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The Proving Pool and its surrounding network of temples must have once been magnificent.
It’s a short skimmer ride from Ta’Nak Annir, and even at a distance, I can see the steam rising from its location nestled in the forest of black-leaved trees. When we swoop down over it, my face is met with sulfuric smells and waves of heat. When the pockets of steam clear, a rainbow of pools are revealed, some bright blue and clear and others grown over with red and purple algae.
The system of pools stretches out in every direction from the temple grounds, each one ringed by stacked stone walls that have collapsed in places. One side of the complex has been overrun by black vines that creep out from the edge of the nearby forest. A casual survey of the pools suggests there won’t be a great view for anyone aside from those standing close to me when I enter. The steam that billows through the area can be so thick at times that one could outstretch an arm and not see it.
“There’s not enough potential for housing and infrastructure here to have been considered for the resettlement project,” Mak explains to me as we poke around the area. “Besides, the pools might’ve been here for centuries, but some can be volatile. There are geysers here and there, both active and dormant, predictable and unpredictable. Great for exploring, but not the best for a permanent home.”
Mak and I have become something more than what we were before. We touch more, spend nights together in his bed, and we share these strange longing looks that make my heart pound wildly.
I’ve always known that he wanted me, have always caught his little glances and the way he watches me from afar. But ever since we crossed the boundaries I’d originally set on intimacy between us, his hunger is a potent, ever-present aura that sizzles the air when we stand too close together.
As for the tiff we had, he says nothing more about my decision to go through with the Proving. But every once in a while, when the subject comes up, I catch him gazing at me with this pathetic pout on his face. For the most part, I like it when he yearns for me pathetically, but when he sulks too hard, it makes me want to whack him over the head.
We need to put the Proving Ceremony behind us. It will be a Proving in more than one sense of the word. I intend to prove to the Kar’Kali that Mak’s status is undeniable, and I intend to prove to Mak that I’m more than capable of taking risks to stand up for him.
With all the pressure I’ve placed on this ritual, my nerves are acting up from the moment we arrived at the location. And even though Mak could lay a big, fat, ‘I told you so’ on me when I started losing sleep leading up to the day of the ceremony, he didn’t. Instead, he told me to stay in his bed every night until it was all over. He held me close when I woke up in an anxious sweat, assuring me that everything was fine and that I was safe.
Without fail, as soon as he wrapped me in his arms, I slept like a baby. It has me thinking it might be better to simply start the night in his embrace, but then it would be permanent.
We had to leave Nisina behind for this trip, which is for the best. Who knows how I might react during and after the Proving ceremony? If I’m feeling vulnerable, it’s best she’s not around to interpret innocent people as threats to my safety. I can fantasize about Annaka’s painful demise as much as I want, but it doesn’t make her worthy of death-by-kaia-fang.
Unlike our other trips, this one has not been an opportunity to have precious alone time. Aside from our nights together, we’ve spent the days apart. There are many gathering to bear witness and explore the ruins, providing an abundance of distractions from each other. Mak has been with Lalo and a few councilpersons, discussing the layout of the event and mapping out where it will be safe for viewers to stand. When I asked him whether I should help with the plans for the ceremony, he insisted that I need to relax instead.
Raina and Kaye have come, along with their mates, to attend the ceremony. Kalla and Niko are being absorbed into tasks dictated by their adoptive mother, which allows the three of us to focus on much-needed girl time.
On the day before the Proving, we join the Deadhead scientists for a tour through the abandoned temple and its facilities. We meet them in the entryway of ruined structure, where shafts of light through the collapsed roof catch the many motes of dust and insect inhabitants. Those black vines are present here, too, creeping up through the cracks in the marble floors and crawling up the walls.
“It’s spooky in here,” Kaye whispers. “Are you sure we should do this?”
Upon arrival, the dilapidated building was deemed too creepy and dangerous to use as a campsite. But it was once a magnificent community space or temple, judging by the crumbling carvings on the exterior. Seeing as the exploration was planned by a Deadhead, most of the Deviant Kar’Kali were reluctant to join. It was mainly Kiva’s idea, and he’s brought along a sullen looking friend named Mori. Most of the other males were rallied to assist with constructing some benches and bleachers for the event, but this Mori character objected to being exploited for manual labor. I don’t know what to make of him, but I wasn’t about to miss out on an opportunity to explore the ruins with someone as knowledgeable as Kiva.
“According to my research, the pool was used for other cultist Proving events, not just for testing the Houses’ leadership,” explains Kiva, ever the fount of information on Archaic Kar’Kali history. “So this temple was in use constantly, as they monitored the kali levels using rudimentary chemical analyses.”
“Mak told me you were studying the kali, trying to figure out what makes it tick, right?” I ask him. “Any clue what’s behind its ability to judge me and him as acceptable clan rulers?”
“Not a clue at all!” he says. “In fact, I am eager to observe the ceremony, although I’m not sure what conclusions one can draw from it. I confess I asked your Ka’lakka whether I could equip you to remotely monitor your physical conditions during the event, but he declined.”
“If I start screaming, that means it’s too hot,” I say.
Kiva squints. “Ah, sarcasm, correct?”
His Deadhead comrade has been quiet up until now, but he throws me a grin.
“I, for one, cannot wait to see whether you sustain painful burns or not.”
“Well, aren’t you a charmer!” I say, resting my hands on my hips.
“I’ve been informed many times that I’m not. What will happen if you go up in flames, hm? Is this a publicly broadcasted event?”
“What will happen,” comes a familiar voice from behind me, “is that I’ll drag her out of there whether she likes it or not.”
“Will you be joining us for our walkthrough of the grounds?” Kiva asks.
“If you’ll have me,” Mak says.
Kiva looks pleased.
“How blessed we are to be graced by the presence of the chosen,” Kiva’s friend Mori says with a flippant smile.
