Excerpt: Edge

“Ex caligne; chaos. Ex chaos et caligne: nyx, dies, arebus, aether”
Like the priest who’d held services on Galactica when I was seven, this one was Gemenese. Mom hadn’t much approved of the fundamentalists, but she thought that learning catechism and prayers in old Gemenese was better than not learning them at all.
“…Ex Astraeus et Aurora—Zephrous, Boreas, Notus, Favonius..”
I had protested. Catechism was boring and the priest made us say the prayers over and over until our pronunciation of the archaic words was perfect. I’d hated going, until Selena, a priestess of Artemis had visited one week.
“You know, Petra, your mother is very special.” She was supposed to be listening to my prayers, but I’d rather talk to the lady with the flowing dress and pretty bracelets.
“…Ex Dione et Iove: Venus..”
“I know. She’s the best pilot in the whole fleet. And she can draw really good. She’s been teaching me how to draw a viper.”
“…Ex Iove et Cerere: Proserpina…”
“She’s important to you, I know. But she’s also important to the entire fleet. The Gods have set her on a path—a path than cannot be altered, no matter her love for you. Do you understand that?”
“No. I mean, she always comes back. She always promises me and she always does.”
“…Ex Iove et Latona: Apollo et Diana…”
“So she has.” Selene frowned, then began again, with a sad smile. “The Goddess looks on you with favor, little one.”
“She does?”
“Indeed. It is a great honor. You are a brave girl, and pious. I think the rites of [something] would prove you worthy of her service.”
“Di me salvom et servatum volunt.”
Mom refused to let me take the test of [something]. I hadn’t said anything about the rest of Selene’s words, it was enough that she didn’t want to let me go.
“Di te bene ament”.