Page 70 of Between Life and Death

Our savior who paid the ultimate price.

Praise the daughter of the Moon,

Our barren angel in need of a child.

Praise the Goddess of Life,

Our mother who delivered us all.

Praise her. Praise her. Praise her love.

The trees parted, revealing an opening, revealing the Temple of Light.

Proudly, dominantly, it stood on a stepped dais—three steps in total that spanned around its base, allowing access on each side. Bathed in white, glittering stone, the temple looked like it was from an entirely different era, or perhaps a different realm.

I marveled at its unique architecture. Rectangular in structure and mountainous in size, it swallowed the horizon. Columns were used in place of walls, allowing the sunlight access to every part of the building. The fluted shafts of the columns were wider than the trunks of ancient oak trees, and their “Y” tops spread out like wings, hoisting the roof into the clouds. There was a feeling of depth and balance, and something else I couldn’t quite place.

I turned to Arkyn, whose gaze was locked on me. “What do you think?” he asked, curiosity quirking an auburn brow.

“It is unlike anything I have ever seen,” I expressed as we maneuvered around the people who sat on their knees, hands clasped over their chests. Some bent forward, their arms stretched out in front of them as they prayed. Their voices circled around me like white noise, but occasionally, the static would part—

“My mother is unable to work because of her poor health. I have three little brothers and two little sisters whom I must look after. I work all day and all night, and yet, I don’t have enough money to feed all of us. Please, I pray to you, help me, somehow.”

“Dearest Lady Light, my husband has decided that our daughter is old enough to be wed. I pray for your aid. Please help him find a proper match so that the marriage may be successful and gifted with children.”

But it was the last one that caused a lump to bulge in my throat.

“I’m praying for my brother, who was conscripted for the war . . . We never got to say goodbye. I pray you will be with him. Please, Goddess, let him survive.”

I traced the voice to a girl with long brown hair. She looked to be no older than fifteen. Emotions overwhelming me, I dropped beside her, my hand falling onto her arm. “I am sorry about your brother. Mine was taken as well.”

Wide blue eyes peered up at me. Her hands fell over mine. “Have you come to pray for him?”

I nodded. “I will pray for yours too.”

She smiled, tears clouding her gaze. “Then when I make my offering, I will offer it for your brother as well.”

“Thank you,” I replied, clasping her hands one last time before I straightened and returned to Arkyn’s held-out arm.

We walked to the base of the dais, its three steps seeming so much larger than before. As we ascended, Arkyn mused, “You must love your brother very much.”

“I would do anything for him,” I replied, every fiber of my being standing firmly behind the words.

Inside, gold bowls, large enough to bathe in, checkered the sparkling floors. Even though they had no wood inside, flames danced from their bellies. Even more peculiar was the color of the flame—a light purply-blue, like bottled moonlight.

Directly in the middle of the temple, a massive golden statue demanded my attention. A woman stood with a crown placed upon her head. The crown had eight points spiking out the top, each point displaying a phase of the moon. Massive wings flared out on either side of her. Her mighty face was a blank slate, frozen forward, hollow eyes forever set on the space in front of her. Her elbows were bent, her palms flat, facing upwards in offering. In each hand, a smaller golden statue stood. Both appeared to be women around my size. The one in her right hand cradled a baby in her arms, a halo suspended just above her head. And the one in her left hand was empty-armed. The statue hung her head in shame, a collar placed around her neck.

Arkyn led me closer, our footsteps lost among the praying voices outside. We stopped at the base of the statue, and I stared at it, surveying its grandeur for a moment, before I whispered, not wishing to wake the slumbering, gold giant, “I think a man designed this statue.”

Arkyn bit back a laugh. “Why do you think that?”

“They gave her ridiculously large breasts.” I rolled my eyes.

Arkyn tilted his head, his eyes going right to the goddess’s chest. “You are not wrong. They are rather cumbersome-looking, aren’t they?”

My brow quirked. “Are we really discussing the size of her breasts?”

Arkyn leaned in closer to me. “I believe you started it.”

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