Chapter 35
The sunlight of Vartik must have magic in it, or so Mayra thought. She sat in one of the palace courtyards, ringed by all manner of beautiful flowers and tasty fruits, and inhaled deeply. The air was sweet on this planet, almost enough to give her a sugar rush. And it was only on Vartik that she had learned what a sugar rush was.
The last few days had been the happiest of her life. Nojan had spoiled her, had spent every waking moment with her, and had even moved her into his quarters, over the protest of his parents who feared it would look unseemly. He’d insisted that as a royal heir and an oracle, they made their own rules.
And now she was alone in the courtyard, one of the rare moments when Nojan was not by her side. She’d asked him for some time alone to work on learning more about her powers, and he’d reluctantly agreed, making her promise to meet him in his lab the moment she was finished.
Although she loved being in the lovely courtyard and tasting the air, she had to admit she was making little progress on her powers.It doesn’t make sense, she thought.Everything is either a jumbled mess or contradictory. I don’t see one clear path. I see what appears to be alternatives, with no hint that any one of them is the real future.
That’s because Time is a god, a voice said in her head.And gods guard their privacy.
Mayra started. Voices in her head made her nervous, even when they sounded as beautifully melodic as this one.
There was a laugh like the tinkling of bells and suddenly the light goddess was before her. “Sorry about that,” she said. “Force of habit.”
“You came back,” Mayra breathed, honored that the goddess had returned to talk to her.
“Sure did,” Sveta said with a smile, “but you know the deal. I can’t stay for long. They’re always watching.”
Mayra nodded. “Why have you come?”
“To shed some light, so to speak, on your powers.” The little goddess giggled at her own pun. “You see, no one can see the future exactly as it will occur. With your gift, what you can see is possible futures, some more likely than others. It will be up to you to make the most of the information, guarding against the possibility of attack, and planning careful strategies that consider every possible move of the enemy.”
“But I won’t ever be certain?”
The goddess shrugged. “As you continue to work with your powers, you’ll be better able to distinguish which visions are more likely to come true. You may even get flashes of insight that are akin to certainty. But never rely too heavily on any one particular vision. That way lies folly.”
Mayra nodded. “Thank you for the advice, goddess. And for the gift and your protection.”
“Of course, child.” The goddess leaned in to finger the blue crystal that lay against Mayra’s chest as if to remind her that she was always with her. “Now I’ve got to be going. But before I do, just one more hint about the future, although I think this is one you’ve already seen.” The goddess winked, then cupped her belly with her hands. Then, in a flash of blue light, she vanished.
Mayra hurried to Nojan’s lab, her body shaking so hard she was afraid she might stumble along the way. Could her vision be true? Could Mayra be pregnant with Nojan’s child?
It shouldn’t be possible, she thought.We’re a different species, and Territhians and Vartik cannot interbreed. It’s already been proven.
Then again, Mayra wasn’t technically Territhian. Well, she was partially,, but she was also Partinthian, and a holy Guardian of the light goddess’s children. Maybe that combination was different enough to allow Nojan’s seed to take root.
Or maybe it was one last gift from the Goddess of Light, designed to make up for a terrible life full of servitude and degradation.
The reason didn’t matter. All that did matter was whether the vision was true.
Mayra rushed into the lab, coming up behind Nojan as he bent to look into a microscope. “I didn’t know science could be so sexy,” she said in a husky voice. “I must admit you look quite good from this angle.” His butt had to be the hottest one in the seven known galaxies.
“Angel, it’s about time,” he said, turning around to pull her into his arms. “I thought I was going to have to wait all day.”
“I’ve only been gone for an hour,” she said, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.
“And did you learn all about your powers?”
“Kind of,” she said with a laugh. “I had a visitor who gave me some notes.”
Nojan cocked an eyebrow at her. “Explain.”
“The light goddess appeared. She told me that I don’t see the future but a mix of possible futures. I’ll get better at predicting possible outcomes as I work with my powers and gain confidence, but it’s never going to be exact.”
“Makes sense,” Nojan said, nodding. “I don’t know if anyone can know exactly what might happen in the future. It would mean that time is already fixed and all of our destinies were decided the second we came into existence. Seems unlikely.”
Mayra let her head fall back onto his shoulder. Once he got to thinking about philosophy, his head would be in the clouds all day. She had to bring him back to Vartik.
