you’re
contacting me for another reason, other than rescuing me?” I began
walking aimlessly again.
“ I have a second request of
you.”
I said nothing, uneasy with the commands
issued from a person I could neither see nor touch but who could
find me anywhere, anytime. I shared a similar ability but had never
been on the receiving end of it. Was this what it felt like to
others when I crossed their paths?
“ You will visit me,” she
said.
It wasn’t what I expected. I was more
relieved than I let on. “That doesn’t sound so bad,” I replied.
“Unless you’re located somewhere outside of the safe zone.”
“ I’m at its heart, in DC,
on the compound belonging to the Sacred Triumvirate and their
government.”
My thoughts went to Phoibe, and I couldn’t
help wanting to know if she’d made it there. Why did one woman’s
fate matter to me? Her life had always been important to me, and I
never fully understood being compelled to her. “It’ll take some of
my power to sneak onto such a place. I imagine it’s guarded by an
army right about now.”
Energy fluttered through me. I recognized
the flow of my power. There wasn’t quite enough to heal and turn
into a shadow and travel through the dark parts of the world, but
the pain in my leg began to ease.
“ How are you doing that?” I
asked, unsettled by the idea she was controlling me. “That is you,
isn’t it?”
“ I am the bridge between
this world and that from which your power originates. I’m allowing
you a piece of your magic so you can do as I request.”
“ I don’t want to be owned
by anyone.”
“ Funny, considering I chose
not to do to you what you did to your toy Adonis. I have the
ability.”
“ It was for his own good,”
I replied.
“ And yours,” she retorted.
“Do as I ask, and I can give you what you have long
sought.”
“ A ride home?” I
quipped.
“ The kind of power and
influence that will win you a place at your father’s
side.”
She’s good, I thought. “So I get what I want if you get what
you want.”
“ Exactly.”
I understood this kind of deal too well. I
was quiet for a moment, wishing Adonis were present to provide his
insight. Despite having his memories and mind mostly wiped, he
remained by far the greatest strategic thinker I had ever known,
and he had an innate sense for people that rivaled any god’s. He
was smart and ruthless. We worked well as a team to increase our
wealth and standing in the world. At least, we had, before
everything began to fall apart last night.
“ Why don’t we discuss it
when I come to visit?” I asked at last.
“ Agreed.”
Gazing around at the green forest, I ceased
hobbling. “Which direction do I need to go?”
“ I can’t see you in real time,”
she replied, amused. “I’m an oracle. I fore saw you and then traced the
visions backwards until I identified a point where I could find and
approach you.”
“ You foresaw me. I want to
think that’s a good thing.”
“ It’s not.”
My breath caught. “Care to elaborate?” I
prodded.
“ You’re a key part of a
prophecy I’ve heard referred to as the double omega prophecy by
gods and men alike.”
“ Omega, as in the
end?”
“ Yes.”
“ I take it if it’s the
double end, not many people survive.”
“ I can see no survivors in
the original vision, which is why I interfered. Now, the world will
end twice instead of once, but at least there will be survivors,”
she said, sorrow in her voice.
“ That makes no sense to
me,” I replied. “How does the world end twice?”
“ It ended once last night.
What comes later will be much worse.”
This time, when I shivered, it wasn’t from
the wind or the pain. It was a twisting of dread and fear. “You saw
me in the end of days.” Among other things, that meant the end of
days would occur soon enough for me to live through them. “If there
were other survivors, why did you choose to approach me?”
“ Among other reasons,
contacting me for another reason, other than rescuing me?” I began
walking aimlessly again.
“ I have a second request of
you.”
I said nothing, uneasy with the commands
issued from a person I could neither see nor touch but who could
find me anywhere, anytime. I shared a similar ability but had never
been on the receiving end of it. Was this what it felt like to
others when I crossed their paths?
“ You will visit me,” she
said.
It wasn’t what I expected. I was more
relieved than I let on. “That doesn’t sound so bad,” I replied.
“Unless you’re located somewhere outside of the safe zone.”
“ I’m at its heart, in DC,
on the compound belonging to the Sacred Triumvirate and their
government.”
My thoughts went to Phoibe, and I couldn’t
help wanting to know if she’d made it there. Why did one woman’s
fate matter to me? Her life had always been important to me, and I
never fully understood being compelled to her. “It’ll take some of
my power to sneak onto such a place. I imagine it’s guarded by an
army right about now.”
Energy fluttered through me. I recognized
the flow of my power. There wasn’t quite enough to heal and turn
into a shadow and travel through the dark parts of the world, but
the pain in my leg began to ease.
“ How are you doing that?” I
asked, unsettled by the idea she was controlling me. “That is you,
isn’t it?”
“ I am the bridge between
this world and that from which your power originates. I’m allowing
you a piece of your magic so you can do as I request.”
“ I don’t want to be owned
by anyone.”
“ Funny, considering I chose
not to do to you what you did to your toy Adonis. I have the
ability.”
“ It was for his own good,”
I replied.
“ And yours,” she retorted.
“Do as I ask, and I can give you what you have long
sought.”
“ A ride home?” I
quipped.
“ The kind of power and
influence that will win you a place at your father’s
side.”
She’s good, I thought. “So I get what I want if you get what
you want.”
“ Exactly.”
I understood this kind of deal too well. I
was quiet for a moment, wishing Adonis were present to provide his
insight. Despite having his memories and mind mostly wiped, he
remained by far the greatest strategic thinker I had ever known,
and he had an innate sense for people that rivaled any god’s. He
was smart and ruthless. We worked well as a team to increase our
wealth and standing in the world. At least, we had, before
everything began to fall apart last night.
“ Why don’t we discuss it
when I come to visit?” I asked at last.
“ Agreed.”
Gazing around at the green forest, I ceased
hobbling. “Which direction do I need to go?”
“ I can’t see you in real time,”
she replied, amused. “I’m an oracle. I fore saw you and then traced the
visions backwards until I identified a point where I could find and
approach you.”
“ You foresaw me. I want to
think that’s a good thing.”
“ It’s not.”
My breath caught. “Care to elaborate?” I
prodded.
“ You’re a key part of a
prophecy I’ve heard referred to as the double omega prophecy by
gods and men alike.”
“ Omega, as in the
end?”
“ Yes.”
“ I take it if it’s the
double end, not many people survive.”
“ I can see no survivors in
the original vision, which is why I interfered. Now, the world will
end twice instead of once, but at least there will be survivors,”
she said, sorrow in her voice.
“ That makes no sense to
me,” I replied. “How does the world end twice?”
“ It ended once last night.
What comes later will be much worse.”
This time, when I shivered, it wasn’t from
the wind or the pain. It was a twisting of dread and fear. “You saw
me in the end of days.” Among other things, that meant the end of
days would occur soon enough for me to live through them. “If there
were other survivors, why did you choose to approach me?”
“ Among other reasons,
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