Page 37 of Winter Goddess

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“Another surprise?” She smiles weakly. “Was my father not actually my father?”

She’s dropped her rough exterior and I can finally see the real Dewi underneath. I think it makes her more human… dragon… Goddess… well, you know what I mean. More approachable, that’s it.

“Have you ever wondered why there’s no God of Autumn, even though all the other season are represented?”

She shrugs. “I can’t say I have. Until recently, we didn’t have any Gods in this Realm.”

“Neither had I, but now that I’m about to be crowned the Winter Queen, I am more aware of the delicate balance connecting the seasons. Angus and Beira were the first and they’ve more or less kept the equilibrium ever since. Of course, the God of Summer has tried to take over several times and destroy the balance, but I believe that’s just because he’s power hungry and not because he actually wants to upset the stability keeping all magic alive.”

“Wait, the balance between Summer and Winter is keeping magic alive?”

“Yes, there’d be no magic without it. Not much life, either, if my mother is correct. It’s imperative to keep the balance at all cost.”

“Then how is there a balance with no Autumn?”

I smile. “I think we already have a Goddess of Autumn, she just doesn’t know it yet.”

I let the penny drop.

“Me?”

“I think so. There’s a way to find out though. Let me connect with your magic. I’m not quite Winter yet, but I will be tomorrow when I’m crowned. I can already feel it though, and I explored the balance yesterday. I learned a lot about it and it gave me some pointers on how we can save it.”

“It? You speak as if it’s alive.”

I shrug. “In a way, that’s what it feels like. It’s hard to explain. It’s like an energy that connects all of us, but it’s channelled through the seasons. Without the four Gods, it can’t reach the Realms. I just call it the balance, but maybe it has a different name.”

“What if I’m not Autumn?”

That question scares me a little. I’m convinced that she is, so if she isn’t, what does that mean for my other theories and plans?

I smile bravely. “Let’s find out.”

She takes a loud breath. “Alright. What do I need to do?”

“Extend your magic until it reaches mine.”

I do the same, pushing my magic outwards like a balloon, saturating the air with it. I’m hoping that once it meets with Dewi’s, there will be some kind of reaction. Fingers crossed. It’s not as if I have any idea of what I’m actually doing. I’m several centuries younger than Dewi, and I’m not sure if my magic is stronger or weaker than hers. It’s a strange situation.

I can feel her magic getting closer and prepare for the contact. When they touch, sparks fly. No, not sparks. Snowflakes. It’s snowing!

Her magic is warm and intense, but not scolding like I’d imagine Summer’s to be. It feels both hot and cold at the same time, like the extremes of an autumn day. The smell of apples and pine needles hits my nose. Yes, she really is Autumn, no doubt about that. She feels like it, like the essence of that season.

“You’re Winter,” she whispers.

“You’re Autumn,” I reply. “Look at us, two of the seasons in one room.”

“I feel stronger suddenly. Like my magic was suppressed before and now it’s finally free.”

“Me too,” I admit.

“Do you think the same would happen with Angus and whoever the Spring God is?”

“I think so. There’s just a tiny problem… the Goddess of Spring, Flora, has been taken by the Morrigan.”

Dewi breaks the connection and stares at me. “We need to get her back.”

Her voice is full of passion and conviction. Whatever just happened with our magic has changed her. I guess I have always known that I belong to the Winter Realm, but for her, it’s all new.