The Oracle Series: Volumes 1-3

by Cynthia D. Witherspoon

  I came within inches of her and ignored Leyton as he hissed for me to get back. "You are no queen of the heavens. You are the queen of nothing."

  "How dare you insult me?" The goddess hissed. A gust of wind rushed past me to knock Leyton and Elizabeth aside. "Insolent girl. I will see you in Tartarus before the hour is through."

  "Queen of nothing." I stressed my words. "You may pretend to hold Zeus' throne. You may wear his crown and dictate the air he controls. But you have no strength of your own. No powers other than what your husband gives you. Tell me. How can you demand the respect of humans when you can't keep your own husband by your side?"

  Hera froze as she turned her head towards me. I'd never seen such hate before. But I didn't care. I wasn't afraid of her. I wasn't afraid of anything now.

  "How many women have taken your place? How many lovers?" I spat the blood which had filled my mouth to the side. "You can't even get your own people to worship you. That's why you are here. Those you can tempt into becoming Skinwalkers grant you power. Those you can't? You control through fear. That doesn't make you a goddess. That makes you a bully."

  "Stop. Talking." Leyton attempted to take my arm, but I dodged him easily. "You cannot speak to her that way."

  "I can and I will. Your new pet is dead." I gestured to Elliot's body. "Good job protecting him. You did a fabulous job keeping your promise to not abandon him."

  Her strange green eyes flared as the sky rumbled. Lightening crackled in the clouds above us, but I ignored the flashes of light as she screeched in anger. The goddess lunged toward me, scratching at my face like a cat. I fell back, smacking against Cyrus as I grabbed her wrist with my free hand.

  I screamed as her knowledge flowed through me. I had done this once before. I knew from experience that to touch a god you acknowledged would grant you everything they knew. In my mind, images throughout time flashed. I felt her anger. I felt the pain of betrayal. Hera's confusion as to why Zeus would betray her time and time again despite her loyalty to him. Within seconds, I knew everything there was to know.

  And yet, I knew nothing. Hera's thoughts and memories twisted to form a jumbled patchwork of emotion. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but my own pain was too great. So I held onto her arm until I felt her energies fade. Soon enough, she collapsed.

  I dropped her. I couldn't kill her, but I could slow her down. That was all I needed.

  I brought the sword down across her neck. The rains from the storm she created began to pour as the woman at my feet disappeared.

  The world around us went silent. I passed the sword over to my beloved Cyrus and turned on my heel to return to Elliot's side.

  He was gone. The spot where I had left his body was empty.

  "Crusader of Hellas." Leyton's hollowed voice broke the silence around us. "You have cemented your status as a champion of the Greek pantheon, Sibyl. You have become so much more than a messenger of the dead. That is your future, child. You will ensure righteousness. Even amongst the gods."

  "Come." Cyrus extended his hand to me. "It is time to leave."

  "Wait." I heard my voice crack. "Where's Joey? Ash?"

  "The Native is gone. Sacrificed to Hera to call her forth." Leyton stood. "As for our cameraman, he is coming up behind you."

  "Evie!" Joey rushed at me with his camera in one hand and a gun in the other. "Oh, my god."

  He threw down his beloved camera and I was swallowed up in his embrace. He was babbling about trying to help us. He was stammering over his disbelief that Elliot had turned against us.

  "Joey. "

  "And then, when you faced off against Hera...Hera! A goddess. No, THE goddess, I got it all on tape. This episode is going to blow..."

  "Joey." I interrupted. "Joey, I can't breathe."

  "What? Oh, sorry." He released me. "I have seen so much with you, Evie. But this.."

  I didn't hear him. I wasn't kidding when I said I couldn't breathe. I stumbled backwards, clutching my head in my hands as the world began to spin. Cyrus swept me up into his arms, whispering his words of love and devotion as I welcomed the darkness which overwhelmed me for the second time in two days.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I was in hiding.

  Oh, don't get me wrong. I did everything that was expected of me. I showed up for every photo shoot, answered every question, and smiled at Joey's camera as if my heart wasn't broken.

  But it was. Everything reminded me of Elliot. Grave Messages was his legacy. His creation. And I was determined to see it flourish in his memory.

  We decided to stay in Montana for the duration of the week, even after Joey called Connor to cancel the rest of the crew. I'm sure Connor protested. He loved nothing more than making each episode a big, elaborate production disguised as a run-of-the-mill documentary. Joey swore up and down that Connor didn't argue. In fact, he said our former producer thanked him for not running the bill up too much. For his part, Leyton was disappointed. He wanted his debut to be as spectacular as possible.

  He had no idea.

  "Evie, you ready?" Joey was bouncing his camera against his shoulder. "The plane leaves tomorrow. I'd like to get this done by then."

  I cleared my throat as I focused on what we were doing. Despite all the evidence we had already captured, and despite the footage of Elliot's transformation with the resulting battle in the clearing, there was still a portion of the show we hadn't worked on yet. We had to film the introduction. The beginning of the episode that had changed me forever.

  "And....go!"

  Joey steadied the camera and gestured at me. I was sitting on the front porch stairs of the hotel, so I stood when I started talking.

  "Welcome to Kentauros Equestrian Estates in Great Falls, Montana. As you can see, we come to you from a hotel that caters to anyone who wants to get away for awhile. If you love the outdoors or horses, then this is the vacation spot for you." I brushed my hand over the wrought iron banister to my right. "But if you know anything about me, know this. I don't do the outdoors. And I don't ride horses. I am here for the ghosts who haunt this place."

  I stepped down to walk towards the stables with Joey following close behind. "Kentauros was built as a manor house in 1895 by Zachariah Collinsworth, who had earned his wealth by owning mineral mines in Nevada. He committed suicide at the age of sixty-five when he lost that wealth in 1929. It was his oldest son who turned Kentauros into an equestrian center."

  I tilted my head towards the camera.

  "The current owner, Daniel Ortez, purchased the Estates four years ago. Since that time, this hotel has been featured on numerous paranormal shows. It has been investigated by several paranormal groups; both professional and amateur. So it was no surprise to find this place on our travel list. And it is true we found evidence of a haunting in the hotel. I was attacked twice inside of it. But the true source of the spirits are not inside the building itself."

  I gestured towards the stables as Joey swung the camera in that direction. "The main attraction here are the trails you can ride on. They lead into the Montana River Breaks National Forest. One trail in particular is the most famous. The Horseman's Trail takes you through the woods to the Missouri River itself. There you will find a clearing where most of our footage was shot. It is the spot where we lost one of our own."

  I closed my eyes at the memories assaulting my mind. Elliot lying still in the grass. My fight with Hera. Her angry expression as I grabbed hold of her arm to steal her knowledge. It took a moment, but I found my voice to continue.

  "Montana is a beautiful state that is home to several Native American tribes. The Chippewa-Cree tribe resides over the Rocky Boy Reservation just north of Great Falls. We met their deputy-chief for an interview to find out what his thoughts are on the hauntings at Kentauros. What he told us was shocking."

  Joey brought his hand down in the signal that meant I needed to be quiet. This is how he spliced up our episodes. He pressed a button on the camera, then waved once more.

  "The skinwal
ker Ash spoke of is a creature whose roots are Native American. People twisted by a dark magic to seek power they have no business messing with. Yet, what we found at Kentauros was that the Skinwalker wasn't created by Native American magic. It was created by Hera, the Greek Queen of the Heavens. I know. It sounds crazy. But hear me out."

  I went on to explain what we learned. I told my audience about how Hera had interjected herself into the Native American pantheon. How she claimed all gods were the same, no matter what they were called by their worshippers. Then, I talked about the Kentauros disappearances. The sacrifices. And the spirit who led me to ritual site to begin with. Finally, I spoke of Elliot. I told the truth to the camera about our failed friendship. How he found power in Hera, and how she changed him into a skinwalker. I realized I was crying, but Joey didn't stop me. He kept filming.

  So I kept talking.

  "Elliot had already decided to change roles with Grave Messages. In fact, you are about to meet his replacement. Leyton Northfield has many names, but he has been known for centuries as the Seer. He too was tied to Hera. But I will let him tell his own story. Just know that we have changed. Elliot gave himself to a vengeful goddess in exchange for an unnecessary revenge. The fight against the Erinyes? The attempt to save his soul from the Underworld? Even our dedication to you and Grave Messages?"

  I saw Leyton waiting with Elizabeth for his turn in front of the camera on the porch and knew I was talking too much. I was taking too long. So I cleared my throat to say the only thing I could think of.

  "It was all for nothing."

  ***

  "Little One, you don't have to go if you don't want to."

  Cyrus was sitting on the edge of my bed, watching me get ready to return to the office. Joey had gone back the moment we returned to L.A. from Great Falls, but I decided to stay home. They didn't need me there. Joey and Leyton could tell Connor everything he needed to know about the filming. As for me? I took the time to sleep. I mourned Elliot and moped around until the anger of what had happened hit me. I was still fuming over what Elliot had done.

  He betrayed me. He turned his back on everyone who cared about him. He broke my damn nose, for god's sake.

  My anger was what propelled me back into the office. Although I'd given Elliot the credit for Grave Messages, I had worked on it just as hard as he had. It was my show. It was my abilities as the Sibyl which gave us our high ratings. If he had been willing to give it up, then fine. Joey and I could continue without him.

  I choked back a sob. We had to. There was no choice. Elliot was gone.

  Cyrus had tried to find him for me. He spoke to his contacts in the Underworld. He went to Mount Olympus to meet with Apollo, who had found my fight with Hera to be quite amusing. But it was all for naught. No one knew what had happened to my former love. I was sure we never would.

  Joey and Leyton were already at the office when I got there. I tossed down my messenger bag on my desk with a sigh.

  "Alright, you two. Where are we going next?"

  "Joseph's office." Joey tugged at his shirt collar in mock nervousness. "He called just before you got here. Demanded we meet with him the moment you showed up."

  "Joseph." I groaned the name. Elliot's father. He was also the man who signed my paycheck. "How did he know I was coming in today? Let's tell him I'm sick. I could have caught the flu out in Montana."

  "One, I'm sure Security noticed you tromping through the door. Two, if they didn't, then Mistie did. And three?" Joey had been ticking off his argument on his fingers, so he held up the final one before he pushed it down. "Joseph has a right to know what happened to his son, Eva. We can't keep this a secret."

  "Precisely." Leyton chimed in with a nod. "He will see the footage, after all. You will have to face him at some point in time, Crusader."

  "Don't call me that."

  I huffed as I tried to come up with another excuse. I couldn't do it. I'd told myself I was avoiding the office because I couldn't stand to see it without Elliot there. The truth was, I didn't want to see Joseph. I didn't want to relive every agonizing moment from the night we lost Elliot. So I took a deep breath, straightened out my shirt, and headed towards the door.

  "Let's go."

  ***

  Joseph Lancaster's office was in the penthouse of the building which housed Theia Productions. I'm not kidding. He had confiscated the entire floor. We exited the elevator to an open space broken up only by the occasional piece of furniture. I could see the entire skyline of Los Angeles behind him as he swiveled around in his chair.

  "Good morning." He gestured towards the sofa by his desk. "Have a seat."

  I ignored my companions as I did what I was told. I sat on the edge of the sofa as we went through the normal pleasantries, but while we were telling him we were fine and that we had all had breakfast, I felt like screaming. Joseph couldn't have known what happened to Elliot. I was sure that if he did, there was no way he would have been so inviting.

  "Connor tells me you got back from Montana last week." Joseph shifted a stack of papers on his desk. "I trust it all went well?"

  "Mr. Lancaster..." I started until he interrupted me.

  "Eva, please. With everything we've gone through together, the least you can do is call me Joseph."

  "Joseph," I bit my lip as Joey nudged me in the ribs. "Listen. About Montana, well. Elliot had an accident."

  "An accident?" The man went from friendly to cold faster than I could blink. He leaned against the desk to bark at me. "Explain."

  I took a deep breath to gain enough time so that I could figure out what to say. There was no easy way to tell a man his son had murdered a man, then sacrificed himself to the Goddess of the Heavens. I decided to just say it. I mean, really. It seemed so fantastic, so much like fiction; there was no other way I could tell him the truth.

  "Joseph, Elliot..."

  I was interrupted when the phone on Joseph's desk beeped. He held up his hand and I shut up.

  "Good. Come on in. Eva was about to tell me about some sort of accident."

  "Don't bother, Eva." Joseph leaned back in his chair as his friendly aura returned. "I'll have my answer soon enough."

  I heard the elevator doors open. In fact, I had just turned away from Joseph when I heard familiar footsteps cross over the wooden floors.

  Elliot Lancaster brushed a piece of lint off his sleeve as he joined us. He clapped a stunned Joey on the back as Leyton's blank expression became one of confusion. As for me, I stood when he approached me. Elliot leaned in to brush a cold kiss across my cheek as he gripped my shoulder so hard, I had to close my eyes to keep from wincing.

  "There was no accident, Dad. We're just about to go downstairs to splice up the footage. After all, we're in a time crunch." He winked at me and a chill of ice raced down my back. "And the show must go on. It will always go on."

  *** END ***

  About the Author

  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.

  To read more of her work, please visit her website for details!

  If you liked The Seer be sure to check more of Cynthia’s stories on Smashwords.com or visit her website at Cynthia D. Witherspoon.

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  About the Author

  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.