The Runaways: Book 1 of the The White Goddess Series

7. Day of the White Goddess

2 1/2 years later

Like everything else in the Church, the Day of the White Goddess was all about Serafina, and at the same time not about her at all.

What would be known by normal people as Serafina's birthday, the Day of the White Goddess was treated like Christmas by Church community. It wasn't her actual birthday...or maybe this year it was. Serafina didn't know the exact date. Her mother hadn't known either—she'd been on bed rest or something and lost track of time—and Elder Macklin claimed not to know either. Serafina wasn't sure she believed either of them.

The Church followed the lunar calendar and since Serafina was born on the first day of a February full moon (that, no one seemed to have any trouble remembering) that's when the Day of the White Goddess was celebrated.

The day began with the Church's annual White Goddess festival, a huge event that drew people from Willow Beach and surrounding areas with rides and food stalls and artisans selling jewellery and hand-dyed scarves and other handmade goods.

In the evening, a special service was held for congregation members where the White Goddess demonstrated her love for the faithful live onstage by healing three non-terminal members of the crowd selected by a random draw. It used to be five, but the Elders toned things down after King's dramatic visit two years ago.

As King had ordered, the Elders stopped bringing in outsiders to be cured. But healing was a pillar of the White Goddess's responsibilities to her people and they continued running holiday and Friday night services as always, secure in the knowledge that King hated religious ceremonies only slightly less than he hated crowds, and never showed up to Church events.

Friday night services involved only one healing now, occasionally two if the first was something simple like a broken limb or a scar. Three absolutely wore her out. That's why services were held in the evening, to give Serafina a chance to enjoy herself at the festival first.

This year's celebration was an even bigger deal than usual. According to Church doctrine, at age twelve the White Goddess enters womanhood and with it, a new phase of divinity, the details of which Serafina had not bothered to listen to Elder Macklin explain. She'd stopped taking him seriously a while ago.

Since the full moon fell on a Saturday this year, the Elders decided to roll the holiday and Friday night healings together and kept them simple enough that Serafina would be recovered by morning. She'd enjoyed herself today, roaming the festival grounds in baggy jeans and her hair stuffed under a knitted cap, going on rides and stuffing herself with forbidden treats AKA anything with sugar.

It was about halfway through the afternoon when someone recognized Ian—a few female someones, to be specific—and soon people were approaching Serafina for blessings and selfies with the White Goddess. It was fine, until it wasn't. Like always, Ian knew exactly when she started feeling overwhelmed.

Serafina slid her arm around his neck as he picked her up and carried her out of the crowd. Ian's arms were as safe and familiar as her own bed. More, actually.

"You're the one who should be going incognito," she teased, looking over Ian's shoulder at the disappointed—and some jealous—feminine faces behind them. Serafina loved to tease him about his ever-expanding female fanbase.

Ian didn't rise to the bait. "Maybe I will next year." He dropped to her feet at the Church entrance and opened the door.

Serafina's steps slowed as she stepped inside. The main hall had been transformed with fairy lights and white bunting and more flowers than she had ever seen indoors. People had been buzzing all week about tonight's special service, featuring some big surprise that the Elders were being all weird about.