Children of Sun (Oracle's Legacy)

by R. B. Holbrook

  Why didn't George go talk to the kid himself? The two were no strangers. "It is a difficult time for us," Ellis answered, feeling uneasy about George's interest in Bones.

  George looked at Ellis with a smooth and deadly gaze. Ellis stepped back, fearing his cousin's sudden change. "As it is for us," George reminded him. "She was ours as well." He was offended. That was good, because at least his attention was off Bones.

  "Yes, I know." Ellis turned back to Ollie's grave.

  "Yer family is now under Moon protection, Ellis. Yer'll not 'ave to worry about yer safety any longer," George said. "Call if you should need anythin', and …" George sounded so sad. "Please keep in touch."

  Ellis nodded, trying not to think about how much he wanted Moon out of his life. But George was family, and Ollie would be real pissed if he never called to talk to his mother's family.

  ()()()

  Atlanta, Georgia

  The old shaman touched the glass of the penthouse window. Letting the smoke escape her lips, she opened her eyes and let the tears drip freely down her cheeks. It hurt to know her children were in pain, but it had to be. As much as she wanted to shelter them, shield them, she could not if she was to ensure the future of her people. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. This was always the hardest part.

  Shuffling to the middle of her room, the old woman pushed out of her mind her current living conditions and let the world pour into her like fresh lemonade. She drank in the sights of San Francisco and Niagara Falls. She saw an old friend of hers traveling the Sahara just as one of her many hands touched down in China. Turning to the Atlantic Ocean, she saw a lonely yacht as a sorrow-filled man came home to his empty bed. He would recover in time, but until then … Caesar, my darling Caesar.

  What had been clear before was becoming cloudy. Granger was on a journey that no one could stop him from. He was getting just a teaser of what the future would hold for him, but there was no one else who could handle it so elegantly. He was more than anyone could hope for. And he had a fight that only he was capable of fighting. But his best could not be without this fight. The old woman laughed as she started to truly see what her daughter had seen in him.

  Tears trickled down her face as she remembered the feel of her daughter against her hand. There were no words that could describe watching a child die. But watching Ollie struggle as she had had torn a hole in her heart that nothing could fix. No strength in the world could help cure the pain. Nothing but the future could make this wound worth the suffering. Sleep well, my child.

  Her mind found Troy, who was doing better. He was no longer in the hospital, but he was now suffering with the rest of his family. The shaman's ears listened to her family's crying. She wanted to be there to comfort them and help heal their pain, but not now.

  One did not suffer. Bones, why can't I see you? She pondered what that meant and then smiled. I don't need to see you anymore, do I, son?

  She felt pain in the distance--crying, screaming, pleading. Her people. Her tears flowed now with such agony that she wanted to comfort them all. The line was being drawn slowly. The players were being put into place. The Structure was churning, and the world would soon churn with it.

  She reached her hand out to the only one left who could truly hear her. She called to the shadows.

  You are in so much pain. Why? The shadow slowly emerged. Of course it didn't know. She still had its power chained.

  Just hold me, she thought, needing strength. As the shadow embraced her, she cried, hoping that the sacrifices had been worth it.

  I will have my sight returned, the shadow whispered against her skin, and she smiled.

  ()()()

  Grand Council Chambers, Temple of Octarchy

  In the week that followed his capture of the Oracle, Arthur had not only obtained a vast amount of guidance from the old woman, but he had secured the third seat on Flame's Head of House. He was now one of the three most important figures in Flame. It was exhilarating.

  In its entire splendor, rising ten stories, the Temple of Octarchy was a magnificent feat of architecture. And Arthur was one of the few privileged to see it. It was designed to let the wind pass through and around it, so that even hurricane-force winds would not destroy the structure. The temple was a work of art, with carvings in the sandstone that looked like scholars studying and warriors fighting. Though the walls, floors, and ceiling kept true to the ancient temple, the furnishings were definitely modern.

  Arthur sat nervously in the main chamber as he wondered what the day would bring. It was his first official day as Head of Flame, and he was a wreck. On one hand, Marissa Ivanski, a mere assistant to Mary Alexander, had smiled at him the moment she had laid eyes on Arthur, giving him the creeps. On the other hand, the Oracle was supposed to have a voice here, but Arthur had her, so how would it work? Would they announce her disappearance?

  The only people allowed into the actual chambers were the Heads of Houses and the Mouth, the Oracle's ambassador--no assistants or attendants or any other representative. If a Head of House could not show up, no one was allowed in his place. But everyone was here and accounted for. Including a very angry-looking Mary Alexander.

  "Take your seat," the Mouth began. He went over the rules of the proceedings in several languages, as was customary before each session. He welcomed Arthur to the ranks.

  Arthur had kind of expected the man to wear some ceremonial frock, but instead he had on a normal gray business suit. And he even wore glasses.

  The man went on to say that the Oracle normally did not show her face at the proceedings unless she felt it necessary. The Oracle rarely intervened in any actions taken by the council, as it was the Oracle's wish to allow the voices of many be heard over the voice of one.

  According to the rules, the floor was given to the Houses in the order they requested to be heard. No other House was to interrupt the dominant position. All questions and comments could only be heard after the dominating House was finished speaking. Flame advisors had told Arthur that it was not often that these rules were broken, because the Mouth had the power and authority to kick anyone out of chambers who was out of order. If they were going to act like children, they would be treated like children, as Bethea had warned him.

  Sun was the first to take the floor. It was said that they always took the floor first because the Oracle was Sun. They began the proceedings with a lot of facts and figures about the Structure's growth, deaths, births, new companies, and overall financial standing. According to the figures, the Structure currently made up one-thousandth of the world's population. The House expressed a concern about the Structure being able to keep a silent profile. It was feared that since the Structure was so large and with the current technologies, it would not be long before the Structure was exposed. There were approximately six billion people in the world, so if Sun's calculations were accurate (and they usually were), the Structure was made up of a little over eight million people. River was still the biggest House, with Flame closely behind them. The smallest House was still Breath, as it had always been. With Flame and Breath combined, they were a strong contender to River. However, Sun was still the House with much of the power, due to the Oracle's status. That would change soon.

  If what Sun was saying was correct, Sun, Heart, and Stone all had the highest financial standing in the Structure. Sun and Heart ran neck and neck, because most of the major companies that were owned by each House member, tithed money back to their own Houses, creating a cycle of cash output and input using investments. In essence, the three Houses were like three big conglomerates.

  Arthur found it odd that Flame had not picked up this idea by now and worked toward unifying House businesses to fortify Flame. He began to take notes on his laptop as Sun sat down and Stone took the floor.

  Stone spoke on matters of new technology and inventions that had been created. Most were still in development. But they expressed a great concern about artificial intelligence research going on in River. They warned a
gainst it, with extreme emphasis on what had happened the last time a company had researched the technology. Something about factory explosions and human lives lost. Arthur had not known that artificial intelligence was being tested, let alone developed, but if what Stone was saying was accurate, the technology was anything but safe.

  They even went on to insult River by commenting that the House of spirituality should focus more on spirituality and stay away from matters that they know little about. Arthur noticed a few members chuckle as Stone took their seats. As Arthur finished taking notes, he noticed the room was quiet. He looked up from his computer screen.

  "Arthur?" Caitlyn, one of the three Flame Grand House members, spoke low to get his attention.

  "Mr. Clifton, you requested the floor?" The Mouth smiled at him, amused. Arthur quickly scrambled to his feet.

  Setting his laptop to the side, he grabbed hold of his nerves and began, "Good ev--afternoon. I am new here and have little experience as a member. Please bear with me." He swallowed hard as he looked over the waiting faces. "I asked for the floor because I have a great concern for the Structure and feel like the recent activity of Moon could potentially be harmful." He noticed that some of the members had grown very uncomfortable. Bethea had warned him that the topic of Moon was a sensitive subject. The history of Moon and the Grand House was dark, but she had never elaborated. "I don't know most of your positions on the matter, but several of our best seers and historians have been slaughtered because of them, though I am sure we all know there has been no real proof." He noticed that they were beginning to warm up to him. "I do not know if anyone has had an encounter with them, but I have. And I can tell you that they are very deadly and extremely capable of destroying the Structure before we are able to act, if we are not careful."

  The members sat back in their chair comfortably, providing their full attention.

  "I have been doing some research, and I have found that even with Blade's studious pursuit of the malevolent cult, they continue to survive and undermine what each House has worked hard to accomplish--unity. The Structure was formed around the idea of unity, but we are far from unified. Fighting among each other, we seem to have lost sight of who the real enemy is. I do not know all the history of Moon and the Structure, but I know that if Moon were with the Structure instead of against it, they would not be killing our historians and seers, threatening our lives, and getting involved in the proceedings for choosing the next Oracle. Moon is a threat." His words were getting through, and several Great House members began to agree, but he noticed that House of Heart and House of Sun did not look too happy with the idea.

  "I have little suggestions on how to deal with the former House, but I believe if we all worked together with Blade, we could eliminate the threat quicker. I do have one hint that might lead us in the right direction. Cassandra Granger, one of Heart's most influential figures, was once believed to have ties to Moon before her death. Upon her death, it was concluded that a random act of violence took her life, but there is new evidence that suggests otherwise." He looked over at the three Heads of Blade, who seemed to encourage him to continue. "That random act of violence was not so random. In truth, Cassandra Granger was arrested by Blade." Everyone in the room gasped in disbelief; some even began to mumble. "Blade found evidence that she worked with Moon. Conclusive evidence provided by her own husband. Evidence that proved her grandfather was Moon." The mumbling grew louder, but the Mouth cleared his throat, calming the noise. "Before any confession was taken from Cassandra, she was killed by Moon."

  Someone cursed; some of the members looked sick.

  "Blade had kept all records of the incident sealed to protect the Granger name. However, it is believed that by doing so, they allowed a wound to fester. I do not know if any of us have heard the rumors that Augustus Granger, her own son, is now in league with Moon. I know I have ties to Granger, and many of you do as well. He is a very powerful presence, but where is the source of his power? I suggest that if Blade is willing, as well as the rest of the Grand House, we do a full-on investigation of Augustus Granger." Arthur stood as everyone began to talk among themselves.

  "Are you making a motion, Mr. Clifton?" the Mouth said, looking at him with interest.

  "Actually, I am making two motions. The first is for the Structure to band together to support Blade's takedown of Moon."

  "Do I hear a second?" the Mouth asked, and one of the Heads of Breath, Aran from Thailand, immediately seconded the motion, nodding in approval. As soon as the motion began, it was properly carried and accepted with a majority vote of five out of seven. Sun and Heart did not approve, but because they were not the majority, they had to cooperate with the ruling.

  "The second motion is to investigate Augustus Granger," Arthur put forward. Many of the people in the room looked apprehensive about going against the soul possessor. Arthur had a very bad feeling that this motion would not carry like the last.

  "May I?" Aran said, requesting the floor.

  "Please." Arthur sat down.

  "I know several of you who are in Augustus Granger's pocket." Arthur was surprised by the candor of his statement and how clear his English was. "I myself have called upon his services a time or two. The man is good. But does it not bother any of you that someone as powerful as he is, and as connected, is not going for the position of Oracle?" Some of them nodded in response. "Well, I'm not surprised one bit." The man laughed. "He already has the Structure. He owns it. He owns us. You think he got this far because of his father's money and his mother's influence? Wake up," Aran's Thai accent thundered through the room. "The rumors are nothing but rumors until we uncover the truth. It is very, very likely that Moon owns Augustus Granger--and if they own him, then they own us as well. Are you willing to just sit back and let Moon take over our lives?" Aran had grabbed more support, even though some of the members were still undecided. From the look of it, if they did an individual vote, the motion would carry and be adopted.

  "It seems the council is divided." The Mouth stood. "Then I will make the motion as well as seconding it. This means that every individual is allowed to vote independently. All in favor of a full investigation and interrogation of Augustus Granger, may I see a show of hands?" Of the twenty-one members, only eight did not raise their hands. What was most shocking was that one of the Heads of Heart raised his hand. The investigation was going through.

  Arthur was quietly surprised that he had gotten such support. This meant that if Granger was found guilty of being involved with Moon, he could be charged with treason. His recent alliance with Blade had revealed that they had a specially trained assassin in place to help carry out Granger's capture and sentence. Though there was more news to report during the meeting, none of it mattered to Arthur, because he had made the impossible happen: he had taken a giant step toward unifying the Structure.

  Once the meeting was over, Arthur was congratulated by many of the members. Some of them warned about possible Moon attempts, but Arthur wasn't going to cower, especially after having gotten rid of one. Blade had admitted in the meeting the capture of Fire Eye and said that she was a Level Four but that she had been neutralized as a threat. This gave Arthur even more security, since it was his help that had stopped her cold. It also helped to know that Elliot had hired more security to protect him, though Arthur did not want to appear overly cautious.

  He looked over his shoulder to see Marissa coming up behind him. Turning to face the woman, he saw a glint in the River's eyes. "Mr. Clifton, I must say, you have impressed me. I am glad there is more to you than just your meager looks." Arthur could not believe the blatant insult, especially from one who didn't look like much herself. "But I guess there would have to be more to you if you have acquired such a high-ranking position. You keep good records. I look forward to working with you in the future. I suppose your somewhat younger mind can give this older one a few new ideas." She shrugged before moving on. Arthur stood watching the woman march off. Marissa, a mere assistant, h
ad taken Arthur's victory high and slammed it into the ground before he had a chance to truly enjoy it. The moment the woman was out of his sight, his own personal assistant came up to him with a note.

  "From Marissa Ivanski, sir. She suggested that you read it in private."

  He walked down the temple steps, heading for his guest room. Once inside his lavish room, he opened the note.

  Mr. Clifton,

  Like most of the Structure, you are ignorant of the truth. I, however, am eager to educate everyone about the true path to unification. In one word, connectivity. It was what made the Structure a powerhouse at the beginning of time, and it is the only way we can be that way again. The Oracle knows the truth, for she exploits it for her own gain. It is the level beyond Pillar, the level none of us can master without her permission. But it is time we claimed that which was once ours. It is time we took back our true power.

  Arthur read the note again, trying to understand what it meant. He needed answers. He phoned Elliot.

  ()()()

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  "So they are coming after me?" Granger said. He was standing in his office at the top level of his casino property.

  "Yes, sir." The casino manager nodded with a drink in his hand.

  He sighed, going to the window looking out over Sin City.

  "I don't think you have to worry about those around you. We are loyal."

  Actually, he was more worried about their safety than their loyalty. But he could no more save them than he could Ollie.

  He closed his eyes.

  Granger put his hand in his pocket and gripped his mother's ring. He'd had no idea that his great-grandfather was Moon. But it made sense now why he had the power of soul possession. It was a dark-energy power and based on negative energy. Yet everyone figured he had received it because he was Heart. Heart did have the potential to harness dark energy powers, but not like this. He remembered how easy it was to possess Mary because of his disdain for her. And when he had released his control of his energy as a display of power to Sebastian, he'd felt how destructive his energy could be. And still he didn't fully unleash it.