"tonight you asked for forgiveness. Zoey gave you one answer i shall give you another. Forgiveness is a special gift, and it must be earned"
"I ask humbly that you share that special gift with me Nyx",
Neferet said still bowing her head and hiding her face
"When you earn the gift, you will receive it", Abruptly the Goddess turned from Neferet, her attention turning to the sword master, who closed his fist over his heart respectfully to her.
"Your Anastasia is free of pain and remorse, will you make Damien's choice, and learn to rejoice in the love you had and move on, or will your choice destroy that which she loved so much about you- your ability to be both strong and merciful?" Rephaim was watching Dragon, waiting for a response from the sword master that did not come, when Nyx spoke his name.
"Rephaim",
He looked Nyx full in the face for only an instant, and then Rephaim remembered what he was and bowed his head in shame and spoke the first words that flooded into his mind.
"Please don't look at me!"
He felt Stevie Rae's hand slide into his.
"Don't worry, she's not here to punish you",
"And how do you know that, young high priestess ",
Stevie Rae's grip tightened spasmodically on his hand, but her voice didnt falter.
"'Cause you can see into his heart. and i know what you'll find there",
"What do you believe is in the Raven Mocker's heart, Stevie Rae?"
"Goodness, and I don't think he's a Raven Mocker anymore. His daddy released him. So now I think he's a-a new kinda, uh, boy-who's-never-been-before", she tripped ove the words, but managed to finish.
"I see you are bound to him", was the Goddess's enigmatic response.
"I am", she said firmly.
"Even if your bond means splitting this house of night, and perhaps, this world, in two?"
"My Mama used to prune her roses real fierce, and I thought she was gonna hurt them, maybe kill them. When i asked her about it she told me sometimes you have to cut away the old stuff and make room for the new. Maybe it's time to cut away some old stuff", Stevie Rae said.
Her words surprised him so much that Rephaim turned his eyes from the ground to Stevie Rae. She smiled at him and at the moment, he wished more than anything else, he could smile back at her and her in his arms like as real boy would be able to do, because what he saw in her eyes was warmth and love and happiness with not even the slightest glimpse of remorse or rejection.
Stevie Rae gave him the strength to look up at the Goddess and meet her infinite gaze.
And what he saw was familiar because mirrored in Nyx's eyes was the same warmth and love and happiness he'd seen within Stevie Rae's gaze.
Rephaim dropped Stevie Rae's hand so that he could close his fist over his heart, in the ancient, respectful greeting.
"Merry meet, Goddess Nyx",
"merry meet Rephaim", she said. "you are the only child of Kalona's to turn from the rage and pain of your conception, and the hatred that has filled your long life, and seek light",
"None others had Stevie Rae", he said.
"It is true that she influenced your choice, but you had to be open to her and respond with light instead of darkness",
"That hasn't always been my choice, in the past I've done terrible things, these warriors are right ti want me dead", Rephaim said.
"Do you regret your past?,
"I do",
"Do you choose and new future where you pledge yourself to my path?"
"I do",
"Rephiam, son of fallen immortal warrior Kalona, I accept you into my service, and I forgive you for the mistakes of your past",
"Thank you, Nyx", Rephaim's voice was rough with emotion as he spoke to the Goddess, his Goddess.
"Will you thank me when I tell you that though i forgive you and accept yo, there are consequences you must pay for the choice of your past",
"No matter what comes next, for an eternity i will thank you, This I swear", he said without hesitation.
"Let us hope that you will have many, many years to live up to you oath, Know then that this is your consequence", Nyx raised her arms as if she could cup the moon in the palms of her hands.
It seemed to Rephaim she was gathering light from the stars themselves.
"Because you have awakened the humanity within you i will, each night from setting sun to rising sun, gift you with the true form you deserve", The Goddess hurled the glowing power that had coalesced between her hands at him, causing a pain so terrible that he screamed in agony and crumpled to the ground. As he lay there. paralyzed the Goddess's voice was the only sound that broke through him.
"to atone for your past, by day you will lose your true form and return to that of a raven, who knows nothing except the desires of a beast. Consider well how you use your humanity. Lear from the past and balance the beast . So i have spoken- so mote it be!"
The pain was beginning to recede and Rephaim was able to look up at the Goddess again she she opened her arms to take in and said joyously,
"I leave the rest of you with my love, if you choose to accept it, and my desire that you always blessed be!"
