Goddess of War Read online

  “Yes,” Vineet said. “Thank you.”

  Desi beamed, pressing her body to Preeti’s chest in the best embrace that she could accomplish with her small stature.

  “I would do anything for my sweet twins.”

  Preeti chuckled. Desi had always loved to call them her sweet twins. Having something from home gave her even more confidence. Maybe they would find their way back home someday.

  “What’s the plan?”

  Preeti stared at Desi. “We thought you had a plan.” She’d been wondering the same thing since the moment her eyes opened from their long slumber.

  Desi smirked. “I was joking, sweet Preeti. I will find you homes to live out your lives until you reach the age of Enlightenment.”

  “Then we can go home?”

  “Yes. It is then that you will be strong enough to stand against Litha and claim your rightful place as rulers of Aden.”

  “That’s it? Simple enough. Right, Vineet?” Preeti glanced back at her brother. She chuckled and pointed at him.

  He lifted his shoulders. “What is it?”

  She motioned to her clothes. “Look at us,” she said. “We look ridiculous.”

  Both of them had on tattered prison uniforms.

  Preeti’s white uniform was caked in mud and soot, as was Vineet’s, except his shirt was ripped across the front as if a dragon had used its sharp claws on him.

  “We need to find some new clothes, quickly.”

  “You’re right,” he said.

  Desi looked at their faces for a moment, examining them with her thin golden eyes.

  “It shouldn’t be too difficult to blend with the humans. You don’t look much different. But your tattoos will give you away.”

  Memories of receiving a new tattoo every year of their life since birth came to Preeti. The pain was a symbol of growth and what it meant to hold such power.

  Preeti rubbed her bare arms, the black symbols stark against her bronze skin. They were a part of her that she was proud of.

  “We must hide them.”

  “Yes. I have an idea,” Desi said. “I know someone that can hide you. Another exiled god.”

  “Good,” Vineet said, hope in his eyes. “It’s good to know we aren’t the only ones in this world.”

  “He’s a lesser god like your father, but he is wise and just. We must be quick. My power is weak here. I will need to rest. Just listen to my instructions,” Desi said, curling into a small golden ball. She landed in Preeti’s hand.

  Desi’s tiny voice came from inside the golden ball that resembled the floating spores of the spitfire flowers.

  “Follow the river to a small farm. There is a monastery there. That is where you will find the god named, Errison.”

  “One second.” Preeti knelt down for one more drink of water. Wiping her mouth, she nodded. Whatever awaited them on their journey, they would face it together.

  “Ready.”

  THE ENTRANCE TO the Rhene monastery was quiet. Night had fallen, and the air was still as Allan and Preeti entered the sleeping village that surrounded the rectangular shaped building made of brown stone.

  Such silence made Preeti nervous. She was used to the constant chatter of pixies, the howl of the night wind, and the sparkling song of the flowers in her garden outside her window.

  Home.

  Preeti missed it dearly.

  Something about the human world intrigued her despite its strange sun and landscape. What enchanted her most of all was the fact that water fell from the sky.

  She looked up at the black sky as that delicious liquid she loved so much splashed onto her face and into her eyes.

  “Look at this, Vineet,” she said, opening her mouth to catch more of the water.

  Vineet glanced upward and grimaced. “It gets into my eyes.”

  “It doesn’t hurt,” Preeti said. “It feels good, doesn’t it?”

  “No,” he said. “It’s making me feel cold.”

  Preeti continued collecting the falling water into her mouth while Vineet knocked on the door four times and took a step back.

  Desi had shrunk herself into a golden ball that Preeti kept in her pocket. They couldn’t risk their fairy being seen by people that knew very little of fairies and magic.

  Preeti slid her hand in her pocket and closed it around the ball. Holding it gave her reassurance that their plan would work.

  A tall, bearded man in a long black cloak opened the wooden door. Standing almost a foot taller than them, his head was bald and smooth, and his eyes were wise. Preeti hoped they could trust him.

  “It’s late,” he said, looking them over. “Beggars can wait until morning to be fed.”

  Vineet held a hand out, stopping the monk from closing the door.

  “Wait,” he said.

  The monk looked annoyed, his thick eyebrows furrowing. “How dare you? Step aside before I set the dogs on you.”

  Preeti stepped in front of her brother. “Are you Errison?”

  The monk nodded. “I am. Who are you?”

  Nervously, she looked from side to side, and then lifted her shirt to just above her navel. The reveal of her mark of the gods, seemed to catch Errison off guard.

  Errison’s face morphed from anger to bewilderment. When his eyes rose to Preeti’s, there were tears in his eyes.

  Preeti bit her lip.

  Please work, she thought.

  She watched Errison examine her tattoos. When he reached a finger out to touch it, she pulled her shirt back down and wrapped her arms around her body. Now she knew what Vineet meant about the falling water making him cold.

  Her clothes became soaked, making her shiver.

  Preeti and Vineet waited in silence as Errison looked from one to the other, finally noticing all of the other tattoos going up and down the exposed skin on their arms, necks, and faces.

  “The Goddess of War,” he said looking to Preeti, then turned his gaze to Vineet. “And the God of Peace.”

  Vineet nodded.

  To their surprise, he fell to his knees, arms bent and head pressed to the ground at their feet.

  “Forgive me. I did not know who you were.”

  Errison looked up at them, his face gone pale.

  “I just haven’t seen another god in centuries.”

  The twins followed Errison into the torch-lit monastery. The air was quite close inside. Raina crossed her arms, hugging herself.

  Humans were around. She could sense their sleeping bodies, and it intrigued her along with everything else they had come to experience in the Abyss.

  “What was the falling water called out there?”

  “Rain,” the monk said.

  “Rain,” Preeti repeated. “It sounds beautiful.”

  “Why yes. I suppose it does,” he said. “Now, tell me what I can do to help you,” he said, motioning for them to sit down on the long wooden bench inside a large room with sculptures of all of the founding gods, and a fountain in the center.

  Preeti cleared her throat. She glanced at the sculpture of Litha, imagining her looking down at her with hate.

  “We need help hiding from—” Preeti lowered her voice to a whisper. “The Goddess of Law.”

  Errison raised his brows. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against a pillar. “Well, that is quite a task.”

  “I know,” Preeti said. “But we only have to hide until our Enlightenment. That’s only thirty years from now.”

  Errison stroked his beard. “That makes three human years.”

  “Oh,” Preeti said. “Even better.”

  Errison sighed. “Maybe, but what you’re asking me is dangerous work. Even three years of hiding fugitives can cause great harm to the work I’ve done in this world.”

  “We were told you could help us,” Vineet said. “Please don’t send us back out there.”

  “No need to worry,” Errison said. “I didn’t say that I wouldn’t help you.”

  Preeti reached for her brother’s hand
and gave it a squeeze.

  Please let there be hope.

  The thought of returning to the Vault where Litha could do whatever she wanted to them turned Preeti’s stomach. The next time might not be a prison sentence.

  Death awaited if Litha found them.

  “Come now,” Errison said, leading them out of the room. “Pardon the meager accommodations. You two will have to sleep with the other young recruits.”

  “Thank you so much for helping us,” Preeti said.

  “It is my pleasure. It’s not every day that I get to save the world.”

  Vineet smiled. “Is that what we are doing?”

  Errison nodded, glancing back at them. “It is. With Litha in charge, everyone suffers.”

  The monastery was massive. It was built in honor of the Goddess of Health, but all worship was welcome. Four stories above ground resembled the castles of Pollos in Aden, but the two levels below were more like catacombs. Walking those corridors gave her an eerie feeling.

  Rubbing her arms, Preeti glanced at a painting of Tawni, the Goddess of Health. They’d met a few times before at the annual feast her father held at their manor. Tawni was a beautiful and kind woman.

  If only all gods and goddesses could be as kind and loving. Just thinking of Litha gave her chills. It was only a matter of time before she found them.

  Preeti scratched her arm. She couldn’t wait to bathe and change out of her prison uniform.

  He stopped and turned to them.

  “What are your names?”

  “I am Preeti, and this is Vineet.”

  Errison nodded, then his soft green eyes went wide. He waved his hands before them. “We will have to change those. No one can suspect who you are.”

  Vineet raised a brow. “We have to change our names?”

  “Yes,” Errison said.

  Preeti cracked a smile. She loved her name, but how often do you have the freedom to choose a name for yourself?

  She nudged Vineet. “Errison is right. It will be fun. I already have a few names for you, Vineet.”

  “Like what?”

  “Glutton, Sleepy, and how about Arrogant?”

  Vineet pushed her forward. “And I can call you Ridiculous,” he said. “Let’s just get to our rooms. I’m exhausted.”

  Preeti covered a snicker with her hand. It was grand to smile again, but the memory of why they were there crept back upon her. She straightened her shoulders, her smile fading.

  As they walked down the dark corridor, she glanced at the many doors on either side where others were already asleep.

  “Are you sure this is okay?”

  “Yes. I am the head of the monasteries in this region. No one will question me. We receive new recruits every week. There are always young folk seeking refuge and truth. You’ll fit in just fine.”

  Preeti was pleased by his answer. Desi was right to send them there. Preeti gave her pocket a little pat.

  Once they stopped at the door on the end, Errison pulled a long key from his cloak’s inner pocket. He opened the door and held it for Preeti.

  “This one is yours,” he said.

  Preeti stepped inside and glanced at the single cot, and a chest. The walls were so close that Preeti could almost stretch both arms out to her sides and touch the slick stone at the same time.

  “Where will Vineet sleep?”

  She became nervous about leaving Vineet’s side. They’d never been more than a wall apart, and in the past few months they’d been constantly by each other’s side.

  “He will be in the male quarters on the other side of the monastery,” Errison said. He nodded to the chest beneath the rectangular window. “You’ll find fresh clothes inside. I’ll have one of the other monks hang a cloak and Seer gear outside your door in the morning. You’re to wear it everywhere. Only top ranked missionaries wear that uniform, but it’s the only one that will make sense.” He lowered his voice. “No one can see those tattoos, and it covers the entire body.”

  Preeti nodded, wondering what a Seer was.

  “And have a new name picked out by breakfast,” he added. “I’ll see you then.”

  Watching them leave left Preeti feeling cold. When the door closed, the emptiness started to settle in. She already missed Vineet, but when she flopped onto her wool-covered cot, Desi flew from her pocket.

  A smile came to Preeti’s face as she watched the fairy twirl and light the small room with her bright glow.

  “Good,” Desi said. “This is very good. I told you Errison was one of the good ones.” She landed on Preeti’s lap, sat down and crossed her legs. “Now, what are we going to call you?

  THE NEXT DAY Preeti put on her new Seer uniform. A loose blouse was tucked into her flared skirt that reached her ankles. Her waist was pulled tight by a draped red sash that circled around her waist and over her right shoulder where it tied in the back.

  She’d needed another girl to help her accomplish the intricate presentation of such elaborate new clothing.

  Olia was trusted by Errison. A girl of seventeen, she was quiet, obedient, and friendly.

  With short brown hair that barely went past her chin, Olia was beautiful to Preeti. It was her green eyes that captivated her.

  Something about green eyes always left her enchanted. But Olia always seemed to keep hers lowered, as if she was too unsure of herself to look upward and into the eyes of others.

  Olia helped Preeti pull her calf-length boots on and secured the cloak to the hooks on her blouse. Lastly, she pulled her cloak’s hood over her hair. Leather gloves completed the uniform.

  Everything from her eyebrows up, and chin down was covered which was fitting considering her favorite tattoo was on her forehead. The same woman that helped her get dressed had also chopped her bangs for her, covering the tattoo.

  Now she would blend in with every other human.

  “You look lovely, goddess,” Olia said in her soft voice.

  Preeti smiled at her, wishing she had a mirror to see herself. She’d just have to trust Olia’s account of how she looked.

  Vineet waited for her outside the female quarters in a uniform of his own. He wore black pants, a stiff white shirt that was tucked in, and a black cloak.

  Preeti noticed how Vineet’s eyes lingered on Olia as she walked down the stairs and away from them on the thin path between two rows of rose bushes.

  She glanced back at him before disappearing into the crowd of monks and recruits.

  Preeti held back an amused smile, not wanting to embarrass her brother for being attracted to a pretty girl.

  Still, it was difficult. Vineet never looked at any other girls like that before.

  Preeti and Vineet were meant to be opposites. They were once in training to rule all of the gods, meant to be the balance Aden desperately needed.

  War and peace were now impersonating human missionaries of the gods.

  Ironic.

  Sometimes Preeti wished that she could have been the Goddess of Peace instead of War, but her father had explained to her the reasoning to why the world needed war. Sometimes people had to fight for what they believed in. War had its very own piece in the greater scheme of things.

  Balance was key. Now that balance had shifted with Litha in charge.

  Goddess of Law or not, Litha was corrupt.

  Preeti grinned when she approached Vineet. “No one even suspects anything,” she whispered to him.

  His eyes scanned the crowds of young men and women as they filled the inner courtyard. “It feels quite odd, doesn’t it?”

  Preeti shrugged. “I kind of like it. What freedom we have.”

  “I suppose,” Vineet said, still sounding unsure. “So. What am I to call you now?”

  Preeti leaned forward, her eyes bright. “Raina.”

  “Raina,” he repeated. “Like the falling water from last night?”

  She nodded.

  “I like it.”

  Raina giggled. “And what about you?”

  “Allan.
”

  Raina’s smile faded. She straightened up. “Like mother,” she said in a voice so soft that she could barely hear it herself.

  Just thinking of their mother, Allana brought a pain to her gut that threatened to make her burst into tears.

  Allan hugged her tight. “We will avenge her murder. I promise.”

  They broke apart when Errison approached them, sucking his teeth. “Public displays of affection, even for siblings, is not allowed. You won’t see any Seer’s embracing in view of others. You are to emulate warriors of wisdom, piety, and courage.”

  Raina and Allan nodded.

  “Apologies,” Raina said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

  “You two fit in even better than I anticipated.” He stroked his black beard. “And what are your names?”

  “Allan.”

  “Raina.”

  “Lovely,” he said. “Now let’s get you two stationed.”

  “Stationed?” Preeti had hoped that they could just stay in the monastery where it was safe.

  “You need to work.”

  Allan asked Preeti’s question before she could. “Why?”

  “For the anonymity or it. You can’t wear the uniform and not earn your keep. Trust me, do as I say and no one will suspect who the two of you really are. Come.” Errison motioned for them to follow.

  Raina gripped the front of her cloak, feeling for the chain Desi had created. Desi now hung around Raina’s neck, beneath the cloak, in the form of a beautiful silver and crystal necklace.

  “I can get you into the capital city where you’ll be hidden even better than out here in the countryside.”

  “Capital city,” Raina said, putting her hands in her pocket. The prospect of seeing more of this world started to intrigue her. “I admit, I do like the sound of it.”

  “As do I,” Allan said.

  “Good,” Errison said with a nod. “Because I figure you’d do well in the Royal Mission.”

  Raina slowed her pace.

  “Royal Mission?”

  Errison glanced over his shoulder.

  “Are you not up for it?”

  Allan nudged Raina. “We are up for anything. Aren’t we, Pree—Raina?”

  Raina pursed her lips. “Of course. I just figured we’d stay more hidden.”