The Last Oracle

by Colvin, Delia

  “Ready to meet some of the others?”

  “Yes, are they all…revived?” she asked.

  Alex shook his head. “We’re turning the pile every few hours and we keep finding more.”

  “I don’t hear anymore moaning.”

  “No, the moaning mud pile, as Caleb calls it, is actually quite far from here. But we had nearly twenty oracles at last count.”

  “Twenty?” Her eyes widened in surprise.”I thought you expected only ten.”

  “It was quite a shock to all of us. There must have been private executions—hard to imagine how Jeremiah pulled that off. Ready to meet Maxi?”

  Valeria nodded and Alex opened the door. A tall thin man with a weary expression sat fully dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt. His hair was dark and wavy with traces of gray.

  “Max!” Alex embraced him warmly. “Come and meet my wife.”

  Max rose and stepped into the room and Valeria realized that the expression was not weariness or disdain as it had first appeared, but sadness.

  “Maxi, you’ll never guess who it is!” Elliot said as he followed Alex into the bedroom.

  “Why would I bother attempting a guess?” Maxi said gruffly. As soon as he saw Valeria, his temperament changed and he actually smiled. “Good Afternoon,” he bowed.

  “Max, this is my wife, Valeria.”

  “But she looks just like—” Elliot began.

  Max turned toward him and gruffly snapped, “Of course we know who she resembles! I am quite certain—if provided an opportunity from your rambling—that Alex or the lady will fill us in on the details.”

  Max went over to Valeria, took her hand, and kissed it, causing her to blush; he continued to hold her hand as he smiled. Valeria realized that he had a very nice face when he wasn’t scowling—some might even consider him handsome.

  “Valeria is the reincarnation of Cassandra,” Alex said, watching Max’s expression and the fact that he was still holding her hand. He added with mild irritation, “Alright—enough of that Max.”

  “Forgive me, my lady…and Alexander. Beauty, such as your wife’s, does take one’s breath away.” He released her hand and stepped away. “You have done well, Alex.”

  “Yes, I have undoubtedly married beyond my station.” Alex winked at her.

  “Now that is definitely not true! Max, please call me Valeria,” she said.

  “You may have noticed, things are far less formal now,” Alex added.

  “Please have a seat,” Valeria said. “I’m afraid Doc has me bedridden for a few weeks.”

  Immediately, Elliot pulled his chair right up next to Valeria while Alex sat on the edge of her bed.

  “I do have something of which I would like to request the dear lady’s advice,” Elliot said, glancing toward Alex for approval.

  “What is it Elliot?” Valeria asked kindly.

  “There is a lady,” he said. “I am certain that she is my symbolon.”

  “Again?” Max said sharply.

  Elliot ignored him, his eyes shined dreamily. “She is an angel on earth. I saw her for but a moment at…at the last council meeting. We have never spoken but she is here now!”

  “Here?” Alex asked in surprise.

  “She was my first vision in this new life—my angel was near me as I woke. She was sleeping,” Elliot gulped, “as our grand artists may have painted her.”

  “You mean naked,” Max said, rolling his eyes.

  Elliot kept his eyes on Valeria. “Yes. I realized that I, too, was without clothing and I could not place her in such a compromising situation. That is why I ran.”

  “Do you know her name?” Valeria asked.

  “No, my lady.”

  “Please, call me Valeria.”

  He lowered his brows as he gripped her hand with both of his in an expression of longing. “I’m not certain that my upbringing will permit that.”

  “Oh, for the love of God!” Max said. “Elliot, you are dressed now. Go speak to the girl!”

  “But what do I say?” Elliot asked of Valeria.

  “I recommend that you begin with hello,” Valeria said.

  Reaching into his shirt pocket, Elliot pulled out a piece of paper.

  “As we have not been properly introduced, I thought a letter might be more appropriate,” he said as he handed a rolled up piece of paper to Valeria. She glanced at the beautiful handwriting in large elegant swirls and her smile broadened.

  “I was going to write it in Greek but then I realized that Latin is the language of love.” Elliot cleared his throat and his eye twitched nervously. “I would like to arrange for delivery of this letter.”

  “I’m certain we can arrange that,” Valeria said with a smile.

  “Now that your most vital crisis is resolved, may I have a word with the lady?” Max said gruffly.

  “Yes, yes…oh, of course, Maxi! Of course!” Elliot’s face was still brilliant red with exuberance as he stepped away from Valeria and Max scooted his chair closer.

  “Madam, are you ill?” Max asked in a voice that seemed a far cry from the tone he used with Elliot. “You look well.”

  “There was a car…a buggy accident,” Alex said.

  Max’s eyes narrowed. “An accident?”

  “Yes. I’m glad you’re here Max—and Elliot.” Alex turned to Valeria. “Max was one of the first oracles after Myrdd. He might be able to answer some of our questions about the evil eye.”

  “So what is the evil eye, exactly?” Valeria asked.

  “The evil eye is associated with Envy’s bite,” Max said.

  “Yes, but there is another aspect of it that we are particularly interested in; I’ve heard that, long ago, they associated it with the ability to see through other’s eyes,” Alex said.

  Max lowered his brows as he sat quietly, contemplating. “You suspect it had something to do with the accident?”

  “We have reason to believe so,” Alex said.

  “I cannot imagine that could be the case. Envy’s bite can easily be spread; but as far as seeing through another’s eyes…” He shook his head. “There were only two who could perform that magic, and they are both...long gone.” Max steeled his face into a neutral expression.

  “What do you know about it?” Valeria asked.

  “It was called the evil eye of Hecate,” Max said heavily, as if some hidden memory was attached to the words.

  “Hecate?” Alex asked. “I didn’t realize that she had anything to do with it.”

  “It was the gift that Hecate provided to Zeus during the War of the Titans and to one of his most trusted priestesses.” He narrowed his eyes and then said quickly, “What do you wish to know about it?”

  “How does it work?” Alex asked

  Max’s face took on a haunted expression. “Many years ago, before the War of the Titans, there was a mortal woman named Circe. She was beautiful and brilliant and far too ambitious for her own good,” he said, shaking his head as if sad for the waste. “Circe befriended the Titan goddess Hecate.”

  “Excuse me, Max—” Alex interjected. Turning to Valeria, he said, “Beautiful, do you know about the War of the Titans?”

  Valeria stared at Alex blankly. “No, I really don’t.”

  “I am certain that Alex’s explanation will be far better than mine,” Max said.

  Alex began, “Val, the Titans were a race of deities who were direct descendents of Gaia, mother earth and Uranus, the sky. They were the first Greek gods to gather together in one location. They were powerful—”

  “And incredibly brutal,” Max interjected, “particularly when it came to their young.”

  Alex continued, “Max is right. Cronus, fearing that one of his children would kill him, ate his first five offspring. Zeus, the sixth child, survived and forced Cronus to regurgitate the others. At the end of the war, three of the brothers divided up the earth. Zeus took control of the land and sky, Poseidon took control of the seas, and Hades, having drawn the short straw, took control of
the underworld. The second generation were called Olympians, for their residence on Mt. Olympus.” Alex nodded to Max.

  “Hecate was a Titan,” Max said. “However, during the War of the Titans, she assisted Zeus. She was known to be skilled with herbs and magic and developed an ability to see through another’s eyes without them being aware of it—although that was not well known, as Zeus considered it his secret weapon.

  “In order for Zeus to use this secret weapon, Hecate required a personal possession of the host. As Hecate’s friendship with Zeus was too well known, she required someone that could infiltrate the home of the Titans.

  “By Hecate’s recommendation, and because of Circe’s beauty and charms, she was selected. A week later, Circe returned triumphant with a lock of hair from Hyperion, Cronus’ brother and a Titan.

  “But Circe had taken the plans even further; when she was young, she had witnessed the madness and ill-effects of Envy’s bite. So she lured Envy to the Titan’s camp. As expected, Envy’s bite created a rage that assisted the Olympians in winning their battle—but it also permanently infected Circe.

  “At first, with Hecate’s assistance, Circe was able to resist the madness. Hecate rewarded her by making her a priestess and teaching Circe the secrets of her magic. But it was as if Circe had stood too close to the flame. Soon, it seemed that she only desired what others possessed—Circe wanted immortality. She approached Zeus and demanded that he make her immortal. Zeus sensed her selfish intent and, instead, granted her a life of 1,000 years and promised to preserve her beauty.

  “Not long after that, Hecate went to the underworld to serve as an attendant to Hade’s wife. Before Hecate left, she gifted Circe with a magic kris.”

  “A kris?” Valeria asked.

  “A kris is a sword-like dagger with a distinctive wavy blade,” Alex said. “But besides being a weapon, it is considered a talisman with magical powers and a symbol of heroism. It was said to blind one’s opponent with its sheen and heal any wounds during battle.”

  Max continued, “Many years later, Artemis, Apollo’s twin sister, invited Circe to join a nation of female warriors known as the Amazons. Circe agreed but only under the name of Hecate. The story goes that she was killed during the Trojan War. And that is why Hecate is listed among the dead—and led to the historical confusion as to whether Hecate was a goddess or mortal.”

  “Circe was killed?” Valeria asked.

  Max drew a deep breath. “I believed her to be dead for many years. Until I saw her.”

  “You…know Circe?”

  “Yes,” Max said as his jaw tensed. “She was my wife.”

  The stunned expression on Alex’s face was mirrored on Elliot’s.

  Max turned his eyes away from Alex and Valeria. “It was long ago, and completely unimportant in this discussion.” Pain pierced the cover of his gruff exterior and then morphed into a mask of mild interest—as if he were discussing a book he had read. “I can tell you that she was obsessed with immortality and would have willingly sold her soul to the devil in exchange for it. I know that she sought out Myrdd—believing that he could assist her in that purpose. I saw her many years later. By then, Envy’s bite had taken its toll on her.”

  “I don’t recall Myrdd ever mentioning Circe,” Alex said.

  “‘Circe’ was the name that Hecate had given her. Her birth name was Vivianna.”

  Alex’s eyes widened. “Vivianna! Myrdd warned me of her repeatedly. But to my knowledge, I’ve never met her.”

  “Perhaps Myrdd meant that you would find her sometime in the future,” Valeria wondered aloud.

  “Zeus only gave her 1,000 years,” Max said.

  Brushing his hand along his jaw, Alex looked absorbed in thought and then asked, “Max, did Circe ever mention an immortal by the name of Kristiana?”

  “No. I’ve never heard of a Kristiana. Of course, with that name, she would have come after the birth of Christianity.”

  “I knew her long before that,” Alex said. “Do you know what became of Circe?”

  Max shrugged. “The only thing I know of her, is that Circe was rumored to have been named the Sibyl of Cumae—I understand they now call the town Cuma. Other than that, all evidence of her existence was gone long before my last and only meeting with the Council.”

  Valeria narrowed her eyes. “Is that the sibyl who…” She turned toward Alex. “There was a story about her. What was it?”

  Alex squeezed her hand. “There are several. Evidently she led Virgil’s Aeneas on a tour of the underworld—”

  “That sounds a bit more gracious than the Circe I knew. Perhaps it was more of a fantasy on Virgil’s part. Though, Circe might have done it—if the reward was large enough,” Max said.

  “She also authored several books that were called The Sibylline Books,” Alex added. “She took them to the king and offered him her written prophesies of Rome for a fortune. When the king refused, she burned the first volume and demanded the same price for the remaining books. He turned her down again and she burned another. Finally, the king paid. The books disappeared long ago. Although three different religions claim to possess them.”

  “Now that sounds more like the girl I knew,” Max said. “Because of her access to the underworld, she would have also had continued access to Hecate. Circe may have been able to enlist the aid of the Fates or Hecate in causing an accident a few thousand years ago. But not today, as I am equally certain that neither the Fates nor Hecate would have gifted Circe with immortality.”

  “Could Circe or Hecate have taught others about the evil eye?”

  “Hecate only taught Circe...and Circe was not one to share! If she had power, the last thing she would desire is for anyone else to possess it. Speaking of power, she did have an uncanny ability to find sources of power.”

  Max pressed his lips together and then narrowed his eyes in thought. “The last time I saw Myrdd, he was rambling with insanity, but there was something that he said that seemed to make sense. He said that I needed to use caution because ‘she’ could find the real power in any endeavor and use it to her advantage.”

  Stopping, Max glanced at Valeria, whose eyes were at half-mast. “I believe I have overstayed my welcome,” he said.

  “Not at all!” Valeria insisted.

  Smiling at her, Alex said, “Beautiful, you’ve got about three minutes left until you’re out.”

  “I look forward to seeing you later!” Max said and left with Elliot.

  Once they were gone, Alex turned to Valeria and said, “I’ve been thinking about what Max said, and there is something odd about Hecate’s gift to Circe. The kris that was given to Circe is now known to be a weapon of the South Pacific.”

  “Yes? So, why is that important?”

  “That is where Jeremiah resides.”

  CHAPTER 18

  That night, Valeria could hear a considerable amount going on outside. After putting on a touch of makeup, Alex picked her up and carried her outdoors to a lounge chair where Valeria successfully pulled off being surprised.

  The trees were strung with twinkling lights and there was a bonfire nearby. On the grass were tables and chairs for nearly thirty people. It was considerably cooler than the previous year, so heaters were set up by each of the tables and Valeria’s lounge chair. Caleb brought out a blanket for her and handed it to Alex.

  Ava and Camille brought Valeria a glass of liquid and Valeria raised her hand. “I can’t have any champagne,” she pouted.

  Camille nodded. “We knew that—well, I knew that. So I brought you a sparkling cider instead.”

  The Three Musketeers toasted to another great year. As Valeria took in the crowd and the festivities, she noticed someone and tapped Alex.

  “Who is that girl over there?”

  “Who?” he asked, looking around. Then he spotted the young beauty dreamily sitting on a log alone. “Oh, that’s Olivia.”

  The girl was perhaps seventeen with oracle blue eyes, perfectly pink pouty lips place
d on her creamy complexion, and nearly white hair. Like the others, she wore a blanket as a poncho and a leather belt was wrapped twice around her waist. Even in that, she was stunning.

  “I have something for her,” Valeria said. Alex walked the short distance and tapped Olivia on the shoulder. She seemed shocked to be approached, but then she smiled sweetly and walked over to Valeria as Alex requested.

  “Hello, Olivia, I’m—”

  “Yes, yes, I know who you are. You are the Princess Cassandra.” Her voice was as soft and sweet as Valeria had expected of such a delicate creature.

  “I was Cassandra, but now I’m called Valeria.”

  “Oh,” she said, as her eyebrows shot down in confusion.

  “Olivia, I have a letter of introduction for you from—”

  “A letter for me?” Olivia interrupted.

  “Yes, it’s from Elliot,” Valeria said, as the girl’s blush deepened. “The boy—”

  “I know who he is,” she said as her blush deepened. Valeria handed the letter to her and Olivia grasped it hungrily; without another word, she left to sit on the edge of the porch as she devoured every word.

  After a few minutes, when it was clear that Olivia had read it at least a few times over, Valeria said, “Olivia, we can talk if you would like.”

  The girl sprang from her seat and threw her arms around Valeria, who suppressed a groan, as she was still quite tender after the crash. Then just as suddenly, Olivia returned to her seat on the edge of the porch and read the letter again.

  Valeria felt Alex’s smile as he pulled a chair up next to hers. “Young love,” he said with a snicker.

  “I would like to say a few words,” Lars said as he stepped toward Alex and Valeria.

  “Please,” Alex replied.

  Picking up a knife from the tray of a passing waiter, Lars clinked it against his champagne glass to silence the crowd. Then he said, “Welcome to the second annual celebration of Valeria’s birthday! We’ve made a tradition of recognizing our Greek heritage and so, with that in mind, ‘Opa’ is a Greek statement for a celebration of life,” he said. “It is an affirmation that all that really matters is health, family, and friends. It means,” he glanced across all of the new faces, “that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. You are home! Alex has invited each and every one of you to make Morgana your home if you so desire!”