Cara's Twelve by Chantel Seabrook

Author:Chantel Seabrook [Seabrook, Chantel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Creativia
Published: 2015-06-13T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

On the final eve of Samwain, Cara stood on the edge of the altar and grimaced in revulsion as Lord Eoghaan sliced through the jugular of a large white bull. As the blood drained from the deep incision, he caught the thick liquid in a gem encrusted goblet and drank deeply of its contents. It was an old custom and one that Cara hadn't realized was still observed in Meall. Cara shivered in horror as a priestess lifted the cup to her lips and ordered her to drink. She suppressed the urge to gag at the pungent smell, and when she managed to swallow, her stomach churned in protest.

Not even in Lydd had the ceremony been so lavishly commemorated. Sacred fires burned as far as the eye could see, and Cara thought in awe that it looked as if the stars had fallen from the heavens and landed on the rolling hills of Meall.

Earlier in the day, the holy women had stripped Cara of her clothes and with a horsehair brush, dipped in a mixture of cow's milk and bull's blood, and had painted sacred symbols across her breasts and abdomen. Her skin itched under her robes where the dried blood had tightened and flaked.

The priestesses of Meall were highly honored among their people, and they took great pride in honoring Annul. Much to Cara's relief, her own part of the ceremony was shadowed by the sacrifice of the white bull and the high priestess' augury. The hours dragged slowly, and only when the moon reached its apex, did the priestess turn to Cara and recite the ceremonial blessing.

“Great Mother of All,

We acknowledge your daughter,

May her womb be opened,

To accept the great bull of Meall.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.