Chants to Persephone: The Future of the World Hangs on a Knife's Edge - and Only a Human Sacrifice Can Save It

by Jennifer Macaire

  There was something touching in the way he was looking at me. I felt his faith in a way I’d never felt anyone else’s. Yet he was so young. Why did he want to die? His muscles moved smoothly under his skin as he raised the torch. Light fell on his upturned face. His grey eyes, so uncanny in the daylight, turned to pools of silver in the firelight. I stepped toward him. My foot slid over the rough stone and touched something soft. I looked down. A bear stared up at me, its pelt spread over the floor. I nudged it with my foot. My chest was growing tight. Firelight flickered on the walls of the cave; animals and bones stared back at me. They all seemed to be waiting for an answer. An answer I didn’t think I could give.

  ‘Why does anyone have to die?’ I whispered.

  ‘Because the earth wants blood. It leaves us our bones to see, our soul to feel, and our memory to hear, but it drinks our blood. It has done so for all time and will continue to do so. Does the earth not drink blood in your world, Queen of Darkness and Ice?’

  ‘It does.’ I shuddered and took a deep breath. If anything, the earth gorged on more blood in my time than it ever had. Blood tainted with radiation. Blood spurting from bullets. Blood oozing from bodies broken by bombs. Mass graves still existed.

  ‘I don’t want you to die,’ I pleaded.

  ‘I won’t.’ He reached his hand out and touched my belly. The caress ended with his hand on my breast, cupping it tenderly.

  I jumped backward, startled. ‘I understand now, you want to …’ I choked on the words. ‘But I can’t, I won’t. I’m married, and I love my husband. You’ll have to find someone else. I knew this was going to be a mess, why did you have to choose me? It’s not going to work,’ I said hastily, backing away from him. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t make love to you.’

  ‘You don’t have to. Three virgins from the village have already been chosen, one for each of us.’ There was a definite chuckle in the cave now. I felt my cheeks redden. ‘But I need your blessing. Tomorrow night I will lie with a woman and my seed will be sown. Whether it grows or not is the choice of the Mother. But the earth will drink my blood, my bones will be set here in the cave to see the sacred paintings for ever, my soul will be free to go to paradise, and my memory will linger. My words will be heard until the end of time like those who have spoken before me.’

  ‘I don’t want you to die.’

  ‘I want to die. I want to feed the Mother.’

  ‘I won’t take any part in a ceremony that kills you,’ I cried. My voice echoed around the cave, booming loudly then fading suddenly.

  ‘Please, I need you.’ He said the words simply. He didn’t try to touch me. He held the torch face level and stared at me. Tears sparkled on his lashes.

  I bowed my head and wept. My own tears were an acceptance. The skulls behind me breathed a sigh of relief.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  I walked back to the druid’s cave as if in a dream. The ritual was explained to me, but I only heard a third of what Anoramix was saying. His words rattled in the empty air and shredded in the bare branches of the trees.

  When we were nearly in sight of the others, I whirled around. My breath made white clouds in the air. ‘I don’t want anyone to die,’ I said. ‘I want you to know that I don’t believe in any of this. For me, you’re just throwing your stupid, short, vain life away.’ I was gasping now; my chest was so tight I couldn’t take a decent breath.

  ‘I understand, but please, nothing you say can change anything. I will die tonight. Two men will die with me. They believe. I believe. Whether you do or not, is unimportant. But if you insist on claiming your disbelief, you will only confuse and hurt the people coming to assist and take part in the ceremony.’ His voice was gentle. A slap couldn’t have stung more. ‘I truly believe we have been chosen to save the world. So do the people who are coming. They will venerate us for the rest of their lives.’

  ‘How many people will come?’ I asked, wiping my tears away.

  ‘There are six villages in this valley, four more on the plain. Nearly two thousand in the region.’

  ‘But why is the ceremony in Greek? Why? What happened to the real druids here?’

  ‘There still are some, but the ways have changed dramatically. Ours is a people of nomads. We have adopted customs from all over the world. We have changed. Perhaps you think that the sacrifice to be held tonight is horrible, but let me tell you what happened before. Young men and women died violent deaths without even being initiated. Their blood was poured into the earth, and their bones were put into a great pit dug behind the oppidum’s sacred grove. Four times a year the earth drank blood. Now we only usher in the summer solstice with blood.’

  ‘You said a young virgin would die, that she had been prepared all year long. Is this the sacrifice for her?’

  ‘No, she dies just before the harvest.’

  ‘How lovely.’

  ‘The tone of your voice belies your words.’

  ‘It’s called sarcasm.’ I was tired. I wanted to sit in front of a blazing fire and sip a hot cocoa. Chocolate wouldn’t get to Europe for ages. After the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, and the Golden Ages. I would have a long while to wait for hot chocolate. I sighed. ‘What is this sacrifice then, if it’s not for the summer solstice?’

  ‘This is for the moon’s child. We would take away the power he has to destroy the world.’

  ‘But, why now? Why not in the sacred valley? I don’t understand.’

  ‘Because the valley protected your child. Now he is in the open, and the world is in danger. If an evil person found him, they could use your son’s powers for their own ends and change the world. Three men must die and their blood be used to wash the power from the child.’

  ‘I simply don’t believe it.’ I kept shaking my head. ‘It’s monstrous to ask me to think that three men must die because of my son.’

  ‘He is not your son yet, he is the moon’s child. Only when he has been washed with the blood, will you be able to claim him.’ He was firm. ‘Three men must die. It is written.’

  ‘It is terrible.’

  ‘I’m sorry you feel this way, but you cannot change the world. Yours is not the power to change anything.’

  I looked at him sharply. I’d heard that before somewhere, far away in a smoke-filled temple. ‘What is that supposed to mean?’ I asked, but he didn’t answer, he just stared at me.

  The snow contemplated falling again. The sky scraped its grey belly against the treetops. Clouds looked as soft as a baby owl feathers. Anoramix’s eyes were that colour.

  ‘I’m sorry too.’ I couldn’t look at him. My misery was too sharp. ‘But I would ask something of you.’

  ‘Ask.’

  I took a deep breath. ‘You said that the uninitiated wandered around, lost. When you find yourself in the winding corridors of the afterworld, in the dark, I want you to find someone named Millis and lead him to the meadow.’

  ‘Millis?’

  ‘He’s a eunuch and a mute, so he won’t be able to answer you if you call him. Tell him I sent you.’

  ‘He won’t be a eunuch in the afterworld, and he’ll be able to speak. When we reach the light, we will sing together.’

  I blinked, sending tears down my cheeks. ‘Please find him.’ I whispered.

  He looked up at the sky. The wind whirled through the clearing, lifting the snow off the ground in a biting swirl of ice particles. Anoramix’s cloak flapped around him, and a flurry of snow sparkled on his shoulders. He took my hand. ‘Come, daughter of Demeter. The ceremony is long, and we have much to do before I can search for Millis.’

  If he felt my shudder, he didn’t say anything.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  The blessing was easy. I poured ritual wine into a cup and gave it to the three men and three women standing in front of me. We were in the cave, just the seven of us.

  Torches lit the scene. The painted animals were still vibrant and beautiful. That night they seemed tense, like wild animals before a storm. They raised their he
ads and pricked their ears, listening, nostrils flaring, scenting the wind.

  A wind of change was blowing. I felt it because I came from the tail end of it, three thousand years in the future. I felt it because I had read the history books that told about the Romans conquering Gaul and killing all the druids as they cut down the sacred groves. The oak that had grown for nine hundred years was cut down, and a straight, Roman road was laid upon it. The last generation of druids was here before me. The seeds planted that evening would grow, but they would not prosper. My hands shook as I poured the wine.

  Anoramix looked at me with something akin to pity. The woman at his side was silent. She was as tall as he was, dark-haired and willowy. Her eyes were wide with what could be awe or just the effects of the wine. There had been a great deal of it flowing before the ceremony. I gave her a reassuring smile, but my lips were stiff. I tried to calm myself, but I couldn’t. Anoramix and the two other men were completely relaxed. I would have thought that it was inhuman, but I saw the size of their pupils. They were drugged with something strong.

  Anoramix stood in front of me. His eyes were all pupil. The girl standing next to him was flushed. Her breath came quickly and her chest rose and fell, her breasts showing beneath her linen shift.

  I wasn’t sure what to do. Anoramix had bade me serve them the drinks, but he didn’t tell me at what point he wanted me to leave. The two men who were to die with him had curious blank looks. One girl kept licking her lips, a strangely erotic gesture. The men had erections, I noticed.

  ‘Do I do anything else?’ I asked Anoramix in a whisper.

  ‘Just say the ritual blessing with me, and then you can leave. Go to the sacred oak and wait.’ His voice was as clear as cut glass.

  We recited the blessing together. I was trying to speak calmly but my voice kept breaking. I ended the blessing in a whisper. Then I pulled my cloak tightly around my shoulders and left. The three couples stayed in the cave. When the night was nearly over they would join us.

  ‘Us’ was the two thousand people gathered in the sacred forest that evening. Most of them built fires and sat down to wait with their families. Women held children in their laps, and men talked in loud voices. They grilled meat, ate, and drank hot spiced wine. It was like a huge picnic, with a show at the end. The hours went slowly.

  Paul wandered around as he liked. The ceremony, although supposedly about him, had so far ignored him.

  ‘Best not to call attention to the moon’s child, moon or no moon,’ explained Yovanix.

  I wished Alexander were with me, but he had been busy all day long with Nearchus and Axiom, helping the druids organize the ceremony. I’d been so occupied I hadn’t had time to talk to him or Paul about the coming sacrifice. I’d been stuck with the three victims, learning the chants, and I had a bad case of nerves. I fingered the flask of wine at my hip. Well, it couldn’t hurt. I took a huge swallow and then coughed as the wine coursed down my throat. ‘Whew!’ I gasped. It was warm, spiced with pine, and something else I couldn’t identify. A glow settled in my stomach, and I decided to drink more. Getting drunk started to appeal to me. I would miss the slaughter. No, the sacrifice. Damn, this stuff was strong! I peered at the flask. Well, bottoms up. I finished it, then made my way to the crowd near the oak tree.

  Selena was there, but not her husband Julius. She was startled to see me, of course, and even more shocked when she saw Yovanix speaking to me. She rushed over.

  ‘Where is Anoramix?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, hello again,’ I said angrily. ‘Thanks a lot for getting us into this mess.’

  She shot me a strange look that was completely devoid of regret. ‘I had to,’ she said. ‘It was either give you to Anoramix or let you be captured by Voltarrix.’

  ‘Who?’ I asked.

  ‘A powerful druid from the land of snow and ice,’ she hissed. ‘He has come to this region in search of the moon’s child, and he means to take him to the land of the Eaters of the Dead.’

  ‘What?’ I took a step back, shocked. ‘What does he look like?’

  ‘He has pale hair like yours. He wears a helmet with horns.’

  ‘I saw that man the night Millis was killed,’ I whispered. ‘He’s a druid? But I thought druids couldn’t kill, except for sacrifices!’

  ‘Voltarrix is not a Gallic druid. I just told you. He wants to take Paul to his land. And they sacrifice children there.’ Her impatience showed. ‘Where is Anoramix?’ she asked again, staring past me.

  ‘In the cave. He has decided to sacrifice himself.’ Yovanix spoke in a low voice.

  Selena gasped. ‘What about the three men we captured? I sent a message telling him not to sacrifice himself!’ Her voice was shrill with pain. ‘He can’t die!’

  ‘It’s too late,’ said Yovanix.

  ‘No, I won’t believe it! I must stop him!’ She pushed past Yovanix and me, running toward the hillside.

  ‘You had better stop her,’ I said.

  ‘Me?’ his voice hit the stratosphere. ‘Are you mad? Begging your pardon, My Lady, but I am a slave, remember? I don’t have the right to touch her.’

  ‘You’re kidding, right? You make love to her and you say you can’t touch her?’ I was struck by a sudden thought. ‘Do you think the child is yours or Julius’s?’

  ‘It’s not mine, I swear. Now catch her before she does something foolish! Please!’

  I sighed and then started after Selena. I arrived just in time to see her duck inside the cave entrance.

  ‘Damn,’ I muttered, and then I followed her.

  I entered the cavern and saw Selena standing, as if transfixed, before the paintings. ‘Selena!’ I hissed.

  She jumped, but didn’t come back. Instead, she headed toward the rear of the cave where some heavy breathing was making it rather plain what was going on.

  I trotted after her. When I grabbed her robe she turned on me. ‘Leave me alone,’ she said angrily. ‘I must see Anoramix.’

  ‘If you go back there, you’ll probably see more of him than you expect,’ I said. ‘Wait at the entrance and you can talk to him as he leaves.’

  She hesitated. The groans were coming closer together now. A woman whimpered, then gasped. I swallowed hard. A wave of sexual desire submerged me. There must have been an aphrodisiac in the wine. The women and men had been aroused. I was starting to feel my own legs trembling.

  ‘Let’s get out of here,’ I said. This time she listened to me and turned, but her face was streaked with tears.

  ‘I love him,’ she said.

  ‘I know, he’s your brother,’ I said gently. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘The babe is his.’ She put her hand on her belly.

  I gaped. ‘Did you sleep with all your family?’ I asked stupidly, before realizing I sounded rude. ‘I apologize, it’s none of my business.’

  ‘He’s not my blood brother. His parents were killed in a great earthquake. His mother was our slave. My mother had just lost a child, so she took him in to raise. He looks nothing like us,’ she added.

  ‘I did notice that,’ I admitted.

  ‘When we left Crete, we brought him with us. He was the first one my parents sold, and then they sold me. I was bought by a Roman who fell in love with me. He cannot have a child though. His first wife died barren, and I didn’t become pregnant until I took Anoramix as my lover.’

  ‘What about Yovanix?’ I asked.

  She looked at me, her eyes hooded. ‘A woman with a child in her belly wants a man. I feel a strong need. Julius is not enough.’ She shrugged.

  I didn’t say a word. Who was I to argue? Besides, I had two lovers: Alexander, my husband; and Plexis, Chiron’s father. Thinking about Plexis made my face twist in sorrow. I missed him terribly. I missed the way he looked at me, his eyes mocking, and his hands deft and gentle. I missed the way he would arch his eyebrows and grin. ‘Plexis,’ I whispered. The wine and the longing made my breath short. Plexis could rouse me with a look.

  Selena was close enough t
o touch. Tears glistened on her cheeks. I put my hand on her arm. ‘I’m sorry,’ I repeated.

  She turned and pressed herself against me. I could feel her whole body under her cloak. It was full and generous. As if I were half asleep, I felt myself pulling her close. Her cloak slid off her shoulders. Her tunic was fastened with a pin. I pulled it out of the wool, and she stood naked before me. Her eyes were heavy-lidded with the same desire I felt. My breath was coming fast. Her breasts were heavy, her belly round and smooth. I cupped her breasts, then ran my hands over the slope of her belly.

  She sighed then, and unhooked the pin from my own cloak. My tunic fell to the ground in a heap. She leaned over and touched my nipples with her lips. I gasped at the feeling. Her arms went around my back, and she pulled me toward her, our thighs touched.

  Underneath our feet, the bear skin was thick and soft. We found ourselves lying on it, kissing, our legs entwined.

  It felt odd to embrace a woman. Her mouth was soft, her lips yielding. There wasn’t the roughness of whiskers, only softness. Our breasts were soft, our legs as they rubbed against each other were smooth, and our hands, as they roamed, encountered only curves and slopes. Her pubis was shaved, mine had curls blonde as pale wheat. The tightness in my belly was so intense that as soon as her hand touched me I was shuddering, my breath coming in deep moans, my nipples hard nubs against her chest.

  I’d never made love with a woman before. I wondered if Selena had. She seemed to know what she was doing, but any woman knows what she’s doing, when you really think about it. Her body was the same as mine. I knew every sensitive spot, every dip and curve that raised goose bumps, every place that could kindle a cry. To run my hands over her body was to stroke my own, and I was familiar with my own body. I had made love to myself often enough to know. Right now my breasts felt heavy and full. I leaned over, took one of Selena’s nipples in my mouth, and tugged gently. Her moan told me that I was right. Her hand reached between my legs again, and I arched my back. The places I knew belonged to her as well.