Amber Smoke

by Kristin Cast

  Eva grabbed two bottles of water and went to dig through Bridget’s purse. “No, I think we’re good.” She pulled it out of the bag and walked mindlessly to the dining room.

  “Your mother left word for you on that phone?” Alek followed her and sat at the head of the table. Eva didn’t answer, and he fidgeted slightly. “Would you be more comfortable if I left?”

  “You can stay.” She pulled out a chair a few seats down and set the phone in front of her on the table. “I don’t know whether or not I want to listen to it.”

  “Knowing what she has to say is better than the constant agony of guessing.”

  “You’re strange sometimes, but you have a point.”

  “You think I’m strange?”

  She pressed the home button, and the phone illuminated. “Yeah, I definitely do.”

  “Good strange or bad strange?”

  A flash of nervousness passed over his face, and she smiled. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let you know after I get all of the answers I’m looking for.”

  They sat for a moment, and Eva stared at the amulet around his neck. “So your mission is to protect me?”

  “It is.”

  “For how long?”

  Alek thought on this. He did not actually know when his mission ended. “When Tartarus is safe, I suppose.”

  “Is that something that you could bang out in, like, a week? Are we joined at the hip for the next ten years?”

  “I am not sure. However long it is, I shall never waver,” he reassured. Eva held her breath and tapped the voicemail icon.

  “Bridget, it’s Lori. If you know where Eva is, please call me. The doctors are saying that her latest round of blood work came back abnormal, and with the headaches and what happened with the nurse…” Lori let out an exhausted sigh. “I’m worried about her. If you’re with her, tell her that I’m not mad. I just want to make sure she’s safe and okay. Call me. I love you both.”

  The message ended, and a lump hardened in Eva’s throat.

  Alek broke the silence. “She sounds frightened.”

  “And it’s my fault,” she sniffled.

  “Hey! Guys!” Bridget’s shouts echoed from the living room. “You really need to come in here and see this.”

  Eva blinked back her tears and followed Alek to the room. Their pictures, along with Bill’s, filled the screen. “Why are we on television?”

  “Hang on, I’ll turn it up.” Bridget reached for the remote and increased the volume.

  “In our nightly news top story tonight, police are looking for these three people in connection with the kidnapping and death of Madeline Bailey. As we first reported, Miss Bailey was abducted and her body later found not far from her on-campus home at the University of Tulsa. We’ll have more about that developing story later on in the program. If you have any info to the whereabouts of any of these individuals, please contact authorities.”

  Eva turned away from the TV. “Turn it off. I can’t listen to this.”

  “It’s all a big misunderstanding,” Bridget said, clicking off the power. “You guys didn’t kill that girl.”

  “Can we not call these authorities and explain what is happening in this realm? Surely they’ll want to assist once they learn the truth.”

  “Before you even finish a sentence, they’ll lock you up in some government-funded cell. Even worse, they’ll make you put on someone else’s underwear.” Bridget wrinkled her nose.

  “She’s right. We can’t go to the cops. They obviously think they know what’s going on, and they’re not going to believe either of us.”

  Eva flinched as Bridget’s phone rang. “It’s your work,” she said, handing it to Bridget.

  “Shit. I totally forgot I was supposed to go in tonight. I can call them back and tell them I’m sick or something.”

  “No, you can’t. You don’t want the police or anyone thinking you have something to hide,” Eva said.

  “Damn. You’re right. She circled to the back of the couch and hugged Eva. “I’m so sorry I have to leave. Stay here for as long as you need to. We’re going to figure this out. Before you know it, we’ll be on a fab vacation somewhere laughing about this whole mess. I love you.”

  “I love you too.” She squeezed her tight before letting go.

  “And, Alek, don’t go off being stupidly heroic and get yourself caught. I need you to keep her safe. Oh, before I forget.” She retrieved a pen and a gum wrapper from her bag and scribbled something down before handing him the paper. “You two be good.” She flipped her hair and sauntered down the hall.

  Alek glanced at the crinkled strip before folding it and adding to the collection in his back pocket.

  Eva sighed and flopped onto the couch. “I can’t believe our pictures are on the news. I have no idea how we’ll ever sort this out.”

  “You’re the new Oracle. This challenge is nothing compared to the danger we will soon face.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve called me that. What does it mean?”

  “An oracle is someone who—”

  “I don’t need a mythology lesson,” Eva interrupted. “I want to understand what it has to do with me.”

  “You are a far removed descendant of Pythia, but one of her descendants nevertheless. When I found you lifeless with Alastor, I defeated him and breathed into you new life. That is when the Oracle within you awoke.”

  Eva shook her head against the memories clouding her thoughts. “But why save me?”

  “The curse on my home will not cease until balance is restored and the evil is put back in its place. My flaw is that I cannot stay in this realm for more than a few of your days without losing my abilities and immortality. Because you are the descendant of such a powerful Oracle, and because that blood flows through you so freely, you are the only mortal with enough power to help me.”

  “What if I don’t want to help you? What if I want to go home and try to get back what’s left of my normal life?”

  “Then Tartarus will break down and die. And all of the wicked souls it holds will claw up and make this realm their own. Alastor and the others hidden here will only be the beginning, and your world will be powerless against them.”

  “Do you have to make everything so dramatic?” She rested her head on the couch cushion and stared up at the ceiling.

  “You must know the truth if you are to make a decision.”

  Eva closed her eyes and tried to imagine what her Yiayiá would say if she were there. “We can only stay here for a couple days. Do you know where else we can go?”

  “I will return to Tartarus in the morning and speak with my mothers. They may be able to offer us assistance.” He hopped over the back of the couch and landed next to her.

  “Don’t take this as me joining forces with you or whatever it is I’m supposed to do. I haven’t decided that yet.”

  “Perhaps you will have better luck in making a decision about our entertainment.” He smiled and handed her the remote.

  “Have you ever seen Thor?” She pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over their laps. “I think you two have a lot in common.” Eva snuggled against him and relaxed into the warm glow of his amulet.

  Twenty-Eight

  Alek slowly opened his eyes to the shards of sunlight slicing through the blinds. He stifled a yawn and stretched his stiff legs. His arm rested behind Eva’s head and buzzed with tingling pinpricks. Carefully, he stood and slid the dead weight out from under her. He shook out his arm until the feeling returned to his fingers.

  “Where are you going?” Eva asked, her eyes still closed.

  “Home. I will be back shortly. You rest.”

  “Should I come with you?” She sat up, yawned, and tried to smooth her tangled twists of hair. “What? Why are you smiling at me? Was I drooling?” She wiped at the corners of her mouth.

  “No, your hair. It’s very reminiscent of Medusa.” He chuckled.

  “Shut up.” She grinned and combed her
fingers through the knots. “Your hair doesn’t look too great either.”

  He brushed a hand through his curls and shook his head a few times. “Perfection.”

  “It’s ridiculous how easy it is for guys to get ready.” Eva rolled her eyes and fell back against the leather cushion. “If you want me to come with you, it’ll only take me a second. I’m sure Bridget has a hat around here, so I won’t even have to combat my crazy hair.”

  “No, stay here. I’ll return home alone.”

  “Oh, okay. Maybe I’ll come next time,” she said, fidgeting with the blanket.

  “Now what is troubling you?” Alek asked, studying her posture.

  “Nothing, this still just sounds kind of crazy. If this is some weird prank…I don’t know. If I’m really some Oracle and you’re, you know, my protector or whatever, I should be able to click my heels and go to Tartarus with you.”

  “I have only taken carcasses with me on my return. I would not know how to bring a living being.”

  “Oh, well, that makes sense.” Pink flooded her cheeks as she smoothed out the blanket. “How do you get back exactly?”

  “My talisman.” He rubbed his fingers over its smooth surface. “It holds enough power for my return journey.”

  “You said that before, but how does it work?”

  “Magic,” he said, his expression vacant.

  She smiled. “Of course. You should ask about that glowing thing it does.”

  “Yes, the way it lights up when we touch.” He tucked the necklace under his shirt and cleared his throat. “I should be going. We don’t know when the detectives will return, and we need a plan.”

  “And while you’re gone, I’ll go get stuff for our bug-out bag.”

  “Bug-out bag?” The words felt foreign as he rolled them over his tongue. “You mustn’t leave this house.” He jogged over to the windows and closed the blinds. “Keep these closed and wait for me until I return.”

  Eva kicked off the blanket and stood to face him. “I’m not your prisoner. If I want to leave, I will.”

  Alek furrowed his brow. “I only said to stay to ensure your safety. We don’t know who or what is waiting out there.”

  “Well, maybe I will stay. I could do some research to help me figure out what’s going on with you and me and all of this.” She waved her hands in the air.

  “I will return as quickly as I’m able.” He closed his eyes and placed his hand over the covered amulet.

  “Wait, you’re going now? From right there?” Eva took a few steps back until her calves rested against the couch. “Don’t you need more room?”

  He sighed and dropped his hand. “What would you have me do?”

  “I guess it depends. Are you going to disappear into a puff of smoke, or are you going to spin away like some kind of muscly tornado?”

  The corner of his mouth lifted to a half smile. “Would you prefer to watch the muscly tornado?”

  “Oh, Lord,” Eva mumbled. “I would prefer to not get blown down the hall and destroy Bridget’s house.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem; however, I’ve never queried those around me as to what happens when I depart.”

  “You’ve never done a query about it?” she snickered.

  “I don’t understand what’s so humorous.”

  Eva shook her head. “Just go. I’ll jump behind the couch if things get wild.”

  He again closed his eyes and pressed his fingers into the crystal. Home. He focused on the dark pit of Tartarus as the room around him slipped away. Take me home.

  • • •

  Alek relaxed as black earth solidified beneath his feet.

  “I can see how much more at ease you are when you return home.” Maiden greeted him with a welcoming smile.

  “How do you know I don’t walk in the Mortal Realm with the same comfort?” he asked, hugging her tightly.

  “Have you forgotten the Hall of Echoes has been somewhat restored?”

  “You’ve been keeping watch over me?”

  “You are my only son. I worry about you.”

  “If you were watching, then you know there is no reason for your worry. I succeeded in finding the Oracle, and she is safely awaiting my return,” he said.

  Maiden hooked his arm with hers and they walked slowly together. “And what do you think of the new Oracle?”

  Alek shrugged. “I do not yet know how she’ll perform in battle. She is headstrong and confusing. I don’t believe she fully understands what is at stake for both our realms.”

  “I am sure she will learn.” Maiden lightly patted his bicep. “She is also quite beautiful, would you agree?”

  “Beauty does not make a great warrior.”

  “Women are warriors in many different ways. I have seen the way she looks at you and you at her. Do not deny the battle she is fighting in your heart.”

  Alek opened his mouth to object, but Maiden held up her hand to stop him. “Halt planning your next move and listen for once. Regardless of what Crone and Mother say, follow what makes you happy. When the curse is broken and you have succeeded, as I now know you will, what will become of your life? You cannot rest in Tartarus for eternity with your mothers as your only companions. Keep your heart and eyes open.”

  “Sister, to the Hall! Come quickly!” Mother’s shouts reverberated off the barren walls.

  Alek stretched his stride to keep up with Maiden’s quickening pace.

  “Alek!” Mother’s worried voice hit him as soon as he reached the entrance to the Hall of Echoes. “Thank the Gods you have returned.”

  “What has happened?” he asked.

  “The pools, they are again fading. We will soon be back where we were, defenseless without eyes in the Mortal Realm.”

  Maiden gasped. “That cannot be.”

  “I awoke the Oracle and returned Alastor to his prison. How are those deeds not great enough to have lasting effects?” he asked.

  “The curse is too powerful,” Mother said, crouching beside a small puddle. “Not enough has been done to halt it and permanently outweigh its progress.”

  He looked past her to Crone’s shadowy figure as she circled the shrinking pools. “This battle seems like one I cannot win,” he mumbled.

  “Nonsense,” Crone croaked.

  Alek stiffened and walked to the oldest of the sisters.

  “My features may be weathered, but my hearing is not.” She bent over and blew a strong breath into the pool. Its image blurred as a new one rippled to the surface. “Where is your confidence? You are a warrior, not a boy.”

  “This curse is never ending,” he explained.

  “All things end,” she scoffed and studied the pool’s image before shuffling to the next.

  “I must ask for your help, Mothers. Eva is in danger, and I don’t know if it’s one I can shield her from.”

  “There is no evil you cannot vanquish,” Maiden said.

  “True, but this is not an evil. It is a force unique to the Mortal Realm, and it is hunting us both. I need to hide her here until we are sure of our next actions.”

  “We can offer no more favors or advice,” Mother said. “Your sole purpose is to bring about the end of this curse. With the addition of the Oracle’s abilities, you have all the tools needed. You must go back and take action.”

  “Sisters, this should be discussed. If he and the Oracle are truly in danger, sending him away so soon and not offering them sanctuary will not end well,” Maiden said.

  “There is not time. The curse is overtaking us,” Mother retorted.

  “And if he or the Oracle is killed there will be nothing standing in the way of its destructive power. All the evil souls held here will rip through to the Mortal Realm and destroy it.”

  “Look around you, Maiden. Is that not what has already begun?” Mother said.

  Maiden turned to Alek and pleaded, “Son, if you expect battle, you must stay longer and make sure your powers are fully recharged.”

  Alek stared into Ma
iden’s frightened eyes. “Mother is right. I must return to Eva. Valuable seconds are ticking by.”

  Mother rushed to him. “You are a good man and a better warrior. Now go.” She quickly stretched her hand over his talisman. A burst of light flashed from her palm and forced him into the void between realms. “Use your strengths and the Oracle’s powers to save us all.”

  Twenty-Nine

  Restless, Eva walked from room to room admiring the beautiful art and expensive knickknacks neatly arranged throughout the house. She brushed her fingers down the textured wall and smiled at the memories awakening before her. She and Bridget used that hall to practice their America’s Next Top Model runway skills and to model Mrs. Falling’s expensive wardrobe. The pine floorboards creaked under her weight, and she wondered how they were ever able to sneak out successfully.

  She leaned against Bridget’s doorway and inhaled the light floral scent that always hung in the air. They’d spent countless summer nights searching for a flowery air freshener or candle before Bridget claimed the smell as her natural aroma. Eva entered the room and stepped onto the soft, white rug. She let her bare toes grip the velvety fibers as she rested in the past.

  The shrill ring of the phone shredded the memories. She stood still and silent as if the caller would know her whereabouts if she moved. The ringing ended, and she let her shoulders relax away from her ears. She perched on the edge of Bridget’s bed and traced the flower pattern on the puffy comforter. She longed for the days of recording fake music videos and lying under the soft blankets gossiping. Those summers felt so far away.

  The phone again blared, and Eva followed its ringing into the kitchen. The old landline hung on the wall, and Eva hesitated before picking it up.

  “Hello?” she muttered, trying to disguise her voice.

  “Finally.” Bridget’s sigh sounded like a windstorm against the receiver. “I was worried you weren’t going to pick up at all. This you-not-having-your-phone thing is a huge pain in my ass.”

  “It’s probably for the best. At least now the cops can’t use it to track me. Have you heard anything from them since yesterday?”