Abraxas's Kismet (Sentinels of Apollo Book 1)

Cerys Chapter 18

I had no idea where the energy or light came from. All I knew was I was infuriated at the thought they’d enslave humans like me to use for breeding. As my anger rose, it was like a cork exploded out of a bottle, and the contents came pouring out. I was weak when it ended. Thank goodness Brax caught me before I fell. As he cradled me to him, I wondered what the Council would do next. If it was a war they wanted, I had no doubt we’d bring it to them. I refused to allow them to make me the cause of enslaving anyone.

Unexpectedly, a man came walking around the house. Everyone swung to look at him. He was a tall, athletic-built man. He walked gracefully toward us. His blond curls, piercing blue eyes, high cheekbones, and square jaw left only one word to describe him—beautiful. A crown of leaves encircled his head. He was dressed in a short loincloth, I guess you’d call it around his middle. His skin was tanned, a gorgeous shade of light bronze. Strapped to his waist was a gold sword, and over his shoulder was a silver bow. It was almost hard to look at him.

As I watched, stunned and confused, the Oracles dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. I was about to ask who he was when Brax and his friends did the same. Twyla remained seated, not saying a word.

Who is that? I asked Brax telepathically.

Shh, you’ll see, was his reply.

I was opening my mouth to demand someone tell me who this man was and why they were bowing when the man looked at me and smiled.

“Hello, Cerys, I’ve been waiting. I knew you’d be the first. I’ve been waiting so long for this to become possible. You have no idea. Now, my chosen children can grow and prosper. Please, rise.”

The others came to their feet hesitantly, even Brax. When he stood, I wiggled and hissed, “Let me down.” He did, but I could feel how much he didn’t like it.

“Who are you? Why are you here? And why are they all bowing before you? How do you know my name? What am I the first of?”

“Cerys, this is—” Brax whispered, but the stranger cut him off.

“It’s alright, Abraxas Christou, my faithful Sentinel, she may ask. There’s a lot none of you know. It’s imperative that you do if we’re to succeed and not let our enemies destroy everything I’ve built. To answer your first question, Cerys, I’m Apollo, the god of truth, health, sickness, and much more. The Oracles are my spokesmen, and the Sentinels are my loyal warriors. I’m here to explain why you’re what you are and what it means. They bow because that’s usually how most people greet a god. I’ve known your name since the beginning when I brought the Great Plague to the world. As for what you’re the first of, it’s simple. You’re what will help my chosen children come back to full strength. They’ll help to correct so many things that are wrong in the world.

“Before you get upset again, let me assure you. No one will be forced to be with anyone. They will all have a choice. No one will be used as a broodmare, as you said. However, we do have to find others who are like you. They are not only needed to repopulate my chosen children but so they can be protected.”

“Forgive me, Great Healer and Prophecy Bringer, may I ask questions?” Theodore asked hesitantly.

Apollo, if he was to be believed, and I was starting to think he was him, as crazy as it sounded, nodded and smiled. “You may, Oracle Theodore.”

“Thank you, Wisest One. How will we find the others like Cerys, and who must they be protected from?”

“May I?” Apollo asked as he approached the porch. He pointed to one of the chairs at the table where we’d been sitting. I nodded. He smiled as he came up the stairs and sat. After he did, the rest of us did. Apollo’s eyes landed on Twyla. She wasn’t saying a word, just watching him calmly.

“Ah, it’s good to see you Ceridwen Twyla. There was never a doubt that your line would produce the first.”

To my astonishment, Twyla smiled and lowered her head in acknowledgment. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mighty Apollo. I always knew my Cerys was special. I just didn’t know how. May I get you something to drink or eat? Or do gods not need to do such things?”

I heard several of the Oracles gasps.

“We do not need to, but I enjoy it. Yes, please, Samuel, go with her and help her,” he ordered. The shock on Samuel’s face was comical, but he didn’t make Apollo ask twice. He practically ran up the stairs. Twyla casually stood and walked inside with him.

“Mighty Apollo, forgive me, but I need to know what danger I have to protect my mate and unborn children from,” Brax asked gruffly. He’d held his tongue long enough.

“Ah, yes, let’s get to the reason for my visit. There is a way to identify others like Cerys, with the special mark left inside them. You don’t have to resort to barbaric things such as removing blood and other tissue. You merely have to be close enough to each of them and bear one of these. If they’re like your lovely Cerys, it will grow hot and glow like she did when she knocked some of you down.” Apollo smiled like he enjoyed I’d done it.

Suddenly, his hand touched Brax’s chest. I heard Brax hiss, then stopped. When Apollo lifted his hand, I couldn’t stop myself. I had to see what he did. I grabbed the bottom of Brax’s shirt and tugged it to expose his chest. I gasped. Over his heart, where before there was nothing, there was now what appeared to be a tattoo. It was of a black cowl-covered head, wearing a gold plague mask, like doctors wore during the Black Death. A black hat was on the head, and upon it, a black raven perched, holding a lantern. Along the bottom of the head were purple roses and leaves.

As we stared at it in shock, Apollo gestured to the other Sentinels, who were just as shocked as we were. “Come, receive the mark. It will be up to you not only to help serve justice but to seek out those who are like Cerys and may be mates for you or your brethren. We mustn’t tarry. They’re coming.”

One by one, the other six came forward to receive the same tattoo. It was done within a matter of minutes. By the time Twyla and Samuel returned with lemonade and cookies, they all bore one. When she saw it, she gasped.

“Great Healer and Prophecy Bringer—,” Theodore began to say only to be cut off by Apollo.

“Please, enough of the Great this and Mighty that. I know I’m those. Amongst my Sentinels and Oracles, Apollo will do. You may continue.”

“O-okay, Apollo, are the Sentinels the only ones who will bear your mark, or shall others? And who is coming?”

Apollo accepted the glass of lemonade and plate of cookies Twyla handed him with a smile. He took a long drink and then a bite. He hummed in pleasure before he answered the Oracle.

“Yes, only my sentinels will bear the mark. However, that doesn’t mean my Oracles are without a way to identify the Precious Ones. You will each be given one of these. You must wear it against your skin so you can feel it when it heats up, and it will also emit a glow.”

He held up a gold chain with a gold amulet with the same image as the tattoo. He handed it to Theodore. I heard the other Oracles gasp. Magically, one appeared in each of their hands. They hastily put them on. Christ, things were becoming weirder by the second. Was everything I’d read in those books as a kid, as an adult, along with Twyla’s stories, true?

They all thanked Apollo. Once they were finished, Royal spoke. “Apollo, you said there’s danger and someone coming. Who?”

“Ah, yes, them. There is never good without evil, as you know. With my chosen children’s ability to increase in number again, my enemy, Pytho, has resurrected those who will do anything to stop this from happening. Their greatest wish is to eradicate all chosen ones from the world. They must be stopped. They gather to seek and destroy all chosen and precious ones as we speak. You must not allow this to happen.”

“How will we know who to destroy?” Brax asked.

“They’ll be tricky without a doubt. You’ll have to rely on your senses. They’ll bear a tattoo like yours on their skin, except it’ll depict a serpent. It can be anywhere on their body, so you must be vigilant. When they decide to kill, they’ll transform into knights of old. Hence their name, the Knights of Pytho.” He held an open palm up. In the air appeared a serpent. It was an ugly, horned thing. Next appeared a figure dressed like a knight of old, as they appeared during the Holy Wars. On their tunics was the same serpent.

Twyla and I looked at each other. I had so many questions. I asked the first two.

“Excuse me, Apollo, who is Pytho, and why does he want to destroy you and your children? And why was I the first as you called me?”

Apollo gave me what I thought was an indulgent smile. “Sweet Cerys, let me answer your second question first. I knew that if my chosen children had any chance of prospering after a time of decline, I could not have the first precious one come from someone in Greece. He or she had to be farther away, in a place Pytho would never suspect. Long ago, I met a woman from a very secluded, wild land. She intrigued me, and she had a light about herself. I discovered she was from Cymru, what you now call Wales. She had a gift, and I decided her bloodline would produce my first precious one when the time was right. She was what you call a Ceridwen. You are that descendant, Cerys. Even your name is not an accident. Do you know what your name means?”

I nodded. “Yes, in Welsh, it means love. I never understood why my parents would name me that when they’re the least loving people I know.”

“That would be because of me. I insisted they name you that. I was drawn to the name,” Twyla interjected.

Apollo nodded. “As it should be. When you entered the world, I knew it was only a matter of time before you would begin the journey to your destiny. You moving here and meeting Abraxas was not by chance, just as these babies are not. Would you like to know what you are having?”

I gasped. I glanced over at Brax. He was watching me and Apollo. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling. Did he want to know? Was he upset about this? I wish I knew. “Brax, do you want to know?” I asked hesitantly.

His frown turned to a tender smile. He took my hand, and I felt his emotions flood me. He was concerned and angry yet felt love and joy. The latter, I knew, was for me and the babies. “ Astéri mou , if you want to know, then I do too. If you prefer to wait and be surprised, I’m okay with that. It’s your choice.”

I mulled it over for several seconds before I answered Apollo. He didn’t seem impatient for an answer. He sat there enjoying Twyla’s lemonade and cookies. Who would’ve ever thought I’d be sitting with a god and he’d be doing something so mundane?

“Yes, I’d like to know.”

“I can tell you that as long as Abraxas and his Sentinels do their job, which I have every faith they will, your children will be born. You will be blessed with a son and daughter, twins like me and my twin, Artemis. They will be close and exceptional due to your combined bloodlines.

“As for your question about who is Pytho, he is a vile serpent. He is the son of Gaia, Mother Earth. When I went to establish my temple in Delphi, he tried to prevent it. He claimed the area and Oracle there as his. I knew that the center of the earth was the only place suitable for my temple. When he refused to leave, I slew him. However, like many creatures like him, even dead, Pytho finds ways to leave Hades and wreak havoc, pain, and destruction. Now that you have begun the rebirth of my chosen children, he has done the same with his Knights. Past Sentinels once wiped them from the world, but I knew they would one day return.”

“Excuse me, Apollo, but why aren’t current Sentinels and Oracles aware of this? I mean that there would come a time when certain humans would be able to bear our children. And about Pytho and his Knights? I’ve never heard anything about any of this, and I’ve been a Sentinel for centuries,” Royal stated.

I could hear the bite in his tone. I didn’t blame him. If anyone should’ve been told, it’s the Sentinels and Oracles. Movement caught my eye. When I glanced over at the other Oracles on our lawn, I saw a couple of them, Silas and Arden, exchanging looks. Their emotions hit me. There was unease and guilt. Brax sensed it at the same time. I saw Nico’s head snap around to stare at them.

“You knew! You knew, and you told us nothing,” Nico snarled. He took steps toward them but was called back by Brax and Royal. He halted, but he wasn’t happy about it. Brax turned to Theodore.

“Would you like to explain, Oracle Theodore, why it appears the Oracles knew of this, yet you told none of us?”

Theodore held up what he thought was a pacifying hand, but based on the emotions I was feeling, none of the Sentinels would be pacified. I was interested to hear his excuse. I sensed the feelings of betrayal that were being felt by all the Sentinels. They weren’t even trying to hide it.

“Abraxas, you must understand. No one, not even us, knew when this might come to pass. As far as any of us knew, it could be a millennium after the first Knights were eradicated before it happened. To keep everyone on edge and stressed century after century was unbearable for anyone. So the Council decided not to tell the Sentinels or other shifters of this danger or that a time would come when certain humans would be compatible with our genetics,” Theodore finally said.

“You let countless shifters and other supernaturals take their own lives in despair! Some who waited for centuries until they could no longer hold out hope, and they killed themselves!” Fennick shouted.

“As far as I know, I might be the last dragon. Banner may be the last phoenix. We’ve tried to remain positive that a mate existed for us, but it was so fucking hard. Now, you tell us it doesn’t matter if there are more dragons or phoenixes because there are special humans who can have our children,” Royal raged.

Tempers were about to snap, and I didn’t know how Apollo and the Oracles would take that. What they did was wrong, but it couldn’t be changed.

“Guys, enough. I know you’re pissed, and you have every right to be. However, we can’t change the past. The present and future are our worries. We need to know how to protect humans like me, all shifters and supers, and anyone else Pytho and his Knights might hurt. How many Sentinels are there in the world?” I asked after I tried to calm them down. I directed my question to Brax.

“They end up living either in a group like we do or in close proximity to be able to police as a unit, which is what happens sometimes. We might be going after more than one person to bring them before the Council or carry out a termination order. We cover the United States as you know. There’s a group in Yellowknife, Canada. All of South America is policed by Sentinels living in Brasília, Brazil. In South Africa, they reside in Johannesburg. Europe is guarded by a group based in Galway, Ireland. The crew in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, covers the Middle East. Russia has its group in Novgorod, and China does, too. They’re based close to Shanghai. Then the last one is in Melbourne, Australia,” Brax informed me.

“Nine groups of Sentinels is all you have!? Please tell me there are more people in them than here in Needles. I don’t know how you expect Brax and the guys to cover all of the States, let alone some of the groups cover entire continents,” I pleaded.

“Cerys, Sentinels are chosen for their skills and aptitude to be our guardians. Even those who may have those may not want to serve. We do not force anyone to become a Sentinel. I wish I could say we have many more, but we do not. Yes, other phalanxes of Sentinels do have more numbers, but it changes. We try to keep our exact numbers secret. This helps to control rogue behavior from happening. Regular shifters and supers do not know who among them are Sentinels. It’s for everyone’s safety and to maintain the illusion that their numbers are much larger than they are. Since no one knows who is a Sentinel, they are cautious about doing anything to bring them to their door. I assure you, Abraxas and the other Sentinels you see here are more than capable of protecting the United States. They’ve been doing it for decades,” Theodore said with a smile.

“And what do you Oracles do when you’re not passing judgment or running off to secret meetings at night?” Twyla asked.

Apollo sat there watching with mild interest as he ate another cookie. He seemed amused by Twyla and me. I hoped we didn’t end up angering him, but we needed to know these things. We might as well ask while we had them all here. Who knew when or if we’d ever see them again like this?

“We communicate important information and laws to our people. We’re available to settle disputes and give guidance,” Lowell said.

“That can’t take all your time. Do you work regular human jobs?” Twyla asked next.

“No, we do not. We must be available at all times,” Oscar said as if insulted by her asking.

“Yet, you expect the Sentinels to hold down human jobs and do their Sentinel work with severely inadequate numbers without knowing all the information they need to keep themselves and everyone else alive! That would change if you had some women on this Council of Oracles. And are Oracles and Sentinels only allowed to be men?” she asked disgustingly.

“We’re getting off track, and these are conversations to which only Oracles and Sentinels should be privy,” Warren snapped.

“You may be able to use that line with my grandmother. However, you can’t use it on me. I’m expected to launch this whole new precious children of Apollo. I’m a mate to a Sentinel. I have the right to know this and more. Do you deny that?” I asked, coming to my feet.

“ Astéri mou , please sit and be calm. You and the babies don’t need to be upset,” Brax said as he stood and took my arm.

“Female mates do not need to know this. You’re to allow your mates to guide you in what is right and wrong. That is the way it must be. The women are to leave so that we can conclude this. Dr. Fields, you and Samuel can go with them. When we’re done here, we’ll send for you,” Silas said arrogantly.

Fury rose in me. I tried to contain it, but I couldn’t. I was staring at Silas when it happened. Another energy wave came out of me and hit him. He tumbled back on his ass. I could see the yellow light shining around me. I wasn’t sorry I did it, even though I should be. Maybe. Brax grabbed my arm. He didn’t hurt me, but when he touched me, I felt another connection form. It was one between me, him, and Nightstalker.

A different wave of energy rolled through my body. I watched as my hands shifted to claws, like a wolf’s, and a low, rumbling growl erupted from my throat. Gasps and mutters were breaking out all around me. Shock and disbelief were the two primary expressions I saw. Frightened, I let go of Brax, and my hands transformed back to human. It was too much. I tried to say something to him, but the words wouldn’t form. Instead, my vision faded and then went dark.