The Stranger's Omen: Bloody Moon, #1

By Lyra Mistweaver

Dive into "The Stranger's Omen," a spellbinding tale where destiny collides with choice, and the mysteries of an ancient world awaken under the shadow of a prophesized storm. This captivating novel takes you to the untouched shores of a mystical island, where Tanisha lives in harmony with her Sisters and the whispers of the Goddess. Yet, beneath the serene life of rituals and the hunt, a restless curiosity stirs within her—a longing for the vast, unknown continent beyond her insular world.

Tanisha's life, bound by the expectations of divine servitude and the unyielding laws of her community, takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of a wounded stranger. Cast upon their shores by a foretold tempest, his presence is an omen that threatens to unravel the very fabric of their existence and challenges everything Tanisha believes about her place in the cosmos.

Armed only with her bow, her courage, and an unwavering spirit, Tanisha stands at the crossroads of destiny. Faced with a decision that could alter the fate of her people and the unknown world beyond, "The Stranger's Omen" is a journey of self-discovery, ancient mysteries, and an untold legacy waiting to be uncovered.

Perfect for fans of high fantasy and mystical adventures, "The Stranger's Omen" promises to be a beacon for readers thirsting for stories of empowered heroines, mystical connections, and the eternal dance of fate versus free will. Embark on this journey to discover if Tanisha can unravel the omen's secrets and forge a new path for her people and the mysterious stranger who might hold the key to their future.

Unlock the mystery, embrace destiny, and explore the fantastical realm in "The Stranger's Omen." Your next unforgettable adventure awaits.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lyra Mistweaver
• Release date: Apr 3, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224888955

Lyra Mistweaver

Lyra Mistweaver, born in 2004, is a prolific author in the fantasy genre. Raised in a quaint village surrounded by ancient forests, Lyra's fascination with storytelling began at an early age. Inspired by the rich tapestry of myths and legends, she embarked on a literary journey to craft her own enchanting narratives. With a talent for weaving intricate worlds and compelling characters, Lyra's novels have captivated readers worldwide, inviting them to immerse themselves in realms where magic and adventure await at every turn.

Book preview

Tanisha knows only the island where she lives with her Mothers and Sisters. But her curiosity about the mainland and the people who inhabit there can hardly let her sleep at night. As a Servant of the Goddess, it was expected that she would have abilities like her Sisters, or at least be able to see the future, but Tanisha has no power. All she has is her bow and arrow and a sharp dagger to kill rabbits. However, strange omens about a storm begin to disturb her until they finally come true. A man, a stranger, washes up on her shores. He is injured and will die if not treated.

Tanisha only has to make one decision.

A decision that will change her life, her Sisters', and the entire mainland.

I dreamed of you, and now you're real.

DICTIONARY OF TERMS IN CANNIS

Asqiin: Thank you;

Artteis: Children under ten years old;

Atti: Mother;

Attor: Brother;

Auri Fen: Superior servants who serve only the Superior Family or important members of the Great Houses;

Bahat: land tax levied by the wolves on the people of Agrethos, instituted after the war by the Millennial Council and His Superior Majesty, the Wolf King Erebus. It is proportional to people's wealth. Each person must pay 1/10 of what they earn every moon cycle.

Dornen: teachers, masters, tutors of any kind. One who teaches something;

Iberiis: standard military force wolves;

Cannis: It's how the wolves call their own species;

Daamit: Fool;

Daighar: Wolf;

Don: Same as lyn but for men. It's like sir, but for a younger wolf who hasn't been a father;

Fen: lower caste servants;

Kaarv: Stop;

Kaul: Winter;

Korder: Young wolf. Before their first transformation;

Korzi: Human, but in a derogatory way;

Lissa: queen;

Lyn: It's a respectful term used to address virgin maidens of high castes. It would be like miss;

Mekrai: Doctors;

Primal: It's the fight for the wolf throne;

Saai: It's a respectful way to call an older wolf who has been a father;

Tzauri/ Taoz: males and females of high castes destined for procreation and pleasure;

Zai: King;

Zarstru: star.

HERBARIUM

Aconito - it is a poisonous plant that can cause tingling in the tongue and kill a human being in 20 minutes;

Akala – fragrant plant with a sweet and spicy flavor with which it is possible to make a delicious dark-colored tea;

Akkel – purple flower used as a strong analgesic, also considered an opioid that can cause addiction and death if used for long periods or in large quantities;

Alis – large flowers in shades of red and orange, which grow year-round, in any season. They are initially used as healing and disinfectant, but can be toxic and even poisonous if used for too long, or in inadequate doses;

Artemisia - increases clairvoyance and intuition, psychic protection, energetic cleansing, brings lucid dreams and induces astral travel;

Calendula – has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, healing action and even as a natural remedy to treat stomach problems;

Calio – root that produces an almost black pigment, used to dye clothes;

Camomila - has substances with anxiolytic, calming, sleep-inducing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions, which help in conducting a relaxation routine and improving sleep quality;

Delis – small, golden flower with a citrus flavor that grows in damp places. It has spasmolytic and abortive properties;

Dente-Azul – tiny flower in very light blue tones, with a yellow bud. It grows naturally in warm terrain, clinging to larger plants. It serves to increase the sexual appetite of men and women of any age;

Eucalipto - is recommended to combat flu symptoms and also for sore throat. Inhalation should be done to decongest the upper airways;

Euseu – also known as dead man's herb or corpse herb. It is a plant with flowers in the shape of small blue stars. It is capable of producing a temporary state of resistance of the fatally wounded body. For a few hours, the organs function and the blood runs hot, even if the one who took it is dead. If administered correctly, the living being can even speak. It cannot be used on someone who is already dead, only on beings about to die or still alive;

Iwana – intensely red flower that grows rapidly in the cold and has aphrodisiac properties;

Lavanda - antispasmodic, carminative, expectorant, diuretic, sedative. The flowers are room fresheners. Therapeutic indications: Loss of appetite, agitation and insomnia, dyspeptic problems. External use in baths against circulatory problems and as a sedative;

Mostarina – golden leaf that can be used to wash, clean or disinfect various types of stains on clothes, utensils or even on the skin. It has a mild lemon-like scent;

Piri – weed with no real purpose, besides serving as food for small animals like rabbits and rodents. However, its bitter root, after being washed and soaked, turns into a tasty kind of potato that thickens broths and soups;

Quarzenis – leaves of an intense and thorny green. Its paste soaked in saliva is slightly analgesic and serves for wound healing;

Rumis – toxin extracted from the stem of a creeping and thorny plant of the same name. Causes painful muscle spasms if ingested;

Saego – tree with very light and fragrant wood. It grows everywhere in Agrethos. Its leaves do not withstand the cold for most of the year, but the soft wood gives off a strong scent when in contact with fire, so it is the primary choice for funeral pyres;

Sasli – thin needle-like leaves the color of sand that grow on thick branches, serve as a mild analgesic and antipyretic;

Strava – a bitter and analgesic root, with the side effect of strong drowsiness;

Turia – fragrant herb used to make incense, bath oils, and shampoos. Commonly used to stuff dolls because of its soothing scent that aids children's sleep;

Valeriana - is indicated as a moderate sedative, as a sleep-promoting agent and in the treatment of sleep disorders associated with anxiety;

Vermona – purple flower used as a hallucinogen. In small doses, it induces deep sleep. In high doses, it is toxic and can cause an altered state of consciousness, where the person acts as if awake, walking or doing some activity, when in fact they are in deep sleep. Some scholars believe that under the effect of this plant, the person is capable of obeying orders unconsciously, like a slave, but nothing has been proven, in fact.

Chapter 1

There was a song that Mother Darba used to sing to us during stormy nights when we were younger and afraid. I don't remember the exact lyrics, but there was a part that said no matter how loud and scary the storm was, in the morning there would always be the sun and calmness. Something like that.

I wasn't afraid of storms—not really—but it seemed easier to say that I was scared, like my Sisters, so that one of the Mothers would cuddle me in her lap, give me cookies, and sing to me until I fell asleep.

The storm didn't frighten me. I was certain, even when I was very small, that it would take more than a storm to bring down our tower, and I was right, after all. None of those dreadful storms that made most of the other girls scream and hide under the covers destroyed our home.

It took more than that.

It took an entire pack.

separador

I HEAR THE THUNDER as soon as I step out through the tall door leading to the garden, descending the stone steps two at a time until I step onto the cool grass. I tilt my chin up to the sky, but there aren't even any clouds up there to justify the noise that heralds a storm. In fact, there's barely any sun, as it's very early.

I adjust the quiver on my shoulder and make my way along the pebble path, being careful not to hurt my feet on the rougher ones, certain that Mother Heste will be very upset if she finds out I'm out here barefoot.

I need to check the traps I set before the other Sisters wake up and I have to join them for morning prayers.

I go faster and faster until I reach the cold sand, leaving behind with each step the Tower of the Goddess. I feel the sticky sea breeze making my tunic cling to my body. The thick braids of my rebellious hair whip against my back. I tighten the leather strap of the quiver between my breasts that sway with the running motion.

This is my favorite time of day. Here, right now, while most of the world is still asleep, while the Mothers are in their beds and the Sisters snore in the attic room, before the owls come hooting between the straw that lines the roof, waking them up.

In these few hours before sunrise, I am happy. There are no orders or rituals to follow. It's just me, alone in the world with my bow and arrow and my traps.

My bare feet sink into the sand.

Not far away, under a bush, I see the first trap made with a woven basket, branches sharpened like stakes, and some red fruits. The rabbit was caught and is injured. It struggles, opening the wound on its belly even more. Like me, it also went out too early to hunt, but only one of us will return home today.

I advance slowly.

The sea spits out a huge wave that loses strength until it wets my feet, to the right.

I take the knife out of the quiver and lift the trap. The rabbit struggles harder, squeaking. It knows it's going to die. If I concentrate, I can hear its heart beating very fast in its small furry body.

I hold it by its long, soft ears.

The animal makes one last brave push away, but it's just a disjointed and tired movement, full of pain.

Mother, I am grateful for this sacrifice, I solemnly recite. I will honor it. I lament your death. Receive it in peace to run in your white fields.

With a firm stroke, I end its suffering. Its small body no longer resists when I release it from the trap, tie its legs with a strip of leather, and attach it to my belt.

Mother Saren will be pleased to have some rabbit to season her vegetable stew, I think as I move forward. The second and third traps are empty, but there's a large bird in the fourth.

It takes me a moment to recognize it, and I hesitate before approaching. It's a bargot. None of the Sisters will eat it. It's dead on the spits I hid under the sand. I see the blood-colored feathers under its open wings, like a large ominous stain. Its sickle-shaped beak is half buried, so I imagine it must have been here for many hours.

I make a protective sign over my chest, right above my heart.

I reluctantly step forward and release its huge body from the trap, but I still hesitate for a long time before dragging it through the sand to the water.

The waves will carry it away.

I wonder what it was doing here at this time of year, and alone. Bargots only fly in pairs. Their sight is a bad omen, their flesh is considered impure for feeding on other dead animals and poisonous plants.

Whenever they appear on our side of the island, something bad happens.

I quickly wash my hands in the cold seawater, trying to rid myself of the feeling of rough feathers in my palms. I scrub and scrub again until the dirt sensation fades. And only when I stand up, a few minutes later, do I see the small rowboat approaching the lighthouse, almost hidden in the morning mist.

I brush the damp sand off my knees as I stand.

My other traps are equally empty, and I attribute that to my encounter with the damned bargot. However, I'm not in a bad mood when I reach the lighthouse and help Mr. Tastaren secure his boat to the rocks. He opens his arms in a sign of affection and recognition, but he won't touch me. He knows better.

You're early, Tani, he nods in a sort of greeting. Had any luck with the traps today?

I tap the rabbit attached to my belt.

Mr. Tastaren smiles and winks with one eye; something he said is common among friends on the mainland. I don't exactly understand what it means, but I know he does it when he's pleased with something. I consider him my friend, so I accept it.

Got something for me? I ask eagerly.

The old man laughs a little more, showing several empty spaces where teeth should be in his mouth.

Of course, of course. Here you go.

He takes out a kind of book from his thick coat and puts it on the sand for me to pick up, then steps back.

The mainland girls love it.

The cover is hard and has a painting of colorful flowers.

Ever since we met, Mr. Tastaren has been bringing books from the mainland for me, along with a bunch of things he calls trinkets. Last time, he brought a brush made of some kind of light white wood with designs on the handle. Of course, I can't use it, but I like looking at it and pretending I'm a mainland girl, brushing my hair every night before bed...

A guilty giggle escapes me.

Mother Heste would be so angry if she knew about the brush! About the brush, the books, bracelets, and brooches.

I hide all the things Mr. Tastaren gives me in a hole under a loose wooden plank under the chest of clothes in our room, and I only touch them when the other Sisters are out in classes. It's strictly forbidden to have any of these things. I know. It's forbidden for any of the Sisters to leave the island or speak to a man. Only the Mothers can. But in my defense, the encounter with Mr. Tastaren was an accident.

I knew I couldn't look at him or allow him to see me. I'm a Daughter of the Goddess. Men don't deserve to see us. Not until the fertility ritual, at least. And I bled many years ago. It's expected to be called at some point. I'm scared, but also curious.

Who are the men the Mothers bring for the ritual? Why don't we see them afterward? What do they do up there on the rock?

Ariadna says it's an honor. Maybe she'll be called before me. Maybe she'll tell me what happens, after all, so I won't be afraid anymore.

Thank you, Mr. Tastaren, I place the book inside my quiver and take out the pouch of blue-tooth herbs.

As I reach out to toss it into the air, I hear the sound of thunder again and turn to look at the sky. There's nothing there. The clouds are starting to form, but they're not dark or threatening.

I feel my chest vibrating.

I don't have premonitions. In fact, I'm not the most skilled among the Sisters. I'm terrible at all kinds of rituals. I recognize the plants, the poisons. I learned to hunt alone. But there's no power in me to foresee or guess. Yet, this sound of thunder vibrating in my chest makes me feel a sense of urgency. And fear.

Are you alright, Tani? Mr. Tastaren waits with a strange look.

I nod in response and toss the pouch full of herbs into the air, which he catches with a satisfied smile.

It's been almost a year since we met. A year since I found him on this beach looking for a sasli herb for his granddaughter who had been in pain and fever for two days. Desperation brought him here, where no one from the mainland dares to set foot for fear of the Goddess. Desperation made him plead and offer me the only thing he had in exchange for what he sought; a handful of weathered copper circles he called tins. I didn't know what tins were, but I accepted and gave him the sasli herbs. The whole island is full of them. It's not a rare herb by any means.

Mr. Tastaren left that day, but he has come back at least once a week for the entire year. Sometimes he just comes to talk. He doesn't even get off the boat. He sits there, telling me stories from the mainland. I sit on the sand and listen. Occasionally, I ask questions. That's how I know about the wolves that now rule all the clans and tribes.

Mr. Tastaren said they arrived with the winter that swept through Agrethos fifty years ago.

Frankly, I think it was the wolves that brought the winter, he told me in that conspiratorial tone he always adopts when talking about the wolves.

The Servants of the Goddess left the mainland over a hundred years ago and came to live here on the island, so we don't know anything that happens there. At least I and the other Sisters don't know. Maybe the Mothers do. They sometimes go out in small groups. I suspect they go to the mainland. However, I've never seen anything like the things Mr. Tastaren brings me on our island. We don't have brushes made of white wood or books about love. We read about the Goddess and her kindness to us, her chosen ones. We read about herbs, plants, fruits, and vegetables. We read about premonitions and faces in the sand. About whispers in the wind, visions in the water. There are ancient tomes written in blood where past Servants tell of the men's betrayal.

I know that before, we were raised for them. To help them guide their people. Every clan or tribe leader came to the island and made a gold sacrifice to take a Servant of the Goddess. It was necessary for the sacrifice to weigh as much as the one he chose. She was purified for seven days and nights before leaving. She was the link of the Goddess with men. But men desired them and defiled their bodies with lust. This angered the Goddess.

All the Servants who were touched lost their vision, their power, the grace of the Goddess, who broke her pact with men.

The Mothers closed the island after that.

Clan and tribe leaders stood on the beach, day after day, begging for mercy with their ships loaded with gold. When they wanted to take us by force, the Goddess sent a thirteen-day storm upon them that sank their boats and their gold, so they left and never returned.

There are no other books about men. There is no information about Agrethos and what happened there during those hundred years. What I know is what Mr. Tastaren tells me. I know about this strange people he calls 'wolves' and how they easily conquered all the clans and tribes because of a devastating winter that swept through all the cities.

Here on the island, there is no snow and ice or scorching heat. The Goddess protects us. The weather is always pleasant. Fruits grow year-round on trees and bushes. We have small vegetable gardens. We eat flowers and seeds. And I hunt small animals that give a stronger flavor to stews and soups.

I like it here. I like the Sisters and the Mothers. But I can't silence the curiosity that sings in my chest with all the things Mr. Tastaren tells me about the mainland. I wish to go there. It's not far. One or two hours by boat with a good wind in the right direction and then I would already see the first city? If I went very early in the morning at the time I usually go out to hunt... would anyone miss me? Surely Ariadna would.

This is forbidden. My thoughts are forbidden.

I need to go, Tani, Mr. Tastaren starts descending the small sand slope toward the boat. The wolves wake up early and will ask a lot of questions if they see me arriving at the beach at this hour. They're already quite irritable for no reason, and now-...

What now?

The old man pushes the boat with his foot after releasing the rope tied to the rocks, then turns to me and makes a strange expression I don't recognize, only later realizing that I don't know what he's talking about.

Their king died, girl.

His tone is grim, as if he's telling a terrible secret.

I don't understand.

Mr. Tastaren continues, as he likes to talk.

They're talking about betrayal. It must be just a rumor, of course. No one would be foolish enough to kill one of them, let alone the Wolf King. The clans learned very early that killing a wolf is no easy task, he pauses, thoughtful, rubbing his unkempt beard with his yellowed nails. They're very organized, they receive orders and go ahead, while those idiots from Agrethos keep killing each other over a handful of land.

With a somewhat uncoordinated leap, the man gets into the boat and uses the oar to propel himself into the water.

I go to the edge of the sand.

If their king died, what will happen now?

Who knows, Mr. Tastaren shrugs as if that's not important. Maybe the clans will finally unite and try to make a move on Pontis Maari. They say that after the Bonfire of Thirty, the heirs of the clans fled to form some kind of resistance that never rose up. At least as far as I know. Maybe now they think it's the right time to march north and demand the throne of Agrethos. A bunch of fools, I'd say.

Why would they be fools? It seems like the best time to try to take the throne, when there's no king sitting on it.

Mr. Tastaren shakes his head with a sarcastic smile.

They're wolves, girl. I was a boy when they arrived bringing that dreadful winter. I had never seen so much snow. So much hunger. My younger brother froze on my mother's chest, he looks away to the sea, as if watching his own memories. My father and my uncle Irvan went to battle in Darebor. They never came back. No one ever came back, not even their bodies. It took fifty years of wars for the people of the mainland to understand that you can't defeat the wolves... his voice turns bitter as he looks back at me. The heirs of the clans will try and they will fail, and many will die with them.

But if there's no Wolf King-... I insist.

There will be other wolves to take his place. They say Erebus had three sons and that they're coming for his funeral. They say they're worse than the father. They say that-...

His voice is muffled by a thunderclap. My heart thunders equally in my chest. I need to go back. I've been out for too long. Mother Saren doesn't like it when I take too long. The morning rituals will start any moment now.

Tani? Mr. Tastaren calls, and I realize I'm distracted again.

Anyway, I don't care about his wolves and their wars.

Will you bring me another book next week?

The old man shakes his head with a smirk and uses the oar to push the boat away. He doesn't say anything, just waves. I don't wait for him to go far before heading back the way I came.

My heart still beats hard in my chest, as if I had run that short distance.

I cast a fearful glance at the sky.

There are no dark clouds there, and that's even worse.

Chapter 2

Mother Saren is pleased with the rabbit, and that's all she says before telling me to go down to bathe with the other Sisters.

I leave the kitchen just as Mother Tyldi enters, carrying a huge armful of vegetables, her face still stained with dirt. She pauses briefly to pinch my cheek. I hear the two of them talking about carrots and potatoes, and I move on.

I take one last look around to make sure no one is nearby, and only when I'm confident I'm alone on this floor of the tower, do I hasten my steps. Instead of going down to the pools, I climb up to the room I share with the other Sisters.

I quickly retrieve the book Mr. Tastaren gave me from the quiver.

The cover is so beautiful!

I'll definitely start reading it tonight, after the Sisters are asleep and the Mothers retire. Only Mother Gabri and Mother Ruena stay awake to keep watch at the windows at night, but I know they usually drink too much and fall asleep before the early hours advance too much. That's enough time. I can sneak out, go to the lighthouse, and read for as long as I want before needing to return.

I'm eager to find out what story lies within these pages. I can hardly contain myself, yet I convince myself to stash the book in its hiding place and push the chest over it, concealing the gap in the wooden plank.

I stash the quiver and descend quickly.

Mother Heste is in the First Corridor when I get there. She frowns discontentedly when she sees me. But then again, her face is always a frown.

I was hunting, I justify before she reproaches me, and quickly descend through the arched door that leads to the spiral staircase.

The heated pools are down there, in the center of the tower, very, very deep into the stone.

I hear Mother Heste's heavy footsteps behind me as I descend. She mutters. I don't know if she's praying or cursing having to deal with me and the other Sisters. Never—in all the years I can remember—have I heard anything remotely kind from Mother Heste. She's always angry, always irritated, spitting orders, saying we don't dedicate ourselves to our studies enough.

The Goddess is not pleased, she says all the time.

Not even Ariadna, who is the most gifted among all of us, can please her. And it's her, my Sister, who waves from the farthest corner of the pool, where she's already dipping her legs into the water.

Took you long enough, she tugs at my braid when I sit down beside her. Good hunt?

Just a rabbit, I say, avoiding the subject of bargot.

I know that would make her nervous.

We fall silent as Mother Heste passes by us and makes her way around the pool to the carved stone steps.

We exchange glances.

I'd like to talk to Ariadna about the thundering noise, but now is not the time. Even a fly would be noticed in the silence that follows as Mother Heste begins to undress.

We remove our tunics at the same time, mimicking her.

There are two dozen girls in the pools. We're roughly the same age, with only a small difference of at most two years between the oldest and the youngest.

Before there were a hundred Sisters here on the island. Before. Now we're just a handful and we don't go anywhere. We grow up, become Mothers, and then we ascend to the Third Corridor until the Goddess calls us to her side."

I was very young the last time I witnessed one of the return rituals. I don't remember much except for the heat caused by the very high fire, and the Mothers and Sisters singing nonstop for hours until there were only ashes left on the ceremonial altar.

I don't remember the Mother who returned, but I remember the smell and how difficult it was to sleep in the days that followed because it seemed like that horrible smell of something burning had become ingrained in me.

The rituals are part of our days. I'm used to all of them, even the ones I don't fully understand, but that ritual... with the fire and the altar... The memory, though vague, still haunts me.

I look at Ariadna beside me and think of her beautiful lilac hair being consumed by the fire.

Without thinking, I hold her hand. She smiles at me, then turns her attention back to Mother Heste, as she's a good student.

I wish I were like Ariadna, but my mind fills with questions I know I shouldn't ask, thoughts I shouldn't have. I'm even afraid to talk to her, my dearest Sister. She wouldn't understand. Ariadna is kind and calm, she follows all the rules. I don't think she would tell the Mothers about what I would tell her, but my words could disturb her, so I swallow them and hope they die in my stomach.

I know I question the Goddess's desires because of Mr. Tastaren. Because of the things he tells me about the mainland. Because of the forbidden books I read.

As Mother Heste begins to untangle her braids and Ariadna turns for me to help her with hers, I promise the Goddess that I will get rid of everything I have in my hiding place. I'll take everything and throw it into the sea, I decide.

My fingers nervously tremble as I undo Ariadna's braids. The lilac strands, soft and fragrant, slip through my hands to the damp floor where we sit.

I turn for my Sister to help me with mine.

The other Sisters are tense around us, undoing their braids in silence. Their naked bodies gleam under the candlelight scattered throughout the carved stone room.

On the walls is a huge statue of our Mother Goddess—arms open to receive us—and statues of the most important Mothers and Sisters. Those who were exceptionally gifted. Even the first, Sonna, up on the altar. She's mentioned in almost every ancient book as she who was carved by the Goddess. The first to possess magic in her blood, the gift, the power. She seems daunting from where I sit, holding a large branch of flowers in one arm and a dagger in the other. The books say she fought alongside men. They say she saw the future in the blood of her enemies, in the fire that burned their bodies. She helped the northern clans reclaim Pontis Maari when it was invaded by the island peoples. And she was my age when she did it.

None of us were raised to be a warrior like Sonna.

I know how to use a knife and a bow and arrow, but as I learned on my own, I'm sure I'm not very good at either. Just enough to catch rabbits and squirrels. Sometimes fish.

I turn my face to the imposing statue of our oldest ancestor.

I know I could never kill a man...

Of course... Much has changed since Sonna was born and existed. No one needs a Servant of the Goddess to know how to kill. No one needs us to see the future. We live for ourselves and for the Goddess here on the island. The thought comforts me, but it also terrifies me.

I try not to think about any of this during the cleansing ritual.

I try not to think about any of this for the rest of the day.

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DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING to rain?

Ariadna doesn't lift her face, but I know she heard me. She's deeply focused on weaving a bracelet of lavender flowers while we wait for dinner.

I haven't heard any thunder all day, yet I still have this strange sensation in my chest, as if the thunder is inside me.

Am I ill?

I haven't seen anything, she replies simply. But we can ask Irvina. She always knows about the weather.

I glance over her head and around the room, searching for our Sister Irvina, but she's nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she's out with Sue. The two of them have been very close since they were chosen by the Goddess for the fertility ritual a few weeks ago. They're the only ones among us who participated.

Why are you concerned about rain? Ariadna fastens the bracelet around my wrist.

I'm not concerned, I lie.

Have you seen something?

I give her a skeptical look.

She laughs.

We both know I haven't been blessed with the gift of visions. For me, it's not a problem. When I was younger, I used to feel bad for being the only Sister who didn't see anything. Before, it was me and Efesi, but she started having visions as soon as her blood came. Now it's just me. Mother Darba says I'm just a little late. And after all, there were other Sisters who didn't foresee. Yet for a long time, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was lacking compared to the others. Today, I don't mind. Or I don't mind much, at least.

Mother Saren and Mother Tyldi enter the dining hall carrying a large pot of stew. The Sisters nearest to them rise to help.

We settle into our seats.

After the plates are served and there's a warm, spicy smell of food in the air, we join hands and pray to the Goddess, but my eyes are fixed on the window in front of me. It shows the sky outside. It's night and it's dark. There's not even a cloud. Still, I can't shake the feeling that it will rain soon.

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ARIADNA WAS CALLED by the Goddess for her first fertility ritual. We found out after dinner, from Mother Darba.

My Sister is ecstatic. We all are. There's an atmosphere of euphoria in our attic room. Even the owls are hooting up there, as if celebrating. I notice that some Sisters, although happy for Ariadna, harbor resentment. They're older and haven't been called yet. Of course, the ritual doesn't depend on our age, however, I know some feel slighted.

Irvina and Sue pull Ariadna into a corner to talk to her. I see them laughing.

My stomach warms, and I don't know how I feel. Maybe it's curiosity. I've watched a few fertility rituals before, and the sensation is always the same; my face gets warm, and shivers run down my body. Maybe I feel odd because only on these rare occasions do we see men. Real men. Not paintings and drawings. Men we don't know and never see again. They come only for the ritual and then disappear.

Before, I didn't think much about them. After meeting Mr. Tastaren, I wonder who they are, where they come from. There are no men on the Goddess's island. I know that. I know this island. I know every inch of land on it. There's no one here but us. So, do they come from the mainland? Do the Mothers fetch them?

I realize I'm asking too many questions, even inside my own head, and I'm afraid someone might guess what I'm thinking. It's foolish. No Servant of the Goddess has that kind of power, but guilt inside me makes me fearful.

Well, if Ariadna is going to be part of the fertility ritual, maybe she can tell me something about what happens there. I've seen it before, but I don't understand. Not fully, at least.

I could ask Irvina or Sue, of course. Other Sisters have tried. They just laugh and say nothing, keeping everything a secret.

This shouldn't be a secret.

I want to know what's going on. I want to know what will happen to Ariadna or to me, when it's my turn.

I hear footsteps on the stairs. I remain seated where I am, on the floor, near the window. I've never felt so restless as I do today.

I decide I'm not going out to read at the lighthouse. I decide I'm going to pray all night for the Goddess to forgive me for having such wicked thoughts. The plan to throw away the things Mr. Tastaren gave me still stands. I'll get rid of everything. I'll never see him again. I'll never go hunting again. I'll stay here and behave as well as Ariadna. I'll be a good Sister. I'll be a good Daughter of the Goddess, I promise.

The footsteps on the stairs belong to Efesi, Kei, and Hani. They laugh, carefree, probably a little tipsy from the apple cider Mother Saren let them take from the kitchen.

I notice all the Sisters are sitting in small groups, chatting and laughing, while I'm here, alone, wrestling with a hundred thoughts.

That's it, I conclude, looking towards the chest that hides my treasure trove of forbidden things; I'm getting rid of it all.

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THE SISTERS TAKE A while to fall asleep. They're anxious because Ariadna was called for the upcoming ritual, so that was the subject of much conversation until late into the night.

I wait patiently until I see they're all asleep, wait another hour, and finally get out of bed. There are a few candles lit on a table in the corner of the room. There are always candles lit. The Goddess cannot be among us if there's no light, Mother Darba says with her sweet and gentle voice.

I pick up a candle, walk to the chest, and carefully drag it across the floor, making as little noise as possible. I remove the loose boards and sadly glance at the things I've hidden for almost a year. There are even more than I remembered. I open the chest and pull out a tunic from inside which I'll use to make a bundle, as it's clear I can't carry all of this in my arms.

I try not to look too closely at anything as I take them out of hiding.

Every now and then I peek over my shoulder, but my Sisters continue sleeping. None are as foolish as I am to be awake at this hour doing things for which they'd be punished.

Once the hiding place is cleared, I put the boards back in place and carefully drag the chest back. I tie up the bundle and lift it over my shoulder, then grab the candle.

It's not too heavy. I'll be able to carry it effortlessly.

I leave the room quickly. My bare feet make no noise on the wooden floor or the stone stairs.

I hear Mother Gabri and Mother Ruena snoring loudly by the windows as I pass the Third Corridor. The alcoholic smell of apple cider permeates the whole floor.

I descend further to the kitchen, and I startle when I see Mother Saren sitting at the small table near the stone stove. I nearly drop the bundle with my forbidden belongings.

However, she's asleep.

It's not the first time she's slept here, near the fire, instead of in the Mothers' quarters in the Third Corridor.

I move slowly and carefully not to wake her. I exchange my candle for another one in a glass holder near the door, then I step out into the night. When I'm barefoot on the stone path and look up, I'm momentarily paralyzed.

The sky is completely dark, with no stars or moon, covered by heavy clouds as far as the eye can see.

It's the biggest storm I've ever seen in my life forming right before me.

Chapter 3

Iadvance along the beach at night with my candle and a burning urgency in my chest. I try to calm myself by humming a song that Mother Darba used to sing to us when we were little. Something about storms passing and bright mornings. I don't remember the lyrics very well, but the melody is enough to soothe me a bit.

The water isn't far. I just have to reach it and throw the things inside the bundle into the waves.

The strong wind practically pushes me forward, forcing me to grip the candle holder tightly in my hand, even though its faint light makes little difference here.

The Goddess cannot be among us if there is no light.

I take a deep breath of the salty, humid air.

In ten minutes, I'll be back in my bed. I'll be with my Sisters, and all of this will be left behind.

It was very easy to get here. I suppose the Goddess agrees with my plan. For a moment, I wonder why she allowed me to meet Mr. Tastaren. Why did she allow me to see all these things, read the books, touch the forbidden objects? Was it a test? Did I fail? Will I be punished? Perhaps the fact that I have no gift is already my punishment. The Goddess sees everything. She knew I would be tempted by all these cursed things and punished me in anticipation.

The sea is furious. It spits out giant waves that crash onto the beach, hitting my legs.

My candle goes out, even within the holder, and I place it on the ground to have my hands free. I hurry to open the bundle and throw the things into the water. The sea easily swallows them.

It's a sign, I convince myself. The Goddess is angry with me and demands that I rid myself of these forbidden things.

Forgive me, Mother, I plead into the dark night. Forgive me.

A thunderbolt cuts through the sky, illuminating our small island as if it were day, and only then do I see the large shadow in the water, far away, very close to the lighthouse.

My first thought is that it's a boat, but I'm too far to see.

Go away. Go away now, Tanisha.

I think I'm seeing things. There's nothing in the sea.

The storm is coming. I need to go back. I need to return to the tower, to my Sisters. But I stand still in the sand, with the waves crashing against my legs, pushing and pulling me at the same time, carrying away my candle.

The wind whips my braids against my shoulders like whips.

Just go away.

I turn to leave, my heart pounding in my throat, when I hear, clear as day, someone calling my name. It's as real as if there were no wind or furious sea. As real as if they were standing right beside me.

I don't recognize the voice, but I reflexively look back.

A thunderbolt strikes behind the lighthouse, and then I see; there really is something in the water. I don't know what it is. I see the huge blotch being pushed by the waves towards the shore. Without thinking, I go towards it. It could be a bargot. It could be some animal I don't know. It could even be nothing. Some trash from the mainland pushed here.

The wind carries me there.

First, I'm walking, then running, with my bare feet sinking into the wet sand. The rain starts to fall, cold enough to cause pain on my skin, like needles. But I don't care. I need to hurry. I need to get there.

Only when I'm very close do I see what it is.

At first, it takes me a while to understand the enormous, dark shape like a bird even larger than a bargot. Then, when another thunderbolt lights up the sky, I see that it's a man. A big man atop some kind of broken plank. His legs are submerged in the water, but the torso is safe, floating. It looks like there's some kind of fabric tied around his head. I only see his profile, yet there's no mistaking it anymore; it's a man. The waves toss him towards the beach, almost exactly where I was talking to Mr. Tastaren this morning.

My movements are clumsy and uncoordinated as I wade into the waist-deep water to pull the wooden plank onto the sand.

The rain falls on me, on us, like a cloak of ice.

I'm trembling, I'm scared, filled with anxiety as I drag him across the sand. His feet remain in the water. He's too big a man. I don't have the strength to drag him.

The rain has turned into a storm. I can't see more than a hand's breadth in front of my face.

I lean in to touch him and find out if he's alive. His body is warm, very warm, I can feel it even through the clothes. There's a strong pulse in his neck.

He's alive!

The realization makes me even more anxious. I stand up. I need to call my Sisters. I need to call the Mothers.

No!

I stand, paralyzed, not knowing what to do.

This man was brought here and he's alive. I can't leave him on the beach. The bargots might get him. They're scavenger birds. A pair of them could handle him, even though he's a huge man, in a few hours. I've seen a few on the beach on ordinary days. But I don't know if they come out in storms.

If the Mothers saw him, what would happen? They would take care of him, wouldn't they? Wouldn't they?

I'm worried about the thought that men are forbidden here. That the Mothers might do something to him. The possibility makes my heart beat harder in my chest, urgently. They wouldn't kill him... Would they? Men are forbidden here. The ones I've seen only come for the rituals and then disappear.

Disappear...

I look at the stranger still with half his body in the water.

I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have found him. I have no powers. I have no visions. How would I explain being out here and finding him? I can't