A Crown of Hopes and Sorrows by Nicole Bailey

Author:Nicole Bailey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nicole Bailey

23

Epiphany

My feet slipped over the silky sands of the beach, causing me to tumble forward along the path, and I thrust my hands out to steady myself. A guard who walked with me reached over, placing his hand beneath my elbow, and I offered him a smile.

The coast stretched out, wild and undulating, as if humans never came upon it. The sands dipped and curved, shadows washed in coral colors from the sunrise peeking above the sea. Flaxen grasses tumbled across the expanse, caught up in winds that skittered sand as the waves crashed against shore.

Temi sat facing the water. She had her legs crossed, her posture straight and still. Only her braids moved as they tousled together with the breeze. I gestured for my guards to pause as I continued pushing through the sands until I approached her and lowered beside her.

She reached out for my hand and tangled her fingers into mine but didn’t break her gaze from the navy silk of the sky where the moon still hung round and heavy.

For several minutes I remained quiet with her, breathing in the salt as the winds chapped my cheeks. When I spoke, I kept my voice low, letting it sink in with the world around me. “Theos tells me you never went to sleep.”

She blinked at the moon before dropping her face. “I couldn’t. I had too much on my mind.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She sighed, her shoulders easing. “Sappho’s friend, no… her ex-lover actually…”

My lips parted. “The goddess you met last night was Sappho’s⁠—”

“Yes. And she’s slightly terrifying in a way. But I really liked her. There’s no guile about her, you know?”

“Well, I don’t, but I’ll take your word for it.”

She smiled and leaned in closer to me. “Her name is Hecate.” She swallowed. “She had a lot to say and to… show me. I’ve sat here all night, thinking about everything I learned, and I can’t help but feel there is more than what appears on the surface.” She lifted her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “And the only way to find out is to meet my father.”

My breath caught. “Did you find out who he is?”

She nodded and dropped her chin to her knees. “Poseidon.”

“The god of the sea? He’s… he’s one of the three major gods.”

“I know.” She shook her head. Seagulls swooped out beyond, diving until they reached the surf and landing, hobbling away as another wave rushed in. Temi sighed. “I’m the goddess of the moon, Epiphany. A sky deity. That’s a major thing.”

I sank my fingers back into the sand, the grit of it sliding under my fingernails. “Well, I think that’s comforting to me.”

Temi looked at me. “Why?”

“I’ll think of you now every time I look at the night sky. Maybe the dark will seem less so with you at its helm.”

She studied me for a moment and then released a breath of a laugh. “A very romantic perspective, but okay.”

I shrugged. “I guess I’m a romantic.

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