Page 12 of The Dark Labyrinth

The golden light of the torches flickered off the stitching of the Living Language on his new robe as if reminding everyone that they had just willingly put him in charge.

"We have all had a challenging series of years, and much has happened. We need to begin again without all the hurt feelings and shadows of the past clawing at us. The world is changing again, and the magical tide is high. According to the Earth's astronomical procession, we are almost in Aquarius, and none of us can predict what is going to happen next, what paradigms will shift. It's better we return to the old ways because they were always the best." Alexis's frown softened. "I know it will be hard to do this, but we will all feel better for it. I just know it. It's necessary medicine."

Constantine put his hands on his hips. "Well, I'm ready. How do we do this thing, Alexis?"

Alexis turned back to Aelia. "You are our only high priestess here. Would you lead?"

"I hope I remember the steps," she said, kicking off the satin ballet flats she had been wearing.

Penelope swallowed the growing ball of panic in her throat. "This isn't going to give me a psychological break or anything, is it?"

"No. It might hurt, but it is about healing, not harm," Alexis reassured her. "You will never be in any physical danger, Penelope. You know I would never risk any of us in such a way."

Penelope nodded and tried to look braver than she felt. She wanted to learn more about Atlantean culture, but now the words 'careful what you wish for' were ringing through her head like an annoying bell.

Aelia walked barefoot and took down two torches. "Do you remember the words to the hymn to start it, Phaidros?"

"Yes, my love. I will play too if you wish it," he said.

Aelia smiled. "I always want you to play for me."

Phaidros took out his beautiful new violin and rested it in position. "Where you go, I follow."

"Flirt on your own time," Lyca complained. "Let's start, or this will drag on until dawn when it's meant to be over."

Aelia took up a position near the opening of the labyrinth and raised her torches. She held them squared at shoulder height, reminiscent of the goddess pose in yoga.

All the hair on Penelope's body lifted as Aelia's expression turned serious. This was a pose she had seen on Crete with the goddess holding snakes. She had seen it on images with Hekate and her torches leading into the underworld. She had seen it in folk dances from around the world. It was ancient and powerful and always a symbol of the divine feminine.

A different sort of magic filled the glade, making Penelope's own go disturbingly silent as if it was also holding some kind of reverence for a more significant power.

When Aelia sang, the world stopped to listen. When she sang Atlantean, it made Penelope's chest ache with a longing she didn't understand. As Aelia began to sing the hymn to the Goddess of the Dark Labyrinth, Penelope's whole chest felt like it was cracking wide open.

Phaidros picked up the tune, singing and playing with her, and Aelia began to dance, her torches held high as she spun and twisted. She was a blur of red and gold as she circled Phaidros and entered the dark opening.

Phaidros followed her, still playing until they were swallowed up from view. The music called out to them, and the power of the labyrinth drew them in, whether they wanted to face their darkness or not. Lyca went next, followed by Galenos, Constantine, Elazar, and a pale-faced Zo.

"I will follow you, Penelope. Wait for me when you come out again," Alexis said, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Always," she replied, kissing him once before letting him go. She turned to face the labyrinth and let the power of the ritual pull her into the darkness.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Penelope jolted awake, the computer screen bright in front of her eyes. The glare of the fluorescent lights above her made her head hurt. There were class timetables, project deadlines, and an awkward family photo on her cubicle's gray felt walls. The air smelled of stationary, stale Nescafe, and someone's lunch that they were reheating in the staff room microwave.

Penelope rubbed at her neck. What was she doing again? Had anyone noticed her micro-nap? No one seemed to have looked up from their own pods.

Outside, the rain was falling and turning Melbourne's streets dark. She had been having the strangest dream…something about Venice…

"You okay, Bryne? You look like someone just knocked you in the back of the head," Phil asked. He taught Ancient Roman history and spilled something on his shirt every day without fail.

"Yeah, just got a bit of a headache," she admitted.

"End of term will do that to you," he replied before wandering away.

"End of term," Penelope murmured.

Her screen had online class formatting pages open with a picture of a fresco found at the Akrotiri site on Thera. It was of Potnia, the Minoan goddess of fertility, holding the leash of a griffin with a blue monkey offering her a bowl.

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