“Ah—this mark—that’s why you struggled with reading me.”
I nod.
“Talk about weird physics. Or metaphysics?” he shakes his head. “I meant to ask you—how is it you can read me now? Or know any of this? What happened to you in the cavern?”
“I was being pulled another direction—the entire time we were in the cave, it was as though the ritual was calling me back,” I say. “It was powerful.”
Suddenly, memories from the full moon ritual with Demetri flood my consciousness. I see the circle we cast, the Violet Flame of Transmutation, Morgan and Gabe and her map to find her final five guardians. I didn’t think it had worked for me—but I was wrong. The intentions of how we manipulated its magic to transmute and transform the energy surrounding my memories—it had worked all along. It just needed to guide me to my path so I could fulfill its purpose. Time had to run its course and free will had to play its roll.
“So, you…went hunting for something? Is that why I couldn’t find you?”
“Yes—I know I should have been focused on the girls, but when you’ve spent millennia trying to unlock your mind—and you realize you might be close—”
Overwhelmed by the intense desire to bring him current, to explain myself in a way that can’t be explained by words, I take a breath and allow the full capacity of my God-granted gifts to flow through me. These abilities—they’ve always been more than just a simple psychic ability—they’re powers in their own right and I’ve never even given them the attention they deserve.
Placing my middle two fingers alongside Blake’s temple the way Morgan did for me, I close my eyes, summoning the power to relay some of the details I’ve lived through these past few weeks. The hunt for Esther, the realization there were other girls. I show him the ritual with Demetri, Morgan, and Gabe—the Violet Flame. The insights to Mnemosyne’s symbol and the ritual of drinking from the River of Lethe. My heartache as I found him dead in the cave and the way I feel now that I know.
The memories rush through me, flooding from me into his consciousness. I show him the thread tying his soul through the ages—directly to back to Anastasios. I gift him the years of memories we shared together—our childhood. The time we spent together by the Gulf of Corinth—first as young children. Our first kiss by the water’s edge. Our moonlit wedding and the gifts granted by Apollo. Everything I feel and have felt throughout the long, lonely existence of my life.
Blake pulls back, his eyes wide, but dazzling in amazement.
He takes my outstretched hand, placing it over his heart.
“I—I don’t even know how to describe—” he begins.
“You don’t have to. I just, I needed you to see and feel what I do.”
I search his eyes, wanting to see at soul level what impact this may have had.
After a moment, he licks his lower lip and takes a deep inhalation. “That was—an experience I will never forget. Well, obviously. I mean, I had no idea—no clue something like that was possible, let alone everything you’ve been through. I mean, I was following you. I heard what you were saying about being the reincarnation of your husband and while I understand and felt something, I dunno, resonate in your words…I guess—it’s nothing like the experience of it.”
A slow smile slides across my lips. “Tell me about it.”
His eyes fall to the ground, as he clutches my hand to his body—his eyes going distant and far away. We sit in silence for a moment, taking in the moonlit sights and sounds.
“I think I hold a missing piece to your puzzle,” he whispers.
“What do you mean?”
“When you—whatever you just did knocked some things loose for me. Memories of my own. At least, I think that’s what they are.”
His eyes narrow as he stares at the rocky ground, trying to recollect.
My heart hitches and I lean forward. “Can you explain?”
“I remember you—us. I remember our connection and my side of the exchanges you sent me. But…I was never gifted immortality, Diana. Or should I say, Amara?” he says, grinning.
Hearing my birth name—or rather, his nickname for my birth name, Amarantham, pulls me up short. It’s been eons since I last went by that name. Tears brim at my eyes and my forehead crumples as I deal with this proclamation.
Blake’s eyes are wide and sympathetic as he waits for the news to settle and his hands refuse to drop mine from his heart.
“But we were told—” I sob.
“We were only told I would be by your side forever. That’s all,” he says, raising his eyebrows.
“And how is that not immortality?” I say, splaying my other hand out wide in front of us.
“Because the only way a human soul can walk alongside an immortal is…”
He holds the silence, waiting for me to catch up.
My eyes widen. “Reincarnation. Oh my God. I’m so stupid. How did I not know? How did I not pick that up?”
My fingertips graze my lips and I sit in horror at the revelation. Sure, it would have sucked to locate him again, to have to go through years of childhood and adolescence before he could be with me again—but my gifts would have easily brought him to me. Instead, I forced myself into two millennia alone. I forced him into two millennia reincarnating without me. All that time lost…
“You weren’t meant to know. It was my burden to carry and a promise I made to Apollo in exchange for his approval. He knew we’d continue to find our way to one another and he wanted the timing to be right for you to learn the truth.”
“Why would timing even matter?” Tears stream over my cheeks, dropping to my lap.
“I don’t know, beautiful. It wasn’t my place to question a God,” he says. “Holy shit—I’ve dealt with a God.” His eyebrows tug in and he shakes his head. “Until now, I’ve been 100% atheist.”
“I’m sure under the circumstances, Apollo will forgive you,” I say swiping at the tears and chuckling despite myself.
“Sure as hell hope so. I mean, wow—how many people can say they’ve had that sort of interaction? Well, and not been locked up for it?” he says, scratching at the back of his neck with his right hand.
“Not many,” I laugh. “I thought for sure you’d have me committed after this conversation was over.”
Blake shakes his head, “No way. We’re in this together.”
My heart lightens, as my burden of loneliness is lifted from my being. For the first time in forever, I feel light as air and smile with the light and love of Apollo.
“Besides,” he adds, “we can’t have our first true ‘official’ date at the coffee shop when you’re strapped down to a bed. Well, okay—that could come after, if you’re into that sorta thing now.”
His grin is infectious, and his lopsided dimples emerge in a way that instantly melts my heart.
“You’ll have wait and find out,” I say, pushing at his shoulder playfully.
“For you—I’ll wait forever and then some.”
His right hand slides beneath my hair, tugging at my neck and drawing me closer. I close my eyes, feeling his lips as they press against my own in a strange mix of memory and magic. I breathe it all in—embracing the present moment and all the beauty it has to offer.
At first, all I perceive is his fragrance of grapes hidden in the depths of his cologne—but it twists into something else.
Mnemosyne’s scent of jasmine and rose floods my nostrils, taking over everything.
“Pythia—it is time. Are you ready to resume your role as the rightful Oracle of Delphi?”
IS THIS THE END?
Diana Hawthorne’s story continues, starting July 2021! Stay tuned for preorder links, coming soon!
Oracle: Book 1
Amends: Book 2 (coming July 2021)
Immortals: Book 3 (coming December 2021)
Amends: Book 2 Sneak Peek (Chapter 1)
The Oracle of Dead Gods
There’s no way in hell I’m allowing them to trap me here.
&
nbsp; I shiver from the cold sweats brought on by this morning’s vision. They’re coming at me now with more frequency. More urgency.
That’s why I had to get out of the hotel room and come back to the source. I need to sit inside the vibrations of the temple again, just I can be sure.
Luckily, the drive to the Temple of Apollo isn’t more than a few minutes from where we’re staying.
I bite my lower lip and clutch the steering wheel tightly.
I’m almost positive I know what the visions mean, but I’m not sure how to lean into them. Not when I’m so close to having everything I’ve ever wanted.
My jaw clenches and I cast a gaze over my shoulder. Blake’s soft breathing pulses up and down softly like a metronome to my every existence. He has no idea what awaits.
There’s movement in the old space. It feels like the old gods are preparing their return and I’ve become the linch pin to their plan.
But I’ve come too far to sit on a pile of rubble, telling fortunes to the rich and powerful while they rouse the troops. Because let’s face it, once word gets out that the Oracle of Delphi has returned, those in power will come for me the way they did before. Humanity hasn’t changed all that much.
Plus, with the advent of social media, I shudder to think how quickly the information would travel. I’ll become a spectacle—some sort of dancing monkey—and the privacy I’ve come to know and love will be lost.
Then, rather than being accessible to all the poor, sad souls of the world, I’ll be fashioned into a weapon. One they can use to their advantage.
Then, the fanatics will come. First, they’ll try to kill me. But when they find out they can’t a worse fate will come. I’d probably be locked in a vault under the Vatican somewhere with everything else that scares the hell out of humanity.
Fuck that.
I practically growl as I shudder at the thought.
It’s bad enough I have to be an oracle for dead and buried gods. I should at least be able to pick and choose where I go and how I serve.
Come on, Apollo. Give me at least that much.
Swallowing hard, I put the rental car into park. I leave the car running and slip out into the cool morning air. As gently as I can, I close the driver’s side door, and peer inside. Blake’s arms are pinned by his arms and his dark eyelashes flutter under the weight of his dreams. Hopefully they’re better than mine.
I don’t fully understand why he wanted to come with me. It’s not like he’s a morning person. He could still be warm and comfortable in the hotel bedroom. I know that’s where I’d rather be.
My heart flutters and I can’t help but smile.
Turning around, the wind whips my hair in a cyclone around my head. It’s a dazzling display with the varying strands of gold and pink as the rising sun bleeds its welcome into my hair. Despite all of this, I reach for the ponytail holder in my pocket and tie my hair back. I need to be focused and centered now. Taking my time, I meander the trail to the ruins of the Temple of Apollo.
It’s been two days since the arrest of Lester and his cronies. Two days since I got my memories back.
Two days since I gave up a mortal life to continue on with the insanity of this supernatural one.
When I reach the location, I take a seat on a stone wall and sigh.
It’s also been two days since my soul mate was returned to me.
Blake is so excited to be uncovering our past, one memory at a time. His life as Anastasios was just as locked to him as my past was to me. At least we have that much in common.
But this undercurrent of anxiety clouds my elation.
I exhale my trepidation and settle into the energy of the space. My gaze lifts, settling on the horizon. At this time of the morning, the view is almost the same as it was millenia ago. However the beauty does not thing to shake the terrible revelation that while I have regained so much, my life is no longer my own.
While not exactly the most idyllic of circumstances, the past two millennium have moulded me into the woman I’ve become. How the hell am I meant to revert back to someone I no longer am?
That woman was shed a long, long time ago.
This never-ending existence has left me jaded. Sure, I might be more of a prickly pear these days, but I’d also like to think the rougher edges have left me with a little more depth. And certainly a little wiser to the world as a whole.
Being psychic can only get you so far. You still need experience to accurately unpack everything.
Inhaling deeply, the crisp morning air clings to my lungs until I exhale the breath in a soft plume of frozen water droplets. I lean forward, placing my elbows on my knees. Bringing my hands to prayer position, I press the edge of my index fingers to my lips in an effort to silence my mind.
Blake may be recalling bits and pieces of our past life together, but he doesn’t remember everything. He doesn’t have the recollection of all of his past lifetimes, and I’m not sure what to make of that. Maybe it’s a byproduct of me meddling with our memories. As long as he’s happy with what he remembers, maybe that’s all that matters.
My one concern is that he doesn’t understand the restraints I now wear, and all for the sake of saving him. If he knew what I gave up to do it, he’d call me a damn fool. But then again, he doesn’t know all that I’ve endured without him by my side.
There have been so many decisions I’ve made that would shock him. So much I’ve seen and done that I’m not proud of throughout these years alone. Rather than being set on a course and following it to its destination, my life has been a tangle of events that would leave others crawling out of their skin.
Maybe even Blake.
And it’s certainly something the gods could use against me, if they really wanted.
My stomach constricts and I swallow back my uneasiness.
I’ll cross that bridge when—or if—it ever comes.
For now, though, I need to find a loophole to this prison sentence before it becomes my reality.
As much as I love the memories of growing up here, and the time of being with Anastasios, I no longer have any desire to live in Greece. That time has passed. Sorrow lingers here like a layer of fog that won’t dissipate. I can feel it now, even as I sit here.
This is where everything went wrong… Where two-thousand plus years of self-loathing began.
No, I don’t want to be stuck here. Blake and I found each other again in Helena. It’s where we belong now. Besides, it’s not like he’ll want to uproot Aiden and his entire life to move to Greece.
Arms wrap around my neck from behind, making me jump. Not an easy feat, all things considered.
“Didn’t mean to startle you.” Blake’s words are gruff, but hold a smile at the edges of his tone. His thoughts tumble through various things to say, but they’re garbled by the early morning. One thing is clear, though…he’s amused that he caught me off guard. He kisses the top of my head and takes a seat beside me on the bench. “It’s easy to find you—you’re always in the same place.”
My lips twitch, but don’t fully form into a smile.
“Uh oh. What’s wrong?” he asks. His eyebrows draw down, darkening his features as he puts on his investigator hat.
I straighten my shoulders and shake off my apprehension. There’s no point in worrying him until I have a plan. “Nothing,” I mutter.
The creases around his brown eyes deepen and he grunts. “Mhm.”
Shaking my head, I stand up and stretch nonchalantly. “No, seriously. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Then why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” he asks, arching an eyebrow.
I press my lips tight and give him a knowing look. “Because it’s nothing to worry about. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. We’ve been through hell and back these past few weeks.”
His expression is firm and he refuses to remove me from underneath his scrutiny. I hold firm, trying to lighten the energy between us. Finally, he leans back a bit and says, “Yeah, if you would have t
old me a month ago that I’d be having past-life memories about being married to the Oracle of Delphi, or that I’ve made a pact with the god Apollo, I would have said to lay off the acid.”
I chuckle, dropping my gaze to the sandy ground. “Right?”
So much has changed.
A little over a month ago, I had been trying desperately to understand my past. If I’m completely honest, I don’t think I really expected anything to come of it. After being let down time and time again, how could I?
But the Violet Flame invocation came through.
Demetri came through.
My stomach constricts again and a fresh wave of guilt and anxiety rolls through me. I exhale, trying to release the tension. Instead, the realization that I’m the reason Demetri’s powers were stripped from him punches me in the feels.
His powers are gone and mine have grown. Oh, he’ll love that.
I again press my fingertips to my mouth and turn away from Blake.
“See, now I know something’s up. What’s going on with you?” Blake says, as he presses his hand against my back, letting me feel his presence.
He’s genuinely concerned for me—I can sense it in every molecule of his being—but I’ve been alone so long, I don’t quite know how to open up completely. Even with him.
He’s fragile and human… and I could still push him away if I’m not careful.
I close my eyes for a moment, allowing my abilities to survey the landscape of our new relationship before proceeding. “When you mentioned where we were at a month ago, it got me thinking about what was happening in my life around that time… I’m just worried about a friend back home,” I admit, hoping it will be enough for him to let things go.
“Is something wrong with him?” he asks, narrowing his gaze.
My eyebrows pull in as I try to put things into the right words. It’s way easier when I’m just the vessel, delivering universal information. But when I’m at the center of it all, shit gets so damn complicated and messy.
Oracle: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Series (A Diana Hawthorne Supernatural Mystery Book 1) Page 22