"I'll do my best. You know I can't promise anything." I watched Cyrus stand before I spoke again. "Hey, Stick, thank you. For everything."
I offered him a small smile. I knew what he was doing. Cyrus wasn't just going to get the information we needed. He was leaving me alone with Elliot. He was giving me a chance to think about what he said. I turned my attention back to the bed, willing myself to stop thinking about the Erinyes. I needed to stop mulling over the things I couldn't change tonight and focus on the one I was with. But despite the fact that I was grateful for the peace and quiet, it only enhanced my fears for the future.
Cyrus clasped his hand over mine before he stepped back into the shadows. The air shifted until the secure feeling that always surrounded me when my keeper was close by was gone. Within seconds, we were alone.
"Hey." I brushed a kiss across Elliot's cheek. "What's a happening, hot stuff?"
As expected, there was no response from him. No laughter or quick retort from the man I had given my heart to. If he were anywhere other than a hospital bed, I would have slapped him for making me worry so much.
"It turns out I was right." I traced the outlines of his fingers where they rested against the plain white sheet. "You did call me from the Great Beyond. And now, I've got three little kids with really bad attitudes determined to replace me as the Sibyl so they can be on television."
I'd seen enough movies to know people in comas could still hear the voices around them, even if they couldn't respond. So I kept talking. I told Elliot about how his Allison was really Allison Thomason. I told him about meeting the Erinyes and their stupid trial in Chicago. Lastly, I replayed my impromptu meeting with Connor at Spagos.
"You aren't going to tell him about your little make out session with the Keeper, are you? Don't deny it. I saw you."
I jumped at the sound of a woman's voice behind me, turning in my chair so quick I almost fell out of it. Allison Thomason stepped out of the shadows to approach Elliot's bed.
"Jesus." I hissed. "Can't you things learn how to use a door like everybody else? They really aren't that difficult to operate."
Allison smirked as she trailed her fingers along the edge of my friend's bed until she reached the side opposite to me. "Pity about Elliot, isn't it? He was such a charmer."
"Yes, it is." I released his hand. "But he'll be fine. You, on the other hand, may not be if you don't leave this room right now."
"Oh?" Allison looked up at me, her strange red eyes filled with amusement. "I wouldn't say that, Eva. You see, I've been watching you. I am quite familiar with your lack of training. And your keeper is no longer by your side to keep you safe. It is you who are in danger, Sibyl. Not I."
I didn't have a response so I kept my mouth shut. Within moments, the creature in front of me laughed.
"You are scared of me! How adorable. You shouldn't worry though. I hear Tartarus is fantastic this time of year. You'll be there soon enough. As for me, well, we all know what will become of my fate within a week's time."
I pushed the chair away from Elliot's bed to stand. I'd be damned if she thought I was actually frightened by her.
"You don't know me, Allison. You have no idea what I am capable of."
"Yes I do. You," She moved so quickly, I lost sight of her until she reappeared right in front of me and tapped the end of my nose with a single pointed finger. "Will give up your immortality because you are weak and stupid. You don't appreciate the gift you were given. Instead, you've turned yourself into a sideshow freak to be adored by the masses."
"Too bad it can't be you, right?" I gave her a crooked smile. "You were the one who was forgotten, Allison, not me. That's what this is all about, isn't it? Grave Messages was better in every way, so I replaced you. I give people what they want instead of boring them to tears with fake science and big words."
"Supernatural Searches was real, dammit!" She cried out. "My work, my research, it was valued until you came along. You stole my life from me. You stole everything!"
Allison swung her arms straight out and I was hit with a force of energy so hard that my body slammed against the wall behind me. I cried out more from shock than hurt as I made contact and managed to land in a crouch after I fell.
She was back in front of me, raising her arms for a second strike when I remembered my lessons with Cyrus. Instead of getting out of her way, I lunged forward to knock her off balance. She landed with a thud I found oddly satisfying. I straddled her waist as she struggled beneath me and grabbed a hold of her throat to keep her from throwing me off as I leaned in.
"You will never be the Sibyl just as you will never have your precious show back. Now leave."
Her form shimmered in the darkness until she disappeared. I felt my knees hit the floor as she left, but I didn't return to the chair I'd vacated. Instead, I stayed where I was as the shock of the fight hit me. I'd threatened her, yes, but Allison had been watching me. She had been studying me for months before her death and it seemed that she had continued stalking me long after she had become affiliated with the Erinyes.
I had a weight on my shoulders I couldn't shake as I collapsed forward onto my hands. I wasn't strong enough to fight the Erinyes. Hell, I'd barely been able to fight back the spirits we filmed for the show. I was all too aware of how hollow my threats toward Allison were.
She was right. I was weak. I was nothing more than a freak show in the flesh. Allison Thomason would have my title. My immortality.
And I would be damned forever.
Chapter Nine
"Eva. Eva, honey, wake up."
I grunted, pushing at the hands that were shaking my shoulders as I reached for my blanket. I got nothing but handfuls of air. I opened my eyes to see the thick white bottom of Elliot's hotel bed as the night before came rushing back. I pushed myself up to see Cyrus and Joey looking at me with concern.
"What?" I mumbled as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "You've never slept on the floor before? Supposed to be really good for your back."
"Right." Joey twisted towards Cyrus. "She's being a smartass. She's fine."
"Thanks." I started to stand, but my entire torso was throbbing. I grabbed Joey's offered hand and let him lift me up. "Ow."
"Good for your back, huh?" Joey raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't sound like it."
"I don't feel stiff." I stretched with a wince. "I think I'm bruised. I kinda got into a fight last night."
"A fight?" Cyrus' amused expression shifted into seriousness in less than a second. "Details. Now."
"Can I eat first? Get some coffee?" I pouted as I checked on Elliot. When I was satisfied nothing had changed overnight, I continued. "Or at the very least, can one of you tell me what time it is? I'd like to know how long I was out."
"Just past five. The nurses will be doing their rounds any minute now. As for food," Joey pulled out a white bag with a red logo on it. "I got you covered."
"Bagels?"
I perked up as he pulled my chair over to the table by the windows. I crossed the room as quickly as I could while attempting to ignore Cyrus. It was hard enough to wrap my own mind around what had happened with Allison, much less try to explain it.
"Not just any bagels. Sun dried tomato bagels with garden cream cheese." Joey pulled out two wax covered circles before passing me a large cup with the Starbucks label on it. "I figured you were going to need to eat before I told you what the research guys found out about Allison."
"I want to hear about this fight first." Cyrus leaned against the edge of the table and crossed his arms as he looked down at me. "What happened last night?"
"Allison swung by for a visit." I took a bite of my bagel, silently thanking whatever god could hear me for Joey's insight. I hadn't eaten since the day before so it took all the willpower I had not to devour the whole thing like a madwoman. "We had a nice little chat. Talked about spring fashion and sensible shoes. In fact, we're going to get manis and pedis when I get back from Chicago."
"Eva." Cyrus warned. "Now is
not the time for jokes. Did Allison really come after you here while I was gone?"
"Yes." I took another bite. "She really did show up. Did that creepy thing you do and stepped out of the shadows, so I have no idea how long she'd been here. She threatened me about taking over as the Sibyl, I told her she was a has-been. She threw me into the wall. It was a great visit."
"Threw you? No offense, Eva, but Allison was tiny. Not saying that you're fat or anything, but I can't imagine her picking you up to toss you into the wall." Joey spoke up this time as he sipped on his coffee. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, she hit me with something. Like an energy beam you see in superhero movies." I scowled at him for the weight comment. "At any rate, I'm a fast healer. I'm just a little bruised, that's all. Even those should be gone by the end of the day."
I went on to describe our fight and how I was able to get her to leave. I didn't miss how dark Cyrus' face had gotten the more I talked about it. I decided to forego the breakdown which caused me to fall asleep on the floor. It wouldn't help anyone if I went into that much detail.
"So Allison has been watching you." Cyrus dropped his arms to hold onto the edge of the table. "She knows your weaknesses."
"You can't be surprised by that. I wasn't." I finished my last bite, resisting the urge to snag Joey's unwrapped bagel from him. I picked up a napkin instead. "You saw her apartment, Cyrus. It screamed stalker."
"Speaking of stalker," Joey unwrapped his own bagel. "I told you Research got back to me, right?"
"Yeah." I leaned back into my chair, cupping my hands around my coffee. "What did they find out?"
"A lot." Joey pulled out a folder from the black messenger bag resting against his feet. "I was right when I said Allison used to be on television."
"We knew that already. Tell me something I don't know." I took the folder when he passed it over to me. "Is there anything in here about her suicide?"
"Of course." Joey started to eat as I flipped through the pages. The printed words in front of me seemed too difficult to read this early in the morning. So I focused on the pictures as Joey started talking.
"Allison started out in the ghosthunting business when she was a high school kid out in Oklahoma. She joined up with the Stillwater Paranormal Society, going with them to every haunted attraction she could. By the time she started classes at Oklahoma State, our crazy girl had taken over. She started pulling in other students from school; film kids and science geeks. Allison promised them all big futures if they helped her with her research. It paid off."
Joey stopped only to take another bite. Once he swallowed, he continued.
"Supernatural Searches was picked up by Guru Productions and aired on the Mystic Channel. According to the people who worked with her, Allison was obsessed. She was nicknamed the Fanatic thanks to her dedication to the show and the dead. One of her researchers told our guys that she would work twenty hour days, only going home to crash for a few hours before coming back to the office."
"What was she doing with all that time?" I frowned at the publicity picture of my new nemesis. "Don't get me wrong. I love Grave Messages, but sometimes you just gotta get away from all the sadness it brings."
"That's just it, Eva. Allison didn't want to get away from her work. She thrived on the misery of others. Her locations were some of the worst places imaginable. Mental hospitals famous for abuse, prisons where riots killed more people than you could ever dream of." Joey tapped the picture in my lap. "This girl was insane and not in a good way. When she lost her show, she turned that insanity onto you."
"So why was Supernatural Searches cancelled? I mean, sure, ratings are important. But you don't just yank a show when the numbers start dropping." I closed the folder and tossed it back onto the table. "I've learned enough from Connor to know you increase the advertising. Increase the appearances. Do everything you can to put your star back in the limelight. When all else fails, then you shut it down."
"They were afraid of her. Pure and simple." Joey crumpled up his bagel wrapper and stuffed it in the bag. "Her bosses caught wind of her long days. She would go into sudden rants about how she would find a way to cheat death and Heaven. She encouraged her viewers to embrace the darker side of the afterlife. As for the show, Allison expected her people to have the same dedication that she did. When they didn't, she would make their lives miserable until they quit or got reassigned to another project."
"Interesting, but I don't get what good this information does for us." I bit my lip as I looked over my shoulder at the hospital bed. "How does that help Elliot?"
"I think this is where I come in. I did some research of my own last night." Cyrus pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen. "I was able to get an audience with Apollo, who wasn't too happy with you wanting to make contact with his sister. He said he ignored you for a reason, Little One."
"Yeah? That's too bad. He should know how much I want to help Elliot."
"Apollo is not concerned with your Elliot. He is much more concerned about losing his hold over the Sibyl. You must realize how much you have aided him over the past few months. Even though only eleven episodes of your first season have aired, his temples in Greece are bursting with believers. And even more temples are being built across the world."
"Which means more power for him, right?" I shrugged when he seemed surprised. "I told you I talked with Delphine when we were at Spagos. She explained some things to me. The more people believe in a particular god, the more power that god has over humanity."
"Yes." Cyrus nodded. "So it is an understatement to say Apollo wants you to refuse to attend the trial. He all but ordered me to tell you not to go to Chicago."
"I don't take orders well. I'm going." I pushed away from the table and stood with another grimace as the throbbing returned. "Did he tell you where to find Athena?"
"He did. Apollo said you would refuse him, so he wanted me to tell you that if you are insistent on meeting with Athena, then you will be able to find her in Phoenix, Arizona."
"Awesome." I grabbed my overnight bag from its spot by the bed. "Let me get changed and we'll start looking for flights that leave as soon as possible. Joey, you want to come with us?"
"No, I'm good. I think meeting one set of supernatural beings this week is enough for me. Thanks though." He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Look, don't get mad, but I really think you should get your back checked out. You don't seem as spry as usual."
"I'm fine."
I stressed the final word of my refusal. It wasn't enough. Cyrus came over and gestured for me to turn around.
"Let me take a look at it."
When I didn't move, my keeper rolled his eyes. "I'm not asking you to undress, Eva. Just pull up your shirt enough for me to see where you were injured. There is no reason why you should still be hurting if your fight was last night."
I dropped the bag and turned around. Cyrus tugged at the bottom of my shirt, lifting it up until it was halfway up my back. I could hear him whistle under his breath before he reached out to brush his fingers across my skin.
"You're all black and blue, which is good. It means your body is healing. Perhaps your slow recovery is due to your use of mirrors yesterday."
"Maybe." I answered as his touch reminded me of the kiss we had shared. I pulled away from him before Joey could take notice of the change Cyrus caused in me. "Are you happy now? I told you I was fine."
"Yes." Cyrus smirked. "You're blushing, Little One."
"No, I'm not." I snapped at him. "It's hot in here."
"Uh huh." Joey was taking his time cleaning up the mess left behind from our breakfast. "Listen, I'm going to leave the two of you alone. Call me when you get back from Phoenix, alright? I want all the gory details."
"Pray, don't use the word 'gory'." My keeper grimaced as he went to help Joey at the table. "We are meeting with Athena, after all, will not be pleased when Eva starts questioning her about the Erinyes."
"What's she going to do, strike me down?" I sat
my bag down on the toilet before peeking around the door frame. "You need to take a chill pill, Stick. It'll be fine. We'll swoop in, get our answers, and get back home before supper."
"I can only hope it will be so easy, Eva. But this is you we're talking about. You seem to enjoy making things as difficult as possible."
I stuck my tongue out at him before shutting the door. I threw on my clothes and ran a comb through my hair as fast as I could. I briefly considered running by the condo to change into something nicer than what I'd packed for the hospital. I decided against it. As it were, I was one day closer to my trial. I didn't want to waste any more time than necessary. Athena would just have to accept me as I am.
I could only pray she would be willing to give me the answers I needed.
***
We got lucky. Two seats for the seven o'clock flight to Phoenix were available. So after I paid a small fortune through the app on my phone to snag them, headed straight to LAX. I won't tell you how much I despise airports. I had to make sure to always keep my mental shields up in case I ran across a reflective surface in the decor. Not to mention the crowds. Despite the early hour, there were people everywhere when we arrived. So after printing out our tickets at the kiosk, checking in my single overnight bag, and going through an hour's worth of security, we made it to our gate with time to spare.
Cyrus sat down in the chair next to me while I dug through my purse for my bluetooth. I never used it for actual phone conversations, but it was great to listen to music on. I turned it on, attached it to my ear, and found a playlist I could live with for the next twenty minutes. My keeper decided to interrupt me halfway through the third song.
"Do you have any questions about what we are about to do, Little One?"
"No." I shook my head as I turned the music off. "It's pretty straight forward, isn't it? We go in, I charm the heck out of Athena, get her to talk to us, and then we're done."
"You can't charm Athena, Eva." Cyrus appeared amused as he folded his hands over his lap. "Athena is the goddess of reason and debate. She will be more adept to listen to you if you are more direct. And respectful. Don't forget to be respectful."
The Oracle Series: Volumes 1-3 Page 21