A fishermen's village was built on Isyleon Island. Waves crashed into the dock, rocking the boats tied to it. There were no boats out on the lake that day, for it was a day of celebration. A day of hope for the Sons and Daughters of the Land because, after waiting for so long, their Uzgaia would finally take his mate, his Andarra, to the Crystal Cave and mark her.
The village had been decorated for the important celebration, and a steady beat of drums came from the forest. Dark clouds with bellies full of water covered the sky, and flashes of lightning and thunder could be seen and heard in and around the island.
The seven females who accompanied Isis were taking Mina to a house in the middle of the village while Jayden and his men disappeared into the forest. Hugo, Shin, and Xander went with Isis. "Addanos is very pleased with this union," one female said while big drops of water fell from the sky.
They hurried inside the house where they would prepare Mina for the Trials of the Land. "When Jayden and I got married, Addanos gave us our blessing."
The females giggled, and Mina felt foolish. "Andarra," a female started explaining, "for ocxoas, a human marriage means nothing. Uzgaia chose to marry you in a church out of consideration. But an Uzgaia can only mate and mark his mate during the Litha Festival. If he does it earlier, he will be like any other ocxoa, and his son will be next Uzgaia."
"But why can Jayden only claim me during the Litha Festival?" asked Mina while two females rushed to get the bath ready.
A female with white hair was next to speak, "This is a special night. While it is the Shortest Night of the Year, and beasts are free to roam and steal maidens from their beds and take them to their lairs and claim them as their own, it is also the night in which the First One finally gave in and claimed his mate, the first Andarra after years of fighting his desires and his feelings for her. When she refused him, telling him he was a heartless beast, he spent all night showing her how much he loved her, and thus the Trials of the Land were born. At dawn, when she also confessed her feelings, the Lyra bird sang for them, blessing their love for all eternity."
"That is a beautiful story. I have never heard it before," said Mina.
"We rarely speak of the first Uzgaia. The Lady will share his story tonight," the elderly female said. "But first, we have to get you ready!"
When the water was ready, the females guided Mina to the bathroom. A small basket with plants and herbs sat next to the large bath. Jayden had spent many hours in the forest close to the Stone Tribe to gather them for Mina.
The female undressed Mina and cleaned her spirit with sage, lavender, and other plants Mina could not identify. Once that part was done, they bathed Mina. Embelia and gotu balm were added to the water, while soaproot and yucca were used to clean her body and hair.
Lotions were used to leave her skin as soft as a newborn's. Next, they applied sweet-smelling oils to Mina's wavy brown hair, braided it into a coronet around her head, and added jewelry to it. They painted her body black. With yellow paint that glowed in the dark, the females drew stars on Mina's body.
"Why does my body resemble a starry sky?" Mina asked.
"While The First One was born out of Chaos and Night, his Andarra was his light. The paint is supposed to represent Uzgaia's dark powers and your gentle soul. That no matter how strong or dark his powers are, your light will shine brighter than anything else."
Lastly, the elderly female brought a white dress made from silk produced by the Yirri Spider. The dress's lace resembled the intricate pattern of the Yirri's webs. Mina refused to wear it, claiming it was not decent, but when the females told her Jayden chose it, especially for their mating night, she wasn't sure if she wanted to strangle Jayden with it or burn it.
"The dress comes with a cloak," the elderly woman said. "It will hide your body from unwanted stares. Once the Trials start, you can remove it."
Mina sighed and finally agreed to wear the dress.
"You look so beautiful, Andarra! May Inoss and Addanos bless you and Uzgaia with long, healthy lives!" the females said once Mina was ready for the Trials of the Land.
The Lady came to escort Mina to where Jayden was. The other females retired. Mina and Isis walked in silence, the drums guiding them through the forest. The rain had stopped hours ago, and the soil was almost dry.
"I am glad to get to meet you finally," Mina said as she stepped over a fallen branch. "Jayden spoke about you a lot."
Isis laughed. "I hope he said only good things about me."
"I recall him calling you Life and saying that you are running away from Death. To be honest, I did not understand what he meant."
Isis stopped walking and looked at Mina. "Jayden is young and has so much to learn. But by the end of this night, all the secrets will be revealed to him. And to answer your question, I am Life's Handmaiden. The last of the seven that were in the beginning. But to protect the real Life, I am letting everyone believe I am her."
"Then why are you telling me the truth?"
"I trust you. Not because you are Jayden's mate, but because you are good at keeping secrets."
"What happened to the other ones?" asked Mina.
"They have fallen in love and decided to live mortal lives."
"Mortal lives? You are immortal, then?" When Isis nodded, Mina fidgeted with her cloak. "I never met an immortal before. But haven't you found love? A mate?"
"I like the life I have. And being the Lady of the Ocxoas has brought me great joy." Isis thought for a moment before continuing. "Jayden is lucky to have finally found you. But the curse your cousin put on you worries me. It is already affecting your life. And that of Jayden. He has told me he talks in his sleep, calling you another name." The Lady studied Mina for a long time—her violet eyes seemed sad. "Unless you break the curse, you and Jayden will never be happy together."
Mina almost forgot about Rosalyn's curse. Perhaps marrying him and coming to the island was not the right thing to do. She was ready to sacrifice her own happiness for Jayden. It would kill her to see Jayden regret taking her to the Crystal Cave. She still had time to disappear from Jayden's life. But the idea of leaving Jayden... "Was it a mistake to marry Jayden then? Should I not let him mark me?"
"You already know the answers to those questions," replied the Lady.
Mina was not sure she knew the answers. She hated Rosalyn for putting a curse on her and Jayden. Everything Mina had ever wanted, Rosalyn received—ball invitations, dance classes, clothes, love. And when someone finally chose her, even if for the wrong reasons, she would still be unhappy. Because of Rosalyn.
"How do I break the curse?" Mina was determined not to let Rosalyn win. She would fight it and be happy with Jayden. Her eyes carried her conviction.
The Lady put a palm on Mina's shoulder. "There is a way, Mina, but it won't be easy. While there are many things I can do, unfortunately, I can't break curses. But I know someone who can. You will find her deep in the forest. You know the way, you have already been there once. She will show you what you have to do."
Mina blinked. "The Hag?"
"Is that what she calls herself these days?" The drums sounded louder. Wolves howled around them. "It is time!" Isis said and took Mina to the biggest oak tree she had ever seen.