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Nobody said a word, as the seconds ticked by. And then, just as I thought it wasn’t going to work, Chase gasped and Sharah carefully removed the ventilator from his mouth. He wasn’t conscious yet, but he was breathing on his own. Another minute and the wounds on his side started to pull together. She hurried to slather a healing cream on him, then turned to Delilah.
“He’s going to live. And he’ll live far longer than most any other human ever will. You have one hell of a lot to help him adjust to, once he regains consciousness. I hope you’re up to the job because his life is now in your hands. Humans who drink the nectar of life usually have no concept of what it means to live a thousand years.”
As she began to check his vital signs, Delilah broke down in tears and Menolly led her over to one of the nearby chairs. I turned to find Smoky by my side. He slid his arm around me and we just stood there, silent, as the steady hum of the machines monitored Chase’s life.
CHAPTER 25
That evening, we were still trying to comprehend what had happened. It was too soon to figure out everything we’d need to do, but when the shock wore off, we had to make plans. We needed help, and I knew that I’d be paying a visit to Aeval, to enlist her aid, whatever the cost to me.
A knock on the door rattled me. Smoky went to answer it and came back with an odd expression on his face. “You’re wanted in the living room” was all he’d say.
As I peered around the corner, I got the surprise of my life. Standing there was Derisa, the High Priestess and emissary of the Moon Mother.
Derisa was tall, edging six five, and her hair was braided, hanging to her knees. With chiseled features, she looked fashioned from pale porcelain, with ocean blue eyes. Dressed in a long robe somewhere between black and indigo and covered with moons and stars embroidered in spun silver, she broke into a smile when she saw me. It was Derisa who had taken my oath the night I pledged myself to the Moon Mother, and Derisa who had taken my hand and led me onto the astral during my first Hunt.
I knelt by her side, feeling more tired than I ever had in my life, wishing only for rejuvenation, for some relief from the stress.
She leaned down and touched my shoulder. “Rise.”
I stood, silent, soaking in her radiance. Derisa didn’t just wield magic, she was magic. Her energy spiraled around me, pulling me close as she embraced me. She smelled like lilacs and narcissus, like white gardenias on a summer night, and I reveled in the scent as it washed away the tears on my heart.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve met,” she said, her lips close to my own, her gaze locked on mine.
“I never expected to see you here,” I whispered, unable to look away.
“Neither did I,” she said, then leaned in and pressed her lips against mine, her tongue playing gently over my own. I melted into her embrace, letting go of my aching heart. We were sisters under the same goddess, pledged to the same order, connected by a force far stronger than either of us, and her kiss melted away my tension and sorrow, leaving a luxurious and heady sense of relaxation in its wake. I could smell her fragrance, sense her power, and it made me want to give her anything she might ask of me. After a moment, she slowly pulled back. I tingled, my weariness drained away.
“I’ve brought your priestess robes.” She handed me a suitcase.
I caught my breath. There they were—filmy spider-weave robes that only the priestesses of the Moon Mother were allowed to wear. Sheer to the point of see-through, they sparkled with silver and gold threads running through material the color of royal peacocks: a swirl of blues and purples and greens. The robe consisted of two parts—a kimono over a halter dress with a built-in bra. I lifted the dress out of the valise. Beneath it was a silver belt and a headband of silver and bronze, with a crescent, horns pointing up, atop a round moon.
All my life I’d wanted to be a full-fledged priestess. And now my wish had come true, at a cost paid with blood. So much blood.
Lifting my head, I gazed into Derisa’s eyes. “I had to sacrifice the Black Unicorn’s life to earn this, you know.”
She smiled, kindly this time. “Do you think any priestess was just handed her robes? We all earned them, and earned them the hard way. What you did was not just a sacrifice, Camille. You gave the black phoenix his rebirth. Even now, he runs free, reborn as a foal the moment you struck him down, to a unicorn within the heart of the Deep. The King is dead. Long live the King.”
And then I fully understood. The cycle was more than metaphorical. The Lord of the Dahns had to die in order to be reborn. He’d been growing weak and a weakened King must be sacrificed in order to live again in a younger, stronger body. Trembling, I licked my lips.
“What do I do now? Teach me. I need so much help in the battle we face. There are so many enemies, and we’re starting to lose friends.”
She laughed. “War isn’t easy. War should be bloody. It should cost lives and bring pain—if it doesn’t, it’s too easy to take up arms without good reason. But yes, I bring you instructions. You’ll train for your duties here, Earthside, since there’s no way you can come home for any length of time right now.”
“Train here? Who can teach me what I need to know?” And then a whisper in my heart shook me to the core.
“You know, my dear. You know who your teacher will be.”
“No . . . not Morgaine.”
Derisa gave me a sly smile. “She is a trained priestess and one of the original members of the Coterie of the Moon Mother.”
“But . . . will she teach me? Queen Asteria will be furious—”
“The Moon Mother cares nothing for what the Elfin Queen thinks. You will learn from Morgaine. And you will offer your service to Aeval’s Court; the death magic you are learning needs the power of the Night to be fully realized. You are truly a priestess of the Dark Moon, my dear. Not the light.”
She handed me a book. “Here is your book of rituals and shadows. Show it to Morgaine so she can ascertain what she needs to teach you. And when you are done with your training, you will take your place as the first High Priestess of the Moon Mother that the Earthside realm has seen in thousands of years.” Derisa turned to leave.
Stunned, unable to comprehend what she was actually saying, I was suddenly afraid. What if I botched it? What if I couldn’t meet the Moon Mother’s standards?
