Targeted Read online

  “Oh, no.” Turra shook her head. “I am a female Kindred like Mother Chundra but I was born on Twin Moons. I was living on the Mother Ship among the humans when the Temple of Transformation sent out a call for priestesses. I answered…and here I am.” She spread her hands, smiling.

  “Very interesting.” Emily smiled politely and looked at the other priestess. “How about you?”

  “I am of the Ancient Ones,” Lit’aal said in a soft, musical voice. “I have always known of this place and one of my kin was a Khalla. She and I were very close and when her Tenrah came upon her I made the journey here to be with her. After that, I decided to stay and help other Khallas complete their Shifts as well.”

  “That’s sweet of you.” Emily felt a stab of uncertainty. “And your kin…is she okay?”

  “She is a full fledged Khalla traveling the world with her retinue now,” Lit’aal said, smiling a bit sadly Emily thought. “I almost never see her anymore but we try to spend at least a little time when she is here at the Temple.”

  “I’m glad she’s all right,” Emily said, giving her a relieved smile. After all she’d heard from Saskia about how some Khallas didn’t survive their Tenrahs, it was nice to hear about one who had lived through the process and was doing well.

  “Here we are,” Turra said as they came to a stop in front of a tall archway. “Try to calm yourself, Khalla-to-be and remove your shoes—we are about to enter a holy place.”

  Emily slipped off the low, comfortable shoes that Saskia had given her to go with the flowing green skirt and top and followed the two priestesses through a high, white archway.

  Inside the archway was the last thing she’d expected to find inside a building—a bunch of trees. Not just one or two potted plants either—a real forest of green and purple trees growing in two graceful groves. They marched in straight lines that led from the doorway all the way up to a twenty-foot tall, pure white marble statue at the end of the room.

  Emily took a deep breath and decided that this was where the honeysuckle and mint scent was coming from. There room was flooded with sunshine from skylights high above and there was a grassy path between the two lines of trees that led directly to the statue.

  “Come,” invited Lit’aal who, up until now, hadn’t said much. “Show your reverence to the Mother of All Life.”

  “I…um…” Emily didn’t want to insult their beliefs by telling them she didn’t believe in their religion so she allowed herself to be led up the grassy path to stand before the huge marble statue.

  The statue had a stern but kind face and Emily almost felt like it was really looking at her, which was silly. The two priestesses bowed low and she copied their actions somewhat awkwardly.

  Suddenly she felt an all too familiar surge inside her. It was the other, trying to come forward. Emily could feel her inside, waking as if from a long nap and then rushing up to look out of Emily’s eyes, to see the statue of the Goddess.

  “What?” she started to say. But what came out instead was, “Mother!”

  “Yes, the Goddess is the Mother of All Life,” Turra answered her involuntary exclamation.

  “Mother!” the other said again and Emily found she could not drag her eyes from the statue.

  No! She struggled with all her might. No, get back! Through main force of will, she somehow forced the other back down inside her. The effort left her breathless and shaky and she hoped the two priestesses couldn’t tell. Luckily, all three of them were still bowing which hid her face somewhat.

  “Mother…our mother,” whispered the other, but this time it was only inside Emily’s head.

  No, she thought again fiercely, addressing the entity inside her. No, you can’t just take over like that—I won’t let you! She felt the other shift restlessly and then go still. For the moment she was subdued but when might she rise again? Emily had the idea that the statue had somehow brought her back from wherever she’d been sleeping or dreaming—but why?

  “This is, of course, only a visage of the Mother,” Turra said as they all rose from their bows. “The true Mother of All Life is not simply a statue. She is real and near us at all times.”

  “Oh. Uh, of course,” Emily said weakly. “Look, I’m really tired and it’s been a long, crazy trip. Do you think there’s any way I could go lie down somewhere?”

  She didn’t really want a nap but she was exhausted after her internal struggle and it seemed like a convenient excuse to get away from the Sacred Grove. She was almost certain the statue was what had woken the other—Emily wanted to get the Hell away from it.

  “I am sorry, Khalla-to-be. But there is no time now for napping,” Turra said as she led Emily back down the aisle and out of the sacred area. “Before you rest we must ready you for the ceremony.”

  “The ceremony? What ceremony?” Emily asked, bewildered.

  “Why the ceremony where your chosen mate will be decided, of course,” Lit’aal said. “You will want to look beautiful for that, of course—think of all the candidates hoping to be chosen.”

  “There doesn’t really need to be a ceremony,” Emily protested as they led her out of the Sacred Grove and down another long hallway. “I already know who I’m going to pick. I don’t want the other guys to get their hopes up.”

  “Oh, you will not be choosing yourself.” Lit’aal shook her head. “Mother Chundra will have the final say.”

  “But she said they would consider my wishes!” Emily felt a stab of panic and inside her, the other shifted restlessly too. Clearly neither of them wanted anyone but Tragar.

  “Of course she will,” Turra said soothingly. “Very often a Khalla-to-be is allowed to have the male she wishes.”

  “Very often isn’t good enough,” Emily protested. “I only want Tragar! He found me and told me what I was. He protected me. He understands me—understands what I’ve been through and he doesn’t judge me for it.”

  Inside she was imagining trying to tell some other guy about the rape—the very thought made her feel sick and shaky all over. How could she let anyone else know what had been done to her? They wouldn’t understand, she was sure of it. She could imagine the look of pity and revulsion in their eyes as she tried to explain why her Tenrah had been so late in coming and how she didn’t feel comfortable being touched or having sex…

  And that was another thing. If the High Priestess gave her some other guy for her chosen mate, Emily was pretty sure she was expected to have sex with him at some point. I can’t…I can’t do that! she thought frantically. She might have been able to handle it with Tragar, although she had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy. But with a complete stranger? No way—huh-uh. Not happening.

  “What is not happening?” Lit’aal looked at her, a confused expression on her face and Emily realized she had spoken aloud.

  “I’m not going with any guy but Tragar—that’s what’s not happening,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly. “I don’t want to be with some stranger on my freaking honeymoon night!”

  “I do not know what the moon has to do with your chosen mate but be assured that when the time comes for you to lie with him, your Kit’tara will be so eager it will not matter who he is,” Turra said firmly. “Besides, all the candidates for chosen mate are very handsome—you need not fear that you will be assigned one who is not to your liking.”

  “You don’t understand—nobody is to my liking but Tragar,” Emily snapped. Damn it, what part of “I don’t want to sleep with a stranger” did these two not understand?

  “We can speak of it later,” Lit’aal said. “For now, here are your rooms.”

  They entered a set of tall white double doors that looked to Emily like they were carved from some kind of bone or ivory. Slender white columns rose up to the impossibly high ceiling which Emily had to crane her neck to see.

  “Wow,” she murmured, walking further into the room. It was an apartment out of a fairy tale.

  A simple yet elegant piece of furniture that looked like a chaise lounge wa