With a swift, practiced bow, Serienne turned in silence and swam off to meet her new handmaiden.
Johnna joined Armiele and I just as she pushed her way through the golden doors and disappeared into the darkened abyss. There is no need to feel sorry for them, my queen. Your sisters have blossomed into lovely Syreni females devoted to our gods. They are both eager to master their chosen fields of study and make significant contributions to our society. And they’re looking forward to mothering as many children as the gods bless them with. The celibate path can be a difficult one to stay on—especially for the young—but being denied physical intimacy and the right to take a mate will not prohibit them from leading happy, fulfilling lives of their own.
I still wasn’t sure if Johnna could read my mind at will or if he was just a gifted telepath, capable of picking up on my internal thoughts rather than only those I chose to share. Either way, there was no hiding what was going on inside my head from our high priest. I know I shouldn’t question the will of our gods. It just doesn’t seem fair. Naome and Serienne have done everything the gods have asked of them. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to fall in love?
The wrinkled fingers of Johnna’s right hand lovingly brushed along my cheek, the gold trimmed sleeve of his ceremonial purple robe riding up above his elbow. I’d never seen his pallid hair pulled into a side braid before. The fishbone design was exquisite. Who is to say they won’t? None of us can foretell what’s to come except the fates. Perhaps your sisters dedicated servitude will be rewarded in time with their own transformations. One or both of them may even eventually succeed you on the throne. Put your faith in the gods, my young queen, and be thankful each day for the many blessings they have bestowed upon you.
My head slumped down in shame. Clearly I still didn’t trust that the gods would do right by those that I love, or even that whatever events unfolded in Naome and Serienne’s lives were part of their destiny. I’d been given so much—two amazing sisters I loved with all of my heart, a compassionate, unimaginably handsome warrior of a male who’d captured my soul, and an exciting new life far more meaningful and fulfilling than the one I’d left behind—and I still demanded more.
Johnna slid his hand beneath my drooped chin, gently lifting it until his weathered, slate colored eyes came back into view. Don’t be so hard on yourself, child. The young woman who first entered this cathedral didn’t even believe she had an eternal soul, or that gods of any kind existed. Now look at you. Not only have you become a loyal servant to the gods, you’ve gained control of your soulcras and already managed to merge souls with your compar. It’s only natural to want more for those that we love. Trust that the gods your sisters now serve love them just as much as you do, and are far more capable of looking out for their wellbeing than you could ever be. Let the giants lift the builders in your life, my brave young queen, not the ants.
He always made everything sound so logical when he explained away my doubts. Instead of criticizing me he was quick to offer encouragement for my growing faith. It was easy to see why Aristos and the rest of the Syreni—even Bulrigaard and Lanipas—loved our high priest. This ant is going to pray.
His answering chirp of laughter brought a smile to my face. Sounds like a good idea. Might I suggest visiting our Lord Poseidon’s temple this evening?
I didn’t have a strong preference either way. I’d spoken to both of them during my purification ceremony when I wasn’t in either of their temples—the only time they’d ever directly answered my prayers—so it didn’t appear my physical location really mattered. As I swam down the left hall toward Lord Poseidon’s temple I was curious why Johnna had suggested it. If our Lord was angry with me for expressing my concerns regarding Naome and Serienne’s fate, it wouldn’t be the first time I’d offended him.
The temple had a similar architecture to the rest of the cathedral, reaching at least a hundred feet up to a golden dome, with rounded walls and no right angles. Golden staircases rose up on three sides from the center of the floor to a white marble dais, just as I’d seen in his palace on Mt. Olympus. Only his ornate golden throne accented with the beautifully sculpted tidal wave backdrop was missing. The panoramic mural encircling the room captured Amphitrite just after she’d given birth to the Goddess Athena. Poseidon was holding the tiny infant protectively against his bare chest as the priestesses attended to his exhausted wife. My face beamed when I recognized the demigod high priestess Deannie, dressed as always in her simple white shift, bathing our naked goddess. Apparently she was far older than I’d originally thought. Dozens of gods and goddesses from the Greek and Roman pantheons covered the rest of the walls, all waiting their turn to enter the birthing room and pay homage to Poseidon’s new daughter.
I’d barely bowed down above the dais before my soul was ripped free from my body and sent careening through space once again. The ethereal light show that accompanied my interstellar spiritual journey—I was still torn on how to think about Mt. Olympus given that its physical construct existed in an alternate dimension unreachable through normal means of travel—proved just as dizzying the second time around. When I regained physical form, I expected to find myself inside Poseidon’s palace, likely naked and in chains, with a very pissed off deity staring down at me. Instead I awoke in the priestess temple, my naked body nestled in piping hot, almond scented water that filled Deannie’s spacious claw foot tub.
“Welcome, Priestess.”
The comforting sound of Deannie’s angelic voice had me jumping to my knees to pull the startled high priestess into a smothering and very wet hug, sending a small tidal wave out across the tiled floor. By the time she escaped my death grip embrace, her drenched, totally transparent shift clung to her skin. She pulled the useless garment over her head and rung it out above the tub as she laughed. “And here I was worried you may not be as eager to see me as I was to welcome you once again to my home.”
When the joy of seeing her again faded, my still addled brain—going from living beneath the sea in my Syreni form to being human in a blink of an eye was beyond disorienting—was able to process the salutation she’d greeted me with and contemplate why I’d been summoned here. “Wait. Did you just greet me as your Priestess?”
Her hands framed my face as she gave me a motherly kiss on the lips. “I did. Our Goddess Athena has called upon you. I have no details on the nature of your visit, but I think its best we follow the standard protocol given that her request was placed through me. I would assume you are there to service her unless she specifies otherwise.”
I bowed down the best I could while standing in knee deep water, lowering my head in deference to her. I’d contemplated what it would be like to live as one of her Priestesses during the time I’d spent as her slave. Apparently I was about to find out. “Yes, High Priestess. I will proudly serve as your Priestess for as long as the gods desire.”
Her autumn blend of orange, red, purple and yellow hair was woven into matching double side braids that came together at the nape of her neck. With no makeup and an impish smile, she looked noticeably younger than me in spite of the fact that she’d been there to welcome Athena to the world. “Selfishly I hope it’s for more than just an evening.”
“Me too. I’d love to get a chance to visit with everyone before I leave.”
Deannie helped me back down into the steaming water so she could resume my bath. After she’d washed my hair and conditioned it she coated my arms and legs in almond oil and shaved them along with my sex, leaving my skin silky smooth from head to toe as all of the gods required. She worked a brush through my damp chocolate hair before she directed me to lie down on her luxuriously soft massage table. Her hands felt incredible as she expertly worked over my flesh. Soft, sensual moans escaped from my throat on their own accord like the helpless pleas of a lover approaching a heart-stopping climax. No part of my body was neglected, from my toes to my temples, my mind awash in feelings of unconditional love and a deep sense of belonging the entire time, as only our h
igh priestess could manage. Whatever spell she wove had me accepting without any reservation that I was her daughter now.
Deannie brushed away tears I wasn’t aware I’d shed from my cheeks as she helped prop my seemingly boneless body up into a sitting position. “I feel like you just adopted me as one of your children.”
Her unearthly orchid colored eyes brightened with her answering smile. She couldn’t resist capturing my face between her velvet soft hands and giving me another chaste kiss. “I declared to the gods that I consider you my child and have placed you under my care. As far as our deities are concerned, while you remain bound to them in servitude for all time, you are my daughter now. The rest of my priestesses are your sisters.”
Hearing her heartfelt maternal declaration only made the tears come faster. She’d risked her life to spare my own while I’d been in her care. She’d nurtured me and taught me how to properly serve the gods. She’d even allowed me to check in on my family in spite of failure to meet the conditions she’d outlined for me to earn the incredible reward. Now she was accepting responsibility for me before the gods, claiming me as her daughter, giving me seven more amazing sisters in the process. “I’ll always think of you as my mother regardless of which world I’m living in, or the title I’m answering to. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweet child. Now let’s put an end to the waterworks so I can do your makeup. Our Goddess is waiting.”
After helping me into a sheer, toga style robe with ornamental golden trim around the neckline, the thigh-length skirt and the decorative sash tied around my hips, she slipped golden cage sandals onto my feet, the straps winding all the way up my calves. Deannie led me across the plush crème carpet to take a seat in the same low-back black leather vanity chair with lifelike swans carved into the wooden legs I’d sat in while she prepared me to take my vows. The nails on both my fingers and my toes were painted in multiple coats of shimmering gold. Even with the High Priestess’s skilled hands it took forever for her to transform my shoulder length chocolate brown hair into the golden-beaded cornrow braids the goddess desired. After applying a liberal coating of midnight black mascara, my eyes were lined in a thick band of coal, which she also used to darken my perfectly arched brows. Both my eyelids and lips were painted in metallic, sparkling gold, matching the heavy dusting of golden body glitter she applied to my neck, arms, legs and breasts. When she’d decorated all the skin she could reach by sliding the toga strap off my left shoulder, she lifted the short skirt of my filmy dress and applied the clingy shimmering powder to my upper thighs, my abdomen, my ass and my sex, leaving the lips of my smoothly shaven vagina glittering in gold. The only jewelry I was dressed in was a golden bib choker with an owl pendant that rested against my throat, and matching owl earrings that hung down a full two inches from the lobes of my ears.
“You are ready. Remember not to speak or make eye contact unless she directs you to do so. Do whatever she desires without delay. While I’m uncertain of the nature of your visit, if you are fortunate enough to lie with her, you will be treated to orgasms far beyond anything you’ve ever experienced, even with the benefit of your soulcras. The nectar of the gods is a powerful aphrodisiac. Tasting her desire will give you a high unlike any drug ever conceived on earth. It can take days for the effect to wear off.”
As her handmaiden, I’d wondered how the women I cared for could possibly be in the mood to get with me when they had sex for hours each night with one or more of the deities we served. Now I knew. “That explains why your Priestesses are so horny all the time.”
She let out a full belly laugh that made her firm, rounded breasts jiggle. She hadn’t bothered to re-dress since I’d soaked the sheath she’d been wearing. I was so accustomed to being surrounded by people living comfortably covered only in the skin the gods had given them that I barely noticed. Human notions regarding the need to conceal your body seemed foreign to me now. “That it does, child. Do you have any questions?”
“I’ve never entered any of our deity’s palaces from the courtyard before. Will someone escort me in to meet with Athena?”
She straightened one of my braids and applied a bit more glitter to my bare right shoulder. “Her guards will be waiting for you on the front steps and will lead you into her chambers. Once you’re inside, bow down submissively on the floor and wait in silence for her instruction.”
When I left Deannie’s chambers I found Ghertrude waiting for me, looking as stunning as ever dressed in the identical toga style sheath I was wearing with her waist length, burnt chestnut hair piled high upon her head in the complicated knot I knew Amphitrite preferred. She hadn’t finished her makeup yet, but her lavender eye shadow, dark purple lids and matching lips confirmed she was preparing to service Poseidon’s wife. She all but lifted me off my feet in a tight embrace. “Welcome, sister. It’s so good to see you again. You look absolutely beautiful, Priestess Camithia. Our Goddess Athena is in for a special treat tonight.”
“As is our Goddess Amphitrite,” I replied as I pulled back to smile at her. “It’s so great to have you as my sister. I hope I get to spend some time with everyone before I’m sent back.”
“I’m sure our High Priestess will see to it that you do. You may find yourself living here permanently if she gets her way. I need to finish getting ready, but I wanted to wish you luck. There’s no need to be nervous. You’re an incredible lover, Camithia. One of the best I’ve had. Just devote yourself to fulfilling her every desire like you did with me and you’ll be fine.”
“Thanks, Priestess Ghertrude. I’ll do my best.”
After exchanging another long hug she disappeared down the hall into her room, leaving me to my fate. I took several deep breaths to calm my frazzled nerves before I pushed open the front door to the Priestess temple and descended the staircase into the courtyard below.
Athena’s white marble palace was to the left of Poseidon’s on the far side of the statue filled courtyard. I allowed myself to linger when I reached the enormous statue of Neptune and Poseidon the palaces were centered around, taking in the breathtaking scene of their battle with the kraken and the eighty foot waterfall behind them, earning me a curious gaze from the guards who awaited me. There was no delaying the inevitable any longer, unless I wanted to go all Runaway Bride and be dragged across the courtyard in chains. That wouldn’t exactly be the first impression I was hoping to make with the goddess responsible for my visions, whose eyes I viewed the world through in my Syreni form.
When I reached the guards I curtsied before them, bowing my head in deference even though I wasn’t certain where Priestesses ranked in the social order as compared to palace guards. They were dressed in roman style armor with layered plates covering their shoulders, solid chest and back plates, metal forearm guards, an armored skirt and greaves protecting their lower legs. Their helmets covered much of their faces but left their mouths and eyes visible, allowing me to get some sense of their sharp angled profiles.
“There is no need to bow to us, Priestess. We are servants to our Goddess Athena, which makes us equals, at least as long as you are acting as a Priestess rather than queen. Please let us escort you to our Goddess’s private chambers. She’s expecting you.”
“Thank you. What are your names?”
Both warriors seemed taken aback by my innocuous question. Apparently few people they came in contact with cared enough to ask. “My name is Stelios,” the much larger and far more lethal looking male replied. “I’m captain of Goddess Athena’s guard. This is Kostas. My brother.”
Kostas opened the towering white and gold door closest to him, dividing the intricate raised golden image of an owl nested in an olive tree in half. Stelios motioned for me to follow him as he entered the palace. “It’s nice to meet you both. Were you born on Mt. Olympus?”
“We died along with thousands of our brethren battling King Darius’s Persian army in the battle of Marathon almost twenty-five hundred years ago,” Stelios called back over his shoulder as
he continued to lead me down a white marble foyer lined with solid gold statues of owls perched in olive trees with snakes slivering through the branches as well as several likenesses of Athena caught in the throes of various battles. “Since we faithfully worshiped the Greek gods as humans, and died honorable deaths fighting in their names, we were brought here to serve our Goddess in the afterlife.”
“I’m not sure what to say to that. I’m sorry you were killed? Congratulations on being chosen to serve our Goddess? I see dead people?”
Both Stelios and Kostas let out a genuine laugh as Kostas gave my bare shoulder a quick pat with his hand. “I can see why our Goddess is so enamored with you. Your good natured irreverence and genuineness is completely disarming. It’s an honor to make your acquaintance.”
“Likewise. Would I be pushing my luck if I asked to hold your sword?” Heat rushed to my face and down my neck as I realized the obvious innuendo I’d muttered. If I’d hoped even for a moment that the double meaning might be lost on soldiers who died so long ago I was quickly freed of that fantasy.
Stelios let out a gut wrenching laugh as he drew his bronze short sword from its scabbard without missing a beat and handed it to me hilt first. “You’ll find that mine is much larger, my lady. He is my younger brother, after all.”
All I could do is laugh along with them as Kostas kicked at his brother’s shin for the insult. Since the damage was already done I took hold of Stelios’s offered sword, executing a couple of quick blocking maneuvers and thrusts. It was much lighter and easier to wield than my double-edged golden broadsword but had more reach than my jeweled dagger. The value of such a mid-range weapon was obvious even to my untrained hand.
Kerrigan's Race (The Syreni Book 1) Page 26
