Silas had gone for what seemed like an eternity.
Inanna spent more and more time at the temple, often staying there for months at a time.
Everyone at the castle had grown very fond of Inanna and protective.
Even though she tried to hide her feelings for Silas, she couldn’t, the look of love and the chemistry between them noticeable to all.
They knew with Silas away, Inanna would be lost, so they allowed her to stay at the temple as often as she liked, only calling her back when someone needed some healing.
She loved being back there, spending time in ritual and with Ren and Lilith.
It had been wonderful to spend time again with William too and they had made a regular date to the wine barrels at their favourite little tavern in town.
Inanna had met a beautiful bunch of girls there also who would become life long friends.
There was Jane and Natasha, Rima and Lisa, Kirrily and Ren – they were a fun bunch of girls – roudy and lively with a lot of spunk. They smoked and drank and didn’t take any nonsense from anyone. They were all strong women, independent and interesting.
They were supportive and loving and would do anything for each other – it was the sisterhood at its finest.
They talked and laughed and gossiped – and asked Inanna an inordinate amount of questions about King Silas and wanted to know everything that went on behind the castle gates.
He had been gone six months now and she wondered if she’d ever see him again.
She thought of him every minute of every day and spent her nights drifting off to sleep dreaming of him.
She was often called back to the palace to check on the animals, in particular the horses.
She loved the walk from the temple to the castle and often dreamt of walking it arm and arm with Silas.
It was a particularly beautiful day when Inanna was called and she made her way up to the stables.
Old Tom was very chatty today and she was finding out all the latest news from the castle.
Old Tom was a little like Mrs Emmett – the eyes and ears of the castle.
“So Inanna” he said with a wink, “I suppose you caught up with old Silas when he returned last week?”
He knew by the look on her face, she hadn’t.
“Oh, he was in town then was he?” she replied.
“Just back for some provisions and the like” he went on nervously.
She continued with the horses while holding back the tears, it was as though she had been stabbed in the heart.
He could see the pain etched all over her face and decided not to say much more.
“Will that be all then Old Tom”
“Inanna love, I’m sure he wanted to see you”
He gave her a big hug and she thought she would dissolve in floods of tears at his embrace, but she left those for when she was in Lilith’s arms.
It was at this point she realized the extent of her love for him.
She just simply couldn’t bear to be without him and when she was, her heart ached.
She spent the next week in bed at the Temple.
Nothing it seemed could raise her spirits. Lilith tried and Ren, they even got William Abel in – no luck.
She was despondent and low.
Lilith took her to the waterfall – a sacred place she frequently visited but seldom told anyone about.
Water held divine healing properties and this, she thought was just what Inanna needed.
She taught her an ancient and time-worn tradition – a cleansing, purification and blessing ritual.
Inanna practiced it every day for weeks, until she herself noticed a shift in her energy.