Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
It felt as though the stars and moons aligned with Varkin on our side. As a son of Drachu, the Lochen fae king, Varkin was privy to information and access to the sacred Lochen temples that many other Lochens wouldn’t have had access to.
With Varkin’s help and instruction, Kole and I mistphased to a temple atop a high mountain on a small Lochen island, located in the southern hemisphere of the realm. We had to consult a map in order to know where to go, and the second the mistphase ended, I froze in surprise.
The island’s mountainous terrain made our landing spot precarious.
Fierce wind blew around us, whipping my hair across my face.
We stood on a narrow trail, no more than a body length wide.
Steep terrain plunged to the bottom of the island on both sides, and far below, waves from the Nelive Sea crashed against its shores.
“Nice job in landing us here.” Kole bumped my arm. “You even got us on the trail.”
I shuffled my feet, and the pebbly sand shifted beneath my toes. “You’re right, it could have been worse.”
The sheen of a fever coated his brow, but he still snickered, and I knew he was determined to act healthy for as long as possible.
“Better here than in that tree.” He pointed to a broad-leafed tree growing along the steep mountainside.
If we’d landed on its branches, they surely would have snapped, and we would have plummeted down the hillside.
I cocked my head and studied the tree more, then said in a delighted voice, “That’s a spimenal tree, only found in the southern regions of our realm.
I’ve never seen one before. I’ve only read of them.
” My eyesight sharpened on the leaves’ details, taking in the spiderweb of veins shimmering a rainbow color in the bright sunshine.
“They only grow on mountains on their north side, and at night, they react to starlight. Their leaves turn from blue to bright orange, and if you touch one, it leaves a temporary sprinkle of magic on your skin that causes pleasant hallucinations. Never nefarious.”
Entirely deadpan, Kole replied, “Should we try it?”
I chuckled. “Ensnaring a leaf in terrain like this can be challenging.”
“Speaking of our location . . .” He gestured behind me, and I turned around to see a temple made of white stone that rose from the mountain’s highest point.
I entirely stilled. I’d been so tickled by seeing a tree I’d only read of that I hadn’t even noticed the temple.
The structure was very similar in design to the temple Arnel had constructed.
The only difference being that one had to climb to access it.
Rock steps had been cut up the mountain’s peak, leading to the temple, and like Arnel’s, it also had a circular design, domed ceiling, and columns supporting it.
“It’s just like my uncle’s,” I breathed.
Open air swirled through the columns, and I had a feeling that carved into its floor would be the same symbol I’d seen at his estate: the supreme symbol that united all of the gods and goddesses—a circle with an array of connecting swirls and stars.
No sooner had I uttered the words than a Lochen fairy appeared at the temple’s edge, right at the top of the stairs.
“Who goes there?” she called sharply. “This island is property of the Lochen fae. Trespassers are not allowed.” She narrowed her eyes at us.
A simple, short white dress with a single strap over her bare shoulder adorned her tall frame. A necklace made of shells hung from her neck, and her aura, filled with suspicion, pulsed toward us.
“Let me handle this.” Kole took my hand, and the second our skin touched, the realm dropped out from beneath me.
He mistphased us to the top of the stairs, appearing from thin air right before the priestess.
She stumbled back, her lips curling to reveal her small canines. “What trickery is this? You’re not Solis fae!”
“Actually,” I said pleasantly and inclined a finger toward Kole. “He kind of is.”
Before she could comment further, Kole pulled the charm from his pocket that Varkin had given us. “This is from one of your fellow Lochen fae. He said to show it to you to prove our goodwill and to prove that a royal Lochen fairy sanctioned our visit.”
Warily, she took the charm and inspected it.
She held it up to the sun, her green eyes narrowing.
The bright light highlighted her blond hair and brown skin.
Eyes narrowing suspiciously, she tapped the charm three times.
It glowed for a moment, and a symbol appeared on the charm, one I wasn’t familiar with.
My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn’t known the charm could do that.
Her forehead furrowed, but some of the suspicion in her aura lessened. She handed it back to Kole. “A son of Drachu gave this to you?”
“He did.” Kole inclined his head and slipped the charm back into his pocket. “Specifically, his son Varkin.”
She scoffed. “I’ve heard of Varkin. He’s quite a disappointment to our great king.”
“Nevertheless, he’s still royal,” Kole replied, his tone respectful yet firm.
Her chin lifted. “And what is it you’re wanting from me and the Emperell Temple today?”
“We want to contact Goddess Nuleef.” I gazed at the temple. “Her mate, God Diredan, has asked me to seek her.”
As much as I wanted to believe the priestess would do us no harm, Varkin had warned us not to trust her. He said many of the priestesses used unsuspecting foreign travelers to their advantage. What advantages, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
Consequently, I insisted on a fairy bargain with the priestess beforehand, binding her to the gods to ensure her intentions were pure and she would do me no harm.
She’d been reluctant at first, and I knew I could have mentally commanded her if needed, but luckily, I didn’t have to. Varkin’s royal charm held enough importance for her to follow my request, and she eventually acquiesced.
Following that, she led me up the stairs into the temple. Fresh air continued to swirl around us, the sun shining brightly in the pale green sky outside the domed ceiling.
“Stand there.” She waved to two slots near the temple’s central symbol. As I’d suspected, it was identical to what I’d seen in Arnel’s. “Place your feet in the divots.”
I did as she said, and the moment I stepped onto the footprint-like cutouts, I could have sworn that a wash of magic tingled against my skin.
Forehead furrowed, Kole waited at the top of the stairs outside of the temple, hands on his hips. “How long do you anticipate this taking?” he asked.
A strong gust of wind ruffled my hair and brushed long strands over my shoulder.
The priestess came to face me, then glanced at Kole. “It depends upon the goddess’s mood,” she replied. “I shall summon Goddess Nuleef as you requested, but it’s likely she will ignore us. If she hasn’t answered my call within the hour, we can assume she’s not interested.”
The priestess lifted her chin, and when her gaze locked onto mine, her tone turned brusque. “Close your eyes and clear your mind, then I shall begin.”
I did as she said, focusing on my vampire nature to do so. As a vampire, it was inherent to go entirely still and feel completely empty. No racing thoughts. No need to fidget. I was dead in every sense of the word.
But vampire magic still encompassed me, and even though nothing filled my thoughts, I was still aware of the priestess’s steady heartbeat and the scent of her blood.
That would likely always call to me, but since all of my focus had shifted to saving Kole, it was easier to ignore that urge than normal.
“Your mind is clear?” she asked. After I nodded, she added, “Then I shall begin.”
The priestess began to chant in a language I was unfamiliar with. The strange words prickled against my skin, holding some kind of Lochen magic I didn’t understand. Her chants grew sharper, faster, and the foreign words blended into a symphony of song.
Standing silently, I grew lost in the lull of her hypnotic words. It felt as if time slowed, and the feel of the wind on my face ceased. Even the sound of her heartbeat and the fragrance of her blood faded.
And then I was falling.
The force of it was so abrupt that I tried to whip my eyes open, but everything in me had frozen. I plummeted through space.
I fell down, down, down, even though I felt no air brushing against my body, and nothing but darkness pressed against my closed eyes.
I grew lost. Vacant. Alone.
Oh Goddess, what have I done?
Panic began to consume me, but then a sharp jolt hit me, and the feeling of falling stopped.
Finally able to move, I opened my eyes, but nothing greeted me.
I was suspended in pitch black. Somewhere. Perhaps in the galaxy or among the stars. Or perhaps in another dimension entirely. Or maybe this was all a hallucination. I had no idea.
I lifted a hand, waving it in front of me, but I saw nothing and felt nothing too. Absolute emptiness surrounded me.
A wave of golden light appeared out of nowhere in the distance, just a speck, but it grew stronger and bolder.
Frozen in time and space, I could do nothing but watch as the golden light grew, and as it neared, I realized with shock that it encompassed a fairy. No, a goddess.
I nearly cried in joy when Goddess Nuleef appeared in front of me. She was larger than a fairy, easily three times as tall, and golden metallic hair cascaded around her shoulders. It looked identical to the lock I’d carried when I’d been hunting the Wishing Stone.
“A child of the universe has called to me,” she said in a pleasant, lilting tone that seemed to speak inside me and around me all at once. “What can I do for you, Keeper of the Stars?”
Keeper of the Stars?
I had no idea what that meant, but I replied in a shaky tone, “I . . . How, I mean, Goddess Nuleef, thank you. You humble me.” No sooner had the stuttering words left me than I tried to bow, tried to show her how incredibly grateful I was for her acknowledgment, but I couldn’t move.