by AR Colbert
“Yeah, I uh—” I coughed and dropped my voice lower again. “I had some studying to do and it got too late for me to go back to my apartment. I’ll take that.”
He glanced at my outstretched hands with a frown and pulled the tray in closer. “I’ve got it.” Jeeves looked more concerned than ever as he scanned me in the hall. I followed his eyes down to my clothing and found myself looking like I’d just completed a mud run. Shoot. I’d been struck by lightning, tied up with ropes, laid down on the soggy ground, and then slept in a stone hallway. This was not the effect I was going for.
“Are you sure everything is okay in there?” He pushed past me and froze after stepping through the doorway into the study. I swallowed and peeked around his large frame, already thinking through what kind of story I could tell him to make this seem normal.
But all we saw in the room was Millie and Devon cuddled up on the couch with that enormous blanket sprawled out all around them. I stifled a laugh picturing all of my friends hidden underneath in that cramped space with old man Driskell.
“Uh, sorry.” Jeeves stammered and quickly set the tray on Millie’s desk, avoiding eye contact with her the best he could. “I didn’t realize you had company.” He turned his back on them and gave me a look that said he clearly did not approve of my aunt’s relationship with Devon.
Oh Jeeves, if only you knew the truth.
I bit my lip and nodded thanks to him. “We won’t need any more coffee, Jeeves. Thanks, though. We’ll be out of here soon.”
He just shook his head as he hurried out of the room. I locked the door behind him and turned back toward a very grumpy group of people emerging from under the blanket on the floor. Gayla’s hair was alive with static, and Driskell tried to calm it with his hairy hands.
I couldn’t keep it in anymore. A laugh bubbled up out of my chest and escaped through the room. I was the Deliverer. I was going to save the world. It was the craziest thing I’d ever heard of, but at least I would get to do it with this ragtag crew of mine.
CHAPTER 3
It turned out teleportation could leave me feeling just as jetlagged as an airplane could. I found myself dragging through Millie’s house, ready to let my head hit the pillow by supper time. But Jeeves and Pierre didn’t know that I’d traveled halfway across the world. They wouldn’t understand that I had somehow stopped a deadly storm with nothing but my bare hands and some kind of savage yell. All they knew was that something strange was going on.
“I don’t like it.” Pierre’s French accent grew even thicker when he was worked up about something. And judging by the speed of his chopping, he was pretty worked up.
He and Jeeves had been giving Millie the side-eye all day, ever since Jeeves caught her snuggling up with Devon on the couch that morning. And to make matters worse, Devon didn’t leave with the others. He stayed behind instead, to help Millie get Driskell secretly set up in a spare bedroom. Thankfully, the butler and chef didn’t know about Driskell, thanks to an enchantment Tate had put into place that kept them oblivious to his presence. Devon was bad enough. There was no telling what they’d say if they caught a glimpse of my favorite cursed old man.
“It’s weird, right?” Jeeves grabbed a piece of the green bell pepper on Pierre’s cutting board and popped it into his mouth. “I mean, technically, it’s legal. But he’s like nineteen. And how old is Millie? Forty?”
Actually she was four-hundred, twenty-six years old. But who was counting?
“Maybe it’s true love.” I shrugged. They didn’t know the half of it.
“People are going to talk.” Pierre gave one final chop with enough force to rattle the counter top. He met my eyes and lowered his voice. “And if he thinks he is going to move into our home and order me around, he can walk right back out the door.” His knife waved through the air, enunciating his words with sharp jabs, forcing me to lean out of his way until he was done talking.
“Oh, give him a chance. He’s not moving in.” I reached for a veggie. “Maybe he’ll grow on you. It’s been so long since Millie has fallen for someone.”
Pierre scoffed and swatted my hand away. “He is a child. And as for Millie, mieux vaut être seule que mal accompagnée.”
“Do I even want to know what that means?” I whispered to Jeeves.
He shrugged. “All I know is that I saw a movie like this on TV once with mama.” Jeeves’ Alabama twang was almost comical after Pierre’s rant. Over his shoulder, through the kitchen window, I saw a quick flash of white. “There was this rich widow—real pretty lady—who fell for her pool boy, and…”
“I’ll be right back, guys.” I interrupted Jeeves to get a closer look at what I hoped had flown by the window. Pierre shot me a dirty look, but Jeeves kept right on with his story as I casually made my way back out into the foyer. Tiny Tim and Lemon Drop, Millie’s giant English Mastiffs rose from their beds under the stairs and trotted after me toward the back door.
“You two have to stay inside,” I whispered. Things didn’t go so great the last time they’d seen my owl. “Sorry guys.” Their droopy eyes made them look like they were pouting. “I’ll be quick.”
I slid through the glass doors into Millie’s small courtyard off the back of her house, and sure enough, my feathery friend was perched up on the railing. “Al!”
It’s Alpheus. He somehow sounded irritated without even making any actual noise.
“Right, Alpheus.” I was just happy to see him. He hadn’t been around since the night I met with Rasputin at the cathedral. Then again, maybe I was the one who hadn’t been around much. Al probably had no idea what was going on.
I’m glad to see you survived the deadly grip of the Manticorian lord.
I laughed. “Wow. You make that sound intense.”
Well, he’s tried to kill you before.
“When?”
I heard a groan in my head and Al shifted his little owl feet across the wrought iron. He was so cute it was difficult to take him seriously. It always surprises me that you never remember your previous lives.
“Yeah, you’ve mentioned something like that before. But you’re going to have to be a little more direct. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Does this have anything to do with that oath you mentioned the last time I saw you? Because I do understand Keeper oaths a little more now. I’ve even made one of my own!”
If owls could shake their heads to make a person feel like an idiot, that is exactly what Al would have been doing in that moment.
Yes. I made an oath to you in your first life, and I’ve been forced to carry it out in this ridiculous bird body ever since.
“You haven’t always been an owl?”
Of course not! His head twisted to one side.
“What happened?”
It’s not important. Not anymore. The point is, I am sworn to protect you, through all of your days, no matter how many times your soul returns to the earth. Even when you return looking like… that.
I glanced down at my running tights and oversized t-shirt. “What’s wrong with—you know what? Nevermind. Back to the topic. You’re telling me that you knew me before? Same soul, different body?”
Bodies. Plural. And yes.
“Al, that’s great!”
Alpheus.
“So how do I normally handle this whole white aura situation? Like, what did I do in previous lives?”
There’s never been a white aura situation to handle before.
“You mean this is new? Please, tell me everything you know. Anything that could help me.”
I’m obviously not going to review the last few millennia with you. But I’ll give you the basics. You were Berenice when we first met. You were a stunning woman, but cold hearted. Not many people cared for you in those days.
“But you did.”
I never said that. Regardless of your pleasantness, or lack thereof, you were powerful. Something happened in those days—you never told me what—but it was serious enough that you believed your life to
be in danger. I owed you a favor, so you asked for my oath of protection. I’ve been by your side ever since, stuck for an eternity in this frail body. Destined to serve you despite your natural strength. I never understood why.
“Wow. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” I shuffled my feet trying to make sense of it all. “So do you still have powers of your own?”
His large yellow eyes closed for a long moment. No, but you don’t need me for that anyway. You’ve always been very powerful. It’s how you earned your nickname by the mortals in a later life.
“What was my nickname?”
They called you the goddess of wisdom and war.
“Like Athena?”
He cocked his fluffy head at a ninety degree angle and blinked. I swear it’s like speaking to a toddler sometimes. Yes. Like Athena… he mumbled to himself, the words muffled in my brain. You were Athena.
“I was a goddess?”
You’ve got to be kidding me. No, you weren’t a goddess. There are no such things as gods and goddesses. There is only one God. But the humans back then were just as stupid as they are today, and they believed you were a goddess.
“Hey now. Let’s knock it off with the name calling.”
Fine. He shifted his taloned toes again. I’ll be nice. Yes, you were Athena. You have always had a sharp mind and a fierceness in battle. That has remained true in every incarnation.
“So what does that mean for me today? Battle skills aren’t exactly useful in today’s society.”
You might be surprised. Look, I don’t know what you’re supposed to do. I’ve never really known. I just know that you’re destined for greatness—you told me as much thousands of years ago. But you always figure it out. Just lean into your natural instincts, and find what is right. Fight for it. You’ve got the strength, you just need to believe it.
“And you’ll help me?”
However I can.
“Great. Then I have a favor to ask. I need you to locate someone for me—someone who may have the answers I need.”
Who?
I chuckled.
What’s so funny?
“Al the owl just said who…”
I can’t do this anymore. He lifted his wings.
“Wait, wait, wait… I’m sorry. I really do need your help though. You see, there’s this prophecy. I’ll explain the details later, but it’s kind of a big deal. And I’m pretty sure we’re not the only ones who know about it. There’s a very powerful Keeper who may be able to fill in some blanks and possibly even lead me to my mom. If it’s true that I have the courage and fight of Athena, then it’s time for me to put on my big girl pants and face my fears.” I took a deep breath and looked Al in the eyes. “I need to find Rossel.”
CHAPTER 4
Devon left later that evening, and Tate swung by the next morning. It was embarrassing how excited I was to see his face. The only thing that might have made it better would have been another one of those cinnamon lattes he’d gotten into the habit of bringing me from the Honey Pot.
But there was no coffee today, Tate was on a mission, focused on one thing and one thing only: turning my aura blue. Oddly enough, my presence wasn’t required for it.
He’d barely given me a wave before trotting up the stairs to meet Millie in her study. Abby was at the apothecary today, so they wouldn’t be able to speak freely there. They’d decided to experiment with some different ideas here in Millie’s study, instead.
“Maybe you should go be a chaperone,” Jeeves whispered as he joined me in the foyer. “Millie’s first teenage boyfriend might be upset to find out she’s spending time with another teenage boyfriend.”
“Tate’s twenty.” I couldn’t even make eye contact with Jeeves. My gaze was still glued to the outside of the door to Millie’s study. I felt surprisingly lonely, even surrounded by everyone in the house. It was strange to know that everyone was working on this grand plan that centered around me, and yet I felt completely useless.
“That’s hardly any better,” Jeeves muttered. After a pause, he elbowed me in the arm. “Hey, are you alright?”
“Yeah, of course. Why?” I plastered a smile on my face. Judging by Jeeves’ reaction, I overdid it.
The corners of his mouth dropped and he rested a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Oh, no. You like this one, don’t you?”
“No… I—”
His expression hardened. “Look, your aunt is a pretty lady. But this is too far. She should not be going after young men at all, especially not those who have already caught the eyes of another Gordon woman. I’ll go have a talk with her.”
He pushed toward the stairs and I grabbed his arm, slowing him down. Stopping a former college linebacker should have been difficult, but I brought his two hundred thirty pound body to a halt with ease. Even previous ‘bama players were no match for my new Keeper strength.
Jeeves quirked a brow at me.
“It’s fine.” I sighed. “I’ll go be a chaperone.”
I took my time going up the stairs and paused for a long minute outside of the study. A quick glance over my shoulder back to the foyer below revealed a determined Jeeves, nodding his encouragement for me to go in. I rolled my shoulders back and gave a soft knock on the door.
“Yes?” Millie’s voice called out. She sounded distracted. Of course I knew there was nothing going on between her and Tate, but I was still admittedly a little jealous that everyone was getting to hang out without me.
“It’s me. Can I come in?”
“Yes, of course.”
Tate and Millie were hunched over her desk, a pile of books off to one side and a couple of jars of dried herbs stacked beside them. “How’s it going so far?”
Tate moved to the side, making a spot for me to join them. I felt the tug toward him with every step I took, and he looked up with surprise as my elbow brushed against his. He must’ve felt the same jolt of electricity that I did when we touched.
“It’s good... I think,” he amended as he glanced up at the worry lines etching Millie’s face. “We’re getting close. Maybe.”
“I just don’t think the power amplification draught is exactly what we’re looking for. Too much of that will be taxing on her body, and she doesn’t need amplification right now.” Millie frowned.
“We don’t know that more Atlantean power will make the aura turn blue, anyway,” Tate said. “It could make it glow a brighter white.”
They continued to work as though I wasn’t in the room. I nodded along, waiting for my chance to add something of value.
“But you can’t just follow her around with a curtain of glamour forever. There’s got to be a way to keep it intact without your presence. Maybe if you enchanted a charm or some kind of jewelry she could keep on herself?”
Tate shook his head. “I can’t glamour inanimate objects. There has to be some life.” He expanded on it, going deep into some kind of Agarthian science I couldn’t even begin to understand. I tried to keep up for a while, but there wasn’t anything I could add to the conversation without first taking some kind of Keeper Physics 101 class.
I was useless. Once again. “Alright, well I’m gonna get back to… something.”
Millie nodded and waved, never pulling her eyes away from the textbook laid open before her. Tate didn’t look up either. They were fully engrossed in their work, which was a good thing, I supposed. I just wished I could do something to help.
I left them to their business and slipped out into the hallway in search of Driskell. There probably wasn’t any more information he could provide—we’d gone over all the details a million times already—but at least we could keep each other company while we were essentially prisoners in Millie’s house. Though, if I had to be a prisoner, a multi-million dollar townhouse in Manhattan complete with a butler and private chef was a pretty good place to serve my sentence.
Driskell’s room was down the hall. As I neared it, I could just make out the sound of him singing. I knocked on the door, but it wasn’
t latched all the way. It swung open as my knuckles met the wood, and the room was empty. To the right, I noticed light shining from under his bathroom door. His singing was louder now—some kind of upbeat German folk song layered with the sound of a draining bathtub. I had no idea what his lyrics meant, but it sounded like he was enjoying himself.
Feeling mopey and alone once again, I let him be and peeked out the open window at the end of the hall. It was warm for an autumn day, and the breeze blowing in from outside reminded me that I hadn’t even seen Al since I’d sent him on to find Rossel. Hopefully Rossel hadn’t hurt him. Then again, Al had been alive for thousands of years. I wasn’t so sure anything could hurt him.
A pounding came from the front door downstairs. “Millie! Your shop girl said you were working from home today. Are you in there?” Claudia’s voice rang out through the door, followed by more pounding. I hadn’t seen her in ages—not since Sean and I first left to meet Gayla. And I wasn’t about to let her see me now with a white glow.
“Millie!” she called out again. She sounded flustered.
I ran down the hall to tell my aunt, nearly colliding with Tate as he stepped out of the study with a panicked look on his face. “We’ve got to hide you,” he said.
I glanced downstairs again to find Jeeves making his way through the foyer to greet our guest.
“Hurry!” Millie whisper-yelled from over Tate’s shoulder. “And hide Driskell, too. Claudia can’t know about any of this.”
Tate gently took hold of my wrist and guided me back down the hall to Driskell’s room, but the door was now closed and Driskell’s voice was louder as he hummed on the other side. Tate didn’t hesitate to twist the knob, but it was locked. “Driskell, let us in!”
“One minute, please. I have just bathed and I am moisturizing.”
Jeeves opened the door and greeted Claudia downstairs. “Is Millie home?” she asked impatiently.
