Vessel of the Gods- Chosen

Chapter 2

Elise stopped in front of large golden double doors. She turned to me and grabbed my hands in hers pulling me close to whisper in my ear, "from this point on, you will be responsible for figuring out your true identity. As I said, no one will tell you their true identity, only a false name. There will be some in there that will help you find out who you are, and there are some who mean to lead you off your path. Be careful of discovering which is which" she finished. I was too stunned to speak, so I nodded. Elise turned back and pushed open the doors, someone near to me started speaking "Presenting, Carina the next vessel of the gods" a loud voice boomed. The music stopped playing and I surveyed the room. It was a ballroom with large columns holding up the dome-like ceiling. Golden tile covered the floor. I found myself at the top of a staircase, the people assembled were forced to look up at me, as if I was divine already. After a moment, the music that had been previously playing resumed, and some looked away from me, returning to their conversations. I descended the stairs slowly, before I reached the bottom a hand was before me outstretched. "May I?" a deep voice asked. I looked up and was stunned. He was the most heartbreakingly handsome man I had ever seen. He was tall, he must have been well over 6ft and had broad shoulders tapering to a small waist. His hair was blond and cropped short. His beard was similarly golden and neatly trimmed. I could see the angular cut of his jawline. I took his hand and descended the last few steps. He led me over to a quieter place in the room. "Carina, was it?" that silky voice spoke. He stepped forward and leaned closer to me, I could feel his breath on my ear "that's a beautiful name". He took my hand and slid it onto his chest. My breath hitched. His hand started sliding down my sides, resting on my hips. "Would you like to know mine?" he asked, his grey eyes staring into mine. I felt emboldened "Will you tell me your true name?" I asked. Maybe if I knew who he was, it would help me find my own identity. He laughed darkly. His other hand grabbed mine and pressed it to his lips as he placed a small kiss on my palm. An erotic shiver went up my spine at his closeness. "I'm afraid I can't do that darling, but I can give you another name to call me". I waited, the tension building slowly. "You can call me Griffin". A grin spread over his face "truthfully you can call me anything you want, or anytime". I smirked back, "aren't you the charmer". "I'm so glad you noticed" the hand on my waist pulled me in closer. 

He started leaning down when we were interrupted "Griffin, let the poor girl have a drink first before having to deal with you". We turned to face the speaker. Griffin stiffened with recognition "Alexandra, I'm so glad to see you". "I'm sure you are, do be a dear and let me borrow Carina" she said interlinking her arm in mine and pulling me away from my sudden rendezvous. "You'll come back to me, I'm sure of it," he said winking at me before Alexandra turned the corner. She grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to me. I drank it greedily, hoping the alcohol would drown out some of the confusion. "Be careful with that one" she said, sipping her own. "Alexandra was it?" I asked, looking at her. She was stunning, her long brown hair was loose and decorated with ornate braids. Her dress was a beautiful forest green and clung to her ample curves. Her moss green eyes met mine and nodded "you may call me that". "Until I find your real name," I say sharply. "Smart girl" she took my empty glass and swapped it with a fresh one. "What will I be doing while I'm here? Will I be locked in a tower until the full moon then?" I swig my champagne and place it on the table next to me. Alexandra shook her head, "no, you're not a prisoner". "I feel like one, a well-dressed one, but still a prisoner," I say, my fingers trailing up my dress. She gazed at me thoughtfully, her green eyes scraping over every inch of me. "You're allowed to do whatever you want here, you can even leave the grounds, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you try to escape, the two weeks will pass and if you're not here, your heart will stop beating. Many have tried that, and it all ends the same" she finished, her eyes growing hazy for only an instant before refocusing on me. I stiffened, there had been more? How many times has this happened? The picture was slowly becoming clearer. "Any advice?" She paused and tipped her head to the side then she gestured to the crowd. "Talk to the others, get to know them. They may leave hints or something inside of you will be drawn to certain people. Follow your instincts and you might figure out who you're meant to be". She grabbed the empty glass of champagne I managed to down before pushing me into the crowd of dancers "try to have some fun" she called after me. I felt myself be pulled into someone's arms, as the tide of dancing sucked me in like an undertow.