Oracle

by Amy Reece

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “I guess. Are you and Rémy worried I’ll chicken out?”

  “No, of course not! We know you’ll go through with it. You want this to be over just as much as we do. Maybe more. I know how badly you want to get home to Jack.”

  “I need him, Mina. I don’t know how much longer I can do this alone.” I sniffed and reached for a tissue.

  “I know, I know.” She took my hands and rubbed them. “We’re going to make it through this, you know.”

  “I hope so, Mina. I really do.” I wiped my eyes and squared my shoulders. “Okay, enough of that. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since we found you. How are you doing? Any nightmares or anything? God, Mina, you went through hell!”

  “I’m fine. No nightmares. Having Rémy there to hold me helps. I mean, um, well…” she trailed off, blushing at what she had implied.

  I laughed delightedly. “Oh, Mina! You should see how red your face is! Hey, it’s great. I’m so glad you two finally worked everything out. You’re happy, aren’t you?”

  She nodded. “So happy. I’ve loved him for so long. But you knew that, of course.”

  “I didn’t need psychic powers to see that, sweetie. Or to see that it was reciprocated.”

  “Hey, your turn is just around the corner. It has to be.”

  “I hope so.”

  Rémy rapped lightly on the half-open door, interrupting us. “Mina, mon coeur, are you in there?”

  I smiled at the love in his voice. “Come in, Rémy. She’s here.”

  “Sorry about earlier, cherié.” He apologized. “You’ll do fine.” He pulled Mina up and into his arms. “Are you ready for this, love?” He prevented her from answering by kissing her intensely.

  “Jeez, you two. Get a room. And not mine.” I pushed my way around them, heading to the closet for a scarf.

  “If you’re finished sitting here and freaking out, Ally, we can get this over with,” he said wryly.

  I rolled my eyes and led the way to the living room.

  ***

  “I have asked Ally, Rémy, and Mina to join the Conseil today,” Kate intoned a half-hour later as we all gathered. “We have all heard what happened to young Mina, but we will have an opportunity to hear the story in full and ask any clarifying questions.” We spent nearly an hour re-telling the harrowing experience of Mina’s kidnapping and answering questions from the Conseil members. I tried to contain my nervousness as I waited for the signal from Phillipe. It finally came as Hélène was asking for a clarification about how we knew where to find Mina.

  “Ally, my dear, what is wrong?” he asked. This was it: the signal. Showtime.

  “Um, I don’t know. I feel funny. My hands are tingling.” I held them up in front of my face. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fionnuala blanch. I stood and walked to the center of the room.

  Rémy came to my side, concerned. “Maybe you should sit down, cherié. You look pale.” He put an arm around me as I began to sag weakly. Mina came to support my other side. The moment she touched me, connecting the three of us, I let the glow I had been practicing loose, enfolding the three of us in a soft blue light. I stood up straight, suddenly energized, and threw my head back. Now for the prophecy I tried desperately to remember.

  “Behold the three, ascended. Alethiea, Oracle and speaker of truth and wisdom; Jessamine, heart of the Oracle and speaker of love and compassion; Rémy, guardian of both. The new day has dawned.”

  As soon as I finished, I let the blue glow die and the three of us collapsed on the floor. Quite the drama scene, I know. Hopefully it would be enough to convince the Conseil that I was the new Oracle. Kate had insisted we tell no one, not even Geneviève and Arnaud, that it was all fake. I was feeling plenty guilty about keeping the secret from them, especially, and hoped they would understand and forgive.

  The ensuing fuss was everything we could have hoped for. We were “revived” and helped to the couch and given tea laced with brandy, which was gross. I spit most of mine back in my cup surreptitiously. I saw Rémy smirk, so maybe I wasn’t as sneaky as I hoped. Of course, like any good Oracle, I didn’t know what I had said during my trance so Phillipe told us. We were sent to rest in our rooms while the Conseil discussed what it meant. I waited five minutes before sneaking into Rémy’s room, where he and Mina were waiting.

  “Excellent work, Ally. It went exactly as planned,” he said.

  “What now?”

  “We wait.”

  Great. I hate waiting.

  Chapter Four

  “Love, you mock us for your sport.”

  —Sophocles, Antigone

  Kate finally called us to her sitting room. “Well, the good news is the Conseil absolutely believes the three of you have ascended. You gave a wonderful performance. It is only a matter of time before Luc hears about it.”

  “What’s the bad news, Grandmére?” Rémy asked.

  “They assume that Ally will remain here to take up the mantle of authority for the Conseil. Except Fionnuala and Caoimhe, of course, who are insisting you return to Ireland with them.”

  “Well, that’s not going to happen,” I said, trying to remain calm. “I’m going home. Tomorrow.”

  “I know, Ally dear. I fully support you. I’m finished trying to orchestrate your life. The rest of the Conseil will need to learn that the new Oracle sets her own agenda and decides where she will live. They are being difficult, however. I suggest you simply leave. Today, if possible.”

  I smiled and hugged her. “Thank you, Kate. Thanks for understanding.”

  “I will make the travel arrangements,” Rémy offered. “We can leave within the hour. Mina and I will drive you to Paris.”

  I stopped by Geneviève and Arnaud’s room before I left. I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to them. I hugged her and told her to keep in touch so I could hear about the baby.

  “Of course, Ally. Oh, I’m going to miss you so much! I know you need to go home to be with your Jack, but I wish you could be two places at once.”

  I smiled and hugged her again. I knew they would be sympathetic to my need to return to New Mexico; neither of them shared the older Conseil members’ feelings about the direction they wanted to see the Seer world take.

  We were on the road to Paris within the hour. No one saw us leave since we simply left through the kitchen door and walked around to the garage, where André had stashed our suitcases in Rémy’s car. Rémy said they would see me on my way back to the U.S. then return to Rouen to pack up Mina’s and my apartment. I wondered what all this would do to their wedding plans.

  “Don’t worry about us, cherié,” Rémy assured me. He brought Mina’s hand up to his lips and they exchanged a look that made me smile. “We’ve got it figured out.”

  “I really want to be there, you idiot! Can you at least give me a hint as to when? I won’t tell Kate, I promise.” I figured they were trying to keep it from becoming the horrific spectacle that his grandmother was planning.

  “I promise to tell you in time for you to be there,” he assured me. “We want you there, of course. Well, at least Mina does.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him in the rearview mirror, but he just chuckled and kissed Mina’s hand again.

  We checked into Le Méridien Etoile, the hotel we always stayed in when we visited Paris. We usually shared a large suite, but this time Rémy handed me a key card to my own private suite and he and Mina disappeared into their own suite across the hall. We arranged to meet for dinner in a few hours and I spent the blessed alone time napping and showering. Three hours later and much refreshed, I met them downstairs in the lobby and we walked a couple blocks to Ballon et Coquillages, a tiny corner restaurant where Rémy had reserved a table. While they slurped down fresh oysters—as if those two needed an aphrodisiac—and some truly revolting-looking escargot, I had a salad and some really lovely cheese. Nobody does cheese like the French and I knew I would miss it when I left.

  “So, I have you booked on an aft
ernoon flight the day after tomorrow, cherié,” Rémy said casually as we sipped white wine while waiting for our entrées.

  “The day after tomorrow?” I exclaimed. “No, I want to go home tomorrow. Can you get it changed please, Rémy?”

  “I tried, but all the flights were booked tomorrow. One day won’t make such a difference.”

  “Besides,” Mina cut in. “I really want you to go shopping with me tomorrow to look for a wedding dress. Please, Ally?” she begged.

  “Fine.” I sighed. “I guess I can wait one more day.”

  “Thanks, Ally. We’ll make a day of it. Our last day in Paris. I’ll even make us a spa reservation for the afternoon. You can go home to Jack extra beautiful.”

  “Okay, yeah. That sounds great.” It would actually be nice to go home glowing and smooth. My nails were looking pretty ragged and my feet desperately needed attention.

  Mina and I set off early the next morning, stopping for croissants and coffee before hitting the dress shops.

  “Is he letting you get any sleep?” I asked wryly as she covered yet another yawn.

  “Maybe I’m the one keeping him up,” she countered with a sly grin. He had seen us off in the hotel lobby, handing Mina a credit card after he kissed her goodbye. He offered nothing about his own plans other than he had errands to run and waved us on our way.

  Mina didn’t want to look in bridal shops, which confirmed my belief that they had other plans up their sleeves about their wedding, but instead led the way to a few upscale boutiques, where she insisted we both try on dresses. At the last shop I fell in love with a summery, flowing dress in a light aqua I would have loved to wear on a special date with Jack, but it was way, way out of my price range so I firmly put it back on the rack and amused myself with the scarf rack while Mina bought an amazing ivory dress that she found. We stepped outside and she handed me a bag. Inside was the aqua dress, of course.

  “No way, Mina. This dress cost a fortune! I can’t let you buy this for me.” I prepared to turn back to the shop to return it.

  She grabbed my arm to stop me. “Rémy bought it for you and he can well afford it. Please, Ally. Let us do this for you.”

  “But I don’t need it! You guys should save your money for the wedding.”

  “Pfft! I don’t think you realize how wealthy he actually is. Besides, I like spoiling you. You look amazing in that dress. Jack will flip.”

  Playing to my vanity worked, and I graciously accepted the extravagant gift. We had lunch in a small bistro on the way to the spa, where we spent the afternoon—again courtesy of Rémy’s credit card—getting buffed, polished, painted, and waxed. Mina talked me into a Brazilian wax, saying I might have reason very soon to be glad I had. Since I was certainly hoping the same thing as soon as I got home in a few days, I went along with her suggestion. I expected it to be painful and embarrassing, but the cosmetologist was so matter-of-fact and professional that it didn’t bother me too much at all. It was lovely to walk out feeling fresh, smooth, and shiny everywhere and I had a feeling I had just developed an expensive addiction. We were due to meet Rémy back at the hotel lobby soon, so we caught a taxi just outside the spa. We walked through the revolving doors and I caught sight of Rémy talking to a man whose back was to us. My heart began beating hard because it looked so much like—but it couldn’t be, of course. Rémy noticed us and gestured for the man to turn around.

  “Jack?” I whispered, disbelieving. I didn’t know how or why, but it was him, here in Paris, grinning and walking toward me. I shoved my bags blindly at Mina and rushed into his outstretched arms, where I was crushed against his wonderfully hard chest. “Oh, my God. You’re here! How—” My words were silenced as his mouth crashed down on mine. The entire lobby faded away as I melted against him, tasting, touching, and breathing him in for the first time in nearly a year.

  “Surprise,” he said against my lips a few moments later.

  “It certainly is.” I laughed. “Why? How?”

  “I told you I was going to come get you,” he said and kissed me again. Talking was overrated and could definitely wait. “Jack,” I said when we finally came up for air. “I’m flying home tomorrow.”

  “No, you’re not,” Rémy interrupted. “I lied. You and Jack have tickets to return to the U.S. in three days. I’m sure you can find some way to amuse yourselves in the meantime.”

  I let go of Jack and hugged Rémy. “You did this. Thank you. I can’t tell you how happy I am.”

  “I know, cherié.” He hugged me close and whispered into my ear, “I didn’t reserve a separate room for him, but I will if you like.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I whispered back.

  ***

  “Mina and I are going out for dinner,” Rémy stated as Jack and I stared into each other’s eyes. “I don’t suppose you want to join us?”

  “Nope,” I said, grinning. “You guys go on without us. We’ll catch up with you tomorrow.” I broke eye contact finally and turned to hug Mina and retrieve the bags I had shoved at her earlier. “Thanks for everything today.”

  “Of course. Have fun tonight.” She gave me a knowing look.

  I smiled at her and turned back to Jack. “Let’s go.” I led him toward the elevators and punched the call button. “Where’s your bag?”

  “In your room. I got here a few hours ago and Rémy gave me a key card. I got a shower and shaved.”

  “Mmm. That’s why you smell so good,” I mumbled against his neck as I pulled him down for another kiss. We were interrupted by the arrival of the elevator and broke apart as a couple exited, smiling at us.

  “Is that okay, Ally?” He pulled me into his arms once we were alone in the elevator. “I didn’t mean to invade your room without asking. I can get my own room, if you want.”

  “Is that what you want?” I looked up into his dark eyes to try and gauge what he was feeling. This was where we would decide if the fact that we had been apart for a whole year was going to make things awkward or not. Would we be able to pick up where we left off and move forward? “Do you want to get your own room?”

  “No.”

  I smiled. “Good.” We needed to kiss again. “God, Jack. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too. I couldn’t go one more day without you, querida.” The elevator finally arrived at the 22nd floor and I led him to my suite. I fished the key card out of my bag and was about to swipe it, but he grabbed my hand gently. “Are you sure, Ally?”

  I knew what he was asking, how important my answer was. I reached up, put my hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at me. “I am absolutely, positively sure. I love you. It’s our time, Jack, finally.”

  “Okay, then.” He took the key card from my hand, swiped it in the lock, and led us into the suite. He didn’t stop, but led me straight to the bedroom.

  My heart was pounding, a mix of nerves and excitement. This was it. We were finally going to take the next step in our relationship. We were finally going to make love. We had waited so long. I saw his suitcase open on the floor, and smelled the lingering scent of his aftershave wafting from the bathroom. It was perfect.

  He led me to the center of the room, took both my hands in his, and took a deep breath. “Ally Moran, I have loved you since you were 16 years old. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, knelt down, and opened it to reveal a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring. “Will you marry me, Ally? I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.” He looked intense, adorably unsure, and unbearably handsome.

  “You already make me so incredibly happy. And yes, I will marry you. Of course I will marry you.” I couldn’t keep the tears from spilling out onto my cheeks. I had long known he would never take this step without being engaged to me first. He grinned, took the ring out of the box, and placed it on my finger. It fit perfectly. “I love it, Jack.”

  He stood up and pulled me to him for a soul-wrenc
hing kiss that I felt all the way to the tips of my toes. “Good. Tara helped me pick it out. She said you love sapphires, but if you want a bigger diamond—”

  “Shh. It’s perfect.” I silenced him with another kiss. We kissed for several more minutes and the tenor of the kiss started to change from joy and happiness to intense desire. At least it did for me; Jack didn’t try to push it any farther and his hands stayed firmly on my waist. I started to wonder when he was going step it up and take it to the next level. I finally pulled away and looked into his eyes, but he wouldn’t quite meet mine. “Jack, what’s wrong? Don’t you want—” It finally occurred to me what was going on. “Are you scared?” I asked quietly.

  He breathed out a huge breath. “Terrified,” he admitted.

  I smiled a little. He was the one with the experience, yet I was clearly going to have to take the lead if this was ever going to go anywhere. I don’t know why I was so calm and collected suddenly, but I knew exactly what I wanted and I was more than ready for it. I stepped back slightly, reached down to the hem of my shirt, pulled it over my head, and dropped it on the floor. I was extremely glad I had decided to wear my pink lace bra that morning. Then I reached for his warm hand and placed it over my breast, smiling up into his handsome face. “It’s me, Jack. Don’t be scared of this. It’s finally the right time for us.”

  That broke through his nervousness and he took over, scooping me into his arms and laying me gently on the bed, following me down.

  ***

  I woke in the pre-dawn, encompassed in warmth and momentarily confused about where I was. Then I noticed the brown arm draped heavily across my chest and smiled, remembering the night before. I caught sight of the ring sparkling on my finger and smiled even wider. A glance at the bedside clock told me it was not yet six a.m. and I could feel Jack’s deep breathing telling me he was still asleep. I carefully turned around so I could see my fiancé and watch him while he slept. He had let his hair grow out some over the past year and it was falling into his eyes. I let my eyes rove lovingly over his unshaven face down to his muscular chest. He had obviously spent a lot of time working out while we were apart; his arms and chest were bulging with muscle and his abs were rock hard and sexily defined. I felt my face go hot as I remembered that I now had intimate knowledge of what lie hidden beneath the blanket. He had gently and lovingly initiated me into the wonders of lovemaking and I had loved every minute of it. I’d had small glimpses over the past few years of the passion he kept tightly reined in, but it was nothing compared to what I had experienced last night. I had thought I knew every facet of him, but I was wrong. He showed me a whole new, unrestrained side of himself last night. I grinned as the memories of our lovemaking flashed in my mind. I wrenched my eyes back to his and saw that he was waking. He rubbed a hand over his face and opened his eyes.