Page 14 of Outcast
“You are not human, Kira. You are a shifter, and furthermore, you are my chosen prophetess. Have you heard of the Dark Prophecy from your pack?”
Shaking my head, I explained my upbringing, “I was raised by a pack, but they told me I was a human and that my parents abandoned me in the dead of winter. I’ve never been privy to anything pack related besides the generic things I’ve picked up along the way.”
Silence followed, and I glanced over to see a furrow between her brows as she processed my words.
“This complicates things a bit, and there’s not a lot of time to get you completely caught up. Unfortunately, this will be the only time we can communicate until your soul crosses into the afterlife.”
Well that’s not morbid or anything.
“Hopefully that is a far way off, and certainly nothing to worry over now. I’m going to need you to listen to me with an open mind, and please don’t ask any questions until the end, okay? Our time is limited,” she instructed as we approached what looked like a small temple.
“Okay,” I answered breathlessly, a little overwhelmed as I took in the white marble structure with the different phases of the moon chiseled into the top. Two large vats of blue fire roared from pits on either side of the entryway.
It reminded me of the eyes of the wolf I had seen before passing out.
We walked up the steps and inside, where a variety of couches sat with silver and white silks strewn on them and sconces of the blue fire built into the wall. At the far end of the room, it looked like a large metal bowl sat atop an altar.
She guided me towards one of the couches and motioned for me to sit. I sank deep into a corner of it and could have sworn a cloud cocooned me. Selene looked elegant as she crossed one long leg over the other, easily seen through the somewhat sheer lower half of her white, floor-length dress.
Not a speck of dirt clung to the material, despite her having previously knelt in grass and dirt. Even the hem remained spotless. Goddess perks, I suppose.
I looked into her glowing white eyes, completely void of any pupil, as she started to explain my predicament. “As I stated before, you are a shifter. Why your Alpha didn’t scent that in you is beyond me, and puzzling to say the least. I wish I could see the day to day lives of my shifters, but alas, that is not within my scope of powers.” She frowned deeply at that but quickly composed herself.
“The shifters possess knowledge of a prophecy from thousands of years ago, passed down from generation to generation. It speaks of a great evil that will surface from Hell and obliterate the world, unless stopped.”
Nodding along to show my understanding, I clung to each word she spoke, completely fascinated.
“When my Oracle told me of her vision, we created the prophecy to be passed down, and I sent my energy into the world to settle into the soul of the wolf who would become the prophetess that the world needed. It would be her purpose and responsibility to expose this evil and lead the wolves on the path necessary to defeat the darkness. A pillar for the packs to look to for guidance and resolve.”
I stared at her, waiting expectantly for her to continue. To reveal who this special wolf was—and why she was tellingmeall of this.Oh, maybe I’m supposed to be handmaiden to the prophetess or something?!
As if she heard my thoughts, she sighed and said, “An energy has floated around looking for the soul that contains all of the qualities we need, as we awaited for this darkness to emerge. I felt my powers settle into your soul twenty-one years ago, signaling the start of this prophecy.”
Wait. What?She’s saying that I’m this wolf?Why me?
“You are to be my voice on earth and hold within you the powers to vanquish this evil. My Oracle and Prophetess possess a divine connection to me but are also blessed by the Goddess of Fate, Heimarmene. Your visions and powers will directly tie into the fate of shifters.”
I was dumbfounded. I released a tense and shaky breath as she asked, “Do you have any questions?”
Where do I even start?“Only about a million, but I’m sure we don’t have time for that.” A soft laugh escaped her before I continued, “So, I suppose the most pressing questions are, how do I connect to my powers, and where do I start with finding this evil?”
She motioned for me to stand once more, and we walked towards the altar. “You start by believing in your divine connection. I do not have the answers you seek, despite being a goddess. This is why your soul was chosen. The power to save the packs is within you, and you will need to discover the answers on your own.”
Nothing like the weight of being chosen by a goddess to lead the shifters, despite thinking I was a human my entire life. Talk about an adjustment.
As we stepped up to the altar, the bowl ignited into the familiar blue flames.
Selene stepped back, but instructed me, “Please place your hand in the bowl and close your eyes. Open your mind and soul to the universe. You are ready.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her in question. Place my hand into the fire?
Shaking my head, I pushed all my traces of doubt from my mind. Focusing back on the flames, I moved my hand into them with confidence, trusting in Selene.
Closing my eyes, I cleared my mind and welcomed the universe to provide what I needed.
It felt as if fireworks erupted in my body, with every nerve ending zapped simultaneously. The back of my neck burned for a moment, and I attempted to pull my hand from the fire, to no avail. My control over my body left, and I felt my mind drift away from this plane.
No!I needed to ask her what would happen if I failed.
