The Sibyl by Cynthia D. Witherspoon

mythology.
    “Are you kidding me right now?” I stared at
the pile then at the man beside me. “I am not going to read all of
these. I don’t have the time.”
    “Ms. McRayne, you are an immortal.” Cyrus
rewarded my exasperation with a half smile. “You have nothing but
time.”
    “Tell me more about the immortal part.” I
tossed the book down and leaned against the desk. “What does that
mean exactly?”
    “It means exactly what you think it means.”
Cyrus stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked down on me.
“You won’t die as long as you are the Sibyl. Your body is now
Apollo’s vessel. You are considered valuable to him.”
    “How so?” I tilted my head to the side. “If I
am not supposed to use my ability to talk to the dead in public,
how does it benefit Apollo?”
    “I never said you couldn’t use your abilities
in public. I simply suggested that you not go out and willingly
seek opportunities to put yourself in danger. Ms. Carter would hold
séances for her clients and speak at conferences. She used small
venues to bring followers to our god.”
    “Perhaps I could try to make contact on the
show.” I spoke more to myself than to my protector. “This could be
just what we need.”
    “My apologies, Ms. McRayne.” Cyrus was
glowering again. “I don’t believe I heard you correctly.”
    “It’s nothing.” I waved his questions away.
“Look, I’m really tired. Can we call it a night?”
    “You are starting to look pale. Perhaps it is
best if we say our goodbyes.” Cyrus grabbed the folders I had
forgotten about. “I’ll take a look at these and let you know
tomorrow morning which will be best.”
    “Alright.” I was only half listening, half
paying attention as he left. My mind was racing as I thumbed
through the pile of books Cyrus had left behind. Connor and Elliot
both insisted we have a gimmick to attract viewers to the show.
Could I use this whole Sibyl thing as a gimmick? Could Kathy Carter
have given me the one thing needed to make sure Elliot was a
success?
    I needed to know more about the spirit world.
I needed to know the best ways to protect myself and Elliot. If I
was going to be cursed, then I would be damned if I didn’t use this
newfound power to speak with the dead to my advantage.
    No. I would use it to our advantage. I would
make sure that Elliot’s show was a success, one way or the other. I
plopped down in the desk chair with a new determination. I would
learn everything I could about the veil and the myths. If the
Sibyls were meant to pull in followers to Apollo, then I would be
the best at what I could do.
    I started with the thickest book in the lot,
skimming over most of the text. Especially when I came to the part
about how the Sibyl was created. Since the story was a repeat of
what Cyrus had already told me, I skipped it. I skipped over a lot
of the text to be honest. I was tired and my eyes were having a
hard time focusing. So much so that I almost missed the very
section I had been looking for. It jumped out at me in the gray
mass the sentences had become.
    “Contacting the Golden One .” I murmured the words
out loud, using my finger to underline each sentence as I read.
Apparently, the keeper had direct communication with the god at all
times in the event something catastrophic happened to the Sibyl.
The keeper could request aid and keep Apollo informed on the
activities of the Sibyl. There were brief prayers the Sibyl could
chant in order to get Apollo’s attention, but I wasn’t sure if such
small tokens would be enough. I needed his blessing to make sure
Elliot’s show was going to be a hit in the midst of all the other
paranormal gurus out there.
    I pushed the book aside and stood, searching
the room. After all, I had been raised in South Carolina. We had
our fair share of mystics who told fortunes and cast spells for a
living. I remembered something my grandmother had taught me one
summer on Sullivan’s Island. She had used candles to