Just as the Goddess steps into her chariot to pull the full moon into the sky, I prepare to emerge from the dim interior of my room at twilight. My hand stills on the door handle while I force a steadying breath into my lungs, unsure how the inhabitants are going to react when I descend into the courtyard in my priestess raiment.
All of my nerves are eased when my eyes land on a positively casual Lennox waiting at the foot of the stairs. Wearing a plain linen shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, his sinewy, inked forearms are bared for the world to admire. A full bottle of wine hangs by the neck in his long fingers as he looks upward at the sound of my door closing. The heat from his gaze makes me feel as if my blood is boiling in my veins.
Even relaxed like this, it’s easy to see the dangerous pirate that lurks just beneath his skin, and he is waiting for me — the thought makes me eager to be within his grasp. My legs peek from the slit in my robe as I slowly descend the stairs, my eyes never leaving his as I languidly drag a finger over the banister.
“Good evening, my pretty priestess,” he greets me, his voice smoky as he drags hungry eyes down my body and back to my face. Maybe he has missed me in the past few days.
“Good evening, Captain. Shall we go?” I place my hand in his outstretched palm and walk with my head high through the stares of the courtyard.
We stroll through town, eyes following our every step, as we make our way to the beach. The breath is sucked out of my lungs as we near our destination at the number of bonfires lining the shore between the camps of sailors. Cheers and laughter drift from the groups huddled around the fires. Drunken men and women dance while others sit cross-legged on the sand passing bottles between them. I haven’t ventured to the water’s edge alone at night to know if this is a usual occurrence, but the air of the evening seems charged with anticipation in a way I assume is special for tonight.
Looking to Lennox for guidance, I follow his direction when he nods toward a larger fire burning on its own. A large man stands off to the side, like a sentinel watching the beach, and I recognize Erik as we approach. I haven’t seen him since our dinner at Marie’s, so I can’t hold back the smile that spreads across my face at the sight of the big man. He returns my smile and bobs his head, far above my own, in greeting.
“Hello, Mistress. I hope you have enjoyed the island so far,” Erik says when I get within earshot, his light eyes and heavy torcs reflecting the flames of the bonfire.
“Erik.” I nod my head in return. “Yes, it has been lovely so far, with so many beautiful plants and kind people here. I didn’t realize men from the ship might come out for the ceremony this evening,” I reply, shifting my focus from him to Lennox.
When I look back at Erik, his focus has drifted over my head. His looming height makes this an easy feat, but in the flickering firelight, I can see his cheeks are flushed, and a broad smile spreads across his normally stoic countenance. Lennox is also smiling slightly in the same direction, so I follow their gaze into the darkness to find what has pleased them both.
Where I am a silvered moonbeam, Siobhan is dressed like a ray of sunlight. Her gown is not as revealing as my robe, but it is made similarly – gracefully following her curves with flowing fabric in rich gold silk, the edges trimmed with dark embroidery that I know is a dark blue hue.
Her choice of colors confirms that while I, as one destined to become a high priestess, trained in sacred texts and the physical acts of love, Siobhan was trained in divination and reading the stars. Both of us were also schooled in healing and herblore, but that is not unusual additional knowledge for a priestess to possess.
The jolt of seeing another priestess in her ceremonial colors is nothing compared to the shock I feel at the delight that lights Siobhan’s face, followed by Erik scooping her into his arms. He lifts her far from the ground in an embrace while he spins them around on the sand, and presses his mouth to hers. Lennox remains at my side, and a laugh escapes from him as he watches the joy radiating from the two.
“I take it they are acquainted?” I ask, raising my brows in amusement.
He chuckles again. “That they are. It makes Erik very happy to see her doing well after the voyage we spent together to get her here. He’s madly in love with her, and she with him. But he knows she is happy with her life and shop here, so he visits when he can, and they live their lives in between.”
I smile to cover the ache in my chest. Am I looking at my future? I may not have divination training, but I am a fool to think my future holds hope for anything other than brief visits from Lennox while he carries on with his piracy and life at sea. It’s more than I could have hoped for two months ago, so why does it pain me now?
“Andromeda!” Another familiar face calls from the path down to the beach. Lyra races towards us dressed in a light flowing gown that streams behind her as she dashes to our sides by the fire. “I was so afraid I would miss the ceremony!” Flushed and giggling from her flight, she gives both myself and Lennox a hug when she reaches us. “Siobhan looks beautiful!”
“She does indeed,” I reply as Siobhan and Erik approach us, their embrace finally broken.
“Good evening, Andromeda,” Siobhan says, bowing slightly.
“Good evening, Siobhan,” I return the gesture, feeling nostalgia wash over me. “Shall we begin?”
“Let’s,” Siobhan replies and takes my hand in her own. Her hands are warm and dry compared to my sweaty palms; she doesn’t tremble or falter.
“May I?” Lyra asks shyly, glancing between us.
“Of course, I would be delighted for my protégé to learn the Old Ways,” Siobhan replies after I nod my head in consent. The number three is sacred, so the ceremony will feel more powerful with her addition, even though Lyra isn’t trained or initiated. Lennox walks to my side and hands me the bottle of wine — an offering.
“For luck, if you please?” he whispers against my ear before he drifts away.
As we approach the fire, other crew members from the ship arrive to create a circle around us and the blaze, the same as they did on the deck a month ago. This feels right — a cycle is ending. Two moons ago, I began this journey when Lennox approached me at the House of Starlight. A month ago, he made me remember who I am. Now, I am preparing to leave that life behind for another rebirth.
With the fire burning, I do not need to light a candle, but I do pour some of the wine in the fire and on the sand – an offering to the Goddess in thanks and prayer. My voice rings out over the night as I begin the prayer chant, Siobhan echoing my words in the correct places, Lyra looking on. We hold hands tightly, and as the chant intensifies, a deep warmth spreads from my chest, through my arms, and into my hands. The same sensation was reawakened on the deck of the Bartered Soul at the last ceremony, but this time it’s much stronger. Eyes closed, I hear Siobhan’s voice stumble slightly before evening out again. Lyra gasps and tightens her grip.
At that, I open my eyes to see what has garnered such a response, and it takes all the power I possess to keep my knees from buckling. Where our hands are connected, a faint glow surrounds them, and Siobhan’s brow is illuminated where her sigil rests. I know when her eyes meet mine that my brow looks the same. The only sound on the beach is the crackling fire, the soft lapping waves of the ocean, and our chant — the crew members standing around us are silent — some wide-eyed, some with tears on their cheeks. I shift from my chanting into our song and the entire crew’s voices join us, the warmth in my chest intensifying as we sing.
The Goddess has returned to us.
* * *
Sometime later, the ceremony ends, but the fire continues to burn. Waves crash on the shore and bottles are passed around under the bright, white moonlight while I stand to the side, watching contently with Siobhan and Lyra.