Page 89 of The Seducer
“Did you hear that?” I asked Samone, but my voice had changed, and looking down at my body, I saw I was no longer a child. “What’s going on?” I asked with confusion, staring at my hand.
“As I said, you have a decision to make.” A wrinkled hand stroked mine. Looking up I saw Samone had aged too. Still beautiful and radiant, her eyes shone with love for me, and it released powerful emotions of my own.
“I need you, Athena.” The masculine voice was pleading, but there was no one here but Samone and me. I looked around. Besides the stone bench that Samone and I sat on, there was nothing. Just whiteness as far as the eye could see.
“Why did you choose this setting?” I asked because virtual reality had so many nice options.
“This isn’t virtual reality,” Samone said with a chuckle.
“Then where are we?” I asked, my brows drawn together with great empathy for the man’s obvious distress.
“At a crossroad,” Samone spoke in an unhurried manner. “Where you go from here will be determined by the decision you make.”
“I love you, Athena, do you hear me?” The man’s voice was loud and clear this time.
A warm feeling spread in my body, and the familiarity grew stronger. “I know him.”
Samone stood up from the bench, and reached her hands out to me. “So what is it going to be?”
Shaking my head with confusion, I took her hands and said, “I’m already a priestess; I made that choice as a child.”
“Sometimes we have to choose a path more than once in our lives,” Samone said. “No one will judge you if you give up now. I did.”
“You didn’t give up, Samone, you…” I blinked as my memory returned. “You died.” As soon as I said the words, my eyes darted around again, taking in the whiteness. My eyes filled with tears, and the grief that had consumed me when I lost her made me press both my hands to my heart. “Samone,” I said in a thick voice and flung my arms around her. “Oh, Samone, I’ve missed you so much.”
She was taller than me, and held me in her arms while she stroked my hair in that maternal way of hers. “I’ve missed you too, my love.”
I didn’t want to let go of her. “You taught me so much,” I muttered against her chest.
“I did; it was my privilege to train you, and see the wise woman you became. I invited you to train with me. Now your next trainer is asking you to make a choice.”
She looked up as the male voice sounded again. “Athena, baby, come on, open your eyes for me.”
“Finn!” Laughter erupted from my insides. It was so good to hear his deep voice again.
“Sounds like your trainer is calling you,” Samone said, but that just made me laugh more.
“I think this is the first time that you got something wrong, Samone. Finn isn’t a spiritual teacher. He’s an annoying, self-confident, and traumatized Nman.” My smile widened.
Samone stroked my cheek. “The best trainers are the ones that push you. I have a feeling that this man will test every part of your patience and tolerance, and if you let him he will make you an even better person.”
“Finn?” I asked in disbelief, but Samone just leaned in and placed a kiss on my forehead.
“It’s time to choose,” she whispered.
“Athena, do you hear me, your pulse is really weak. I need you to fight, baby. Come back to me. I love you.”
“He loves me,” I said with my body tingling from the warmth that spread from head to toe.
Using a singsong voice, Samone said, “That’s a powerful invitation.”
I gave her a wide smile, and put words to the truth in my heart. “I love him too.”
Her smile was one of satisfaction. “You have made your choice.”
CHAPTER 28
Destruction
