by Kristie Cook
TWENTY-TWO
Carefully, Skylar walked forward with Mason. A fast, cool breeze brushed her face, causing her to suck in air. This place stunk with the smell of soil and something rotting, stinging her nostrils with a repulsive stench. Ducking the spider webs, she couldn’t wait to get through what appeared to be a long hallway. The flashlights gave just enough light as they headed further in.
As they continued on the path, there were more withered vines and spider webs every way Skylar turned her head. The ivory pillars were knocked down, broken and scattered on top of furniture that was hardly recognizable. Though it looked like this place would have been a splendid castle, once fit for a royal court right out of fairy tale, it was wretchedly ruined now. It clearly showed it had been long abandoned and turmoil had taken up residence there.
Out of the dim light, they entered another tunnel of darkness. Skylar thought that if she could feel death, this was what it would be like, crawling on her skin. Being the only ones there and not knowing what was ahead, her trepidation rose to the surface, ready to turn into a full-blown anxiety attack.
A short time later, the flashlights were no longer needed as another world materialized in front of them. Never would Skylar have imagined seeing such beauty. The fluffy clouds looked heaven sent, and the ground under her feet was plush and green and seemed to go on for miles and miles. To the right was a small waterfall, trickling softly, flowing into a narrow stream.
Upon approaching the waterfall, Skylar saw another entrance she hadn’t seen before now. “We have to go in there?” Skylar asked, looking into the darkness, grimacing. They had just come out from a dank, dark place into this beautiful one. She didn’t want to go back into darkness again.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with.” Everett entered first.
The dry air was comfortable and the flashlights were not needed after a short distance. They followed the bright light and stepped into the warmth of daylight. The first thing Skylar saw was a ray of light, spotlighting the center of the garden. With a radiant golden hue, it looked like they were at the end of the rainbow with a promise of treasures of diamonds and gold. Filled with wild flowers, the garden produced a pleasurable scent, and each tree sprouted its own special fruit. Following the path, she took in the beauty of the surrounding nature, but what she saw next was unfathomable.
An ivory statue was in her line of vision. As she continued, she saw many more of them, lined up side-by-side to the left and right of her in a horizontal formation. Mesmerized, she gaped at the detail in each one. Looking at her friends, she saw they were doing the same.
“Oh my god! Is this … ? It can’t be.” Amanda gasped, looking at a statue in front of her with admiration. “This is Athena. She was goddess of wisdom and war. Nick is going to be so pissed he missed this.” Athena held her head up high, holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
Skylar recognized the statue next to Athena. It was Ares, Athena’s half-brother. Curious, she let her fingertip glide down its cold, smooth arm. Ares was a god of war just like his sister, but unlike Athena, he was bloodthirsty and vengeful. Though it was just a statue, just knowing of his evil gave her chills.
“This must be Aphrodite.” Mason examined her from head to toe. “She is breathtaking.” Aphrodite’s garment had a high slit, revealing her right leg. The front was low cut, showing her cleavage, and her hair was adorned with flowers. It was a perfect image of the goddess of love, who was the fairest of all.
Skylar knew she shouldn’t be jealous of a statue, but she couldn’t help feeling a sting from Mason’s statement, assuming he would never say such words to her.
“These are all statues of gods. Are they real?” Everett looked up, placed his index finger on the lines of Zeus’s robe, and ran it down with wonderment.
Zeus was huge compared to Everett. Skylar wondered if that was his actual size. She also wondered how Everett felt at this moment, to be face to face with Zeus, knowing he was one of Zeus descendants, even though it was just a statue.
“They are real to me,” a small voice said.
Startled to hear such a voice, Skylar turned to see a short, rounded old woman with a cane standing in front of a colossal tree. Her hair was salt and pepper colored and long, down to her waist. Oddly, though her eyes were shut, she looked straight at Skylar as if she could see her.
“Are you the Oracle?” Mason asked. His eyes lit up with hope.
“It depends on who’s asking. Since you’ve crossed over, I know for a fact that you are half-bloods. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You are one of the last generations of the gods’ children.” She wobbled forward, using her cane for stability, stepping out of the shadows. “Yes, I’m the Oracle. There were three of us, but now I’m the only one left.”
“There are more of us out there, correct?” Amanda asked.
“There were many, but unfortunately some have been killed by Hades’ creatures. You know of the prophecy. It states that an unknown factor could possibly wipe out all of our kind, the good and the evil. I wonder if it has already begun. We called them the keepers of death.”
“Unknown factor?” Amanda repeated.
“Like Remus,” Everett said, narrowing his eyes to Mason.
“Yes, unknown factor. This one has me troubled. My sisters and I, god bless their souls, had been trying to determine when or how or who this keeper of death could be. Will it be in a human form? Will the keeper possess a unique ability? Unfortunately, we were unable to figure that one out before they passed away. Even Oracles don’t live forever.”
Amanda looked at the statues again with amazement. “Are they real? I mean … are they the real gods and now they’ve turned to statues? I know this is a silly question, especially since we’ve been told that they crumbled into nothing but ashes.”
“No, they’re not the actual gods. You are standing on the grounds of what is left of Olympus, the home of the gods. These statues were made and situated in the very same spot ages ago by Zeus.”
This profound revelation struck Skylar to her very core. Reading about them during her school years was fascinating, but to be standing on Olympus and being a half-blood was too much to bear all at once.
Knowing everyone was busy staring at the statues, the Oracle tapped her cane once on the ground, producing a thunder-like sound. Assuming the Oracle’s action was to get their attention, it worked. “Why have you come?”
“To get answers,” Everett said, turning his head to her.
“I have no answers to give you. I’ve told you as much as I could.”
“No, this is different. We don’t know what she is.”
It was the oddest sight to witness the Oracle turning to Everett when he spoke, especially since her eyes were shut. “Who are you talking about?”
Everett pointed to Skylar. “Her. She is the reason why we’ve come. She is different.”
“How different?”
“If I knew would I be here?” Everett snapped.
Surprisingly, the Oracle was calm. “What I know for sure is that you have a temper. It will get you into trouble. It’s the part of Zeus I never liked. He had a bad temper, causing his judgment to be obscured. As for her, I feel her heart beating in the same pattern as yours, indicating she is not a vulture of some sort. I can also feel her warm heart. Hmmm … I see she has a soft spot for someone.”
Blushing, Skylar flashed her eyes on Mason, wondering if he clued in on her comment. When her eyes met his, she dropped them to her feet.
“Please,” Amanda stepped in. Amanda looked at Skylar for a brief second and turned her eyes to Mason. “I feel the same as Everett.”
The Oracle heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t normally get into people’s business. It is one of the reasons why I refused to play your silly game the last time you tried to enter, the reason why you couldn’t enter Olympus. I don’t have time for ridiculous questions, but I figured you coming again must be vital. You wouldn’t have crossed the bridge and passed the
water beasts unless it was that important.”
“We almost died on the bridge,” Amanda huffed. “We went through hell. You have to see us.”
“What do you mean you almost died on the bridge, my child? The bridge is sturdy.”
“We didn’t have trouble crossing it the first time, but this time, the bridge fell apart. There is no bridge anymore.”
“Impossible. Why didn’t you tell me in the first place?”
Amanda rolled her eyes. “Duh … if only we knew it was important information,” she mumbled under her breath. Mason nudged her to shut her mouth.
The Oracle appeared deep in thought, unaware that Amanda made a rude comment. Mumbling to herself, she looked like she was casting some kind of spell. Suddenly, a door appeared on the tree she was standing in front of. “Come, quickly.”
Everyone followed, but just before the Oracle passed through, she stopped. “No, only you.” She pointed to Skylar.
“No,” Mason snapped. “I go in with her.”
“No, only her.”
“Either I go too or she doesn’t go at all. How do I know you won’t hurt her?”
Skylar was extremely touched by his protectiveness.
“Child, I’m the Oracle.”
“I’ve only heard stories about you. I’ve never seen you until today. My answer is no.” Mason gently tugged Skylar behind him.
The Oracle stood still for a brief second. Just when they were about to walk away, she grabbed Mason by his shirt. “Very well. Just you two.”
Everett looked irritated and Amanda held up her hands, giving Mason an annoyed expression. Mason gave them an apologetic look, protectively wrapping his arms around Skylar as they followed the Oracle.
TWENTY-THREE
Skylar was surprised to see an undersized sofa, a bed, and table set for two. In the fireplace was a huge pot. It seemed she was cooking soup. A delicious aroma filled the air and tickled her nostrils. Having not eaten lunch, her stomach gurgled with hunger pangs. She had thought they were walking into a dark tunnel, but that was obviously not the case. It wasn’t cold, but the fire crackling and the coziness of the dome shaped room, gave the warm feeling of home.
“Sit down.” The Oracle patted the rug next to the fireplace. Then she picked up a long wooden stick and stirred the pot. “Would you like some soup?”
Skylar was about to say yes, but Mason spoke up first. “No, thanks. We’re not here to socialize. Let’s get this over with, so we can get back home.”
Skylar could sense Mason’s uneasiness from his tone. She also noted the lack of trust he had for the Oracle. Must be his personality, recalling when he told her he didn’t know if he could trust her.
“Very well.” She hobbled to her cabinet and pulled out a silver bowl. Inside the bowl, she pinched clear droplets of liquid from the bottles she pulled off the shelves below. After she stirred, she placed the bowl by the side of the fire, watching it carefully, making sure it was warm but not too hot to touch.
“There. This part is ready. Now, let me look into your soul,” she muttered, standing in front of Skylar.
“Look into my soul?” Skylar couldn’t fathom how she would do such a thing. The Oracle couldn’t even see. Well at least, she thought she couldn’t, but she seemed to get around just fine.
“Come closer, my dear.” She gripped Skylar’s shirt, tugging her closer to her, meeting face to face.
Mason moved cautiously closer, looking like he was ready to pull Skylar away.
“Look into my eyes.”
Look at what eyes? Is she for real?
Without warning, the old woman’s eyes shot open. Had the Oracle not gripped Skylar’s shirt tightly in her fist, Skylar would have fallen backward. Mason jerked back as well, almost stumbling. Her eyes were turquoise blue, but glassy and marble like. They looked fake, and they pulsated like a thumping heart, yet they were real. Staring back at her, Skylar was pulled into a trance and couldn’t look away.
Suddenly, the Oracle gasped a deep breath, like she had come up for air from being under the water too long. With a frightened expression on her face, she pulled back. “It’s you.” The Oracle raised her tone at Skylar, pointing at her. “You are the unknown factor the prophecy spoke of. You are the keeper of death.”
Skylar looked bewildered, wanting to run. Her mouth dropped in shock from this astounding news and her eyes were wide as she shifted them from Mason, then to the Oracle. She couldn’t be the unknown factor. She didn’t even know what that was. “I’m nothing. I didn’t do anything,” she cried, wondering what Mason was thinking.
Mason didn’t move a muscle. He stood there staring at Skylar, most likely stunned, too. Breaking out of his state, he gripped Skylar’s wrist and led her toward the door. “We’re leaving.”
“She has evil in her. You must kill her,” the Oracle urged.
When Mason turned, the Oracle was already standing in front of Skylar. It happened so fast, he didn’t have time to react. The Oracle snatched Skylar’s hand and sliced her palm diagonally, wounding her. The swathe had prevented the knife from penetrating deeper. Drops of scarlet liquid dripped into the silver bowl the Oracle was holding before Skylar could snatch her hand away.
To their surprise, the liquid inside the bowl sizzled. The bowl dropped from the Oracle’s hand, seemingly too hot to touch. It rattled while spinning endlessly. Finally, it stopped and turned into stone. Then with a puff of black smoke, it turned into ashes. All eyes were glued to what was once a silver bowl.
“Now you see. I have proof,” she exclaimed with certainty, backing away, looking horrified. “Her blood is evil,” she shrieked. “Did Hades create you? What are you not telling us?”
With this newfound discovery, Skylar had no words. All she could think about at that moment was how similar Remus’s death was. Did she truly kill Remus? She regressed back to Mason’s room. Remus slapped her so hard the impact cut her lip. In order to escape from Remus’s hold, she bit down on his lip, causing him to bleed, too. He swallowed her blood. This was the only explanation.
The room started to spin as she focused on the small pool of blood on her palm. Being told she was evil tore at her heart, and her chest tightened, feeling like the air was being sucked out of her. Turning pale, she fought frantically for breath. As if the Earth had tilted at that very moment, her knees buckled under her weight. She was about to fall flat on her face, but instead she felt two strong arms, the arms she had felt many times before, protectively surrounding her.
“Stop it,” Mason snapped. “She isn’t evil.”
The Oracle finally calmed down. “She may not be evil, but she will bring evil wherever she goes. There are more like her out there. You must kill every one of them before they destroy us all,” the Oracle warned. “Get out. Don’t come back. You will bring evil to Olympus. Olympus is all we have left to remind us of what we once were.”
Still in his hold, Mason lightly shook Skylar to get her attention. “Listen. Don’t tell anyone what just happened. Do you understand? Everett will kill you, and I don’t know what Amanda will do. You must keep a straight face when we get out.”
When Skylar nodded to confirm, he turned to the Oracle. “The bridge is gone. How do we get out of here?”
The Oracle didn’t respond. She kept on staring at Skylar with piercing hatred in her eyes.
Mason gripped Skylar’s wounded hand and extended her arm toward the Oracle. “Tell me now before I splash her blood on you.”
“Don’t touch me,” she jerked back. “Go back to the waterfall and follow the stream, or you can go back to where the bridge was and find the path that leads to the same stream. It will lead you back to where you were before the bridge.”
“Back to the camp site,” Mason mumbled. “Hurry, open the door.”
The door flew open. Holding onto Skylar, he led them out. The door shut behind them, as the Oracle remained behind. Mason released Skylar from his hold and waited for her to stand steady. He ripped a strip of his shirt
and wrapped it tightly around her wounded hand, trying not to touch the blood. “There. That should stop the bleeding for now. You owe me a T-shirt.”
“Okay,” she replied, losing her train of thought as she looked at his torn T-shirt, revealing his muscular stomach. “Mason, I’m sorry. I’m not …” Skylar started, but there was nothing she could say. She wanted to cry. She wanted to apologize for killing Remus, even though it was an accident, but she couldn’t. There were no words. The fact remained—she was poison. Knowing she could kill Mason, she had to let him go. Whatever hope she had that they would be together, disappeared when they walked out that door.
Somehow managing to hold back her tears, she opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she spotted Amanda and Everett. Her muscles tensed, and she couldn’t control the rate of her rapidly beating heart.
“What happened to you?” Amanda asked Skylar.
Before Skylar could speak, Mason broke in. “She’s fine. I accidentally slit her with a knife she was holding.”
“Why was she holding a knife?” Amanda’s gaze went to Mason’s ripped T-shirt.
“Never mind. It’s too long to explain. Everything is fine.”
Amanda furrowed her brows, most likely not accepting his lack of an explanation, but she didn’t ask any more questions. Skylar was more than happy Mason took over their conversation. She didn’t know what she was going to say anyway.
“What happened in there? What did the Oracle say?” Everett jumped in.
“Not much. I knew this was a waste of time,” Mason huffed. “She looked into Skylar’s eyes and—”
“She what? She can’t see, can she?” Amanda looked confused.
“She’s strange. I don’t know if we can trust her.”
“So what did she say after she looked into Skylar’s eyes?” Everett seemed very impatient, spitting out his words the first chance he got.
