"Patience, thy name is Eva." He chuckled. "Dear girl, you are scheduled to be here for another week or so. You have nothing but time."
"Yeah, but I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be." I shrugged. "I miss the city with its noise and convenience. I miss the condo. Our nights of ordering out before drinking ourselves into oblivion."
"What's stopping us from doing that now? We can order food. Order bottles of wine and whiskey, then watch movies in your hotel room."
"You know what? You're right." I caught his hand when we approached the porch. "We'll make it a date. Tomorrow night. I have to sleep tonight. Otherwise, makeup for the photo shoot will take forever."
"Tomorrow then. I'm holding you to your promise, Little One." Cyrus fell in step with me. "You need a rest. And I won't take no for an answer."
***
I don't care what anyone says. Being considered a celebrity is not glamorous. I kept telling myself this as strangers swarmed around me, fixing the massive black skirts Violet had picked out for me or tightening the corsets they forced me to wear. I tried to be good, I really did. But after two hours in hair and makeup, then another four standing in weird poses, I was ready to call it a day.
"I am about to fall over. Can we hurry this up?"
I hissed to Leyton, who was enjoying every second of this torturous exercise. Then again, he got to wear pants. I would have been happy too. He was sitting in a carved wooden chair with a dark cane across his lap. As for me, the staging people had propped me up beside it with one arm draped across the top.
"You are too spoiled, Sibyl." He raised an eyebrow as the cameras flashed. "This time will pass into obscurity for you soon enough. I would relish in the attention while you can."
"Are you saying that the show is going to be cancelled?" I rolled my eyes at the photographer who was shouting directions for us as if his opinion mattered. "If so, I would like a heads up to get my resume ready."
"No, not as long as I am on the air." Leyton's blank expression shifted into one of contemplation at the photographer's command. "And I plan on being involved in Grave Messages for quite some time."
"Why? Why do you want to be on the show?"
"To put it quite simply, I am bored." He winked at the costume girl who came to adjust his bowler hat. "I have lived for centuries, Eva. I must be engaged to pass the time or else I will become lost in it."
"Let me guess. I will learn this soon enough as the centuries pass for me?"
"Perhaps. The gods have not shown me your future yet."
"That's a wrap on those two. Get the Keepers in here!"
I breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped down from the small block they had set up to give me height. I wanted to feel pity for Cyrus and Elizabeth as they came out from the room where we did our costume changes, but I was stunned. When Elijah had asked if the Keepers could join in, both Cyrus and Elizabeth refused. But with a little wheedling on my part, Cyrus agreed. Elizabeth soon joined him. Now, as the chair was moved and the block set aside, I could see just how beautiful they really were.
Both were dressed in ancient Greek garb, though Elizabeth looked uncomfortable in it. I'd never seen Cyrus in anything other than suits and t-shirts, so when I saw him covered by a dark grey tunic, I whistled. He frowned until he reached my side.
"Looking good there, Stick. What's that made of?"
"Nothing we ever had in my day." Cyrus lifted his arms. "It feels like flea ridden polyester."
I giggled. "It may be. I'm sure they got it at the local Halloween store."
"Places, people."
The photographer snapped his fingers in our direction. Cyrus glared at him, so I put my hand on his arm to calm him down.
"A few hours and it'll be over. It's for Apollo, Cyrus. And it'll help cement your presence on Grave Messages."
"You owe me." He huffed under his breath. "Apollo, too."
"I'll buy you as much whiskey as you can drink. I promise."
I nudged him towards the set. When he left us alone, I tilted my head towards Leyton.
"I wonder why they haven't come taken us back to the dressing room. I can hardly wait to get out of this corset."
"When they are done with the Keeper photos, we are taking pictures with our perspective guardians." Leyton's tone was one of disbelief. "Did you not listen to anything Elijah said at the meeting this morning?"
"No. I was still asleep." I shrugged. "Besides, I have more things to worry about than a stupid photo shoot. I'm only doing this because Elliot all but forced it on me."
We fell into a comfortable silence which, I will admit, was a feat for the two of us. Leyton and I had butted heads from the moment we met. So I decided to start talking. I mean, really. What else was there to do while we stood around waiting for our next turn in the limelight?
"Tell me about Elizabeth. She is awfully quiet. Has she always been your Keeper?"
Leyton chuckled. "The dear girl is quiet for a reason, Sibyl. Her tongue was removed during the 4th century as punishment for her insubordination."
"Oh my god!" I covered my mouth as it dropped open. "You didn't!"
"No, I did not. Barbarians in Egypt did." Leyton shrugged. "Elizabeth has been my servant since I served in Thebes. We were surprised when her tongue did not grow back when she became immortal though."
"What is Elizabeth's story?"
"It is no different than ours, I suppose." He shrugged. "The girl was purchased for me when the Greeks occupied Egypt. She was the only one who remained by my side during the Dark Ages of Greece. I asked Hera to reward the girl for her loyalty, and thus, she became my Keeper."
"Which means what, exactly?" I shifted to relieve the pressure on my feet caused by the boots I was wearing. "She defends you?"
"Yes, among other things. Her native name is Imi, but she chose Elizabeth, which better suits the modern age. The girl was trained by Hera's own soldiers to fight with a labrys, and she has done so on many occasions."
"What on earth is a labrys?"
"My, you are chatty today." He raised an eyebrow. "It is lucky for you that I enjoy talking about myself and those around me. To answer your question, a labrys is an axe. Elizabeth wields it just as your Cyrus utilizes his short sword."
"How do you communicate if she can't talk?" I bit my lip. "I'm sorry. I have no right to ask such a question."
"No, it's fine. It is better if you know how we work." He tapped the side of his head just beneath his hat. "Telepathy."
"So you hear each other's thoughts?"
"No. Not her thoughts. Her words. I can hear her in my mind as clearly as I can hear you now."
"Fair enough."
I started to ask more questions, but the photographer finished with our Keepers much sooner than he had finished with me and Leyton. He waved his arm in a massive circle to get our attention.
"We are being summoned." I picked up my dress as I approached the tiny man who had spent the morning dictating our actions. "Where do you want me?"
"Go stand by Cyrus. The girl will instruct you further."
"Alright."
I would have breathed out a string of curses, but I wasn't kidding when I said my corset was tight. With each intake of air, it seemed to squeeze me harder than before. Cyrus helped me while Elizabeth left the set. His expression was tight. I was sure he was two seconds from exploding. I stroked the side of his jaw to calm him down.
"It's almost over." I whispered while the camera started flashing away. I whirled around "Hey!"
"That is perfect. Do not move a single muscle."
The photo shoot was supposed to last until eleven. Yet thanks to the demands of our photographer, we ended up going well into the afternoon. He wanted to take pictures outside. He wanted us in various costumes. The worst part? He wanted us around the horses in clothing that cost more than the house I grew up in. I spent the entire time scared to death that I was going to damage my outfit and have to pay for what I had done.
At any rate, by
the time we sat down with Violet and Elijah to do the interview, I was exhausted. I'd been prodded and posed until my entire body ached. I curled up on the biggest couch in the lobby next to Leyton when Violet sat her cell phone on the table between us.
"Voice recorder." She grinned. "Are you ready?"
"To get this over with? Absolutely." I leaned my elbow against the plush arm and rested my chin on my hand. "Go for it."
"Great!"
She glanced down at her notebook, but when she started talking, I didn't see a reason why she needed it. Her questions were the same I had answered for the past year. How does it feel to be the Sibyl? Do I miss not seeing my reflection? How on earth do I do my makeup in the morning?
Since Violet was asking me generic questions, I responded with generic answers. She shifted her attention to Leyton and I tuned them out. I knew too much about my new co-host as it was. I wondered what had happened to Elliot. He showed up around ten that morning, then disappeared not long after. Deep down, I was glad. Things had been tense between us for awhile. But after he had seen me with Cyrus, the tension had shifted to an anxious anger.
I still felt betrayed by him for trying to separate me from my keeper. I was sure he was furious at me for not choosing him after everything we had gone through. I couldn't help but wonder where we could go from here. Would there ever be a friendship between us again? Could I trust him as I had before?
After all, I had trusted him with my career when I followed him to California in the first place. I had trusted him enough to see me through my transition from basic human to Sibyl. Not to mention how I had loved him enough to put my life on the line to save him from the clutches of the Erinyes.
"Eva?" Violet interrupted my thoughts. "Are you alright?"
"What?" I glanced over to Leyton, who had changed into another outfit that consisted of all things Western related. I hadn't realized they had finished talking. "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. What did you say?"
"I asked if you see visions in every reflective surface. And if so, how do you manage to go anywhere since pictures, tables - pretty much everything - can be covered in glass these days."
"I have mental barriers." I shrugged. "They are strengthened with meditation and practice. Granted, you'll never find me in a carnival funhouse of mirrors, but I can handle the day-to-day exposure to glass."
Can you?
I heard the woman's voice hiss in my mind, but I still whipped around to stare at the framed print of horses running across a field. I could see images shifting in the glass. I could hear a strange singing. I stood up to cross the room when Leyton's voice deepened.
"He will fall, girl. He will fall and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
Chapter Twelve
He will fall.
The very message carved into my bathroom mirror last night. I ignored Violet's obvious confusion as I approached the painting. I could see the images clearer now. The shadows formed an image I couldn't believe.
Elliot knelt down before a woman dressed in what appeared to be thick blankets. She held her hands over his head. From what I could tell, she was a Native American with a large headpiece and furs wrapped around her shoulders.
"Are you certain, child?" The woman purred. "When you come into my fold, you may never leave it."
"Yes." Elliot bowed his head even further. "I will do anything you ask. I will be your servant for time immortal."
"What the hell?" I leaned towards the glass. "Who are you?"
I am a Queen. A being worshiped by all who encounter me. You are no exception.
The woman in the glass turned her face away from Elliot to stare at me. She had the appearance of a Native American, but her bright green eyes were all too familiar. I'd seen them myself back in California. I'd been threatened by their owner.
No, not threatened. Cursed.
"Hera."
I breathed out the name as Cyrus placed his hands on my shoulders. I'd been so caught up in what I was seeing that I hadn't noticed him. The woman cackled as she waved her hand over Elliot's head. The image disappeared.
"Where is Elliot?" I whirled around to see Violet's shocked expression. When no one answered me, I stomped my foot. "Dammit. Surely someone knows where he is."
"He and Joey left with Ash about two hours ago." Erin entered the room, crossing her arms over her chest. "Joey said they were going to get camera shots of the grounds. Ash offered to show them the most active location since we got distracted yesterday."
"You are too late, Sibyl." Leyton stood with Elizabeth's help. "His fate will be sealed by the time the New Moon rises tonight."
I looked out the large windows to see the outside lights had been turned on. Night had fallen faster than I'd realized. If what I had seen was correct, then Elliot was pledging himself to Hera. But it didn't make any sense. She was married to Zeus, the Greek God. Why did she look like a Native American?
"Hera is the dark god Ash told me about. She is responsible for the Skinwalkers." I gasped as the pieces began to fall into place. "We have to find them. Joey and Elliot don't know what they are messing with."
"How do you plan on going up against Hera?" Leyton leaned forward. "Surely you aren't so stupid. You cannot fight her alone."
"What choice do I have?" I snapped. "Listen, if you want to come along, fine. But I'm leaving. I have to find them."
"Eva, slow down. You don't know anything is happening." Cyrus reached for my arm but I shook him off. "You shouldn't go running off into the woods at night."
"Erin." I turned to the girl. "How fast can you get a horse ready?"
"Five minutes." She started walking to the door. "Meet me in the stables."
"Eva, surely you aren't serious. I refuse to let you go against Hera. She is far stronger than anyone you have ever faced before."
"Cyrus, don't you get it?" I clinched my hands by my side. "Hera is the cause of all this. I don't know how, and I sure as hell don't know why. But she has a twisted hold over the Native people here. She is the dark god. She is the reason the tourists are being sacrificed. The spirit who warned me away? He was warning me about her. I was just too oblivious to make the connection."
"Eva, remember if you will, Hera is a Greek Goddess, not a Native American one. She would not intermingle with another culture."
"Not unless she found power in their beliefs." I ticked off my argument on my fingers. "Both you and Apollo said she could not be trusted. Hera herself told me that I was a threat to something of hers. I think she meant the rituals that are taking place here."
"Eva..."
"The spirit who possessed me? Said he was lured in with false promises. What if this has happened to Elliot? Then, Ash told us that to become a Skinwalker, the practitioner must sacrifice someone close to him. I'm immortal, so I'm out. But Joey? He's been friends with Elliot for years. Ash? Complete stranger. We have got to find them."
"Eva, your argument doesn't make any sense."
"It doesn't have to. Trust me, Cyrus, as I have trusted you. I need you."
I didn't wait for my keeper's response. I had a sickening fear in the base of my stomach. I took off through the door, knowing that the others were behind me. Leyton and Elizabeth, Cyrus - I had become the unwilling leader of this ragtag group. It was a role I was unprepared for.
When we reached the stables, Cyrus and I jumped on the horse Erin had led outside.
"You know where to go?" Erin asked as she passed the reins over to my keeper. "The Horseman's Trail?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I remember."
Erin patted the horse on the neck. "Then go. Save your friends. I'll have another horse ready in no time."
"Follow the Horseman's Trail. You'll see a sign across the north pasture." I barked to Elizabeth. "Do you understand?"
Even in the darkness, I saw the keeper roll her eyes at me. I took that as a yes.
"Make this thing fly, Cyrus." I gritted my teeth as he snapped the long end of the reins against the horse's back haunches. I clung t
o the saddle when the animal beneath us took off like a shot.
"Keep your hands wrapped around the saddle horn!" Cyrus yelled into my right ear so I could hear him over the rushing winds. "I'm not going to be able to hold onto you like last time."
I didn't respond. I was too busy saying a frantic prayer to Apollo that I was wrong. Maybe Hera was making good on her threat to send me into madness. I prayed we would find Joey and Elliot joking around in the woods. I prayed we would meet up with them as they returned to the hotel.
My prayers were not answered. By the time we reached the tree line, I knew the vision I'd seen combined with Leyton's prophecy would be exactly what we would find. Cyrus nudged the horse, and though it seemed impossible, we moved faster. Past the trees from my dream. Past the beauty which brought people to Kentauros in the first place. By the time we reached the edge of the clearing, the horse was shaking almost as hard as I was. It stomped its hooves against the grass while Cyrus jumped down to lift me off the saddle.
"Joey! Ash!" I called out into the darkness. "Elliot! Where are you?"
"Eva?" Joey turned his camera so that I could see the light from it. "We're over here. What's wrong? Did you get another love letter from the ghost in your room?"
I tried to run into the clearing. Really I did. Yet, the closer I got, the harder it was to move. I was forced to stop just short of my friend.
"Joey, get Ash and go back to the hotel. Now."
"Evie, you're just in time." Elliot stepped out of the shadows to clap Joey on the back. "I was hoping to surprise you, but you've always had a way of ruining such things."
"Elliot." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods. Are you alright?"
"No. But I will be."
He turned on his heel to walk into the very center of the clearing where the clumps of dirt were still piled up around the hole I'd made yesterday. He began to chant and raised his arms to the sky.
I could hear the sounds of hooves in the background as the others joined us. I could see Joey lift his camera to film Elliot's madness. But I couldn't move as the energy around us shifted.
The Oracle Series: Volumes 1-3 Page 35