Flora’s P.O.V
I woke up to the sound of light knocks on the door.
I sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I tried to look at my surroundings. It proved to be difficult since my eyes were swollen and keeping them open for long made the hurt. But the knocking on the door continued, so I had to get up.
“Good morning.” It was the two women from last night.
But the smiles on their faces diminished as soon as they saw my face. “Oh dear!”
“Sorry, I…” I shook my head, unable to finish the sentence. What could I tell them? That I was so in love with a man who wasn’t my mate that I decided to leave everything behind and become a Lunar Maiden? That I didn’t think it was possible for me to love anyone else like I did Clay? I don’t think they would understand, no one could.
“Here,” the Asian woman held out a tray and on it I found cubes of ice and a piece of cloth. “My name is Emma. We came to check on you last night but we heard you crying, so we brought you ice. Put it under your eyes.”
“Thank you.” I took the tray from them and moved aside to invite them in.
“Please, have a seat.” Said the woman with the darker skin tone as she pointed to the bed. “We’re here to serve you. I’m Daphne and this is Emma.”
Not knowing what else to do, I sat down on the bed and let them take care of me as they placed the ice under my eyes, bringing me instant relief.
“There, feeling better?” Emma asked as she brushed my hair out of my face so she could apply the ice properly.
“Yes.” I told her immediately. “Thank you.”
“It’s alright, love.” Daphne gave me a smile. “How about you tell us about yourself? The cleansing ceremony will start shortly; we should get to know each other before that.”
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” How could I have forgotten to introduce myself? I’d just assumed that they would know everything about me since they were from Lindersay. “My name is Flora Argentine. I’m a sophomore in college and I’m also a healer undergoing preliminary training. I want to become a healer at Lindersay so I can help people.”
My own voice sounded almost robotic even to my ears but that is who I am now. That’s my only identity, a healer.
“Just to help people?” Daphne asked. “Or did you escape your pack to get away from someone?”
Daphne’s words made my breath catch in my throat. Was I that transparent?
“It’s alright, love,” she smiled and gave me a side hug. “We can tell a broken heart when we see one. But once you dedicate your life in worship of the Moon Goddess, you’ll find peace like no other.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” I told them truthfully. “Will you tell me what happens in the cleansing ceremony?”
“Just like the name suggests, it’s a bathing ritual.” Emma told me as she sat on my other side. “We bath you in various flowers to get you ready for the initiation ceremony.”
“We’ll also be telling you about the life of Lunar Maidens as we bath you.” Daphne told me as she got up from the bed and held out her hand. “Let’s get started. The initiation ceremony starts as soon as the sun sets and finishes when the moon is high in the sky. We’ll explain more once we are in the bath.”
“But I wasn’t allowed to bring any clothes.” I told them, suddenly remembering the bag I had left under my bed.
“Do not worry. Lindersay doesn’t allow outside good but we provide you with all your necessities.”
I took Daphne’s hand and got out of the bed and we left the room to get to the bathing chamber. I couldn’t tell the time but looking at the bright rays of the sun I could tell it was past noon. I had slept for a good few hours before I was woken up. After a few turns down several hallways, we reached a room and Daphne told me to go inside and change out of my clothes and that a set of bathing robes were provided for me.
I entered through the door to find a small room devoid of any furniture except for a small chair and a basket to keep my clothes in. There was a linen robe hanging from a hook on the wall and that was all the room had. The room also didn’t have any windows and the only source of light was a tiny lamp mounted on the wall. There was however two doors, one that I entered through and the other, I was guessing, connected to the bathing house.
I took off the coat that Aiden, the guard who had brought me to Lindersay had given me and placed it inside the basket. Then I unzipped my dress and placed it inside the basket as well. But as I was removing the dress, my hands touched the necklace around my neck and I froze.
The pendant that Clay had given me.
It was the only thing I had left of him. The only reminder of the love I shared with a man I was ready to give my life for…a man who was no longer mine.
We’re here for you and we love you. So don’t go doing something rash. If anything, be thankful for getting to experience such an intense love outside of the mating bond. Not many people get to experience what you did, so consider it a blessing.
My mother’s voice rang inside my head as I dressed in the robe and took off the pendant…but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t place it inside the basket no matter how hard I tried. My fingers just wouldn’t unfurl from the chain.
The pendant reflected a ray of light from the lamp and the greenish blue light scattered all over the room like starlight. It reminded me of the day he had given me the pendant and how the city looked from the cliff-top at night.
I want to spend eternity with you, grow old with you by my side.
A single tear fell from my eyes and I immediately wiped it away.
There was no more time for reminiscing about the past. I had to let it go and step into the future. But that didn’t mean I had to let go of everything. Putting the pendant back on, I touched the crystal lightly with my fingers. My mother was right. I needed a reminder of the love I shared with a man who wasn’t my mate. Very few people got to experience such love and I was indeed lucky.
Thankfully, a knock sounded at the door then, distracting me from my thoughts. Daphne opened the door a second later, after I told her to come in.
“Ah, you’re ready!” She said happily. “Come.”
She opened the door wide for me and I stepped into the bathing room, momentarily stunned at the beauty of it. The room was completely made of marble from floor to ceiling. There weren’t any windows but I could see a few ventilators at the top of the room to let air pass. The bath was more like a giant swimming pool with crystal blue waters and several stairs that led to the bath. There were several other women in the bath already, all in white linen gowns like mine, playing and swimming in the water.
Several small vases lined the outer edge of the bath with gapping in between to let people pass through and smoke was coming out of the vases. But from the smell, I could tell that the smoke wasn’t from fire. It smelled like lavender and roses and so many more flowers that I couldn’t distinguish all of them. However, the most striking feature of the bath wasn’t the swimming pool or the marble, but the stature at the very end of the room that was as high as the ceiling. It was carved of marble like everything else, a woman in a white robe with long hair reaching past her hips and large wings that spread the entire breath of the wall. Even without anyone telling me, I knew exactly who the statue was of…Selene, the Moon Goddess.
“It’s beautiful.” I whispered to Daphne, who had also changed into a bathing robe.
“Yes, she is.” She led me to the pool and I found that the water was surprisingly warm.
I went down a few stairs until the water was up to my chest and dunked down to get my hair wet. I felt a lot better after I surfaced, like the water had helped me wash away all my worries. I was also a lot calmer than I had been a moment ago. Was this pool magical?
“The initiation will begin shortly, but before that, we need to tell you about a few rules that a Lunar Maiden must follow.” It was Emma who spoke to me from the stairs. “Several rules will be taught to you along the way, but one remains absolute. You must remain celibate until you find your mate.”
Remain celibate until I find my mate?
I thought about it for a few seconds but really there was nothing much to think about. I hadn’t been that into anyone until I found Clay. Garrick had been my first lover before Clay came into my life but other than that, I had never felt attached enough to anyone to share myself with them.
And after knowing Clay…after being with him…I couldn’t even think about being with someone else ever again.
So I’ll wait for the mating bond. Wait for it to make me forget everything else, even the love I shared with Clay and take me under. Till then, I will not even look at another man the way I did Clay. Because I didn’t think it was possible.
“I understand.” I told them, sealing my fate. “I’m ready.”
Two hours later, after my bath and rinsing as well as a light lunch, I was standing in front of a flight of stairs, fully dressed in white robes that were the signature dress of the maidens. Daphne and Emma stood on either side of me, waiting to take me to the ceremonial hall. It was finally time for the initiation.