Her head whipped my way, all traces of good humor gone from her features. She wrenched my arm, and I hissed as her too-warm fingers encircled my wrist.
“Am I?” Her glare sharpened. “Your lack of faith is troubling. We listen to your prayers, answer where we can, and yet you mock us. One would wonder why we bother.”
With a cry, I tugged at my arm, but her grip remained unyielding, like iron.
“I would favor you over Adastrus, but we gods are not in agreement. You are weak, needing our aid every other day. You are careless with your words and tone, forgetting you speak to the divine themselves. Not all are as forgiving as I.”
She spoke with a sternness that cut through me, her accusations like sharp icicles in a winter storm. I winced as her grip tightened, feeling the searing heat against my skin as I struggled to free myself, my wrist throbbing with each heartbeat.
The pain felt too real for a mere dream.
“You’ve never given me reason to believe you’re anything more than a myth,” I spat. “Where were you when I was a child? When my brother tried to kill me in my own home?”
“It was Nothar who sent Sainte to your aid,” she countered, voice laced with authority as she released my hand. “It was he who intervened when you were in peril. I ask you this: when have you last sought our guidance?”
“The Rite of Favor.”
“And before then? You blame the divine for your lack of faith, but when have you ever pursued us? You simply doubt our existence. It is your blood that saves you now, offering you a tangible link when a mortal would not be offered one.”
Her words cut through the air, sharp and direct, leaving a trail of icy realization in their wake. I lowered my gaze to the pool, cradling my wrist where her grip seared my skin. Did I dare believe in the gods now? Was this encounter more than a dream or mere coincidence?
“You are weak because of your disbelief,” she continued, tone gentle but firm. Her eyes shifted back to that soft, ethereal spring hue. “Yet, I have blessed you with a Valahant whose faith is unwavering.”
I frowned, teeth clenched, not liking how she pulled Sainte into this mix. Would she demand something of him, too? Would she punish him for my incredulity?
“Do you not realize you are one?” Her features lit with mischief. “He is yours as much as you are his. Perhaps it is time to observe his lead. Tell him to seek your father, Nothar.”
“Another temple?” I barely held back a groan.
My vision blurred, and my head felt light as the room swayed.
“You fade, child,” she said with a sigh. “Follow your Valahant’s lead. Keep him close. Cherish him. It is not often we bless them so freely.”
My arms flung out to steady myself, trying to focus on her face one last time. Her expression, both mournful and angry, settled along the pool’s rippling surface.
“To cast him aside will not be taken lightly.”
Chapter 29
Ijolted awake, my body floating. Panic swelled as I flailed and thrashed.
“Easy.”
Sainte’s thick arms pulled me close, and I clung to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. His warmth steadied me as my toes found the soft, glowing sediment at the bottom of the pool. My heart raced, breaths quick and shallow. Blinking, I peered over his shoulder at the cavern—empty, save for Edne and the girl. No goddess with a patchwork dress of green.
“This is madness,” I gasped, trying to force my pulse to slow.
A flash of color along my skin snared my attention. I jerked back, fingers digging into his muscles. A wreath of ivy encircled my wrist, the red, angry outline of leaves and stems swollen and stinging in the cool air. I winced, turning my hand over. It formed a complete bracelet.
I shoved out of his embrace and held it up for him to see—the accusation hot on my tongue. “Did you do this?!”
I staggered, and he steadied me with firm hands on my hips, his head tilting as he studied the mark. A bead of water trailed from his temple to his chin, and I watched it fall.
“No.” A hint of a smile tugged at his lips.
My eyes narrowed, and I threw my hand toward Edne and the young priestess. “You?!”
“Togamar has heard your request for faith.” The old woman chuckled, showing what few teeth she had left. “She has answered you and given you a token to bear for the rest of your days.”
