form, slowly making her way through the sand. I got lucky today and was able to coax her into formation in front of a few others. She’s been forced to keep up with the caravan. Each time she slows down, Tai’s h'axom, who I’ve named Brutus, gives her a little nudge.
From the top of a dune, I look down at the oasis below. Cerulean water surrounded by tall green palms. A wide stone path skirts the edge of the basin. It leads all the way down to a raised platform with steps that overhang the water. I shade my eyes from the sunlight reflecting brightly off the surface. The water looks inviting and cool, but I’ll never know for sure. I’ve been warned it’s completely off limits. No one, not even the Goddess Divine, is allowed to touch the sacred pool. The water cannot be disturbed, or it will frighten away the warrior and his maiden.
Daisy takes a slow step forward as we begin our descent. Brutus passes us in a hurry to get to the shade below. I try to prod Daisyalong gently, but she ignores me. I love my girl, but I’d appreciate a little more hustle from her.
Tai skids to a stop at the bottom of the hill, hops off with one graceful movement, and ties off Brutus under the shade of an enormous palm tree. A smirk stretches across his face as I slowly make my way over. A silent declaration that he won.
“Not everything has to be a race, you know,” I say.
Tai would fit in perfectly with my brothers. The easy confidence bordering on arrogance feels familiar in a way I didn’t realize until now.
“If it was, you’d lose,” Tai says as he reaches up and helps me down. His strong hands on my waist. I feel the loss of them when he sets me down and pulls away.
We follow the stone path leading to the overlook, letting the brethren go first, as they had planned. I’m grateful to be back on solid ground. Trudging through the soft sand of the dunes has been brutal on my calves.
Throughout the day, we go over every single agonizing detail of the ceremony, and the brethren push through the afternoon and don’t stop for any breaks. It’s excruciatingly hot. Even my sweat dried up hours ago. I’m ready to say, “fuck it all” and cannonball right into the center of the water.
I want to get this over with as quickly as possible.
“You think they really believe this stuff?” Tai asks, referring to the story of the maiden and the warrior.
“I think they do. And I don’t think any of them stop to question how their goddess could be born from an oasis on a planet where they’ve only been for the last eleven years.” I keep my voice low.
They all gather on the landing and move in single-file lines that create a steady stream of brethren in a figure eight quietly praying to the maiden and warrior.
“They are waiting for the maiden to reveal herself,” Friar Tuck whispers as we climb the stairs.
“You never know. Today could be our lucky day,” Tai says loudly as he passes me on the stairs.
The guy has zero situational awareness. Everyone is quiet and reverent, and he’s stomping around and speaking at full volume.
A glass decanter is placed in my hands. I follow the specific instructions and stand at the ledge over the water. My arm shakes as I lift the glass bottle and slowly tip it over, pouring the water into the pool to honor the maiden and the warrior.
I’m vaguely aware of someone taking the glass out of my hands. Everything sounds muted and out of sync. Bodies on every side press closer to me, sucking the air out of my lungs. I push my way forward, with no sense of direction, just the need to get away.
I focus on the one clear thought: water. I need water. Pushing becomes shoving, but the crowd only presses in harder. My head spins, everything around me tilting on its axis. Suddenly, it’s hard to breathe.
“You okay?” a far-off voice asks me. I blindly wave in the direction of the question. I need air.
“Bri, look at me.” This time I use all my strength to put some distance between me and the person who has invaded my space. A high-pitched scream and a splash wake me up from the haze.
The brethren wail, loudly. My senses return to me one by one. When my vision comes into focus, Tai is treading water below and looking mad enough to commit murder. My stomach drops.
Oh fuck. That’s on me.
Bile rises in my throat, and before I can hold it back, I turn to the side and heave into the sand.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and go down to help Tai out of the water. He’s stomping his way toward me, seething with rage. His soaked clothes cling to his body, and I have a renewed appreciation for his form. My eyes track down to his chest, the white fabric translucent against his blue skin. Black pebbled nipples poke the wet shirt. I stagger back a little—from the sand,notthe view of this guy climbing out of the water.
“Tai, I am so sorry. That was an accident,” I explain over the loud wailing the brethren have fallen into.
“I don’t want to talk to you right now,” he says without looking at me.
“I really am sorry. I thought I was going to pass out, and I didn’t realize it was you.” I’m desperate for him to know how awful I feel.
“Now is not the time.”
