The Blood Witch

10: Is Love Enough?

~ Rhaenys Vissera, blood witch ~

Callidora, Haakon, and Mithra all walk beside me as we follow Krihla to Zunera. The four of us follow Krihla to the other side of the cavern, and she guides us to a pedestal that sits between two twisted, dark trees. I look around, my heart thumping hard as we approach the pedestal.

The chamber is full of lush flora and fauna, and the moment Krihla touches the pedestal, a shimmering pink light forms above the marble. The light pulsates, like a heart that is beating fast.

"You each must shed a drop of blood onto the pedestal," says Krihla. "But you, Mithra, must drop two. One for you, and one for your mate."

Mithra nods.  "One for me, one for Kai."

We step up to the pedestal one by one, and when it's Mithra's turn, she drops two bloody drips onto the stone. We all step back as the ground rumbles hard, and a low growl radiates through the chamber.

We watch as the pedestal lowers into the ground. Then, in its place, rises a statue of a woman. She's tall, like most of the godly vessels, but where the others are all sharp angles, she's soft. Her curves are accentuated by the dress that clings to her skin, all of it made of stone. Her hands are up above her head, cupping a small bowl of marble stone that undoubtedly contains the drops of blood.

"Impressive," Haakon mutters.

I watch as Krihla approaches the statue, bringing her hands up to cup the woman's face. "My love, it is time." Then, she kisses the lips of the petrified woman.

A low hum reverberates through each of us, and I watch as Callidora and Haakon flinch as it passes through them, gliding into them. Magick pulses in the air, a silvery pink light in the shape of a wide ring pulses from the statue, spearing into each of us.

Haakon and Callidora both yelp, but the strange pulses do not harm me or Mithra. I turn to Krihla, who is still facing the statue. Somehow, she knows what my question is. Because the next thing she says, is a sort of answer.

"You two have your soul mates close to you," says Krihla. "Mithra, you have yours around your neck.  And Rhaenys, you have yours.... well. Close by." She turns her head, looking at me over her shoulder, and she winks.

Then, the pulses fade a bit, and a bright pink mist floats out of the statue. A low hiss fills the chamber, and then, it stops. But when it does, the mist is so intense that I cannot see anything other than that.

One minute, the mist is so thick and heavy that we all are seemingly suffocating on it. The next, it is just .... gone.

And in its place, kneeling on the ground in front of us, is the woman from the statue. Krihla crouches beside her, whispering to her in a strange language.

I glance toward Callidora and Haakon, but neither of them look my way. When I look to Mithra, she's focused on the two goddesses before us. Can't blame them, of course. But what exactly did it mean that my soul mate is close by? Where could they be? What exactly constitutes as close?

Who are they?

The Goddess, undoubtedly Zunera, is leaning against her lover, and Krihla holds her close against her chest. "Oh, my love. I am so glad to find you at last."

Zunera takes a deep breath and then looks past Krihla, seeing the four of us. "Oh. Hello."

"Oh, yes, sorry," Krihla says, giggling a little. She nods to me and then Mithra. "These two need your help."

"Help me stand up, then," says Zunera.

Krihla helps Zunera stand up. They both walk over to us, and I nod toward Mithra.  "Help her first."

"No, uh, I .... I wanna see what you can do to help Rhaen," says Mithra.  "Help her, first."

Zunera places a hand on my cheek. I watch her, staring at her amber eyes and blonde hair, her pale skin dusted with freckles. She smiles at me. Then she leans in and whispers into my ear. But I can't hear her, or understand what I'm even hearing.

"What?" I ask as Zunera steps back. "I didn't understand you?"

She smiles.  "You will, someday. It will come to you, and you will know it. But that's not all. Trust me. It all comes when you least expect it, but need it most."

I look at the others, but not even Mithra seems to know what just happened, judging by the look on her face.

"Ah, I see you've freed her," a male voice booms.

We all turn around. It is Rhialdir, but in a new body. And he grins a feral grin at us, watching us with a deeply twisted look in his glowing gold eyes.

"Makes me have less work than I'd need," he says. "So, thanks, mortals. Now .... where were we?"