The Daughter (The Oracle Series Book 6)

by Witherspoon, Cynthia D.

  “I can’t answer that.” He sighed when he released me. “Neither can Cyrus. Or Apollo. You have to define yourself, baby girl. So just do you. Don’t worry about being Apollo’s daughter. Or the Sibyl. You’ll overwhelm yourself.”

  I bowed my head as he spoke. I knew he was telling me the truth. But I had spent years adapting to the girl I thought I wanted to be. Too bad that girl died the moment Elliot betrayed me.

  I forced a shaky smile on my face when I looked up. “Thank you for being here, Joey. For sticking by me. I can’t tell you how much you mean to me.”

  He ruffled my hair with a grin before he bid me goodnight. I watched him disappear in his room then entered my own. I considered a shower, but decided against it. Instead, I found myself curling up on my empty bed to stare out the window. Its funny. I had lived here for two years now, but I never took the time to appreciate the beautiful view. Nor had I realized how the lights below brightened my room. I kept my gaze on them until the night began to fade into day. The entire time, I kept repeating the same phrase over and over in my head.

  Stay strong. Keep it together. Be the hero.

  ***

  I could hear the crowds screaming my name as the door to the limo was opened by a very large, very serious security guard. He tapped his earpiece to announce my arrival as he helped me out. I brushed put the wrinkles in the sundress I wore while I turned to wave to those held back by a series of metal barricades.

  “Eva! Over here!”

  I took Joey arm as we made our way to the man who had called me over. Bryan Summers pressed a microphone in my face.

  “We are thrilled to see you on the red carpet today, Eva.” He flashed a bleached smile at us. “Your first one since the Spring, right? How are you holding up?”

  “Autism research is important cause.” I managed to smile without clenching my teeth together. Not too hard, at least. “I wanted to come out and support the fine work these organizations do.”

  There. That sounded good enough. I sure as hell wasn’t going to go into the murders of my parents or the rumors of my supposed suicide attempt. Smile. Gloss over the bad stuff. Romance the crowds.

  That was my job right now.

  “Where is Cyrus?” Bryan again. “I don’t think I have ever seen you without him.”

  “What am I, chopped liver?”

  Joey joked as he moved to stand in front of me. I gave him a relieved smile as I understood what he was doing. Joey was trying to shield me from the questions that I couldn’t answer. I squeezed the back of his arm to give him my thanks. I took advantage of his distraction to focus on the line of photographers snapping away a million clicks a minute. I knew my picture would show up on their websites within hours. I would be in their magazines by the end of the week.

  I was twirling around so that they could get the full effect of my outfit when I bumped into the man who appeared next to me. I expected it to be Cyrus, so I threw my arms around his neck to hug him.

  “That’s a hell of a welcome.” Zeus laughed as I jumped away from him. He gave the cameras a dazzling smile when he tightened his grip around my waist. “Apollo said you wished to speak with me.”

  “You have the worst timing ever.” I hissed. “I can’t talk to you about the barrier here.”

  “By the gods, girl!” He threw his head back with a laugh. “I wasn’t going to miss a good party.”

  “Luncheon.” I shifted away from him when we turned to continue down the line. “This is not a party.”

  “Will there be booze?”

  “God, I hope so.” I sighed. “Probably. This is Hollywood.”

  “Then it’s a party, baby.”

  Zeus gave a final wave when he held the door open for me. I rolled my eyes at him as I got my first good look at the white linen suit and loud pink shirt he wore. His white beard had been shaved back to stubble. He looked like a grandpa who tried to hard to understand his grandkids.

  I stopped in my tracks at the thought. I snatched the first flute of champagne I could get my hands on when a waiter appeared. I tossed it back then grabbed another before I started laughing.

  “What?” Zeus snatched the glass from my hand. He downed his as fast as I had mine. “What’s so funny?”

  “This is just too ridiculous.” I giggled. “The great Zeus. Commander of the Heavens. My grandfather!”

  He pressed his lips together for a second. “You finally made the connection, huh?”

  “Yeah. And I am going to need more alcohol to handle that revelation.” I pushed my way through the crowd until we reached the bar set up. “I need something stronger than champagne.”

  “Two scotch. Neat.” Zeus held up two fingers as if the poor man couldn’t speak English. When the bartender moved away from us, he twisted around to study me.

  “I don’t understand what’s so funny to you.”

  “Oh, nothing.” I tapped my fingers against the wooden counter. “Other than the fact that I’m trying to figure out if I should call you Pappy Zeus or not.”

  “Zeus will work just fine.” He growled. “About time Apollo told you the truth.”

  “Technically, he didn’t.” I pointed out. “Hecate broke the news when I was at the Academy.”

  “There you are!”

  I looked up to see Joey catch up to us. He looked me over before turning to my companion. He freed one hand to extend it towards Zeus.

  “Joey Lawson. Are you a reporter?”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. I snagged my scotch and took a gulp before I answered him.

  “Joey, meet Pappy Zeus.” I chuckled. “Pappy Zeus, my buddy Joey.”

  I guess he’s been hanging around me too long. Too much exposure to the deities that circled around me. But even then, Joey’s face went white. He didn’t bother with an apology. He simply bowed his head instead.

  “Please don’t smite me.” My friend muttered loud enough for us to hear. “Or if you do, do it in my sleep. I won’t feel a thing.”

  Zeus snorted before he knocked back his own drink. He ordered us another. By the time they had arrived, I was more than ready to talk about Romania. But first things first. We had to sit through the luncheon. I had to repair the damage my time in Charleston had caused.

  I had to convince my audience that there was nothing wrong. No monsters waiting in the wings. No threatening destruction.

  “Come on. I need to sit down.” I finished off my second glass. “We’ll talk back at my place when this is over.”

  I didn’t give either one of them the chance to answer. I lowered myself down at the first table I came to. I ended up sitting next to an actress known best for her baby daddy drama than her work. I pushed my chair farther away from her when the world began to spin.

  “What the hell was in that scotch?” I muttered to Joey when he sat next to me. “I think I need to cut back today.”

  “Yeah, well,” Joey frowned at the napkin he was trying to unfold. “You started drinking when the make-up witches arrived. I’m surprised you are still standing.”

  “True.” I admitted. “In my defense, I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  “Water for my girl over here.” Joey gestured to the waiter who approached us. “We’re cutting her off.”

  “You, sir, are a royal buzzkill.” Zeus spoke over my head. “Let the girl enjoy herself.”

  I watched as he glared at the actress on the other side of me until she excused herself from the table. He lowered himself down in the chair to push the plate in front of him aside. I tilted my head towards Joey when I asked my next question.

  “You said you gave me my sword because of the things I’d done for your family. I don’t think that’s true.”

  “Oh?” Zeus raised his eyebrows at me. “So you are calling me a liar.”

  “Evie…”

  Joey hissed, but I ignored him as I continued.

  “No, not quite. I’m sure that was part of it. But I think the truth is much simpler. I think you wanted me to lik
e you. You have a history of bribery, after all. You knew I was going to learn about Apollo sooner rather than later. You wanted me to like you.”

  “Well, do you?” Zeus grinned. “Like me?”

  “And the title. The representative of Olympus. That was a present from you, too.”

  “Guilty.” Zeus locked his fingers together when he rested his hands on the table. “The sword, the title. These are minor compared to the other blessings I have gifted to those in my bloodline.”

  “Did you throw them to the wolves too?” I widened my eyes in a mock innocence. “Or am I the only one to experience that particular honor?”

  “It is time to get back to the task at hand, Sibyl.” Zeus stiffened as he sat up straight. “The barriers.”

  “Fine.” I mirrored his stance. It was obvious that I’d ticked him off. “I heard that you have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing. So I have to find Cronos.”

  “There was no need to know.” The great King of the Heavens looked away from me towards a group of presenters heading towards the stage. “The barriers were supposed to be impregnable. Cronos insured it.”

  “So how do you know they are weakened?” I began to twist the stem of a champagne flute between my fingers. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because activity around Hoia-Baciu has increased ten-fold over the past two years. We overlooked it at first. We assumed that it would balance itself out over time.”

  “But it hasn’t.” I tilted my head towards him. “Ok. So our next step is Cronos. Where is he?”

  “Ah, old Cronos.” Zeus gave me a cold smile. “No. You won’t be meeting him.”

  “Why not?” I frowned as a woman in green tapped on the podium to get everyone’s attention. I lowered my voice a notch when she began to speak. “I need his help.”

  “Cronos is a permanent resident of the New Valley Retirement Home located in Anchorage, Alaska.” He tossed back his drink before he pointed at me. “The old crow couldn’t help you even if he tried. I had his memory erased.”

  I let my mouth drop open in surprise. I’d like to think I recovered nicely because somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard the speaker call my name seconds before the cameras turned towards me.

  “Ms. McRayne and Mr. Joseph Lawson were our largest donors for this event. She has given Autism Today a record $250,000 to further our research into this condition. Eva,” She gave me a smile. “Will the two of you come and say a few words?”

  “Two hundred and fifty, what?” Joey leaned over to whisper in my ear. “You gave them our perfume money, didn’t you?”

  “Don’t worry, Joey.” I patted his hand. “It’s only money. You’ll get your share of the next endorsement we do. I promise.”

  As we rose up to approach the podium, my thoughts were flying at a million miles a second. Cronos was out. And Cyrus wasn’t here yet to guide me. He had promised to be home tonight before nightfall since our time together was coming to a close before he would have to report to Olympus. A date night. No monsters. No ghosts. No legends. Just us. Alcohol. And Netflix.

  It was a promise I was going to hold him to. The salvation of Olympus be damned.

  Chapter Five

  “You gonna tell me what I need to know or not?”

  I kicked off my heels the second we walked through my front door. With Zeus and Joey following right behind me, I led them into the living room and curled up on the sofa.

  The great god sighed before he looked to my friend. “Is she always so moody?”

  “Only after she drinks scotch.” Joey chuckled. “I’m going to get changed. See you in a few.”

  I waited until he was gone before I glared up at my guest. He grabbed the remote, flipped on the television then kicked his feet up on my coffee table. After a few minutes of watching him surf through commercials, I sat up and knocked his boots off my furniture.

  “I’m waiting.”

  “You’re too extreme, Evie.” He glowered at me. “Fine. Give me your tablet.”

  I rolled my eyes and reached into the side table to my left. I grabbed the device, switched it on, then passed it over. Zeus began typing something into it the second it loaded up.

  “You need to speak with Prometheus.”

  “Who?” I frowned. “Wait. Is that the fire guy?”

  “Sort of.” Zeus had pulled up a Google map image. “He is a Titan. Smart enough to choose the winning side of the Titanomachy. He was spared Tartarus for that very reason.”

  “Ok.” I leaned over to look at the screen. “How can he help me?”

  “For one, he’s a Titan. Two, he is an expert in Titan history.” Zeus glanced over at me with his ice grey eyes. “And three, he is known for his trickery. If anyone knows how to strengthen those barriers, it will be him.”

  “So where is he? What are you showing me?”

  “San Francisco.” Zeus smirked. “He lives there now. Goes by the name Paul Martin.”

  “Thank God.” I fell back against the cushions. “I was afraid you were going to say he was halfway around the world from here.”

  “Here’s his address. You’ll find him there or at one of the damned coffee shops in the area. Fancies himself a hipster in this time.” Zeus sighed. “The boy is a disgrace.”

  “How do you even know what a hipster is?” I frowned. “You know what? I don’t want to know. We’ll book a flight and head out tomorrow after the meeting.”

  Zeus patted me on the knee before he stood. I watched him stuff his hands in his pockets and I knew he was about to leave. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or worried since he hadn’t told me that much.

  “I want you to be careful in the Forest of the Forgotten, Eva.” Zeus shifted his focus down to me. “Monsters from every corner of the globe were trekked in to keep curious onlookers away from what lies beneath it. So brush up on all legends. Not just our own.”

  “Forest of the Forgotten?” I frowned. “Why is Hoia-Baciu called that?”

  “Because the creatures who roam through the trees were discarded by their cultures long ago.” He gave me a sad smile. “Be on guard. Flip through the cards whenever necessary. And trust in your instincts.”

  “What in the hell does that mean? Flip through what cards?” I swung my feet off the couch as he disappeared. “Dammit.”

  “Hey, you ok?” Joey padded down the staircase to rejoin me. “You look like you’re about to throw the remote through the television. Don’t do that.”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” I picked up the tablet Zeus had discarded. “Go ahead and pack an overnight bag, Joey. We’re going to San Francisco after the meeting with Connor.”

  “Do I get to ask why?” He dropped down beside me. “Or does this have to do with the whole magic-barrier-keep-the-world-free-of-monsters thing?”

  “Yeah. That monster thing you just said.” I saved the URL address before I glanced down at the clock in the right-hand corner. “I’m going to take this damned dress off and take a nap.”

  “Just don’t give away any more of my money while you’re at it.” He pouted. “I was going to buy some new equipment with my share of the dough. $125,000 could have gotten me more than enough gear to follow you around with.”

  “Poor Joey.” I walked around the couch and threw my arms around his neck. “You have to admit; it was for a good cause.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You probably had that little scheme cooked up from the get-go.” Joey patted my arm. “It’s the only reason why you agreed to do the perfume ad, right?”

  “Right.” I released him with a grin. “You know I don’t do commercials without an ulterior motive.”

  “Correction. I didn’t know that then, but I sure as hell know that now.”

  He was trying to be stern, but I could see that he was failing every attempt not to smile as I walked past him towards the stairs. I grabbed my shoes by the door and laughed when I heard him say one final thing as he picked up the remote Zeus had been playing with earlier.

  “Damn do-g
ooder.”

  ***

  I was just waking up when I felt the weight of someone sit on the edge of my bed. My first thought was that Elliot had somehow returned, so my eyes flew open as I jerked myself upward. Cyrus caught my fist with an ease that was staggering before I could hit him.

  “Cyrus?” I raised my free hand up to cover a yawn. “What time is it?”

  “Just after six.” He smiled as he pulled me towards him. “I told you I would be here by nightfall.”

  “Hmm.” I brushed my nose against his shirt. “I do love how you are always so punctual.”

  I lifted myself up just enough to kiss him. I couldn’t help it. Here was the man I’d come accustomed to always being by my side. We hadn’t been separated much since I’d become the Sibyl. So even if I had no say in whether he was promoted or not, that didn’t mean I had to like it when he was away from me.

  I pulled back with more than a little reluctance as he brushed his fingers over my jaw. Down the side of my neck. Cyrus didn’t say anything at first. He merely studied my face as if he were trying to memorize it.

  “You trying to seduce me, Keeper?” I closed my eyes. “Or are you trying to get out of our date tonight?”

  “Neither. I am simply astonished by your beauty.” Cyrus kissed me this time; slow and sweet. When we parted, he smiled. “I’m a fool, Little One. I should abandon my new duties to Olympus to stay with you.”

  “You could.” I tilted my head. “But then we’d be on the run from half-crazed gods and monsters and…”

  “Point taken.” He chuckled as he reached into his pocket. He took out a flat rectangular box and passed it over to me as he changed the subject. “I thought I would bring you a present.”

  “Really?” I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What’s the occasion? My birthday isn’t until January.”

  “Just open it, silly girl.”

  I couldn’t help myself. I grinned, leaned forward to give him a peck on the nose, then pressed the delicate clasp that kept the box closed. As I pushed back the lid, Cyrus leaned over to turn on the lamp beside my bed.