Page 248 of Sigils & Spells

Even as I showered, I occasionally thought I saw her silhouette through the steamy shower door.

But every time I called out her name and begged her to come closer, she was never there. A figment of my imagination was all it appeared to be. And yet it seemed so real. I begged the goddess to bring her to me in my dreams, but not since the nightmares immediately after the incident had she made an appearance.

It felt like she avoided me on purpose, and I couldn't really blame her.

CHAPTER8

Silence fellover the cafeteria when the High Priestess took up a spot at the front of the room and called for silence. Earlier in the day, she already announced that every single person needed to be present for the evening announcement at dinner. Usually we came and went as we pleased, so curiosity about the situation was at an all-time high. Everybody shared looks as we waited for her to begin.

Diana and I sat together off to one side. As the only two who knew what the speech was about, we simply whispered amongst ourselves as the others speculated during their meal.

Because there are only a handful of people who use the cafeteria space, the room wasn't that big. Her presence filled the room from corner to corner and made you feel very small in comparison. The vibe she gave off told the crowd how important her message would be.

“It has come to my attention,” she paused and looked around, meeting each set of eyes individually, “that as a group, most of you have chosen to single out and mistreat one of our own.”

She let the group squirm uncomfortably for a full minute before continuing. Only a couple of them looked anything but embarrassed. A few of them stared at me, shooting daggers with their eyes. If looks could kill, I would be dead and buried already.

“The behavior I've witnessed has been nothing short of unfathomably disgusting. I am beyond disappointed in the members of this temple, as is the goddess herself.”

Those who didn't look uneasy before began to shift uneasily after the High Priestess made the statement. Eyes became trained on the floor. After the reference to the goddess, not a single other person looked my direction.

“While it pains me to have to make this announcement, it has become clear that sometimes I must perform duties that I find mildly distasteful. I am willing to do so because I am one hundred percent certain that it is the correct thing to do. Also, I expect every single one of you to be looking at me when I speak.”

She paused one last time and looked around. Her gaze sought out each individual in the room, including Diana and I. Seconds passed agonizingly slowly for the rest of the crowd. Finally, she continued.

“From this moment forward, any individual, and I do mean anyone, who is found to be harassing Annarah in any way, shape, or form, will be expelled permanently from this temple. You will lose all the status and benefit that comes with being attached to the temple of Selene. You will no longer be welcome on the compound grounds, nor will you ever be invited back. The expulsion will become effective immediately and you will be escorted to the front gate. I will also inform the coven in town about the reason you were expelled, and they will have no desire to associate with you, either.”

So shocked were the people in the room that even whispers of disbelief didn't break out. The old phrase about being able to hear a pin drop in the room had never been more accurate. Nobody looked my way. Except the High Priestess, who met my eyes.

“We are one hundred percent certain that the loss of Genevieve was not Annarah's fault. She almost lost her own life that same day. And yet, instead of helping her to recover, you hampered her ability to heal, both mentally and physically. That ends today. Right this second. Those of you who think I might be bluffing, try me. I have enlisted the help of the goddess herself, who is all seeing and all knowing. I will not extend second chances. This is your second chance.”

Never before had I heard the High Priestess sound so impassioned about anything. Her emotions were usually kept tightly under wraps and not laid out for others to see. Others must have recognized the same things, because nobody dared raise an argument.

“You may return to your quarters for the evening. I expect you all to stay in and ruminate on what I've said this evening.”

Without any further attention to the matter, she turned on her heel and strode out the door. Diana and I remained seated at our table, waiting for the others to leave the room first. Which they did. The crowd filed out through the doors one after another in silence.

My eyes stayed trained on the tabletop, unwilling to look and see the expressions on anyone's face. Favoritism had no place here and in all my life I'd not see the High Priestess signal anyone else out for special protection. Of course, nobody else had probably ever needed it.

Only one person stopped on their way out. Daisy, another acolyte just a year younger than me, paused beside me. She'd never been directly mean to me, so I was surprised to see her.

“I apologize Annarah. Had I known you were receiving such treatment, I would have tried to do something to stand up for you.”

Daisy was shy and kept mostly to herself. In that moment, I felt small for never having reached out to her in friendship.

Without giving it any more thought, I reached out and touched her hand. “I appreciate that more than you know. If you want to, I'd love to spend some time together? Maybe hang out?”

Her shock showed on her face. “Really? I mean, sure. I'd love that.” Her cheeks bloomed bright pink, and she turned to hurry out the door without saying anything else.

Diana smiled. I drummed my fingertips on the wooden tabletop. The sound echoed through the now empty room. For some reason I didn't really want to go back to my room and be alone.

“Are you ready to go to your room, or do you want to do something else? It's early. We could take a walk.” Diana could read me so well.

“A walk sounds lovely. I think it would help me work out some of his nervous, pent up energy that seems to be accumulating.”

Together, we strolled out the door and wandered down the path that led to the stables. We didn't see anyone else out and about at all. Aside from the usual sounds of nature around us, it was quiet.

Before I knew it, we arrived at the fork in the path that would either lead us to the barn or lead us out into the fields. Without giving it any thought, I stopped and stared toward the horses turned out to their paddocks. I missed riding. The horses gave me therapy that I never seemed able to get from anything else.

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