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

by Cynthia D. Witherspoon

  I needed to forget the people around me and focus on the damned job at hand. Too bad Jonathan picked that very moment to make his announcement.

  “Jonah, Eva,” he said, “you cannot be forced to believe. But belief is not necessary at this point, because the both of you have seen proof of the existence of each other’s respective realities. Jonah, the Greek myths are not myths. Eva, there is much more in this world than gods and monsters. All the nuances of divination—magic, ‘magick,’ or whatever semantics you choose to employ—they are all ethereality. No matter the realm or sphere of influence. The people that you see in the mirrors are still very much alive. They are simply no longer physical beings. Like it or not, our paths have been joined, and we have to adapt.”

  I studied Rowe as he looked down at the cuts on his legs. When he met my gaze, I saw his expression shift from contemplation to fear.

  “Superstar,” he breathed, “your eyes are green.”

  I felt the blood drain out of my face at his words. The only way my eyes could turn back to their natural shade was if I had lost my abilities as the Sibyl. It had happened twice since I’d taken Apollo’s oath. Both times were due to my injuries thanks to Athena’s Blade. So to say that Jonah’s words scared the hell out of me? Understatement of the year.

  “No, they aren’t,” I snapped. “There is no way. Give me a mirror!”

  I stopped myself as I realized what I was about to expose myself to. “Wait, no!

  Don’t—don’t do that.”

  “It’s fine,” said Jonathan hastily. “I can protect you. In my presence, the spirits and spiritesses will be held at bay. But please do not try any mirror stunts on your own, though.”

  Joey pressed a button on his cell phone and passed it over to me. I snatched it and frowned.

  “Why do you have a mirror app on your phone?” I knew I was deflecting, but I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t want to see what the others saw. I didn’t want to face the questions reeling through my mind. “I mean, I knew you were vain, Joey, but—”

  “Just look.” Jonah shoved the phone upright until I was forced to look at myself.

  There were no whispers from the dead. No faces flickering across Joey’s phone. It was just me as I had been. Green eyes and all.

  I did the only thing I could think of. I blinked. Hard. Then again until my eyes

  shifted back to the gold I’d grown used to. I couldn’t stop staring at my damned reflection as I realized what this could mean.

  The wound from Athena’s Blade hadn’t been healed by the concoction Drew and Theresa had administered in Washington. No matter how fast my other injuries had healed, the one that had caused the most damage was still there. Still seeping poison into my blood despite the mark of the gods now tattooed on the skin of my left side. After a few minutes, my eyes remained resolutely golden. But I couldn’t breathe.

  And I couldn’t reveal my concern to my beloved. He would have me encased in bubble wrap and shipped back to California before daybreak.

  I had to get out of here.

  I pushed up from the couch to head towards the door as my concerns about the stab wound I had suffered brought forth my memories of Elliot’s threats. How he swore to destroy anyone who tried to help me. No matter who or what they were.

  And he had already proven himself capable. After all, Jonah had been hurt thanks to

  his brief interaction with me. I shouldn’t have cared given that he nearly broke down my bedroom door to voice his displeasure of my presence. But I did. The monsters under Hera’s control were closing in, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  “Eva. Eva, stop.”

  Cyrus. Sweet, dependable Cyrus caught up with me before I could leave the room. He snagged my arm and forced me to face him. We had a silent agreement not to be all lovey-dovey in front of others. But his concern was evident.

  “Let’s go upstairs. You need to calm down in light of these recent developments.”

  “No.” I closed my eyes at his touch, afraid that when I opened them, they would have changed back to green. “Cyrus, I need some air.”

  “You need—”

  “Please,” I whispered as I felt my heart began to break. I had fooled myself into believing that I could get past my fears. I had convinced myself that I was stronger than ever. But I was wrong. Dead wrong.

  I felt my eyes burning from the tears that wanted to fall, but I kept them in check. “I won’t go far, I promise. I’ll even stay on the porch.”

  “Eva, perhaps you need more time to heal. The power of Athena’s Blade is still affecting you, despite the ministrations of Hecate's Ambassadors.” Cyrus reached out to tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. “Surely it would be best if you stay close enough where I can reach you if needed.”

  Nailed it. I should have known that Cyrus would have seen through me. My keeper had an uncanny ability to read my mind during the worst possible moments.

  I caught his hand and squeezed it. “I’ll be fine. I just—I need time to think. And I can call you if I need to. I’m sure you’ll hear me if I holler for you.”

  Cyrus still looked skeptical, but he didn’t argue as I turned on my heel to walk out of the room. I tried to remember what Terrence had said about maneuvering around this massive place. Soon enough, I found the front door.

  Cold air hit me the moment I stepped out on the porch. I breathed in with blessed relief as my muddled thoughts began to clear. It was obvious that Jonah deemed me as an idiot. A dangerous one. Reena seemed much more guarded, which was good. Most likely, it was the only thing that had saved her when the Sirens attacked. Terrence? He reminded me of Joey. Happy. Thrilled to be considered special.

  And possibly vulnerable. I shuddered. Could he hold a candle to Elliott?

  Before I had been transformed into the Sibyl, I would have laughed at these people

  who called themselves Eleventh Percenters. I mean, come on. Mysterious mentor. Big house in the middle of nowhere. Everyone has special powers. A modern day comic book come to life.

  But that was before. I propped my elbows up onto the porch rail and buried my face into my hands. Now, my life was nothing but monsters. Monsters and ghosts and revenge. It was horrible. My losses were great.

  Yet, despite everything I’d been through, I couldn’t imagine my life being anything less than what it is now.

  This was the main reason why I was so freaked out when I saw my eyes had changed. I was in serious trouble with only Cyrus and my abilities as the Sibyl to protect me. I’d lost my immortality twice, and both times were due to Athena’s Blade. Apollo got it destroyed, and had promised to restore me to full health. But there was another factor that weighed heavy on my mind.

  I rubbed my face as fear struck against my heart.

  If I was able to die (oh what the hell, pass into Spirit), then Cyrus would as well. This was the agreement he made with Apollo after my loss to Elliot. I started to turn around. Rush back inside to make sure he was still there when I heard a scream coming from the tree line.

  “Eva! Help me, please!”

  “Mom?” I jerked up and peered into the night as another scream resonated through my head. I didn’t stop to question it the second time. I ran down the stairs and into the darkness with a speed I didn’t realize I possessed. As I reached the tree line, I heard the sounds of a scuffle. Of people struggling. So I followed. There was no path here. No easy way to maneuver through the trees. But I managed. Finally, the trees broke to a small clearing, and she was there.

  My mother. Her eyes wide in a look of horror I saw in my dreams every night. I was sure it was how she had been when Elliot attacked her.

  “Mom!” I stopped within a foot of her. “How can I see you? Why are you here?

  What’s wrong?”

  “Everything.”

  I heard a voice hiss in my ear before someone grabbed me from behind and slung me against the nearest tree. I cried out as my head cracked against the wood. I landed in a crouch t
hen prayed to Apollo for the pain shooting across my abdomen to subside and my vision to return to normal. When I stood to face my attacker, I remembered something

  Cyrus had taught me on day one of my training. Not too long ago, Medusa reiterated it.

  Always be aware of your surroundings.

  There were eleven total. Each one stepping out of the trees to encircle me.

  “Release her,” I spoke, surprised to hear the steel underlying my words. “She has nothing to do with the fight Hera has with me.”

  “Oh, darling Sibyl.” The shadow man laughed as he closed in the distance between us. “You elate me so! Perhaps I am a simple spirit, wishing for attention from the

  Daughter of Apollo herself. Perhaps I have a message for you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” I felt discomfort at these words. The phrase “Daughter of Apollo engendered such uneasiness now. But my anger resurfaced as I watched the image of my mother disappear.

  “Wait. What did you do to her?!”

  The man’s eyes glowed a familiar green before he struck out again. He punched me so hard, I landed flat on my back. Within moments, he grabbed me and the others parted as he slammed me against another tree.

  “So pretty. So strong.” He hissed as he pressed himself against me. He freed one hand long enough to twirl a strand of my hair around one shadowed finger. “And such a threat to harmony. Some things are worth going to Hell for, Sibyl.”

  “Yeah? Then by all means, let me help you get there.”

  I couldn’t move my arms thanks to the hold this man had on me, but if I had learned anything during my time as the Sibyl, it was that there was more than one method of escape. I slammed my knee upwards, connecting with his center. The creature howled as my sword shimmered into view. He stumbled backwards and it was my turn.

  I brought the sword up to slam the hilt against his throat. When he fell to his knees, I brought the blade down in a single motion. He disappeared within an instant.

  I lifted the sword up and held it just in front of my face as I turned my attention to the ones who still circled me.

  “Who sent you?” I called out, ignoring the blood that ran down my cheek from the blow I’d taken. “Who do you serve?”

  The dark beings around me lunged forward as a single unit. I would have cursed out loud if there had been time. I should have called out to Cyrus, but it was no use.

  So I fought.

  I blocked their hands as they grabbed at me. Those who got in a hit met my blade the fastest. I thought I was doing pretty well until I felt a sharp pain slice across my back. It was so intense that I dropped my sword as I fell. I rolled onto my back as the creature scrambled past my legs to crawl on top of me.

  “Dammit!” I grunted as the thing scratched at my eyes. I turned my head to see the other beings following suit to circle me in a realm of shadow.

  Cyrus…I’m in trouble.

  I stopped trying to get the creatures off of me as I raised my arms to block my face.

  Ideas flew through my mind as I took blow after blow. I thought about my Keeper’s suggestion to stay inside. I knew I would hear 'I told you so' the moment I got back. But the worst part?

  I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get out of this one.

  I really was in trouble.

  Chapter Five

  Jonah Rowe

  Jonah was pissed.

  But it was a multilayered thing.

  So he had encountered the Sirens. The Sirens Sirens. He’d always found them creepy when he read about them as a kid, but he always wrote it off as mythology. Well, that same mythology had just entered his consciousness and screwed with his emotions. He even had cuts and scrapes on his lower legs from the experience. Why did those psycho bitches have to go into his mind and do that? Anyone who knew him knew all about his writing troubles. So for them to go inside his mind and fabricate an illusion of his success infuriated him hugely. After what he’d gone through with the 49er and the Haunts, he had pretty much had it with people messing around in his head.

  But he’d managed to fight them off and win. He remained safe because something “tethered him to the truth,” as Cyrus put it. It had been quick thinking on his part to throw out that quote that his Nana used to say. That part was true.

  But it wasn’t thoughts of Nana that saved him. The truth would remain in his head, though. He’d be damned if he discussed that with Cyrus and Eva around.

  Eva…

  Jonah sighed. He had been certain that his disdain for her would remain absolute. He hadn’t viewed her much better than he viewed Turk Landry. It also didn’t help matters that the first thing she asked for when they got to the estate was a drink. But his disdain had been shaken by Jonathan’s and Cyrus’s explanations.

  He was now convinced that the whole “bitch” thing was a front. He didn’t know at first, but when she said that she could relate to how he felt as the Blue Aura, a glimmer of her true self shone through. It happened again when she looked on Joey’s phone and saw that her eyes were green again. That scared the shit out of her. So much so that her mask slipped again. Eva had that bitch mask on to hide fear.

  This Elliott guy, the murderer, had Eva so frightened that she had to piss people off to hide it.

  What had she gotten them into?

  Joey and Terrence went to play Madden. Good for them. Jonathan and Cyrus hadn’t moved, but they conversed in hushed tones. That left Reena as the only person to speak to, which worked just fine for Jonah. He opened his mouth to say something when her head shot up.

  “Jonathan. Cyrus. Eva’s essence has changed.”

  “What?” Cyrus reacted faster than anyone else to Reena’s words. “How so?" Before Reena could respond, Eva’s sword disappeared from the coffee table. Cyrus regarded the now-empty space with such alarm that Jonah made a split-second decision and stood up.

  “Jonathan, give me back my batons,” he almost demanded. “We’ll find out what’s up—”

  “Jonah,” Cyrus attempted to empty the tension and worry out of his voice, “Eva is not your responsibility—”

  “Save it, man.” Jonah was so thankful to have his batons back that he twisted

  them in his hands a few times. “You don’t want my help? Tough shit.”

  He spun on his heel and hurried out before anyone could say anything about thinking or planning. He was on the porch in about a minute, with Cyrus right behind him.

  The guy grunted in frustration when he looked around. “Someone grabbed her from the porch! Jonathan promised that the estate was safe!”

  “It is safe, man,” Jonah told him. “There are many protections on the place; I watched Jonathan and the heralds put them there. The only way that Superstar got away from this porch if she left on her own.”

  Cyrus rounded on him. “You’re certain of that? Where is she, then?”

  At that moment, clear as a bell, they heard Eva scream, “DAMMIT!” Their heads both shot in that direction.

  “Woods!”

  Jonah nearly got knocked over by Cyrus as the two of them tore off towards the woods. He didn’t know what to expect when they reached Eva. And once they did, he still didn’t know.

  “What the hell?”

  Eva was surrounded by shadow people. But the composition of their bodies was a bit denser, like soot. They put Jonah in mind of other shadowy, soot-like beings… He thought of the Sirens messing with his head again, and the combination lit Jonah with such anger that all thought of worry got stamped out. He threw down his batons and began to concentrate.

  “Jonah, what are you doing?” demanded Cyrus. “Eva needs us!”

  “Do that shadow thing that you do and get Eva out of the way,” commanded Jonah.

  I need to cut a line through the beasts—”

  “Don’t touch a single one!” snapped Jonah just as the ground began to tremble.

  “You might want to get Eva now!”

  Cyrus disappeared into the shadows. The shadow beings realized th
at the ground was trembling beneath their feet, and, alarmed, ceased attacking Eva. Cyrus phased into view right next to Eva and pulled her aside. The shadow people didn’t even notice. Jonah’s concentration came to fruition as the mental cage door closed in his mind. The second it did, that familiar spectral blue cage erupted out of the ground and trapped every shadow beast within. One touched a bar and howled in agony.

  “What is this?” cried one of them. “No Greek mortal is capable of such things!” “I’m not Greek, I’m Southern,” growled Jonah. “And you ain’t welcome on this land.”

  He closed his fists, and then the cage closed in on the things. The blue cage wiped them out in minutes.

  Jonah lowered his hands. Cyrus and Eva looked at him in shock.

  “What was that, Jonah?” asked Eva.

  Jonah took slow breaths to calm himself. “It’s got some fancy name, but I call it a

  Mind Cage.”

  “Why were you riled so?” asked Cyrus.

  Jonah felt himself return to center. “They reminded me of something else.”

  Cyrus’s eyes narrowed, but he let the matter drop as he returned his attention to

  Eva. “Dammit,” he chided. “You said you were going to stay on the porch.”

  Jonah rolled his eyes and extended a hand to Eva. “Apparently, superstars do whatever they please. I hear they refuse to listen to anything. Especially when it’s for their own damn good.”

  Eva took Jonah’s hand, and then jerked him down and to the side. Jonah was ready to call her everything except her given name, but then he realized a shadowy form on her sword. The thing gave a final twitch as it faded into the night.

  “You missed one, Country,” she muttered. “You can thank me later.”

  Eva shoved Jonah hard enough to cause him to roll over on his back. Jonah rolled his eyes again as Cyrus reached down to pull Eva up on her feet. The woman didn’t need to be babied like that. And given the look on Cyrus’s face, he was about to scold her like a father. Very bold actions for a simple Keeper.