The Dark Society

57

Saint Anthony's thrived with activity, and Paul was, as usual, preparing his sermon. Nevertheless, as the girls arrived, Sabrina again captivated the sovereign's attention.

"You're early," he snapped.

Michelle stepped forward.

"As you requested."

The sovereign gestured while looking at Sabrina.

"Leave us."

Sabrina was no longer the pariah or forgotten--everybody wanted to know her. But considering everything, she had an uncertain future and a distorted past, hindrances Paul hoped to understand. That being so, he heeded the desperation in her eyes and the undeniable need for answers.

"Come," he instructed, motioning.

They entered the museum where Sabrina revered a vast array of ancient treasures. Paul wanted her to see everything, and though she was initially reluctant, each step eventually became easier. But unlike before, an urgency for resolution remained, so they would soon tour the art gallery.

She should have felt frightened or passive from the outset but wasn't. Instead, Sabrina was relaxed and eager, so if Paul's suspicions were correct, she would eventually exhibit distinct attributes. For these reasons, the sovereign observed as Sabrina neared a fixed portrait.

"The Morgans," she stated as Paul cradled his hands and grinned.

"You know of them?"

Sabrina turned.

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Once respected sages of this coven," he declared.

"What happened?" she questioned while recalling Michelle's admission at the café.

"They abandoned the sect."

"Why?" she asked while studying the painting.

"No one knows..." he elaborated. "However, you're welcome to speculate."

Directly after, Sabrina savored the works of Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rembrandt. But in doing so, she felt perplexed by the disparities between Paul and Michelle's explanations for the family's exodus. Meanwhile, she noticed the presence of a ceramic effigy standing solitary in a distant corner.

"You sense something?" the sovereign questioned as he followed.

Sabrina exhaled.

"She calls to me, like before," she admitted while admiring the sculpture.

Paul gingerly placed her hand on the smooth porcelain surface.

"Aphrodite, the goddess of love, aspires to exist again..." he announced. "And she's reincarnating through you."

"Impossible!" Sabrina exclaimed before withdrawing.

He scowled.

"Then why the correlation?"

Sabrina stayed silent, strangely enough, as Paul elaborated.

"Every enchantress serves a goddess..." he added. "That's why Katherine could invoke the strength of any deity."

"That's not possible..." she refuted. "No sorceress can conjure multiple spirits and control them."

Paul grinned.

"Like your mother, your intuitions are strong."

She appeared angered.

"What does Julia have to do with this?"

The sovereign stared in amazement.

Sabrina didn't refute the revelations for the most part, but she had sensed Aphrodite's unrelenting need to escape. Society had certainly become a scripted reality of false promises, but was it a world Sabrina could walk away from?

As expected, the service lasted well into the night, and predictably, Sabrina felt welcomed. On a similar note, she felt reborn to such a degree that she had disregarded her memories of London entirely.

"Congratulations," Denise announced.

"Thank you," Sabrina answered.

The sisters gathered and snickered.

"What's so amusing?" Sabrina questioned.

Raina approached.

"It's not over."

"What do you mean?"

"We're gathering tonight, and you must join us," Rachelle declared.

Sabrina had welcomed a renewed faith and mutual acceptance at long last. Therefore, she would leave for the student gallery feeling committed and determined.