An hour later, Ella stood in the center of the tall misshapen stones, which glowed in the unnatural darkness. Echoes and whispers from the past wafted around her. The various lives she had lived. The loves she had lost. The men who betrayed her. Ariana, the moon goddess, explaining who she was. Where was she now when she needed her the most? The trees swayed back and forth around her as the wind increased. The sky above was a swirl of red and blue. She sensed the Morrigan before she saw her come into view. She clenched the syringe in her hand, ready. This was it.
A shapely figure stood several feet away from her in a low-cut burgundy gown. A black diamond-studded mask covered her face, but blonde hair cascaded down her back. Ella was certain it was the Morrigan. But Nate was nowhere to be seen.
“I’m here. Where’s my son?” she asked.
The masked woman flew at her. “All in good time.”
The Morrigan spread her arms wide and the muted twilight switched into bright daylight. The forest vanished and an enormous stone temple rose from the ground. The Temple of Gods.
Ella stood, taking in the solid structure and observing the ancient architecture. A staircase rose from the ground to a flat plateau, where a row of six pillars as tall as trees guarded the temple at the front and sides. Beyond lay hidden. Ella spun around, searching for the Morrigan, but she stood alone. Gone were her pants and shirt. Instead, she wore a sheer white gown, tied at the waist by a golden sash. Lifting her arm, she sighed, seeing her bracelet around her wrist. Laughter echoed from inside the temple, along with chatter and the sounds of music, giving her no choice but to head inside, and find out what the hell the Morrigan was playing at.
After climbing the steep steps, Ella hid behind a massive pillar to watch the scene beyond in the grand hall, which was filled with people all wearing similar masks, dancing and swirling around one another. Long wooden tables were filled with meats and fruit; the smell of cooked food was enticing. At the head of the long room sat a lone figure on a gold throne, dressed in crimson, overseeing the dancers. Several feet behind her stood a long stone altar; flowers and candles decorated the top. Torches flickered in sconces along both sides of the temple, casting dark silhouettes.
This place hummed of magic.
Ella summoned her power, drawing it from every cell in her body. The ripple of electricity surged through her veins, lifting her. The syringe filled with poison had disappeared, but she could command her magic and wield her sword. She slipped inside the hall undetected and made her way down the side, weaving in and out of yet more columns, glancing back to ensure no one had seen her. As she stared out at the front, the music and dancing continued. As she stepped up on the raised platform, the woman on the throne sat with her back facing her. But when she lifted her foot to take another step closer, she was spun around to face a masked woman pointing a blade at her throat.
“Do you think we’re playing some silly game, you foolish girl…I said come alone, and yet you have amassed an army against me. When will you learn?”
Unable to contain her anger any longer, Ella thrust the Morrigan back, screaming from deep inside, pushing the goddess until she smacked back into the stone wall. “I’m done playing…” Ella called. “Give me my son or I’ll kill you right here.”
The goddess laughed and pointed her head to her left. Issac strolled in, holding Nate’s hand as he walked alongside him. Ella pressed her lips tight, focusing on her son, who happily held his uncle’s hand, unaware of the danger surrounding him. Yet the child smiled at her with such worldly knowledge in his big blue eyes that instilled the fact maybe not all was lost. The Morrigan shoved Ella back and slipped away to stand between her and her child.
“Your actions caused me to conjure up this place, which isn’t bad considering the little time I had. It’ll keep all the unwanted riffraff out, giving us the privacy we need for this little family reunion. How extraordinary your bloodline is, Ella, don’t you think? Twins. And yet not born equal.”
“That man means nothing to me, no matter what blood makes us,” Ella spit out, glaring at Issac, who stood impassive and mute while smoothing his hand over Nate’s head, something that made her grind her teeth.
“That may be true, but bloodlines fascinate me. When your mother agreed to carry a child for the Steins, I’m sure she never anticipated what would happen. When the ultrasound revealed she was carrying twins, did she realize then, the huge mistake she had made? When the Steins discovered your sex, they refused to take you. They had very specific ideas of the sort of family they wanted, and you didn’t come into the equation. There was a legal battle, of course. Your parents decided they wanted to keep both babies, but money and position always wins. Although Issac was raised by the Padre, alias Larry Stein, with his wealth and position, you were raised by some bohemian couple who never had any luck with money, despite loving each other. Sad how that turned out. And here we are.”
Ella shook her head. The Morrigan must be lying. What she said couldn’t be true. But maybe it explained the lingering sadness she caught at times on her mother’s face. Maybe it explained the late-night arguments. She pressed her lips tight. Glancing at Issac, she
