The Sibyl

by James Hold

  Chapter Five

  I woke up to a crowd of people surrounding me as Elliot tried to keep them back. My poor friend was shoving a man aside from his position by my head when I groaned. I’d like to think I didn’t actually make a sound. I’d like to believe I simply sat up on my own and asked the spectators just what the hell they were looking at.

  Truth be told, I felt like a fool and my head hurt. A lot. So I groaned just like every chick in a bad romance novel that needed the man to save her.

  Elliot was as astute as ever. He was by my side in an instant. I opened my eyes just enough to see him kneeling over me, brushing my hair off my forehead.

  “Eva, honey, are you ok? Can you hear me?”

  I rose up enough to grab his shirt to pull him lower. When we were just about to touch noses, I whispered. “If there is anyone at this damned conference who can make me disappear, find them. Find them now.”

  Elliot’s laughter was laced with his relief. He turned to the crowd around us and announced I was fine. I struggled to sit up, wincing as black spots began to dance across my vision. The stranger Elliot had pushed away was still behind me so I was sure he was the one who put his hands on my shoulders to steady me.

  “Don’t move too fast. You’ve had a nasty fall.”

  “I’m fine. I fell on the floor which happens all the time.” I grumbled as I turned towards the stranger. His black suit was rumpled, yes. And he was a bit too interested in studying my eyes. But he was movie-star gorgeous, despite the jagged scar which ran down the side of his face. If I hadn’t been so stunned, I was sure I would have started drooling.

  Talk about embarrassing yourself.

  “Eva, are you sure you’re alright?” Elliot had returned to my field of vision. I didn’t miss how his blue gaze had turned to ice as he looked between me and the man. An awkward moment passed between the three of us before my friend spoke again. He took my arm. “Can you stand up? You really should get up off the floor.”

  I was in the process of standing up when a scream filtered into the conference room. This time, it wasn’t mine. The audience who had been watching me started filtering out. Many picked up their pace when they heard the scream. I started to follow them but something was holding me back. No, not something. Someone. The stranger was frowning at the door as he tightened his grip on my arm.

  “Ms. Carter is no longer with us.” His dark eyes flashed as he knelt down to pick up the mirror with his free hand. “It seems this now belongs to you.”

  “Oh, no.” I took a step back away from his grip with my hands up. “I want nothing to do with that damned thing.”

  He shook his head. “You have replaced Ms. Carter as the Sibyl. I’m afraid you no longer have any say in the matter.”

  “The what? Replace her? ”I mirrored his movement. “No. That woman attacked me with, well, something. I want her arrested or thrown out of this conference. Do whatever the hell it is that security does to people around here.”

  “Yes. Replace her.” The stranger ignored my demands. “Ms. McRayne, Kathy Carter is dead. You initiated her passing the moment your spell was done.”

  “Who are you?” Elliot finally decided to join our little conversation. “If you’re with security, then it might be best if you are outside looking for the woman who attacked Eva. If not, then our time with you is done.”

  “Eli, am I still out cold on the floor and dreaming all this?” I turned to Elliot as if he had the answers. He was just as confused as I was. It was the stranger who answered me.

  “I’m afraid there is nothing more which can be done for Ms. Carter. We have much to discuss, Sibyl.” The man pressed the mirror’s handle into my palm until my fingers closed around it. “Your life has been changed in more ways than you could ever imagine I am now assigned to you as your guard.”

  “No,” I slapped the heavy mirror against my leg in frustration at the riddles the man was speaking. “I don’t need to be guarded because of some woman’s crazy mumbo-jumbo. Did Connor put you up to this? Is this some sort of promotional stunt? Because if it is, I remember what was written in my contract. Being knocked out on a hotel floor was not in there.”

  “Connor? Promotional?” The stranger had the decency to look confused for a moment. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Wait, how do you know Kathy is dead?” Elliot interrupted. “She isn’t here, certainly. But I’m sure there is a perfectly rational explanation as to where she has gone.”

  He was interrupted by the loud speakers overhead and the faint sirens becoming increasingly louder outside.

  “Dearest Patrons, please return to your hotel rooms. It is due to a most unfortunate accident the rest of today’s sessions have been cancelled. Thank you for your patience and please forgive any inconvenience this may cause.”

  “Ok.” I drew out the word as Elliot and I stared at each other. “That was just a coincidence. Wasn’t it?”

  I turned around towards the strange man. “Thank you for your help awhile ago. But I don’t think I’ll need your services.”

  “Come on.” Elliot led us out of the conference room. “Let’s get you upstairs. I want to take a look at the knot on your head.”

  “I have a knot on my head?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but thoughts of the handsome man seeing me at less than my best came to the forefront. “Where?”

  “Here.” Elliot stopped just long enough to brush his hand against the side of my head. His gentle touch changed into one of panic as he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to face him. “Eva, oh my god.”

  “What?” I pushed at his hands, but Elliot wouldn’t let me go. Instead, he pulled me over to one of the large mirrored columns in the lobby. “Eli, you’re really starting to freak me out.”

  “Look. Just look.” He turned me so I was standing in front of him, facing the mirror. “Your eyes have changed, Eva.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” I studied my form in the mirror and gasped when I noticed just what Elliot was talking about. My boring green eyes had shifted color. They were now as golden as Kathy Carter’s had been. I only got a second to see the difference before my reflection became someone else.

  Kathy Carter, who had thrust her mirror upon me not thirty minutes before was standing in front of me. She had changed just as I had. The woman’s image in the mirror wasn’t the young and beautiful person who had tricked me. She was old. Her face was covered in blood. But her strange eyes were the very same. She was laughing. I could hear her words in my head. I knew without knowing how that she had thrown herself in front of a taxi.

  “You have freed me, child.” She took a step backward, the crazy grin still lighting her wizened face. “Take care of my son. I place his very heart in your hands.”

  I fell against Elliot so hard he almost toppled over.

  “Hey!” He managed to keep us from hitting the floor, but I refused to look at the mirror again. I threw myself into him, burying myself into his shirt. Elliot’s voice softened as he adjusted his hold to pull me closer. “Eva, it’s ok. Gold is the new green, right? I’m sure it’s nothing permanent.”

  “She’s here.” I was shaking so hard my teeth were clicking together. “Kathy Carter. I just saw her.”

  “Where?” Elliot held me tighter as he tried to calm me down. “I don’t see anyone.”

  “Behind me. In the glass.” I tried to keep my voice calm, but I couldn’t manage it. “She threw herself into traffic, Elliot. Tell me you see her too.”

  “See what? Evie,” Elliot pulled back just enough to tug my chin upwards. “Who did you see?”

  “Her!” I jerked away from him and pointed at the column. “The scryer! She’s in there.”

  “Ok.” Elliot breathed out the word as long as he could as he kept his arm in place around my shoulders. “Let’s go upstairs. You need to lie down. I’ll fix you a drink and you can sleep this off. ”

  “As I said, we have much to discuss.” The stranger was standing behind us
, his arms crossed over his chest. “What you’ve experienced is only the beginning, Ms. McRayne.”

  “Stop saying that!” I glared at him from my position by Elliot’s shoulder. “There is no beginning.”

  “Eva is in no condition to speak with you.” Elliot snapped as he turned us towards the elevator. “Leave us alone.”

  I had no choice but to follow him. I didn’t say anything while we made our way through the hotel. I did nothing but keep my head down as I tried to ignore the others passing us in the halls talking about the horrible accident out in the street. I wanted to scream at them though. It wasn’t an accident.

  Kathy Carter wanted to die. She wanted to be free of the shackles binding her to this life.

  Shackles she had clamped onto me.