The Oracle Series: Vols. 4, 5, & Grave Endowments

by Cynthia D. Witherspoon

  "Don't call him that." I narrowed my eyes at our newcomer. "I won't stand for it."

  "Fine." Hermes rolled his eyes. "On your feet, Cyrus of Crete."

  My keeper stood up straight. His dark blue eyes stared straight ahead. So he was in military mode now. I will admit, I was shaken. I had never seen Cyrus bow to anyone, no matter what his rank was in the Greek pantheon. Not even to Hera. So Hermes must have been a god of great importance.

  "Ok." I breathed. "Let's start over, shall we? Who are you?"

  Hermes patted the seat next to him again. This time, I crossed the room to sit down. I folded my hands in my lap to keep from slapping him. I mean, who could blame me? He had broken into my room and interrupted a very sweet moment. I managed to smile at the god, but only because I had to. Right now? I was aggravated to say the least.

  "I am a son of Zeus." He took my hands and flattened them against my knees. "There. Now I'm not afraid you will hit me."

  "I still might." I frowned. "I make no promises."

  Hermes threw his head back and laughed. He actually laughed at my anger. The god grinned when he continued.

  "Shall I go on?" He gave me no chance to answer before he bounced up to his feet. "As I said, I am Hermes. Son of Zeus. Correction. I am the favorite son of Zeus. I reign over the boundaries of life and the transitions there within."

  "And you are here....why?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't understand."

  "My, you are an impatient one!" Hermes clicked his tongue against his teeth. "How do you stand it, Cyrus? She must drive you mad."

  Cyrus knew better than to respond to that. We both stayed silent until the god held his hands in front of him. They glowed with a strange gray light that resembled his eyes until a silver box appeared.

  "Although I am the god of boundaries, my most famous role is that of courier to the most high. Hera asked me to bring you this."

  "What is it?"

  I eyed the box in suspicion. He passed it over to me along with a thick white card. I opened the card first. Words were scribbled in a language I couldn't understand, so I shrugged and passed it over to Cyrus. He scanned it before looking up to Hermes.

  "Hera is offering you a gift in order to call a truce to your rivalry. She feels that with the death of your parents, you have been punished for the transgressions committed against her."

  "Is that so?" I managed between gritted teeth. "How lovely that she would bury the hatchet. And right in my back too!"

  I turned my focus onto the box to give myself time to calm my sudden flare of temper. The box was stunning. The top of it was decorated with the picture of a woman lying on her back, reaching for the man standing above her. I leaned in closer to see the man held a knife over her head. I turned it over to trace the laurel leaves engraved along the sides. I was tracing the delicate clasp when Hermes spoke up.

  "I wouldn't open that if I were you."

  "Why?" I frowned. "Is there some secret Greek code that says if I open the box, I accept her peace offering?"

  "No. The box contains poison." Hermes grinned. "The old bat loves the stuff. Uses it against her enemies whenever she can."

  I released the box and watched it drop to the carpet. I heard Cyrus' sharp intake of breath at Hermes' words. I don't know why I was surprised. I shouldn't have expected anything less from the hateful goddess. Since she wasn't here, I glared at the courier instead.

  "Why? Why did you tell me that?"

  "Because I am here to help you, darlin." He grinned and held his hands in front of him. "I know. I know. You're grateful. You're two seconds from throwing yourself at my feet. But hear me out first."

  "Talk fast." I bit back my original response to his arrogance. "I don't have all day."

  "I am so much more than a god of boundaries. Over the centuries, my role has expanded to include picking up souls to take to the Underworld. I am the god of mischief. Oh. And thievery. I can't forget my most loyal followers."

  "Right." I kept my tone dry. "So you're the god of thieves?"

  "Yes. I am the original thief, if you will." He grinned. "Been stealing since the day I was born."

  "Literally."

  Cyrus whispered under his breath. I coughed to hide my smile before I gestured to the god to continue.

  "That being said, I don't care for my possessions to be taken." Hermes frowned for the first time since I'd met him. "Hera stole the soul of Elliot Lancaster from my very grasp. I was right there! I almost had him. I was just getting ready to punch his ticket to the great below when she snatched the boy out from under me."

  "Wait, what?" I shook my head. "How could she do that?"

  "She sent his physical body to Olympus before I could get what I was after. It's damn hard to do, but it can be done." Hermes pouted. He actually pouted like a little kid. "The witch did her magic over him when she was done with you and bam! He came back as good as new."

  "So that's what happened."

  I spoke slowly as my mind raced back to the night I fought Elliot and Hera in Montana. I had stabbed him through the heart. Defeated Hera by weakening her. But when it was all over, Elliot was gone. It was as if he disappeared into thin air. Turns out, he did just that with Hera's help. I blinked twice to rid myself of the images that played just behind my eyes. I turned back to the god in front of me.

  "Let me get this straight. You steal souls to take to the Underworld and you're upset because Hera got to Elliot first."

  "It's a matter of pride." Hermes agreed. "And I don't steal souls. I am tasked to escort them. There is a difference."

  "Yeah, whatever." I shrugged and sat back against the loveseat. "You have to be telling me all this for a reason."

  "I am. I need your help." Hermes bounded over to where I was sitting and plopped back down. "The infamous Daughter of Apollo! The great Hermes! It'll make one hell of a tale, won't it?"

  "No. I haven't agreed to help you." I sighed. "Look, I am honored that you would tell me the truth about Hera's treachery. And that you deem me gifted enough to help you. But I can't. I am going through a very hard time."

  "Because of Hera. And the boy." Hermes leaned forward to point at me. "Tell me that isn't reason enough to help me. You could get the vengeance you seek."

  I studied his strange gray eyes for a moment before I responded.

  "Do you have a plan?"

  "Now we're talking!" Hermes grinned. "And no, I don't. I was hoping you did."

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. The great god of thieves was working on my last nerve. I counted exactly thirty-seven breaths before I was calm enough to look at him again.

  "Alright. Fine. Tell me about the poison Hera sent you over here with. It must be powerful stuff."

  "Yeah." Hermes nodded. "If a creature - immortal or no - even touches it, they enter the sleep of the dead."

  "Very poor choice of words right now." I scowled. "So we can use it against Elliot?"

  "Sure. If he's stupid enough to open Hera's box and play with her potion." Hermes rolled his eyes at me. "Next."

  "No. Hear me out." I tapped my fingertips together as the pieces began to fall into place. "Elliot wants to destroy me, right? If we can lure him somewhere then he is vulnerable to anything we throw at him. Including poison."

  "I don't think there's enough in that vial for you to throw it on him." Hermes frowned when a phantom ringing noise filled the air around us. He pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. "I gotta go. The bodies are piling up. And them souls ain't gonna steal themselves."

  He jammed his hat back over his hair and tipped the bill of it towards me. "Have a plan ready to go by tomorrow, Sibyl. We'll put an end to this once and for all."

  I watched him vaporize in a mist of gray. When he was gone, I fell over to lay on the loveseat with my face buried in the crook of my arm. I felt as if the weight of the world had been placed on my shoulders.

  "Little One, are you alright?" Cyrus was standing over me. I could feel his gaze on m
e. "Lord Hermes can be...difficult to handle at times."

  "Yeah. I'm great. Just peachy." I spoke into the cushion. "How can I be alright, Cyrus? The funeral is tomorrow. And a god that you actually bowed to appeared out of nowhere to demand I help him get rid of Elliot."

  "This could be a very beneficial arrangement." Cyrus sounded serious. "Thanks to his status in Olympus, we could use Hermes to strengthen our own alliances."

  I sat up and grabbed his arm to pull him down on the loveseat next to me. I grasp his face to pull him into a fevered kiss. When we broke apart, I began to plead with him.

  And I don't plead often.

  "No. No Hermes. No alliances. Not tonight. Help me, Cyrus. Help me forget about my life. Help me forget about the death that surrounds me. Please."

  My beloved took my hand away from the side of his face to kiss the inside of my palm when he realized what I wanted.

  "Little One, you rival Aphrodite herself. But are you certain this is what you want? I don't think you are in the right mind..."

  "I mean it." I interrupted him with another kiss. When I pulled away, I began to brush kisses against his beautiful face. Over his nose. His mouth. The jagged scar over his right eye caused so long ago. "No logic. No deep discussions. I need to feel something besides sadness and anger. Only you can help me with that."

  Cyrus stood and helped me to my feet. He cupped his hand around the back of my neck to pull me into a kiss that left me breathless. I groaned when he broke free from me. He tugged at my head gently until I was forced to open my eyes.

  "Eva, I adore you. I refuse to exist without you by my side. But what you are asking...it could change so much between us. Once we cross this line, you cannot regret our actions. I won't allow it."

  "How could I ever regret you?"

  Cyrus tugged at my hair again. "I have never been more serious. I love you more than I desire you, Eva. I won't lose you to regret. Do you want me as a distraction or out of love?"

  "Love." I whispered. "I love you, Cyrus. I've never been more sure of anything as I have you. I trust you more than I trust myself."

  My keeper swept me off my feet so fast, I was forced to wrap my arms around him to hold on. He buried his nose into the base of my throat as he carried me into the bedroom. When he lowered me down, I was awarded with another heart stopping kiss.

  Our most private moments are our own. I will only say that I lost myself in our actions. There were no words between us. There was no need to speak as we became consumed by each other.

  The love we shared did more than make me forget about the horrors I had been forced to deal with. Each caress, each embrace healed my troubled heart in more ways than I could have ever imagined.

  ***

  It was still dark outside when I woke up. I laid there for a few minutes and relished the feel of my beloved's arms around me. I closed my eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep, but my mind worked against me. I began to think of the day ahead and the sadness that was sure to return to my heart. Even Hermes returned to my thoughts as I considered my impromptu meeting with him.

  I didn't want to move, but I didn't have a choice. The real world was calling and I had to be ready for it.

  Cyrus never slept, so there was no chance I would wake him up. I turned over to see him studying me. Even in the darkness, I could see his soft expression. He adjusted his arm beneath my head when he realized I was awake and pressed a kiss against my forehead.

  "You're awake." He gave me my favorite crooked smile. "I didn't think it was possible for you to wake up this early on your own."

  "Don't get used to it." I shifted further into his arms. "It's cold in here."

  "Ah, so the truth comes out." Cyrus snagged the edge of the comforter to pull it over my shoulder. He brushed the hair away from my face before he gave me a slow, sweet kiss.

  "Go back to sleep, Little One. It is far too early for you to get out of bed."

  "I've already tried that. There is no way I'm going back to sleep now." I traced the tattoo on his arm I'd discovered last night when I spoke. "What does this mean?"

  "The tattoo?" Cyrus leaned up onto his elbow and rested the arm I was examining over my hip. "It marks me as a Keeper for Apollo."

  I allowed my fingers to follow the dark lines. There were several snakes, but in the center, a python impaled with a spear. "Wasn't there a story about Apollo slaying a python?"

  "It is far too early for stories, don't you think?" Cyrus used the arm he had around me to roll me on top of him in one swift move until I giggled. I laid my head on his chest as he traced slow circles across my back. "Very well. They may be just what you need to go back to sleep."

  "I hear you talking, but I am not hearing my story."

  "You are so demanding before dawn." Cyrus chuckled. "Where should I start?"

  "The beginning." I yawned. "I don't remember this one."

  "The Python of Delphi was one of Hera's creations. It was created to seek revenge on Leto, a woman pregnant with Zeus' child."

  "Ok." I interrupted. "I sense a pattern here."

  "The monster was a wretched being." Cyrus ignored me as he continued. "It terrorized those who lived on Mount Parnassus. Apollo was only a child at the time, but he swore revenge against the creature. He found the Python's lair with ease. The monster attacked the Golden One first, but he was slow due to his size. Apollo struck it in the forehead with one of his silver arrows made by Hephaesteus."

  "The same guy who made my sword?" I leaned up to study him. "Let me guess. The weapon maker of the gods."

  "The very same." Cyrus lifted up my hand to study it. "The blow was deadly for the Python. Apollo was hailed as a hero when he sauntered through the villages playing his lyre and singing his own praises. The King of the Heavens was so amused by the child's victory parade that he allowed Apollo to reign over music."

  "So he's the god of the sun, prophecy, and music?"

  "Among other things." Cyrus tilted his head to the side as he replaced my hand over his heart. "I have failed you as your keeper. You should know all this."

  "I'm sure you've mentioned it." I returned to my original position with my head against him. "You, sir, are most definitely not a failure. But I wasn't kidding when I said you give me a headache."

  "Headache, but no sleep." He sighed again. "I am losing my touch. I'll use a more monotone voice next time."

  "No sleep." I agreed. "But I don't want to move, Stick. You are amazingly comfortable."

  "Then don't. You have nowhere to be so early."

  "No. I wasn't kidding when I said I had a lot to do before the funeral."

  "Coffee then." Cyrus smiled when I nodded. "Your wish is my command, Little One. I'll be back in a moment."

  "I like the sound of that."

  I brushed my nose against his chest one last time before I disentangled myself from him. I grabbed my robe from the chair on my side of the bed and slipped it on. I turned to see my Keeper had disappeared into the early morning shadows. I considered going through my normal morning routine while I waited for him to return, but dismissed the idea outright. It was far too early to start getting ready.

  I went over to my bag in the entryway and took out my phone. The lock screen announced I had no less than twenty-five new voicemails. I swiped my thumb across the screen and saw one was from Steven Percy. I hit the play button then switched it over to speaker phone while I returned to digging through my bag.

  "Ms. McRayne, its Steven. Listen, all the arrangements have been made. As you requested, we have kept this as quiet as possible. But I cannot speak for the vendors we had to contact. Be prepared for anything to happen in the morning."

  "I always am."

  I muttered to the phone as I pulled out my notebook. The lawyer was still talking. He detailed the time and place but when he started in with the condolences, I hit the 'stop' button. I would be hearing enough of those today. I didn't want to hear them now.

  When I rose up, I felt a hard piece of plastic hit my f
oot. I knelt down to pick up the DVD I had taken from my parents' house. I tossed it on the desk, flipped on the lights, and sat down with my notebook open. I glanced over the notes I had made, but stopped when I reached a page filled with strange cursive handwriting.

  Kassandra. I folded the book back to read what she had written. It was far longer than I had expected it to be.

  Dearest Sister -

  Be wary of creatures from the dark. They serve to distract you from the true evil lurking behind you.

  My gift has exposed the treachery you must fight against. The Queen of the Heavens will send a messenger to you after a great devastation. She is surrounded by white, but the purity of her aura is tainted. As are her motives. Hera will seek to destroy your heart to order to separate you from those who keep you strong.

  Do not wallow in the ashes of the past, Sibyl. Do not allow your hatred to cloud your thoughts. You have been called to serve the very gods. Do not fail them. Do not fall.

  I was reading through the letter again when Cyrus returned. He brushed my hair off the back of my neck as he sat a steaming coffee mug on the far corner of the desk.

  "What are you doing, Little One?" My keeper leaned against the back of my chair to rest his chin on the top of my head before he spoke again. "Kassandra."

  "Yes." I shifted to face him. "She was right about Hera. And the messenger? Hermes. It has to be."

  I reached for the notebook, but my hand went too far. I knocked over the coffee with a single sweep of my arm. I cried out as the dark liquid spilled out across the page I had been reading.

  "Dammit!"

  I gasped. I pushed past Cyrus, grabbed a towel from the bathroom, and was back within seconds. I was too late. The blue ink was unreadable beneath the mess I had made. I jerked up the book to blot at it until Cyrus caught my wrist. I let him take the soaked towel from me and the notebook. He didn't say a word as he finished wiping down the desk.

  "It was an accident." I stammered. "I didn't realize..."

  "Hush, Evie. It's alright." My keeper tossed the towel into the hamper provided by the hotel. The ruined notebook went into the trash can. "In fact, I am surprised that Kassandra's words lasted as long as they did."