Divine by Choice (10 page)

“This is the central support piece,” Kai said. His unusual voice had a faraway sound as he looked adoringly at the newly constructed column. “Each individual piece of stone I used to construct it spoke Epona's name. I brought it home.”

“You hear a voice in the marble?” I couldn't stop myself from asking.

He smiled at me. “It is not a sound—not exactly. It is more like a whisper in my mind.”

I thought about Epona's voice and nodded. “It's a feeling, but you can hear it like it has been spoken.”

“Yes!” he said.

“Can you still hear its voice?” Alanna asked before I could.

“Of course—the marble will always speak to me.” He placed his work-toughened hand, which looked much older than the rest of him, against the column and closed his eyes. As his hand met marble, it seemed the stone quivered. We watched, and he caressed the column. For a moment the massive stone appeared to liquefy under his palm. It looked as if his hand sank into the stone, as if his touch made it claylike and malleable. I studied him, and saw an outline of shimmering radiance surrounding his body, much like the magical illumination that enshrouded ClanFintan as he called the Change to him. Then Kai took his hand from the column and opened his eyes. The glow faded as if it had only been a figment of my imagination.

“The marble greets you, Incarnate of Epona.” His voice was wonderfully serene.

“Really!” I breathed. “May I touch it?”

“Of course, my Lady,” he said, obviously pleased by my request.

I stepped close to the column and placed my hands gently against its smooth surface.

“Uh-hum…” Nervously I cleared my throat. “Hello,” I offered, feeling very small beside the huge stone.

I was surprised by how soft the marble felt beneath my palms. And this close I realized its appearance changed. I could see that it was not one color but a mixture of many different shades and veins, all blending together to create the distinctive pearl hue. While I studied it, I suddenly sensed a sentience, almost a listening presence, and my hands detected warmth that came from within the stone itself. Then I was enclosed in an astonishing swell of feelings, like I had been immersed in a warm pool of emotion, or had been wrapped in a mother's embrace. My hands shook—not from fear, but from the sheer wonder of it.

A line from Shakespeare flitted through my mind and I whispered, “‘Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!'”

Then the feeling dispersed, and with a parting caress I pulled my hands from the column and turned to find Alanna and Kai studying me intently.

“It spoke to you!” Kai said.

“Not really.” I let my eyes linger on the amazing marble. “But I felt something,” I didn't know how to describe it. “Something wonderful,” I ended lamely.

“When is the day of your birth?” He sounded excited.

“The last day in April,” Alanna answered before I could—and I was surprised that she answered correctly.

A flash of understanding came over Kai's expressive face. “Ah, a Taurean. Of course! You must be linked to the earth as well as to your goddess.”

I had no idea what he was talking about. I mean, I knew I had been born under the sign of the bull, and I'd suffered through pretending to listen to several discarded lovers lectur
ing me about my stubbornness (who really listens to guys after you fire them?). But I'd never paid much attention to horoscopes and that kind of stuff. Well, up until six months ago I hadn't.

Alanna was nodding happily in agreement.

“Well, that's nice to know,” I said a little lamely.

The clatter of hooves announced the arrival of a male centaur I recognized as being one of my husband's couriers.

“My Lady…” He executed a graceful centaur bow. “ClanFintan asks that you join him in the stables.”

“Is Epi all right?” Concern flashed through me.

“She is very restless, and the Shaman believes your presence will soothe her.”

“Tell him I'll be right there.” I turned to Kai. “Thank you for sharing this—” I faltered, not wanting to choose the wrong words “—magic with me.”

“It was my pleasure, my Lady.” His smile said I had chosen correctly.

I started to turn away, then stopped and reached out to pat the smooth stone in farewell. It still felt warm.

“Rhea,” Alanna said as we made our way back through the maze of construction, “I should go see to the preparations for the Samhain feast. There is still much to be done, and I do not think you will want to oversee the choosing of the food.”

“Ugh,” I agreed. “Go ahead. Just be sure there are plenty of those centaur muffins and some boiled rice. I'll see to Epi and meet you and Carolan around midday for lunch.” I grinned at her. “That is, if you're willing to chance eating around me again.”

“I will chance it.” She smiled back. “But I will not sit near you.”

“Smart aleck,” I muttered at her. Then I thought to add in a low voice, “Hey, how did you know April 30 is my birthday?”

“It is the date of Rhiannon's birth, too,” she whispered through a wry smile.

“Weird coincidence,” I said.

“It is only one of many,” she replied thoughtfully.

“Huh,” I said succinctly before I turned to the waiting centaur. “Lead on,” I told him, and we headed briskly to the ornate entrance to the stable.

The stable of Epona was an incredible building, like nothing I had ever seen before. It, too, was made of luminous marble carved and fitted into place by master masons. With newly educated eyes I gazed at the massive columns that supported the beautiful domed edifice, suddenly wondering if the sense of serenity and acceptance I had felt since the first time I had entered this building had been caused by more than the presence of the wonderful horses. I made a mental note to come back and do some marble feeling after Epi had calmed down.

The center aisle was wide and long. On either side of it were situated roomy, immaculate stalls, each tenanted by a mare unique in beauty and temperament. As I hurried down the aisle, I was greeted by throaty whinnies. I called to each of them by name, wishing I had time to stop and caress their shining faces.

“Hello, Pasiphae, you wonderful girl.”

“Lilith, you sweet thing, stop trying to pull down that hay net.”

“Heket, baby girl, you're much too beautiful to look at me with such sad eyes.”

And on and on and on—stall after stall held mares that were examples of the very best of their breed. As I neared the end of the hall, the aisle took an abrupt turn to the left. But before I entered that special area reserved for Epona's equine incarnation, I could already hear the restless squeals and pawings
of the mare that stood out as exceptional, even in this group of the finest horses in Partholon.

Taking the left turn I entered an enormous rounded room that held a huge stall to which a private corral was attached. My husband and Dougal were standing in front of the closed stall, as were several rumpled-looking stable maidens. Their attention was focused on the neurotic-acting mare who paced from one end of the spacious stall to the other.

Epi's beauty was ethereal. Her coat was a mixture of gray and white, that blended to form an incredible silver color, which glistened like pooled mercury until it shaded to coal around her eyes and down her delicate legs. She was a nice-size mare, probably about fifteen hands high, and her confirmation was beyond perfect. I adored everything about her.

As if she had the ability to sense my presence (which, truthfully, she does) she spun around and locked her bottomless eyes on me. A full-throated neigh split the air between us.

“Hello, my darling.” I laughed joyously and hurried toward her. “I hear you are causing quite a stir.”

“We are pleased to see you.” ClanFintan sounded as relieved as everyone else looked. The small group parted so that I could pull back the half-door and enter the stall.

“She's been like this since Ouranos arrived,” I said as I stroked her beautiful head and kissed her velvet muzzle. “Even though he's housed across the temple, she knows he's here and hasn't been herself for days.” Epi rubbed her head against me and lipped the edge of my cloak.

“She needs her mate,” ClanFintan said.

“Well, she'll have him, but not until tomorrow night.” I had been preparing for the Samhain ceremony for several weeks, and I, too, was nervous about the intricate mating ritual that was supposed to insure the next three years of fertility for this
land and its people. I rested my forehead against hers. “How about a ride? Think that will make you relax a little?”

Epi lipped the shoulder of my cloak and blew softly in my face. I took that for a horsey yes.

One maiden was already scrambling to strap her soft saddle blanket to her back, while another slipped an ornately detailed hackamore over her head. Even though she was unnaturally nervous, I was pleased to see she didn't fidget or throw a typical horse fit. Epi knew what was going on, and she behaved with her usual good manners.

“Here…” ClanFintan came up behind me and offered to give me a leg up onto the mare's back.

Epi held still until I had my seat, and then she started determinedly toward the gate in the corral, which a maiden was already opening. ClanFintan followed close behind us. I just had time to wave over my shoulder at the stable maidens and Dougal before Epi broke into her smooth canter, heading in a northerly direction.

“I guess we're going this way.” I called over my shoulder to my husband, who was loping easily near my side. “She's driving.” I nodded at Epi and he smiled. I could feel that she was eager to stretch her legs, so I took a deep seat, gripped her smooth sides with my thighs, leaned forward and whispered, “Let's go, gorgeous.”

She flicked an ear back to catch my words, then I felt her stride lengthen. We entered the edge of the wooded area that framed the temple grounds, but the wide, level path that led into it didn't cause Epi to slow, nor did it cause me to worry. She was no ordinary scatterbrained horse. She would slow when necessary, and not before. All I had to do was sit back and enjoy the ride.

The day had become cooler as it had progressed, and even though it wasn't actually raining, a mist hung low over the
land, obscuring our surroundings and giving the trees a weird, ghostly appearance. I noticed most of them had already lost their leaves, and realized, with disgust, that I had been too busy worrying about my mysterious puking sickness to appreciate what must have been a lovely show of changing leaves.

The path split ahead. I knew the left branch led to the upper vineyards, and the right branch would eventually take us to the outskirts of Ufasach Marsh. Not a pleasant place. ClanFintan and I had had to use the marsh as an escape route from the Fomorians, and it had almost cost us our lives. Unfortunately, Epi chose the right branch.

If she wanted to visit Ufasach, I'd have to exert my veto power. I did take solace in the knowledge that the beginnings of the marsh were several miles away, and I was pretty sure Epi would tire before then. And if she didn't, I would.

ClanFintan edged up so that we were galloping shoulder to shoulder. He looked relaxed and fresh, and I knew that he could go on for hours without visibly tiring at this ground-eating pace.

“How are you feeling?” he asked without even breathing hard.

“‘I feel good!'”
I sang to the tune of the old James Brown song, which made my husband roll his eyes and heave a long-suffering sigh. (I'm not really very musically inclined, although I'd like to be, so I keep trying.) Then my mind caught up to my automatic response and I realized it was true. I still had a funny, heavy feeling in the back of my throat. Kind of like you feel when you're fighting off the flu, but my stomach was definitely better since I'd filled it with muffins. Actually, now that I knew the hormonal cause of my illness and weird imaginings, I was decidedly more relaxed and more like my only sometimes grumpy self.

“Do not wait to feel tired to stop. We should go back before you become fatigued.”

“Okay, okay.” I mimicked his eye-rolling. “I'll be careful.”

I think he snorted at me, but his hooves covered the sound.

We rode on silently, and Epi's rapid gallop turned into her more rolling, leisurely canter. I enjoyed the change of her gaits, which were as smooth and flawless as her liquid-silver coat. Then the rolling canter turned into a rapid trot, which I found I could only tolerate for a short time.

“Whoa,” I said without needing to pull back on the reins. Epi's ears rotated back at the sound of my voice, and she immediately dropped out of the trot and into a brisk walk. ClanFintan looked at me with questioning eyes.

“It jiggles me too much,” I explained.

He snorted again. So did Epi.

“Just wait,” I said into her listening ears. “You'll be in my condition pretty soon yourself.”

She didn't say anything, but ClanFintan unsuccessfully tried to hold back a chuckle.