“There is a man. Patrice is his name. He is very powerful and extremely dangerous. He is looking for me. I heard it told in Socotra that he has offered a reward of one hundred thousand pounds sterling to any man who would bring me to him alive.”
“That is a lot of money.” Dashwood pushed himself up onto his elbow and looked at her. “Damn it, Elle! And you did not think to tell me, your captain, about it?”
She sat up too, clutching the sheet to her chest. “I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t know he had set a price on my head until I bumped into Salty Ben in the tavern. In fact, it wasn’t even then. It was only after I walked away and I heard the men talking.”
“And before that? In all the time that has passed, did you not think to tell me that you were in that much trouble? Instead you chose to place my ship and all its crew in mortal danger so you could save your own hide?” He let out a low whistle. “One hundred thousand pounds? No wonder every scrappy two-bit tub within a ten-thousand mile radius was after us! Hell, even the storm riders decided to have a go!” He was angry now. She could hear the outrage in his voice.
“Logan, I did not know what else to do. I was all alone and I didn’t know you. Not like I do now. In fact, I didn’t even know if you had been sent to capture me in the first place. You do remember that you had been hired to kidnap me once. Plus, you put me in your brig and threatened to sell me to the highest bidder! How could I have confided in you?”
“And this whole time, all you wanted to do was find a way to bring your dead husband back. All this time you have been using me to get what you want.” Dashwood ran his hands through his hair. “I am such an idiot. This afternoon meant nothing to you. The way you held me like I was the only person in the world …” His breath hitched in his throat. “I assume those were all lies too? A little diversion with the captain for fun. Tell me, was it?”
“Don’t be like that! You know things are complicated. I have never lied to you about that …”
Dashwood flung his mosquito net aside and started searching for his clothes. He dragged his on his trousers and flung his shirt over his shoulders, doing up the buttons with his back to her.
“What are you doing?” she said.
“I can’t be in the same space as you, Eleanor. You sow damage and wreak destruction wherever you go and I don’t want to be your next victim.”
“Captain, please,” Elle said.
He turned to her. “You don’t care one bit about who and what you destroy—as long as you get what you want.” He buckled his belt with a little more force than was needed, unhooked his mosquito net and flung it over his shoulder. “I am going to find a bunk in the pilgrims’ dorm,” he said. And then he was gone. The door frame of the hut shuddered as he slammed the door behind him.
Elle fell back onto her mat and squeezed her eyes shut. Why was her life so awful when she never asked for any of this?
The wyrd-weavers were indeed the cruelest of the shadow creatures, and in that moment she hated them with every fiber of her being. And so, in the silence of the jungle night, Elle eventually drifted off into a deep sleep, agonizing over the bittersweet irony of it all.
But there would be no rest for Elle that night, for as soon as she drifted off to sleep, the world started accelerating around her.
“No, please,” she begged as she felt herself being dragged into the realm of Shadow not sure who—or what—had grabbed her. Faster and faster she slipped deeper into the Shadow than she had ever gone before until she found herself sitting on a marble floor.
She sat up, ready to lambaste Jack for not coming to her aid sooner, but around her was nothing but darkness and silence.
“Don’t be afraid. You are safe here. And so very welcome, Eleanor,” a woman said.
Elle squinted at the light that flared up. The woman was dressed in dark blue robes, not unlike the ones Elle had been forced to wear when she had been captured in Constantinople. She sat in a tall chair that appeared to be carved out of bone. Her long auburn hair was clasped in an elaborate binding of the finest gold filigree and the braid spilled down over her shoulder and into her lap, where her hands were folded serenely in her lap.
“My darling,” the woman said. She smiled with kind eyes that were the exact color as Elle’s.
“Hello,” Elle replied. “I suppose I should start by asking what is this place and, more importantly, who are you?” She rose and was surprised to note that she was wearing the same robes as the woman before her.
Elle groaned inwardly. The last thing she felt like was more wearisome Shadow business. She scanned the gloomy surroundings for a possible escape route. They seemed to be inside a building of sorts. Tall stone columns rose up into the darkness on either side of a long, rectangular hall that disappeared into the darkness.
The only source of illumination was two braziers on either side of the chair. They flickered wildly but managed to cast a modest pool of light.
“I am Vivienne.” And then, a little emotional, she said, “Oh, I just want to say how wonderful it is to finally speak face-to-face. I never thought I would get the opportunity to do this.”
Elle’s gaze swiveled back to the woman. “Hold on a second, what did you say your name was?”
The woman’s expression lost some of its composure and her eyes seemed to glitter a little. “Yes, my darling,” she said with a smile that wobbled slightly “I am Vivienne Chance. Your mother.”
“Oh, for crying in a bucket!” Elle said.
“I beg your pardon?” Vivienne looked slightly confused.
“You have known all along that you could bring me here, yet you have waited all this time to reveal yourself to me? And now when I am saved and not about to die of hunger or thirst or be eaten by a tiger, now you choose to come for me?” Elle looked down at herself. “Hang on a second, does that mean I’m dead? Did something just happen to me while I was sleeping?”
“Oh, Elle, you don’t understand. Please just listen to me for a moment.”
Elle pressed her lips together and folded her arms across her chest. “You have my undivided attention, Mother.”
Vivienne took a deep, shaky breath. “We are in the temple of Delphi.”
“Oh rubbish. The city of Delphi was destroyed thousands of years ago.”
“Aha, that’s what they want you to think.” Vivienne sat forward in her chair. “When Delphi was lost to the invaders, the Pythias banded together and used their combined strength to move the temple into the Shadow realm. They hid it carefully, where no one would look, and it has remained hidden here from the warlocks for all this time.”
“Which explains the architecture,” Elle said, looking up at the columns. “It’s very, um … Grecian.”
“I know you must be very angry at me,” Vivienne said. “I know how hard it must have been for you to grow up alone, not knowing why I abandoned you, my darling. But we don’t have time to discuss that now. In fact, we have no time at all.” Vivienne stood up and looked over her shoulder. “If it is found that I brought you here, it would mean certain death for us both,” she said in a fierce whisper.
“But you are already dead,” Elle said. “Does that mean I am too? Can someone die twice? You are making me very confused.”
“You are very much alive, my dear. I am dead. But I live too.” A look of exasperation crossed Vivienne’s face. “I don’t have time to explain this to you. Later. When the time is right.”
Elle closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. From her experience, most conversations with former Oracles had a tendency to make no sense at all.
“This temple is a sanctuary for all the women who bear the name Pythia. When we die, we leave the realm of Light and our spirits come here where we are safe. It is from here that we foretell the future through the mouth of our chosen one who remains in the Light.”
“So what you are telling me, is that this is the place where the voices come from?” Elle said.
“Exactly. As the Oracles that have departed t
his world, we cannot interfere with the matters involving the strands of time and fate. Because we can see what may come to pass, our interference would cause untold chaos, as we would be interrupting time and space itself. But it is our duty to guard the living, and so by agreement with the wyrd-weavers and others … we are allowed to speak prophesies through the woman who is our conduit. It is up to those who hear us to make choices. We only supply the options.”
“So where are the others?” Elle said.
“They are not here. Things work differently here, because in this place the layers of reality are so close together that it is possible to slip into one or another with great ease. I had to search long to find a pocket where we could be completely alone.” Her expression grew fearful. “We must hurry, for someone might discover us at any moment.” She reached over and took Elle’s hand in her own.
“Well, get on with it then. Tell me what you need to say,” Elle said. She was growing most impatient with all this.
Vivienne let out a ragged sigh. “With you it was different. When you grew into your power, you were alone and completely unschooled. Never before had an Oracle grown up so completely without guidance. And there was such terrible danger present, that I begged the others to help, so we broke our most sacred rule and spoke to you directly. It is a step, I fear, that has caused much trouble and sorrow in the time that followed.”
“The voices were not allowed to speak to me?”
Vivienne nodded. “We are only allowed to speak through you when you tell prophesies. But you needed our help. Something had to be done.” Her expression took on a determined look. “I do not regret our actions. Not one bit. No matter what anyone says about it.” Vivienne gave Elle a reassuring smile, but she was not very convincing.
“Interesting,” Elle said. “So why did they stop whispering in my head then?”
“You banished us, remember?”
Elle nodded. “You were being an enormous nuisance. You were interfering with my marriage rather than teaching me to be an Oracle, if I recall correctly.”
“Yes, we erred,” Vivienne admitted. “There are usually good reasons for absolute rules. Once my sisters and I started watching you, we found that we could not stop. Following your life through the days was absolutely fascinating. So much so, that we ended up doing little else.”
Elle felt herself blush. “Are you trying to tell me that I had my wedding night with my mother and every grandmother I’ve ever had watching?” She put her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, the shame.”
“My darling, you must not think like that,” Vivienne said. “We are all one here and you are part of that unity.”
Elle rubbed her face, trying to clear the horrors her mother’s revelation had conjured in her mind. “Please, go on,” she said.
“When you banished us, my sisters saw the error of their ways. There was a vote and it was decided by the majority that we would never resume our interference with you again. It was too intrusive. But since then, we’ve had to stand by and watch as disaster upon disaster befell the world. And all of it as a result of what we did.”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s that bad,” Elle said. “So you were bit nosy, but I really don’t think you can call it an epic disaster.”
Vivienne shook her head and looked deeply remorseful. “The truth is that time and space is fluid. Everything moves along the threads of fate as it was destined to do. But if you interfere with even one small part, the impact ripples across everything. The slightest ripple of a leaf falling on a pond could set in motion events that would result in an earthquake that kills scores upon scores of people.”
“Are you trying to tell me that that you are responsible for wars and disasters?”
Vivienne sighed and looked deeply weary. “Much darkness and misery will befall the world as a result of what we have done. There will be big earthquakes; disease and famine will ravage the world. There will be war. Millions will die before the wyrd-weavers can untangle our actions. They are deeply angry about it. If we are not careful, the wyrd-weavers will declare war on us. We will be destroyed.”
This revelation made Elle pause. Were the voices really in that much trouble? Perhaps banishing them had been the best thing she could have done even if it had been by accident.
“So what is the important thing that you need to tell me? Someone could show up any minute, remember?” she said, bringing the discussion back to the present.
“Yes, of course. I have taken the decision to reveal the secrets of Dephi to you now, in your lifetime. The danger is so great that I think I am justified in my decision. I am hoping that once you know, you will be able to save us. And stop him.”
“Stop who?”
“The Shadow Master,” Vivienne whispered.
“Patrice?”
“Do not say his name. He has spies out there looking for us.”
“Very well. So tell me the secret then.” Elle felt herself grow faintly impatient at her mother’s senseless prevarication.
Vivienne put her hands to her cheeks and rubbed her face in a mannerism that was remarkably similar to what Elle had done a few moments before.
“The barrier between Shadow and Light is no longer within the control of the warlocks.”
“Is that so?” Elle felt her interest pique.
“There was a terrible disturbance in the barrier recently. It caused an interruption that allowed the Shadow Master to take control of the void. He now controls the aether, and this is a very, very bad thing.”
“So that’s why I can’t access the barrier. It all makes sense now,” Elle said. She had tried once or twice when it had been her turn to keep watch and Dashwood was asleep, but it had been to no avail.
“Can’t someone tell the warlocks to fix it?” Elle said.
“The warlocks do not understand the origin of their strengths. They think that when they use an Oracle in order to gain power, that she is drained until she eventually wears out and dies.”
“And then a new one appears?”
“Correct.” Vivienne nodded. “But, in fact, the complete opposite is true. Every time an Oracle channels power, she grows stronger. But the power is corrosive and the human body as host is not designed to withstand its ravages, so the channeling takes its toll on flesh and skin and bone.”
“So we do wear out then?”
“Only our bodies do,” Vivienne said. “But when we die, we come here.” She gestured with her hand. “And, Elle, it is such a wonderful place. I have only brought you here, to a quiet corner of the temple, but you should see it! The whole place is filled with golden light and we have fountains and gardens with green grass and fruit trees …”
“Sounds lovely,” Elle said drily.
“The most important thing is that we are not alone. There is so much love and companionship here. I know you will be happy and you will love this place as much as I do when you join us. We are family.”
“But what about those we love who don’t come here?”
Vivienne did not answer. Instead she produced a golden plum from the folds of her robes. She held the fruit out to Elle on the palm of her hand. “Please, have something to eat,” she said.
Elle stared at the plum. It was absolutely perfect and ripe. It even had a few droplets of dew glistening on its unblemished skin. She felt her stomach rumble and suddenly the temptation to eat the fruit was great, but she managed to stop herself in time.
“It’s all right, Mother. I am not hungry.”
Vivienne put the fruit back into her robes with a wistful expression. “You are right. Tricking you into staying here with me forever is selfish.”
“Please continue,” Elle said. Agreeing with Vivienne at this point would only serve to send her mother off on another tangent.
“When the barrier between the realms of Shadow and Light were put up, the warlocks did not take into account the fact that the power they so desperately needed would be placed beyond their grasp. They did not appreciate that we are the ones
who maintain the barrier, and the more power that is channeled through us, the stronger we become. They also do not understand that this in turn makes them weaker.”
“Ha!” Elle let out a little bark of surprise.
“Ha indeed,” Vivienne said. “Elle, what you fail to appreciate is the fact that we are more powerful than anybody knows. As the Oracle, you hold all of that within your hands. The entire realm of Shadow is yours to command. All you have to do is learn how to heal yourself from the ravages of aether channeling. If you can do that, you will be invincible.”
Elle nodded slowly. Old Jack has called her his queen once. The reason why he did that made sense now.
She looked at her mother. “But if I don’t learn how to heal myself, using this power will cost me my life.”
Vivienne nodded. “Everything has its cost, my dear. Every single thing. But in return, you gain immortality filled with such bliss that it is hardly a price to pay at all.”
Elle shook her head. “I am sorry, Mother, but I would disagree with you on that.”
Vivienne sighed. “This is why I was counseled against telling you all this. From your point of view, it is hard to understand. We had no way of knowing what would happen once we told you. This is why it is so very important that you remember this about your power and how you might use it. The Shadow Master is searching for these truths. He is vain and ambitious and very, very dangerous.”
“He is also a former docking clerk, so I would not worry too much about it if I were you. I can deal with him.”
Vivienne looked distraught. “No, you are mistaken. He seeks the Oracle because he wishes to use her connection to the aether in order to crack open all of our defenses. If he succeeds, he will gain access to all we have and all we know. Once he has this, he will control everything.” Her eyes grew large with fear. “We must not allow this to happen, for that would be far too much power for one individual to hold.” She grabbed Elle’s hand.
Elle flinched. Vivienne’s hands were like ice. “It will be the end of us all. The end of every living thing if he succeeds,” she said.
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