Wonder if he’s going to taste like donuts.
I wake up staring at the dusty ceiling of an unfamiliar basement.
Oh, right. I’m like three blocks away from that shipping yard. Yay for my first ever time breaking and entering. Well, charming and entering anyway. The first house with a light on at almost four in the morning drew me like a moth to a candle. I knocked and made the guy let me in. He was also kind enough to feed me and let me use his shower to de-salt myself. Staying in a wetsuit for hours after diving itches like mad.
The guy who lives here, Ernie Lewis, works nights but had yesterday off due to it being Sunday. When he wakes up, he’ll have completely forgotten I exist. It’s tempting to use his phone to call my parents, but I don’t want to create any evidence of my having been here. It’s probably on the paranoid side since I’m not planning to do anything more illegal than crash in his basement uninvited. However, if this guy turns out to be the type who goes over his phone statement line by line and wants to know why there’s a random call to a mobile number from Cottage Lake, pointing this guy at my family will create problems I don’t need to deal with.
I could steal a car, but I don’t know how to do that. I could steal a car by virtue of mind controlling the driver. There’s always Uber, but I don’t have my phone or wallet on me. I can’t walk from Olympia to Cottage Lake. Okay, best idea is probably leave this trunk stashed here in the basement and fly home to get the Yukon.
After an extremely boring hour or so lying around the basement, sounds of activity come from the house. Ernie’s up. I listen to him make something to eat and watch TV. Later, he showers, and goes back to watching TV.
Ugh. The worst part about being stuck here right now without powers of mind control is that I know my parents (and siblings) are undoubtedly freaking out that I’ve been gone all night into today. And dammit. I have class. Crap. Maybe I should’ve tried to beat the sunrise going home? Nah. I can make a teacher forget an absence. I can’t make reality forget melting me into a pile of ashes.
Oh, shit. Idea. Possibly evil, but, it might work out. My powers of mind control only stop working when I’m exposed to sunlight. There’s no sunlight down here.
I bang on something, making noise. The TV gets quiet. I bang again.
The basement lights flick on and Ernie comes down the stairs with a handgun out. “Someone here?”
With a burst of supernatural speed, I leap out and pounce on him, grabbing his wrist and pushing the gun away to the side. He barely has time to start screaming before I’m in his head. Ernie’s going to be a super nice guy and drive me home before he has to be at work tonight. He’s got plenty of time since his shift starts at nine.
I lean hard on the mental implant since I’m going to be pretty much helpless once I’m out in the daylight. Well, no more helpless than an ordinary girl my age would be, but still. Can’t afford to make an error.
A few minutes later, I’m curled up on the floor of Ernie’s pickup truck using bath towels to somewhat shield my head, hands, and feet from the sun. It’s not too bright out, but it’s still in the realm of ouch. Between the two of us, we managed to get the trunk loaded in the bed. Holy shit that thing is heavy to a mortal.
A little after five in the afternoon, Ernie backs up to my driveway. Dad leans out the door, no doubt confused by some random person pulling in. When he sees me slip out the passenger side door, he runs over and grabs me like he’s helping war wounded limp to the hospital.
“Sarah!”
“Sorry for disappearing. Got stranded by the sunrise. Took longer than I figured it would.”
As I programmed him to do, Ernie gets out and walks around to help me unload the trunk. Dad grabs the other side for me since I’m a bit out of sorts in the light. Ernie sets his end down on the driveway and gets back in the pickup.
“Hey, umm…” Dad stares at him while gesturing at the garage.
I put a hand on my father’s arm. “Don’t. I only gave him a limited instruction set.”
Dad raises an eyebrow.
“He’s going to go home now and forget ever driving here. Can we put this thing in the garage for now?”
Ernie drives off.
Dad helps me lug the trunk into the garage. That done, I head down to my room to enjoy the darkness.
And get the hell out of this wetsuit.
At 9:30 p.m. Monday night, I’m sitting on the trunk at the end of my driveway.
After almost twenty-four straight hours in a wetsuit, I opted for a dress today. Thanks to Ernie, I was able to not miss a class on only my third week of school. The Aurora Aurea guys can wait a couple more hours for books they’ve been missing for centuries. My family found the story of what happened last night fascinating. I glossed over some of the stabbier details since Sophia was listening in, but they at least understand why I disappeared and how sorry I am for not making contact. Dad agreed that I made the right decision not using that man’s phone or computer to contact them. Mom focused more on agreeing with my decision not to play chicken with the sun.
“Better late than baked” was Sam’s nugget of wisdom.
Of course, Sierra had to make a marijuana comment in response, which didn’t go over well with the ’rents.
Anyway, Darren sounded ecstatic when I called him about the trunk. Whether or not I’m going to metaphorically rip his head off over the skeletons is still a matter of debate. I kill time playing a mobile game while waiting.
At 9:41 p.m., a nondescript black van pulls into the cul-de-sac and backs up to me.
Darren and Landon hop out along with Callum. They still look like they’re dressed to film a movie about vampires in the early 1900s. Wow. No idea why they do that, but whatever. You’d think a sect of actual mystics trying to remain unnoticed wouldn’t dress like that. Or maybe they do it on purpose so people think they’re just weird in case they let something slip they shouldn’t.
“Miss Wright,” says Darren, while bowing in greeting.
The other two swarm over and examine the trunk I’m sitting on.
Darren notices my bare legs and lack of shoes. “Are you not cold?”
“After the ocean?” I hop off the trunk and glare up at him. “Did you know this thing had a… trap?”
All three of them ask, “Trap?” at the same time.
I explain the skeletons.
They are sufficiently clueless that I don’t scream at anyone. “Well, it had one. And it sucked. But, here it is. I haven’t opened it.”
“Excellent.” Callum traces his fingers over the metal banding. “This glyph on top is destroyed.”
“That was the trap,” I deadpan.
“Oh.” He stands and bows to me. “Yes, yes. No harm done then. The preservation enchantment is intact.”
Landon and Callum grab handles and groan as they lift it. It nearly kills them to haul it the ten feet to the back end of the van. Then again, they’ve got the rocking physique of science nerds. Both of them gasp and wheeze while pulling the doors open. I smile to myself, wander over, and lift the trunk into the van for them. The guys stare aghast at me.
I pat Callum on the bicep. “Don’t feel too bad. My fitness plan is to die for.”
Darren groans.
“So?” I face him. “We’re even now?”
“Indeed.” Darren looks around. “Might we have the compass back?”
“Oh. Hang on. It’s inside.” I run back to my room to fetch the compass from the wetsuit pocket and bring it back out to them. “Here ya go.”
He slips it into his vest. “Thank you, Miss Wright. A pleasure making your acquaintance.”
We shake hands.
The men get back in their van and drive off.
Gee. I hope I didn’t just hand ‘World Domination for Dummies’ to a pack of nutcases.
“Perhaps I should have asked what’s in those books before agreeing to do this. And wow, magic. I thought an enormous troll was the weirdest thing ever—but that didn’t really happen. I didn’t go through a realit
y portal in some cave and fight a giant monster in an alternate dimension. Trolls are one thing, but magic? Seriously?”
Coralie appears beside me. “I believe the creature you confronted in those caverns did happen.”
“Nope. Total dream. I reject that reality and substitute my own.”
She tilts her head at me. “I didn’t realize you were a politician.”
I laugh. “But really… that seriously happened?”
Coralie nods. “There are dimensions and worlds within worlds. The vast majority of people in this world remain ignorant of that. You have only seen—oh, what’s the phrase? The tip of the iceberg? Merely a fragment of what’s out there.”
“Ignorance is bliss.” I fold my arms and stare down at my toes. “Time for a new coat of polish.”
“Sarah?” Coralie rests an immaterial hand on my shoulder.
I look up at her.
“If you could go back and alter fate so you would still be a mortal, would you?”
“Umm.” I pick at a spot on my chest where a corroded rapier blade stuck out of me not a full day ago. That didn’t kill me. I consider flying, getting to know Glim, even making friends with Aurélie and how I’ll never grow old. “Nah. This is pretty cool.”
Coralie smiles. “I never was quite able to accept my fate. I’ve always regretted being murdered. But I cannot change the past, so I’ve come to tolerate what I am. It fills me with joy to see you’re at peace with yourself, even happy over what you’ve become. Thank you for breaking their hold on me. I shall always be your friend.”
“Glad I could help.” I start to smile, but a scary thought hits me. “Crap!”
She gasps. “What’s wrong?”
“I have bio class tomorrow.”
“Why is that bad?”
“There’s a test!” I flail my arms. “I haven’t studied!”
Coralie giggles. “I’ve audited Connolly’s class at least twenty times. Come on. I will help you study. It’s the least I can do.”
A woman born in 1829 is going to help me study for an intro to bio test.
Yeah… everything’s back to ‘normal’ all right.
fin
Contents
1. The Worst Summer of My Life
2. California Dreamin'
3. Disappear
4. Job Security
5. No One Alive
6. No Small Amount of Screaming
7. Eye Contact
8. F The Universe
9. Professor Heath
10. The Future's So Bright
11. After School
12. Fleeting Shadows
13. A Quiet Roommate
14. The Oracle
15. Pissing off the Universe
16. Near Death Experience
17. A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement
18. Ghostly Wandering
19. Another Favor
20. Supernatural Complications
21. A Small Request
22. Testing the Waters
23. A Tentative Trust
24. Custody Dispute
25. The Irony of Time
26. All Emo and Stuff
27. Small Price
28. The Graveyard of the Pacific
29. Sharp, Nasty, Pointy Things
30. a Little Bit of Reality
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Other books by Matthew S. Cox
Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading The Phantom Oracle!
I’d also like to thank Alexandria Thompson for the wonderful cover and interior art.
About the Author
Originally from South Amboy NJ, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Since 1996, he has developed the “Divergent Fates” world, in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, The Awakened Series, The Harmony Paradox, and the Daughter of Mars series take place. Along with editing for Curiosity Quills press, he has worked in IT and technical support.
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, developer of two custom RPG systems (paper & dice), and a fan of anime, British humour, and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats, presently living with two: Loki and Dorian.
Visit me online at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewSCoxAuthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/matthewcox10420/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7712730.Matthew_S_Cox
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mscox.author/
Email: [email protected]
Other books by Matthew S. Cox
Divergent Fates Universe Novels
Division Zero series
Division Zero
Lex De Mortuis
Thrall
Guardian
The Awakened series
Prophet of the Badlands
Archon’s Queen
Grey Ronin
Daughter of Ash
Zero Rogue
Angel Descended
Daughter of Mars series
The Hand of Raziel
Araphel
Ghost Black
Virtual Immortality series
Virtual Immortality
The Harmony Paradox
Divergent Fates Anthology
(Fiction Novels - Adult)
The Roadhouse Chronicles Series
One More Run
The Redeemed
Dead Man’s Number
Faded Skies series
Heir Ascendant
Ascendant Unrest
Ascendant Revolution
Temporal Armistice Series
Nascent Shadow
The Shadow Collector
The Gate to Oblivion
Vampire Innocent series
A Nighttime of Forever
A Beginner’s Guide to Fangs
The Artist of Ruin
The Last Family Road Trip
Standalones
Wayfarer: AV494
Axillon99
Chiaroscuro: The Mouse and the Candle
The Far Side of Promise anthology
Operation: Chimera (with Tony Healey)
The Dysfunctional Conspiracy (with Christopher Veltmann)
Winter Solstice series (with J.R. Rain)
Convergence
Containment
Catalyst
Alexis Silver series (with J.R. Rain)
Silver Light
Deep Silver
Samantha Moon Origins series (with J.R. Rain)
New Moon Rising
Moon Mourning
Maddy Wimsey series (with J.R. Rain)
The Devil’s Eye
The Drifting Gloom
Samantha Moon Case Files series (with J.R. Rain)
Blood Moon
Dead Moon
Young Adult Novels
Caller 107
The Summer the World Ended
Nine Candles of Deepest Black
The Eldritch Heart
The Forest Beyond the Earth
Out of Sight
Middle Grade Novels
Tales of Widowswood series
Emma and the Banderwigh
Emma and the Silk Thieves
Emma and the Silverbell Faeries
Emma and the Elixir of Madness
Emma and the Weeping Spirit
Standalones
Citadel: The Concordant Sequence
The Cursed Codex
The Menagerie of Jenkins Bailey
Sophie’s Light
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The Phantom Oracle (Vampire Innocent Book 5) Page 28
