Infinity: The Witch's Granddaughter

Shine

There wasn’t a single part of this world that didn’t bring me peace.

As if on cue, the doors of the little houses opened and people steadily came out, then started walking towards us.

It was at that moment I suddenly became self-conscious about still having my hand in my Lord’s, but I didn’t want to remove it, partly because it brought me comfort, partly because I didn’t want the gesture to be misunderstood as an offense or anything like that.

The oddest thing of all was that I didn’t recognize any of the faces around me, even though something told me that I should be seeing the five women from my dream as well.

“My children, please welcome our newest Star on the horizon,” my Lord’s voice calmly spoke.

They were all looking at him, and as soon as he finished speaking, they moved their eyes to me.

They were scanning me up, down, and sideways, trying to figure out who I was.

Then, an older gentleman took a step forward.

His baby blue eyes suddenly turned black for a few moments, then went back to normal.

His lips parted and he looked at me in shock, then his eyes teared up and he smiled warmly at me.

“Welcome, daughter of Sheila!” He spoke - almost yelled - and the crowd gasped.

So much for the peace of my soul.

One of the little girls gathered here stared at me in awe.

I gave her a little smile, unsure of what to say.

She let go of her mother’s - I think - hand and came towards me.

“Are you really the daughter of Sheila?” Everything about this took me by surprise.

First, the question.

How could a little girl understand the ramifications of being the daughter of Sheila?

Second, her voice.

It sounded like what I imagined I sounded like when I told my mom I would be leaving to fulfill my fate - strange, otherworldly, and definitely like what my mind recognized as the voice of the stars.

“I am. I have come to fulfill my destiny,” I answered honestly.

This little girl, still maintaining eye contact, looked into my soul and searched for deceit, or, at least that’s what it felt like.

I kneeled in front of her, while my Lord naturally let go of my arm, causing my insides to squirm a little.

We were now at the same eye level, and that’s when I saw it.

Her eyes turned white, for the shortest of moments, then back to her baby blue.

When I broke eye contact, I looked around.

Everyone that I could see had the same eye color.

What the…?

Never mind that.

Back to the little girl.

By the time I turned my eyes back at her, she was now smiling from ear to ear.

“Welcome, daughter of Sheila!” She yelled as she charged for me and jumped in my arms, catching me off guard and almost making me fall backward.

I placed my left arm under her and my Lord extended his hand again as if to raise a fallen fairy from the ground, and I extended my right hand to his.

I rose back to my feet, while still holding this little girl in my arms.

She was giggling, thrilled to be here.

I locked eyes with my Lord for a moment, then looked back at the villagers.

Their expressions now changed, from shock and/or surprise, to warmth.

And my inner peace was back.

Something told me I had one more challenge to face, and I wouldn’t like it, but I held on for dear life to my Lord’s hand and felt confident in the future that this life had in store for me.

When the crowd parted and the five elderly women came forward, I felt the moment of truth wash over me.

They all had their curly ginger mane untamed and their eyes were silver, just like mine.

Unlike the villagers that appeared to be humble, normal people, these five were grace personified.

Dignity and poise radiate from their every step.

They assembled around me, almost like they were about to shield me from the crowd.

When one of them spoke, I recognized her, she was the one I heard in my dream as well.

“Welcome,” she said, “to the Land of the Stars!”

She seemed nice enough, but something was off.

“I am Cassandra, High Priestess of the Stars, and these are my fellow Stars.”

There it was.

She made sure to let me know she was the High Priestess.

Power-hungry might as well have been tattooed on her forehead.

But I smiled politely and nodded.

“Thank you, High Priestess Cassandra.”

All five women wore similar outfits: simple, white dresses that brushed the land they walked, no low cuts, just elegant marble white single cuts.

They really stood out from the villagers, since their outfits reminded me of the villagers’ outfits in Brother Bear, but without the furs, just the fabric.

My heart was pounding and I noticed my Lord was looking at me intensely.

“My dear Stars, we should hurry to the Altar and start the ritual. Kayla needs to be connected to Infinity, so she can stay here, then we can name her High Priestess. There will no longer be a need for you to stand in Sheila’s place, Cassandra.”

He was calm, but even I felt that slap.

I wonder how she felt.

Wait.

Me?

High Priestess?

Has everyone here lost their freakin’ marbles?

I can’t be a priestess of the Stars.

I have no idea what to do, but I can’t voice my thoughts here.

Not with the villagers staring at me, not to publicly displease my Lord, not to give Cassandra the satisfaction.

So I just nodded and followed him.

When we reach the Altar, the five of them step in.

The Altar was in the open, with six tall columns on the outside and five spots on the inside, where the marble was higher, as a stepping stone.

These people might have an obsession with white when it comes to the Atars, but I wasn’t about to bring Earth science into the conversation.

The five Stars stepped on their respective stones and a blinding light formed in the center.

My Lord extended his hand to me and I took it without a second thought.

He led me to the center of the Altar, where the light was brightest.

There, one by one, the Stars offered me their blessing.

“I, Jessica, Priestess of the Northern Star, offer you the blessing of Infinity. Welcome, High Priestess.” The woman in front of me said, and the light got brighter.

“I, Dorianne, Priestess of the Eastern Star, offer you the blessing of Infinity. Welcome, High Priestess.” The light got even brighter, but I could still feel my Lord's hand.

So warm, so comforting.

“I, Kimberley, Priestess of the Southern Star, offer you the blessing of Infinity. Welcome, High Priestess.”

“I, Alma, Priestess of the Western Star, offer you the blessing of Infinity. Welcome, High Priestess.”

When Cassandra’s turn came, she hesitated.

She took a deep breath, shot knives at me with her eyes, then shook her head and it was like she became a different person, warm, kind, with a genuine smile.

“I, Cassandra, Priestess of the Constellations, offer you the blessing of Infinity. Welcome, High Priestess.”

The light became so bright, I closed my eyes.

Not out of fear, but of acceptance.

My soul knows what my mind hasn’t learned yet.

And all of a sudden, I heard the voices of the Stars. Not the ones here, the ones passed on to forever.

The Stars shining over our Lord, the stardust paving his path.

Clear as day, speaking in a language I’ve yet to know, but I could still understand their song.

Praise to the Lord of the Stars.

And the last bit of doubt has gone from my heart.

I finally accepted I am where I need to be.

My purpose in life is to serve and protect our Lord.

Praise him and light the way so his path never knows darkness and he can never stray.

When I opened my eyes, everything was different.

The clothes I wore up until now seemed strange, this land felt like my home, in my heart, the people here, my family, and a new sense of love towards my Lord filled my heart with joy.

The five Priestesses had already descended from their places and took a step back, close to five of the six columns.

“Daughter of Sheila, you may now take your place at the Altar,” Cassandra said, back to being her bitter ass self.

“Cassandra, you may address your new High Priestess by her name, is it not so?”

His voice was still the sweetest melody.

But this was my time to fit in.

“My fellow Stars, I am but a child. Show me the path I have to take and I can only ask that you follow me. Cassandra, my name is Kayla.

Feel free to use it from now on.”

I should have felt so good to shut her down, but no matter how much I tried to show a hint of sarcasm, my words were calm and honest.

With my newfound connection, I understood that rage has no place in the heart of a Star, but I keep wondering, what other type of emotion can live in a star’s heart that can allow one to act like her.

My feet took me to the column that was empty and I took my place as the last Star of the ceremony.

Then, in sync, we all said “Infinity! Show us fate.”

Just like in my dream.

But this time, they were enveloped in the same smoke that brought me here, and I wasn’t.

I was just standing in my place as their bodies were enveloped in smoke, and I feared I had done something wrong.

But I knew I didn’t.

They were older.

It was their time to join the forever.

It was their time to find the next Priestesses.

That thought brought me a strange sense of peace.

Not the I’m-happy-you’ll-all-die type of peace, but more of a new generation’s turn to protect this Land type of hope.

They carried out their duties, so now, they can rest.

When they came back, they were in a haze.

“My Stars, it is time to bless the Earth with your light. Find the Stars of tomorrow. Let your search begin.”

With that, the smoke once again took hold of them, but this time, they weren’t lifted from the ground. This time, they were transported to Earth.

And I almost missed it.

But I saw it.

Cassandra's eyes.

Filled with bloodlust and hunger for death.

And it wasn’t for me.

But I feared for the poor soul that would meet her wrath.