This I Know

by A K Clark

  “The next one will definitely be a cheating husband,” Cora whispered.

  I stifled a laugh. “You’re incorrigible,” I said. Though I couldn’t help but hope the same. Observing Vero had become dull. We were due for some excitement.

  3

  Cora nudged me as she looked out her viewing hole, prompting me to follow suit. Vero walked to her seat, followed closely by a tall man with a full beard. Although shadows shrouded most of his features, I caught the confidence he exuded when he strode into the room. His presence demanded attention.

  The negative energy seeping from the man undercut any attraction he held. Shadows swirled around his body as if the darkness embraced him. I continued to gape at him despite the unease settling in the pit of my stomach. This man was trouble. His breaths came out sharp and deliberate.

  Vero turned toward the man when she reached her seat. “It is uncommon for other visitors to be so willing to let a late arrival go before them. Thank Apollo for letting you avoid the wait.” Apprehension flooded her features, but her voice didn’t waver. The man didn’t respond. She bristled at his lack of manners but continued, “Tell me, what answers do you seek?”

  He stepped closer. “Will the gods favor me to obtain control and become the Speaker of Larissa?” His voice came out harsh.

  I glanced at Cora in surprise. Larissa was far north of Delphi. This man had traveled many days to ask the Pythia his question. Odder still, he asked if the gods would support his efforts to overthrow the speaker assigned by the council. Cora’s expression mirrored mine. I’d never heard of anyone undermining the council’s decisions.

  “Has Aeneas been serving Larissa so badly?” Vero raised her brows, questioning him. He stiffened at the mention of the current speaker’s name. Some innate part of me rankled, warning me away from this man. I placed a hand over my heart, silently begging the gods to send him away.

  “I ask again, Pythia, will the gods favor me to take over as Speaker of Larissa?”

  Vero discreetly slid off her stool, taking a few steps toward the back of the chamber near the end of the chasm, gaining precious space. He tracked her movements but made no move to follow. She turned away from him, raising her hands near her hips with palms exposed to the sky, her voice a soft whisper in the room:

  “Apollo, God of the Sun,

  Warrior against the wicked,

  Bring me the truth,

  Reveal the Fates.”

  Vero’s breathing grew louder as she repeated the chant, her body beginning to spasm. Her back arched so deeply, I thought she might break in half, but as quickly as she rounded, her body contracted forward into a ball.

  I bristled as the man shifted—his defensive posture unsettled me. He had nothing to fear from Vero. She was harmless. She continued to move frantically while she connected with the gods, falling to the floor, her muscles no longer able to hold her up.

  Cora grabbed my arm in alarm. I squeezed her hand. The vision had taken her with more force than usual. A heady sensation of violence filled the air. I came to the startling realization that Apollo played no part in this prophecy.

  My skin pricked with concern for Vero as the God of War took hold. Ares had never worked through the Pythia before, but I knew this prophecy would reek of the god’s destructive nature. Ares’s possession took longer and was much more violent than the other gods.

  Vero gazed at the man with glossy eyes. I wasn’t sure how long she’d thrashed about but several moments passed in silence. Why is the God of War here?

  Then Vero spoke, her body trembling with the strength of Ares’s truth. “Life will be lost. Power is not easily gained, but I’ve seen the people rally for you. Though Ares does not favor you, I do not think he will stop your pursuit. You may become speaker as you so desire, but it will not be a peaceful term. Violence is on the horizon. There is a movement led by two seers. They remain hidden, but they will rise to resist the perversion you preach. Those with whom you align yourself seek to destroy our world.”

  Vero stood, her movements stiff and slow. She shot a warning look at us. The man didn’t notice. I silently thanked the gods for the small blessing.

  “Take a moment before you consider your next move, Argos. The god has shown me your intentions. The path you are going down will bring you no happiness. Do not think you can bring such wickedness into the world without bringing their wrath.”

  Vero’s face paled, her eyes rounding with fear. What had she seen? I was certain she had warned Cora and me to stay hidden with the look she’d given us, but the latter half of the prophecy puzzled me. Cora clung to my arm, her nails biting into my skin, forcing my attention back to Argos.

  “I wish the gods had been kinder to you, Pythia. Has the god warned you?” he asked Vero, taking a hesitant step toward her.

  “Yes,” she whispered as she stepped back, pressing her body against the wall. Her eyes widened further with terror. I struggled to understand their exchange.

  Argos moved quickly toward a motionless Vero. My heart lurched. Fear rolled off her in palpable waves. I stood my ground, staying silent as she requested.

  “Will the gods protect you, Pythia?” Argos grabbed Vero’s throat, speaking with anger.

  My body froze with horror when he squeezed her throat. Vero didn’t resist, her body still too weak from the vision. I held my breath as the man continued to cut off Vero’s air supply. I trembled with indecision, my muscles begging me to help her.

  I knew her prophecy included a warning. We were to stay hidden, and though it pained me to watch him hurt her, I knew Vero had seen part of my future. She’d mentioned it for a reason. Going out to help her and risking my life wasn’t a part of the vision or her intention. My soul cried for Vero as her body spasmed violently, pleading for air. Her face grew redder with every breath she failed to take. Argos chuckled before he crushed her throat.

  The sickening crunch of her windpipe filled the air. She gasped frantically, trying to breathe, giving only a strangulated cough. Wet. Raspy. Blood splattered from her mouth. The man cursed, wiping the blood from his face. The resounding smack of her head against the wall assaulted my ears: once, twice, and a final time before her gasping breaths stopped.

  Blood trickled down my arm. Cora’s nails had broken my skin. The finality of the sound played over and over in my mind. He killed her. Crushed her throat. Smashed her head. I stared at the man as he held her limp body. He panted while he laid her down, kneeling over her and taking deep, calming breaths.

  Cora and I continued to hold our breaths in an agreement to remain hidden as Vero had instructed. Cora squeezed my hand. I peered at her. She held a trembling finger up to her lips. I closed my mouth, which had fallen open with silent screams.

  Argos paced about the space, burying his hands in his hair before slapping his head. He grabbed Vero’s arms, pulling her toward the fire.

  No. He can’t. I began to move but Cora held me back, squeezing my fingers harder. She knew I wouldn’t win this fight, but I didn’t want to watch my mentor’s body burn. I tried to escape her. She shook her head again, grip tightening. I watched the man drag Vero’s body across the chamber. Her skin and clothing scraped across the floor.

  I bit my palm to prevent my screams from escaping. I tried not to gag when the sickening smell of burning flesh filled the chamber, violating my nose. Smoke stung my eyes. Tears slipped down my cheeks. Argos stood unmoving as the flames covered Vero’s body, sizzling as they scorched her hair and skin. Argos either didn’t care or wasn’t strong enough to watch. He turned and left the chamber, the fabric rustling with his departure.

  My muscles ached to run to Vero. Common sense told me I would die if I ran out now. Any remaining visitors would not enter the chamber until the Pythia came to retrieve them. It wasn’t uncommon for her to end her day after a trying vision. Visitors came prepared for a delay.

  My thoughts were so frantic that I jumped when Cora whispered, “We cannot leave now, Alex. He might be waiting in the temple
to see who discovers the body. We must wait until someone comes for Vero.”

  “What? Wait? While her killer is just outside the chamber? We have to stop him, Cora. We can’t let him get away with this.” I pulled aside the curtain, hurrying toward the exit. Cora tackled me. Her breathing was frantic as she struggled to keep me pinned.

  “No, Alex! You do not know if this man is out there. If he is, he will kill us without hesitation. You heard Vero. There is something going on the gods don’t approve of. He killed her for it.” Cora stayed on top of me until I begrudgingly agreed not to run.

  “We have to move her from the fire.” A part of my soul shattered when I spoke the words.

  “Get the curtain from the viewing room. We will use it to smother the flames.” My hands and feet obeyed Cora’s instructions. I ripped the fabric from the wall. Cora used the small pitcher of water on the table to douse the flames. Once they died down, we wrapped the material around Vero’s charred skin so we could move her.

  My muscles, still weak from my defense lessons, made it hard to hold her. I gagged when my grip faltered, my hand wrapped around what remained of her ankle. My fingers burned from the heat of her body. I barely laid her down before turning to vomit.

  When my dry-heaving stopped, I shivered violently, racked with sobs of grief. Cora stopped mid-pace and rushed over. We sat crying in each other’s arms for some time, holding tightly to one another until the sounds of movement outside the chamber’s curtain spurred us into action. We scrambled backward to the far recesses of the room.

  Argos had returned.

  4

  We heard the rustling of fabric as someone entered the chamber. With my heart racing, I moved in front of Cora out of instinct, ready to protect her should the need arise. She wasn’t a good fighter.

  I quickly ran through defensive maneuvers I knew by heart, preparing to fight Argos for as long as I could, and hopefully giving Cora enough time to make it out and find help.

  My body tensed as heavy footfalls echoed around the chamber—a sound I associated with men. I prayed to the gods the man coming toward us wasn’t Argos. I moved silently toward the end of the slope, crouching into position. My heart stopped when I saw a flash of beard and the familiar height of Argos.

  I lashed out at him before he turned toward me. My crouched position helped me aim accurately, my fist slamming into his groin. A guaranteed showstopper.

  As he crumpled to the floor, I screamed to Cora, “GO! Find help.” I didn’t check to see if she listened as I continued assaulting him. If I had to wait for help, I needed to get him while he was down. Despite my best kicks and punches, he rolled toward me.

  I cocked my fist back, aiming it at his face. Crap, it isn’t Argos. I let out a horrified screech and scooted away from him, realizing what I’d done to the nameless stranger. The man groaned again, rubbing his cheek. I winced, guilt hitting me hard. I’d attacked like a rabid animal.

  “What did I do to deserve such violence, Pythia?” The man looked at me with concern. He looked over my shoulder, brows rising when he noticed Cora standing behind me. “Which one of you is the Pythia?” His gaze darted between us, taking in our disgruntled states before surveying the rest of the room.

  The man jumped up as his eyes fell on the body partially covered by the black curtain. “What’s going on?” he demanded before taking several steps away from us, pointing at Vero.

  “A man attacked her. We were here to train,” Cora explained, but the man cut her off.

  “No. No, no. You were both in here before I arrived. I saw no one else leave the chamber before I came in.” He took a step toward the entrance, calling for help. When no answer came, he yelled louder. The sound of running feet told me several people had heard his last call of distress and rushed to answer it.

  The man addressed the newcomers. “These women have committed murder. Someone hold them until we notify the order.” They looked at us, most of the faces filled with anger. A few looked at the man skeptically, hesitant to believe his words. The man pointed out the body. Only then did they move to restrain us.

  “You don’t understand. We were in the viewing room when Argos attacked the Pythia,” I said, desperate for understanding.

  “You tried to kill me when I came in!” the man shouted. Two men pulled my arms behind my back. Cora let the men take her arms without a fight. I was not as compliant.

  “I attacked you because I thought you were Argos! He killed Vero. We didn’t do this!” I shouted. “Cora! Cora, tell them we didn’t do this!” But Cora just stood there, staring into space. I’d seen her go into similar trance-like states before. She was speaking with the gods. Not the best timing, Cora, I cursed as panic flooded me. They forced us to our knees.

  “You will wait with these women while we notify the order,” the man said to the guy holding Cora. My heart sank further when he departed, taking the others with him.

  “Cora?” I studied my friend, waiting for a response. Cora turned to me, but she looked right through me.

  “Everything will be fine.” My voice shook, my body still riding the rush of adrenaline. “They will see we didn’t do this. She was our mentor.” I rambled, not able to stop myself. I continued to mutter until the sound of footsteps returned outside the chamber. I deflated, grief and fear conquering my false bravado.

  They took us to a house occupied by one of the order’s members. We were put in a room with three chairs and a table. My escort walked me to a chair, forcing me to take a seat before he left. Cora remained silent.

  “What is going on, Cora? You have said nothing since we moved Vero from the fire.” I glanced at her, compelling her to speak. “Did you see something?”

  “I had a…” Before she finished, the door to the room swung open. A large man wearing a black chiton walked in and sat in the chair across from me. His chestnut hair fell to his broad shoulders, his posture one of authority. The lines on his face hinted at his age, perhaps close to my father’s.

  “I’m Stefan. I am overseeing the investigation. A lot of people think you two murdered the Pythia. So,” he gestured at us, “why don’t you tell me what happened?” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms in an attempt to appear relaxed. He didn’t fool me. His eyes belied his suspicions. He thought we were guilty.

  I looked at Cora, waiting for her to explain. It was natural—she always led conversations—but this time she did not speak. It appeared to be my turn to take charge. Great.

  I steadied my heart, taking a deep breath before I began. “We went to the temple to observe the prophecies for our lessons. We are part of the candidacy. You know Cora is preferred. It is silly to think the rest of us even have a chance.” I rattled off my irrelevant opinions but stopped short when I saw the irritated look on his face. Fool, stay focused.

  “We were in the viewing room, the one used by students to watch Vero work, and Argos came in. He wasn’t friendly. Vero tried to make conversation with him, but he resisted. After Vero delivered her prophecy, he attacked her. We didn’t kill her. We didn’t help because she warned us to stay back. You don’t—”

  Stefan held up his hand, halting my frantic words. “Hold on, hold on. Too fast. Go back to the man. Tell me about him. What did he look like?”

  Again, I hesitated, waiting for Cora to explain. I sighed when she didn’t answer. “He was tall, possibly six feet. It was dark so I couldn’t see much of his face. He had a beard. He was handsome, or at least I think he was. He had a way about him, do you know what I mean?” I asked.

  Stefan raised his eyebrows at me. “No. I don’t think I know, but I’ll take your word for it. What did he do after he came into the chamber?”

  “He stood next to Vero, but he made her uncomfortable. Or, at least, I think he did because she didn’t stay in her seat like she normally does. She moved to the other side of the room, putting space between them.” I recalled the way the man stared at Vero like a viper waiting to catch its prey. My mind flashed to his hand crushing
Vero’s throat. My cheeks stung from the salty tears dripping from my eyes.

  “What happened next?” he asked quietly.

  “She told him what she saw. He attacked her.” I stared at Stefan and with a shaky breath said, “He grabbed her and he killed her.”

  “What did he ask Vero?”

  “He wanted to know if he would become the Speaker of Larissa.”

  “So you’re telling me he killed her because she said he wouldn’t become speaker? It seems like a big reaction. Doesn’t the Pythia deliver bad news often? How many have tried to kill her for her visions?”

  “No! I mean yes, he killed her because of what she saw, but she didn’t tell him he wouldn’t become speaker.” I trembled. It was freezing in the room. Why was there no fire burning to warm the house? My mind jumped to Vero’s body burning in the fire pit. I began crying again.

  “Why don’t you tell me exactly what Vero said?” Stefan leaned forward, listening while I repeated Vero’s prophecy between sobs. When I finished, my entire body shook.

  “Well, I’ll be honest,” Stefan said, “it seems a little convenient you two were the only ones to witness this man killing her. You both have a lot to gain with Vero’s death, don’t you agree? Who was to take her place? Oh, well, you said it yourself!” he said, replying to his own question. “You two are in the candidacy. Alone in the chamber with the Pythia. Were you both so impatient to see her go?” He threw out accusations so quickly, it was hard to keep up.

  “No, that’s not what happened. I told you—”

  “Whose idea was it? Which one of you killed the Pythia?” He leveled his gaze at me. Me? Did he think it was my idea? I held back my grief, focusing only on proving my innocence.

  “No! No. Gods no, we didn’t do it.” I rocked back and forth shaking my head. He had to believe me. The man stood abruptly and left. I was wiping the moisture from my face when he returned with the other two members of the order. They were also dressed in black.