CHAPTER TWO #3
It was just as well; without the expectation to participate in the conversation, she was free to take advantage of the spectacular people watching that the growing crowd had to offer. She scanned the colorful mass of congregants, fascinated by the diverse gathering.
There was at least one kelpie, the seaweed that made up its mane and tail leaving a sopping trail along the stone floor, forcing an unlucky temple attendant to trail after it with a mop.
Countless demons trickled in, a cluster of golems gathered together against the far wall, and even a griffin had arrived with a group of centaurs.
Cadi couldn’t help but stare as the griffin shimmied its massive wings through the door, unfortunately losing a few feathers in the process.
A flash of shimmering light caught her attention, drawing her gaze to the far side of the hall, where she found herself transfixed by what had to be the most stunning woman she had ever seen.
Gold beads accented the delicate braids flowing smoothly over the copper skin of her shoulders, and her regal posture was nothing short of statuesque.
Something about her presence felt almost otherworldly, strong, and fiercely feminine.
Cadi breathed a soft laugh meant only for herself.
If she had been into women, that one would definitely be her type.
The lights began to dim, and an insistent pull at her sleeve brought her back to the group, where she found Zoe bouncing with excitement in front of her.
She tossed her thumb over her shoulder, and Cadi followed the gesture, realizing that while she had been mesmerized by the crowd, a small aisle had formed a few feet away, cutting a path from the dark corridor to the steps of the dais.
Leaning to the side, Cadi peered around the other worshippers, squinting into the darkness, but all she could see were shifting shadows—until a gilded hem drifted into the light.
The priests.
Three men filed into the hall, hoods raised, gloved hands swinging smoothly at their sides as they strode toward the dais with synchronized steps.
A tingling sensation rippled over Cadi’s skin, and an eerie stillness swept through the crowd as every head turned as one back to the yawning mouth of the passage.
Waiting.
As if formed from the shadow itself, the high priest slipped into the light. The staccato rhythm of his powerful strides reverberated through the stone chamber as he ascended the steps with fluid grace, only the midnight blue of his robe marking him apart from the others.
A black resin mask obscured his features, but there was no mistaking when his eyes swept over the crowd. Cadi shivered, an odd tightness catching in her chest, only to fade as quickly as it had come.
In a smooth motion, the high priest raised his hands, signaling the start of Somnium.
Cadi jumped as unseen drums burst to life, the rhythmic boom vibrating deep in her bones.
The men on the dais began to move with practiced steps, their bodies shifting to tell a story she didn’t understand, but realized she somehow felt.
Fabric brushed against her arm as worshippers on every side began to sway with slow, smooth movements. The sea of bodies moved as one, their synchronous rhythm wrapping around her, pulling her under until she found herself caught in the collective pulse of the Order.
A plume of smoke billowed from the stone brazier, saturating the air with a fragrant vapor that filled Cadi’s lungs, dulling her thoughts with its comforting haze.
She felt herself start to panic, fighting against the way her mind seemed determined to go blank and give into some distant summoning.
Her breaths came quick and sharp until she remembered what Zoe had told her.
Don’t fight it. Let yourself feel everything.
Every instinct was telling her to keep pushing back, to hold on to control, but something about the smoke drifting around her felt like comfort, joy, and peace all at once.
She realized that she wanted to fall into it, to relax into the tide and see where it carried her instead of wasting her energy battling it.
Letting her eyes drift closed, she felt a pleasant warmth curl around her body and guide her deeper.
In the distance, deep voices blended with the beat of drums, their words foreign and strange, like haunting echoes lost to time.
Warm light pulsed behind her eyelids, cutting through the fog.
Barely managing to crack an eye open against the weight of the high, she could just make out the patterns carved into the red stone walls encircling the hall, but struggled to fully comprehend what she was seeing.
She could have sworn the sigils around them were …
glowing, their brilliant light surging and receding in time with the pounding drums.
A gentle buzz crept over her skin, the sensation like thousands of tiny sparks erupting in her veins. The drums beat louder as their pace became more urgent and the pulses against her skin grew stronger, so she let her eyes drift closed again, completely consumed by the experience.