“No. You still will not age. You will not sicken. But should you be wounded too badly—or away from me too long—you will weaken. You will not die. You will never die. You may fall into a weak, fugue state—much like a mortal suffering from dementia. To revitalize you must simply return to me—to Earth. My world will always succor you, strengthen you, and return you to yourself.”
“I can live with that.” He smiled bravely at his mother. “Actually, I like knowing that my mother’s world is the source of my strength.”
She touched his cheek. “Such a warrior. My darling eldest child, understand that your sacrifice must be great so that your brother’s Consort is a perfect creation. That means you will have to rest a very long time.”
“You mean a decade or so?”
“Much more, my precious son,” she said. “You will rest so long that your name will be forgotten by everyone except Nyx, Erebus, and the Tsalagi Wise Women who remain true to the old ways. Through the fidelity of the great-grandchildren of these women someday in the distant future there will be one Wise Woman who will remember your name and the prophecy that must be fulfilled, and she will set into motion the actions that will free you from your sacrifice.”
Kalona felt cold. “But Nyx will worry. She will come looking for me.”
“I know that, my son. And that is why I spoke the words I did. Should you agree, my spell will bind the prophecy and no one, not even your Goddess, can awaken you until it is fulfilled.”
“Then I have to say goodbye to—” He broke off his words and shook his head. “No. I cannot see Nyx. If I do I will never leave her, and my brother will fade to a shadow of himself.” He met his mother’s gaze. “I agree. I will do it. Today. Now. My brother has already told Nyx that I am making right a wrong. My Goddess trusts me. She will know that I only left her because I had to. Go ahead. The sooner you do it—the sooner I can awaken and return to Nyx.”
His mother held Kalona’s gaze. “You are showing a depth of compassion and maturity that I admit surprises me.”
Kalona managed to make the corners of his numb lips tilt up. “Erebus has influenced me well these many years.”
“But you had to be open to his influence, which is not an easy thing for a warrior.” She turned her focus from Kalona to the Wise Women circled around them. “My children! I task you with teaching the prophecy I recited to your daughters. Tell them that they alone are responsible for my immortal son returning to his life and his Goddess, so they must be fertile and faithful! They must repeat my words, passing from generation to generation. Can you promise to do that for me, Wise Women?”
As one the group cried, “Yes, Mother!”
“Excellent. I would like you to stand and begin to move around the circle to the rhythm of that beautiful morning song you so often greet the day with, but I ask that you change the lyrics. Sing these words instead, my children.”
Then the Great Earth Mother began to sing in a voice that was so lovely Kalona’s eyes filled with tears. Her moss-covered feet beat out a rhythm that the Wise Women immediately took up as their circle began to move clockwise while she sang.
“He is of our Great Earth Mother, it is so.
He is of our Great Earth Mother, it is so.
He is of our Earth Mother.
He is of our Earth Mother.
It is so, it is so, it is so, it is so,
Earth Mother, it is so. Earth Mother, it is so
Earth Mother, Earth Mother, Earth Mother!”
As the Wise Women sang and danced, Kalona’s mother offered her son her hand. He took it and stood, walking with her to the base of the big oak. She motioned for him to sit again, this time with his back resting against the rough bark of the tree.
“What do you want me to do?” Kalona asked.
“Simply relax. I shall do the rest,” said his mother.
“Will it be painful?” he blurted before he could stop himself.
She stroked his cheek. “Not at all. You will feel tired and you will sleep—secure in my bosom—protected and cherished.”
“I’ll just sleep for all those years?”
“Yes, and while you sleep I will send you dreams of your beloved Goddess.”
“Mother, might I ask a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Send Nyx dreams of me as well, so that she will not forget me.” His voice roughened, tripping over the end of the sentence.
“My precious child, your Goddess could never forget you. You are her truest love—her only Consort. But I will honor your request and send your Goddess dreams of you.”
Kalona felt the knot of tension in his chest begin to unravel. “Thank you. It makes me worry less.”
“Are you ready, my son?”
Kalona couldn’t find his voice, so he simply nodded.
“Then I need your hands,” she said.
The request confused Kalona, but he lifted his hands, offering them palms up to his mother, who stood in front of him. With a movement so swift that Kalona’s vision couldn’t follow it, Mother Earth reached down and drew the tips of her fingers across each of his wrists. He felt no pain—only a slight pull, and then the warmth of blood as her fingernails, which had suddenly hardened to diamond-tipped claws, sliced two narrow scarlet paths across his wrists.
Oh-so gently, Mother Earth bent, guiding his wrists so that they rested on the ground beside him while Kalona’s immortal blood soaked into the ground.
“Now, my precious son, I am going to call forth your brother’s mate from this fertile land around you. As I do that you will weaken. Do not fight it. You must share your spirit willingly or the creation will be flawed.”
“I understand, Mother.”
“Remember that you have nothing to fear. I will hold you close until the day you are awakened.”
“I will remember.”
Mother Earth bent and kissed him gently on his forehead. “You have made your mother very proud.”
Her words gave Kalona a feeling of lightness and joy he’d never before experienced, and he realized that the final missing puzzle piece within his heart had been his mother’s love. Erebus had been close to Mother Earth all during the time she was testing them, and after she slept and they’d joined Nyx in the Otherworld, Erebus continued to return to Earth to leave small, special offerings to their mother. He even talked to her, which Kalona had found really strange. But now he understood. Mother Earth’s love was warmth and softness and light, and he would miss it when he awoke.
Never again. After I awaken I will leave our mother gifts and speak to her like Erebus does.