Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 390

Chapter 390:The Temple

Ella

It is, indeed, a long climb. Cora and I are panting by the time we get to the top,

and even though Sinclair took Rafe from me halfway through the hike I have to

take a moment to catch my break when we pull ourselves up to the final level.

Roger has the indecency to look a little smug about the fact that he barely looks

winded and Cora gives him a little shove on the shoulder as she works to take a

few deep breaths and wipe the sweat from her brow.

Even as I work to bring my heartrate back down, I absolutely marvel at the sight

before me.

The Goddess’ temple, like the one in the city, is built completely with white

marble. But unlike the one in the city, this one looks…ancient. Vines grow in

ropes all over it, looking almost as if the structure is part of the forest itself,

having grown up organically from it. The temple is tall and wide, the pillars in

front drawing my eyes upward to the slanted roof which curls into a dome. At the

very peak of the dome is a golden crescent moon, reaching up towards the sky,

glinting in the bright sunlight.

“Wow,” Cora says, standing straight next to me and likewise marveling at the

temple. “Mom has some… impressive property.”

“I know, right?” I mutter back, crossing my arms and shaking my head. If

someone had told me, when I was a little girl sleeping in my creaky little orphan

bed, that my mom lived here…

Well. I probably would have believed them.

But I was a very imaginative child.

“Um,” Roger says, looking anxiously at Cora. “Shall we?”

I smile at him, seeing that he’s eager to move on but also that he wants to give

her room to process this experience. It’s more intense for her than it is for him,

and I think that it’s very sweet that he realizes this. Roger really has come leaps

and bounds as a person from when I first met him.

Sinclair comes to stand next to me and I grin at him and then turn to my baby,

taking his hands and speaking to him quietly, asking him how he likes it here

and if he’s ready to meet his granny for real this time. Rafe claps and gurgles

like he really is excited.

I say quietly, smiling

grinning proudly down at his son. “He’s

I say, leaning closer to kiss my baby’s forehead. “Yes, he is. The

world will ever see

that title for about…five more months,” Roger calls

his chest with a smirk.

letting it pass.

you ready, Cora?” I ask, moving again to

me a nod and

us begin to walk towards the

woman in dove- colored robes comes out of

still at the sight of those robes

themBut I feel Sinclair behind me, his

bond and I exhale, skipping forward a

stay at Cora’s side.

right. This is…this is not

is different, and not every priestess we meet is going to try to take

surely,

little and giving

– you are welcome

right on time.”

each other and then look back to the

warmly at me but Cora turns to me

“Can’t you feel her?”

Cora for a second and then, as I realize what she

mother here already – I bite my

used up’ our

I could

a startled “o” of concern, but I

and work hard to give her a

hand. “I’m glad you can feel her

sympathetic, and then we both

says, smiling around at

on the baby,

inside.”

a group, we follow the priestess into my mother’s

heart is

the

temple was elegantly sparse, and the

one is… cozy. The architecture is still

can tell that women live here and treat it as a home. As I

at the padded benches by the windows,

alcoves and the little worn stick broom tucked into

this is my favorite temple of all – and that I quite

priestess does not pause in the middle of the large central room

dome, but instead leads us across it to

she turns to us with a warm smile.

asks, giving us a

hair behind her ears and Roger comes

very serious.

mate’s mother as such for the first time. I smile

the baby, who Sinclair

Rafe

grandmother. It feels

we’re all ready – and Sinclair has

Cora nods to the priestess who

standing

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