Page 250 of Sigils & Spells

“What is happening?”

“Things have been set in motion that we have long been attempting to prevent. Our only choice now is to meet the enemy head on and pray for success. I am bound by certain rules and cannot reveal much to you in this time, but I needed you to know to prepare. Much will be asked of you in the coming time, more than has ever been asked of you in your short life so far.”

The finality in her tone caused me to hunch my shoulders and shrink into 'myself. This wasn't an invitation to a tea party.

“What if I can't do it?” I couldn't even save Evie from the river.

“My child. I have every faith in you. For reasons that have not yet been revealed to you, though they will be in time, I believe you are the one to meet the needs of the world.”

“Of the world?” The words came out in a squeak.

Dimming her glow, she faced me fully and met my gaze. Our eyes locked, and she gave me a gentle smile.

“There are big things in your future. Things your wildest imagination could not bring to your understanding. I will guide you as best I can, and you will find others to assist you in your journey.”

“What do I do? Where do I go? Do I stay here? I have so many questions.”

Her expression told me she understood, but held some sadness that she couldn't give me all the answers that I wanted, or even that I needed.

“There is still time. For now, you will stay here and ready yourself, both mind and body. You have been blessed with many gifts, some of which have not even revealed themselves yet to you. Train with them, practice and become the best you can be. I have given notice to the High Priestess. She will assist you.”

“Is that why she told me she is going to begin working with me?”

“In part. Remain open and willing to receive the messages being sent to you. But also, be wary. I will not be the only one trying to reach you. Others will seek to lead you astray and if they do, the results could be disastrous.”

“That day at the river? Was that a part of this? This message, or the journey?”

What I really wanted to ask her was whether losing Evie had been part of the task of being asked of me. Ask her why I had to lose one of the few people who had been on my side, who had loved me for me.

“The loss of your friend was an unfortunate case of her being caught in the crossfire of the beginning of a war. People like you come into their major powers on either their seventeenth or eighteenth birthday. The enemy wished to test you and see if yours would manifest on that day. Genevieve was not an intended target.”

“Is that why I couldn't save her? Because my powers didn't appear when they expected them to?”

“The enemy is wily and uncaring. Do not blame yourself. You will spend the near future preparing and we will ready you for the battle ahead. It will be a long, long process, as this tug of war has been happening since the beginning of time and our enemy is patient.”

Thoughts and fears crowded my brain, not letting any one idea form fully before jumping on to the next. My hands shook, and I twisted them together in my lap to try and hide the reaction. How had I gotten roped into this?

“You must return now. We will have an opportunity to talk further soon.”

She stood and turned back toward the way we originally entered, looking back and waiting for me to follow. It took some courage to stand and do so; something inside me just wanted to wait here, to hide until the storm passed and nobody wanted me to do something I wasn't sure I was capable of.

Before we reached the opaque place in the wall, she stopped me once more.

“Annarah, I would like your permission to do something that may help?”

I looked at her, somewhat surprised that agoddessfelt she needed to ask my permission to do anything at all. “Yes?”

“I would like to help your powers release sooner than wait for your next birthday. This will give you more time to become capable with them before you need to use them in the real world on your journey. May I?”

Two halves of me warred with each other. One said yes, absolutely! I'd like nothing more than to be more powerful, to learn what I was capable of. The other half wanted me to ask her to take them all away instead, to let me pretend that I'd never been chosen for this quest and spend the rest of my days hiding in the temple. With this new development, exploring the world outside the compound all of a sudden became way less exciting.

Despite my misgivings, I nodded.

She reached out and gently touched my forehead with two fingers. Warmth flooded me from my head to my toes, leaving behind a feeling of calm. The inner monologue of fear quieted some and left me some room to think more clearly.

“Thank you.”

She nodded. “Go now, carry on. We will meet again before long.”

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