The All-Seeing Eye

by Rae Else

  They’d hugged when he got back to the boat earlier but only briefly. She wanted to break the news to Dan gently that she and Luke were an item. She’d spent the evening trying not to give any sign that they were more than friends. It was harder than she thought it would be.

  ‘But isn’t a veiling the only thing it could be?’ Alex said. ‘How else could a statue become flesh?’

  El’s thoughts strayed back again to the Waseem Villa, thinking about when she first studied the statue. The smooth marble planes of her face were startlingly beautiful, the urge to touch it had been … irresistible. It was only curiosity that had made her touch the statue, wasn’t it? Yet it did seem too much of a coincidence that she’d happened to cut herself, then touched the statue, which just so happened to need her blood to become flesh.

  She pictured the moment when the sculpture beneath her fingers had become soft and warm. Another thought stirred at the edges of her consciousness. What was it? Something about sculpture. No. A sculptor. Then the passage about flesh turning to stone came back to her. The passage she’d fixated on about the full power.

  ‘What if,’ El proposed, ‘that arete’s been in that basement for thousands of years?’

  Her eyes glistened with excitement. They all stared at her in confusion.

  ‘I’ve heard of this before … I’ve read about stone becoming flesh or rather, flesh becoming stone. In the book you gave me Alex, in A Brief History of Serpents, there’s an ancient account: an eyewitness writes of seeing the full power used on an arete. I remember his words. “It was as if the rock had risen up to claim the arete, as if the ground were ingesting him. Like an old piece of meat, his flesh became grey until he was entombed in a seal of stone. His entire composition had changed. Flesh and blood were gone. Looking at him, you would have thought him born of a sculptor, not that he had once seen, spoken and heard.”’

  Silence rang over the diners as they contemplated her suggestion.

  ‘Her dress,’ Talus said. ‘It’s ancient.’

  ‘Yes, it’s one piece of cloth like a toga,’ El agreed. ‘I don’t know what the Greeks called it.’

  ‘A chiton,’ Talus said. ‘Well, the way she wore hers, with the overhang of material at the top, technically makes it a peplos.’

  El smirked. Apparently, her graeae guru was familiar with ancient women’s fashion. Was there anything he didn’t know?

  ‘And I know the account you mean,’ Talus said. ‘The book, A Brief History of Serpents was compiled by Tessa Carras. Yia Yia will be able to shed more light on where that account comes from and whether our supposition is possible.’

  El had forgotten that the book that she’d been pouring over a few weeks ago had been written by a Carras. She was no longer surprised though. The Carrases had a lot of knowledge and power in their line. And wouldn’t this give them more?

  ‘If the woman is an ancient victim of the full power,’ El said, ‘she could be exactly what we need to win Yia Yia’s favour again. Imagine what she might be able to tell her about the history of the arete.’

  With the suggestion, Eirene perked up and they finished their meals with a sliver of hope.

  When everyone had finished, El was quick to clear up. Robin was chatting and laughing with Luke and El didn’t feel like watching the ladon getting overly friendly with her boyfriend. Alex, Talus and Dan were still engrossed in talking about the mystery woman so Eirene helped El in the kitchen, washing up.

  Afterwards, El went up onto the main deck, where her leather cushion still rested. Taking off her boots, she sat down cross-legged on the mat. Talus came up but bypassed her, going to the front of the yacht and sat facing out to sea. He closed his eyes and seemed as far away as if he had dispersed from the present. How did he do that she wondered: slip away so easily from his surroundings.

  With Talus’ mastery right before her, she set to her own practice. Meditation took a lot of self-control but thoughts about the mysterious woman, the empousa and Yia Yia’s reception of them tomorrow clouded her mind. She kept trying. She needed to be calm if she was going to talk to Dan tonight.

  Struggling to still her thoughts, she started through her Tai Chi routine instead. She centred her core, the gentle eddy of water around the yacht helping to wash away her thoughts. She went through the movements until her body felt as fluid as the waves: pliable yet sure.

  A while later, El heard the group on the deck below leaving the table. Eirene murmured something and went inside. Alex soon followed. El couldn’t help smiling. She hadn’t known how to feel about Alex and Eirene suddenly being thrown together. Yet over the evening, she’d noticed the positive changes in him. While cooking and during dinner, he’d been attentive to Eirene, trying to keep her busy and coaxing her into conversation to prevent her from worrying about tomorrow. Best of all, he’d barely touched his wine and hadn’t smoked. Their relationship had happened fast: a whirlwind romance, but El knew better than anyone that things in the arete world changed at lightning speed. And like Eirene said, didn’t everyone need to grab happiness while they had the chance?

  Robin’s voice sounded from the lower deck, grating on El. ‘You wanna come over to the party boat, Luke? I know Jim wants to catch up with you.’

  El frowned. It definitely wasn’t Jim who wanted to get reacquainted, intimately, if El knew what Robin had in mind.

  Luke and El had already agreed that he should go over and let the ladon down gently. Plus El needed to talk to Dan alone.

  Robin asked, ‘Dan, you coming?’

  ‘No. I need to talk to Talus.’

  Robin laughed. ‘Sure – Talus,’ she murmured as she and Luke boarded the small boat, ‘more like Yoga Barbie.’ The engine sputtered as the boat coasted away.

  Yoga Barbie! Apparently El wasn’t the only one who gave nicknames. Her mouth was hanging open as Dan climbed up the ladder.

  Dan laughed. He held up his hands and walked over. ‘Hey, I like the new Zen El.’

  She rolled her eyes and sat down cross-legged. ‘It was Talus’ idea. He’s been teaching me to control my emotions. He told me that when Janos touched my palm in the catacombs, he forged a connection with me. It means Janos has a very strong insight into my timeline. Staying calm weakens it.’

  Dan raised his eyebrows. ‘That’s nice of Talus to help. You guys seem to get on. But … are you sure it’s a good idea to train with him?’

  El studied him. He’d failed to comment on the connection Janos and she shared, going straight to talking about Talus. Was he jealous? Wow. Talus. Really? Talus was old enough to be her granddad.

  ‘Yes, I’m sure. He’s taught me a lot. Plus it makes me feel better, the thought that I’m learning to conceal my timeline from Janos.’

  ‘But you shouldn’t forget that this is only one leg of our journey.’ Dan looked at her significantly.

  His words seemed to echo Luke’s from earlier. But unlike Luke, who had led with how he felt about the Order and why, Dan wasn’t giving away much: only cryptic warnings.

  She frowned. ‘It would really help if I knew what Janos and the Opposition—’

  ‘We can’t discuss that,’ he interjected, shooting a meaningful look at the front of the boat.

  El wanted to ask him more about the relationship between Janos and the Opposition, but Dan shook his head emphatically. Once more there were lots of things she wanted to discuss with him, but it wasn’t the right time.

  She sighed but shrugged. ‘Well for once I’d like to be the one who’s a step ahead of these mastermind graeae.’

  Dan smiled and dragged another cushion off the bench and onto the floor.

  He lay down opposite El. ‘Perhaps if you do enough yoga you’ll turn into one.’

  El smirked. ‘It’s Tai Chi.’ She lay down. His comment brought to mind her own vision of the future. ‘Besides, I wouldn’t want that. I mean, as scary as everything being uncertain is, I can safely say that knowing the future isn’t any better.’

  Dan turned onto his side
to look at her. ‘Not everything is uncertain.’

  El noticed the change in his tone, the meaning in it once again. This was it. She had to say something. She raised herself on her elbows. ‘There’s something I need to tell you. Luke and I … we’re together.’

  He sat up. His expression solemn. ‘You and Luke … Alex and Eirene. Carras Island must be quite the romantic spot.’

  She bit her lip and looked up at the stars. Her hand went to her necklace. She hadn’t taken it off since the morning of her birthday.

  ‘By the way, thanks for the necklace. It’s lovely.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  ‘But … I’m sure I never told you about stargazing with Granddad. Did you get Janos’ help with shopping?’

  Dan smiled. ‘Your granddad mentioned it in letters to Anna. She often shared things about you with me and Alex.’

  ‘You know, that’s still a bit stalkerish. Are you part graeae by any chance?’

  He laughed. ‘I can see how it might be misconstrued that way.’

  El felt the tension ebb. She’d told him about her and Luke and they were still talking. Wasn’t this how it should always have been between them: friends … family in a lot of ways. Although it was still unbalanced. Dan knew so much about her childhood and she so little about his. She grew troubled as she remembered the scars on his back.

  ‘What’s up?’ he asked.

  She shook her head. ‘It’s weird – how much you know about me and how little you’ve told me about yourself.’

  ‘What can I say? I’m not a narcissist.’ The silence began to stretch out.

  El said quietly, ‘I saw your back … that was your adoptive parents, wasn’t it?’

  ‘A friend in Prague actually.’

  She frowned but realised from the wry smile on his face, he must be referring to his tattoo. She looked at him intently, waiting.

  ‘Yes,’ he admitted. ‘My adoptive father’s handiwork. I was five when I used my manipulation on my mother. It wasn’t anything bad. We had a great day – went to the fair. It was a nice change from the ordinary Sunday, always reserved for church. When we got back and she couldn’t explain why we’d skipped church, it was the push my father needed to finally lash out – at the evil he’d always known was inside me: the first of his beatings…’

  ‘I’m sorry, Dan.’

  ‘Only two years of hell. They left me alone at seven when I came into my elemental manipulation. That’s when they lost hope.’ He smirked. ‘Hard to banish the devil from your son when he can summon hellfire.’ He shrugged. ‘They were only human. Anyway, my real family came along after that – Anna, Alex…’

  El nodded.

  ‘It’s funny the things I miss about them – Anna nagging me to get a haircut—’

  ‘You should, it’s longer than mine.’

  ‘Alex bugging me to drink less coffee—’

  ‘Nah, you wouldn’t smell like you.’

  She flushed. She’d spoken without thinking. This isn’t what she wanted to be getting into. She felt like she was giving mixed messages.

  She hurried on. ‘You have a smoky aroma.’

  His eyes pierced her, forcing her to look away. Was she always going to react this way to him?

  ‘El, if there’s anyone I could have been with, it would have been you. In a different world, perhaps we could have…’

  El shook her head. ‘Dan … I care about you and I always will, but I’m happy with Luke. You and Alex … you’re my family. And I want you to be happy too.’ She fixed her gaze on him, forcing herself to be honest. ‘But the way you’ve been acting, I can’t see that happening. On the way here, to Greece, you didn’t try to fix things between us, not once. You shut me out.’

  Dan’s frown deepened but he remained silent.

  His continued reserve woke her resentment and drove her on. ‘You can’t keep doing this: burying your emotions. You’re so caught up in the Opposition—’

  ‘I told you, we’re not talking about that.’ He was on his feet, then at the ladder, bounding down.

  El hurried down to the lower deck after him. ‘Why do you do this? You’re pushing everyone who cares about you away.’

  Dan strode to the rear of the boat as if he would rather jump overboard than give her a straight answer. His back was to her, his fists clenched, struggling to keep it together. If she waited, would he open up? She sensed that they were on the verge of something.

  Before either of them could say anything else, the cabin door burst open. The mysterious woman stumbled out onto the deck, her eyes were wide and desperate. The woman lunged at El, grabbing her hand. As soon as their palms touched, El’s hand burned. She screamed, jerking her hand away.

  The woman seemed exhausted and slumped to her knees. Fear trickled over El as she stared at the frail woman: on her knees, emaciated and wide-eyed, she looked like a religious devotee.

  El backed away, examining her hand, expecting to see red raw skin. The sight of her unmarked palm confounded her. She shook as she looked at the kneeling woman. Her eyes weren’t as dark as El had first thought but instead were a caramel shade. Stray wisps of hair hung around her gaunt face, adding to the wildness of her look.

  Dan grabbed El’s hand, examining it. ‘What did she do?’

  The note of panic in his voice brought El back to herself.

  The ladder clanged as Talus came down.

  The mysterious woman whispered. ‘Cirr-cee … Circe.’

  A chill ran down El’s spine.

  As if the murmur had used up all her energy, the woman pitched sideways, collapsing on the deck.

  Dan bundled her into his arms, hurrying inside. El followed, hugging herself as she watched the unconscious woman suspiciously. What happened? Why had the woman’s touch burned her?

  Alex barrelled out into the hallway in the commotion and soon the woman was back in bed and hooked up to the IV drip. El noticed that Alex’s contact with the woman brought him no discomfort. Dan had picked her up and carried her down here without any adverse reaction either.

  They waited until the woman’s pulse steadied. After a while, El sat on the edge of the bed and tentatively touched the woman’s forehead as if to brush back her hair. Nothing. No burning. As her fingertips brushed the woman’s palm, the hairs on the back of El’s neck stood on end. But … again … nothing.

  Dan’s hot gaze was upon her. ‘It hurt when she touched you, didn’t it?’

  ‘I don’t think it was intentional,’ El said slowly. ‘But yeah … it burned.’

  Dan crossed his arms and frowned. Alex sat down in a chair by the bed.

  El soon went back upstairs. The coolness of the night felt good against her skin, still hot and uncomfortable from the scorching sensation that the woman had evoked.

  Talus was sat on one of the recently vacated cushions. ‘It’s a name. Circe.’

  Apprehension prickled over El as she sat down opposite him. ‘Does it mean something to you?’

  ‘There are a few Circe’s in the Carras family tree, further back. The most recent lived at least a thousand years ago.’

  Once again, El wondered if they were correct. Was this woman a victim of the full power, restored and returned to the modern world?

  The sense that things were happening that were beyond their control or understanding settled over El.

  ‘Looking back,’ El said, ‘when I entered that room in the villa, I sensed something there. When you and Dan were taking pictures, I was drawn to her. And then there’s the fact that I happened to fall over and cut my hand. It all seems like too much of a coincidence. As if it was—’

  ‘Ordained.’ Talus’ gaze held hers.

  ‘I was going to say “meant to be” but yeah.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking the same thing and I’ve never believed in coincidence. I believe in watching and planning so that the result I want comes to pass.’

  ‘Then the question is … who wanted us to find her?’

  Talus’ gaze
was stormy as he brooded. ‘If I could only phase out and see her power … tomorrow afternoon I should be able to.’

  ‘Could she be a graeae?’

  ‘You saw her eyes,’ Talus said, shaking his head, ‘not the right colour and no sensation from them.’

  ‘You said graeae couldn’t detect empousa power either. Could she—’

  ‘No. An empousa’s body is impervious to harm: as hard as stone. Alex had no trouble inserting the cannula into her arm. And if you heighten your senses, you can hear her heartbeat. Again, not possible if she were an empousa.’

  El nodded, trying to think what else might shed some light on the mystery. ‘What about her touch burning me? What do you make of that?’

  His gaze darted away. ‘I don’t know. But the sooner we get back to Carras Island and see Yia Yia, the quicker we get answers.’

  For once El was inclined to agree. The sooner they saw Yia Yia, the better.

  - Chapter Twenty -

  The Assembly

  A shiver of pleasure ran down El’s spine as she dreamt that Luke was kissing her. He kissed her neck and she moaned.

  ‘Afternoon,’ Luke whispered.

  She blinked and realised he was lying beside her. A thrill of excitement ran through her. He was dressed, but he was still on her bed.

  ‘Mmm, I thought I was dreaming.’

  He lifted her head and kissed her deeply. ‘A good dream?’

  ‘Mhm.’ She stole another kiss. ‘Though … it would be better if you were wearing less.’ Her fingers played with his sun-kissed hair, the scent of sea air rising as she tussled it.

  ‘I’ll remember that next time.’

  She bit her lip, running her hands under his T-shirt. ‘Next time?’

  He groaned but stopped her. ‘Unless you want to face your Yia Yia naked, we better keep our clothes on.’

  El bolted up. ‘We’re back?’

  ‘Almost. The veiling has just been lifted.’ His eyes trailed down and El pulled the cover up, realising she was only wearing a bra and knickers. ‘It’s two o’clock. I was going to wake you earlier, but Talus said you sat up all night.’