The Oracle Series: Vols. 4, 5, & Grave Endowments

by Cynthia D. Witherspoon

  It was just sour grapes. Had to be. I turned to the men around me. “Elliot?”

  “Jonah finished him, Little One.” Cyrus stepped up to me, his admiration evident.

  “And you have done well.”

  I tilted my head until I could see it for myself. Sure enough, Elliot was crumpled up where he had fallen. I squeezed my keeper’s hand and went around him. I knelt down next to the body as the memories of what we had shared flickered through my mind. Yet, the more I remembered, the more I thought of all the things I wanted to forget.

  “We’ll have to call the police. He’s burned, but we can explain that away as an accident here on the property.”

  “Eva.”

  I didn’t answer as Jonah called my name. I ignored Jonathan as he tried to approach me. Instead, I let my sword fade away when the exhaustion of this trip set in. I slumped down onto the dirty stone floor. Yet, I wasn’t there long. Cyrus lifted me to my feet as Jonathan surveyed us all.

  “Our time here is done, friends,” he said. “Let’s return home.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jonah Rowe

  When the group returned to the estate, they were met with the site of a huge bonfire that blazed right on the front lawn. Jonah roared and readied himself for an attack, but then Terrence and Reena appeared, completely unharmed.

  “Well, don’t y’all look like hell,” commented Terrence. "No offense.”

  Jonathan ignored the quip. “Terrence, Reena,” he said quietly, “why—exactly— have you created a bonfire on the grounds?”

  “And where the hell is Joey?” demanded Eva.

  “Joey is fine,” said Reena. “He is resting in the infirmary. And to answer your question, Jonathan—we didn’t do this. You guys didn’t have all the fun.”

  “We didn’t?” Jonah lowered his batons. “Explain.”

  “About twenty minutes after Jonathan left to join Cyrus, we lost more time, which I’m sure you already know,” Reena explained. “When that happened, about two dozen Shades came on the grounds. They probably figured that since the bulk of our group was gone, we’d be easy meat.”

  “They were this close to attacking us—Reena and I were ready for what-the-hellever, but then this fire just—appeared out of nowhere, and the Shades hesitated,” added Terrence. “It was like they weren’t so sure they wanted to attack us once they saw the fire.”

  “It didn’t really matter in the end, though,” said Reena, “because while they bumbled around trying to make up their minds, the fire—well—spit out tendrils of flame from itself to the Shades. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Barbecued them like brisket,” said Terrence with relish. “Reena and I didn’t have to lift a finger.”

  Cyrus stepped forward and appraised the flames. “Apollo’s mercy knew no bounds on this night,” he announced. “He set this fire here to act as guardian and threat. It was protection for the two of you, and weapon to anyone who dared threaten you or this estate.”

  “Interesting,” said Jonathan, who moved to Cyrus’s side. “It functioned much like the Greek fire weaponry of the Byzantine Empire.”

  “Exactly, my friend,” replied Cyrus. “Terrence, Reena, I’m sure you would have held your own, but that many Shades would have overtaken you eventually. Apollo saw to it that neither of you even had to take the risk. But it serves no purpose now. The threat has ended. Jonah, I think you will be of assistance here.”

  Jonah knew what Cyrus meant. He wasn’t sure where the knowledge came from, though. It must have been a product of the mental clarity that usually came along with spiritual endowments. He concentrated, and his hands burst into blue flames.

  “What the hell?” exclaimed Terrence, who took a step back.

  “Long story,” murmured Jonah.

  He walked to the bonfire, where he cupped his hands like he held water in them. Lifting his cupped hands to his mouth, he blew the blue flames at the orange ones, while using his wind ethereality to guide it. The blue flames extinguished everything until there wasn’t a single ember left. There wasn’t even a trace that there had ever even been a fire on the premises.

  “Now that was impressive, Blueberry,” observed Eva.

  Jonah snorted. “Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.”

  “So what happened with you guys tonight?” asked Reena. “I’d like very much to know the story behind those blue flames, Jonah.”

  “How about this?” said Terrence before anyone could reply. “Why don’t we have the big talk over dinner? I’ll whip up some breakfast food. Hope you don’t mind breakfast for dinner. Eva, has big-city living made you averse to down home-cooking?”

  Eva made a face that almost made Jonah laugh out loud. “Not even L.A. can turn me off from home-cooked breakfast, Terrence,” she told him. “Get to it.”

  Soon enough, everyone was gathered at the dinner table, while Jonathan, who had no need to eat, stood nearby. It was a much more light-hearted affair than it had been at their first meeting at this table. Terrence made bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits, toast—one would have thought his aim was to feed a small army. He didn’t leave out Reena, though, and placed toasted rice bread, fruit medley, cottage cheese, and grapefruit juice in front of her. No one else had an issue with the high calories. Even Joey was there, eating like he was at full strength. Jonah laughed at Terrence’s look of shock when Cyrus revealed that he’d never had grits.

  “What?!” he cried. “Never? Not once??”

  “I’m afraid Greek cuisine never included grits when I was a boy, Terrence,” Cyrus replied. “Besides that, I believe that grits are a Southern regional delicacy. I’ve never had the pleasure.”

  “Well, we need to do something about that,” said Terrence, who placed a steaming bowl of it in front of Cyrus, topped with a cube of butter. “Can’t believe there weren’t grits in Ancient Greece!”

  Once the grit debacle was rectified, Jonah, Eva, Cyrus, and Jonathan told their story to Terrence, Reena, and Joey. Jonah hadn’t even realized what a wild story it was until it was recounted. It had been a truly crazy week that was expedited by the fact that they had lost time twice. Jonah wasn’t sure which part was the most insane. The fact that all the crap had actually happened, or the fact that they’d all survived it.

  “Amazing,” said Reena, whose eyes had a gleam that she usually only had during painting. “I underestimated you, Eva. You possess an edge that a lot of men don’t even have.”

  Eva actually blushed. “I appreciate that, Reena,” she said. “But I couldn’t have done it without Jonah.”

  “Indeed.” Cyrus chimed in before Jonah could respond. “All of you young ones are a rare breed, but Jonah—there is a substance within you that I haven’t seen in many, many years. You are a capable ally, and you brought me back from the brink. You have my eternal respect for that.”

  Jonathan smiled. “Our Jonah doesn’t yet realize his value to us,” he said. “It is my hope that one day, he will see himself the way that the rest of us do.”

  Jonah didn’t know what to say about the compliments he’d just received. Years of hearing that he was worthless had taken quite a toll, so hearing high praise like this made him feel a bit awkward. He acknowledged it with a smile and a nod, and then switched gears.

  “So Eva,” he said, “I see that your eyes are green at the moment. When will you have your Sybil powers back?”

  “Oh,” said Eva, surprisingly optimistic. “Apollo told me all about it. Without Hera and Elliott messing with me at every turn, my recovery will be a smooth one. My Sybil abilities will be fully restored in about eight hours.”

  “Nice,” said Jonah with a nod. “Got to admit, though, it was cool to see you handling business even with your powers out of whack.”

  Now it was Eva who looked awkward. “Thanks, Jonah,” she murmured. “I appreciate it.”

  Jonah had no idea where her head was at the moment, but he decided not to pry. Instead, he rose from the table, sated and quite
drowsy. “I think that with all the crap

  passed,” he said to the room at large, “we can all finally get a full night’s sleep.”

  ***

  Everyone slept for nearly ten hours, and when everyone woke up, they discovered that two things had occurred. Eva’s Sybil powers had returned, and Jonah had not only released his spiritual endowment, but also (damn it all) Apollo’s blessing.

  “Eh, it’s just as well,” said Reena. “There is nothing like being yourself.” “Plus, we’ve got plenty of glitz and glam being ethereal humans, right?” said Terrence.

  Jonah didn’t respond, but he grinned. Terrence had a point, after all.

  While Terrence regaled Joey with stories about his brother Lloyd and Reena showed Eva her art studio, Jonah walked the estate grounds. It was refreshing to have the serenity back, as well as to not see a single damn Shade anywhere. He sat at his usual spot in the gazebo, and lost himself in thought for—he didn’t know how long. It was a lovely thing.

  Then—

  “Reena said I’d find you here.”

  He turned to see Eva. She seated herself near him in the gazebo, and took in the area. “So this is where you come to de-stress?” she asked.

  “More often than not.” Jonah stretched. “So what’s the plan? Do you intend to finish stuff up for your episode?”

  “Yep,” said Eva, “but it won't take long. We'll pick up the cameras Joey set up throughout the house. I'll say something pithy about the history and Frederickson. We'll be done in plenty of time to catch our flight at 8 tonight. Besides, after all you guys have done for us, I wanted to give you all some peace. I will say that I am glad we are parting on good terms. I don't think that would have been the case a couple days ago.”

  “Very true.” Jonah gave Eva a sly smile. “I imagine that you’re ready to get back to your own world.”

  Eva looked around the grounds. “I like this world,” she admitted. The wistfulness in her voice was not missed. “I need to confess something, Jonah. But you have to swear you won't repeat this. Ever.”

  She threw those gold eyes on him, and he snorted.

  “Deal. What’s up?”

  Eva sighed. “When my powers started fading in and out, it scared the hell out of me at first,” she began. “But then I started thinking about all that I’ve seen since becoming the Sybil. Elliot—my parents—for a moment there, I wanted out. I thought about leaving Grave Messages and the Sybil behind. It would be so nice to be normal again."

  Jonah raised his eyebrows. “Really?” “Really.” Eva moved strands of hair out of her face. “But I don’t feel that way now.

  And I have you to thank for that.”

  “Me?” Jonah sat forward. “Why?”

  “Remember that thing you said to Cyrus when you got through to him?” Eva asked. “‘Living in the past ain’t living?’ That struck a chord with me. Really hit home. I don’t know what the future holds, but I won’t find out so long as I try to return to who I was in the past. When you told Cyrus that, I was able to come to terms with the fact that I am not that woman anymore. It was good when it was the case, but now, it’s so much more.”

  Jonah nodded, impressed by his own skills. “Well, you’re welcome.”

  “You have a way with words, Jonah,” said Eva. “Have you ever considered writing books?”

  Jonah laughed at her joke. “I can get you in touch with some people in L.A. if you're interested,” said Eva. “Hera's not the only one with connections, you know. But after mixing our worlds like this, it’d probably be best to keep our distance from each other. Lines crossing—messed up powers—you guys having to deal with monsters from my world—me having to deal with your smart mouth. It's just better that way.”

  Jonah regarded her. “That’s a crock, Eva.”

  Eva laughed. “Yeah, it is,” she admitted. “It was fun. Dicey at times, but fun. I want to see you guys again someday. I’ve already invited Reena out to LA to get away from

  Rome—and even if I do come back, I won’t have to worry about the lines anymore.”

  She held out her arm, and revealed a bracelet. It was a very interesting thing. The charm, clearly ethereal steel, was done in the design of a bundle of rods tied together in a cylinder, with a blade and axe among them.

  “Jonathan gave me this,” she announced. “He said it’s a fasces. It’s a Roman thing, so he thought it was fitting since we’re in Rome and all. Apparently the Latin term fascis symbolizes—” “—strength through unity,” Jonah finished for her. Eva looked at him, stunned. He shrugged.

  “I’ve got a friend named Malcolm who’s fluent in Latin by trade,” he explained.

  “He teaches us for fun.”

  “Nice!” Eva must have thought that was cool. Jonah sure did. “But it functions like a talisman, I guess. Jonathan said that I may be vulnerable to crossed lines in other places, too, but this nullifies any effect they might have on my powers.”

  “That’s awesome,” said Jonah. “I’m glad that you’ll be safer in all those places you go for Grave Messages. May you continue to trash Landry and ScarYous Tales of the

  Paranormal.”

  Eva grinned. “I will do it with pleasure. It’s personal now that Leyton jumped ship and went to that show. But I’d best get going. Until next time, Blueberry.”

  “Til next time, Superstar.”

  They rose, but both of them hesitated. After everything that had happened that week, a handshake just seemed tacky. They shook hands back at the airport when they

  didn’t trust each other. But things were different now.

  So they embraced like family. It was only right.

  ***

  “Well, our celebrity crew is gone now,” said Terrence, “and everything is quiet.

  What do we do now? Back to Jonathan’s plan to de-stress?”

  “Where the hell is the fun in that?” Reena demanded. “I’ll be with Kendall for the next week.”

  “Duh,” said Terrence. “I figured I’d catch a movie at that new multiplex two counties over. How about you, Jonah? You can come with if you want.”

  Before Jonah could say anything, his cell phone vibrated, which signaled a text. He opened it and read, Up for Skype? V.H.

  “You go enjoy your movie, Terrence,” he said as he raised his phone, “I’ll Skype with Vera.”

  Terrence and Reena looked at each other, kind of snickered, and departed. Jonah

  didn’t even bother registering what that was all about, and hurried to his laptop. Minutes later, Vera appeared on his screen. Jonah smiled. It was so nice to see her in a normal capacity. One that didn’t involve sordid images in mirrors or insane visions on the Astral Plane. “Hey Jonah!” she said in a jubilant manner.

  “What’s up, Vera?” responded Jonah. “How is the Bellagio?”

  “Oh my God, Jonah.” Vera almost looked euphoric. “It’s awesome! You have no idea how much trouble you can get into in Vegas. Liz keeps me in line. Enough. But

  Jonah, Las Vegas has a theater scene! I’ve seen two plays already, and they’ve blown my mind! But let’s not talk about me for a second. How about you? What have you done this past week?”

  “Oh.” Jonah gave her a small smile. “Just…hung around.”

  *** END ***

  If you liked Grave Endowments be sure to check out the two series from which this book is based. The 11th Percent by T.H. Morris and The Oracle Series by Cynthia D. Witherspoon

  If you enjoyed The Oracle Series, Vols. 4, 5, & Grave Endowments, be sure to leave a review on Amazon.com here!

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  About the Authors

  T.H. Morris has been writing in some way, shape, or form ever since he was strong enough to hold a pen or pencil, and was born and raised in Colerain, North Carolina. He has been living in Greensboro, North Carolina for the past twelve years. He is an avid reader, primarily in the genres of science fiction and fantasy because he enjoys immersing himself in the worlds that have been
created. He began writing The 11th Percent in 2011. He still resides in Greensboro with his wife of seven years, Candace.

  Cynthia D. Witherspoon is an award winning writer of Southern Gothic,

  Paranormal Romance, and Urban Fantasy. She currently resides in South Carolina, but spent three years in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Always an avid reader, she began writing short stories in college. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in History from Converse College, and earned a Masters in Forensic Science at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.