My feelings towards Cosmo Drakeward are dismissed as soon as I step inside.
I’m in a temple in a different realm; fucking amazing!
Light filters down from the open ceiling, and my eyes land on a raised dais, at least ten feet above me. Looking up, I see a throne cut from white stone. A figure sits with a bowed head. A female figure. Or what's left of her.
Is this biological—a mummy of some kind, or a highly realistic sculpture?
Her face is stretched taut over bone, and wispy strands of lifeless hair hang from her skull. Her eyes are closed, chin dipped to her chest, as if she lacks the strength to lift her head.
The robes she wears are gauzy like the temple's drapes, but worn and frayed.
A faint tremor vibrates through the floor.
“Feniks?”
I figured the dragon wouldn’t stay out for long. "Tread carefully," I warn him. It feels like this place is sleeping. Do we want to wake it up?
"Whoa." Max appears suddenly. "Think that's a Goddess? I'd expect her to be a little more... immortal,” he breathes into my ear.
A low, rumbling sound starts, growing with intensity as the floor begins to shake. The fabric veil around the figure stirs, not from a breeze but from a barely visible movement. A shaft of light cuts through the darkness, landing on the figure’s face.
Beside me, Max murmurs, “Ruh roh, Scooby,” under his breath.
It’s then that I see it: a shimmering trail on the statue’s cheek, like a glistening tear track. She isn't stone, but something else entirely.
A small, cool hand threads into mine, and immediately a pleasant tingling sensation travels through my body. “What’s this?” Theo whispers.
I wish she’d stayed outside, safe with Ludo, but it’s too late now.
"Shitballs!" Max points at the seated figure, whose head is slowly turning.
A low grinding sound comes from the throne until the face stops, looking directly at Theo.
"Move behind me," I tell her in a tone that says no arguments. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work on my girl.
"Absolutely not," she says. Shaking my hand off, Theo steps up to the monumental figure. I watch her movement critically. She isn't favoring her right side anymore. In fact, she’s moving with a fluidity that shouldn't be possible given the nasty scrape she took in the tunnel.
I glance at her hip. The unzipped hoodie reveals the skin and…it’s knitting together. Before my eyes.
A faint, golden glow pulses under the dermis, turning the bloody patch into nothing but a faint pink line.
Whatever energy she absorbed from this place, it isn't just empowering her; it’s preserving her. It’s keeping her whole.
A fucking mountain of relief crashes through me as I realize my girl can self heal. I watch my miracle girl as she inclines her head respectfully to the statue and clears her throat.
"Er, hello. My name is Theodora Wilson.”
Donovan shifts slightly. I know we’re both ready to grab her and run. The statue doesn’t open its mouth, but suddenly a voice fills my head. The sensation is almost overwhelming.
How has Theo not gone mad after years of this?
—I have long awaited your arrival in Avalon. I am Amirene—
Avalon?
We’re in Avalon?
My mind races, but I instantly banish any skepticism. This is amazing! And this creature, Amirene... the name tugs at a loose thread in my memory. Greek roots.Amintor... defender.Eirene... peace. Amirene—Defender of Peace. This thing isn’t just a statue; it’s a living myth.
