“Umm…well I…” I started in a quiet voice not really having planned this far ahead.
“May I take your name, Miss?” He said obviously thinking he was helping me out.
“Keira Williams, but I don’t…” I was cut off when I saw his eyes grow wide and he stood up abruptly.
“But of course Miss Williams, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please allow me to show you to the Savoy’s Royal suite.” After he said this I just hoped that my mouth wasn’t hanging open, as one thing struck me…
Man that was easy.
Chapter 18
Room ‘Supernatural’ Service.
Ok, so if I thought that the front entrance was intimidating in its extravagance, then this right here was something else. I now felt like I had sneaked into a royal palace! I kept expecting Prince Charles to come walking through the door and ordering tea to be served promptly in the sitting room.
The staff had quickly taken my numb state as a cue to leave me to it, especially after I almost screamed when I found one maid unpacking my bag and hanging up each Goth item as though she was handling ballroom gowns made by Gucci. I tried to explain that this really wasn’t necessary as I thought a huge mistake had been made, but I was quickly informed that I was the one making the mistake. I think it was the choking sound that garbled from my throat that had them convinced they now had a rich mental case staying in their hotel.
These fears of theirs were more than warranted even when I first stepped off the elevator and here’s why. The Royal Suite was certainly a well-earned name as that was exactly what it was fit for…royalty! The suite spread over the front of the entire 5th floor which boasted stunning views of the River Thames. The other eight, yes eight, windows also held the magnificent London vista from Canary Wharf to the Houses of Parliament.
The suite’s private butler introduced himself, but to be honest my mental capability wouldn’t have been able to register his name, even if he had introduced himself as little Bo Peep. This was because I had been shown through the suites marble foyer into a guided tour of what real money could buy you for the night. A private wood panelled office, a dining room big enough to seat eight people and a beautiful sitting room that had you thinking about English gardens. And most staggering of all, the whole suite was complete with Magic Mirrors! Yes that’s right, I said magic mirrors, as in mirrors that with the flick of a switch turned into high definition flat screens. So I could now even watch TV in the bath!
I would have expected, from my time with Draven, that I would have been used to the level of luxury and in some ways I was. But not having Draven by my side in this had me feeling like a kid’s goldfish that had lived in a bowl and just taken a nose dive into a tropical aquarium. Well, I guess I just had to hope it was a Piranha free zone but considering the last letter I’d just received I very much doubted it.
“Time to swim Keira, not sink,” I said to myself as I took in the spacious en-suite, complete with his & hers bathroom, deep soak tub and steam shower. I shook my head as I walked back through the walk-in dressing room lined with cedar wardrobes that now held a few dark clothes.
At the time I had been in shock at hearing that the suite had been booked for me and already paid up for the week. I didn’t even manage to ask by whom as I played guppy on the entire elevator ride, with the poor Concierge trying to keep a straight face.
“So now what?” I asked myself after checking the massive suite for clues. I did the obvious looking first, drawers, desk and anything else that opened among the antique furniture. But then I started to get creative and soon was even looking through the fresh flower arrangement, DVD player, sewing kit, newspapers, bathrobe pockets and shamefully even behind the pictures, like some Pink Panther thief. In the end, I just huffed down exhausted, sinking into a yellow couch that felt so comfortable it actually felt like the furniture was hugging me.
I must have only closed my eyes for a few frustrated seconds when I heard a knock on the door. I wrestled with the couch that had taken me prisoner and ended up half slumped on the floor before I got up to answer the door. I had my hand on the fancy handle but stopped myself before I opened the double doors.
“Who is it?” I asked, using my wits and past experience of deception.
“Room service.” A musical voice said and before I could think about it I opened the door. It was as if my hand was being taken over, not by another force but more like an emotional urge. It felt like being in a large theatre alone and then hearing a heart wrenching song being sung by a singer with tears falling down her eyes. The response was a shudder, a cold chill that touched my skin leaving a bumpy trail and my view misted with emotions too thick to keep buried. And all that just from two plain words spoken through a door.
In walked the only woman I would have given that magical voice to and the expression, fallen straight from Heaven, became reality. She was stunning to a point it nearly hurt to look at her. Even though she wore a serving uniform, it in no way at all detracted from her ethereal perfection that was now pushing a trolley into the sitting room with the grace of an Angel.
Fair white blonde hair looked like each strand was spun from the silk worm and twisted wistfully at the back of her head. High cheek bones that held a natural rose blush upon ivory satin skin. Her large almond shaped eyes were a kaleidoscope of colours that shone like permanent tears caressed her soul. Little heart shaped lips were naturally puckered and only lost their unique shape when she smiled down at me. Long legs and slight curves of a tall hour glass made a body worthy of the Gods to feast upon and with such grace, it was highly likely she held that position above.
I closed the door as she passed me and for the countless time today, I had my mouth hanging open as she wheeled the covered table into the centre of the room. And there was no doubt that finally I was now staring into the face of the Oracle.
“Pythia?” I asked gobsmacked that finally after all this time waiting and cracking codes, I would at last find my answers.
“No, sorry”…Okay, maybe not!
“But I am.” A spunky voice said and I gasped as a little black girl unfolded herself from under the white tablecloth. She stood up and patted herself down, which was a denim tutu skirt and a woollen striped roll neck jumper that was a rainbow of colours. She shook out her thick black hair that was a mass of corkscrew curls that remained around her head like a crash helmet.
“You’re a child!” I shouted tactlessly and she put one hand on her hip and cocked her pint sized frame to one side.
“So?” Well I didn’t really know what I could say about that one, but if I was to think of an all-powerful Oracle who held the weight of the fates on her shoulders, then the cutest seven year old with the biggest brown puppy eyes was probably the last image my brain would have found.
“I’m…uh…sorry.” I said lamely.
“Don’t sweat it Electus, we are never what people expect.” She said fluffing up her skirt, showing the spotty tights underneath.
“We?”
“Yeah, us Chosen Ones.” She said like it was obvious and she was in fact the one speaking to a child.
“Anyway, I brought cream tea, and Armi bakes a wicked scone, don’t you Armi?” She looked to the Heavenly knockout after jumping on the couch like…well like a child.
“One can only hope others think so.” She replied once again in that musical voice that could have brought Hell’s Demons to their knees in harmonic beauty. She winked at me and I nearly proposed marriage as she pulled the trolley closer to Pythia. Soon all the items were unloaded onto the table in front of the couch, including a three tiered cake stand.
“So, are you gonna come sit down or stare at me like a Gorgon Leech?” She said patting the space next to her.
“You know I have seen a few Gorgon leeches.” I said as I moved to sit down next to her.
“I know you have.”
“Of course you do,” I commented a little too dryly than I intended, but I was glad when I heard her laugh.
“Nasty little beasts, but I feel sorry for them all the same.” She shrugged her shoulders when I looked at her like she was crazy. I remembered these creatures when seeing them in the hundreds and the last emotion I would have had when seeing them trying to attack Draven was sympathy. I don’t think I could ever forget that night as long as I lived, as it was the first time I’d seen that amount of demons in one place, not of my dreams.
It was when Draven was battling it out with Sammael and I watched on as with one roar from him the cliff face transformed into a swarm and breeding ground for some of the creatures of Hell. I shuddered as the sight came back to me of so many broken bodies that had learned to walk with twisted limbs that were cracked at the seams. Bleeding holes where eyes should have been, attached to faces full of gnashing teeth.
And most of all, the memory of their screams as Draven set each one alight and released Hell back on them in the form of ruptured earth. The lava hands grabbing the flesh full and dragging each one back to what I imagined was their final resting place…only just how much resting you could get in Hell was a doubtful amount.
“I know that look and of course what you’re thinking…” She commented tapping on the side of her head before she continued,
“You see, the Greeks, taking their Mythology very seriously, knew how to tell the best stories. But unfortunately this time they got a few things wrong with these naughty little critters. Ok, so Medusa 101, you know she had snakes for hair and one look turned men to stone…yeah?”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard.” I said thinking how surreal this conversation was right now and if I ever thought I would be here speaking for the first time with the Oracle, who held all my answers, the last thing I wanted to be talking about was bloody Gorgon Leeches!
“Ok, so Gorgon was the name given to the three daughters of the Gods, Ceto and Phorcy. These fine lasses were more than envied for their breathtaking beauty and one of the very reasons their curse included ‘breath taking’ of sorts.” She shifted in her seat and leaned over her folded legs to pour the tea, while the one called Armi sat opposite us like a delicate flower, listening and nodding petals in the gentle wind.
“I remember this bit, the sister Medusa was seduced by Poseidon in a Temple and then someone got upset and cursed her,” I said trying to remember back to my days in my Grandparents’ library, reading the massive books about Mythology on a worn Indian rug.
“Yeah, Athene, she was always such a jealous bitch and if that was my man that was taking advantage of some young beauty with more than a slap and tickle, then his balls would be the one slapping, as in on the ground when I chopped them off!” She said nodding at Armi before taking a gentle sip of her tea and I couldn’t help but feel shocked at hearing this kind of speech coming from a seven year old! It felt a bit like the same reaction to hearing if Yoda ever told Luke to just F off one day in his training.
“Well anyway, that is an even longer story and that fruit is too juicy to drink right now, if you catch my meaning. But the point is that after that happened it meant all three sisters had to ride the ugly train and even after Medusa lost her head, her sisters Eurale and Stheno continued the curse.”
“But that’s not fair!” I shouted making them both smile.
“Ah, but this is where things get confused, you see people think that they just turned men to stone with one look, but this isn’t the end of it. I think they were quite clever as they twisted their curse to their advantage, turning each victim into a creature they could us to build an army, one for hire…I mean a girl’s gotta eat right and money is money in any dimension, plane, realm…whatever you want to call it” I frowned at her as the cogs turned and with a slight shake of my head she decided to elaborate.
“They became ‘The Gorgons’ Leeches’…The sisters’ private leeches or army and I will tell ya, they were mighty pissed at Draven that he killed a load of them off, but he’s hot, so they soon forgave him and what woman wouldn’t do a bit of forgiving for that grade of eye candy.” She said winking at me and my frown deepened.
“Right, well getting back to more important things like my eye candy, what the Hell happened!?” I said forgetting all about the stupid leeches, that yes, I now felt a bit sorrier for but it was time to get down to why I was here.
“Now don’t get upset young one and drink your tea, it will soothe you.” On hearing this I found myself having to close my eyes in frustration. I mean, it was one thing being called ‘young one’ by someone that came barely above my waistline, but to then be told to drink tea at a time like this, even for me that was the last thing on my mind! But nevertheless, I picked up my fine china tea cup and did as I was told.
“Ahh, love a cup of tea in this country. Right, so you have questions, I understand this, as trust me, I get it a lot…my entire being actually, so please let me explain the rules.”
“Rules?” I repeated, having a bad feeling that finally meeting with the Oracle wasn’t going to live up to the hype.
“What, you didn’t think that you could just go ahead and have me answer all your questions did you? I mean for one, knowing you I would be in my teens again before you even took a breath.” I made a noise as I started to argue with that statement but one reprimanding look had me shutting up.
“I know you, remember and besides, my King has told me plenty.” This shocked me and made me blush…what exactly had Draven being saying about me.
“So, before we go off track again, this is the low down on taking tea with the fates.” She placed her cup and saucer down and held out one tiny finger as she was getting ready to count off the rules.
“One, you can ask questions but those I won’t be able to answer, so what’s the point right…?”
“What!” I shouted which she ignored and continued.
“Please understand, I am the only one that knows the truth behind our fates, and although it gives me a bloody massive headache, it also means that I cannot speak of it, as imagine this…” She turned to face me and I knew that even the cutest eyes could shut me up with their seriousness.
“…a man comes to me and asks ‘When will I die and how will it happen?’ So I tell him, ‘You will be hit by a bus tomorrow at twelve.’ Said man then decides to take the car to work the next day and the reason he felt like taking the bus in the first place he ignores. On the way in his car, he suffers a massive heart attack causing a pile up and ends up killing that entire bus load of people, and still getting hit by a bus at twelve.”
“But you said he would be killed by the bus?” I said not being able to help myself, making her smile.
“Did I? I merely told him what I saw, he died because of the heart attack and that was the reason the bus hit him. This way only he died because he loved too much cheese and smoked his body weight in cigarettes. But now we have forty dead and the King will never meet his Chosen One.”
“Why?”
“Because, you were on that bus on the way to school Keira.” She said now grabbing a scone from the plate and just dipping it first into the clotted cream followed by the jam. She took as much as her little mouth could take and groaned.
I was still speechless by her story…could it be true? Was that the amount of power the fates had?
“Ok so I get it, what’s the next rule?” I said as things started to fit into place.
“Rule two, you lean across and eat one of these righteous scones, by the Gods, Armi, these are to die for…no pun intended.” I rolled my eyes before just doing as I was told and grabbing one….of course one bite and I couldn’t prevent the same groan of pleasure as my taste buds exploded.
“Mm..umm…th..ese are…sooo…good!” I said with my mouth full and she smiled sweetly at me before bowing her head.
“Right ok, I know this rule is a ball ache even for someone without them, but there is a way round it…like the…”
“Letters?” I said without thinking, just knowing.
“Well, would you look at our little Chosen One Armi, she’s
all grown up, I am so proud.” She mocked in jest.
“Ha, ha, so I am right then?”
“Hell Yeah, see I am allowed to hand you a map but you are the one who chooses where on that map to go, if to even use that map at all…I mean it might be raining and you want to keep your hair dry with it…the point is, it won’t be you making that decision because you know it was going to rain that day.”
“So that is why all the letters, at any point I could have got it wrong and that would have been my personal fate to do so?” She nodded as she couldn’t speak with her second scone in her mouth.
“I think I get it but that still doesn’t really help me in getting Draven back…I still don’t know what to do.” I said feeling even more deflated than before my first letter. Pythia cleared her throat after swallowing.
“Not necessarily, there is a worm hole to seek comfort in. I can continue my masked guidance but the decision will always be yours if you chose to pull The King back from where he has gotten himself into.”
“You mean Hell and from what I was told, he didn’t exactly put himself there now did he?! He came looking for you when you went missing, thinking you had been taken and then the next thing I knew was that he was dead and no one will tell me how…now it’s your turn.” I demanded sternly.
She eyed me from the side and it was only the briefest of flickers of doubt or surprise that shone in her features. That was when it hit me and I almost screamed,
“That isn’t what happened?!”
“Keira…calm down…I…”
“NO! I can’t believe this, I was lied to wasn’t I?” I said getting up and storming away until storming right back to face big brown eyes. I couldn’t even find myself feeling guilty looking down at the face of a child and shouting out at them.
The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga) Page 19