Jillian bit her lip and squirmed. All that stuff about being the savior of shifter-kind made her more than a little uncomfortable. Still, the clarity in his eyes shook her to her core. There was no question that he believed in her. That was something she had never felt in her life, and she liked it.
“Let’s do this.” She nodded to Conner, who smiled and stood back up.
“All right, boys.” Vincent loosened up his shoulders and cracked his neck. “Finn, fire-glyphs.”
Finn looked straight ahead, lifting his hands before making a series of gestures. His lips parted, and his voice shook the air as he spoke under his breath in a language Jillian didn’t recognize. He rolled his tongue across every word, and the flames of the candles seemed to shiver in response.
Conner began his hand movements, speaking a different chant, and the air around her suddenly felt alive, moving up one arm and down the other. Vincent was silent at first as he painted shapes in the air with his hands. The earth didn’t shake, but Jillian could feel the energy moving from the stone into her body.
“Jillian.” Vincent smiled at her with a tinge of sadness in his eyes. “You’ve taken a few yoga classes, haven’t you?”
She nodded, wheezing as her vision blurred. Her face had already been white as a sheet, but somehow she looked even.
“They have you meditate, right?”
“Yes.” Her eyebrows tilted upward as she flexed her throat, struggling to keep her airway open.
“I need you to close your eyes and listen to the sound of the waterfall. Imagine sinking beneath the ripples without having to hold your breath.”
Jillian nodded, lying back on the cold stone surface and trying to relax. Her muscles twitched and spasmed as the venom spread through her nervous system. Homing in on the sound of the rushing water, everything else faded away.
Water…
The voices of the three men overlapped, in a chorus of whispers. Electricity prickled over every inch of her skin. Unnerved, she clenched her fists as the whooshing sensation that overtook her in the woods returned. A picture formed in her mind, the face she had seen in the stars. This time, the only stars were the ones in the eyes, the rest of the face was only visible because of the mist from the waterfall drifting across the invisible contours of sharp cheekbones, a broad nose, and two full lips. The mouth didn’t move, but a feminine voice vibrated through Jillian’s consciousness.
“What are you, little one?”
Jillian’s body went rigid, her heart rushing in the presence of something she sensed was as ancient as the Earth itself.
“This is real, isn’t it?” Jillian whispered. “And you’re a… a spirit?”
The face descended over her, the starry pupils darting around as it examined her more closely.
“I know what I am.” The spirit closed its eyes, inhaling as if it were trying to identify her by smell. “I want to know what you are.”
“I’m nobody.” Tears ran from Jillian’s eyes into her ears. “I’m just another human.”
“That’s not exactly true, is it?” The mist-shrouded lips made an O shape as the spirit breathed over Jillian’s body, and the fire in her blood was replaced with a cold numbness. “I haven’t seen one like you in a millennium.”
“One like me?” Jillian stopped trembling.
“A vessel and an oracle.” The lips smiled.
“A what?” Jillian’s voice wavered, and a sour feeling churned in her stomach.
“You have the power to see beyond the veil,” the voice whispered. “And the power to bear the children of gods.”
“Wait…” Jillian’s eyes widened. “I’m supposed to do what?”
“There is no greater honor than to be a mother.” The voice caressed her, and Jillian shrank back.
“No one said anything about me being a baby factory.” She turned away her face. “If the price for saving my life is to live in the woods all barefoot and pregnant like some hillbilly concubine, you can forget it.”
“Strange little creature.” The eyes narrowed. “And strong-willed. It would be a shame to let you perish without giving you a chance to fulfill your potential.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jillian’s eyes widened.
“You have piqued my curiosity, little one.” The lips curved upward in a soft maternal smile and wrinkles formed around the eyes. “Your life I will give as a gift, only this once. You may return to your old ways if you wish. If you return to ask anything else of me, you know what I will ask of you.”
“No.” Jillian shook her head. “I would never.”
“Should you come to me again, I will ask that you take your place among your people.” The face took on a stern expression.
“They’re not my people.” Jillian scooted backward. “I don’t belong here.”
“You will take a shifter as a mate and use your power to bring back the old ways, lest all spirit fades from your world forever.” The spirit frowned. “Without spirit, the sun will die, and humanity too will perish along with the rest of you.”
“You can’t ask this of me.” Jillian’s chin quivered. “I can’t save anyone. I can’t even save myself.”
It felt like falling off of a hundred-story building as she was pulled back into her body. Physical awareness rushed over her in a blinding wave of agony. The crushing pain squeezed the air from her lungs as she screamed, writhing on the stone surface. As the fog of her vision lifted, a bright-blue glow beamed from the incised lines in the rock, forming a sacred geometric pattern on the circle.
The tattoos on Vincent’s arms lit up with the same dynamic energy, sizzling as the lines spread out, burning into his flesh. The scattered symbols were no longer fragmented pieces. The story of his ancestors
