Page 80 of Demure
“Red?” They had discussed how different colors meant different things for this ritual.
“Yes, for passion, sacrifice, and intent.”
The words didn’t make much sense to Sierra, but she figured that Fia knew what she was doing. As soon as Sierra had run a brush through her hair, Fia grabbed her arm and led her towards the backdoor.
“Go straight into the woods, until it feels right. Stop there and begin your conversation with her. If it is meant to be, she will come.”
Sierra nodded mutely, not wanting to mention the fact that she couldn’t see anything, so it was just as likely that she ran into something that could eat her as she was to summon Gaia. She just hoped that it felt right quickly, so she wouldn’t have to wander too far.
With a few last well wishes, Fia pushed Sierra out of a door at the rear of the house. Sierra looked back over her shoulder just in time to see Fia nod before she closed the door, sealing Sierra out with the night.
Figuring there wasn’t much else to do but go forward, Sierra put her hands out in front of her like a zombie and began walking away from the house. The night wasn’t cold, per se, but it wasn’twarm either, and goosebumps prickled their way up her bare arms as she made her way toward the trees, step by step.
After a few minutes, Sierra had worked out a rhythm. It was slow going for sure, and it wouldn’t protect her from anything that wanted to eat her, but it kept her from tripping and falling flat on her face.
First, she would put a foot out in front of her and feel for any uneven ground or tree trunks that might be in her way. Then she would reach out with her arms and feel. Once she got to the tree line, she was able to go from tree trunk to tree trunk this way, doing an ample job of getting herself through the forest with no vision whatsoever.
From time to time, her foot would encounter vines or bushes, and she almost ran straight into a tree trunk that was abnormally close to another, but for the most part, she was currently unscathed.
Sierra didn’t know how long she continued like this, but at some point, it became a habit, and she was able to devote her mind to other thoughts, like the reality that she had no idea where the right spot for the ritual would be.
When she had discussed this with Fia, she had assumed it would be daylight and that she would wander until she found a place of beauty or reverence, but now that it was night, she would have to rely on her other senses, and her intuition, to know when the place was the correct one.
Just as her feet were starting to feel like lead weights, it happened. She left the trunk of one tree to touch another and what felt like a feather-light caress made its way down her spine. The night sounds of the forest had also quieted, the air around her heavy with reverence. This was the place.
Figuring that Mother Nature wouldn’t mind if she sat down before beginning their talk, Sierra felt around the area to see what was available. To her dismay, there was no rock or tree root that even resembled suitable seating, so after a few minutes of searching,Sierra sank to the ground at the base of the large tree her hand had been on.
“Well, here it goes,” Sierra said out loud, breaking the grave silence of the night. Hopefully, she would be able to get through her entire speech before something came to eat her. “Hi, um, Gaia, or Mother Nature, whichever you prefer to be called. It’s me, Sierra.”
Sierra paused, waiting to see if someone would speak back, but after several moments of nothing but silence, she continued, “You, uh, may not know me, but I’m human. I came here from the human world probably about a week ago now, but anyway, I’m studying why and how humans age, as well as some possible solutions, as part of a master’s program in Dublin.”
Sierra didn’t think it was possible, but in that moment, the forest around her grew even more silent. In fact, the only sound was Sierra’s heart, which was pounding in her chest, and she was pretty sure that every creature in the forest could hear it.
“But, back to the point, I’m here because Conlan is convinced I’m the solution to the Fae aging problem. I’m not sure if that’s true or not, but a friend of mine can see the future, and she showed me that my death is coming soon, soo…I’m here to see if it would be possible for me to become Fae, so that I could take the time to try and solve this issue more before…my death.”
The last two words came out as a whisper. Sierra had never really pondered her own death before, and hearing the words come out of her mouth was weird. She swore that she could still hear them, as if the wind had picked them up, and decided to continually swirl them around her ears.
Sierra wasn’t sure if she had said the right thing, and she had no idea if Mother Earth had heard her. Maybe she had picked the wrong spot after all? Or maybe she had already been cursed. Could one feel a curse when they were given, or was it something you noticed after a bit of time? These questions and more swirled around in Sierra’s head, but no answering voice came.
Sierra wondered what to do now. She had entered the forestwithout a plan to go back, and it looked like Mother Earth didn’t want to talk to her. She hadn’t marked her path at all, and even if she had, she assumed Conlan was on his way to Fia’s right now, and she had no option to return.
As she was plotting her next move, Sierra heard a sound coming from the underbrush. Knowing that nothing good could come from that low, Sierra drew her knees into her chest, tucking her feet beneath the red gown. In her head, she repeated the mantra, “Please don’t eat me,” at least six times while the rustling continued.
Finally, it stopped, only for Sierra’s gaze to latch on to a pair of glowing pink eyes, much too close for comfort. Sierra considered screaming, but before she could do so, a small animal emerged.
I know who you are.
The voice was feminine and seemed to come from inside Sierra’s mind. Taken aback, Sierra bit her lip and looked around at her surroundings nervously.
That’s when she realized something—she could actuallyseeher surroundings.
Sure, it wasn’t quite the same as daylight, but her eyes were able to pick up on sources of light she hadn’t been able to perceive before. The shapes of the forest at night emerged from the inky darkness in front of her.
Wait a minute.
With a shaky hand, Sierra reached up to feel her ears, as the glowing pink eyes of what she could now discern was a badger watched her from a few feet away. She started at the bottom, brushing her earlobe before running her finger up the side of her ear, only for her jaw to drop open as she felt her ear continue to slightly above where it used to, now coming to a pointy tip.
Sierra couldn’t process the thoughts; her mind was in a state of shock. How had her ears changed without her feeling them?
