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“When I was trapped in the Celestial Realm to do the Jade Emperor’s bidding just like you, I heard echoes of muffled roars deep within the caverns and in the bowels of the Palace. I never saw anyone. We dragons are kept separate from one another. I never saw other dragons, even though some part of me knew that I wasn’t the only one.”
“Yet, it seems that Cloud, when he used to live there, Divina and Rui were free to roam around,” Ere observed. “They seemed to be the Jade Emperor’s favored children, or at least he was fond of them.”
“I wonder if Divina lost her powers like Cloud did when she went back to Andros,” Ben murmured.
“Rui, Wolfe and Red didn’t lose their ability to turn to dragon, but maybe that’s because we forcibly broke them out.”
“Perhaps that is one difference,” Shai agreed. “And perhaps another is that there are dragons created by the Jade Emperor—Celestial dragons, as you call them. And dragons created by the Twin Goddesses that are earth-bound.”
Ben’s eyes sharpened at this.
“What do you know about the Twins?”
“I have heard whispered mentions of them by thexian nü,” Shai replied. “I know nothing else. They are not part of any mythology I know.”
“Why does it always come back to them,” Ben muttered beneath his breath.
Given that he sat nearest to Shai, he didn’t think anyone else heard the human.
Ben looked at the group at large.
“Shai’s right. My gut agrees. All of this is somehow connected to the Twin Goddesses.”
“Who or what are they?” Heba asked. “Where are they?”
“I have only ever heard the Pure Goddess’s voice,” it was Gabriel who answered.
“When I died as a human and Awakened as a Pure One, the Pure Goddess guided me to the other side. I think she does this for all reborn Pure Ones. I never saw a face or figure. She was only a bright light. I might recognize the voice if I heard it again, but if she’s a goddess, she could take any form, any voice, right? How would we know?”
“I know what she once looked like,” Goya said quietly.
Maddie leaned into his side and squeezed his hand in hers.
“She was my mother, you see. She gave birth to me after taking my father, Byakko, as her lover. He was the first Beast who transformed into man to love her. He died loving her, for he received nothing in return. Legend has it that she created Pure Ones in his image out of remorse or regret. Or simply a reminder of a sin that led to the Twins’ punishment and banishment from Heaven.”
“So this is why all Pure Ones are bound by the Cardinal Rule,” Ben murmured. “If they give themselves in love to someone else, and are not loved equally in turn, they would die an excruciating death within thirty days.”
Ishtar made a small sound of distress, her eyes wide and intent upon Tal’s face. He pulled her closer into his body and kissed the top of her head, as if he was absolving her of some past sin.
“What about the Dark Goddess?” Ere asked. “Has anyone encountered the other Twin?”
Out of pure instinct, Shai looked at Ben while everyone else looked somewhere else or at one another.
The human kept his eyes lowered to his lap. His hands were fisted until the knuckles turned white upon his thighs.
He knew something.
But what?
What could a human know of an all-powerful goddess?
“It is a mystery for another day,” Ben finally said, raising his eyes to the group, determination etched in every sharp line of his face.
“For now, we have a different mission: to bring back Merlin’s group and find Divina and Andros.”
“Brigid and I can easily bring them back when we find them,” Sai said, sharing a look with his Mate.
“And the three of us can track Divina and Andros down,” Ere said, indicating himself, Sorin and Ben with a tilt of his chin.
