"Why are you asking about Sophia?" Gwynn asked. Wasn't it enough she was gone? Hadn't the report he and Fuyuko had to file concerning their suspicions enough? Simply put, Sophia could see the future, and for whatever reason, she had allowed herself to be killed. Pridament believed it was due to her seeing it as the only possible path leading Gwynn to saving the world. Gwynn still didn't know how that made a difference. If anything, he would've been more inclined to save the world if Sophia was still in it. Without any proof to the contrary, he had come to believe Sophia hadn't known she was going to die. The truth was, he had failed her when she needed him most.
"I assure you, it's not a bad thing. Miss Murray's death was a loss to us as well." In response to Gwynn's questioning look, Zeus continued. "You see, Sophia's birth was due in part to Suture's manipulation. Well, it was Woten and myself who manipulated things. Have you ever heard of the oracle of Delphi?"
"The women at Delphi were consulted by various Greek rulers and are mentioned in some of the Greek myths. They supposedly could tell the future, but it was always a riddle or something." Gwynn recalled reading a bit about it while sitting alone in his seat in the Northfield cafeteria. Was it really only eight months since he'd last sat in that chair? Could a life change so much in such a short time? "What does that have to do with Sophia? How could you or Woten have manipulated her birth?"
"You're correct, the oracles at Delphi were a vital part of Greek society. Many decisions, including whether to go to war or not, were weighed with their council. Even we, the Anunnaki gave great weight to their words. Maybe more so, because we better understood their powers. You see, the oracles were offshoots of the Anunnakis. Unlike us, who wear our markings on our arms, the oracles had a mark on the back of their necks, just beneath the hairline. Their temple in Delphi was located over a small tear in the Veil. By being exposed to the energies of that tear, it heightened their powers. Sometimes the effects were…extreme."
"You mean like Sophia going crazy after she came close to the tear in the Cameron house?"
Zeus nodded. "Yes, which was why we had the compound to stabilize her. It was developed many years before for the Delphic oracles. Not much sense having an oracle if she's so mad you can't tell the difference between her predictions and her hallucinations."
"Those were your men with her?"
"In the hospital you mean? Yes, those were members of the Greek branch of Suture. We were going to transfer her to our facility so we could find the right dosage to maintain her quality of life, but without her losing her abilities."
"That still doesn't explain how you were involved in her birth. Or why you would even bother?"
"Why would we bother?" Zeus laughed. "Information, boy. You don't live as long as Woten and I without covering all your bases. See, the oracles of Delphi were a powerful resource for us. After a while, their effectiveness began to dwindle and there were no more children born bearing the marks. But we followed the bloodline, ever watching for a child to come along that would revive the line. Sophia's mother showed some promise, but the gift never fully developed with her. So Woten and I decided to give nature a helping hand. Justinian was a powerful Anunnaki. Combined with his ability to be quite charming and, well, let's just say we arranged a meeting and a relationship that produced a child."
"So Justinian really was her father," Gwynn said.
"Yes, he truly was her father. His assignment, apart from being a parent, was to observe her development and to inform us if her gifts awakened."
"And they did."
"Wonderfully, yes. Did you know her very first vision was of the car crash that took your parents' lives and of your own awakening as an Anunnaki? Unfortunately, we didn't have enough information to locate you in time to stop the tragedy from happening. It wasn't until after news broke of the accident we were able to find you. Woten decided to relocate you and your aunt. He thought having you closer to Justinian would be safer—in case your powers reawakened. To be honest, we had no idea what was going to happen with you. No child had ever awakened and had no marks appear. All we could do was sit and wait."
Gwynn's head spun. Sophia had visions of the night his parents died? They'd all known, her included, what had happened and never told him. He'd been turned into an experiment, a thing to be observed and studied. Was that why Sophia had stayed away all those years? Was it because she'd seen what he was and been afraid?
"Why are you telling me all this?" Gwynn choked on the words.
"Because I want our conversation to begin with honesty. You've lived your life in darkness and ignorance. It's about time someone pulled back the curtain and let you see the real world you've been living in."
Gwynn became aware of an aching in his fingers. He hadn't realized he'd been squeezing them into increasingly tighter fists the whole time Zeus had been speaking. Was this man to be trusted? By his own admission, he'd manipulated lives and used people for his own benefit. It was likely this whole conversation was only happening because he wanted to use Gwynn. Even if that was true, wasn't it worth the risk to learn more?
"What do you want to know?" Gwynn asked.
Zeus' shoulders relaxed. "I hoped you might be able to fill in a few gaps. Many of the world's religions have end time prophecies. I believe you are familiar with the Nordic Ragnorok, as well as the Christian end times prophecies. We Greeks have lived comfortably without such dark tidings hanging over our heads. However, in the final days of Delphi, a prophecy was delivered that, as best as we can tell, foretold an ending for the whole world, regardless of what affiliation you align yourself with."
"Is that why you wanted Sophia? Because you thought she might shed more light on that prophecy?"
Zeus nodded. "You are a very astute young man. Much of that prophecy has come to us in fragments. As best as we can tell, the original prophecy was delivered to…someone else, who took it in its entirety. Afterwards, the oracle wrote much of it down herself. But those final days were during the time of Rome, and much of the writings were lost or divided. Through the centuries, we've found pieces of it, but only enough to worry us. We, well I, had hoped another oracle of Delphi would be able to fill in the gaps for us."
"Why now? Why wait? If you had been following the bloodline, why not try to revive it earlier?"
"How can I explain this to someone so young?" Zeus shrugged. "We became lazy. At first, we didn't know the prophecy existed. Many years passed before we became aware of it. When more years passed and none of the signs came, we began to believe it wouldn't happen. Or perhaps it had already happened on some other Earth that had branched away from our own."
"That happens?"
"Oh, yes. It is perhaps the greatest curse of any true prophet. Many, if not all, of their prophecies do come true, but not in every world. So while they are celebrated in one world for their foresight, in another they are ridiculed for their failure. When a prophecy is delivered, we can only wait to see if we will need to face it, or if we will be the lucky ones to avoid it. In the case of the final prophecy of Delphi, we believed we had avoided it."
"But we haven't."
Zeus nodded solemnly. "About ten years before your birth, the signs started. They've continued at a worrying frequency ever since. So what I'm hoping you can help me with, Gwynn, is I'm hoping maybe Sophia told you something that might help us."
"You think Sophia told me the final prophecy?"
"That was my hope."
Gwynn rubbed at his temples, searching for something Sophia might have said to him that would provide an answer. "I don't know," he had to admit. "The only times she told me things, they either sounded like gibberish because she was crazy, or they've already happened."
Zeus leaned forward, his eyes eager. "What did she tell you that already happened?"
"She told me about the Gorgon, and that I would be able to defeat Elaois. She told me what happened to my parents wasn't my fault."
"This is very important Gwynn. Did she tell you anything that either hasn't ha
ppened, or anything you can remember that just didn't make any sense? I mean, maybe it doesn't even seem like a prophecy. She might've just said something to you. Anything you can remember would help."
Gwynn tried to cast his memory back to the day in her hospital room, when she'd been a feral creature and her words sounded like nothing but madness. "She kept talking about a shadow behind me that hated her. And…" What else. She'd said something he should remember. Something Elaois… "Dragons. She said there were dragons for good and dragons for evil."
Zeus leaned back, stroking his beard. "That's all?"
"I'm pretty sure," Gwynn said. "At the time I… I just thought it was her saying crazy things. I didn't pay much attention." His heart felt heavy. What if she'd been telling him the most important things in the world? Had he missed it? Had she trusted him with her most important secrets and he'd just discarded them? He couldn't bear the thought.
"This does help," Zeus said. "It's not as much as I'd hoped, but I think I see some wisdom in this."
"You do?"
"Dragons exist in many myths. Sometimes they are agents of chaos, other times they bring good fortune. It mainly depends on the region. In any case, I believe her discussing a dragon, in particular a dragon of evil, refers to a certain man who has caused a great deal of conflict through the years. We've long believed he would be a key player in the end of times. We've thought him incapable of being stopped. If she mentioned a dragon of good, perhaps it means he has an equal. Maybe there is a way to defeat him."
"The bogeyman?" Gwynn said it under his breath.
Zeus' eyebrow raised. "You've heard of him?"
"Only a little. Some of the younger kids here, they…seemed afraid of me. I overheard one of them mention the bogeyman. A friend told me a little about him."
"That his sword is much like your own?"
"Yes. But I didn't know he was referred to as a dragon. Elaios, she said I was the dragon. She called me the Harbinger who signalled the coming of Ragnarok. My father left his family because she'd foretold he would have a son who would cause Ragnarok. She said I was that son."
Zeus patted Gwynn on the shoulder. "Perhaps you are the dragon of good your friend foretold would come."
"No. I don't think so. I'm not some person of legend or prophecy."
Zeus laughed. It was loud and unrestrained. "Oh my dear boy, even after seeing many prophecies come true, I doubt such a thing exists as a 'chosen one.' No, in my experience, a person just happens to be in the right place at the right time. The universe has a story it needs to tell, and roles need to be filled. It just casts whoever is most convenient at any given time."
"Can you tell me why my sword would respond to the same name as his? Why would it look the same? Pridament told me that isn't possible."
Zeus stood from the chair and made his way to the door. "I can't answer that. All I can tell you is this; nothing in this universe is impossible. I will also tell you your sword is summoned from your heart. A heart can change over time. There may come a time when your sword changes appearance, or ceases to answer to the call of its current name. Such is the fragile and transient nature of the human heart."
"If that happens, will I know what name to call?"
"Only if you can do what too many people fail at," Zeus said, walking out the door. "Listen to your heart."
5
In Dreams He Treads
There was no safer place in the world. Lying on a double bed, with Fuyuko's head resting against his shoulder, the warmth over his heart from her hand resting on his chest. Seventeen years old. He should be frustrated as hell. No sex, and none any time soon, she'd set those rules quickly. Maybe, if life became normal, this wouldn't always be enough to satisfy him. But life would probably never be normal. Every day would be waiting for the next life threatening moment—blood, pain and sometimes, loss. Right now, this calm was enough. No, not just enough, vital for his sanity.
"I'm sorry for earlier," Fuyuko said. She meant it this time. Even if Eir hadn't been able to restart her powers, being in her presence had helped calm her.
"You don't need to be sorry for wanting to keep me close. If anything, it'd be worse if you were telling me to go." He ran his finger along the gentle curve of her cheek down to her chin. Her features contained an element of nobility. In another life, perhaps she'd been an empress, sending her armies of faithful subjects off to war. Yes, she had those qualities, especially in the depth of her eyes. He knew he would follow her lead. He'd never admit it openly, but when she'd told him to refuse to go, it was only fear keeping him from agreeing. This was the only life he'd ever known. Probably the only he'd ever know. How could he refuse it? "Did you catch what Gwynn said about Angie?" he asked, trying to avoid talking any further about his leaving.
"Yes. Maybe we're just reading too much into it."
He could see from her eyes she didn't believe that.
"So I guess the question is, did she make the first move?" he asked.
"She's never entered any of our dreams without consent—Woten would kill her."
Jason shifted onto his side so he could look at her more directly. "So she's got it so bad for Gwynn she's willing to take the risk, or…"
"Or you think she's been given permission? I doubt it. I mean, he's Woten's grandson. I can't believe he'd allow that level of manipulation. Besides, he said he couldn't remember having any other dreams for the past eight months. It's not odd to have some nights without having dreams, but eight months? Do you think she's been blocking his dreams?"
"But why?" Jason started to regret bringing this up. He missed the quiet cuddling. "What reason would they have to block him from dreaming?"
"I don't know. If that was her mission, she might've overstepped her boundaries last night. Maybe that's why she's being left behind."
Jason shrugged. "Whatever. Angie's never been one for following the rules. Besides, with her ability, it's not like they'd do anything to her. She's too useful."
"I guess…"
Her gaze went far away. What could she be thinking?
"So how'd things go with Eir?"
He'd try a new topic.
"No change." She gave his cheek a gentle pat. "Why do you keep changing subjects?"
Jason sighed and flopped on his back, staring at the blank white ceiling above him. "Because nothing gets us anywhere. We have no answers, no one else has any answers—or they keep the answers from us. I just feel…"
"Frustrated?"
"Yes," he smiled, "and maybe a little powerless."
"I'm the one who's powerless."
He couldn't tell if her tone contained any humour or not.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean…"
"It's ok. Besides, my session with Eir at least gave me something to focus on. We ended up talking about my brother. I realized I have unresolved issues about him. She thinks putting some of that behind me might help."
"Unresolved issues?"
"Yeah. You know, like how I kept pushing myself to be better than him."
Jason outright chuckled. "Geez, aren't we all pushing ourselves to be better than Katsuro?" The hurt in her eyes quieted his laughter. He said in a smaller, gentler, tone. "I mean, he inspired us. I looked up to him for the longest time. I guess in some ways, I still do. Katsuro set the standard for all of us."
Her voice barely broke a whisper. "Then why did he die?"
Jason put his arms around her. She felt thin and vulnerable. For so long he'd thought he clung to her for strength. It was odd to have their roles reversed. He hoped he wasn't screwing it up.
"I told you, it was on a mission. I'm not sure exactly what happened. I just know we were all pinned down by Curses. Paltar, Hodur and Katsuro punched through to close the tear." His voice shook. "Shortly after, the Curses vanished. Paltar and Hodur showed up, saying Katsuro had sealed the tear. But…" He couldn't finish the sentence.
"He didn't make it," she said.
Jason nodded. "Sometimes…" Should he say it?
She knew how things worked.
"Sometimes, if the tear fights enough, it can burn a Script out," she said.
"Sometimes, yeah," he replied.
Was she thinking about Gwynn? Jason knew he was. The crazy kid who closed a world killer. If any tear in this world could fry a Script, that was the one. Instead, Gwynn shook it off after a few days. Gwynn was some kinds of scary powerful. How long until Woten replaced Jason with Gwynn? For almost two years, Jason had worked to fill Katsuro's shoes. He'd been the dedicated soldier and performed as flawlessly as he could. Within six months he held the unofficial title of team leader. The others respected him. Not just because he was a Script, but because he worked just as hard, no, maybe harder, than Katsuro. Fuyuko wasn't the only one living in her brother's shadow. The thought of losing it to Gwynn didn't bother him as much as it probably should. Maybe he could get knocked down to a secondary team like Purisaz. Would that be so bad? It would mean less dangerous missions. He might be able to consider it a guarantee he'd see his twentieth birthday. But he'd be the one staying behind while Fuyuko was sent on the worst of missions. No, this was his spot, and he'd do everything to keep it.
He looked at his watch.
"Crap, I've got to get going."
Fuyuko wrapped her arms around him and for a moment, it seemed her old strength had returned. She held him tight and he doubted he'd be able to wrestle free.
"I know you won't skip it," she said. "Just give me one more minute. Please."
He couldn't deny her. He'd just have to run all the way to the launch pad.
After the minute had passed, her grip loosened. "Promise me you'll come back."
He reached his hand up and gently cupped her chin, lifting her lips to meet his. How could he make that promise? Hadn't they just been talking about Katsuro dying? If Katsuro could fall, couldn't any one of them?
He looked into her eyes. The love and intensity he saw surprised him. He had no choice.
"I promise."
§
The main part of the Nord's Suture—training areas, mission monitoring, dorms—all lay buried underground in northern Ontario, Canada. The single way of getting in and out was a subway tunnel in which a train ran from Suture eastward to two stops. One lay beneath the town of Monday's Bay, where the vast majority of Suture's non-Anunnakis lived. To a visitor, the town was a sleepy sort of place with an independent grocer, small retail stores, and even a two screen theatre. It was doubtful anyone might realize the major economic supporter of the town was battling monsters. The second stop, where Ansuz would be headed, was a private airfield another ten kilometres east of the town. Several types of aircraft were housed there, including the private jet they would take today to their mission.
Suture (The Bleeding Worlds) Page 6
