Page 50 of The Divine Shallows
This can’t be happening to me.
Desperately, she sought refuge within the High Priestess. “High Priestess, please do not let this happen yet,” Elowyn whispered with panic. “I do not wish to have my soul tethered to a stranger against my will. Let my soul remain mine and mine alone.”
The High Priestess responded with a leveled tone, “Moon child, the judgment of the Goddess has been passed. From this moment onward, your soul shall be tethered to another with her blessing.”
Tears welled in Elowyn’s eyes as she questioned the Moon Goddess. “Does Caena show no mercy?”
The High Priestess’ tone softened slightly as she imparted divine wisdom. “Beloved child, the Goddess’ judgment is absolute.She cherishes the fey of Neramyr as if we were born of her very kin. Caena has swayed fate to take this course and we must heed her direction.”
The energy in the Divine Shallows surged with magic as the High Priestess prepared to enact the spell. She turned to Finnor and gestured to him with a moonlit hand to kneel in the sacred waters, offering his soul to be tethered by the Goddess.
“Finnor Wynward, kneel into these hallowed depths as you freely bare your soul for Caena to tether.”
Finnor descended to one knee with deliberate care, a halo of feylight casting a shimmering aura around him. The waters of the Divine Shallows lapped gently at his waist as he lifted his gaze to meet Elowyn’s eyes.
In that moment, she knew Finnor saw the anguish etched upon her features, the shock and disbelief unmistakable in her expression. She saw a flash of sympathy appear before he averted his gaze, steeling himself for what was to come. Elowyn could sense the voracity of his call to duty, the conviction that drove him to offer his life for the safety of his kingdom and his future queen.
“Finnor, there’s still time. You don’t have to do this—not yet,” Elowyn pleaded with him, her voice barely above a whisper.
Yet, Finnor remained silent, his head bowed as he focused on the task at hand.
Elowyn turned to her father, her desperation palpable as she implored him to reconsider. “Father, please don’t do this.”
King Eamon ignored his daughter’s pleas, his attention wholly devoted to channeling the immense power required for the Eternal Tethering spell. Moon-ink scales adorning his skin glowed with divine energy, the crescents on his palms emanating a brilliant light as he submerged his arms into the waters of the Divine Shallows.
As King Eamon invoked the incantation, the High Priestess joined in, her voice resonating with ancient power. The cave reverberated with the force of the spell, the waters pulsating with raw energy as Elowyn’ssurroundings became suffused with magic. Helpless, she clenched her fists as her Mark glowed, a futile attempt to stifle the radiance.
The High Priestess addressed Elowyn, “Beloved moon child, the time has come. The Goddess has spoken, and you shall now be claimed as you journey into her realm.”
A halo of feylight began to coalesce beneath Elowyn, casting an ethereal glow around her. With a sense of dread, she shook her head in disbelief, retreating from the radiant portal that beckoned her. Her heart pounding with fear, she dashed away from the celestial waters, her agile legs propelling her against the relentless pull of the currents. Just as she reached the edge of the Divine Shallows, poised to escape the luminous cistern, the two male acolytes who had escorted her earlier seized her arms and shoulders.
“Let go of me!” Elowyn screamed as she thrashed against their forceful grips. Despite her effort, their hold on her was unbreakable. She fought with all her strength, her voice echoing with desperation. “Stop! I won’t allow you to do this to me!”
Elowyn kicked and writhed wildly as the two acolytes hauled her back toward the High Priestess and the awaiting halo. Helplessly, Elowyn was dragged to the feylight portal and thrusted into the celestial waters. One of the acolytes gripped the base of her neck and shoved her downwards, forcing her onto her knees.
“Father, please, don’t do this!” Elowyn cried to the king, who stood amidst the torrent of divine magic he was conjuring. Hopeless tears fell from her cheeks and dissipated into the waters below, as if they ceased to exist in the first place.
An otherworldly force tugged at her soul and Elowyn was submerged beneath the surface of the celestial waters, passing from Neramyr into the realm of the Goddess.
Beneath the sacred waters, Elowyn felt her body engulfed by their hallowed depths, the luminescent liquid filling her lungs. Panic initially seized her, but soon a tranquil calm washed over her as the waterembraced her with a comforting warmth. Despite the instinctual urge to fear, her soul found solace in the water’s embrace.
Elowyn’s silver eyes surveyed her surroundings, her astonishment evident as her mouth fell agape. Before her stretched a celestial expanse, a vast cosmos adorned with countless twinkling stars. Drifting through this azure night sky, she remained clad in her alabaster robe, the fabric gently flowing around her as she awaited... something.
Time seemed to lose meaning. She lingered in this ethereal dimension, a faint smile gracing her lips as bliss and contentment permeated her being. In this moment, all was right with the world.
Joy and euphoria coursed through her, a sensation she had never experienced before. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she couldn’t contain the gentle giggles that escaped her lips.
Yet, amidst this overwhelming bliss, a disquieting feeling began to tug at her. Swatting at the air, she resisted the intrusion, unwilling to let anything disrupt this moment of peace. But the sensation grew more insistent, evolving into a gnawing ache that throbbed at her temples.
Gasping aloud, Elowyn’s euphoria shattered as a shock jolted through her. Eyes darting around the starlit expanse, she fought against the mirage.This isn’t what I want, she realized, her mind clearing like a fog lifting. She began to oppose the otherworldly pull, yet as her own dispositions flowed back to her, she couldn’t help but feel like this turn of fate was supposed to happen. Her desire to fight this divine spell dwindled as she relented to it—perhaps her life was never truly hers to control.
Suddenly, a tingling sensation spread through Elowyn’s hands. With wide eyes, she observed two ethereal tendrils of moonlight dance across her palms, their incandescent glow mesmerizing. One thread graced her left hand, the other her right, gliding near the waning crescents etched into her skin.
In unison, the moonbeams arched, infusing divine energy into her palms, weaving across her skin. A delicate line of glowing ink emerged,tracing patterns around the crescent moons, forming an endless, seamless wreath—a symbol of no beginning and no end. The celestial mark symbolized eternity; its meaning etched into her very essence.
She sensed something within her core change immutably—something endless and absolute.
Elowyn felt the otherworldly pull at her soul once again as she emerged from the celestial waters, returning from the Goddess’ realm. Still bent on one knee, Elowyn appeared again in the Temple of Caena, the divine waters dripping from her kneeled form. Across from her, Finnor mirrored her position, his gaze drawn to his own palms, now bearing the same sacred, wreathed mark.
