Page 138 of Lost and Stolen Gods
The hum in the air amped up, and the tantrik began to chant. There was a hiss, and then symbols lit up on one of the pillars.
The water group cheered and did a wave thing in celebration of adding another to their ranks.
The woman in the circle of stones raised her hand in acknowledgement, a huge smile on her face as she ran back to join us.
The pillar stopped glowing, and the Shakti spoke once more. “Step forward and be known, Elata.”
A demigod guy went next, and the water lit up once more. He returned and hugged the woman, Alia.
Dharma was called next, and we all watched in anticipation as she took her spot with Ida.
This time, another pillar lit up with a symbol that looked like zigzags sitting on top of each other.
Earth let out a whoop, and Dharma waved up at them before joining us once more.
“That was weird,” she said. “Like electricity in my body.”
“Priti, step forward and be known.”
Dharma gave her sister a hug before she ran out into the arena.
“I hope she gets earth with me,” Dharma said.
Silence reigned as Priti took her spot. The hum in the air intensified as we waited, and finally one of the pillars lit up with a symbol that was three straight lines sitting on top of each other.
“Air…” Keyton said with a smile. “I knew it.”
Air cheered, and Priti jumped up and down in a cheerleader wave before hurrying back to us.
One after the other, the demigods were called, and my nerves wound tighter.
Blue whisker-kissed me to calm me down, and Araz slipped his hand into mine and squeezed. I guess I was giving off some serious anxiety vibes.
When my name was finally called, I almost missed it. But Araz nudged me. “Leela. Go.”
Fuck. I blew out a breath and walked into the arena. The sun was arching toward sunset, so the sky was tinged red and orange, and shadows lay like ominous fingers across the ground.
Eyes on me.
Too many eyes on me.
“Just get inside the circle, chickadee,” Blue said. “Get it done, and we can go get some supper.”
Power beat off the stones, hitting me in waves as I approached. It caressed my skin and ran phantom fingers through my hair. Welcoming. Calling me to enter.
Blue pressed closer to me. “I feel like I stuck my paw in a socket.”
We stepped into the circle of stones, and my lungs expanded on a breath that felt like it had been held back for too long.
Words rose in the air in a language I didn’t comprehend but felt in my bones. Beseeching. Claiming. Pleading. Demanding.
The soles of my feet tingled, and then the sensation rushed up my body in a surge that flung my head back. My eyes burned, tears filled my vision, and the sky above churned as night coalesced above me. A beautiful, wonderous sky filled with a multitude of stars. So many fucking stars.
ARAZ
The sky rumbles and night falls above the pillars. Leela rises, suspended above the ground, bathed in starlight. Her beautiful locks flare out behind her like the dark waves of a wrathful ocean.
“What’s happening?” Dharma asks. “What the fuck is happening?”
