The Oracle Series
Volumes One through Three
Cynthia D. Witherspoon
Story ©copyright Cynthia D. Witherspoon 2015
Cover art: An Unexpected Love: Fairy tale Endings by Taylor Freeman and Three Rabbits Photography; Model: Gabrielle Rae edited for cover use by Cynthia D. Witherspoon.
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Table of Contents
Volume One: The Sibyl
Some tragedies are best left forgotten. Eva McRayne did not believe in the paranormal. So when she was offered a television show to debunk her friend Elliot's ghost findings, Eva couldn't say no. But an encounter with a desperate Sibyl willing to do anything to set herself free changes Eva forever. She takes on the title of Sibyl and is about to learn just how real the paranormal can be.
Volume Two: The Fanatic
We will not be forgotten. Allison Thomason had it all. Fame. Fans. A television show she loved like no other. Until Eva McRayne came along to push her out of the job she was born to do and into obscurity. Determined to see her downfall avenged, Allison calls upon an ancient evil to help her destroy her enemy who understands all too well how easy it is to be pushed aside.
Volume Three: The Seer
Eva McRayne has seen a lot during her time as the Sibyl. She has talked to the dead. She has fought mythological creatures. But when she is faced with an entity that no one dares to speak of at the Kentauros Equestrian Estates, will she find the strength to do what she must? Or will she allow her past fears to dictate her future?
Volume One: The Sibyl
Chapter One
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting this. I didn’t know whether to laugh or leave as my best friend detailed the proposition he had kept from me over the phone. He promised it was good. He promised I would soon have an end to the unemployment crisis I’d found myself in since I’d graduated from the University of Georgia a few months earlier. What he wouldn’t tell me over the phone was what this great job offer would require me to do.
“I’m sorry.” I waved my hand in an attempt to get him to slow down. “I think you’ve lost me.”
“Where?” Elliot Lancaster gave me his million dollar smile as he tore a drink napkin into pieces. “I can’t give you all the details until we see the contracts, but you’ll learn most of what you need to know from Connor.”
“Who’s Connor again?” I picked up the pieces he had scattered all over the table and piled them between us. “Is he important?”
“Yes, he’s important. Connor Garrison. He’s the executive producer who’s agreed to take on this project.” Elliot grabbed my hand across the table. “By god, Eva, have you not heard a single word I’ve said?”
“No, I’ve been listening.” I squeezed his hand. “You got a gig on television. I think that’s fantastic. But I can’t do this with you. It’s not like studying for an exam or pretending to be your sick sister when you’re stuck on a bad date.”
“Why?” He dropped my hand and folded his arms across his chest. “Give me one good reason as to why you can’t be on the show.”
“I have no experience being on television. That’s plenty reason enough.”
“You don’t need experience. You’re not going to be an actress. You’ll be a presenter. The only experience you need is to know how to talk.”
“Fine.” I snorted as I mirrored his defensive stance. “I fall on my face every time I try to walk across the room. And I stutter when I’m nervous. So what makes you think I won’t do the same thing during filming?”
“We’ll get you at angles where you won’t have to worry about walking.” Elliot smirked. “And I have never heard you stutter before. When’d you start doing that?”
He decided to change tactics on me as he reached for his beer. Elliot didn’t take a drink of it though. He began gesturing with it instead. “This isn’t just any gig on television, Eva. Think about it. This could be our chance to travel the world. Maybe even make a difference.”
“So let me get this straight.” I snatched the bottle out of his hand and took a swig. “You want to go around to dusty old houses just to talk about the scary ghosts who live there? That’s not what I call traveling, Eli. Besides, I’m going to need you to explain to me just how you think you’re going to make a difference doing this.”
“Give me that.” He took his nasty beer back. “If we can prove the existence of the paranormal, it would be monumental. We could prove that life doesn’t end at death.”
“Just like every other ghost hunter. Just like every religious fanatic.” I shook my head. “Eli, I love you. And don’t take this the wrong way. But what do you have that the others don’t?”
“I got you.”
I started laughing before I could stop. Here was my dearest friend offering me the chance of a lifetime. A ridiculous chance. I couldn’t be on television. Much less spend my time chasing after tragedies best left forgotten. I managed to stop laughing long enough to take a sip of my tea and catch my breath.
“Ok, Eli.” I shook my head. “I’m flattered, truly I am. But I have my concerns.”
“Which are?”
“One, you know how bad I am about speaking in front of crowds.” I held up my hand, ticking off my argument with my fingers. “Two, I don’t believe in that stuff. Three, have you seen me? I’m not exactly camera ready. Four…”
“Eva McRayne, you are far too hard on yourself.” Elliot pushed down each finger I had raised as he outlined his own argument. “First off, you won’t be speaking in front of crowds. It’ll be just me, you, and a cameraman. Second, that’s why I need you. Think about it. Two friends hunting down ghosts together; one who believes and one who refuses to. You’ll be the Scully to my Mulder. Third, have you seen yourself? I think you’ll be perfect.”
I went back to picking at the small squares of paper he had ripped up earlier in an attempt to ignore him, but it was hard. I was drawn to Elliot. We’d been practically inseparable since our first class at UGA together. In all the years we’d known each other, I never thought I’d be having this conversation with him. And I never thought I’d be able to refuse him anything.
I was two for two today.
“Elliot, I just can’t.” I sighed, relenting to the silence growing between us. “There are a million girls who would kill to be having this conversation with you. I’m just not one of them. I want a steady job. Nine-to-five. A desk. Not a show.”
“You want boring.”
“Not boring. I want security. A steady paycheck.” I pushed my chair away from the table and reached for my purse. “And if you’re going to make fun of me for it, then we’re done with this conversation.”
“I’m not trying to make fun of you.” He reached for my hand again, but I was quicker this time. I snatched it away. “I really do want this to work, and I want this to work with you. Connor was ecstatic when I told them about you.”
“No.” I threw a few dollars down on the table and stood. “I’ll be sure to tune in though. Sounds like a re
al riot.”
“The studio is going to provide us with a furnished condo.” Elliot was studying the chair I’d just vacated. “Not to mention the salary. Five figures per show to start.”
“Per show?”
Elliot nodded as his shoulders dropped. He tried to look dejected, but I was sure he was resisting the urge to grin. “Yeah. But hey, I understand. If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.”
“You’re not playing fair.” I let my words come out slowly. Carefully. “Besides, I’m sure your dad has more to do with the perks than this Garrison guy.”
“Now whose not playing fair?”
Elliot’s face lost the neutral look he had conveyed so well. And he was right. I wasn’t playing fair. I knew better than most how he hated to be under the shadow of his father. The great Joseph Lancaster of Theia Productions, LLC. I can’t tell you how many times I’d heard him confess his fears of not measuring up to his old man after too many drinks. For a moment, I considered apologizing, but it was too late. My friend took a final swig of his beer, threw more ones on top of mine, and stood. He linked our arms in one smooth motion to lead us out of the diner.
“No, Dad has nothing to do with this. Granted, I knew the right people to talk to at his office, but for once this is all me.” Elliot’s dark eyes gleamed as we stepped out into the Georgia sun. “I pitched the show to Connor and his boys myself. They loved the idea. Really thinks they can sell it. And just imagine! You and me traveling around the world to investigate notorious and nefarious places. I’ll document all the paranormal stuff. You’ll shoot me down. It’ll be fun.”
“Notorious and nefarious?” I smirked. “What century are you in again?”
“You know what I mean.”
“It does sound like fun.” I admitted. “I’m more attracted to the salary than enjoyment though.”
This was my main concern. I’d spent all of the savings left over from my college loans to survive as I went on the job hunt. So far, my prospects were null. I released his arm to dig through my purse. “I still don’t like the idea of being on national television.”
“It’ll be on cable, Eva.” Elliot’s smile was back as he realized my resolve was cracking. “It’s not like anyone will actually watch us.”
I finally found my sunglasses and slipped them on. “I won’t have to talk in front of people at all?”
“Not unless you count the ghosts we run into.” His amusement was visible when he glanced down at me. Elliot was a good bit taller than I was. “No. I was serious when I said it would just be you, me, and a cameraman.”
I nodded. “Alright. I’ll think about it. After I’ve seen the contracts and met this Connor person.”
Elliot scooped me up in a bear hug right in the middle of downtown Athens. “I knew you’d do it, Eva!”
“Put me down.” I smacked at his shoulder until my feet touched the sidewalk again. “I haven’t said I’d do it yet.”
“But you’ve stopped saying no.” Elliot laughed, wiggling his eyebrows. “Tell me, Eva. What won you over? My magnetic charm? My dashing good looks?”
“It certainly wasn’t your modesty.” I grumbled loud enough so he could hear me.
“Not my style, doll.” Elliot grinned as we turned down the side street leading to my condo. “We fly out to L.A. on Wednesday to meet with the boys and see the new place; work out the details. I swear, I’ll keep the place spotless. You won’t even know I’m there.”
“Wednesday?” I squeaked as I came to a halt once more. “You mean I have two days to get myself ready for the biggest interview I’ve ever had?”
“No. Three.” He had the decency to look puzzled. “We’re scheduled to meet with Connor at nine on Thursday. Why?”
“Why? Oh my god, Eli.” I groaned. “I’ve got so much to do! I have to get my hair done. Figure out what I’m going to wear. Not to mention actually packing everything.”
“Since when are you worried about your hair?”
“Since I found out you want me to be on T.V.” I was glaring again, but this time he was shielded thanks to my sunglasses.
“You’re just being silly.” Elliot pulled his own pair of glasses out of his back pocket and put them on. “Don’t worry about it. You look fine.”
“Women on T.V. don’t look ‘fine’. They look perfect.”
He didn’t respond, only waved as he took off across the street as I started to panic. Wednesday! Elliot wanted me to fly across the country for a job interview in two days. I took a deep breath, mentally listed everything I needed to do, then turned towards the nearest ATM with a weight in my stomach. I would have to perform miracles if I were ever going to make this happen.
***
“No, Daddy. For the tenth time, I’m not crazy.” I tapped my cell phone against the side of my head as my father’s voice filtered through the speaker. On of the first items on my ‘To-Do’ list was to call my parents in South Carolina to give them the good news about my impending employment. The problem was my dad didn’t see me flying out to Los Angeles for a job as ‘good news’. He wanted me back home in Charleston so I could spend the rest of my life rearranging the tourist knick knacks in his store.
“You can’t be serious about this, Eva.” Daddy still had a monopoly on our conversation. “That place is dangerous. It’s full of nothing but drugs and crime.”
“I get it, Dad. I can feel the hellfire already.” I was standing in the middle of my studio apartment, surrounded by a medley of clothes and luggage. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I can’t be on your dime forever.”
“You’re not ‘on my dime’ now. You keep refusing my offer to hire you on at the store.”
“Oh, don’t listen to him, honey.” My mom chimed in. Somehow, she’d managed to wrestle the phone away. “Are you excited? When will it be on? What channel?”
“I’m not hired yet, so I’m not excited. I don’t know, and I don’t know.” I answered her questions as quickly as she threw them out at me. But it didn’t matter. My mom wasn’t listening to a single word I’d said.
“Our baby is going to be on television! Oh Martin, can you imagine?”
I found myself once again holding the phone away from my ear, rolling my eyes as she dreamed up a party for the premiere of a show I wasn’t even a part of. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that if this Connor had any sense, he’d replace any notions of hiring me with someone else. I felt a sharp pang in the base of my stomach at the thought of it. Could I really want this job despite my obvious reservations? No, that wasn’t it. I wanted the money, not the position. Could I be jealous? Nah; not of Elliot. And certainly not of some girl they would hire to work with him. More like nerves. Yeah, that’s it. I was just nervous.
“Is it that boy?”
Dad’s voice broke through Mom’s yammering long enough to bring me back to reality. He was referring to Elliot, who had failed to meet my father’s impossible standards the moment he learned of his existence.
“No, it’s not Elliot. This is for me, Daddy. Surely you can understand that. When will I ever get another chance like this again?”
“Tonight. Tomorrow if you don’t want to work for me or the week after.” His voice shifted from condemnation to honey in a matter of seconds. “You’re such a smart girl and you’ve worked so hard. I’d hate to see your college education go to waste because you want to follow some boy out to California.”
“I’m not following him. He invited me with the off chance I might be able to land this job.” I frowned at the pile of shoes I had yet to go through. “Besides, whatever happened to you saying I could do whatever I wanted to?”
“Eva, I’m just worried.” My father sighed as he relinquished the real reason behind his distress. “I don’t want you to go across the country just to get your heart broken. You could end up homeless. Dead. Or worse.”
Before I could ask him what could be worse than dead, my mom was back on the line. She was oblivious to the anxiety in my father�
��s voice.
“You said they are going to pay you per episode? And you’ll have your own condo?” She all but squealed. “We’ll come out and help you get settled.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mom.” I picked up two pairs of black heels and tossed them on the couch in the ‘maybe’ pile. “There are still a lot of details to go through.”
“Baby, don’t do this.” My dad must have picked up on the other line because I could hear each of them separately now. They were such a contradiction. Dad was the planner; the worrier in our little family. My mom? Not so much. “Come home and meet a nice boy who will take care of you instead of hanging onto one who wants to drag you all over the country.”
“I should be back in Athens on Saturday. Maybe Monday. I don’t have the itinerary for our little trip yet. I’ll have to call you when I know something for certain.”
I gave them both my love and disconnected the call before they could say anything further. I tried to turn my attention back to the mess I’d made in my living room, but sank down in a pile of pants instead. I had a knot in my stomach now I couldn’t explain. My dad didn’t think I could do this. Hell, I didn’t think I could do this. But Elliot did. Somehow, he believed in me enough to want me by his side.
I couldn’t let him down.
Chapter Two
“Eva, get on with it.”
Elliot was sitting on the edge of my bed running his tie through his fingers. I knew he was nervous, just as he knew I was stalling. But I couldn’t stop myself. For the hundredth time since we’d arrive in Los Angeles, I kept asking myself the same question.
Just what exactly was I doing here?
“Fine.”
I sighed before heading into the oversized bathroom just off the main suite. Even I had approved of the reflection that greeted me in the mirror. I decided to keep it simple. Black suit, white shirt, low heel pumps. I’d even managed to get my hair to behave. I grabbed my lipstick from the bag beside the sink and was twisting it open when I heard a low moan coming from the other room.
The Oracle Series: Volumes 1-3 Page 1