Part 20 (1/2)
”Funny. My eyesight is perfect. So what's with the letter?”
”Gee, I don't know . . . maybe that's because I haven't read it yet. You might've noticed it was sealed.”
Rex shrugged. ”Might've. So?”
Emma made a grab for it. ”Let me read it.”
I gave up, let it slip through my fingers, and fell back onto my pillows as Emma cleared her throat, intending to read it aloud. ”OhmiG.o.d, that is so freaky! She knew I'd read this to you! How cool is that? I just got goose b.u.mps. Okay, starting over . . .
Since your daughter is reading this to you, I will behave. Charlie, I write this because my end has been revealed. I cannot see yours nor all the events that will lead me to mine-I only know that it will happen and I must follow the path Fate has laid out for me. I have, however, seen a glimpse of Death, and your future, when you drew it here last night to my club (thanks for listening by the way. You owe me three grand in damages).
Sachath will soon recognize you as divine, and, stating the obvious here: it will kill you unless you kill it first. It's you or it, Charlie. Plain and simple, no?
Ask yourself why it has been so successful, why the Archons themselves feared it. Not even they had the power to end its existence. Therefore, neither do you. Though, in a roundabout way, you do. Makes you crazy, doesn't it? Welcome to my life.
Here's the thing. I see random bits and pieces. I don't see the complete picture. But (and I hate to say this) the things I have seen tell me that (gag) you and I bond, become (gag, again) friends, so I want to help you. Who knew, right? You will hurt for me, which is nice to know. I hurt now even though I don't understand all of it.
Just know that I will be with my sister Fates in the end, and the prophecies I will continue to give will be more powerful than ever (if such a thing is possible, because, h.e.l.lo, World's Best Oracle here).
And remember this: the Creator didn't account for everything.
Bye, Charlie. I don't get to say that in the end, so I'm saying it here.
~ Sandra.
P.S. I hope you find your siren.
P.P.S. On the three grand: I take cash, credit cards, and checks. Just give it to Tuni.
I pressed my palms to my eyes, feeling a sting in my throat and behind my eyelids. My chest felt like it had been punched. I wanted to laugh and cry, and wished to G.o.d that Sandra was still around so I could shake her and hug her. d.a.m.ned oracle.
After a heavy moment, Emma cleared her throat and said, ”So you have to figure out how to kill this Death person. And what's an Archon?”
I sat up to find her sitting cross-legged, the letter in her lap, a thoughtful expression on her cute face, and a dimple in her cheek that told me she was biting the inside like I often did. I stayed quiet, not about to clue my kid into the fact that First Ones still existed, but I couldn't deny the threat that Sachath posed.
”But you won't be able to,” she continued, however, not waiting for me to answer. ”But you kind of can.”
”Frustrating, isn't it?” Rex told her. ”Oracles are always like that. Take my advice, avoid them at all costs.”
I told them about Sandra's prophecy. Accept yourself to make the shadow whole . . . together, together . . . but not by your hand . . . and death will come to death . . .
”So, if you accept yourself, you make the shadow whole . . .” Rex said, resting his chin on the teepee of his fingers. ”Whole could mean physical. If it's physical, flesh and blood, it can be killed.”
”And accepting yourself could just mean all your powers coming together or something,” Em said. ”And not by your hand . . . does that mean you use your power, Mom? Like from a distance? I don't get it.”
I sighed. I'd already worked most of what they were saying out for myself. ”I don't, either.” And I needed to work it out because I sure as h.e.l.l couldn't call Sachath here to fight unless I knew how to defeat it.
”The oracle seems certain you become divine,” Rex observed.
I'd definitely come into a strange sort of power in Fiallan; the fact that I could use my arm with the same effect as Ahkneri's sword; the fact that everything seemed to work together inside of me to make that happen. It hadn't been just one power, but all of them, everything inside of me, all the human and off-world genes coming together. And I was starting to suspect that I'd had a little help in that department from a certain earth sylph who had once told me I was fractured on the inside and offered to fix me. I'd temporarily been given the gift of Nwyvre, the Hidden Element, in order to save my sister Bryn, and now I was starting to believe it had brought peace to the warring powers inside of me, made me whole.
”How much homework do you have?” I asked Emma.
”A ton. Geometry and more Geometry, Astrology, and I have to study for a Crafting Vocab quiz tomorrow.”
”You'd better get started, then,” I said.
Since it was only four o'clock in the afternoon, and Sandra's letter burned in my brain, I decided to pay a visit to the one being I knew had some answers. ”I need to make a quick stop at the Grove and grab another cell phone from the station.” I already had a duplicate ID, badge, and weapons at the house, but the cell would have to be configured with my old number and contacts by the tech guy at the station. ”How about I pick up a pizza on the way back and then I can help you study? Sound good?”
”Two pizzas,” Rex said.
”One cheese,” Emma said.
”One with everything. And get some of those breadsticks,” Rex added. ”And you've got yourself a deal.”
I stuffed the letter back into the envelope and then held out my arms to Emma. ”Hug.”
After a long, tight hug, I kissed the top of Emma's head and smoothed the wispy hairs that had escaped her ponytail. ”Missed you, kid.”
”Missed you, too.”
Rex cleared his throat. The lifted, expectant eyebrow and the exasperated look in his lavender eyes had me nudging his foot with mine. ”I know,” I said. ”You missed me, too.”
His eyes rolled to the ceiling, but his lips curved into an attractive smile. He promptly removed his feet, stood, bent over, and kissed my forehead. ”I did, actually.” And then he walked from the room, calling out, ”And don't forget the breadsticks, woman!”
Em laughed. ”He's so weird.”
18.
”You can't hold your breath that long.”
”That's bulls.h.i.+t and you know it. The lake's not that deep. And besides, all you have to do is blink me in. You're the Druid King, so I know you can do it.”
Pendaran and I stood in his private quarters, away from the main temple and courtyard. The breeze over the lake stirred the white curtains that hung on either side of the large opening to Pen's private dock. He stood framed in the s.p.a.ce while giving me his lame-a.s.s excuses.
”You're being a bit overprotective, aren't you?” I asked. It was one thing to keep Ahkneri hidden and protected from the outside world-it was detrimental, in fact. But I wasn't just anyone. I had every right to see her if I wanted to, more right than him for sure.
Pen turned and glowered at me, and I had to grudgingly admit, he was intimidating. Maybe if I hadn't seen him turn into a dragon, things would be different, but once that image was seared into my mind, it was hard not to be a little leery of the guy.
”My borders are being crossed. My kin are at risk. Protective?” he asked mockingly. ”d.a.m.ned right I am. Why do you want to see her?”
”I just want to talk to her, to try and communicate. I have things I need to ask her, and she's the only one who can answer.” If she chose to. ”Look, I'm the one who wanted her protected in the first place. I'm lying to my boss and my superiors; I even lied to my own kid to keep her secret. Letting me in that cave won't change anything, but it might save my life, which I'm kind of partial to, so . . .”
He stared at the water, arms crossed over his chest, profile as stubborn as his body language. ”I stay with you the entire time.”
”Fine.” Even though we'd been through battle together and had trusted each other, it didn't mean Pen trusted me with this. I supposed I couldn't blame him. Anything could happen in that cave. h.e.l.l, if Ahkneri decided she wanted to take a tour of Atlanta's hot spots, who was I to say she couldn't take over my mind and make me release her? There were things that could go wrong. Very wrong. Having the Druid King by my side was a bonus.