She ignored the question, instead checking the weapon then taking up a prone firing position under the car. She opened fire on anything moving near the front gate, wondering what she must have done in a previous life to deserve this.
Why can’t we go anywhere without something going wrong?
Temple of Apollo
Delphi, Ancient Greece
632 BC
Cylon’s heart hammered as he climbed the last few steps after waiting all day. He couldn’t recall feeling so ill at ease, even when in the thick of Olympic competition in the races. The pressure to win had been tremendous, the relief felt after crossing the finish line victorious, orgasmic.
But this wasn’t the Olympics. This wasn’t a race against his fellow citizens. This was an audience with Pythia, the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo, known in the whispered halls of Athens as the Oracle of Delphi.
The mystery shrouding her and those who had preceded her was something he had always dismissed as superstition, but as each step brought him closer, the heavy fog billowing out of the ground, the flickering flame that took only the edge off the darkness, and the full moon that lit the night sky, all contributed to his uneasiness.
For what was said in the following moments could change his destiny.
He took the final step and suppressed a gasp at the sight of a woman, covered in the finest cloths, prone on an altar in the center of the temple. A gentle breeze blowing across the hilltop had the shimmering layers she wore fluttering, obscuring her form and features, and he dared not judge whether she was beautiful lest he offend Apollo himself, whose choice in whom to speak for him was no doubt wise.
“High Priestess, Cylon of Athens seeks your guidance.”
Cylon flinched at the chorus of voices, only now noticing the dozen priestesses surrounding him, positioned between the pillars supporting the roof of the holy temple.
“What is his question?”
The voice was serpent-like, and he was certain it came from the shadows, or at least echoed from the darkness.
He drew a long, slow breath, calming himself unsuccessfully, then stepped forward. “I seek the guidance of Apollo on this most holy of days. Should I follow my father-in-law’s urgings, and seize the reins of power of my great city, and return it to the path of strength and order it has so foolishly forgotten?”
The hissed response was almost immediate. “Theagenes is wise and strong, and the gods respect the power that he wields on their behalf. Your family is one of honor, you are a hero of the people, and should you act wisely, you will succeed in unifying the citizens of Athens. But be warned. Patience is key. Take action not this day, but on the day that honors Zeus. To not heed this warning will result in a tragedy that will haunt you until the day you depart this plane of existence, and journey on to the next.”
His chest swelled with pride as his eyes burned with tears that threatened to rush down his face. He had her blessing, and his. Apollo, the god of light, through his Oracle in this world, had assured him of victory, and with the Olympic celebrations occurring next week, there was little doubt that this was when he was to make his move and usurp power from those who would weaken the city he loved.
He bowed deeply. “Thank you for your generous guidance.”
“Wait,” hissed the voice from in front of him, and from the shadows. “Give him the token.”
A priestess emerged from the darkness with her hands extended in front of her. In her palms, she carried a plush purple pillow with a gold, tear-shaped amulet perched in the center. She stopped in front of him, saying nothing.
“Wear this to give you the strength of Apollo. Should you succeed, blessed will be all who wear it. But should you fail, all who possess it shall know nothing but misery.”
His hands trembling, he reached out, uncertainly, an internal debate raging on whether he wanted to touch something associated with such a prophecy.
Yet he couldn’t refuse.
No one refused a gift from the Oracle.
He picked up the amulet with both hands, holding it above his head. “I thank you, Oracle, for such a generous gift, and will heed your words.”
“I grow tired. Leave us.”
The writhing form in front of him abruptly collapsed onto the altar, all movement ceasing save her heaving chest, the wind that had kept her robes in motion and the flames’ flickering suddenly failing, leaving the curious fog to rise unfettered, enveloping the altar in a shroud of secrecy that had him backing slowly away as the priestesses that had surrounded the proceedings receded into the dark.
He placed the amulet around his neck, rubbing the small token between his thumb and forefinger as he closed his eyes, trying to remember every word that had just been said. He opened his eyes and turned, hurrying down the steps, toward the bottom of the hill and his waiting entourage. And with each step, his confidence grew, and by the time he reached the bottom, he had no doubt that not only was Apollo on his side, but that it was his duty to save his people.
And become Tyrant of Athens.
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In an age before detectives, one Templar Knight is called upon to deliver justice.
When wounded Templar knight Sir Marcus de Rancourt receives word that his sister is dying, he returns to a home he hasn’t seen in twenty years, only to find his sister dead, and her children orphaned. Sir Marcus decides to take on the greatest challenge of his life and remain behind to raise the children, his loyal sergeant and squires insisting on joining him to work the land at his side.
And it all starts with a simple murder, witnessed by a little boy, who swears Templars killed his parents.
Now it is up to Sir Marcus and his men to determine who committed the gruesome murders, and clear the good name of the Templars, before the very balance of power in the region shifts in favor of someone who should never possess it.
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Books by J. Robert Kennedy
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The Templar Detective Thrillers
The Templar Detective
The Templar Detective and the Parisian Adulteress
The Templar Detective and the Sergeant's Secret
The James Acton Thrillers
The Protocol
Brass Monkey
Broken Dove
The Templar’s Relic
Flags of Sin
The Arab Fall
The Circle of Eight
The Venice Code
Pompeii’s Ghosts
Amazon Burning
The Riddle
Blood Relics
Sins of the Titanic
Saint Peter’s Soldiers
The Thirteenth Legion
Raging Sun
Wages of Sin
Wrath of the Gods
The Templar’s Revenge
The Nazi’s Engineer
Atlantis Lost
The Cylon Curse
The Delta Force Unleashed Thrillers
Payback
Infidels
The Lazarus Moment
Kill Chain
Forgotten
The Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers
Rogue Operator
Containment Failure
Cold Warriors
Death to America
Black Widow
The Agenda
Retribution
The Detective Shakespeare Mysteries
Depraved Difference
Tick Tock
The Redeemer
Zander Varga, Vampire Detective Series
The Turned
Published Internationally by J. Robert Kennedy, Ottawa, ON Canada
Copyright © 2018 J. Robert Kennedy
All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the publisher, J. Robert Kennedy, is an infringement of copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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