Gasping for air, Luna felt the desperate sensation of having just broken the surface after nearly drowning. She tried to sit up, but sharp nails dug into her neck, keeping her in place.
She looked up into the face of a woman with bronzed skin, hovering above her. The woman wore a glittering turban embedded with diamonds. Silver and gold hoops adorned her ears and neck. The golden feathers on her sari made her skin shimmer, reminiscent of the first rays of dawn.
Recognition struck Luna; it was the goddess Hecate. Somehow, she found herself in what seemed to be a coffin, her body submerged in a violet liquid. Pink lotus lilies floated nearby. Luna dared not move or breathe, fearful of her situation.
"Calm yourself, Priestess," Hecate said, her blood-red lips curling into an enigmatic smile. "I mean you no harm."
"Goddess Hecate," Luna whispered in reverence.
