Arinai watched her partner. His amazement was fascinating to witness. It was such a simple trick of hers, but it always commanded the same joy from those that received it. It had been a long time since she could openly express this gift, and she found that she had missed it.
She reached out with her mind and felt the singer, her fellow musicians, and their instruments. It had been centuries since Arinai had heard this tune. It wasn’t the exact same, of course; it was a variation on a theme, modified for the instruments that were available, and translated into an intelligible language.
She had missed this song, and after a moment's thought she pushed the melody forward and permanently implanted it in the bands' minds; they would now be able to perform this song again. Arinai smiled wider as she thought that perhaps one day she might hear it being played over the radio.
The song eventually ended, as did her passionate and skilled dance with her partner. She tried to thank him, and he her, but the bar erupted with loud cheering. Neither could hear the other, so they settled for smiling at each other and returning to their table.
Arinai continued to watch the amazement of the man before her. He was truly happy, a feeling that she hadn’t seen on him before. He appeared animated as his hands moved about, reliving the dance and the embrace. She still couldn’t hear him, but she didn't care. She smiled and laughed as he talked. Yes, it had been a very long time since she had been able to feel this way, and she didn't care if Rome could feel her presence.
Let them come, she thought as she laughed along with her companion and his absurd antics.
The noise from the crowd eventually abated, and they could now have some semblance of a normal conversation, even as the band began its next tune. They took the time to order food and were happy to continue to talk after their server had left.
"I don’t understand. What exactly is your power?" he almost shouted.
Arinai smiled mischievously and shrugged her shoulders. The music died down in volume, and when she spoke, she knew he would hear every word clearly.
"I'm a goddess of music," she said matter-of-factly.
James blinked his eyes in confusion and sat back, stunned. He looked about him as if trying to make sense of the news and his current mental state. The band was still playing, and people continued to talk and move about. However, the sounds were muted. He could hear them, of course, and watched the instruments as they produced their newest melody. He turned to Arinai and spoke plainly. She heard his question perfectly, and when she replied, he heard her just as well.
"It’s nothing too great," she shrugged. "I'm using the music to mask our conversation. We will be able to converse normally and no one will hear us, but we will hear each other. What I did earlier was simply to provide the band with the knowledge and skill to play the tune I wished to hear, and then I did the same to you in regard to the dance."
"And that’s your great power?"
"Don’t discount it mildly," she said. "I have survived much longer than my comrades. Of the ancients, only myself and Camulas remain. Long gone are Mryddin, known as Merlin. Also gone are the Morrigan, the White Lady and Maeve, and many others. It’s only Camulas and I that survive."
"I've read some of the older stories," James said, "such as the tales of Sir Gawain, and I recognize the ancient names of Merlin and Morgana, but I have never heard of you."
"That’s another reason that I survive."
He stared at her for a moment and once again tried to peer into her soul. She could feel it and smiled at his feeble attempt.
"You’re too weak, young one," she said with a laugh as she shook her head.
Attempting a different tack, he blinked his eyes forcibly and became confused as he stared at her. She knew he was trying to peer into her, but didn't know what he was attempting. Arinai couldn’t feel his intrusion. She did, however, sense his confusion. She furrowed her brow and looked at him curiously. She asked him what was causing him so much grief.
"I'm trying to see your demon," he replied. "It's very odd."
"What is it that you see?"
James thought for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders and began to describe what he was seeing.
"I see two figures," he said. "One a young and vibrant woman, the other a mirror copy, but not quite human. To be honest, I don't understand what I'm seeing."
Arinai smiled as he spoke and nodded her head. She became contemplative and spoke plainly.
"I have never seen her," Arinai said. "I feel her, though. She's a part of me so much so that I feel odd saying her as if we’re different. I'm we, and we are Arinai. It has been that way since I left home all those years ago."
"What happened to you?"
She shrugged her shoulders abjectly.
"That’s a story for another time. The short answer is that I was born, just like you, and when our people arose I became what you see before you. Am I a god? No, but then again neither are you, and you'll do well to remember that fact. I have seen many of our kin go insane with power. It’s at times like that when the rest of the world becomes fearful and begins to hunt us. The Dearg-Due was the first vampire, Irish in origin, and if she had fed off of livestock and taught her spawn to do the same, then history might have been more kind to their breed. They took her name before the world branded them as vampires."
James appeared fascinated by the tales. He smiled for her and they spent several more minutes together. All the while, she gave him information about what to expect with Rome. If she was attempting to frighten him, then her imagery, horrific stories, and sense of foreboding allowed her to do accomplish the feat very well. She could see him becoming more fearful as she spoke. After that, they ate a small dinner, had one more dance, and left the bar.
It was a fun ride back to his apartment, and this time she made him aware as the driver turned on the radio and listened to music. In similar fashion, the waiting attendant in his lobby began to bob his head to some imaginary tune when they arrived. As James began to understand the possibilities for Arinai's power, he understood why the attendant had allowed Arinai to wait on the couch; the man had been too busy dancing to his own tune to know that she was even there, and he whispered his observation to Arinai as they walked.
"There's no need to whisper," she said. "When we are like this, he will not hear us."
"Hmm," he said. "I can certainly see the uses for this power."
They headed to the elevators, and James paused for a moment. Something wasn’t right, and Arinai could feel it. Thinking for a moment, she cast out her mind and quickly found an interesting void near his apartment. Outside the door to his unit, a shadow crept. James looked about himself and Arinai and then to the outside, through the glass entryway. Arinai followed his gaze and saw the shadows moving slowly about, almost like a thick fog. They were still following him, as they always did, but they weren’t the same entity as what she was feeling upstairs.
She flicked her mind to the shadow by his door and immediately felt an awakening. The shadow moved. It stood, and it smiled warmly. James let out a small chuckle and smiled himself. He had felt exactly what Arinai had felt, but somehow he understood it.
Arinai watched the entire scene in fascination. She could see the odd expression on his face and knew that he was trying to ascertain something. When he had smiled and relaxed, she breathed a mental sigh of relief; she had feared that something bad had happened.
"Arinai, do you mind if we call it a night?"
She analyzed him, his response, his attitude, and his mannerisms. Like many men, he could be easy to read at times. She now understood the shadow by his door and was amused by his attitude.
"Is she a friend?" she asked.
"She is..." he started and then paused as he thought about how to answer the question. He didn't seem to know how to reply.
"Yes, she's a friend." he finally answered.
Arinai knew who she was; she had been watching him carefully enough to know that Vera was now a part of his life
. She nodded her head at his request.
"Of course," she said. "We can meet again soon."
James thanked her, wished her good night and headed to the elevator.
"Oracle," Arinai said loud enough to stop him before he entered the elevator. He turned and looked to her, then the attendant, who was still oblivious to their presence. Arinai joined him and her face became serious.
"What is she?" she asked, revealing her knowledge of Vera.
James cocked his head and thought for a moment. He scrutinized Arinai, and try as she might, she couldn't ascertain his thoughts. James shook his head to signify his ignorance as to what Vera was.
"Do you know what she is?" he asked in return.
"No, I don’t," she replied. "I have seen many forms of life, even many Roman beasts, but nothing like her. I have seen faeries and sprites and cave demons. I have seen so much, so many amazing things. Once I even saw my..." she stopped talking as her voice trailed off and she saddened.
Her mind raced back in time to an experience she hadn't remembered in a long time. She shook her head and was about to change the subject, but instead she finished her sentence, solemnly and calmly.
"Once I even saw my father cry," she said in completion of her previous thought. She paused for a moment and James didn't interrupt. "I have seen much in my life, and many things I couldn’t understand. However, in all my years I have never seen one such as her. She is unfamiliar, and that worries me."
"Why?"
"Oh, like many people, I too fear the unknown."
James nodded his head in understanding.
"Oracle, what did you do to her?" she asked quizzically.
James looked at Arinai for a second without responding. His mouth opened as if he was going to speak but it closed just as quickly. In the end, he admitted that he didn't know, and Arinai, suspecting that he was lying, allowed the matter to drop. They then bid each other farewell and separated.
Arinai left the building and considered the current situation; he was becoming more powerful each day. She could still hold off his mental pushes, but he was getting better at them, and she could no longer pressure his mind for information. She received bits and pieces, but not the whole image. He was becoming closed off to her.
What worried her more was an attack that she had never expected. She had trained herself well against the attacks from his mind—that was a matter of necessity. She held her thoughts strong in his presence and hid her life from his view. She knew more about him than he knew about himself, and she could sense the latent power in the probes on her identity. Eventually, he would learn new techniques, and she would be stripped of her protection. She didn't believe she could hide from the Oracle forever, but she would do whatever she could to postpone his inquiries into her mind.
However, this new attack was something for which she had no planned defense, and she found the attack to be defeating her. She had danced with him and revealed many aspects of her life, even a fact about her father. As she walked through a light rain, she had to snort at the stupidity of her actions. There would be no sense in guarding her mind if she learned to trust him to the point that all he had to do was ask and she would answer. The current problem was that James was fast becoming that trusted person, and she shook her head in disbelief and regret at the information that she had revealed.
Why did I tell him that? she asked herself. What will he think of me? The two thoughts had no answer and began to circle her mind.
She cast her mind back to her oracle; he was riding the elevator to the top floor, and he was happy. She didn't begrudge him his lover. What Arinai had learned of the girl, she had liked. However, she did begrudge him the feelings of trust that he was engendering in her. She found it to be a double edged sword. She trusted him but was wary of him for that very same fact.
Chapter 11
Vera smiled as she rested on James' chest. She had managed to keep her distance these past few days, but he was glad that she had now returned to his apartment. When he told her this, she had become warm and engaging.
"Really," she said excitedly. "I was going to stop by before, but I didn't want to come across as some love struck teenager."
James stroked her hair as he stared at the ceiling. He was oddly content and Vera could feel it. It pleased her to make him happy, and his acceptance of her was gratifying as well as something she desired. She was also pleased that he could satisfy her sexually; her last few lovers were too young and inexperienced to provide much enjoyment, a fact that she had no problem telling him about.
"Vera, have you told anyone about our situation?"
"Hell no," she said in response. "I don’t think my father would approve. He rarely approves of anything I do or anyone I date."
James was confused for a moment and then realized the ambiguity of the question he had asked. "I meant, have you told anyone about our odd physical condition?"
"Oh, that," she said. "No, but I think Anna knows, or at least suspects."
"How's that?" he asked as he sat up and pulled her to him.
"She saw me materialize yesterday. I told her that she was imagining things, but I don't think she bought it. She's kinda silly that way."
"She's silly? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" he joked.
Vera appeared confused and stared at him; she hadn’t understood the reference.
Oh, wow, he thought to himself as he realized that she was unfamiliar with the cliché. "It’s just an expression. It means that you calling your sister silly, when you can be silly yourself, is a little hypocritical."
"Does that bother you, that I can be silly?"
"It did at first, but you’re young. And I will admit that your relationship with your sister is heartwarming. You seem to care for her a great deal."
"I do. She's a lot of fun, and we get along well. I take care of her most of the time. Although, I find it funny; other girls can’t stand their sisters wanting to be like them, but it doesn’t bother me. Besides, I can't get along with my mom and dad."
James could understand. Vera had a desire for family and love, and she found that in Anna. James had no siblings of his own and very little family left in this world. That fact didn't bother him—it just was.
"So, she saw you materialize?"
"Yep, she thought it was cool. I told her that she was crazy."
"Hmm," James replied as he thought seriously about the situation. Vera watched him think and smiled as she did so; she liked watching him.
"Can I ask you something, Jimmy?"
James eyes widened at the question.
"It’s James, not Jimmy."
He was serious and Vera turned away abashed. She cast her eyes down for a moment, embarrassed that she had upset him. James almost returned to his quiet contemplations but noticed the insecurities of the woman in his arms. Squeezing her tight, he kissed her head.
"Hey," he said. "No worries. I just don't like Jimmy."
Vera brought her eyes back to him and offered him a weak smile before looking away to the wall.
"What am I?" she asked quietly. "What's happening to me?"
James looked down at her. This was a conversation that had been avoided by them; neither one of them had felt comfortable discussing the situation, him for fear of facing the truth presented to his senses, and her for fear of the truth itself.
"I don’t know. I'm still learning myself, and what I'm learning, I'm having difficulty believing."
"Really, like what?"
She was curious and appeared eager. James decided that he had little to lose, so he told her of his life over the past few months. It had been fairly boring until a few weeks ago, when small incidents had begun to coalesce and culminate into a larger picture. The blood pit fascinated Vera, as did his tale of the succubus. She found his tale of their initial meeting at the Sculpture Park to be unsettling. He was ignorant of her discomfort and unaware that she felt insecure hearing about her drugged state.
The tale of Arinai
surprised her, and Vera begged for every little detail. She wished to know all about her and asked if they could meet. The tale continued, and each new detail was met with fascination.
"Do you think it’s all true?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied. "I'm disinclined to believe much of it; however, my senses and logic are being assaulted by things I can’t understand. Perhaps some of it’s true, perhaps all of it. I will have to wait to see."
Vera appeared uncomfortable, and James was able to discern her uneasiness as she considered the subject.
"Is something wrong?" he asked her.
Vera startled at the question and then decided to answer it with a question of her own. "Do you think Arinai is right about the Church? Are they our enemy? Will they come for us?"
James shrugged his shoulders and gave a non-committal answer
"Who knows?" he said. "For the moment, I just want to be left alone to live my life."
Vera tensed in his arms, and when he looked at her he realized his mistake.
"I don’t mean you," he said with a smile. "I just mean these others. I'm no oracle, and even if I am, I want to be left in peace. I'm happier reading on my couch or enjoying the symphony than dealing with demons or mental patients or whatever these people are. If they must deal with me, they can make an appointment and I'll refer them to a specialist." He smiled and laughed as he said this. A specialist for a vampire? That would be interesting.
Vera was still upset, but James was now more keen to her feelings and picked it up easily.
"What is it?" he asked.
She didn't immediately reply, and he had to ask her again. Vera pulled away from him and left the bed. He watched her curiously as she made her way to her clothes. Her form was marvelous to watch, and he smiled as he became aroused.
When she came back she held something in her hand and offered it to him. James took it and examined the item. It was a crucifix on a chain.
"I don't always wear it," she said. "I didn't think you would like it."
Celtics Rising: Birth of an Oracle Page 11
