“Every last stitch.”

I wasn’t shy, but still, it was unnerving to take all my clothes off in front of Ash and Douglas. Anyone else wouldn’t have bothered me, but Ash’s eyes saw through me. Saw more than I wanted him to.

Naked, skin prickling with the air blowing through the cavern, I fought not to cross my arms. “I’m ready.”

His eyes never left mine as he spoke. “Good luck.”

Douglas stepped forward. “Larkspur of the Redwoods, you are called to battle for those you love. Will you answer the call?”

“I will.”

“You are called to stand as protector of the forest and all it holds. Will you stand firm in the face of all that comes with evil in its heart?”

“I will.”

“You are laid bare before the mother goddess, that she will see your heart and know its truths. Let her embrace you, and she will show you the path you will face.”

The sand slid between my toes as I walked through the path of torches, mouth dry, and heart skipping several beats. The walk was not long, and yet long enough for my mind to run ahead to all the possibilities. What would happen when I slid into the water? What would I see?

My feet touched the edge of the warm water, and a small wave lapped up and over my foot. The ringing of a bell sounded and I looked around. Ash was gone, and the cave had disappeared. I stood on the edge of a long white sandy beach under a full moon. The crash of the ocean, the pull of the earth on my senses, the warmth of a gentle breeze tickling the back of my legs.

A woman walked toward me, dressed in a flowing skirt, so long that it trailed in the air behind her at least ten feet. Her hair was the color of the soil, dark and rich, shot through with sparkles of silver. Every step she took brought her closer until I could see the details in her face. The curve of her jaw, the slightly slanted eyes that gave the impression of some large animal trapped under her skin, the full lips and tiny nose. Her eyes caught mine in a snare, green and gold, and then every color the forest had ever given to a flower.

I slowly dropped to my knees. “Mother.”

She cupped a hand around my cheek. “Larkspur, I have waited a long time for you to come to me. Now, we have much to speak of and time is short. There will be a long, hard path for you to learn how to use your abilities. And you will have more trials to face than any other of my children.”

I lifted my eyes to hers. “Cassava, she is part of this.”

“Yes, my child. She is not done yet, and you are not ready to face the destruction she brings. But you will be.” She stroked a hand over my head, smoothing my hair. “You will be.”

I stood and she beckoned me to follow. I looked behind to see the flickering of a torch, the sandy beach where Ash waited for me to finish my testing.

“Come, Larkspur,” the mother goddess called to me. “The time to see you recurve is now. Let us begin.”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Let us begin.”