Chapter 7: A Divine Promise
Ben found himself in a dream more vivid than any yet.
While he recognized he was dreaming, it was difficult to tell where he was. A void of dull colors and ambiguous shapes surrounded him. Nothing seemed solid or constant or real... except for the figures standing close at hand, bathed in a warm radiance from above.
Seven women. Seven lovers whose souls were bound with his own. Was that number significant? He didn't know yet. But he knew it felt right.
"Mmm, you've done well," a voice came. Deep, rich, and feminine. He remembered it. The last time he'd had a dream like this, this very voice had spoken to him. He looked around, wondering if he'd see a face to go with the rich tones this time -- but nothing showed itself yet. "You've done as I guided you to do," the voice continued, echoing sonorously around him. "You've amassed and expanded. You've shared so much joy. You've even found another partner with power of her own. Seven lovers, seven sacred gifts of luck and love. Yours forever, so long as you bear my inscription. And you've borne it well."
"Who are you?" he asked, realizing as he did so that the other women had disappeared from view. "Why did you choose me? I want to know why."
"You'll know everything soon." The voice sounded fond. Proud, even. "And I haven't chosen you, Ben. I have seen, and felt, and influenced. I've acted with you, but I have no more control over your path than you yourself do. You could have rejected everything. You might have resisted, or turned from me, if what I offered didn't please you. But instead, you took the perfect first steps... and now? Now it's time I revealed myself to you. Now I'll reveal the truth of what you possess."
The void around him began to churn. The murky colors turned brighter, more vivid, more beautiful. An array of swirling rainbows blazed to life, enveloping Ben and spreading everywhere over the blank canvas of the void. He saw them form into shapes -- and then, in a flash, he was elsewhere.
The beautiful plain was the most splendid, unspoiled landscape he'd ever seen. The grass, yellowish-green and waving, stretched for miles on end. Mountains loomed in the distance; the air was clean and sweet. It looked distinctly African, this new surrounding -- and he recalled right away that his bracelet had come from Africa.
In the wind, the sound of gentle laughter carried. Ben turned around, and then he saw her.
An African woman -- no, an African goddess -- stood clothed in a regal, colorful dress that flowed around her in the breeze. She had the lithe, curvy body of a dancer. Her face was beautiful, framed by thick braids that flowed over her shoulders and back. Delicate but powerful, youthful but recognizably wise, she seemed to stand at the center of the earth, controlling its energies, as timeless as the most ancient of monuments and just as grand.
"Ben. Be at peace." Her voice was like that of a warm and loving mother, but it had an air of flirtiness to it, too. Ben almost blushed. Before she'd taken form, the goddess's tones had been massive, imposing... but now they were reassuring and welcoming. "Allow me to make myself known to you. I am Zawadi, the goddess of love and fortune. The source of all the magic in your bracelet."
"Zawadi." Ben spoke the name with reverence, repeating it as if to taste it on his tongue. "You're... a goddess. Like, the real thing?"
She cocked her head. "An ancient, powerful force, yes. A spiritual guide and protector. Some would compare me to a guardian angel. Others would think of me as a muse. You can think of me in those ways if you wish, or any other that suits your heart. Call me what you will. Just know that I've been with you for a while, and I'm hoping to be with you for a whole lot longer."
She swept her hand around her -- and just like that, they were someplace else. The vast African landscape had changed, replaced with the interior of an ornate, multi-roomed palace. Fresh air and unobstructed vistas poured in through paneless windows and arched doorways. The interior was rich with decorated artworks, tapestries, and even statuary. The scent of incense drifted past Ben's nostrils, and the carpet beneath his feet felt impossibly soft. Zawadi came closer, and Ben found himself bowing his head, in awe of her majesty.
"I'm... honored, my Goddess," he spoke.
Zawadi laughed merrily. "You don't need to prostrate yourself, Ben. The closest thing to worshipping me that you'll need to do is enjoying the blessings of your lovers. Of those, you have many. And you'll have more." Turning, the goddess settled atop a nearby divan, her legs crossing as she sat. She patted a spot beside her. "Join me," she cooed. "I can tell you'd like to know more."
He was definitely curious. He was also, undoubtedly, aroused. Part of him hoped it didn't show, but that worry was quickly squashed by an enchanting wash of reassurance from the magic. Zawadi's magic. His bracelet's power -- her power -- told him that, yes, the goddess beside him had noticed, and yes, it pleased her that he'd been so affected by her presence. As he took a seat on the luxurious cushion, their bodies pressed together.
"You're wondering why I didn't reveal myself sooner." She took his hand as she spoke. Her grip felt as reassuring and firm as an embrace from an old friend. She'd correctly guessed his first question. "I had to be sure, Ben. I had to be sure that you understood what was happening to you. That you came to comprehend and accept the magic of your bracelet... on your own, and because you desired it for yourself. It was no guarantee that you would embrace the new life your bracelet would grant you.
"But you embraced it wholly. Seven lovers." Again she repeated the number, as if it were immensely, deeply significant. "That's when I know for sure that a man has accepted his destiny. Seven beautiful, powerful, fascinating women... and you love them, don't you?"
"Yes." He didn't hesitate; he didn't first mention that things were moving fast, or that it had been only a matter of days, or anything like that. Fact was fact, and his feelings were no less true for having developed so quickly -- of that, the goddess's magic assured him. "Very much."
"And they love you." Zawadi's eyes twinkled. "Ben, what you've become... what you've chosen to be... is my devotee. Or, you could say, my champion. My high priest. Whatever you prefer. Just as with me, you yourself can bear any label you like. But the first of these terms is what I think fits best."
"Your devotee," he spoke back. "I... feel that."
