by Kristin Cast
“But what if I want them now? What if I need them now, for the next bad thing that’s running loose? How do I speed up the discovery process? I need all the help I can get, and it kind of freaks me out that these abilities are just sitting inside of me, waiting to pop up at any time.”
“If you were newly birthed, would you expect to walk?” Maiden asked. “Even though you are in the same body with the same memories, part of you is new to this world. Have trust and be patient. Give yourself time to grow and mature.”
“Oh my God. This is like going through puberty all over again,” Eva groaned. “At least I won’t be shoved in an institution that bases your social worth on where you sit at lunch.”
Maiden looked at her, puzzled.
“Never mind. Can I ask you a question?” Eva continued, “It’s probably going to sound really stupid, but I was just thinking about how much I loathed high school. I always thought I’d go back to our ten-year reunion and have this amazing career and husband, and all this other stuff I could rub in people’s faces. Now I don’t see any of that happening. I know you said I’m new to this world, or at least part of me is, but does that mean I have to completely change who I am?”
Maiden stopped in front of a large door identical to the one they had just exited. “I am afraid, young Oracle, that is a question to which only you can find the answer.”
“It’s just, I really liked the old me, and now I don’t feel like I know who I’m supposed to be. The more I think about everything that’s going on, the more I don’t think I can do this. A week ago, I didn’t know this place existed, and my biggest worry was that I’d end up being some lonely old spinster who still lived with her mom. I don’t know anything about anything that’s going on now. What’s worse is that, if I mess up, a lot of people will die. I bet they’d all be super pissed if they knew I was half of the team that was supposed to keep the world from ending.” She leaned her back against the wall, and slid down to the floor. “Go team,” she said, lifting her arm in the air listlessly.
“You are being too hard on yourself. I am impressed with how you have handled all that has been put in your path. There is a lesson I learned many years ago. One which, I am sorry to say, I have not been practicing as I should. However, it did help me when I had the sense to use it. Would you like to know what it is?”
“Of course! I’d love to learn some kind of magic.” Eva stifled the urge to hop up and down like she’d just received an invitation to Hogwarts.
“No, Eva, it is not magic that I speak of. At least, not the kind of which you are thinking. This power is within us all, and is the simplest gift you can give yourself. Kindness.”
“Kindness? I already try not to be mean to anyone. Sure, a lot of people out there could use a refresher course, but I don’t see how that’s giving myself a gift, or how it’s supposed to help me sort this out.”
“What would it be like if the person you spent the most time with always judged and criticized your actions, your appearance, your likes and dislikes?”
“I’m sure it would suck really bad, but they also wouldn’t be in my life for long.”
“Precisely. If you would not allow another person to treat you so cruelly, why then do you do it to yourself? Be kind to yourself and mirror that kindness in your thoughts. After all, your thoughts are with you always. Change them, and you change your world.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that on a magnet somewhere.”
The door opened, and Crone emerged from the dimly lit room. “It is nice to see you up and well.”
“Maiden told me about what you did when I arrived. I want to thank you for helping me, so thank you.” She curtsied sloppily.
“It was an honor to assist the new Oracle.” Crone nodded respectfully as shadows slipped into the deep creases nestled around her smile.
“How is our son?” Maiden asked.
“Much improved. It should not be long now before he is again on his feet and causing trouble.”
“Can I see him?” Eva asked.
“He would welcome your visit more than that of any one of his mothers. Now, I must retire. This day has taken much out of me.” Soothing scents of sage and wet earth drifted from her skin as she brushed passed Eva and disappeared down the dark hall.
Eva nervously approached the open door. “I can go in now, right?”
“Whenever you wish.”
Flickering candlelight cast dizzying shadows around the room. A tall mirror, a large wardrobe, and an empty shelf were the only items in the undecorated space. “Alek.” Eva rushed to him and stood motionless at his bedside. A thick, white bandage wrapped around his thigh, protecting the huge gash he’d suffered in the Mortal Realm. “Crone is sure he’ll wake up soon?” she asked, studying his face. His skin was flushed and dotted with sweat. “That wound on his leg was really bad.”
“It is not his bodily injuries which worry me. Alek is not only his body, just as you are not only yours. His body will heal. The worry I have for him is the same he had for you before you awoke as the new Oracle.”
“What are you worried about? What could happen to him?”
“Alek, with Pythia’s aid, contacted you in the dream world so you would not be lost there. Now we can only wait and hope he finds his way back to us, just as you found your way back to him.”
Carefully, Eva sat next to him on the bed. “Alek, please.” She took his hand in hers, and a spark of electricity crackled between their palms. “Ouch, dammit.” She dropped his hand and shook off the pain. “Why does that keep happening?”
• • •
“Ouch, dammit.” Alek dropped his keys and let them slap against the stone steps. He brought his hand closer to his face and inspected the quickly healing burn on his palm. “Strange,” he remarked, plucking the keys from the step. Remembering how easily mortal craftsmanship could be destroyed, he unlocked the front door and opened it gently. “Eva,” he called, stepping inside and jiggling the key free from the lock. “I’ve returned.”
The house was dark, and the air conditioner hummed steadily though the vents.
“Eva?” He closed the door and quietly hung his keys on the hook. “Are you here?” Concern bubbled in his stomach as he took inventory of the kitchen and living room. Alek quickened his pace as he approached the closed door at the end of the hall. Muscles tensed and ready, he carefully pushed it open. “Eva?”
“Alek, you’re back.” She poked her head out from under the comforter and yawned.
“You are safe.”
“Of course I am. I have you to protect me.” Her smile melted the tension rippling in his broad back.
She motioned for him to come to her, and he slipped off his shirt and dove beneath the covers. He left a gentle trail of kisses up her thighs, stomach, and chest before his head broke free of the silky sheets, and his eyes met hers.
“I’ve missed you.” Eva pressed her soft mouth to his. “I didn’t think you’d come home to me.”
“I will always find you and come back to you. I promise.” She smiled against his lips and she wrapped her legs around his waist, lifting her hips toward him. He pressed his body against hers and kissed her hungrily.
“Wait, wait,” she whispered. “He’s here, and wants to talk to you.”
He pulled back, studying her face. “Who? Are you in danger?”
“Shh,” Eva pressed her finger against his lips. “Don’t act, just listen.”
“Warrior of Tartarus,” an unassuming voice called.
Alek shot from the bed and faced the slender man leaning against the doorframe. “I will give you one chance to leave unharmed,” he growled.
“Relax, Alek.” The man took his hands out of the pockets of his tailored pants and held them by his sides. “I’m not here to cause any trouble.”
Alek tightened his fists. “How do you know me?”
“I’ve had a long time to watch you, Tartarus, and the Mortal Realm, and I want to help.” He nodded at Eva. “Both of you
.”
“Who are you?”
“You’re stuck here, and until you’re free, nothing can move forward.” He waved his bony fingers in the air. “All of this—her, this form I’ve taken—none of it’s real. You really messed yourself up on your last excursion to the Mortal Realm. Because of that, you’re now trapped in a kind of dream world and, unfortunately for you, you’re not strong enough to get out by yourself.”
“Let me guess, you are here to lend assistance.”
“I am.” His eyes were the green of an antique computer screen, and they glimmered when he smiled. “I can call upon someone with enough juice to launch you back into your body.”
Alek crossed his arms. “For what price?”
“I knew I’d like you. Didn’t I say that I would like him?” He winked at Eva, and she giggled.
“Get on with it,” Alek commanded.
“No need to get huffy.” He cleared his throat and continued. “There will come a time when I’ll ask you a question, and the only thing I’ll need you to do is say yes.”
“And if I say no?”
“I’m not a fan of veiled threats, and I don’t like beginning relationships with dishonesty, so I’ll be blunt. If you choose to deny me, I’ll slaughter the Furies, then I’ll kill your cute little girlfriend over there. Well, the real version of her.”
Alek charged forward, but the man evaporated as soon as he made contact.
The air shimmered as he reappeared. “Not a very nice thing to do, Alek. I won’t hurt them if I don’t have to.”
“Tell me who you are.” Alek spit out the words from between clenched teeth.
“For now, you can call me H.” He brushed clean the sleeves of his suit coat and adjusted his striped tie. “So, do we have a deal?”
Alek’s eyes settled on the fake version of Eva. She waved at him gaily, unaffected by H’s presence.
“Or, you could choose to stay here with this version of the Oracle. No harm will come to either of you, but in reality, she and Tartarus will both die because of your selfishness, and it’ll happen soon.”
“I’ll do it!” Alek roared and turned to face H. “If any harm comes to them, I’ll rip you apart.”
H extended his hand, and Alek glared down at his thin fingers. “Say yes when I ask, and I won’t kill them. I’m a man of my word, Alek, as I know you are too.”
Against his instincts, Alek forced his hand into H’s and shook it.
“You’re doing the right thing,” H reassured. “I’ll make sure one of your friends knows of your existence here—anonymously, of course, but she’ll still return you to Tartarus. You won’t remember meeting me, not until I want you to, but I’m sure it’s going to be a pleasure working with you. Talk soon.”
Alek blinked, and H was gone. Dull, pulsing pain spread through his forehead, and he massaged his temples.
“Hey, you okay? Come back to bed. It’ll make you feel better.” Eva shuffled over and patted the open space next to her.
“I feel like there is something important I’ve forgotten.” A blurred memory sat at the front of his mind, and he fought to focus on it through the haze.
Laughter trickled into his ears, and Alek’s gaze darted around the room. “Do you hear that? The sound is familiar.”
“I hear many things, young immortal,” Pythia said, staring up at him with a sultry smile.
Alek recoiled. “Pythia!”
She threw back the sheets to reveal her naked body. “Do I look like another?”
“I—” Alek’s gaze roamed her shimmering slopes and stilled on her luscious breasts. Her long, frost-colored hair twirled in an invisible wind.
“Is this not what you have wanted all along, warrior? Me, on my back, giving you permission?” A smooth grin parted her lips as faint laughter flooded his ears.
Alek lifted his gaze to hers and studied her expression. “This is not your true form, only an illusion. I have witnessed what lies beneath,” he said, pushing away the memory of her shuddering eyes and rancid mouth. “What have you done with Eva?”
“You do not know?” She chuckled and propped herself on her elbow.
“Know what?” he asked, picking up his shirt.
“I felt you walking lost in this dream world. Your body screaming for the Oracle. Your passion penetrated me and sank into my bones.” She closed her eyes and let her fingers wander down the curves of her softly glowing skin. “You have let her cloud your judgment.”
“Dream world?” He stuffed his arms into his shirt and threw it on over his head. “I’ve had this talk before, but cannot remember its end. Bring Eva back to me.”
Her gaze locked on his. “You command me? You have not been here long, yet your mind is already betraying you.” She stood, her skin pulsing soft amber. “Do you forget the power I possess?”
Alek inched backward as the specter grew nearer. “No, I—”
“Silence!” she commanded with a guttural growl. “The warrior within you is fading, young immortal.” She closed her eyes and cocked her head to the side. “Can you hear him? He cries for battle, for vengeance, for blood. He screams and claws within you, yet you do not heed him.” Her eyes fluttered open and settled on him. “He pulses through your veins, powering your heart, yet he goes unnoticed. She must accept your heart for her own sanity, but you will never be fully hers. Your true heart, your warrior’s heart, is chained to Tartarus. Refuse him, let him die, and what creature will you be?”
Alek stiffened. “I am an immortal warrior of Tartarus. I will avenge my home and save the Mortal Realm.”
“Then why do you rot here? This will never be!” Pythia screeched. Her body swelled in size, and her translucent skin ignited into fiery gold.
Amber light poured from her, and Alek shielded his eyes from the glow. “I will never betray my duty,” he shouted through her echoing screams.
As quickly as she had become enraged, her color cooled, and she returned to her lithe, elegant form. “Young immortal, I feel your warrior strong within you. This gift is his.” She floated toward him and pressed her frosty lips against his forehead. “I will heal your mind. Free you from this illusion.” Amber smoke poured from her mouth as she spoke. It blanketed his lips and crept onto his tongue. He felt the gentle smoke seep into his chest, and a refreshing burst of cool energy popped within him. “Now return and fight!”
With Pythia’s aid, Alek released his grip and closed his eyes as the room around him melted, claimed by the blackness of sleep.
Six
A prickling rawness irritated the back of Cal’s throat. Her mouth tasted like pennies. “What happened?” She lifted her head off the pavement and rubbed her fingers through her wet, matted hair.
Kevin hovered over her. “Just stay still. You hit your head pretty hard. It knocked you out for a little bit. The bus driver called an ambulance.” Worry turned down the corners of his mouth and creased his forehead, and Cal regretted ever being annoyed with him for running late.
“I sure did,” the driver said. “It should be here in a jiff. They’ll take you to the hospital and get ya all checked out.”
“Hey, you closed the door when those bug things were swarming me. That was an asshole move.” Her lungs tickled, and she let out a short burst of wet coughs.
“Yeah, man. Not cool at all,” Kevin agreed.
“Waitin’ on you two was already making me late. Couldn’t afford to fill ol’ Big Bess here with bugs. Imagine the phone calls my boss would get.”
“You call your bus Big Bess?” Kevin held his hand in the air and waited for a high five.
“Anyway, what were those things? I think a bunch of them got in my mouth.” She scraped her tongue along her top teeth.
“Mayflies, I suspect.” The driver smoothed back his sweaty hair. “And you’re not going to like this, but I’m pretty sure you sucked up most of ’em.”
“Dude, what the fuck? She doesn’t need to know that.”
“Yeah, I’m positive I didn’t need to k
now that I vacuumed up an entire cloud of bugs with my mouth. Ugh. Now my stomach is upset.” She clutched her stomach and again attempted to sit up.
“Babe, stay still. Your stomach is messed up because you hit your head, not because you ate all those bugs. They’re protein. And, dude,” he said, turning his attention to the bus driver, “have you ever actually seen a mayfly?”
“Sure have. In them videos of that bridge covered in them over in Pennsylvania all those months back.” He pursed his lips and whistled. “What a sight that must’ve been.”
Kevin shook his head. “Well they don’t look like red mist, which is what just swarmed my girlfriend. This was something else.”
Ambulance sirens sounded in the distance, instantly kicking Cal’s heartbeat into overdrive. “Thanks for calling 911 and all, but I don’t think I need to go to the hospital. I’m fine, really.”
“Sure, you think that now, but you could end up having a stroke, or a blood clot, or—”
“Man, you are not helping. At all,” Kevin said.
The blaring ambulance cut its siren and slowed to a stop behind the Tulsa Transit bus. A lanky EMT unfurled himself from the passenger seat as his equally tall partner rounded the front of the vehicle.
“If everyone would please get back on the bus,” the second EMT instructed as she shut the door and herded the nosy onlookers toward the front of the bus. “I’m sure you’re all in a hurry to get to your destinations. There’s no need to keep you any longer. And sir?” With a gloved hand, she tapped the driver on the shoulder. “Thanks for all your help, but we’ve got it covered. You can leave now.”
“No problem. Just doin’ my humanly duty and all. Best of luck on gettin’ better and don’t go rushing into any mayfly swarms in the future.” He grinned, and nodded politely to Cal before hopping up the steps of Big Bess.
The male EMT kneeled next to Cal, pinched her wrist with his bony fingers, and studied his watch as his partner asked questions.
“Hey there.” The woman smiled warmly at her. “Can you tell me your name?”
