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printed there generations past.
The patter of slippered feet running on marble interrupted Mikki s reply. She
and the goddess peered down on the gardens as four women hurried up the
nearest path to the staircase that led to Mikki s balcony.
Your handmaidens approach. Hecate glanced at the darkening sky. I see that
at least they haven t forgotten the proper order of things, though the Realm
of the Rose has suffered with the absence of its Guardian and my Empousa.
Like a wave lapping eagerly on a thirsty beach, the four women rushed as one
onto the balcony and instantly fell into deep, graceful curtseys, heads bowed,
with their long, unbound hair falling forward to shade their bright faces. The
handmaiden who wore buttercup yellow silks, a perfect compliment to her golden
hair, spoke first. She lifted her face to the goddess and cried in a voice
filled with gladness, Hail Hecate! Great Goddess of the Ebony Moon!
Next spoke the girl dressed in brilliant red whose fall of glossy scarlet hair
blazed like fire. Hail Hecate! Wise Goddess of Beasts!
Mikki realized that she recognized the two remaining girls when the handmaiden
dressed in sapphire blue with the waves of sea foam- colored hair lifted her
head.
Hail Hecate! Beautiful Goddess of Magick!
Before the sound of her sweet voice had faded the brunette, who was tonight
dressed in moss green silks the color of her large, dark-lashed eyes, lifted
her head, face glowing with obvious joy.
Hail Hecate! Goddess of the Crossroads between reality and dreams and mighty
proctress of the Realm of the Rose.
Rise, daughters. Come! Kiss my hand. I have missed you.
The handmaidens rushed to Hecate. Mikki realized that they were much younger
than she had at first thought really, they looked little older than teenagers,
especially as each of them pressed her lips to the goddess s hand, giggling
and cooing like happy children. Hecate touched their heads and greeted them,
clearly pleased to see the youths. The enormous dogs at her feet wriggled,
totally (and shockingly) puppylike, sniffing enthusiastically at the girls,
accepting kisses and caresses from each as was their due. Then Hecate raised
her torch high, and the handmaidens fell instantly silent.
Handmaidens of Hecate, I bid you welcome the return of my Empousa! At her
proclamation, the torch blazed, sending a cascade of sparks falling in a
whirlwind around the goddess.
The handmaidens gasped, whispering excitedly to one another as they curtseyed
to Mikki. She was sure she heard the brunette hiss a clear I told you she had
returned! to the others.
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Hecate raised her hand for silence.
Go within. There you will prepare the Empousa for the self-initiation ritual,
which will be performed in the heart of my realm.
Once again Hecate lifted her torch, only this time she faced outward, looking
over the vast gardens.
Let the Temple of Hecate be lit once more!
At the goddess s command, lights suddenly blazed from deep in the gardens. The
handmaidens reacted with exclamations of excitement and joy. Wide-eyed, Mikki
watched the silhouette of a columned temple suddenly illuminate.
Go now, Hecate told the handmaidens gently. The priestess will join you
shortly.
The girls curtseyed deeply to the goddess and then scampered across the wide
balcony and into the bedroom in which Mikki had awakened.
You must do two things tonight, Mikado, Hecate told her sternly. First,
cast a sacred circle. The handmaidens will aid you in this until you learn to
listen to the knowledge that sleeps within your blood. Second, you will
perform a self-initiation ritual. In that ritual, you will dedicate yourself
to a new life as my Empousa, a Priestess of the Blood of Hecate.
But I don t know how to perform an initiation ritual! I don t know how to
perform any ritual, Mikki said, exasperated at how inept she felt.
Mikado! Hecate s gray eyes pierced her. You invoked my presence. You
awakened my Guardian. There lives within your blood the knowledge of
generations of my priestesses. If you do not have the courage to partake of
that knowledge, cast the sacred circle and then choose to step from within it.
I give you my oath that the moment you leave the circle, you will return to
the life you left in that mundane world at the far side of my crossroads. The
goddess s lip curled in disgust, and the flesh on Mikki s arms prickled in
response as Hecate s divine anger sizzled around her. Perhaps you shall marry
. . . perhaps you shall not. Doubtless, you will produce a daughter, another
Empousai, as you have come to call yourselves. You will live and die an
ordinary life. And I will look to other generations for the return of my
priestess. But if you do not break the sacred circle and instead choose to
complete the ritual, know that as surely as your heart beats and your
lifeblood flows you will forever after be my High Priestess, Empousa in the
Realm of the Rose. Hecate lifted her blazing torch once again. Decide
tonight, Mikado Empousai, and know you will never receive another chance at
changing your destiny! Sparks showered from the torch, and with a great roar
of wind, Hecate disappeared.
CHAPTER TEN
THOROUGHLY confused, Mikki stood alone, blinking away the bright spots of the
goddess s light from her eyes. She was supposed to cast a circle? Wasn t that
witch stuff? And if she managed to bumble her way through that, without being
struck by lightning or swallowed up by Satan or who/whatever, she was supposed
to listen to her blood to know how to perform a self-initiation ritual because
she was an Empousa, a Priestess of Hecate. How?! What the heck was she going
to do?
Girlish laughter drifted from the open doors of her room. Mikki sighed. She
was also supposed to be getting dressed. And deciding on her destiny.
Damn, my head hurts. She rubbed at her throbbing forehead. The newly
illuminated temple tugged at her gaze, and she found herself staring across
the dimly lit gardens at the domed building. A little rush of excitement
fluttered through her stomach. If this was real . . . if all this was actually
happening, then she was being offered the opportunity to be High Priestess of
a powerful goddess a goddess who had watched over the women in her family for
generations. Mikki couldn t deny that the possibility fascinated her.
And if none of this was real? If she had fabricated all this and the world and
the goddess were nothing more than figments of her delusion?
If that were true, then it didn t matter whether she chose to stay or return.
Either way she was screwed figuratively speaking.
So why not ride it out? Why not choose to become High Priestess of Hecate over
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being a psych patient?
She thought about the goddess. Hecate was powerful and intimidating. What
would it be like to be her priestess? The thought was like a bright flame, and
it drew her with its exotic warmth. Hecate had said that her first duty as
Empousa would be to care for her roses. Mikki stared out across the dark
expanse of gardens. The soft night breeze swirled around her, carrying with it
the compelling and familiar scent of roses. She closed her eyes and drew a
deep breath.
It smelled like home.
The thought startled her. Could it be possible that she belonged here? Was she
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