Shadow Sight

by T. G. Ayer

  Filled with the passion of a curious explorer, Goran convinced me to help him find the city at least, assuring me that he had little interest in plundering, more in the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to see the fabled city of Atlantis with his own eyes.

  Not long after this, we went on a long and somewhat arduous journey across the oceans in search of a city that had not been visited for thousands of years.

  Yet, every step of the way, the vision proved to be correct, so accurate in fact that I would often upset the captain with my insistent instructions. Directions he’d at first declined to take, and had learned to his detriment, that the Seer’s reputation preceded her for only one reason—she was never wrong. So he eventually set aside his measuring equipment and ceased his studying of the skies, giving himself and his entire crew over to the Pythia.

  And then, as Allegra turned the next delicate page, she came to Lydia’s written account of that journey, descriptions that brought back the memory of Allegra’s own vision so clearly.

  Reading the words was akin to reliving the ancient Pythia’s pain.

  Allegra skimmed the cramped text of Lydia’s Codex until she reached the ancient Pythia’s account of what had happened in the months after the couple had returned home to Delphi.

  Goran has become obsessed with the amphora, spending long hours attempting to decipher the unknown script carved into the solid copper. He is convinced that the markings had some special meaning--of what he did not say. He wishes to keep it, but with my blessing. A part of me wishes he had proceeded without discussing it with me. What did he expect me to say other than the truth of how I feel, that stealing treasure is unlawful, a rule he ought not to break considering his status as Immunis? But I am now complicit, and should he proceed to drink from the amphora, he will do so under that guise of having received my blessing.

  Goran is no longer the man that I once knew. He has grown angry, bitter, and almost as though he blames me for his own doubts as to whether opening the amphora is a good idea.

  Allegra read further, her heart growing heavier with each paragraph of tightly spaced scrawl.

  Goran’s behavior has changed. He is no longer angry, nor does he mope around the villa either.

  He is enthusiastic now, focused on his duties, returning to his old devotion to his Pythia. I am grateful for his return, but I take each day with a heavy dose of uncertainty as I know not what his obsession with the amphora will do to him. I feel the burden of his secret heavily, as I am unable to confide in anyone, as I know I will receive foremost their disapproval and only lastly their sympathy.

  Allegra sat up and stared ahead at the wall. Lydia had been truly alone, and even her mentions of her life did not include Xales. Which meant that this particular Pythia had lived before Xales had been assigned to his protective duties.

  With a deep sigh, Allegra returned to her reading, curious as to what was going to happen next, and inexplicably fearful.

  The visions have grown worse over these past months, the violence in them so vivid it is as though I myself am walking among the soldiers as they strike their swords and their spears deep within the flesh of their own brethren. I feel their agony, their pain, and their despair as though somehow, I am within their minds and their hearts too. Such visions are unknown to the priests, and they have expressed their concern, but the visions still come, many unbidden now, no longer requiring the ritual. Goran has retreated from me, a great distance divides us, a distance that remains one that I am not willing to cross.

  The news results in many changes. The priests have placed the reason for my disturbing visions at the feet of the babe I am carrying. Goran has returned to me, the revelation that he is soon to be a father, has changed him. He is no longer distant, and has become more involved in the life of the pythia, taking his Immunis duties more seriously now. He prepares for the coming of the child as one would prepare for the birth of a king.

  The priests are joyous too, the prospect of a new pythia bringing relief to them all as there were fears for the last decade that I would not bear a child. Perhaps that was what had caused Goran to withdraw. But I cannot attempt to unravel the puzzle that is my husband. He has admitted that he will not part with the amphora just yet, has promised to complete his studies and return the relic to the State. He swears he does not want anything to go wrong where his child is concerned.

  Allegra rubbed her forehead, aware that she was tracking dust across her face. The room had grown cold, and she rose to light the coals in the brazier beside the door. The coals caught alight quickly and soon the flames blazed. Allegra returned to the codex and turned the page.

  The babe has arrived, and no father and son have ever been so close. Goran has taken little Claudinius under his care, focusing his attention so much upon my son that the priests have accused him of neglecting his duties to the Pythia.

  As much as I have defended Goran, I too feel the pain of loneliness. Perhaps as the boy grows, his father may return to me.

  Allegra turned a few more pages, tiring of the sadness of the story to a point that she felt a low ebb of depression beginning to pull at her. Shaking it off she focused on a new entry, one a few years later, after Lydia had born three more sons, Sererianus, Aquilinus, and Iulius.

  The boys have grown into young men, but there is something strange about them. They follow their sire around like a group of ducklings, ever waiting to receive a word of kindness or praise. I am glad to see their relationship is strong, that their bond is growing each day. My only sorrow is that Goran has again drifted from me. And as before, we have disagreed on his possession of the amphora. I dare not ask if he will at least hand it over to the documentor of the historical archives in Athens; he’s turned to violence a number of times now, and I do not wish a repeat.

  My last babe was lost to me, and I believe the child was killed within the womb during his last beating. Perhaps I should not have stood my ground. Had I been gentler, perhaps relented, and agreed with him, perhaps then my infant girl would have lived. The priests are disappointed in me, but they know nothing of my turmoil, nothing of the man my Goran has become.

  He has turned my sons against me with his latent anger and his subtle insults. I often wonder what I have done to deserve this change in treatment at the hands of a man I once loved with all my heart. I am still fertile, my courses still come, and thus I am still of the age to bear another child. But the thought of lying with a man who has turned from a god to a monster, brings both shame and disgust. But how do I say no, how do I void the marriage bed when the husband may claim his right on his wife’s body whenever he so wishes, Pythia or not.

  Allegra stiffened and sat back. Lydia’s life had gone from brimming with love and happiness to something so filled with horror that Allegra felt as though she were reading a piece of fiction deliberately intended to tug at one’s heartstrings.

  She rubbed her forehead again and got to her feet, unable to read any further. Lydia’s story would have to wait until Allegra was feeling a little more up to facing the horrors that the poor Pythia had suffered.

  Allegra considered beginning her own codex right then and there, but the pull of fatigue and hunger was enough to change her mind. She left the room, the codex lying on the desk to await her return.

  As she slipped back into the study, the darkness that greeted her was not surprising. She shut the door and checked the patio doors, making certain they were locked. Not that she needed to worry about security here on the estate. The place was unusually safe, which still didn’t mean Allegra lapsed in her awareness.

  She’d been caught unawares all too many times since she’d stepped into her role as the Pythia.

  Chapter 24

  Allegra wandered through the house, making her way to the kitchen in the hopes of finding something to eat before she passed out. She walked into the shadowed kitchen where a single candle flickered on the large wooden table that took center stage. The enormous clay one took the entire left wall, while an equa
lly large fireplace warmed the kitchen, throwing golden light onto Mara who sat there, picking at a pile of shredded chicken and olives.

  The backlighting cast odd shadows upon the old woman, transforming her into something bordering on demonic. Allegra startled and paused on the threshold, hand to her chest as her heartbeat spiked.

  “Mara,” Allegra said, exhaling slowing as she drew closer to the silent woman. “I didn’t expect anyone to be here at this time of the night.”

  Mara smirked. “I knew you’d come looking for food eventually.” She cocked her head at the clay oven. “Inside. Your plate is waiting for you.”

  “What’s on the menu today?” asked Allegra even as she tugged open the door to the clay oven, releasing a flood of warmth that enveloped her, reminding her how cold she really was.

  “Chicken pie with mushrooms and thyme. I think Gerda added potato to the mix as well.” Mara shrugged, feigning indifference when Allegra knew all too well how hands-on the old woman was.

  “Delicious,” Allegra said as she inhaled the aroma of warm pastry and hot chicken. The cook had left a small pie for Allegra, sitting on a plate accompanied by a head of buttery mash. She set it on the table beside Mara and drew up a chair, unable to hold back the shiver that rippled through her as she tucked into the pie.

  “You should not miss meals. It’s not healthy.”

  “Sorry, Mara. I’ll try to remember. I’m not sure how I lost track of time.”

  “Aurelia used to do the very same thing. Hide away in her study and then disappear for hours. Never told me where she went either,” Mara muttered, her tone bearing a hint of resentment.

  Allegra swallowed her bite of pie and tilted her head to look at Mara. “I’m sorry Mara. For me and Aurelia. Sadly, there are some things the Pythia must do alone. Being unable to share is about the hardest thing about this job for me. I imagine Aurelia felt the same way.”

  Mara let out a snort that was an odd amalgamation of scorn, regret, and affection. “She was so much like you when she first took on her role.”

  Allegra glanced at the old woman, curious now. “I don’t know anything about her early days. Were you with her from the beginning?”

  Mara nodded. “I was handmaiden to Pythia Cordelia who was Aurelia’s predecessor. Aurelia was happy to keep me on, as I was well experienced with regard to the way the Pythia functions in relation to the demands of the countries of the world.”

  “Were you a liaison like Max?” asked Allegra, suddenly aware that she had no idea of Mara’s origins. “Mara, where are you from? You’ve never told us anything about yourself.”

  The old woman shrugged. “You never asked,” she said then waved a hand when Allegra’s face fell as she realized the truth of those words. How callous of her to not attempt to get to know Mara. “Don’t worry child. I’m not the easiest of people to communicate with. And besides, you’ve had much to deal with these past months.”

  Allegra smiled and continued to eat, making a rolling motion with her hand so Mara would keep talking.

  Mara took a deep breath and got to her feet, walking slowly to a large door set into the stone wall. Inside was an array of wines both from the estate’s vineyards and from around the world, a combination of gifts from various countries and of Aurelia’s own selections.

  She retrieved a bottle of cabernet merlot and popped the cork. Setting it before Allegra, she fetched two wine goblets from the shelves behind her and proceeded to pour them each a glass. Allegra waited patiently, enjoying the silence and the meal, not wanting to push the old woman any harder than she was ready to.

  Mara sat down, took a sip and swished the wine around her mouth, gargling the wine before swallowing it. Allegra choked back her laughter and focused on eating and swallowing, avoiding the old woman’s eyes.

  Then, Mara cleared her throat and said, “I became handmaiden to Cordelia when I was fourteen. The Pythia Cordelia was born in a small Welsh town in the Brittanic Isles, and the priests of the Pythian order insisted on allocating a handmaiden to Cordelia from the outset of her reign.”

  Reign? Odd word to use to describe the oracle’s role, thought Allegra as she sipped the deliciously sweet wine.

  “As niece to Cordelia, the role came to me without much question. The handmaiden’s duties were no longer that of the ancient ones who served the Pythia. In those times, the handmaiden would perform every task for her Pythia, from bathing to dressing, to performing all personal servant functions like emptying out bedpans, mending clothes. But over the years the role of handmaiden began to transform into one more of a communications or secretarial role. I was very pleased to be selected, even though it was likely I would never find a husband because of it.”

  “Oh? Is there a rule precluding marriage for a handmaiden?”

  Mara shook her head. “No rule as such, but men take second place to everything. It would have been difficult to find a man who was strong enough in personality to accept having a wife who spent the majority of her time with another woman. Even having a family would have meant merely birthing the babe and passing it on to someone else to raise. A difficult choice but one that many handmaidens have made through the centuries.

  “Cordelia was most unhappy as she did not want to stop me from having a family, but I made it clear that I would only consider a husband who would accept us both,” Mara said, letting out a loud laugh. “Cordelia thought that was quite funny, but over the years we came to understand the truth of it.”

  “Did she have a family?”

  “Yes. Cordelia bore two infants, Richard and Helena, both grew to adulthood. Helena did not possess the power of the oracle. I believe Cordelia was relieved at the time, but she lived a long and tiring life, and I know she often wished that things had been different.”

  “How so?”

  “It’s much better for the oracle herself if she passed her reign on to the next oracle and still had some life left to live. Being a Pythia does tend to control one’s life, as I’m sure you know. Just as you have struggled against the bonds, so do most Pythias.”

  “So how did you serve Cordelia?”

  Mara smiled and glanced down at her wine goblet. “I studied a lot. I learned about the social and political climate of the time, helped Cordelia make decisions on how best to voice the visions she received.”

  Allegra schooled her features, incredibly impressed as she stared at Mara. The ancient woman had once been within the hub of world political agendas, a fact that Allegra would never have guessed.

  Another reason why it paid never to judge another person solely on your own impressions.

  Chapter 25

  Allegra frowned. “I know that some of the governments who have rights to the oracles’ visions are likely to use them for nefarious means, but why not just say you saw nothing?”

  The old woman chuckled, then slugged back the rest of her wine. “Cordelia did take that route, more times than I can recall. But many of her visions were helpful to the people, more than to the governments, so it became an intricate dance in how to present the visions in order to ensure those governmental representatives would act out of the interest of their people while still believing they acted in their own interests.”

  “See, that is why I always said I never wanted to be in politics.”

  “Sadly, my child, the role of the Pythia is largely political.”

  “Aurelia didn’t make it seem that way. How did she come to the role?”

  “Cordelia was taken by the terrible pox of 3053, a disease she’d warned the world of. Too few paid attention and the result was the death of thousands of people, including Cordelia and her family.”

  “All of them,” Allegra asked, horrified.

  Mara nodded. “It was a terrible time.”

  “I remember learning about that. It was around sixty years ago.”

  Mara cleared her throat then reached for the wine bottle, her movements a sequence of jerks. “When Cordelia died, they searched for a Pythia and thankful
ly it didn’t take long before Aurelia’s powers manifested. She was quite resistant to the idea of having her life taken away from her, her independence, her husband. Aurelia didn’t take kindly to being the Pythia, but the pox made the decision for her. After her husband died, she succeeded Cordelia with little complaint.”

  “She would have been what…around twenty-three?” Allegra said, tapping the side of her wine goblet.

  Mara nodded. “Despite the burden of grief she bore when she took on the role, Aurelia became one of the most powerful and respected Pythias in the modern age. But she soon tired of the job, and began to search for a replacement. Until she found you. I’m still not sure how she tracked you down. I recall Aurelia saying over and over that the Pythian line was dead, that it had been decimated leaving no Oracle alive. And yet, one day she comes to me and announces that she’d found the next Pythia and that she was going to keep her safely hidden until Aurelia’s own time came to an end. I think she held on only because she was waiting for you to be ready.”

  Allegra squinted at Mara. “And how in the world would she have known that?”

  Mara stared at Allegra for a long moment. “Aurelia became Pythia at the age of twenty-three,” she said, a repetition Allegra ignored. “She had only been Pythia for two months when she discovered she was with child.”

  “And the father died in the plague,” said Allegra, a blanket of sadness surrounding her.

  Mara shook her head. “Aurelia delivered a beautiful, healthy boy in the spring of the following year. But under the circumstances, she could not keep the child, and she gave him up for adoption.”

  Allegra poured herself another glass of wine, turning over Mara’s implication. “Are you trying to say that Aurelia’s son is somehow connected to me? Did Aurelia have him keeping an eye on me?”