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"Brace yourself. Sometimes the first time can be . . . overwhelming."
She wanted to ask for clarification, but before she could, Graeson knelt in front of Pontanius. Hesitantly, Kallie followed his lead.
Bowing before the goddess, she wondered how Domitius had known she was linked to Sabina. She had always felt a sense of attachment to the goddess. But now was not the time to question these things, so she welcomed the familiar face looking down upon her. In this foreign place, the goddess she had so frequently turned to back in Ardentol was a comfort.
Placing her hands down on the cold stone, palms down, Kallie laid her forehead on them. Her wet hair fell around her, shielding her from the light and the world around her.
She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do next, so she tried reaching down within herself to her gift. And as she called upon it, her gift rose to meet her, flooding her body with a feeling that tasted like golden starlight, warm and welcoming. It heated her entire being and overwhelmed her senses.
She opened her mind. Allowed herself to think about everything she had closed off and put behind a lock and key, afraid of someone being able to see what lay beneath the surface. The pain, the confusion, the love. Everything she thought made her weak. Everything that made her strong: her determination, her desires. She laid it all out. Opened herself up for the first time in a long time.
And Kallie showed the goddess who she was, who she wanted to be.
An invisible string tugged at the source of her gift, a tether to the goddess. Other strands wove around it, thickening the cord. The connection grew between them, solidified. Then understanding flooded through her.
She didn't know why she hadn't made the connection before. Her gift should have been proof that she was not merely blessed by the gods, but rather their blood—Sabina's blood—ran through her veins. And bowing down before the goddess, bearing all she had to offer, and confessing her deepest secrets, Kallie felt that connection. Felt the link between her and Sabina harden and stretch out before her.
The feeling was intoxicating, like the honeyed wine of the gods. The sense of complete power and control left her wanting more. She wanted to continue drinking the sweet liquor, to let it fill her up.
And then the warmth consumed her. The only thing she could see was the golden light of stars. Feather-light fingertips slid across her shoulders. Then a feminine voice that sounded like raindrops whispered her name.
And by the otherworldliness of the voice, Kallie knew that if she looked over her shoulder she would see the goddess standing behind her. But the fear that resided in her, the fear of the goddess disappearing or something far worse happening prevented Kallie from moving at all.
As the goddess's breath brushed her neck, goosebumps trailed in its path despite the immense heat sailing throughout her body.
"Kalisandre," the goddess said her name like it was sugar on her tongue, "if the truth within is not found, then one may not find what one seeks."
Kallie's brows knitted together. “I—I don't understand."
"Find it, Kalisandre. Find it. And destroy it before all is lost.”
Kallie shouted, frustrated, "Destroywhat?"
No response.
She shouted again, this time more urgently, heart thudding against her chest.
When the silence continued, Kallie felt the link begin to drift away and turn to ash. She dared to turn around, but all she saw was the falling water. No sign of the goddess.
And Kallie wondered if the goddess had even been there in the first place. The warmth that previously resided in her drained from her body, leaving her shivering against the cold marble floor.
Chapter25
Kallie gasped,inhaling a sharp, painful breath as a warm hand shook her shoulder. She lay curled up on her side, the ground cold and wet beneath her bare skin.
"Are you all right?" Graeson asked, his voice filled with something akin to panic as he knelt before her, his hair falling around his face.
"What happened?" Kallie's voice was hoarse. She searched the cave for signs of the goddess, for a sign that she was not crazy.
"I don't know . . . one moment it was silent, then I heard you shouting. When I looked over, you were spasming on the floor, but then. . ." Graeson hesitated. When Kallie propped herself onto her elbows and looked at him inquisitively, he forced the rest of the sentence out. "It stopped. Your skin was clammy, and I thought. . ." Graeson didn't meet her gaze.
Kallie tried to push herself up, only to find her body weak. Graeson was quick though and instantly helped her into a seated position.
"Does that . . . does that happen to everyone?" Kallie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The spasming? No, not as far as I know," Graeson said gently.
"But do others see—"
