Chapter 1 #2
There was still a stone in the pit of my stomach. I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”
“Cyrie, you’re not even looking at me.”
She was right. But although I would normally confide in her, I was still having trouble processing what I’d seen. I bit my lip and forced myself to look her in the eye. “I just don’t understand it yet, okay?” I sighed. “I just—I need to think.”
She let out a muted squeal and looked around twice before leaning in, continuing in hushed tones. “Oh my gods, have you got a crush?” she teased. “Did you see those fancy soldiers in the courtyard yesterday? You can tell me, you know!”
“Almighty Zeus. No, I’m not making eyes at men,” I shot back, probably louder than I should have. I took a breath and tried again, softly. “Definitely not. But I’d like to hear tell if you are.”
She flashed me a rebellious grin. “Well, there’s no harm in looking, is there? So long as we’re discreet, anyway. But never mind that. What’s going on with you?” She folded her arms, circling back to her point. “Something’s up. Zoe and Soph think so, too.”
I scoffed. “Of course you’ve all talked about it already. But, fine. I…I had a vision,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “And I just need some time to think on it, okay? I don’t want to do anything wrong.”
She perked up at that. “Oh, is that all? You do know you’re one of us, right?” she reminded with a lighthearted chuckle. “Come on, this is what we’re here for! Let’s do some divining! What did you see?”
“Uhm…”
“Oh, you’re right,” she continued before I had a chance to lie. “It’s not fair to leave the others out of it. You can tell the three of us when we retire this evening, and we’ll help you think it through!”
Out of options, I nodded to her. “Okay. Thank you. But please, let’s not speak of it outside this room.”
She swore it, and I believed her. Despite how bubbly Alex could be, she was practiced at stoicism when outside select company. She would never betray her sisters. None of us would.
Having bought myself some time, I spent my afternoon in the prayer grounds with a contrived smile on my face.
How ironic it was that I should be the one to preside over this special session of reverence.
As I dutifully laid my hands on kneeling supplicants, I knew I was of no use to them.
How could I be a channel to Olympus if my mind was spinning in circles?
Death. Death, that’s what I had seen. And I was certain it was no vision.
Where did that leave me? I had no prophecy to give the people, only a haunting memory that seemed unbelievable.
Even taken at face value, what did that make me?
An oracle with one foot in the grave? Maybe I’d die tonight, before I could try to say anything.
He had said he’d come back for me, after all.
At sunset I was no closer to an answer than when the day had begun.
I picked at my evening meal, rearranging the grains on the plate to make it look like I’d taken more than two bites.
But despite my stalling, night still arrived, and I was forced to surrender.
After a last sweep of the courtyard, I closed the temple gates and ascended the circular staircase to our room.
The four of us lived in one of the tallest towers of the temple complex, in a moderately sized circular chamber with a high ceiling.
On one side was a long, cozy lounge which curved along the wall, a bookcase, and a wooden table with matching chairs.
Our small beds lined the circumference of the opposite hemisphere, made up with cream-colored linens and separated by retractable green curtains which we rarely used.
We’d been together far too long to care much for modesty, and besides, Sophie insisted the drapes were ugly old things.
Tonight, the curtains were pinned back, as usual.
Sophie and Alex were already sitting cozily in their beds, one on each side of my own.
Zoe sat at the end of our lounge, where she read a scroll by the light of a lantern positioned on the nearby table.
Starlight filtered in from the high windows to softly illuminate the rest of our space.
Zoe rolled up her book and set it aside when she saw me enter.
Her golden hair looked particularly splendid in the light of the lantern’s flame, even pinned up as it was.
Alex shot me a grin from across the room, bouncing on her bed in excitement.
Her hair, a darker brown than mine, fell straight down her back, complimenting her warm smile and freckled face.
And Sophie, propped up against her pillows, showcased the loveliest smooth, dark skin and expressive eyes.
Sometimes I couldn’t help but critically compare my sisters’ beauty to my own.
Honestly, it was almost like oracles were mandated to be pretty.
But tonight wasn’t to be spent weaving braids and painting faces. As soon as my ass hit my bed, I was accosted by Zoe.
“Alright, Cyrie. Give it to us.” She raised her eyebrows expectantly.
I sighed reluctantly and cleared my throat, deciding on the spot to go with the “mostly true” version.
This way, I would have a better chance of keeping my story straight.
“Well,” I started slowly, “last night, when I was tending to Damarion, I saw a man who…wasn’t really there. ” I swallowed. “The thing is, he—”
A familiar sound cut me off. A sound I’d heard the night before. A sound, it seemed, only I could hear.