Verboten Passion (Complete)

Blood on the Altar

"Black clover, black as night. Black sand. Pure honey, sweet and earthy. Rose petals. Quil of a snowy peacock, white as the fresh snow, dipped in the blood of a young owl. Halved and displayed."

Carefully Quin submerged the feather into the crystal chalice and pulled it out soaked with blood, laying it on the large table of smooth granite with the other offerings.

"Fresh placenta, less than 24 hours old. One round, smooth pearl." The items sat in an artful display. "Lastly, a lock of hair." In a swift movement, she cut a healthy, long, black curl from her own head and placed it among the other items, her supple and manicured hands raising in worship. "Please, honored goddess, accept these as gifts from the depths of our hearts. Honored goddess, look upon your priestess and see to this clear heart, that I come with love and no regret. I offer myself freely to you, withholding nothing. if you should see fit to bestow us with your protection, fertility, fairness, and long life, we will honor us."

With her head and arms raised, Quin tarried until sweat seeped into her eyes and soaked her skin and her ceremonial black robe. Her body trembled, exhausted and drained of all energy. She hadn't eaten solid food for a week, consuming only fluids and jello. For the past 24 hours, she'd had nothing at all. Accompanied by only large statues of Raysha and marbled pillars in the vast, cold, and ornate temple, she writhed on the cold marbled sheets of tile with no one to witness, not even her attendant who was waiting outside of the guarded door. She was trembling and weak. Tears rolled down Quin's cheeks and she continued to pray, for if the goddess Raysha were to reject her offering, the Celestial Order would be in grave danger of her wrath. She rocked and removed her robe, standing naked before the altar. Her fingertips dipped into the blood and slid down her face, down her body as she prayed and covered herself.

"Give me wisdom, honored goddess, to serve you more completely so that you may find favor with your priestess."

Only she, as the priestess, was considered clean enough to touch these offerings. As the priestess, she longed for the goddess' approval more than her own life. She prayed until she received a sign. Mental Clarity. She could feel her mind becoming one with the goddess.

"Now to my goddess of beauty, please bless these candles," she prayed touching each black candle left displayed for her, 20 in total. "Now to my goddess of fertility, please bless the oil," she prayed hand-filling each glass bottle with a special mix approved by Raysha. She drizzled in bits of the black sand.

Satisfied, she took a sip from the chalice of blood and closed her eyes to dissociate from the taste. She followed up with a second chalice of red wine, taking a sip and said her thanks, leaving the blessed items arranged on their respective shelves. She fixed her robe onto her body once more. She covered her face and head and hair with a holy mask of black fabric, covered in cream pearls.

Pushing open the double doors of the large open temple, she emerged and looked left and right at her two guards who were also dressed in black robes adorned in gold symbols as a display of their title. Unlike Quin's, their robes didn't have a train. Only quin had a train. Only Quin wore a mask of pearls to represent the infinite stars. Like the stars, The Celestial Order of Raysha was infinite, their power and influence widespread all due to the honored goddess. They had the secrets of long life, bragging of members who were over 130 years of age in perfectly good health. They had the secrets of beauty, which were highly sought after by the rest of the free world. Prayer candles for beauty, blessed by the priestess's hand, sold for thousands a piece and paid for the beautification of the temple and the entire Church of the Celestial Order of Raysha. Fertility oils blessed by the priestess sold for even more than the prayer candles.