Page 8 of Rising Out of the Darkness (Divine Guardians Duology #1)

Elena

“ I see you’ve found who you were looking for.”

The guard’s glare flickered between the two of us as Will lowered me back to the ground then stepped in front of me.

A dark chuckle rolled through the guard’s chest as he shifted his gaze towards mine. “If I’d known that was all you wanted sweetheart, I could have helped you out. All you needed to do was ask.”

Laughter rang out from the two other guards behind him, and Will’s body jolted towards them. I wrapped my hand around his biceps, tugging him back towards me. A frustrated growl rumbled inside of him. I shook my head, motioning that the fight wasn’t worth it.

“I’d listen to her if I were you.” The first guard snickered. “You haven’t even received your dynamis, you’d be no challenge to us, boy.”

This time, the guard was met with both our seething glares, causing them all to laugh again.

“Move it. It’s time for your Ascension. We wouldn’t want to you to miss getting your sympathy gifts from the gods.” The guard tilted his head towards the temple behind him.

As we passed, he gripped my wrist, causing me to turn back. The guard tugged me closer, the other two placing their hands on Will’s shoulders holding him back from me. A snarl rang out from Will.

“Take your hands off of her!”

Anger swelled within me as the guard inched closer to my face. “If you change your mind, sweetheart, I wouldn’t mind slumming it for you. Maybe then you could find out what real power feels like.”

Nausea rose within me as I tugged out of his grip and leapt towards Will. Laughter surrounded us. We pushed past them all and made our way to the front of the temple.

Fury raged within me. Sometimes, I truly wondered how Elysians like that were even blessed with dynamis in the first place. Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I paced back and forth in the dirt in front of the temple.

Will pulled me back towards him, jarring me free from my spiraling thoughts. He twirled me around to face him. “You alright?” He brushed his palms up and down over my arms in a calming motion.

My shoulders sagged along with my fury. “No.” I sighed deeply. “But I will be.”

He pulled me into him and rubbed my back tenderly.

The brass bell on top of the temple began to thrum, but I wanted nothing but to lose myself in this moment with Will.

Reluctantly, I peeled myself away. A few others passed around us, making their way into the temple through the now open navy-blue doors.

“Come on, Lena, let’s get inside.” Will brushed his palm against my cheek one more time. “The sooner we get in, the faster we can get out, right?”

I nodded slowly. “Right.”

A s we walked into the temple, I trailed my fingertips over the cold stone wall of the hallway that led towards the main gathering hall, trying to ease the wave of nerves.

We approached the wide archway of the great room, and I marveled over the view as we stepped inside. Curtains covered the windows, creating a dim, but intimate mood.

Everywhere my eyes wandered, an array of beautiful flowers and plants consumed my sight.

Candles fluttered warm light within the dim room, covering every empty space that wasn’t touched by flora.

Even the scent of the space was intoxicating.

Hints of lavender and sage tried to coax me into a state of calm.

The entire room felt serene, quite the opposite of the emotions that lingered within me.

I let my eyes flutter closed, taking a moment to collect myself before I opened them once more.

We made our way towards the center of the room, where the rest of the Elysians had begun to huddle around the sacred ring.

This open circle in the middle of the temple mimicked the smaller circles that we would step into during our individual ceremonies.

Smooth white stones bordered a large circle filled with soft sand.

It was meant to connect us to the gods, a way to give back to them for all the blessings that they bestowed upon us.

Will placed his palm against my back, its presence grounding me as he ushered us towards the rest of the group.

Only ten participants this time—quite a few less than in the past years.

However, this didn’t surprise me, considering Elysians struggle with fertility.

Sadly, some never got the chance to experience being a parent.

Others were only able to have one or two children.

It was extremely rare for an Elysian to have any more than that.

My boots touched the edge of the marble stone of the sacred circle, and I paused, catching Bri’s troubled gaze.

She had always been the portrait of calm, but deep wrinkles creased her forehead.

Something seemed off about her and my father today.

Both almost seemed full of … fear. The question that swirled inside my head was why.

Brietta cleared her throat, alerting our attention back to her. The guard stormed away towards the entrance of the room and stood in front of it.

“Welcome my fellow Elysians. You have waited for twenty-three years and today is finally the day you will give back to the gods for all those years of life they have granted you. In return, you will be blessed with the dynamis that the gods believe represents the deepest parts of your soul.”

Chuckles arose from the guards in the back of the room, and Brietta’s eyes slitted into a deadly glare. They caught her gaze, and silence fell over the room once more.

“As you know, there are five gods, one each for Terra, Fire, Air and Water, and the goddess of Healing. When they left the realm of Ehora, they left us with five sacred trees. A tree grows in each of the cities, and the final in the middle of our lands.”

She placed both hands over her heart. We all lowered down to our knees, one hand placed over our heart, while the other we placed inside the cool sand of the circle.

“These sacred trees are meant to connect us, to bind us not only to the ground beneath us, but the spirit within us. The gods believed in our sacred number of five as well. It stems from the five gods, five trees, and the combined numerals of your age when you receive your dynamis. Today, you will transform into who you are fated to be. This Ascension marks the beginning of your journey.”

She placed her other hand beneath the sand now, and we all followed. When we lifted our hands and spread our fingers, the sand trickled through as we repeated our blessing. “May the light always guide you, and the gods surround you.”

Once all the sand had slid from our fingers, we stood. Bri guided us to one of the wooden benches that filled the other half of the room. Before Will and I could sit, however, she summoned us.

A knot formed in my throat, and my trembling palms slickened with moisture. Will reached over and threaded his fingers between my own, giving them a squeeze.

“We’ll be fine, Lena. Just think, when we walk out of here, we’ll also have a brand-new tattoo right here.” He raised my hand to his mouth and pressed his lips against the top of my right hand.

That was where a symbol of our dynamis would appear encased in a triangle once we received our gifts. Our true nature would be illuminated, providing us with the clarity necessary to discover our purpose and direction as we transformed into the next versions of ourselves.

Intriguing, yet utterly terrifying.

We made our way towards Bri. She ushered me towards her and Will towards her assistant. I gave Will one last smile before I entered the room.

There were only two rooms for Ascensions inside the small temple.

The inside of the room would normally be dark, since there were no windows, just cold stone walls.

However, the flickering candlelight drew me in.

Candles of various sizes covered the room, as well as several pots full of calming flowers and herbs.

Sage-scented smoke tickled my nose, as Bri carried a small satchel of it as she blessed the room for the ceremony.

She motioned towards my feet, and I removed my boots and placed them near the door. Bri set the sage aside in a ceramic bowl and picked up the small tray next to it before she walked back towards me.

“In you go.” Her words were like a calming breeze as she motioned towards the small circle of sand in the middle of the room.

Sand squished between my toes as I stepped towards the middle and lowered, gently falling to my knees. Bri bent over and dipped her finger into a smaller bowl. She slid the oil over my forehead and behind my ears, the scent of lavender washing over me.

The tension that had been building inside of me began to ease. Warmth filled my hands as Bri handed me a cup of soothing tea for deeper meditation. Delicious flavors of honey and cinnamon, and a hint of something else that I couldn’t distinguish, collided inside my mouth.

I handed back the cup. She placed it down on the tray and grabbed the small knife before placing the tray aside.

Nerves swirled once more as I tried to take slow, even breaths, letting the lavender oil soothe me.

Extending my trembling hands forward towards Bri, I turned them over, so my palms faced up.

“With this blade, I slice through the barriers that hold you back from reaching your full potential.” She nicked both palms, and blood began to spill out.

My eyelids began to feel heavy as the effects of the tea were beginning to kick in.

“A drop of blood sacrificed, to give back to the realm for the gifts that will be bestowed upon you.”

I sat back on my heels and buried my hands beneath the sand as Bri continued the ceremony. “It’s time to become connected with the gods, and to discover your fate.” She rose and made her way towards the door. “Elena, may the light always guide you and the gods surround you.”

The door behind me was still open, and I let the hum of the singing bowls being played outside help me deeper into my meditation.