Soul Bound (Moonstone Saga #2)(19)
Author: Courtney Cole

I sucked in my breath and froze.

“What?”

Branwyn ignored my question, instead choosing to continue bathing her body and telling her story.  “Sometimes I almost feel as though my very life is because your mother willed it so, so that I would be here for when you needed me.  When I saw you from across the meadow, I knew the time had arrived.  I knew that very shortly, I would be given the highest honor…I would die for the goddess.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity, moon princess.”

I completely froze now, staring at her in horror.  “You can’t mean that,” I said slowly.  “Branwyn, you’re not going to die for me.”

“I’m quite certain that I am,” she replied calmly.  “And I’ve had years to come to peace with it.  I am honored, princess, truly.  When I was a child, it scared me, I will admit.  I used to lay awake at night and wonder when it would happen and how.  All night long I feared that it would happen on the morrow.  But time went by and I emerged each day unscathed. And then when I grew old enough, I came to realize the great honor that had been bestowed upon me.  Your mother told me how my life would save yours, how she would forever be in my debt.  It is the highest honor.”

“How is it the highest honor when you will be dead?  I mean, if this is true,” I hastened to add.  “Because I don’t believe it.”

She looked at me solemnly.  “Why would it not be true, Empusa?  I have dreamed of it my entire life.  I saw your face years ago when I was but a child.  You looked just as you do now.  That is no coincidence and it isn’t something that I could have conjured out of my imagination. Your mother sent me the visions to prepare me.  Serving the goddess is a great honor, Empusa.  Giving my life for her… that’s the highest honor.”

“I can’t speak of this any more,” I murmured.  “I do not wish to think of it.  I can’t believe it is true.  Let us just enjoy our baths.”

“Very well, princess.  I do not wish to trouble you with unpleasant thoughts.  I apologize.”

“It’s not a trouble, Branwyn,” I assured her.  “I just don’t like to think that your words are true.  I don’t want you to sacrifice your life for mine.  I am no more important than you are.”

“That is where you are wrong, princess,” she said quietly.  “You have a purpose in life that is vastly important.  My purpose in life is to help make sure that you attain it.”

I fell silent.  The air around us was pregnant with meaning, unspoken thoughts, emotions and even my confusion.  There was a lot swirling through my head and I wanted time to process it.  So instead of speaking further, I simply allowed myself to enjoy the hot water, the breeze brushing the hair off of my face and the birds chirping in the background.  After a good twenty minutes, I spoke in a murmur to Branwyn.

“This was a good idea, Branwyn, thank you for bringing me here.”

No answer.

“Branwyn?”

I opened my eyes to find her staring at me with wide eyes, her mouth clamped tightly closed.

“Branwyn?  What’s wrong?” I asked in confusion.  Her eyes darted to a spot above my head and I twisted around in my seat to look, the rocks beneath me grinding into my bare legs.

“Hello, Empusa.”

Apollo, the god of the sun and Brennan’s father, perched on the banks behind me.  Blood was smeared on his arms and legs and his face was dirty, but even in spite of that, he was breathtakingly beautiful.   Honey-blonde hair that reflected glints of light, warm hazel eyes, perfectly proportioned features, well-muscled limbs.  He was staring at me now and he wasn’t smiling. In fact, as that realization dawned on me, a few other things occurred to me as well.

The sun had stopped shining.

I was sitting na**d in front of Brennan’s father.

Apollo was holding a golden, sharpened dagger in his hands.

This couldn’t be good.

Chapter Nine

“Did you truly wish to become part of my family?” Apollo asked slowly, unfolding himself from his crouch and standing to his full height.  “Did you truly think that would happen?”

He twisted the dagger in his hands, turning it over and over as he spoke.  The hilt was jeweled, each gem catching the light as it moved. I shifted my gaze to Apollo and stood from the water.

I forced my mind away from the fact that I was as na**d as the day I was born and that the water streaming down my body was catching the breeze and causing me to chill.  Neither thing was important.

I focused on the dagger in Apollo’s hand because that was important.

“You know you can’t kill me,” I pointed out slowly.  “That would take Zeus’ sword. Your little knife is most certainly not Zeus’ sword.”

Apollo’s lips stretched into a beatific smile.  The beauty of his face, even though he was threatening me, was literally breathtaking.

“Little Empusa,” he said condescendingly.  “Of course I know that.  But, this little knife will prove to be quite deadly to your friend.”

He motioned with the dagger toward Branwyn, who was still completely overwhelmed from being in the presence of a god.  She literally shook her head back and forth silently, unable to give voice to words. I struggled to remain calm.

“What purpose would you have in harming Branwyn?  She’s nothing to me.” I fought to keep a poker face, trying to remain impassive as I hoped that my words didn’t hurt her.  I needed Apollo to believe me.

He smiled again.

“I know that you’ve tried for many, many years to avoid harming mortals,” he smiled encouragingly.  “And that is commendable.  Because of that, I know that you will choose to do the right thing now.”

At just that moment, Branwyn managed to shake off her fear enough to move.  She lunged from the water, trying to scramble over the slippery banks of the brook.  Before she had managed, it, Apollo smiled in her direction and lifted his free hand.  In response, Branwyn flew into the trunk of a nearby weeping willow tree, crashing hard.  The long, spindly limbs of the tree immediately wrapped around her, holding her fast. The vine-like branches quickly covered her entire body so that only her frightened eyes and part of her mouth were showing.  Apollo returned his gaze to me.