Page 203 of Huntress

Stolas snarled, but he stayed right where he was, obeying Santa Muerte’s orders. The goddess’s head rocked back, and for several seconds, instead of her mother’s face, Elsie saw the toothy grin of a skull staring back at her in surprise. She punched her again. And again.

She shoved the goddess to the ground and climbed on top of her, hitting the woman who had put her through so much until she had no strength left. Barely able to lift her fists, Elsie hit her one more time. Blood, Santa Muerte’s and her own marred her knuckles.

Sobbing with renewed grief, Elsie rolled to the side and tucked up her legs, thumping her forehead onto her knees.

“I hate you,” she cried.

Santa Muerte sat up without a single complaint, then reached out and petted her daughter’s hair.

“Don’t touch me!” Elsie demanded, shrinking out of the way. “I can’t stand it.”

“Entiendo, mija. I understand. You are destined to live a hard life. At least at the start. You may not approve of my choices, but I did what I had to do to make sure you survived. You are too important to be coddled and pampered,” Santa Muerte tried to placate her.

Elsie glared at her, pleased by the single line of blood where she’d split her mother’s lip. She refused to entertain the idea that the goddess had allowed it out of pity.

“Why?” Her voice was strained and tired. “That’s all I want to know, and then I never want to see your face again.”

Stolas made a rude noise, but Santa Muerte still gazed upon her with kindness, and it did nothing but piss Elsie off even more.

“Your mate cannot follow you to Molta. There, you will be tested in ways that you cannot understand until you experience it. He would not survive. Not even I can protect him there. And you need this training, or you will die when the seal breaks. Which will happen soon.”

The goddess wiped her lip, then licked the blood from her hand. “The sadness and pain you feel now are nothing compared to what you would have endured had he stayed. Your bond would only have grown stronger, and you might not have survived Molta either. This pain of your separation is a temporary kindness that you will grow stronger for experiencing. You can reclaim him when we return.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Elsie spat.

“I’m not giving you a choice. You will come to Molta, and you will survive. You’re too important to this world for it to suffer your loss.”

“What does that even mean?!” Elsie demanded. “I’m tired of the mysticism, it’s all bullshit.”

“It’s not,” Stolas cut in. “We can’t tell you what you're destined for. It would change the decisions you make along the way, and certain events must happen, along with specific people you must meet. There are choices that may not happen the way they should if you know too soon.”

“You say choices as though you’re giving me any.” Elsie shook her head and stood up, surprised by how weak she felt. She’d spent herself both physically and emotionally in that attack, and for what? A few drops of blood?

“I don’t care anymore. I’m done caring about anything you have to say.”

“Elspeth, you will listen now.” Santa Muerte rose to her feet. “You will find and experience deep, meaningful love and happiness. You will live a life full of joy and fulfillment, surrounded by those who will move heaven and earth for you.”

Elsie glared at her. Santa Muerte was telling her the things she most wanted to hear. A fairytale.

“But you have to earn it. You cannot have those things until you have carried out the tasks your fate has burdened you with. You are more than capable, my daughter. The life you have lived until now has been difficult. Your life in the future will be harder for a time. The trials you must face are cruel, but they have not been placed on you by me. I am trying to help you survive,” the goddess said.

“More than survival, I want you to thrive. I want you to live long enough to reach the happiness that you deserve.”

“I can attain my happiness by walking away right now. I’ll go to Saint and beg him to forgive me. We’ll be happy together,” Elsie replied.

“For a time you will be,” Santa Muerte agreed. “And then the magic leaking out of that seal will tear your body apart, and you will die. Or, come with me and the pain you suffer now will be rewarded with a long life of sweet contentment. Do your duty and save this world. Follow the path you were meant to walk and know that you were the one who saved us all.”

“Save the world?!” Elsie snorted back laughter. “Your expectations are unrealistic. You don’t get to decide my life, you haven’t been in it long enough for me to give you that power. I can’t believe I waited this long, an obedient little girl waiting for her mommy. You didn’t deserve that obedience.”

“She’s a goddess,” Stolas said. “Obedience is the least of what she deserves.”

“Fuck off, Stolas. You don’t have a dog in this fight. You could have visited, even once. All either one of you had to do was let me know that I wasn’t alone in this fucking world.”

“Elspeth.” Santa Muerte drew her attention away from the raven in the shape of a man. “You’re right. The demands being made of you come from a prophecy that’s existed for longer than I have walked this earth. The elves knew you would be the one to change the world.”

“The elves?!” Elsie laughed. “There haven’t been elves on this planet for hundreds of years, remember? You’ve ruined my life based on something a bunch of dead guys claimed?”

“No. I have done what was necessary to prepare you, based on something one prophet saw. A man who has never had a single prophecy proven wrong.”