Page 49 of The Last Session

After dinner: the “initiation ceremony.” The temperature had plummeted, and we returned to our yurts to grab extra layers. Inside, I stood there for a moment, feeling off-kilter. This glittering mosaic world, the feeling of being watched in the courtyard, Jonah’s unexpected appearance, and now Sol reminding me of Pastor John… It was like entering a fun house where the normal rules didn’t apply.

We walked as a group towards the firepit; thin electric lights revealed the path. The sky was a bright royal blue at the horizon, fading into a rich navy above. The stars winked overhead; I hadn’t seen a night sky like this since living upstate. But here, there were no chirping crickets or croaking frogs. Apart from the rush of the wind, it was dead silent.

“What’s your name again?”

I looked over to see the tiny Dawne, who wore a short fur coat.

“Thea,” I said. “You’re Dawne, right?”

“That’s right!” She grinned up at me. “Have you been on this type of retreat before?”

“No, never. Have you?”

“Not this one specifically, but alotof other relational retreats. They’resohelpful.”

So helpful you have to keep going to them?I pushed the unkind thought down.

“You’ll be amazed at the progress you make this weekend,” she went on.

Mikki’s sputtered laugh rang out in front of us. She was walking with Jonah, so close their hips were almost touching.Watch out, Mikki. He’s not who he’s pretending to be.I felt a sudden loyalty to her, even though we’d just met. But I couldn’t warn her to be careful—unless I wanted to blow Jonah’s cover.

Blow his cover.What was I, a freaking spy?

We neared the bonfire, which danced with massive flames. Gracewaited just inside the circle of ankle-high rocks marking the space. Her fluorescent hair softened to copper in the darkness, she directed us to the benches. They were set back about twenty feet, though the warmth of the fire still radiated like sunlight.

Mikki took the first seat. I sat next to her, and Dawne settled next to me. Jonah was at the end—good. I wanted to be as far from him as possible if we were doing group work. Sol was crouched down closer to the fire, ruffling through a large tote bag.

Dawne grabbed my wrist, her long nails digging in like talons. “There she is!”

We all turned to stare at the figure approaching out of the darkness.

In defiance of the cold, Moon wore a fluttering, diaphanous white dress. Lit by the flames, the shadowy outline of the castle behind her, she looked like a frame from a fantasy movie. She could’ve been an elfin queen, but not a particularly nice one. Her lips were pressed together, her expression determined. Her long dark hair trailed behind her, ruffling in the breeze.

Steven, resident mosaic artist and bag handler, strode beside her, a marked contrast to her otherworldly appearance in his baseball cap and scruffy beard. Slightly hunched, he stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with all of us, as if he were an antisocial sound guy who’d arrived to help set up the show.

I glanced over; Sol had straightened and was watching their approach with a clear frown on his face. He’d gone completely still, like an animal aware of an approaching predator—or prey. When Moon and Steven reached the edge of the stone circle, his face broke into an enormous grin.

“You came!” He jogged over and bent to kiss her on the cheek. She looked away, a small, polite smile on her face. Something glinted on her chest—a diamond on a thin gold chain. A full sleeve of tattoos covered her left arm.

“We’re ready?” she asked. I recognized her voice from the podcast, but it was stronger, clearer, projecting over the crackles of the fire.

“Yup. Would you like to…”

“Yes.” She turned, taking the bag from Steven.

We all watched, fascinated audience members to the exchange. Moon’s annoyance towards Sol was obvious, at least to me. Throughout the exchange, Steven continued to gaze silently at the ground. Solreached out suddenly and clapped him on the shoulder, making him jump.

Moon advanced towards us, the fire at her back, and cleared her throat. She still looked elfin up close: anime-large eyes, strong brows, heart-shaped face.

“Hi, everyone,” she said.

“Hi!” Dawne called out with delight.

Moon’s eyes dropped down to her and she smiled. Her front teeth were slightly crooked, bookmarked by sharp cheekbones and dimples. She was, like Sol, markedly attractive in person. Her body was small and curvy, her nipples visible underneath the thin white dress. I felt that combination of judgment and admiration that arose whenever I saw a woman brave enough to go braless.

“Welcome,” she said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make our first meal; I needed to gain strength for our initiation ceremony tonight.” Her voice, with that lilting Mexican accent, was richer in person. Dawne and Karen cheered. Sol and Steven settled onto the sand at the other edge of the group, next to Jonah.

Moon cocked her head. “That’s it? Two people are excited?”

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