Shadow Sight

by T. G. Ayer

“Because if you don’t, I’ll be forced to leave you at home from now onwards.”

  Allegra gasped. “You would not dare.”

  “Don’t even test me, woman.”

  The laughter that followed was filled with warmth, affection, and only a touch of fear. Because fear was a constant companion for Allegra. Something she recognized in Max as well. And she was glad she had him there to stand beside her at the worst of times.

  They spent the next few minutes discussing what Queen Sonali’s plans were for the refugees, and Allegra left the dining room sometime later, happy in the knowledge that she’d saved precious lives. And always saddened to know that weighing lives was something that she’d need to face in the future.

  She only hoped that time was a long time coming.

  Chapter 13

  Allegra had to admit that Aurelia’s choice of area in which to build her estate had been brilliant. The place was remote, secluded, only accessible via helicopter or light plane. The terrain was rugged, making it hard for intruders to access the property, thereby assuring the residents of their security and privacy.

  Now, as Allegra walked along a stone path that wended its way along the edge of the lawn that surrounded the main villa, she came to a stop to study the building, to take it all in.

  When she thought about her home back in Fornia, Allegra did feel a pull of sadness, that she’d left everything she’d built to come hundreds of miles away, with the prospect of returning seeming more and more unlikely as time went on. She’d been so busy since her trip to Qusqu that even though she desired a short trip home to fetch a few things, to air the villa out, to make sure the pool was in good condition, she’d had to put those plans aside as visions appeared and she’d headed off to far-flung places to figure out how to stop the next impending disaster.

  As Allegra headed within the trees, she paused, the thought that she may resent being the Pythia bringing her to a sudden standstill. Did she truly believe her responsibilities to be a burden? She resumed walking, taking the path that would lead her down to the lake, and while she walked, she considered her feelings. Yes, she’d been thrust into this life without any warning or preparation. Yes, she’d resisted; she’d had a different idea of what she’d wanted for her life. But there’d been too many events that had occurred that had helped her to understand her value.

  Of course, she’d had her moments where she’d wondered if her only value lay in her prophetic abilities. But those thoughts weren’t the ones she’d usually entertain. Of course, she did suffer from the usual bouts of low self-esteem. But she’d never given in to them in the past. Least of all allowing those feelings to take over her life.

  Now, though her life had taken a path she’d never considered, she had to think about what this unwanted path had also brought to her. Before she’d seen her first vision, Allegra had been lonely. And alone.

  Except for Xenia and her family, that is. The Silanyo’s had taken Allegra in after the deaths of her parents, Diana and Aleks Damascus, when she was sixteen. But Xenia and her family had been the only other people in her life who had truly cared for her.

  Discarded by her ex for a pretty socialite, overlooked for promotions, ignored by the corporate type who ran her father’s business. Now she had a family, as strange as that sounded.

  Athena was her closest friend. Incan demigod who shifted into the form of a jaguar, Athena had saved Allegra’s life in Qusqu, and she’d joined Max and Allegra when their mission in Peru had been completed. Athena had sworn to remain at Allegra’s side, vowing to protect her with her life.

  Max, the man who’d served the previous Pythia and who had found Allegra and made her realize what she was. He’d taught her how to access her visions, helped to voice the visions she saw, helped her track the locations down and save so many people. Now he was more than just her guide and friend, their partnership having blossomed slowly into a burning passion. She trusted him more than she’d ever trusted anyone before. That itself had been a pure leap of faith.

  And then there was Mara, the grumpy, crotchety, old woman who’d served as Aurelia’s handmaiden, a running joke in the compound being the woman was as far from a maiden as was possible to be. Mara doted on Allegra although she was careful to not be too overt. She ensured the meals were to Allegra’s liking, that she had clothing and weapons to choose from, that she built her strength and fighting skills along with her visionary skills. The woman was so old that often Allegra would feel a tug of fear in her heart, the awareness that the day would soon come when she’d have to say farewell to Mara.

  And then there was Les. Celestra Avesta was still healing from a tragedy that Allegra would not wish on her worst enemy. She’d lost her little boy, murdered by a mafia who had attempted to use Les’ access to the ambassador and her links to the NGS government. They’d taken the baby, held him hostage for months, using Les to manipulate agreements and treaties.

  But Allegra had seen what was about to happen in Qusqu and had arrived in time to save both Les and the city. But Les was still healing, and Allegra suspected she would take a long time to regain any amount of emotional strength.

  As Allegra descended the small incline that would lead her to the lake, she spotted movement, a blonde head bobbing along the shoreline.

  Allegra reached the pebble-strewn beach and approached Les who was wading in the water’s edge, uncaring the hem of her dress was soaked and clinging to her calves.

  Allegra’s feet hit the pebbles, and Les looked over her shoulder, a smile breaking out on her face. “You’re back,” she said, turning toward Allegra as she too approached the water’s edge.

  “Yes. Back, alive, and well.”

  “Did you save them? The people you saw in your vision?” Les asked, her voice still holding a strong amount of awe at Allegra’s ability. Considering Allegra had seen Les’ tragic death on a vision, the details of her home so specific that even Les could not deny the accuracy.

  Allegra nodded. “It was as I suspected. The refugees’ bought passage to Indus hopping for a new and better life, but they ended up trapped by slavers, who intended to sell the girls to the highest bidder, and then turn the men and women into slave labor. We got there in time to save them.”

  Les’ forehead scrunched. “We got word that the ship sank?” she asked, worried.

  “It sank, and two of the children were trapped inside. I’m in a bit of hot water right now with Max.” Allegra laughed and waded into the waves.

  “Oh? Why?”

  “He’s upset because he believes I could have died and that I was being reckless.”

  Les held onto Allegra’s arm. “Back up there. What do you mean could have died?”

  Allegra let out a sigh, aware that the look on Les’ face meant she wasn’t going to get much support. “The ship was sinking. The two girls were trapped in the captain’s cabin. Max and Athena had already left the ship, and I was meant to be on the last boat out, but I couldn’t leave the girls. And I couldn’t get word to Max. So I went in.”

  “I’m not surprised Max is upset with you. That’s extremely reckless.” Les’ eyes flashed with anger, the most amount of emotion the woman had displayed in months. Allegra wasn’t sure if she should be upset or happy that Les was now also mad at her.

  “I can hold my breath longer than anyone else. I knew I’d be fine.”

  “So why was Max angry then?”

  “Because I let the girls go but the ship rolled over, and I ended up stuck inside the captain’s cabin.”

  “Oh, this just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it?” Les folded her arms. Had her foot not been submerged, Allegra was sure the woman would have been tapping it onto the stones.

  “It’s not so bad. I had air. I was fine. Then the ship shifted, and I got out. Everyone was fine in the end. No harm done.”

  “Then why is he mad?”

  Allegra groaned. “Because I was underwater for forty minutes, and they were terrified. When I came out, Max was furious.”r />
  “He’s got every right to be furious. He cares about you more than you know. He must have nearly died of shock thinking you could have died.”

  Allegra nodded. “I understand that. But I couldn’t sacrifice the lives of those girls just because mine would have been in danger. I’ve already been through this with Max and Athena, I was fine. But I know I was reckless.”

  Chapter 14

  Allegra watched Les as she walked slowly across the beach, her golden hair shining in the midday sun. The woman walked with sensual grace and sometimes the truth of who Les was to Max hit Allegra hard.

  They’d been lovers. Max had even admitted that he’d considered marriage and had Les not become angry and bitter, they would likely have ended up married. The thought didn’t upset her as much as she’d expected, although the fact that Max had almost given up his relationship with the Pythia Aurelia to make Les happy, did make Allegra wonder if the woman was pretending when she expressed her loyalty to Allegra.

  Still, Les hadn’t shown any sign of lying. She’d submitted to Allegra’s instructions and guidance, obeyed every instruction to exercise, to learn to fight, to use weapons. Mara hadn’t held back, insisting that the only way Les would grow stronger was when she allowed her physical form to become stronger and harder.

  And Mara had been right. The longer Les had trained, the stronger she’d become emotionally. Now, Allegra knew she could easily have taken Les along with her if she needed a bodyguard. But skill was one thing, performance under pressure, something else entirely.

  Les still had a ways to go before she could go into combat and come out the other side still whole.

  Combat meant there was always a chance you could lose someone you cared about. Allegra’s bloodied hands were enough proof of that.

  When Les left the beach, disappearing into the trees then emerging up on the hillside track that curved around the hill toward the main house, Allegra turned to face the water. She’d come for one reason only, and now that she was alone she had no reason to delay.

  Waves rode the surface of the Qocha Riti, or Lake of the Snow, the glassy darkness broken in a continuous motion, lapping at her ankles as though offering a gentle invitation.

  Taking a deep breath, Allegra waded further into the water, moving deeper until the waves slapped against her thighs, and then her hips, and at last encircling her waist.

  The water was cool, clear, fed by a waterfall that rose high up in the Andes mountains to the west of the estate. The water in the Qocha Riti was so clear that Allegra could see the multitude of pebbles, every color imaginable, beneath her feet. They prodded and poked the skin beneath her feet, a constant reminder that this was no sandy beach.

  A golden fish darted past, wide translucent fins undulating as it disappeared among the rocks. To her left a crab crawled from a hollowed-out stone, its pincers raised as though in defense, before it waddled around and headed off behind a collection of dark rocks.

  Surrounded by nature, enveloped by water, Allegra felt a peace filter deep inside her, lifting her mood.

  She went further into the lake until the water lapped at her chest, splashing her face when the waves grew stronger. Allegra’s long shift dress clung to her body, and she supposed—rather belatedly—that she should have removed it before entering the lake, but she hadn’t been thinking of clothing at the time.

  She’d felt the magnetic pull of the water, as though the waves had entranced her with their sultry music, and now she almost felt like sobbing as she recognized the depth of the longing she’d suppressed all this time.

  Taking a deep breath, Allegra pushed off the lakebed and swam further out, her strong arms and legs pushing her off to a point where the bed of the lake appeared a bit more distant. Still, the water was glassy, and only here and there the scuttling of a crab or a crayfish disturbed the sand.

  Soon, Allegra was in the middle of the lake, and she turned in a slow circle, treading water as she moved fluidly around the way a dancer would move to music. Taking a deep breath to fill her lungs, Allegra sank into the lake, reveling in the feel of the water closing over her head, cocooning her in the safety of its liquid embrace.

  Sinking lower and lower, Allegra only stopped her descent when her feet touched the stony bed. There she straightened and stared around her, studying the waters that shimmered with iridescent flashes of fish, moved as though alive with the creatures of the waters.

  Here Allegra found her peace again, recalling that day inside the pool at home.

  She’d felt terror then, voices that called out to her only while beneath the water had scared her.

  But she knew so much more now. Now she knew more about who the women were who’d called to her. The voices had not threatened her, and in fact, they’d sought only to comfort her.

  A feeling of joy filled Allegra as she let herself fall backward, allowing the water to keep her hovering so far beneath the lake’s surface.

  As she turned over and over, her hair brushing against her cheeks, Allegra heard the whispers in her mind. The voices returned, their haunting music bringing hot tears to her eyes. Allegra blinked them away, afraid that if the owners of those voices were to materialize beside her, she’d miss them entirely.

  The thought sounded far-fetched to her, but if she really thought about it, nothing was really all that far-fetched was it?

  Here she was at the bottom of the lake attempting to commune with oracles long dead. Anyone would declare her insane should they know the strange thoughts swimming around inside her head.

  Blinking Allegra swam around in an endless circle, listened as hard as she could to the voices. At first, they sounded like a chorus, whispering words that she almost couldn’t recognize. But soon she was able to pick a few familiar voices out of the choir.

  Jocasta’s voice was clear, her young dulcet tones filling Allegra’s ears, only she wasn’t able to hear the words. It was as though she could hear her calling, but the other voices blurred the words.

  The second voice she recognized was that of Cathenna. She was only able to identify the ancient oracle’s voice because she’d heard her speak in the visions she’d had. The memories of Cathenna’s death made Allegra want to sob, the reality of her familial connection to Cathenna becoming starkly clear.

  Allegra swallowed against the throb in her throat and tried to focus on the final voice that was so very familiar.

  But no matter how hard she listened to the woman’s words, Allegra couldn’t put her finger on the identity of that voice.

  Still, she forced herself to focus on the voice, to parse the words.

  “You have all you need at your fingertips. What you seek you shall find when you are ready to know the truth.”

  Allegra frowned. “What in Apollo’s name did that mean?”

  Unsure of how to communicate with the Pythia, Allegra thought the question hoping she would get the question across. “What truth are you talking about?”

  The woman laughed, confirming that Allegra had succeeded in projecting her words. “You confuse yourself with too many questions. You muddy the waters. Stop making things so much more difficult. Focus harder on what you need to know, and the answers will come to you.”

  “Why does everything have to be so cryptic?” Allegra asked. “Who are you?”

  The woman laughed again, the sound so familiar it gave Allegra goosebumps. “When you know, you will know.”

  And then, just like that, the voice was gone, along with the presence of all the other voices, leaving Allegra alone at the bottom of the lake.

  Although she felt a little off balance, Allegra had achieved what she’d come to do. She’d communed with the voices, understanding that her fear had been very much misplaced. As she swam toward the shore, she berated herself for being so quick to fear the voices.

  How much help had she denied herself by believing the whispered words had meant she was slowly going mad?

  Chapter 15

  Emerging from the water, Allegra
made her way across the pebble beach toward the tree-line, paying no attention to the sodden fabric as it molded itself against her curves. She followed a path through the trees, this one taking her on a longer trail on her return journey, as she hoped to dry off somewhat before she reached the villa.

  Sounds in the brush up ahead brought Allegra to a slow stop as she tilted her head and focused on the noises, shutting out the chirping of crickets and tree frogs, and the low hum of bees and wasps.

  Not far off from where Allegra now stood, came the hollow thud of hoofbeats pounding the solid earth, and then a snort and a huff peppered the air.

  Allegra smiled and headed toward the noise, pushing a giant palm frond aside to see Xales standing in the middle of a small clearing. The great beast tossed his head, the sunlight filtering in through the canopy above glinting off the brass ring in his nostrils. She closed in on him and was about to reach out for his head to pat him—the usual way she greeted him these days—when Xales reared up onto his hind legs, giving Allegra such a fright that she backpedaled, lost her balance and landed hard on her ass.

  The throbbing of her injured behind went entirely ignored as Allegra glanced up to stare at the sight of her familiar as he shifted form slowly, his forelegs transforming into human arms, though his hind legs remained those of a giant boar. His skull, eyes, and face shifted and transformed, the large snout shimmering away, the nose turning into something much more human.

  Moments later, Allegra stared dumbfounded at the half-man half-boar who stood before her, a smirk on his face.

  She’d seen the sculptures of Pan, the mythological half-goat, half-human, and Xales now resembled the cheeky creature, only the boar-man’s chest and arm muscles bulged, assuring Allegra that he was still supremely strong, even if his upper body was now that of a fully-grown man.

  He bowed low, dark brown hair tracing his shoulders and brushing his cheeks. “I must apologize, my lady. I did not mean to frighten you,” he said then straightened, his golden eyes glowing with an intensity that almost elicited a shiver from Allegra.