Page 20 of Daughter of the Serpent

“No, I am not - and I never have been. You belong not to me nor your mother, but the temple now.”

“I don’t understand!” Young Sylvie cried looking at her mother, eyes pooling.

“I tried to keep you here as long as I could.” Her mother sobbed, tears escaping her eyes. “But that time has ended. They will be here for you soon.”

Sylvie’s heart twisted in her chest. “Who will take me?”

“The temple, girl.” Her father cut in. “You are to become one of the children of the light.”

“I don’t want to go!” Sylvie screamed, pulling herself from her father and rushing to her mother’s side, fisting her hands into her skirts. “Mother please!”

“This is a privilege Sylvie. This is an honor to the gods.” She murmured, pulling her closer. “You will be special, you could become a priestess one day.”

“I don’t want to! I want to stay with you, with my brothers.”

Sylvie thought of her brother’s faces, Egon with his blonde hair and striking blue eyes, so filled with determination and strength. Harris with his long red hair, and his tender heart.

“You cannot.” Her father’s voice was iron, filled with a harshness that cut deeper than any blade. “You don’t belong here.”

Her throat tightened, a tear escaping to trace a slow, solitary path down her cheek. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, trying to anchor herself against the surge of emotion. The pain was sharp, a searing reminder of her father’s rejection, of the distance that had always been there between them.

Nordvik avoided her gaze, his mouth tightening into a tight line, his hands balling into fists at his side. She could see his impenetrable wall, the one she had seen him build every time he had looked at her.

Yet just as real as he had been, standing stoic in front of her, his one vein pulsing in his forehead, he was quick to fade - overcome with the sun, suddenly blinding him out completely. A large, glowing light filled her vision, a wind strong and beckoning instantly drying her tears. Her parents and her young self faded away, leaving only the light - so much light that it drowned out everything else around her, including her own form.

She tried to look down at her body but it had disappeared; she was floating, suspended - not a physical vessel but an energy, shapeless. She had become one with the wind and the sun, enveloped in warmth, rich and all - encompassing.

She had never felt so good, weightless - free. The heaviness of her human body had vanished, and all she was left with was this feeling of pure connectedness, warmth - joy. Light filled her from head to toe, lifting her from all her worries and cares. Nothing but light existed.

A powerful and strong voice echoed through her.

“You are the light.”It thrummed within her.“You are one with all that is and all that will ever be.”

The light poured into her, unwinding everything within her until all was laid out straight. Power filled her veins, overtaking her. It filled her up, and grew fuller and greater with each passing moment.

“It is time.”

“For what?” she asked.

“To remember.”

The light became a roaring wave, stretching over her, drowning her in its intensity completely until she was nothing at all…

Vivid images then rose to the surface, dancing before her: amber eyes glowing amidst flames. A roaring bear. A lynx white with snow. A snake slithering from the shadows. Two golden energies melding together as one.

A hand reached out toward her, an orange glow emanating from its palm.

Then another reached out opposite her, a red glow dancing in its palm.

The images came fast and intense, fading from her memory as quickly as they had come. The voice returned, a haunting melody echoing in her mind.

“Choose.”A laugh rumbled through the darkness.“And seal your fate.”

Chapter Five

Heaving for breath Sylvie sat straight up, hands clutching her chest. Opening her eyes, she tried to blink away her cloudy vision. The remnants of the sacred brew clung to her senses, leaving her mind in fog. She tried to make sense of her surroundings, yet the edges of her consciousness felt blurred, like the boundaries between the dreamstate and the real world had not yet solidified. She sucked in a ragged breath. The air was still heavy with the lingering scent of herbs, the sounds and movements around her still faded and unpronounced as she tried to come back to her full awareness. Bringing her hands down to meet the softness of the woven furs beneath her, she tuned into her senses as she anchored herself back into the present. Soft voices beckoned her, slowly coaxing the tendrils of the vision to fade.

“Welcome back, child.” A voice, soft and smooth whispered. The seer, now crouched down beside her, looked at her intently. They were now alone, Sonya and the others disappeared from her side, and Sylvie found herself wondering how much time had passed.