Chapter 390


    Chapter 390:The Temple


    E


    It is, indeed, a long climb. Cora and I are panting by the time we get to the top,


    and even though Sinir took Rafe from me halfway through the hike I have to


    take a moment to catch my break when we pull ourselves up to the final level.


    Roger has the indecency to look a little smug about the fact that he barely looks


    winded and Cora gives him a little shove on the shoulder as she works to take a


    few deep breaths and wipe the sweat from her brow.


    Even as I work to bring my heartrate back down, I absolutely marvel at the sight


    before me.


    The Goddess’ temple, like the one in the city, is builtpletely with white


    marble. But unlike the one in the city, this one looks…ancient. Vines grow in


    ropes all over it, looking almost as if the structure is part of the forest itself,


    having grown up organically from it. The temple is tall and wide, the pirs in


    front drawing my eyes upward to the nted roof which curls into a dome. At the


    very peak of the dome is a golden crescent moon, reaching up towards the sky,


    glinting in the bright sunlight.


    “Wow,” Cora says, standing straight next to me and likewise marveling at the


    temple. “Mom has some… impressive property.”


    “I know, right?” I mutter back, crossing my arms and shaking my head. If


    someone had told me, when I was a little girl sleeping in my creaky little orphan


    bed, that my mom lived here…


    Well. I probably would have believed them.


    But I was a very imaginative child.


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    “Um,” Roger says, looking anxiously at Cora. “Shall we?”


    I smile at him, seeing that he’s eager to move on but also that he wants to give


    her room to process this experience. It’s more intense for her than it is for him,


    and I think that it’s very sweet that he realizes this. Roger really hase leaps


    and bounds as a person from when I first met him.


    Sinires to stand next to me and I grin at him and then turn to my baby,


    taking his hands and speaking to him quietly, asking him how he likes it here


    and if he’s ready to meet his granny for real this time. Rafe ps and gurgles


    like he really is excited.


    “It’s like he understands sometimes,” I say quietly, smiling up at Sinir.


    “Well,” Sinir says, grinning proudly down at his son. “He’s very clever.”


    “Yes,” I say, leaning closer to kiss my baby’s forehead. “Yes, he is. The most


    clever baby the world will ever see -”


    “He can keep that title for about…five more months,” Roger calls to us, crossing


    his arms over his chest with a smirk. Sinir justughs and shakes his head,


    letting it pass.


    “Are you ready, Cora?” I ask, moving again to her side.


    “I think so,” she says, giving me a nod and reaching for my hand. I give it, and,


    with another deep breath, the five of us begin to walk towards the temple. As we


    approach, a woman in dove- colored robeses out of the front.


    I hesitate for a moment, going still at the sight of those robes –


    Because thest time I saw them But I feel Sinir behind me, his hand warm against my back, and


    then a little


    pulse offortes down the bond and I exhale, skipping forward a little to


    stay at Cora’s side.


    Because he’s right. This is…this is not the same situation we were in before.


    This is different, and not every priestess we meet is going to try to take my baby


    away. Some of them, surely, actually serve my mother.


    “Wee,” the woman says, bowing a little and giving us a deep smile as we


    approach. “Daughters of the Goddess – you are wee here. And you are


    right on time.”


    Cora and I smile at each other and then look back to the woman. “Is she here?”


    I ask. The priestess smiles warmly at me but Cora turns to me with a frown.


    “Can’t you feel her?”


    I blink at Cora for a second and then, as I realize what she means that she can


    feel our mother here already – I bite my lip, feeling a very deep grief.


    Because I cannot feel her. I used up’ our bond – used the magic of it to unbind


    my wolf and my gift so that I could save my child, and Cora, and my mate. Cora


    realizes this very suddenly, her mouth making a startled “o” of concern, but I just


    shake my head and work hard to give her a smile.


    “It’s okay,” I say, squeezing her hand. “I’m d you can feel her for both of us.”


    She nods to me, sympathetic, and then we both turn back to the priestess.


    “Please,” the priestess says, smiling around at our whole party and taking a


    moment to let her gaze linger on the baby, admiring him. “Please, doe


    inside.”


    And so, as a group, we follow the priestess into my mother’s temple. And as we


    go, I wonder if everyone’s heart is pounding as much as mine.


    The temple, inside, is different than the ones that we’ve been in before.


    While the desert temple was elegantly sparse, and the city temple was


    sweeping and impressive, this one is… cozy. The architecture is still bright and


    wide, but you can tell that women live here and treat it as a home. As I look


    around at the padded benches by the windows, at the well-loved books neatly


    tucked into alcoves and the little worn stick broom tucked into a corner, I decide


    quite suddenly that this is my favorite temple of all – and that I quite like it here.


    The priestess does not pause in the middle of therge central room of the


    temple, the space beneath the dome, but instead leads us across it to a door at


    the back. Before she opens it, she turns to us with a warm smile. “Are you


    ready?” she asks, giving us a moment. to prepare.


    Cora tucks her hair behind her ears and Rogeres to stand behind her,


    straightening his shoulders, his face very serious. He is, after all, about to be


    introduced to his mate’s mother as such for the first time. I smile at both of them


    as I reach for the baby, who Sinir helps me unbuckle from the carrier. I don’t


    know why I do it, but somehow I want Rafe quite close to me as we go to see


    his grandmother. It feels …right.


    Then, once we’re all ready – and Sinir has ced a warm hand on my


    shoulder – Cora nods to the priestess who opens the door and leads us inside.


    We see her immediately, we all do The beautiful Goddess, standing at the far end of the room,


    glowing with the


    faint luminescence of moonlight. Her face breaks into a smile as we cross the


    room, her eyes shing over all of us but focusing on Cora. I can’t help the tears


    that well in my eyes when I see her, as I study her form. And this time, as I look


    at her –


    I see Cora all over her, in her face, in her expression, in the way she holds


    herself. Her hair is still like mine, but it seems like everything – everything else is


    my sister. How did I not see it before? Was I such a fool?


    But as I think the thought, I dismiss it. Because she’s a Goddess, she’s divine. I


    think…she lets us see what we want or need to see in her.


    As I think that my mother’s eyes move to me, and she smiles. And a few tears


    slip down my cheeks as I smile back.


    Then, as she should, she refocuses on Cora, moving forward to take her hands.


    “I’m so d that you’vee to see me, daughter. Finally.”


    “Hey,” Cora says, tears slipping down her own cheeks, and then sheughs a


    little at her awkward start. “Hello, mom.


    “Um,” Cora says, half turning to her mate. “You remember Roger, right?”


    “I do,” the Goddess says,ughing a little, the sound ringing in my ears like


    tinkling bells. “I’m d, Roger, that you finally figured out what I meant in my


    message to you. By the desert.”


    “Yeah,” he says, smiling and grimacing awkwardly at once as he runs a hand


    through his hair. “I’m sorry about that I…overthought it.”


    The Goddess’ smile grows then and she reaches a hand out to him as well. ”


    You wille with me,” she says, turning towards another door, to an even


    more private room. “So that we may speak.”


    I step back then, towards my mate, but before she goes my mother turns to me


    and gives me a special smile. “E,” she says warmly, and then her eyes shift to


    Rafe in my arms. “Thank you,” she says, “for bringing my first grandchild to


    meet me. I had a glimpse of him before, of course, when you had him dedicated


    to me. But to see him now – in the flesh? It is…a gift.”


    “He’s a gift,” I whisper, holding my baby tight, tugging at the little bond I have


    with him and passing a great deal of love down it, so much that my baby looks


    up at me curiously and squeaks a little with his happy joy. Iugh and look down


    at him.


    “As you are to me,” my mother says, and I look back up at her, tears still dripping down my face. And I


    nod, understanding – finally – exactly what she means.


    The goddess tuns then, taking Cora and Roger’s hands, leading them away. As the door closes behind


    them, I take a step backwards into Sinir’s arms, which I know were waiting to wrap around me.


    “You okay, gorgeous?” he murmurs, bringing his lips down close to my ear to whisper the words.


    “Yeah,” I say, snuggling against him and dipping my head to kiss Rafe’s. “I really, really am, Dominic.


    I’m perfect.”


    “Yes,” he sighs, kissing my own head now, just as I did Rafe’s. “Yes, you are.”