“I’m fine,” I answered, keeping my eyes on the altar. I wasn’t fine. But there wasn’t anything Brennan could do to fix it.
As what was left of Branwyn continued to burn, I watched the dark tendrils of smoke curl towards the heavens. Idly, I wondered where her soul was now. If nothing else, her death just spurred me even more to win this game. Once my curse was reversed, Zeus would release all of the souls that I had ever consumed…from wherever they were being held.
The breeze was cold and it carried with it the scent of burning flesh. Both things combined made me shiver. Brennan wrapped his arm around my shoulders and drew me to his side. I tried to absorb his warmth, to draw strength from his, to ignore the reality that was in front of us lying on the stone.
A pale priestess that was kneeling next to the altar uncurled from her crouch to face me.
“Princess, Branwyn left a bundle for you. She instructed me to give it to you after she was gone.”
The woman’s face was calm and impassive, as though she didn’t know that I was the reason that Branwyn was dead. They all acted that way, calm and quiet, and completely oblivious to the fact that I had killed their leader. But they knew. I knew that they did. It was in their eyes.
“What is it?” I asked. “What did she leave?” I asked. I was tired, cold and emotionally drained. But this definitely piqued my curiosity.
The woman shrugged. “I do not know. I was instructed not to open it. It is only for you. I also need to reassure you that even though Branwyn is gone, you still have the complete cooperation and hospitality of this entire group. We are at your disposal, princess.”
“Thank you,” I murmured. I didn’t deserve it and their loyalty choked me up. It wasn’t for me, though. It was for my mother. And once again, I was thankful to have her. I’d been blessed in the maternal department. She more than made up for the fact that my father was a psychopath.
One by one, the women filed past Branwyn and within the hour, everyone had finished paying their respects and saying goodbye. Her pyre would burn into the night and throughout the day tomorrow, but weren’t going to stay and watch it tonight. I was so physically tired that I felt I might collapse.
The priestesses made their way back into the village while Brennan and I trailed behind them. The moon hung heavy and full in the sky and I lifted my face to it, soaking in its energy. Being a creature of the moon, its rays provided me with strength and I needed all of that I could get these days.
As the women broke apart to return to their individual huts, the one who had spoken to me about Branwyn’s package turned back to me.
“Come with me,” she instructed quietly. I glanced at Brennan and then followed her into the trees where the darkness enveloped us like a cloak. The temperature had dropped so much by this point that I could see my breath in the air. I cupped my hands over my mouth and blew on them as we walked further into the forest on the other side of the village.
“Where are we going?” I called to her. “And I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s Keelin,” she answered over her shoulder. “Just follow me. And don’t shout. It attracts the spirits. Samhain is drawing near. The spirits will be gathering.”
In spite of myself, goosebumps formed along my arms at her words and I glanced at Brennan. He rolled his eyes and I felt a flash of annoyance. How could he dismiss her statement so easily? He’d seen firsthand lately that reality wasn’t what he once thought it was. Many, many things were possible. Ghosts were real. I’d seen them myself all of my life.
“You’re right,” he apologized to me, having read my thoughts. “I’m sorry. I’m still getting used to all of this.”
“I know,” I answered. “And it’s a lot to get used to. You’re doing a fantastic job. Really.”
He reached up and grabbed my hand. “Anything for you,” he reassured me, jokingly. But I knew that he was serious and his words warmed me more than the sun ever could.
Keelin abruptly stopped in front of us and knelt in front of a massive and imposing oak tree. Its roots bubbled to the surface of the ground, gnarled and twisted. I stepped over them and stood behind Keelin, waiting. She reached into a small hollow in the tree and withdrew a package, wrapped in cloth and tied with string. Rising from the gound, she turned and offered it to me with shaking hands.
I could swear that the wind died down when my fingers touched it and that realization raised the hair on the back of my neck.
“What is this?” I whispered. My fingertips were cold where they touched the cloth.
“I know not,” Keelin answered. But her face was pale and drawn. She might not know, but like me, she sensed the importance and the darkness that the packaged contained.
“I don’t like this, Em,” Brennan said quickly, stepping forward and laying his hand on my arm. “Just put it back. We don’t need it.”
“It won’t matter if you put it back or no,” Circes voice penetrated the small clearing. I turned to find her creeping toward us, her cloaks swirling around her with an unseen wind. “It will not matter. That package contains knowledge and the knowledge exists whether you read it or not. A wise person would want to know what they are up against.”
Within a second, she was at my side, her yellowed teeth flashing in the dark as she spoke. “Open it, Empusa,” she instructed with fetid breath. “This is something that you need to know.”
My fingers trembled and I ached to drop the package and run. It felt icy cold and ominous in my hands and I desperate wanted to release my hold on it, to drop it to the ground and stomp on it. But I resisted the urge and turned toward the old woman instead.
“You know what it is?” I half-asked and half-demanded.
She nodded.
“Your mother left it for Branwyn for safe-keeping, until it was time to give to you. She felt you should know.”
“Know what?”
“You should know why you shouldn’t sacrifice everything to save Apollo’s son. He is doomed anyway.”