Chapter 207
Sarah POV
I followed all the Oracles out of the temple and into the living quarters, where I felt a mild case of culture shock, walking so quickly from the white-on-white of the temple into a warm interior of dark, highly polished wood and the aroma of baking bread.
For my next shock, the Oracles all whipped off their hoods, which allowed me to see for myself that they were indeed all omegas. Unlike the other secondary genders, they had no uniform hair or eye color, and for a minute I felt like I was around a group of sorority sisters.
They continued to disrobe until they were wearing white pants and shirts and had hung their robes up on pegs.
“Here you go,” an Oracle said to me while handing over the clothes I had been wearing before the spirit walk. “You can just hang the robe up over here.” She pointed to a peg.
“I’m starving,” another Oracle said as I was changing. “Is lunch ready?”
We walked from that front room into a dining hall where several priests were already sitting having their meal. Despite its large size, the room managed to be homey and even cozy.
“You don’t seem surprised by our gender,” an Oracle said.
“I was told about it before.”
“Alpha Zane told you?”
“Yes. He knows I have an interest in omegas and would like to help you and the others be better accepted by the other ranks.”
The Oracle snorted. “Good luck with that.”
“Just sit anywhere,” the head Oracle told me. “We have ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. That good with you?”
“Sounds delicious,” I said, still off-balance from the mass transformation around me.
“How’d your spirit walk go?” a priest asked me.
“I’m still sorting it out in my head.”
He looked surprised. “So, you did manage to access the plane?”
I nodded and then turned to thank the Oracle as she put my food down. “Was there some doubt I wouldn’t manage it?”
He shrugged. “Well, you are human. It’s not generally done.”
“I had no doubts, myself,” another priest told me. “Your aura is incredible, one of the strongest I’ve ever seen.”
“Um, thanks.” I took a bite of my sandwich and had to stop myself from moaning. “This bread is incredible.”
“Glad you like it. It’s one of our oldest recipes and can be a little tricky,” the second priest said.
“Only when you’re trying to burn the kitchen to the ground,” an Oracle said.
The where general laughter, and the priest rolled his eyes.
“May I ask whom you were talking to before Alpha Zane and his daughters?” the head Oracle asked me.
“Scott Cavendish, Zane’s half-brother.”
“I could hardly see him, his aura was so dark.”
“Yes, the moonlight couldn’t penetrate it, probably because he was killed a few days ago.”
Several people turned to look at me, hands halfway to their mouths.
“You spoke to a dead man on your spirit walk?” the first priest demanded.
“Yes. I take it that’s not generally done either?”
“I managed it once, myself, the head Oracle said. “But it wasn’t much of a conversation. What did Scott say to you?”
“He had this idea that we’re fated mates because we supposedly shared a dream, but his details were all wrong, and I wasn’t going mate him regardless of what he said. And then he wanted me to transform and run with him.”
“You’ve transformed in your dreams before?” the head Oracle asked, and I noticed everyone at the table was watching us closely, though occasionally two people would throw each other a significant look.
The head Oracle put down her soup spoon. “Sarah, I would like to invite you to stay with us, just for a few days. It’s clear you have a great deal to unpack from your spirit walk, and we could help you.”
I was sorely tempted. “I have duties I should attend to.”
“Surely you can take a break from your life for a little spiritual enlightenment. At least stay the night and join us in our moon greeting.”
“Oh, please do,” said another Oracle. “Luna is almost full tonight.”
“All right. I’ll call Zane and let him know.”
Everyone sighed with relief.
“Just one thing, though,” I added.
“Yes?”
“Can I learn your names?”
Several people laughed. Others were just looking at me almost with avarice. I supposed they were just grateful for a break in their routines.
Zane was fine with looking after the girls by himself and told me they had started in on interviewing the people whose fingerprints they’d identified.
“It was odd no one came forward on their own, if they’re friends of his,” I said.
“I’m not sure they’re that sort of friends. Stay safe; be well.”
“You too.”
Janine, the head Oracle, asked me to turn my phone off during my visit and then showed me to a small but again cozy and inviting room. She suggested I should take a nap after my spirit walk, and though I only lay down on the bed to humor her, I fell quickly asleep.
I was awoken by a gong and then a light tapping on my door. I opened it to find Janine standing there holding a silver robe. She held it up for my approval.
“It’s lovely,” I said honestly. The material was incredibly fine.
“We’re meeting in the garden in about half an hour. Luna is looking particularly lovely, and we’ve got some instruments set up. Do you sing?”
“Not particularly well,” I confessed.
“Sing or not as your spirit is moved. I’ll let you get changed.”
The night was exceptionally pretty. A group of twenty-odd Oracles and about a dozen priests had donned silver robes of their own. I felt quite a sense of camaraderie standing with them as we all looked up at the yellow-white moon.
A flute and a harp were played, and I didn’t recognize the song they began to sing. It was, of course, about the moon.
In that great journey of the stars through space
About the mighty, all-directing Sun,
The pallid, faithful Moon, has been the one
Companion of the Earth. Her tender face,
Pale with the swift, keen purpose of that race,
Which at Time’s natal hour was first begun,
Shines ever on her lover as they run
And lights his orbit with her silvery smile.
Janine saw my smiling face and leaned in slightly. “Ella Wheeler Wilcox.”
The joy of the song dimmed for me slightly, though I kept smiling broadly. What would Ella say if we met on a spirit walk?
I reminded myself that being asked to attend a moon greeting at the Luna Temple was a great honor and shook off my dark mood. “Lovely song.”
Janine nodded. “One of our favorites.”
At a signal I didn’t quite spot, everyone raised their hands to the moon in praise. In that moment, I was calm and happy, and I realized it had been quite a while since I could say that. Was it cowardice on my part that made me wish I could stay in this lovely place for a while?
