Chapter Forty

**OLIVER**

My hands balled into fists as I fought against the steady pounding in my skull. The incessant nagging by the goddess at the back of my head, her voice becoming a grating sound in my brain.
As the days went by, her influence and strength over me grew. And so, I decided that I would stop all priestly activities. It would seem she didn’t like that very much and made sure she communicated her unhappiness about that decision to me daily. My eyes swam and I shed tears as the pain grew more intense. I held on to Jamie’s necklace and I lowered myself down to my bed, sighing in momentary relief as my head hit the pillow.
A part of me wanted to just give in to her, body, soul, and spirit, and let her do whatever she wanted. As days went by, I began to ask myself if it was all worth it. I immediately caught that thought and vanished it. Yes, it was. I needed to remain myself, I needed to get to love Gabriel every day for the rest of my life.
Sweat broke out on my brow, and I lay there wondering how long I could take this punishment.
“Just give in, Oliver…” she said, her voice a blowing whisper in my ear. “It would be much easier for us if you just did what I want…”
At that moment, I understood why she was regarded as malevolent. She was ruthless, she demanded too much for the power she gave, wealth she gave.
“Ask for something else,” I whispered back, forcing my mind to focus on the tick-tick of the clock that hung on the wall.
“Please…”
At that moment, I felt the sudden urge to go to the river. From my place on the bed, I could feel the soft breeze and hear the running of the river. I closed my eyes and felt the whisper of the water…calling my name. I sighed and rose to my feet, deciding that I would submerge myself in the cold water.
My feet followed the familiar path out of the house and through the footpath in the woods, feeling a sense of relief as I approached the water. An unfamiliar sight caused me to halt my advance. I blinked rapidly, a part of me hoping that the sight before me was simply an effect of the headaches, that it wasn’t real.
But alas…it was.
I stood to the side, hiding behind a large tree, and watched as Sasha poured supplication into the water. As I watched, I realized that her movements weren’t those of someone new; she knew what she was doing. This wasn’t her first rodeo.
Dressed in all white, she danced in the water with a very much alive chicken swaying in one hand and a dagger held in the other hand. The poor bird squalled louder and flapped its wings in the wind for some semblance of balance as his captor danced wildly.
My hand flew over my mouth, and my eyes widened in shock as she sent the dagger across the poor bird’s neck, permanently ending its squalling. I watched as the blood dropped violently into the water, staining it red. My eyes furrowed in confusion as I wondered what the purpose of the ritual was. What did she want from the goddess?
The water began to bubble beneath the surface and then seated on the water was the river goddess herself. The downward turn of her lips, the creased brows. She looked irritated.
“Yes? What do you want?” the goddess asked, her voice filled with disdain as she eyed Sasha’s blood-soaked hands.
I could see Sasha’s body tense, her shoulders rigid as she hesitated, as if suddenly realizing the magnitude of what she had done. Yet, she didn’t back down. Instead, she raised her head, determination burning in her blue eyes.
“I seek your favor,” Sasha said, her voice trembling only slightly, but enough for me to notice. “I wish to become your priestess.”
The goddess’s laugh echoed across the water, sharp and piercing. It wasn’t a sound of amusement, but one of mockery. Sasha flinched, and even I could feel the sting of the goddess’s scorn from where I stood, hidden behind the tree.
“My priestess?” the goddess asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “You, a mere mortal with nothing but envy and ambition in your heart, think you can take Oliver’s place?” Her eyes blazed with an unearthly light, and I could feel the power radiating from her, wrapping the air in a suffocating hold.
Sasha took a step forward, seemingly emboldened despite the overwhelming presence of the goddess. Her lips quivered, but her voice remained firm.
“I am just as much a part of his bloodline as he is. I carry your power too, through our mother. I am capable of bearing your mantle.”
The goddess’s expression darkened, her once ethereal beauty twisting into something dangerous, something terrifying. The wind picked up around us, swirling the leaves and snapping the branches as if nature itself had sensed her fury.
“I have chosen my priest!” the goddess bellowed, and the water beneath her rippled violently. “Do you think I take kindly to being insulted? You should be grateful I don’t punish you for your audacity.” She leaned closer to Sasha, her eyes glowing brighter. “Leave this place now, or the blood of the chicken will not be the only blood spilled here.”
I watched in shock as Sasha stood there, momentarily frozen by the weight of the goddess’s wrath. Then, as if finally realizing the danger she was in, she lowered her head in defeat, her voice barely audible. “I… I only want to be recognized… I want the power I deserve.”
The goddess narrowed her eyes at Sasha, her disdain clear. “You want? What you want is meaningless to me. The priesthood is not a prize for the greedy or the envious.” She rose higher above the water, her presence becoming even more ominous. “But I will tell you this, try this again, and you’ll suffer a fate worse than death.”
Sasha’s breath hitched, and without another word, she stumbled back, tripping over her own feet in her haste to get away from the river. I could see the fear etched into her features as she turned and ran, leaving the lifeless chicken floating in the bloodied water.
I remained frozen in place, my heart racing in my chest as I struggled to process what I had just witnessed. The goddess lingered for a moment longer, her gaze turning in my direction as if sensing my presence. I held my breath, pressing myself against the tree, hoping she wouldn’t notice me.
“Do not worry, Oliver,” the goddess’s voice rang in my mind, as though she was speaking directly to me. “She will not succeed. You are the one I’ve chosen, and no one, not even your blood, will take that from you.”
I exhaled slowly, my body relaxing as the goddess’s form began to fade, dissolving into the water until there was no trace of her left. The river returned to its natural state, the blood and the chicken disappearing beneath the surface.
For a long moment, I stood there, my thoughts spinning as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Sasha’s desperation, her boldness—it was clear now that she would stop at nothing to gain power, even if it meant defying the goddess herself. I knew then that this wasn’t over. Sasha wasn’t the type to back down easily, not even after being threatened by a goddess.
But what worried me more than Sasha’s ambition was the warning from the goddess. The bloodshed is coming. My feet felt heavy as I walked back to the house, the weight of my priesthood pressing down on me more than ever before. The goddess’s power was both a blessing and a curse, and every day that passed, I felt myself being pulled deeper into her world, a world that didn’t belong to Gabriel, to love, or to anything human.
The house was quiet when I returned, but the silence was anything but peaceful. It was thick, suffocating. Gabriel wasn’t home yet, and for the first time, I was glad. I didn’t want to explain why I had been at the river or what I had witnessed. Not yet. I climbed the stairs slowly, my body aching with exhaustion. As I lay down in bed, the weight of the goddess’s voice still echoed in my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was standing at the edge of something dangerous, something dark. The bloodshed she had spoken of: who would it be? Who would die next? I closed my eyes, willing sleep to take me, but the moment I did, I was back at the river, standing in the water. The goddess stood before me, her eyes glowing as she watched me intently.
“You can’t resist me forever,” she whispered, her voice wrapping around me like a serpent. “You are mine, Oliver. And soon, you’ll see that you can’t escape your destiny.”
My chest tightened as her words echoed in my mind. I wanted to scream, to tear myself away from her, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move. The river pulled at my feet, dragging me deeper into the water. The coldness seeped into my bones, and I gasped for air, struggling to stay afloat. Suddenly, I felt a hand grab mine, pulling me up from the depths of the water. I looked up, and there was Gabriel, his face filled with concern as he held onto me tightly.
“Don’t let go,” he whispered.
I woke up with a start, my heart pounding in my chest, my body drenched in sweat. I glanced around the room, disoriented, and then I saw him, Gabriel, standing in the doorway, his expression filled with worry.
“Oliver,” he said softly, walking toward me. “What’s going on? You’re shaking.”
I blinked, trying to catch my breath. “It’s nothing,” I lied, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
Gabriel frowned, sitting beside me on the bed. “Don’t do that. Don’t push me away. Tell me what’s happening.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. How could I explain the storm raging inside of me? How could I make him understand the battle I was fighting against a goddess who demanded more and more of me every day Instead, I leaned into him, resting my head against his chest. His arms wrapped around me, offering the comfort I so desperately needed.
“I’m here, Oliver,” Gabriel whispered, his lips brushing against my hair. “Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”
I closed my eyes, allowing myself to melt into his embrace. For now, I would take his strength, his love. But deep down, I knew that the storm was far from over, and when it hit, it would take everything we had to survive it.