"No, nothing so fantastic." Cyrus smirked as he tucked his hands in his jacket pockets. "Joseph is very much human, and a curious one than that. When he first came to California, he would spend his time and money going from one psychic to another as he tried to figure out how to make his fortune. This is how he met Kathy. She had a new age shop just outside of Calabas in the late 1970s."
"I'm sorry," I waved my hand to stop him. "I don't think we're talking about the same person. Joseph Lancaster told me himself that he doesn't put much stock in the paranormal. I can't see him visiting psychics for business advice."
"Of course he would. Who wants to admit their success is based off the visions of a psychic?" Cyrus shrugged. "At any rate, she gave him a reading through the mirror that described Theia Productions. Joseph began visiting Kathy every week, then every day to see how close he was to obtaining his success. Soon enough, we couldn't keep him away. He became obsessed with the Sibyl and what she could do. As for Kathy, she was amused by the young man's attentions. Throughout her time, she had been cast aside after her customers got their futures. Joseph was different."
"So they fell in love?" I turned my attentions to the large window we were standing next to. "Big deal. It happens all the time."
"Yes, it does. But this was different. Joseph had no idea the dangers he would be in by associating himself with her. And how could he? Kathy had done well to protect him from vengeful spirits. She would disappear for days if she became possessed by her contacts. But Joseph was always there waiting when she returned. By the time Elliot was born, Kathy knew could never have a simple life with her beloved. It was an easy decision to make. If Kathy had stayed with Joseph, if she had attempted to have a family with him, then she would have been forced to protect them from the demons she saw in the mirror. So she gave her son to his father and sent them on their way."
"Ok." I turned back to face my keeper. "I get that she wanted to protect them, but what about you? Why wouldn't you help her?"
"I hold no obligations to anyone else save Apollo and his Sibyl. Eva, please understand. It is true I would go to hell for you. I would fight the very gods for you. My loyalty lies with you and no one else. No lover. No family. I am not allowed to protect them."
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Cyrus. I understand all too well how limited we are." When he didn't respond, I took his hand to squeeze it. "I don't think that's the end of your story."
Cyrus offered me a small smile as he returned my gesture. "There is nothing else of importance. Kathy kept in touch with Joseph over the years. She watched Elliot grow up through her mirror. When she started seeing you, she became convinced you could keep her son safe. This is the real reason why Kathy chose you, Eva. She knew you would be strong enough to fight against any threat her beloved child faced."
"So we're back to that again." I sighed. "The strange thing is that I saw the anguish Kathy's abandonment caused Elliot. He blamed Joseph for her disappearance. I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to tell him the truth now."
"Are you sure that is your place, Little One? Perhaps it should be Joseph who tells his son who his mother is and why she left them."
"Maybe."
I started to say more, but Joey caught my attention when he hollered at me from across the lobby.
"McRayne, if you don't get your butt over here, I'm calling dibs on your room."
I laughed as we headed in his direction. "You know, we were having a very important conversation, Joey."
"What could be more important than checking out our new digs?" He handed me a silver keycard embossed with the Ritz-Carlton logo. "Your bags should be on the way up as we speak. Go on. We'll get the rest of this stuff taken care of."
"Sounds like a plan. Want to meet for dinner later? We can work on the monologue for tomorrow."
We worked out the details of meeting later before my friend disappeared into the sea of people surrounding us. It never ceased to amaze me just how many people it took to make a single episode of Grave Messages. I made a mental note to talk to Connor about cutting down the crew we traveled with as Cyrus led me towards the elevator. Elliot had said once our show would be nothing more than me, him, and a cameraman. It would be simple. Easy.
It was time to get back to that.
Chapter Twelve
I did absolutely nothing once we got settled into our hotel rooms. Cyrus wasn't kidding when he said Joseph had spent a small fortune to give me his thanks. He had put me up in a penthouse suite which rivaled the size of my condo back home. So after a room service dinner with Joey while working out how I was going to introduce our newest location for the show, my keeper and I lounged on the massive bed to watch old black and white war movies.
It was the best evening since I'd left both college and Georgia behind.
"Why haven't we hung out like this before?" I tugged at the comforter to pull it farther up onto my lap. "Tonight has been great, Cyrus."
"Because you are always so preoccupied with other matters, Little One." He pressed a button on the remote and the credits rolling across the screen froze. "Yourself, mainly."
"Ok. That was hurtful. Definitely not the response I was expecting." I frowned as he tossed the remote aside. "In my defense, I am quite concerned with Elliot at the moment. The fate of the civilized world, too."
"No, you're not." Cyrus leaned back against the pillows. "You want to save Elliot because you can't stand the thought of letting go of your past. As for the fate of the civilized world? You wouldn't care if it all collapsed around your ears as long it didn't slow you down."
"Ok. Now you're just being mean." I started to push the covers aside when Cyrus grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?"
"Telling you the truth. It's high time someone shook you out of the self-absorbed bubble you've put up around yourself. Answer a question for me, Eva. Why Elliot?"
"Cyrus, we've been over this." I tugged at my arm, but he had a grip on me. "I told you I loved him."
"Why? Why do you love him? Be honest."
"Because he's Elliot. He's always been there for me." I said the first thing that came to mind before I realized how weak my voice sounded. I cleared my throat and tried again. "We've been through a lot together, Cyrus."
"Listen to yourself, Eva." Cyrus dropped my arm. "Always been there. Been through. These are words of the past. No, I think it is much more likely that you are in love with the thought of Elliot, not the man himself."
"Oh, you are impossible!" I stood up to move away from the bed. "We've had a great evening, Cyrus. Why are you trying to ruin it now with all this talk about who I love and why? And if this is about you kissing me the other day, you can stop right now."
"Because I can't stop thinking about what happened. Because nights like this hold all the promise of a future you have every intention of throwing away." Cyrus stood up as well as he spoke. "And for what? Someone who abandoned you the first chance he got?"
I didn't respond, but I didn't have to. Cyrus wasn't finished yet.
"Tell me one thing, Eva. Tell me you regret the affection that has developed between us. If you can, then I will stop. I will be ever the professional from here on out."
"I can't." I wrapped my arms around myself as I considered my next words. "I can't say I regret you because I don't. I don't think I would be able to let you go even if I had to. But I'm confused, alright? I've always known what and who I want. Now, I'm torn between what I've always known and what I can't understand."
"Then let me help you." Cyrus crossed the room in no less than three steps. When he stopped in front of me, he tugged at my chin until I was looking up at him. "What do you not understand?"
"How you can make me feel so safe one minute and infuriate me the next."
I didn't try to pull away from him. I studied his face instead. It was lined with worry. Marked and scarred by the battles he had fought before Apollo cursed him. Cyrus was beautiful in a damaged sort of way. That was the problem.
He was da
maged. He had been left behind by the woman he loved. His heart broken by the first Sibyl. It only made sense that he would be attracted to the first one who came along who reminded him of what he had lost. I decided now was as good a time as ever to point this out to him.
"Besides, I'm not convinced that you have let go of the past. How can you ask me to do something you haven't done yourself?"
"Is this about Delphine?"
"Yes." I nodded. "You told me once you weren't trying to romance me, but here we are. You said you still loved her, and that I am a reminder of what the two of you had. I don't want to be a memory in the flesh, Cyrus. I want to be loved for who I am. Not who I remind you of."
"Eva, I can't say I have an answer for your fears. And I am well versed on the conversations we have had on the matter of my history. What I can say is that I will spend the rest of our days together trying to make you happy despite your fate. And I will do everything within my power to make you realize how special you have become to me."
"And when it's over?"
"Then I will let you go." Cyrus' dark eyes seemed to dim with sadness. "I will not stop you from finding the peace death can provide."
Maybe it was the kindness in his voice. Or maybe, I wanted to ease the sudden melancholy which squeezed at my heart as I thought about what he had said about letting me go. Either way, I leaned into his embrace to rest my head against his chest. Cyrus held me against him for quite some time before I answered him.
"I need time, Cyrus. My feelings for Elliot can't be forgotten overnight. Nor can the sense of dedication I have towards him. Please understand. I'm not rejecting you, but I can't accept your heart either."
"I do understand. Your loyalty to your friend is something to be admired, Eva, not envied. It is much like the dedication I hold towards you."
He pulled back just enough to brush a kiss across the top of my head. I will admit, my heart seemed to skip in my chest at the sweetness of his gesture.
"There is one more thing I wanted to discuss with you tonight, Little One, about tomorrow."
"Do we have to?" I groaned as he released me. "Cyrus, I really don't want to think about the trial or the Erinyes or the show. Much less spend the rest of my night talking about what could or could not happen."
My keeper distanced himself from me as his hand shimmered in the telltale sign that he was drawing his sword. When it formed, he balanced it between his hands.
"If the Erinyes find you guilty at the trial - and they will - I want you to be able to fight them until I can reach Apollo for help. I will do all I can to assist you, but I am certain the sisters will prevent me from doing so."
"Am I allowed to touch this?" I narrowed my eyes as he tried to pass the sword over to me. "I mean, you did just pull it out of thin air. What if I break it?"
"The metal is solid, Eva. If you break it, then you are much stronger than either of us could ever imagine." Cyrus gave me a crooked smile. "Do not worry about damaging it. Have you ever used a sword before?"
"Oh, sure. Lots of times. I keep one in the glove box just in case I get carjacked." I rolled my eyes at him. "Be serious, Cyrus. We're in the 21st century. You are the first person I've ever encountered who even has a sword. Much less knows how to use it."
"Well, then, allow me to teach you what I can in what little time we have available to us." Cyrus pressed the sword into my hands. "But first, you must learn how to hold it properly."
"Without cutting my own hand off? Yeah, that would be useful." I took the weapon by the hilt, surprised at how light it felt as I dropped it to my side. "Ok. Now what?"
Cyrus shifted around me to adjust my grip. As he began giving me instructions on how to best utilize the weapon in my hand, I began to listen. For the first time, I was determined to learn everything he was trying to teach me. After all, I hadn't told him what Athena revealed to me back in Phoenix. What Cyrus couldn't know was how useful his lessons in combat were going to be in less than twenty-four hours. There would be violence at Bachelor's Grove. I would have to fight Allison for my title as the Sibyl.
And one of us would be destroyed.
***
Chicago in the winter was cold. It was true that I'd gotten spoiled by my months in California. So when I got out of bed the next morning, I found myself doing a double take at the sight outside my window. Snow was drifting down to cover the roads and sidewalks alike in a thick white slush. The southern kid in me squealed as I remembered how rare such weather was in my home state. But the adult in me dreaded having to go out to do my job on such a cold wet day.
"I don't guess the Erinyes will postpone their little show for the weather, will they?" I let the curtain drop back into place as Cyrus appeared beside me. "Maybe we can challenge them to a snowball fight instead. I can throw a mean curve ball, you know."
"No such luck, Little One." Cyrus reached out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. "But you don't have to go if you don't want to. Remember, if you will, Apollo wished for you to refuse them. He does not want you to attend their trial."
"Yeah, and if I do as he wishes, then Elliot will die." I shrugged. "It's not a hard choice to make, Cyrus."
I crossed the room to pick my cell phone up off the dresser where I had left it to charge the night before. Within thirty minutes, I had arranged for the majority of our prep work to be done here in the hotel. The weather had put a stop to any type of professional equipment being set up at Bachelor's Grove, and even Joey complained at the potential damage snow could cause to his camera. Just as I disconnected my call with him, room service arrived with my breakfast.
"Wardrobe is scurrying to find out what I'm going to wear." I grabbed my tray as Cyrus turned on the television. "Apparently, they plan for this sort of thing. They are going to be up here by noon so they can decide what color peacoat would look best against the snow."
"We have to be at Bachelor's Grove by nightfall." Cyrus passed over my coffee. "Even in good weather, it is a forty minute drive from here."
"I know, I know." I bit into my food and smiled. "We'll make it in plenty of time. Chicago is used to this kind of weather. I'm sure the roads will be fine."
"I'm not worried about the roads. I'm worried about you going through with this. Are you sure you won't stay here? I'll even let you pick what you want to watch tonight."
"I'm sure. When we get back, we'll still have an entire day free to play around in the Windy City." I finished my toast and attacked my eggs next. "We'll watch more movies and run up Joseph's bill if it's still snowing."
"If we get back, you mean."
Cyrus turned his attention to the weather forecast while I finished eating. He had told me once that even though I was immortal, I still had to do the mundane things to keep my strength up. I had told him then that he was worse than a mother hen with the way he fussed over me. Just as he was doing now. This time, I didn't tease him. I didn't say a word as I went about taking a shower and throwing on my sweats to wait for wardrobe to arrive. I couldn't bring myself to say the one thought preoccupying my mind as I sat by the window to watch the snow as it continued to fall.
He wasn't the only one who was worried. I was worried, too.
***
"Jonathan!" I grinned as I threw out my arms to embrace the hair stylist assigned to Grave Messages. "Thank god you're here. I was afraid you weren't going to make it on such short notice."
"I always go where I am needed." The short man returned my hug before leading me over to the chair he had sat up in the center of my hotel room. "And you need me desperately. Your hair is a mess."
"It hasn't been that long." I muttered as I sat down. "One month and you would think I'd turned into a hag."
Jonathan replied with a series of tsks as he alternated between pressing against my scalp and running his fingers through my hair.
"Did you even open the kit I gave you? Your hair is snapping off in my hands, Eva. If I'd known my canvas was in such poor condition, I would have started on you before you lef
t Los Angeles."
"Jonathan, you are the master." I threw my arm across my eyes with a sigh. "I am the clay. So do your magic and make me pretty."
"I don't get paid for pretty, darling girl." He flittered around my chair as he pulled out a series of brushes and gadgets. "I get paid for perfection."
I settled into a routine I had come to enjoy whenever we traveled. Jonathan wasn't around unless I was filming or had to do a promotional gig, so whenever we got together, the two of us spent our time making up snide comments about our co-workers. We stopped talking only when he turned on the hair dryer.
Cyrus was pretending to read a magazine, but I knew he was listening to us from his post on the bed. He found these pre-show rituals to be quite amusing. Especially once the makeup witches arrived. He was well aware of how much I hated being poked and prodded for the sake of beauty. So when Jonathan finished piling my newly moisturized blonde hair into an expert ponytail, I clutched at the chair arms like a little kid at the doctor's office.
"Oh, you are such a brat." Jonathan chided as he packed up his bag. "Make up is essential. You want pretty? You gotta suffer for it."
"I do suffer. Didn't I just sit completely still for an entire hour? I consider that punishment enough."
Jonathan clasped my hand with a smile. "Be good. I'll see you on the next shoot, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah." I returned his smile with one of my own. "I guess you can go ahead and send in the witches."
"Will do."
Jonathan nodded his goodbye to Cyrus as he swept out the door. Seconds passed before three women replaced him. I had to close my eyes as they worked or I risked being blinded by them. So I took the time to go over the monologue we had written in my head. I visualized the maps of Bachelor's Grove Joey had printed out for me before we left L.A. I tried to remember what Cyrus had told me about the importance of strategy.
The Oracle Series: Volumes 1-3 Page 23