Chapter 143
Twilight casts the sacred pool in hues of orange and purple, the water shimmering like liquid amethyst in the fading light. The air around us feels heavy, charged, as though the entire world is holding its breath.
Wake stands near the edge of the pool, his expression a mix of concern and defiance, while Khale looms nearby, his arms crossed over his chest.
“You both need to go,” Cora says firmly, her voice cutting through the thick air.
Wake doesn’t move. “I’m not leaving her.”
Cora’s sharp gaze locks onto his. “This isn’t a negotiation, Abyssinian. This is her trial, not yours.”
I reach for Wake’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “I’ll be okay,” I say, though my voice shakes with the uncertainty I feel. “You can’t help me with this.”
Wake looks at me, his blue eyes dark and stormy. For a moment, I think he’s going to argue, but then he nods, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to my forehead. “Call if you need me.”
Khale snorts as he turns toward the jungle path. “She won’t be able to call for anything where she’s going.”
I glare at Khale’s back as he strides off, Wake following reluctantly. The tension in my chest tightens as they disappear from view, leaving me alone with Cora and the pool.
Cora turns to me, her expression softening. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, my voice steadier than I expect.
She kneels by the edge of the pool, uncorking a series of small vials and jars. The scents hit me all at once—floral, fruity, earthy, pungent. One by one, she pours the contents into the water, and the pool comes alive.
Colors swirl and shift, the herbs and oils mingling with the salt water until it looks more like a swirling potion than a pool.
Cora gestures for me to step in. The water is warm, almost too warm, and the scents cling to my skin, wrapping around me like a thick blanket.
“This is salt water,” Cora says as she begins to mix the water with her hands, swirling it in intricate patterns. “You must remain human until the time is right. Do you understand?”
I nod, though a lump rises in my throat. The idea of fighting the instinct to transform fills me with dread, but I trust her—or at least, I’m trying to.
Cora retrieves a jar of thick, dark oil and begins scrubbing it onto my arms and shoulders. The oil smells rich and spicy, the heat of it tingling against my skin.
At first, it’s almost pleasant, but then the sensation sharpens. It tickles, then stings, and soon it feels like my skin is on fire.
“Cora, what is this?” I gasp, trying to pull away, but her grip on my shoulders is iron-strong.
“Stay still,” she commands. “This is a natural paralytic mixed with a topical hallucinogenic. It’s part of the gauntlet.”
“What?!” I shout, trying to rise from the water, but she holds me down with a surprising strength.
“Shush, darling,” Cora says, her voice calm despite my panic. “When the mind and body are incapacitated, the spirit will take over. That’s the point of the gauntlet.”
“You could have warned me!” I shout, struggling against her hold. The burning spreads across my body, and I feel my limbs growing heavy, my vision swimming. My muscles stop responding one by one, and a deep fear takes root in my chest. “Cora—”
“Trust me,” she whispers, her voice growing distant as the world tilts and fades.
The last thing I feel is the water closing over my head as I slip beneath the surface, my lungs screaming for air. But I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I’m going to drown.
Panic floods my mind as the water presses in on all sides. My body is frozen, my chest tight, and I realize with horrifying clarity that this is it. This is how it ends.
Then, through the crushing silence, I hear her.
“Phoebe.”
The voice is electric, vibrant, like lightning crackling across a midnight sky. It fills me, reverberating through every cell of my body.
“Take up the gauntlet, child. Be who you are meant to be.”
“Electra?” I try to speak, but the words are swallowed by the water.
The voice grows stronger, more insistent. “Do not fear what is within you. The path forward is yours to claim. Take it.”
The burning sensation in my body intensifies, but this time it feels different. It’s not pain—it’s power, raw and uncontainable. My body reacts without conscious thought, and suddenly I’m changing. M
My legs fuse together, and my fins unfurl, shimmering like ribbons of light. My skin feels electric, alive, and when I open my eyes, I can see everything with startling clarity.
I look down and realize I’m no longer in the pool. A whirlpool has formed at the bottom, pulling me downward. I can’t resist it, nor do I want to. It’s as if the water is calling to me, urging me deeper into its embrace.
Without hesitation, I dive into the whirlpool, the current wrapping around me like a cocoon. The water rushes past me, and for the first time, I don’t feel fear. I feel free.
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