Oracle

by Amy Reece

  “Madame Giles, you will, of course, wish me to chill some champagne for lunch?” he addressed Kate as he left the room.

  “Thank you, André.” She nodded regally. “That will be wonderful. Let’s have the Belle Epoque 2004, shall we? Mina will love it.”

  “She certainly should,” Rémy muttered under his breath as he ushered both of us to the dining room.

  “Let me guess: it’s hideously expensive?” I asked.

  “Oui. About 300 euros a bottle.”

  “Oh, Rémy! That’s too much! Tell her no, please,” Mina said.

  “No, mignonne.” He pulled her close and kissed her hair. “We must let her make a fuss. She’s simply relieved someone has finally agreed to take me off her hands. I think she was beginning to despair of it ever happening.”

  “You are ridiculous.” She laughed as she rounded on him. “You are a very sweet man, Monsieur Giles. I am definitely the lucky one in this whole arrangement.” She kissed his cheek sweetly.

  “Mais no.” He framed her face with his hands. “I am the lucky one.” Then they were kissing. Again. Sigh.

  I rolled my eyes and left them to it while I continued on to the dining room. The newly engaged couple finally appeared and a lively lunch ensued during which the topic never strayed far from wedding plans. I started having flashbacks to my mother’s wedding and could swear I felt hives beginning to break out all over my body. Rémy indulged his grandmother, but I suspected he would step in and keep her from turning his wedding into the spectacle it was quickly becoming. We toasted the happy couple with the expensive champagne. As the fruity pink bubbles tickled my tongue I looked around the table and estimated that each luncheon guest was imbibing approximately 40 euros worth of alcohol. Random, yet interesting thought.

  Rémy managed to convince Mina to lie down for a short nap after lunch; she was not yet fully recovered from her ordeal and I knew she hadn’t had a full night’s sleep. Ahem. She would be sleeping in her old bedroom, where she slept whenever we stayed at the estate, but I suspected there would be some surreptitious nocturnal field trips across the hall to Rémy’s room. Not that I was jealous. Not at all. Really.

  Rémy and I met Kate and Phillipe in their private drawing room.

  “Now, what is it you are planning, Rémy, and how can we help?” Kate asked once we had seated ourselves.

  “Nothing gets by you, does it, Grandmére?” he said with a chuckle.

  “No,” she replied archly. “You very neatly turned the conversation earlier, but I know how your mind works. Now, spill.”

  “First, I have a question. How did you become the Oracle, Grandmére? How did it happen? What was it like? How did you know?”

  “That’s a good bit more than one question.” She raised an eyebrow. “I trust this has to do with your plans?” At his nod, she continued. “I’ll never forget that day. I was barely 18 years old and we were living in Belclare, not too far from Galway. Fionnuala was 20 and we were planning to move to the city soon and room together. There were no jobs in our village, so we were going to move to the big city and take it by storm.” She smiled mistily, staring past us, momentarily transported back to Ireland in the late 1960s. “Anyway, we were baking bread in Mother’s tiny kitchen one afternoon when I got all tingly and felt faint. I sat down and put my head on the table, thinking I was getting sick. Fionnuala said that I had a glow around me, but I couldn’t see it. I started speaking. It was my first prophecy. I didn’t know what I said, but Mother and Fionnuala wrote it down.”

  “What did it say?” I asked.

  “Phillipe, darling, would you get the book, please?” Kate asked.

  “Of course.” He rose from the sofa and slipped into their bedroom through the adjoining door. He returned momentarily, carrying a scrapbook of sorts, which he handed to Kate.

  She opened it and flipped a few pages in. “This is where we keep a copy of all the prophecies since I have been the Oracle. Ah, here we go: my first prophecy. ‘The world of Seers is changing. The old ways are passing away. Many will arise in the days to come, but not all for the good.’ That’s it.” She closed the book.

  “So, the prophecies have always been maddeningly vague, huh? Well, shit, Kate! That sucks!” I exclaimed.

  The other three laughed as I dropped my head to my hands. I had to join them as I realized the futility of our position.

  Kate gathered her wits first. “Now, what is it you are planning, Rémy?”

  “When Mina was being held, she overheard some of the things Luc is planning. One of the reasons he took her was to try and force something to happen. I think something should happen, soon, before too much time has passed. I think we should stage Ally’s ascension.”

  Kate gasped and stood to pace. “Hmm, yes. Perhaps. We might be able to make it work if Ally can control her power enough to make it appear authentic,” she mused. “We’ll have to practice—a lot—and we’ll need a convincing first prophecy, but it could work.”

  “I can work on that,” Phillipe said. “You will need to work with Ally, Mina, and Rémy. It will need to involve all three to be really convincing after what happened the first time they all touched.” He referred to the time when we first met Mina; we had blown all the windows out in Kate’s living room when the three of us touched for the first time. Since then we had been very careful to harness our thoughts and energy whenever we were all together.

  “Mina and I will do whatever it takes,” Rémy began.

  “Wait a minute!” I yelled. “What are you all taking about? How can we have an ascension or a new Oracle while the old one is still alive?”

  “Old one?” Kate said. “I believe I’m offended.”

  “Sorry. That’s not what I meant. I meant while the present Oracle is still alive. I didn’t mean to call you old.”

  “That’s all right, dear. I suppose I am old to you. As to your objection, there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to Oracle ascension. There have been stories of when more than one Oracle was living at the same time. This could work, Ally. It may be our best hope.”

  “Our best hope for what? What do we gain if he thinks I’m the Oracle?”

  “We gain the upper hand, cherié!” Rémy exclaimed as he grabbed me by the shoulders, forcing me to look him in the eyes. “Luc has been trying to gain control over you before you become the Oracle. This latest episode, kidnapping Mina, tipped his hand, though. He has become desperate and careless.”

  I pushed his hands away and ran my hands through my hair. “I still don’t see what the advantage is if he thinks I’m the Oracle.”

  “The advantage is in what your prophecies will be,” Phillipe broke in. “We will have complete control and can make it very unattractive for him to think about trying to control you any longer.”

  “I don’t think I can pull it off,” I whispered. “I’m a terrible liar and an even worse actress.”

  “Don’t worry, cherié. I am an excellent liar. I will help you.”

  “That is nothing to brag about, Rémy,” Kate said archly. “We will practice, Ally. You can do this. You are one of the strongest young women I have ever met. I know you can do this.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, swayed by her belief in me. “Thanks, Kate. I’ll try, I guess.” At least it would be action of some sort.

  “That’s the spirit!” Rémy said. “Now, if you will excuse me I will go see if my fiancée is awake. I would like to take her into town and buy her an engagement ring.” He left the room, humming under his breath.

  I half-smiled as I watched him go, happy that two of my best friends had found happiness. I turned back to Kate in time to notice her wiping away a tear. “Oh, Kate. Don’t cry. He’s so happy.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m crying. He’s waited so long. They both have! I’m so sorry I was a big part of why they felt they had to wait. I should never have tried to push you and Rémy together. Can you forgive me, Ally?”

  “Of course, Kate. Don’t worry. Rémy and I had no inten
tion of ever letting you push us together. It’s nice to see him so happy, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, yes, it is.” She patted my arm. “Your time will come, Ally. Try to be patient.”

  I smiled, but couldn’t hold it. “Tell me the rest of the story, Kate. Please.”

  “The rest?”

  “What happened after you had the prophecy? How did you get your happy ending?” My own seemed like such a distant dream; I needed to hear about someone else’s.

  “Oh, sweetie, what is a happy ending? I certainly don’t feel like I’ve reached the end of anything, although you think I’m all dried up.”

  “I don’t think—” I began.

  “Hush. It’s all right. I was the same way when I was your age. So, you want to know the rest of the story? Well, my mother realized right away what had happened and notified the Seer Council and I was whisked off to Galway post haste. Fionnuala went with me and was soon embroiled in all the politics of the Council. I was terribly bored with it all and had to be coaxed every time to attend to my training, very much like another young Oracle I know.”

  I felt the heat rise in my face, but defended myself. “We don’t know for sure that I am the next Oracle. You knew before you had to train.”

  “Point taken. Anyway, I was 18 and in the big city for the first time and wanted to be anywhere except in a stuffy basement, training to develop my powers. Then, a handsome young man began working at the nearby pub. He was 21, incredibly sexy, and French.”

  “Phillipe?” I asked.

  “Yes. The Conseil had sent him to see if the rumors of a new Oracle were true. He didn’t tell me who he really was, of course. He was supposed to be spying on me, but it didn’t quite work out that way.”

  “Because you fell in love.”

  “Madly. And stupidly.” She laughed. “I knew better than to tell anyone. I was the Oracle, after all. I was supposed to be above petty things like love.”

  “Now you sound like Luc,” I scoffed.

  She shrugged. “They had the best intentions, but they put the needs of the Council above the desires of an impetuous young woman. Phillipe finally confessed who he was and asked me to marry him. I told Fionnuala and she told the Council.”

  “Ouch.” I winced.

  “Yes. They immediately forbade me from seeing him. I immediately disobeyed, of course.”

  “Of course.” I nodded. “You eloped with him, didn’t you? You left your family and ran off to France with Phillipe.”

  “Yes, I did. I had to make a choice and I chose Phillipe. He became my family. I was in love and I was pregnant.” She looked at me. “Are you shocked?”

  “No.” I hastened to assure her. She raised her eyebrows. “Well, maybe a little surprised, but I’m not judging. That was Rémy’s father, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, Anton. So, I guess that is what you would call my ‘happy ever after,’ although I’m certainly not finished with my story yet.”

  I thought for a moment. “Do you have any regrets?”

  “No.” She smiled and shook her head. “Life is too short for regrets. I have a wonderful husband, an amazing son, and a grandson I adore. I could wish Fionnuala and I hadn’t been estranged for so long, but it was a price I had to pay.”

  “Thanks for telling me, Kate. I think you’re a really strong lady.”

  “That makes two of us. Let’s start practicing for the big event, shall we?”

  We spent several hours trying to manipulate my defensive power into a glow of some sort. I was finally able to manufacture a weak glow, but it remained blue no matter what I tried.

  “All right, Ally. Let’s call it a day. I’ve invited Rémy’s parents and a few friends tonight for a small engagement celebration and I need to spend some time preparing.”

  ***

  Kate’s idea of a small, impromptu celebration was in actuality a black-tie dinner and cocktail party. I begged Geneviève to drive me to my apartment so I could pick up a black dress and some high heels. I grabbed a suitable dress and shoes for Mina, as well, knowing she would want to look her best when she was formally introduced as Rémy’s fiancée. They returned from Rouen with a gorgeous half-carat emerald cut diamond ring that Mina could not stop staring at. It was stunning, but too much for my taste. If I ever managed to wrangle an engagement ring out of Jack, I would prefer something smaller and more understated, which was a good thing considering Jack’s income level versus Rémy’s.

  The party was a huge success, of course. Kate wouldn’t throw a party that was anything less than perfect. Rémy’s parents drove from Le Havre, where his father was a cardiologist and his mother was a pediatrician. Yeah, I know, right? I had met them a few times over the past year and got along with them really well. His father, Anton, had some mild psychic powers but had chosen to have little to do with the Conseil and his mother, Anaïs, was not a Seer. Because I hadn’t met them before this last year, I had assumed Rémy and his parents were not close, but this was far from the truth. They had a wonderful relationship and made every effort to spend time together often, but hadn’t had much of a chance since Rémy had moved to Rouen to attend university and then to America. We had spent quite a few weekends with them over the last year.

  Phillipe made the official announcement after dinner and Rémy and Mina spent hours accepting congratulations and well wishes for their future. I spent most of the time talking with Geneviève and Arnaud and actually slipped out for a while to talk with Jack via Skype. He wanted to hear all the details of Mina’s rescue again and especially wanted to hear the plans for my return to Albuquerque. I told him about our plan to stage an ascension and how I hoped to be free to go home soon afterward. He was dubious about the plan, but said he could support it if it meant I could finally come home. I assured him my main goal was to get home as soon as possible.

  “That’s good, querida, because I’m going crazy here. How long?”

  I bit my lip. “I don’t know for sure, Jack. I’m sorry. Maybe this weekend, I hope.”

  “Ally, I swear to God I’m gonna get on a plane and come over there if you’re not home this weekend.”

  “Okay. This weekend for sure. I’ll just come home,” I promised. “I want to be there, Jack. You know that, don’t you?” Did he think I wanted to stay away?

  “Jesus, Ally, I know. I know, sweetheart. This separation is making me nuts. I need to be with you. We need to be together.”

  “I know,” I whispered. “I hate this.” I sniffed and wiped my eyes. “Okay, enough of this! I don’t want every time I talk to you to be such a drama scene. Tell me something good that’s happened to you,” I ordered.

  He smiled slowly. “Yeah, okay. Let’s see, I found out I got an A on my senior design project.”

  “Jack, that’s great! Of course you got an A because you are brilliant! I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks, babe. Your turn.”

  “Geneviève had an ultrasound today and everything looks good so far with the baby,” I said.

  “That’s great. Hey, Megan and I stopped by your mom’s house yesterday and got to see Elijah. That brother of yours has gotten so big!”

  “Oh, I miss him so much! He’s probably forgotten all about me.”

  “No, he hasn’t. He asked about his Awwy first thing.” Elijah couldn’t say my name correctly yet.

  “Thanks, Jack. Have I mentioned lately that I am completely and totally in love with you?”

  “It might have slipped your mind.” He grinned. “Have I mentioned that I am crazy in love with you? I’d love to show you exactly how much.”

  “Ooh, that sounds promising. I really need to hurry home.”

  “Definitely.”

  ***

  We were up disgustingly early the next morning to make the final preparations for the fake ascension. The Conseil was meeting before lunch to discuss what action, if any, to take as a result of Mina’s kidnapping. I didn’t really expect them to do anything useful, since they hadn’t up to this point. The fac
t that it had taken them two days to even decide to meet was extremely frustrating, and I knew Rémy and Mina felt the same way. If they had stepped up and done something about Luc a long time ago, Michael might still be alive and I would be home in Albuquerque with the man I love.

  We sat in Kate’s private sitting room, sipping coffee sleepily and listening to Phillipe as he detailed how the ascension would go down. I drank herbal tea because my stomach was already upset as I worried about my horrible acting skills, upon which so much of this scheme rested. The others told me not to worry, that all I had to do was follow the plan and remember the prophecy Phillipe had created.

  “I know, I know!” I snapped at Rémy when he told me for the fifth time not to create the blue glow too soon.

  “Hey.” Mina put her arms around me and rubbed my back. “You’ll be fine. Stop worrying about it all. Everything will work perfectly and you’ll be on your way home within a few days.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Mina.” She always knew how to calm me down.

  “Mina is correct,” announced Kate. “Everything will be fine. All will go exactly as planned. Trust me. I’m psychic, after all.” We all laughed half-heartedly and left to make our final preparations.

  I sat in my room, staring into the mirror above my dressing table and wondering how I had arrived at this point in my life. It seemed like just yesterday I was a normal high school student, worried about nothing more than homework and crushing on the cute guy who sat behind me in English. Now that cute guy was thousands of miles away and I was getting ready to fake a psychic ascension.

  “Can I come in?” Mina peeked around my door.

  “Sure.”

  She pulled a low stool close. “Are you doing okay, Ally?”