“What news?” Brandon asked. Never having been to an oracle, he was not sure he understood the message’s meaning.
The waitress came back with a large tray and began sitting down Cybil’s food. She leaned in and gave Cybil a wink. “Don’t worry about the bill. It’s already been paid,” she said conspiratorially and left.
Cybil made a humming sound and picked up her napkin. “I love burgers and onion rings! I hardly ever get to have them unless I leave Delphi. Now, I hate to dismiss you so soon, but you’re going to need to get back in time to hide from the sun. Oh, and Hadrian, be wary of the human mercenaries. They aren’t investigating your missing police chief and politician as members of a legitimate source. They have orders not to give Sabrina cause to use magic against them. They are here only to observe and report,” she said, scooping up ranch dressing on a large onion ring and stuffing the whole thing in her mouth at once.
“Thank you, Cybil. It was a pleasure seeing you again,” Hadrian said, pushing Brandon out of the booth. “Have a safe trip home.”
Before Brandon could ask his question again, Hadrian grabbed his upper arm and maneuvered him toward the door. Annoyed, Brandon bit at his lower lip, knowing Hadrian was giving him a silent order to wait until they were alone. He tugged his arm free as they exited the building.
“What was that for? She didn’t answer my question,” Brandon said, feeling confused.
“When Cybil of Delphi dismisses you, it’s best if you thank her and leave. We don’t know who her other appointment is. It might be someone we don’t want to meet. Let’s get out of here and get back home,” Hadrian said quickly.
They hurried back to the car. Just as Hadrian twisted the ignition key, a large, black SUV rolled past them and pulled into a parking space further down the street. Two men in generic black suits and clean-cut hairstyles like the ones outside the shop got out. They walked to the pub. One stayed outside. The other man went in alone.
“I think we just found out who her next client is,” Brandon said. “Think we should follow them?”
“No. Cybil didn’t say anything about following them, and she wouldn’t be happy about an altercation in her presence. She’s a peaceful being with a gift she shares freely. She knows about violence but doesn’t want to witness it,” Hadrian said, watching the SUV closely.
“I’m not sure exactly what she said,” Brandon confessed. “She didn’t say anything Sabrina hadn’t already told us. We knew Nemesis was on the loose. Hell, she’s made her presence know in Sylva.” He rubbed his throat, still able to feel her chilled fingers and the electrical current that had held him in place and unable to move. Thinking about Sabrina unguarded at home clenched his stomach with anxiety. He knew he was no match for Nemesis, but the thought of Sabrina facing her alone worried him. Ideas ran wild in his mind on ways to protect his wife from such a powerful force. If required, he would gladly give his life for Sabrina.
“She told us what we already knew about the past. Sabrina’s not psychic. Cybil gave us insight to the future,” Hadrian said, pulling out into the street and creeping down the street. He seemed to make it a point to not look at the man standing outside of the pub or at the SUV.
“I didn’t really get that last part. What does it mean? What arena? And who or what are you sacrificing?” Brandon asked without giving Hadrian time to answer. “How does this tie back into the mystery men and Nemesis?”
“I don’t know. Somehow, you and Nemesis are going to have to tie up loose ends. You didn’t leave things on a good note when the two of you parted. Until then, Nemesis isn’t going to allow you to move on with your future. In whatever shape that takes, I’m going to have a difficult decision to make without a clear outcome,” Hadrian explained.
“I only know of one kind of arena. That’s not the sort of place I want Sabrina,” Brandon added.
“You know that old ’80s song about love being a battlefield?” Hadrian asked.
“Yeah, I’ve heard it. What about it?” Brandon asked, not really sure where Hadrian was going with his question.
“I think that’s your arena. You and Sabrina are going to have to fight to keep each other,” Hadrian said, staring straight ahead.
Brandon felt the tingle of Eleanor’s old wound turn to sizzling pain. He imagined Sabrina and Nemesis on the floor of the Coliseum. If Nemesis stabbed Sabrina the way Eleanor had him, would she survive? Panic and dread flooded his system.
Chapter 9
Anger and disappointment rippled across Sabrina’s skin. The night seemed endless. For the first time since she’d met Brandon, she wished the sun would hurry up and breach the horizon.
The woman in the yard took a step forward. The moonlight made her waist-length hair glow in a golden halo. Aquamarine eyes watched her. Her black robes turned to a pale shade of pastel lavender, flowing as if caught in a breeze only the woman felt. “I know you, Sabrina. From the moment of your birth, you brought imbalance. But what I see before me is more than the babe cradled in her mother’s arms I remember. What has happened to you?” Her voice held a soft edge and a hint of sympathy.
“You’re not Nemesis. The vibrations are too different to belong to her. Who are you?” Sabrina asked. What she saw and the magic she felt from this woman did not match. There was an air of wild beauty about the stranger.
“The one who pulled you from your mother. I helped hide Hadrian and Aradia for centuries. True love should never be denied, even when it is forbidden,” she replied. She swept a lock of wavy hair behind one ear, showing more of her heart-shaped face and perfect features.
“Venus? You were in Lucifer’s throne room,” Sabrina said suspiciously. Her previous experiences with celestial beings made her wary. Even when they seemed to offer help, the motives behind the offer were often anything but benevolent.
“And his destruction freed me. Unlike so many others, I still had a lot to live for and followers to worship me. Have you ever met anyone who didn’t feel alive unless they thought they were in love? Ever known a hopeless romantic looking for the next perfect soul mate? They worship me without realizing it, even in a world as loveless as this one. Lucifer poisoned me with my own ambrosia when I turned down his marriage proposal. If I refused to be his bride and decorate his presence, he decided I would decorate his throne room. But you, your mother, and Eleanor freed me. One is beyond my reach. The other trapped by the night sky, but here you are,” Venus said. She glided gracefully across the yard but stopped at the foot of the stairs. She seemed unable to take the first step. Holding her hand up, she ran her fingers over the magical barrier, leaving rainbow-colored fingerprints where she touched it. “Very nice work. Yours?”
“Yes,” Sabrina replied curtly, still wary of her new visitor. The lioness in her head seemed to sniff the air and remained seated, as if on guard duty and watching for an attack.
“I don’t blame you. Nemesis has her own version of justice and an unemotional approach to dispensing it. This is the first time I have ever seen her react this way,” Venus said casually. She snapped her fingers. A plush chair appeared behind her. Taking a seat, she motioned to the stairs across from her. “But then again, Brandon was her first pet human. Please, sit and talk with me?”
“Why should I?” Sabrina said, not bothering to sound polite. Her pendant hummed around her neck. Dark rainbows began dancing along the magical barrier surrounding the house.
Venus smiled kindly. “I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to talk. You did me a great service in providing both my freedom and the destruction of my captor. It is my duty to find a way to repay your kindness. Please, sit and talk with me,” the young woman requested.
Sabrina took the top stair, allowing her to be taller than Venus when seated. Part of her wanted to run inside and lock all the doors. The other part of her was curious enough to want to hear what the goddess had to say.
She owes me one.
A lingering anxiety filled Sabrina’s mind. She knew at any moment this goddess would as
k her for something or make a demand of her. The question was in how much it would cost her.
“Now, let’s do a little catching up. I remember your mother being caught by Diana and the other celestial beings demanding her powers and life be forfeit. I recall her heartfelt plea for your safety, as she had just become pregnant. There was much discussion about what you were or would become. Thankfully, Hadrian was only a vampire and not a demon. It gave Diana a way out, as Aradia blended earth and celestial magic with a lesser creature. Unpredictable magic, to be sure, but lesser. Aradia agreed to spend a millennium and a half among the stars in exchange for Hadrian’s and your lives. You were sent to the Castle of Night. They ignored Hadrian and left him without news as to Aradia’s fate or your birth. Shortly thereafter, Lucifer captured me,” Venus finished, carefully folding her hands in her lap. She glanced up at the sky and then at Sabrina.
“I didn’t know how you ended up as a statue, but I know where my mother is. Dad told me all he could about her. Aunt Eleanor told me more before she died. What do you want from me?” Sabrina blurted out without thinking. For a moment, she felt ashamed. The woman before her offered information and yet seemed not to want anything more than to talk. Sabrina looked down at her feet. “I’m sorry. It’s been a bad night, and my track record with celestial beings hasn’t always been good.”
Venus nodded her acceptance. “I can imagine. Lucifer probably tried to collect you. You would have been the crowning jewel of his collection. Midnight’s Jewel should have remained a secret, but the longer a secret is kept, the harder it is to keep secret,” she agreed.
“Diana gave me to Eleanor and sent us to Earth when the Army of Light attacked the Castle of Night. I grew up thinking I was an orphaned half witch with poorly developed powers. Lucifer sent men after me, but they thought they were after my necklace,” Sabrina confessed. She felt safe telling something most supernatural creatures in the area already knew. The details she planned to keep secret. There was no telling what Venus might do with the information.
“I see fangs on your lips and love in your quiet heart. You’ve had quite an adventure. I’m going to guess a vampire won your affections. Clearly, he made an effort to turn you into one of them, but it didn’t fully work. I sense an unusual magic in you, something unique and powerful,” Venus said softly. For a brief moment, her aquamarine eyes hardened, as if she was holding back the stormy seas, before returning to her kind look.
Sabrina’s inner lioness bristled and gave a low warning growl. The big cat crouched down, ready to spring at the first sign of an attack. At the same time, Sabrina felt her powers fill her body to the point she thought she might explode with it, causing her necklace to flash to life.
Venus glanced around at the dark rainbows and shadows dancing surrounding Sabrina. Her kind smile fell slightly. “You’re very defensive,” she pointed out with a scowl.
“Yeah. I am. Like I said. Past experiences taught me not to trust strangers, especially magical strangers. Every time I turn around, someone is trying to kill me or use me. It’s the sort of thing that puts a girl on edge,” Sabrina said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. She wanted to fade away but gripped the edge of the stair tread to give her a better sense of being grounded instead.
“I can see this conversation isn’t going well. So let me skip ahead to the point of my visit. You freed me. I never cared to owe anyone a debt. What would you like in return for your service?” The kindness vanished, replaced with frosty annoyance.
“I want Nemesis to leave us alone,” Sabrina said, without taking time to think. She could have wished for anything. A small part of her wanted to take back the words and wish for a normal vampiric life as Brandon’s perfect mate. At the moment, being free of Nemesis seemed like a more important priority.
Venus sighed. “I wish you had asked for something I can do. Nemesis isn’t like most of us. She lives by a strict set of rules. Taking Brandon as her human lover broke her own code of conduct. She’s here to right what she sees as a personal wrong. There’s nothing I can do about that. The past is the past and can never be changed. Ask me for something else,” she requested.
Sabrina sucked in a sharp breath. Her inner lioness rumbled a threat and began to pace. Brandon and Nemesis? Tears threatened to flow, but she fought them back. Had he tried to tell her? She knew he left behind a string of lovers stretching across the many centuries. Until now, she had considered his playboy past unimportant and ignored his previous trysts. In fact, when he’d tried to confess his sorted affairs, she dismissed him, not wanting to hear the gory details. Was it fair to blame him for withholding information she refused to hear? Before, she wanted to pretend his past did not matter and never would, but this was different, something that could not be ignored. Nemesis was not a nameless, faceless prior conquest. The goddess of retribution and indignation against evil deeds, injustice, and undeserved good fortune stalked them.
“I see you were unaware of the true nature of Nemesis and Brandon’s past. Remember this. Pax Nemesis was the patron goddess of gladiators and of your father during their human lives. Centuries before you were born, the stars aligned in a precise sequence and influenced more than one goddess. Your mother and father were a part of this. Pax Nemesis and Brandon were another. I doubt she knew about his transformation into a vampire and considered the matter closed upon his death. Do not make a quick decision or speak rash words to him. Give yourself time to step away and think logically,” Venus advised. She smiled and shook her head. “I know how that sounds, coming from me. Love and lust makes us do foolish things, but a love like the one you and he share is a rare thing. You were willing to die for him. He was willing to kill you for the chance at an eternity together. Think carefully. Nemesis certainly will. When you’ve had time to think, call on me, and I will grant you a boon for your service.” With that, Venus faded from sight in a cloud of sparkling dust that reminded Sabrina of the sea, taking the plush chair with her.
Sabrina sat and stared at the empty spot Venus once occupied. Blood-tinged tears finally rolled down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands and leaned forward, resting her forehead on her knees. Allowing a few sobs to escape, she cried. The lioness within bristled with indignation, giving Sabrina the strength to stop. Her pendant hummed against her skin, allowing the dark rainbows and shadows to play along the facets.
As she lifted her head, she heard the orb ringing in her room. “This isn’t a good time, Charon,” Sabrina whispered. She used the back of her hand and wiped her cheeks. The ringing grew louder. “All right, all right already. I’m coming!”
She let herself in the house and ran up the stairs. Pulling the thin fabric off the orb, she looked into the crystal to see Charon’s saddened expression. Sabrina grabbed a tissue off the nightstand and blew her nose.
“Hi. What can I do for you?” Sabrina asked him. She tried to sound more cheerful than she felt.
“I heard you crying, and I’m told a friend calls in such circumstances,” he said. His fingers caressed the orb, as if he were wiping something from her cheek. “Would that I could, I would hold your hand and tell you not to cry.”
She nearly choked at his sincerity. To think the Ferryman of the Underworld tried to kidnap and force her to marry him once made her smile. He made a good friend, in the end.
They both shared a common problem. Neither of them belonged solely to earthbound magic or celestial magic, allowing them to walk on both sides of the River Styx. All Charon wanted was companionship and to protect her from a jealous Proserpina, Queen of the Underworld.
“Thanks,” she said. Her voice broke slightly as she held back the tears. Her inner lioness seemed to rub against her mind in a way that suggested the big cat empathized with her.
“I also wanted to speak with you about Nemesis. She came down and spoke at length to Proserpina. The Queen is still angry and went to some length to describe your adventures. What she told Nemesis was true, but with certain facts omitted,” Charon told her. Nothing a
bout his face hinted at his emotions. Millennia of remaining alone and emotionally unattached to any other creatures left him without the skills of expression. He made great strides in learning, but so far, sadness was his only conquest. Dealing with the dead day in and day out made relating to this emotion easiest for him.
“How does this affect me? She was Brandon’s lover, not mine,” Sabrina said, snappier then she meant to sound. She regretted it immediately. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take things out on you. You’re doing me a favor and mean well.”
“No offense taken. It seems Proserpina finds your situation one of having your cake and eating it, too. Nemesis told her there was no injustice in the matter of Dis Pater, as he neither dishonored his vow to the Queen nor did he give anything that wasn’t his to give. The Queen chose another tactic,” Charon said without elaborating. Conversation was another lesson he needed to improve.
Sabrina sighed. She squeezed her eyes tight for a moment and took a deep breath. Pulling information out of Charon often required more patience than she possessed this evening. She let the breath go and opened her eyes.
“What tactic did she use?” Sabrina asked, doing her best to remain polite.
“The Queen asked Nemesis to investigate your excessive good fortune and the imbalance created in the Underworld when Brandon turned you,” he said bluntly. He stared at her, pausing.
“And?”
“And to punish you for undeserved good fortune and the evil of creating an imbalance,” he replied. He dropped his eyes, breaking his stare. “I wish I had better news to give you.”
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