A Princess for the Witch Doctor (Legends of Rahasia Book 3)

Epilogue

Kaliya, goddess of time, is currently sitting in a café in New York. She's wearing deep black shades that she pulls low over a sharp nose. They hide her mis-colored eyes. Her bright silver hair is tucked beneath a wide-brimmed, dark hat. Her serpent tattoos vanish beneath a black-buckle jacket and jeans. When she gets up for more coffee, her heeled boots click against the tile like the sweet sound of rain against pavement.

Somewhere in her book bag, she has a few papers tucked against one another. Beneath them all, an ID that'll let her into the college to teach as a visiting professor there. She loves sharing knowledge, though she often has to bite her tongue to keep from correcting the history professors. The other paper is a museum catalogue for an auction on precious objects from long-forgotten empires. She never runs out of antiques, or new things for that matter.

Perks of being a god of time.

The next object is a manuscript she's working on, close to her heart. "Discoveries of Rahasia, the Long-Lost Empire Hidden Beneath the Sands."

She's not sure if it'll be filed beneath history or fiction. Mortals lately seem to assume they're the same thing.

Sipping her coffee, she passes down a street. She passes various people. A long-haired Indonesian boy with golden hoop earrings and vitiligo, making a handprint scar on his cheek. She goes by a girl with half a shaved head, tall and muscular. If you look quickly enough, she can pass as a golem. But that's just silly. There's no such thing as golems in New York.

Another face is a striking girl with dark hair and emerald eyes. A young Hawaiian man chats amiably about sailing with her, and she reaches for her phone to ask for his number. He has cubed earrings that flash in the light and resemble a pair of dice, a bunch of minimalist tattoos lining his wrists and elbows. Kali turns away from the cute scene only to happen upon a bar, where a woman with spiky hair and a bunch of piercings flirts with a confident bartender who has a metal plate in her skull.

Someone bumps into Kaliya as she hurries to her next appointment. A couple, one thinner man who looks like a ballet dancer, haffu. He slings his arm around the thicker waist of a man built like a tree with a black beard. He bows his head respectfully as they pass. Another woman shoves past them, shouting orders on her phone. A professional executive, a halo of dark curls around her head. Skin like the earth. One eye as red as a blood moon, the other black. Behind her, a woman wearing a veil waits for her bus. On her shirt, there's an image of a dragon.

Faces. Ghosts. They're always familiar to Kaliya. Always present.

Finally, she smiles as she sees the young college grad hidden behind wire glasses and a stylish bob. She gets to her feet. Honeyed eyes and bronzed skin. As lovely as the sunset.

"Hi there, you must be Professor Kaliya." She extends her hand, her English trilling with a slight accent. "I'm Nina. I'm so excited to help you with your latest book. This is my first internship."

So much idealism. It's cute.

Kali smiles politely, tugging her sleeves to hide her serpent tattoos. "Ah, yes, Nina, is that short for something?"

"Arnina." She blushes, suddenly shy. She mistakes Kaliya's shocked look for horror. "Silly, I know."

"No. I just know another Arnina." Kaliya grins. "Must be a coincidence."

But she knows better. This is time we're talking about.

There are no coincidences.

***

Ingatan. Memory.

At the end of the day, it's what remains.

Gods fall, just as Empires do. But time is what we make of it. And make of it, we shall.

***

Readers,

Not going to lie, that last bit of the epilogue made me extremely nostalgic for all the characters I've made so far in this Rahasian Legend universe.

But, it was an idea I had bouncing in my head for how to reconcile it all.

Best and thank you for all your support!

Sophia