A Priestess for the Blind God (Legends of Rahasia Book 1)

Chapter Ninety-Five

After the wedding, it's a whirl of parties. Ryu has me dance with him, maneuvering my cart so that it hovers in looping infinity symbols, a whirlwind as he twirls around me, his feet hardly touching the floor. When Elio dances with me, he lifts me entirely to him, looping my arms around his neck as he supports me. My father and I dance slower, a simple embrace as we lean on each other. Two soldiers who have seen too much of war.

Ratu sits on the edge of my cart, bringing me a platter of halva, like whipped buttercream made from sesame paste, honey cakes, and kue nastar, or pineapple tarts that Ratu brought along as a recipe from her Jiwanese grandmother. It's all served on a fancy golden platter that has symbols of the crown.

"Ratu, did you steal that plate?" I raise a teasing eyebrow at her.

She kisses my cheek. "Hush, meong. You're too smart for your own good." She bites into some halva, then forces me to eat the other half. "Are you enjoying the festivities?"

"I'm not sure. It all feels like a dream after... after..." I can't say it. I can't say his name.

Sympathetically, I see her eyes are also swollen and red, though she's done a better job trying to cover it up with kohl. "I know, Ode." Ratu coughs a couple times to mask her sadness. "I know."

We sit like that for a while. And then, I feel something. Something that makes me feel more alive than I've felt in ages.

"Ratu, take me outside." I ask her. "I want to see the stars."

She looks at me curiously. "But the party--!"

I shake my head, adamant now. "It will go on without me." I point to the open archway, a pillar depicting Kane the Blind God, smiling kindly down and brandishing a mirror. Most of the faces bearing Cato's image have been replaced with Kane, all except for that cursed one in the bathhouse. Elio and Riyu decided to replace the emblem of the sun with the emblem of a single eye, in honor of me. I told them they flattered me too much, but they insisted they'd never stop repaying me. Their first adopted child would even bear my name, apparently. "Ratu, I need to see the stars. Please."

Ratu sighs and then wheels me outside to the gardens. A fountain burbles low, surrounded by a spray of jasmine, Narcissus, and aloe. "Ratu, I must be alone."

"But Ode..."

I turn back to her, see the confusion in her loving eyes, and readjust her slightly skewed veil. Her lower lip trembles. "Such a boring role we women play." Ratu laughs slightly at that. I smile with her. "Yet, we've changed that story, haven't we?"

"I don't understand."

I hold her to me, breathe in the scent of tea leaves on her skin, feel the touch of soft whispers and total familiarity. "Leave me among the stars, Ratu." She shudders as I whisper in her ear, "I'll return soon. I promise."

She pulls back, trying to be strong, and nods. She holds me one last time, tears mingling with her embrace, staining my fine, borrowed robes with the too-sweet damp.

And finally, she walks away, leaving me alone in the palace garden.

I close my eyes, and when I reopen them, Kane is standing in front of me.

Is this a dream?

"I told you I'd come back for you, love."

I push the blankets back, feel how I have legs again, how my entire body feels stronger than it has in years. No more aching, just happiness. "Joon-am..." Kane lifts me in his arms, and I kick with my legs, my legs that I have not seen since the day that Arno left the world forever. I pull him to me, feeling how his soul melds with mine, feeling how his silver hair brushes my earth-toned skin. Overwhelmed by the scent of jasmine surrounding us.

We kiss, and we kiss, and together, we see. We see all that was missing. We see each other, and where I end, Kane begins, where Kane begins, I end.

"Noore chesm-am." Kane teases with a kiss. "The light of my eyes."

"Always joking, aren't you?" I loop my arms tighter around his neck, so tightly I'd bring a warrior to his knees. Kane just withstands it with a sheepish grin. "Delbar-am. Thief of my heart."

"Let's go home," he whispers, "to the Before, to the star-scape."

I look back at the party, see mortal silhouettes laughing through the windows. Ratu's chatting amiably with the happy couple, Elio and Ryu staring at each other like the world is in the other's eyes. Serkan shares halvah with Ryu's mother, Valentina. Riyad keeps Boaz company as Bo beats Riyad in a particularly brutal game of backgammon. They eat, they laugh, they love together.

"I may have only been around for less than two decades, but in that time, I've lived nine lives over. I'm tired, Kane, so hopelessly tired."

He stares at me, his eyes dark silver, ringed with white. Able to see again, his eyes rightfully restored to him. "Then put down your burden, Ode. Come home."

I exhale, and a weight's lifted off my shoulders, leaving me feeling free, almost ethereal. I allow myself to be picked up in Kane's arms, feel the tips of my brand new toes brush against the ground. Feet bare, simple black clothing light on my back. "Yes, Kane. Let's go home."

Kane hums a song as he rocks me. When I peek over his shoulder, staring into the surface of the fountain, I see my eyes.

They're both piercing black.

I smile, and the goddess in the fountain smiles back at me.

Yes, I'll return one day.

When Rahasia needs me.

I will save them again.

***

Champions,

I'm so emotional right now. I can't believe we've finally managed to save an Empire together, and Ode's gone back to the stars, baby Ryu and Elio got hitched, and everything seems just as it should be.

I'm not sure how to end things. I don't really want it to end. So, that's why I decided to keep making time in my life for Wattpad. You guys really do make me happy. And I'll keep writing for you to stay that way. I kid you not, every single time I see that NOTIFICATIONS screen turn red with alerts, I giggle like a little kid seeing ice cream bars.

Yeah, I guess I can do the shameless plug and say "follow me on my social media posted on my main page". But it's actually a way we can keep in touch while I'm writing... Get a glimpse into my weirdo life. ;)

Love you all, my Champions.

You're all my heroes.

-Sophia Whittemore