Omega Series: Omega Part 29

I suspected after Docia met you for the first time. One of my fellow Triumvirate members found you and hid you away?

"Sort of. I mean, I don't know for sure." Cleon had known where I was, and Lantos had created the cords that allowed the priests to hide me. "I think everyone knew pieces of information but not the full picture or I would've been hauled out of my forest long ago."

I was too young to have had a hand in hiding you. My deception began when I saw the G.o.ds begin to tear apart the human world five years ago. She rose as she spoke and crossed to a delicate china box on the mantle over a quiet fireplace. Docia and I looked around at what our options were and made a choice. She pulled a piece of cloth out of the box and returned, handing it to me.

I unfolded it. "Mama's mark. I saw it driving into DC with Niko when ..." I looked up at her. "You ..." The idea would make even her laugh if I was wrong. "... created Mama?"

Insurgency. My security detail is small. I needed an army to start to wear down the other two.

"A mercenary army can't really be trusted though, can it?"

Some are mercenary. Most are people from around the world who have lost loved ones to the Holy Wars that began five years ago. They want revenge. The criminal underworld offers us a place to fund and hide such an army as well as create dissension.

It sounded absolutely dangerous to trust an army of people either paid to be there or present for revenge. The more I learned about the political maneuvering of the Triumvirate, the more amazed I became that they'd lasted as long as they had. "Wow. So the other two can't know."

They suspect. Just as I suspect the Priest has other plans for you. Cleon wishes only to keep the elite happy, but I've learned he's devised an alternate method of doing so involving you. What exactly that is, I do not yet know.

The reminder they were all after me sent a streak of cold fear through me. "It doesn't seem real. So you want to overthrow the system with a mercenary army and bring back the Old Ways."

I want to sever the G.o.ds from their world and force them to suffer as the Bloodline has. Anger was in her voice.

"Suffer?"

Another time, we will discuss the second favor I ask of you. What you need to know is you have a part in my revolution, and your trial involves my plan.

"Destroying the G.o.ds?"

No. I want them to live stranded here with their curses, placed in gilded cages and paraded around for the people to see. The current Oracle prevents them from moving between worlds and your presence will discourage them from acting against us directly. Your trial is to kill the current Oracle. After you succeed, then you and I will lead the rebellion against the human elite for the sake of the rest of our kind who live in oppression.

If these people were remotely serious, I had a lot to do. Kill the G.o.ds, the Oracle, rebel against the humans and end up crucified.

"How does anyone think I can do anything of the sort?" I asked in frustration. "I can't use my magic yet."

Then learn. I cannot keep you too long, or the other two will become suspicious. Send messages through Leandra.

Theodocia entered, and the Silent Queen rose.

Tucking the cloth into the drawstring purse Leandra chose for me today, I stood as well.

It was an honor to meet you, the Silent Queen dipped her head with characteristic elegance.

"Thanks." I didn't know what to do so smiled and stepped away.

Theodocia led me to Leandra, who waited at the doorway leading into the gardens. Leandra appeared excited still, but I was finding it hard to sort through the politics of being an Oracle.

Of everything I'd learned, though, the thought of putting an end to Cecilia hit me hard. It had never occurred to me that I might be able to rid her of the pain once and for all. Yet killing her was so personal. The last woman to bear the t.i.tle of Oracle. She deserved so much more and I knew she'd never get it in this life. Her body was destroyed, and soon, her mind would be as well.

The only thing anyone could give her was peace. I'd killed monsters. Could I do the same for her? Would I want someone to end my life if I were in her position?

"Walk or do something. You're drawing looks!" Leandra hissed.

I blinked and registered what I was doing. I was standing in front of a topiary piece of art, staring dumbly into s.p.a.ce. I sighed.

"You okay?"

"Not really. I miss Herakles."

"I put the word out last night for anyone who finds him to contact me."

I met her gaze, surprised. "Really?"

"Duh. It's my job."

"You're such a t.u.r.d, Leandra."

"You're a bigger one."

I bit back my response as someone walked past us. "Thank you," I murmured when they'd gone.

"I don't think the priests prepared you enough for this," she observed.

"Try not at all!"

"You did kill monsters."

"With help from Adonis."

"Yeah. He's got the body and face of a G.o.d." Leandra sighed as she gazed in the direction of the Supreme Priest and SISA chief.

A stirring of jealousy went through me before I reminded myself the man scared me more than the beast. "I wish ..." I hadn't awoken him. But that wasn't right, because the tiny voice in my head was fiercely in his court. It had to be the instinct of an Oracle who brought a creature to life, the connection created by sharing my ribbons with another.

"What? He didn't destroy our home? Didn't torture innocent people for information?"

"Yeah," I said, troubled. "I don't know what to think about that. I feel like the whole world is on my shoulders. Everyone expects incredible things from me, and I can't even match my shoes and dress let alone understand who I should trust."

Leandra's sympathetic smile was comforting. "How do we make you better prepared?"

Her considerate question caused a stir of confusion after our dealings with one another at school. However, I also innately knew my whole world was different now, and so was everyone in it. "I need to get a handle on my magic."

"Do it."

"I'm not sure how."

"You made a Typhon disappear. Maybe you're overthinking it. Maybe that's why Herakles taught you to fight rather than think." She winked.

I flushed. Not everything had changed. Too irked to respond, I looked around and focused on the ribbons. She had a point. I hadn't thought twice about how to tackle the Typhon once I realized Adonis was in danger, and I'd brought the cup and cot in our cell to life without thinking either.

"Here. Drink some alcohol. It might help." She handed me two gla.s.ses of champagne. "Quickly!"

I chugged one and ended up coughing at the burn. Leandra took the empty flute gla.s.s and handed me another. She handed me three more, and I chugged all five before I started to feel untethered from the world.

"Ugh. No more." I pushed the sixth away.

"How do you feel?"

"A little fuzzy."

"Good. Go sit in the shade and use your magic."

"It's not that easy." The alcohol was working quickly, and my first step wasn't as certain as the second. "It doesn't just come to me."

"Yes, it will. Shut up and sit down." She nudged me towards the empty bench under an orange tree that smelled of sweet citrus flowers.

I sat. She took up a position behind me while I observed the ribbons. They were brighter with the alcohol, or perhaps, I was just blocking out the rest of the stimuli. When I'd awoken the stuff in our cell, I'd been startled. When I defeated the Typhon, I'd been scared. The barrier between my world and my emotions was lowering with the alcohol. I had a sense of euphoria once more like I experienced in the Oracle's horrible building.

I plucked two ribbons from the many and focused on them. Wake up, I said without knowing what exactly they were connected to. Doubting it'd work, I shifted to another set of ribbons and ordered them awake.

Something tickled the back of my calf, and I stretched down, digging through the layers of silk to reach a gra.s.shopper clinging to me. I flicked it away.

"It's not working," I said, disappointed.

"Um, depends on what you did exactly." At Leandra's note of uncertainty, I straightened.

One of the topiary creatures had begun to stir. It lifted one leg then the other and stepped from the dirt onto the path. Murmurs of alarm went up. The twelve foot tall Pegasus swished a tail made of roses and shook out a mane of tulips.

I watched it. It had three ribbons, one of which was green. I stood, thrilled, and wobbled.

"It's beautiful," Leandra breathed. "You did that?"

"Yeah."

People began glancing my way, at first in worry. Then a round of applause went up, and they crowded around to watch the bush creature walking slowly through the gardens. The second creature I'd awakened soon began to move as well. It was a griffin, and it roared a handful of leaves when it dropped its jaw to speak.

The attendees were snapping pictures and marveling over the mobile topiary.

"The Oracle entertains us!" someone said with a laugh. "Magnificent!"

The Pegasus began grazing on a plain hedge, much to the delight of those watching.

"Her Majesty may not approve of you moving her bushes." Lantos' upbeat words were quiet. "Awaken more and give her a scare!"

He, trailed by Adonis, was one of the only people not mesmerized by the sight and lingering back with me. I glanced from him to Adonis then away quickly, not confident about dealing with Adonis during daylight.

"Do it," Leandra whispered her support.

I was buzzing, but I focused on a small topiary of a winged sheep near us. Wake up! Without knowing what exactly I did to cause it to stir, I saw the green ribbon that floated through the s.p.a.ce between us. It settled onto the ribbons already hanging over the creature, and it began to stir. I woke up two more and watched with a grin as they joined the others roaming through the gardens.

"Fantastic," Lantos said from beneath his mask. "Here I thought you could only use your magic when someone you cared about was in trouble."

My jaw went slack at the words. Adonis was close enough to hear them. Before I could muster a retort from among my cheerfully buzzing thoughts, he moved away to join the others.

Adonis remained beside me. I risked another look at him. Meaning to glance quickly, I found myself stuck staring at his perfect features.

"You will need more than an army of bushes," he said.

"For ..."

"Whatever the Silent Queen said to you that made you so tense."

He felt it. Like he always knew where I was. I dropped my gaze and waved Leandra back. "I want to hate you, Adonis," I said, frustrated. "Everyone I've ever met considers you a butcher."

"Most people fear the beast more than the man. But you are different. As usual."

"I love the beast," I said before I could stop myself. Cleaning my throat, I rushed on. "Do you recall everything you say and do as a beast when you're transformed in the morning?" I asked, somewhat hopeful he didn't remember holding me last night. My insides ignited and soared at the memory.

"I recall more, because my senses are heightened at night."

"Are you really as bad as they say?" I faced him.

He turned to look down at me. "Do you need me to say it again?"

"Yes." It was getting harder for me to recall what he was when we were together, and I needed the reinforcement.

"Then I am twice what people have told you." His gaze didn't waver and I felt no tingle to indicate he was lying.

My heart fell and with it my mood. I didn't know how to respond. I had held out hope that there was some goodness in him, that the rumors were false and the fear of the ma.s.ses misplaced.

But he was every bit the monster people believed him to be.

We gazed at one another in silence, and a familiar pain stung me. I didn't want to lose Mismatch, but I couldn't a.s.sociate with a man like this. One who tortured, slaughtered and mowed down whole forests with no concern for who might be hurt in the process. One whose sizzling look managed to drive every sensible thought out of my head and make me too aware of the hardness of his body, the incredible reflexes.

"Stay away from me, Adonis," I whispered at last. "Night and day." Turning away, I retreated to the bench in the shade where Leandra sat. I felt his gaze on me and sat with my back to the crowd.

"You have a lover's quarrel with the SISA chief?" Leandra said with a small laugh.

"We don't get along."

She rolled her eyes. "When a man looks at you like that, you're beyond the getting along stage."

"Whatever." A warm flutter ran through me. I suppressed it quickly, determined not to be a.s.sociated with him. "He's a murderer, Leandra. Even if you were remotely right, I couldn't be a.s.sociated with him."

"He saved your life in the arena."

"He's a bad person."

"Maybe he had a reason."

I glanced at her. "What reason is there to slaughter hundreds or thousands of people?"