“Well, at least now I don’t have to worry about her.” I sighed. “Thanks, Joey, for taking care of everything.”
“Did you look at the gun laws?” He finally decided to sit up. “Cause I want to take my pistol in case we need it.”
“Why would we need a gun?” I scowled at him. “I’ll have my sword. And Dominique will have her little axe thingie.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Joey rolled his eyes. “We’re only going into a freakin’ forest, Evie. One filled with wild animals that eat small American girls like you for a snack.”
“Oh. I didn’t think about that.”
“So I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then.” Joey stood up and ruffled my hair. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Ok.” I shrugged. “I know you wanted me to take the day off, but I have to run over to the office. Get my hair done and pick up the massive kit that the make-up witches prepared. Then over to wardrobe before I start writing the monologue.”
“Keep it light.” He wagged his finger at me. “Remember, Evie. We’re going camping. You gotta carry all this stuff.”
“But that’s what I’ve got you for.” I teased. “Didn’t I just get you a raise for carrying stuff for me?”
“Camera.” He stressed the word. “I carry a camera for you. Not beauty crap.”
“Meanie-head.”
“And…now you’re four.”
I laughed as he winked at me. When Joey was gone, I went back to reading the article I’d found on the hauntings reported in Romania. Surprisingly, nothing I’d read since Cyrus had left said anything about vampires. Instead, they talked about a biologist named Alexandru Sift who’d been deemed crazy by the locals for wanting to step foot in Hoia-Baciu in the first place. His reports from the 1950’s detailed instances such as shadows moving. The feeling of being watched. Even the trees seemed to change.
Another hour of reading passed before I yawned. I didn’t have to be at work until eleven. Plenty of time to take a quick nap. Until I remembered that Cyrus wasn’t here to drive me. He could handle L.A. traffic like a champ. Me?
I was lucky if I remembered how to start the damn car.
I started to close out the internet browser when a small mail icon began to flash in the corner of my screen. I tapped on it to see a new message from Prometheus’ buddy, Arc.
Darling Sibyl –
I have been in contact with Prometheus. He told me what occurred in San Francisco. Lucky for you, I never turn down the opportunity to meet someone almost as beautiful as me.
I will meet you in the lobby of the Opera Hotel at 5 a.m. on Friday. Have the money wired to me by tomorrow evening.
Arc
I typed up a quick response and decided against adding a smart comment about his desire to meet someone who looked as good as he did. So the dude was vain. It didn’t matter as long as he told me what I needed to know.
Like where the hell I needed to go. I threw the tablet in my purse before I jumped in the shower. I used my time under the water to sift through Prometheus’ memories. It was true that I knew what I had to do. The problem was, Prometheus had spent all of his free time trying to erase the knowledge I needed now. I squeezed out a glob of conditioner into my palm as I tried to make sense of the flashes that flickered through my mind.
Tall, shadowing trees. Carvings. The clearing.
I focused on the image of the clearing. Although I’d never been to Romania before, I knew that Prometheus had been there. I knew what it would look like. And I would know where to go.
Maybe. I finished washing the soap out of my hair as I considered how much had changed since I’d become Apollo’s Sibyl. When I first started, I thought my only responsibilities would be to talk to the dead through mirrors. Chasing monsters and strengthening the barriers of Tartarus had never once crossed my mind.
And I never once suspected that Elliot Lancaster, my first love and best friend, would turn against me. If someone had told me he would die in the basement of an abandoned house, I would have laughed at them. I never would have believed it.
I squeezed my eyes shut as a familiar ache filled my chest. Elliot had done horrible things to me. He had murdered my parents. He – and he alone – attempted to kill me time and time again. Yet, despite everything that had happened between us, I missed him.
No, that’s not right. I missed the man he used to be.
Stop it. I chided myself. Think of anything else. Anyone else other than him.
I tried. Truly I did. I focused on Cyrus. On Prometheus and the mess that was his mind. Joey. Even the mysterious Arc we were slated to meet. In the end, I slid down the shower wall to pull my knees up to my chest as I began to cry.
For Elliot. For myself. For the fear of failure.
For a world I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to save.
***
The rest of my day flew by so fast, I had no idea it was gone until I was standing in front of the pile of luggage by my front door. Theia had arranged to have someone from the private airport we used to come pick our stuff up and I had to make sure I had everything.
Makeup? Check. Warm coat? Absolutely. Microphones? Damn straight.
I was shifting through the pile when I came across a long bag I didn’t recognize. I frowned when I pulled it out.
“My bow.”
“Your what?”
I turned my head at the sound of Joey’s voice as he and Dominique come into the room. My newest Keeper had done her best to stay in the shadows as I ran my errands. Which was for the best. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like what she represented.
Most of all, I didn’t like that she had replaced Cyrus. Even if it was only temporary.
“Apparently, Romania has some of the strictest gun laws in the world.” Joey took the bag from me to zip it back up. “So it was a no-go on my pistol. I had to come up with a backup plan.”
“I maintain that you won’t use that thing once.” I fell back onto my butt as I looked up at him. “And if I remember correctly, weren’t you the one who said we should pack light?”
“You’ll thank me when you’re running from a bear.” Joey smirked at me. “Besides, it’s not like you took my advice at all. How many bags are you bringing?”
“Four. But I can narrow it down to one when we get there.” I glanced over at Dominique. “What about you? What are you bringing?”
“Myself.” She dropped down in the closest chair with an expression of pure boredom. “Unlike you, I am not defined by physical possessions. I have everything I need with me at all times.”
“Whatever.” I pulled myself up when I heard a knock on the door. “Just be ready to go by two a.m. We have to be at the airport by four.”
“I’m not flying.”
“Excuse me?” I had my hand on the doorknob when I turned back to stare at her. “What do you mean, you’re not flying?”
“I don’t like airplanes.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll get the coordinates and meet you at the hotel. What’s it called again? The Opera Palace?”
“The Opera Place.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “I thought you had to stay with me no matter what.”
“Yeah, well. If your plane crashes, then I’ll say ‘I’m sorry’ and move on.” Dominique rolled her eyes. “Until then, just drop it. I’ll be with you when it is absolutely necessary.”
I took a deep breath to calm my irritation before I opened the door. I gave the man on the other side the biggest smile I could plaster on my face as I waved him inside. He didn’t say much. Just asked me if this was all we were taking. By the time he was done and the luggage had been cleared out, I’d convinced myself that it was better this way. I didn’t need Dominique. Hadn’t I told Cyrus that very same thing myself?
So why did it bother me that she was skipping out on me?
I rubbed my hands over my eyes as I thought back to our first meeting. Granted, Dominique being alone with Cyrus in my bedroom wasn’t the best way to make a first impression. And I’d been righ
t when I said that I saw her as nothing but a pale replacement for my beloved. But I still had to work with her. I was still chained to her whether I liked it or not.
“Dominique.” I called out to the empty room. “Come here.”
The keeper stepped out of the shadows as I walked into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge.
“Do you drink?”
“Why?” She gave me a look of pure distrust. “You can’t poison me, you know. It won’t have any effect…”
“By god, will you just stop?” I worked off the cork to pour myself a glass. “I’m trying to be nice here. I don’t share my wine with just anyone.”
“No. I don’t drink.”
“There. Was that so hard?” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and leaned up against the counter. “Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. It’s obvious that you don’t like me and I’m not a huge fan of yours. But since I’m stuck with you, I may as well get to know you.”
“I don’t do girl talk either.” She snapped. “Believe it or not, Barbie, not everyone you meet is going to fawn all over you. I don’t give a damn whose daughter you are…”
“Whose daughter are you?” I twirled the wine glass between my fingers. “Tell me that much.”
“Nike.” Dominique answered without hesitation. “The great goddess of victory.”
“That’s a start.” I sipped my drink. “Why Nike? Most women seem to gravitate towards Aphrodite.”
“Because I don’t need a man to feel powerful.” She leaned against the doorway. “The followers of Aphrodite see love as power. I don’t. I see winning as the ultimate strength. Overcoming obstacles. That is where true power lies.”
“What’s the lotus tattoo for?” I gestured to her throat. My new keeper had two tattoos on either side of her neck. The first I’d recognized as the mark of Nike. The second? Not so much. “Lotus, right?”
“Yes.” Dominique shifted her weight and stared me down as she responded. “It is for Hera.”
I felt myself stop breathing. My body turned to ice as she spoke of my greatest enemy in Olympus. I willed my sword into being before I realized it.
“Wait.” She held up her hands as I sat my glass down on the counter. “Put the sword away, Sibyl. I used to follow Hera. No longer.”
“Why are you here?” I didn’t recognize my own voice. It sounded hollow. Hateful. “Tell me why.”
“I am not here on Hera’s behalf. Would Daddy Dearest really put you in the care of an enemy?” She dropped her hands. “Seriously, Eva. If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so by now.”
“Tell. Me. Why?” I emphasized each word and tightened my grip on the hilt of my weapon. “Now, Breaux.”
“You.” She released a short, dark laugh. “It’s true. I adored Hera and all that she stood for. Family. Love. Marriage. But after following her escapades since you came on the scene, I realized just how disillusioned I really was. I’d forgotten the one thing I should have considered from the very beginning.”
I didn’t respond. I stayed still. I stayed silent. But most of all?
I stayed calm. I didn’t run her through with my sword. I was proud of myself for that.
“All gods have two sides.” She returned to her slouched position. “No matter how glamorous they are. No matter how gallant they seem. Each embody a darkness that no creature can understand. Not even you.”
“Does Cyrus know?” I loosened my fingers, but I kept my sword by my side. “About your former allegiance, that is?”
“Yes.” Dominique began to study her fingernails. “Your beloved Cyrus knows much more about me than you will ever know.”
I picked up my glass and tossed the rest of my wine back. If Cyrus trusted her, what choice did I have? I placed my sword on the counter before I poured myself another drink. I wanted it close by.
Just in case I needed it.
“What is it like?” Dominique tilted her head to the side as she studied me. “I’m curious.”
“What is what like?” I glared at her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Being you. Blessed beyond measure. Being able to claim the devastating defeat of the Queen of Olympus. Being recognized by the highest council known to man and gods alike. What is your life like, Sibyl?”
“Oh, that.” I finished my second glass and started a third. “It’s just peachy. Wondering who is going to die next. Knowing that I can and will be thrown into the proverbial fire anytime the gods feel like it. And the betrayal! That is my personal favorite.”
“You’re such a bitch.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re starting to rub off on me.”
We shared a small smile before she went to the refrigerator to pull out a bottled water. She tapped the top of it against my glass.
“Two bitches. One barrier. What do we have to lose?”
“Not a damned thing, Dominique.” I smirked. “Not a damned thing.”
Chapter Nine
Let me start by saying that it took a very long flight to get to Romania. By the time we landed in Cluj-Napoca, I was ready to pay any price imaginable to get off that damned airplane. The car ride that followed was nothing but pure torture since it meant sitting for another thirty minutes while our driver maneuvered through the thin streets. Even Joey was ill by the time we reached the Opera Place. He didn’t say a word as we pulled up to the massive yellow building that seemed to dominate the grey winter sky above us.
I got out of the car and stood there for what felt like forever, studying the clouds overhead. I couldn’t help but remember how I’d felt when Elliot had sent me to Montana to do the Kentauros episode. I’d hated it since I didn’t like farms. Or horses. Or the outdoors. Yet here I was. In Romania. Ready to trek into the most haunted forest in the world on the orders of the Olympian Council.
“You comin’, Evie?”
I nodded before I jogged over to Joey. He had headed towards the front door the second he had gotten out of the car. I reached out and squeezed his hand before I slipped by him. I didn’t want to tell him how worried I was. I didn’t want to let on how scared I was. Or how oppressive my responsibilities had become.
So I chalked it up to myself as being exhausted from the flight. After we’d gotten set up in our rooms, we didn’t say another word to each other. We didn’t need to. The two of us had worked together – and lived together – for so long now, all it took was a look to understand exactly what the other was thinking.
Food. Bed. The rest could be dealt with later.
Too bad the Fates had other plans. When I grabbed my key, I heard a man call out to me from across the lobby. He wasn’t a large man. Quite the opposite. But his smile was so big, I shrugged and headed in his direction.
“Yes?”
“Ms. McRayne,” He took my hand as if I were made of glass between his own. “I am Andrei Savu. I am the proprietor of Opera Place.”
“Nice to meet you.” I gave him a tight smile. “Thank you for having us.”
“No. No trouble.” The poor man’s grin got even bigger. “All of Romania is here to greet the princess of Grave Messages. Please, won’t you take a moment to speak with our press?”
Their press? I blinked as I looked into the room he was standing next to. Inside, a podium had been set up. A crowd of men and women had gathered in front of it. Some with cameras. All with microphones. I let my mouth drop open in shock for a moment as I tried to decide how to handle this newest nightmare.
“Please. Only a few words.”
“I,” I turned back to him with my eyes wide. “I look horrible. Mr. Savu, you must understand, our flight was over thirteen hours…”
“Beautiful.” He threw up his hands when he interrupted my protests. “A true creation of God. Now come along. Romania loves you.”
I felt myself being ushered into the room. I heard the reporters as they began to cheer for me. For Joey. I searched the door when I reached the podium, but he didn’t join me. My best friend stayed b
y the door and gave me a massive grin. I mouthed a single, solitary word in his direction before the press began to shout questions at me.
“Traitor.”
I don’t know how I did it, but I switched from the travel-worn girl I was to the superstar I had become. I smiled. I laughed. I answered every question I could without mentioning the real reason we were there. I focused on the history of Hoia-Baciu as they knew it. I promised them that I would use my abilities as the Sibyl to learn all I could about the cursed lands. And I used the time I had to beg for space. I emphasized how curious onlookers could taint any evidence we may find. I pointed out the dangers of being in any forest alone, but especially one known to cause people to disappear.
When it was finally over, I let Mr. Savu take over my spotlight. I made my way over to Joey and all but collapsed against him. I looped my arm through his, gave the reporters one final smile and wave, then whispered to him.
“My room. Now.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Joey chuckled as he led me through the lobby. When we reached the elevator, he waited until the doors shut behind us before he spoke. “How do you do it, Evie? You can be dead on your feet and still charm the hell out of everyday folk.”
“Hera.” I pressed myself against the wall of the elevator to keep myself upright. “I absorbed her charisma, remember? I pull it out whenever I need to.”
“Like you do with Athena’s knowledge when you get into a fight?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Joey, can we drop this for now? I’ll tell you anything you want to know later. Right now? I need a shower. A change of clothes. And if I make it through all that, food.”
“You know; you are usually the one talking my ear off when I have jetlag.” My friend teased. “It’s kinda nice to be on the other side of the coin right now.”
“Please stop talking.” I tilted my head back to look up at him. “You know I love you. But I love silence more at the moment.”
The Daughter (The Oracle Series Book 6) Page 7