A Shade of Vampire 43: A House of Mysteries(5)
I looked around at the faces I knew so well—all of us in half shadow from the yellowing light of the lamp. Serena looked downcast and worried, her glance flicking to the diary she’d placed on the night stand as if she wanted all its answers, instantly. Jovi was almost motionless, clearly still in shock and trying to process the information we’d all shared in the last few hours. Aida was the same, her eyes practically burning a hole in the wall opposite as she stared unblinking at its mildewed surface. Phoenix just looked angry, and fierce—as if he was ready to battle our way out of the house and Eritopia, stopping at nothing to get us all home.
I agreed with Field, but I wasn’t looking forward to what was to come. The vision I had experienced in the jungle had been horrible. Not just because of what I had seen, but the side-effects that had come with it. The gut-wrenching nausea, the weakness afterward—and the strange, disassociated state I’d found myself in, almost like I was half going insane. Would it always be like that? Was that what all Oracles endured when they had visions? I couldn’t remember my parents or any other members of GASP mentioning what Oracles might experience…most probably because they had no clue. Oracles were rare things. Maybe it was something we’d just have to endure.
“You all need to get some rest,” Field continued. “I know the visions have been rough on you, Vita—we’ll speak to the Druid about that. See if there’s anything he can do to help.”
“Thanks,” I replied, relieved that I wouldn’t have to bring it up myself. I didn’t exactly relish the thought of any more contact with the Druid than absolutely necessary. Out of all of us, Serena seemed to be the most accepting of him, but I supposed that was due to the fact he’d saved her life in the jungle. I guessed she had already decided he was the lesser of two evils.
Jovi rose off the bed, joining Phoenix and Field as they headed for the bedroom door.
“Yell if you need us,” he replied, trying to smile.
As they left, Serena moved to pick up the diary, but Aida shot her a glance.
“Not tonight,” Aida asserted. “We all need to sleep. You as well, Serena.”
“Okay,” she grumbled, her fingers flitting over its surface. I hoped for her sake the diary held some of the answers we were looking for. I got the impression it represented a life-raft for her, something to hold on to—something that might provide a thread of comfort. I wished I had something similar. As Aida put out the lamp, and we all lay on top of the musty sheets, I suddenly felt incredibly lonely, wondering how that could possibly be, with my two best friends lying on either side of me.
Serena
[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]
The next morning, after finally getting some actual sleep, I had a shower and got dressed, planning to make my way down to breakfast early. I could practically smell the coffee from here. Vita and Aida were still sleeping, both of them pushing the other occasionally as they struggled for space on the bed. The four-poster was large enough for two, but my friends—Aida especially—moved a lot in her sleep, and we would need better sleeping arrangements going forward. I considered asking Phoenix to help me move one of the spare beds into our room, or moving to a different room entirely that would be large enough for all three of us, as I didn’t really like the thought of being separated from them—especially if Vita continued to have night-time visits from the Nevertide Oracle.
Outside it was another blazing hot day. The sun had only just risen and already the heat was fast becoming intolerable. The ice-cold shower had done enough to wake me up, but already the sticky heat was taking over—it wouldn’t be long before I was feeling drowsy and foggy again. Out in the distance a cloying mist had settled over the tops of the jungle and mountains, and I wondered if we might be due a tropical storm later.
Leaving the room and following the mouth-watering scent of fresh coffee, I made my way downstairs and into the dining room. I was surprised to see Field, Jovi and my brother already seated at the table.
“You’re up early,” I remarked, heading straight toward the pot of coffee before even bothering to take a seat. I poured it into a cup and instantly took a sip, not minding the liquid scalding the back of my throat.
“Too hot to sleep,” Field replied in a thick voice, holding out his cup for me to fill.
“Have you seen the Druid yet?” I asked them.
Jovi shook his head.
“I was first down but I haven’t seen him. Are the others awake?”
“Not yet,” I replied, taking my seat and removing the plate warmers to reveal—surprise, surprise—the same oat pancakes as yesterday. I recalled Elissa’s diary entries about the food—how quickly she gotten sick of eating the same thing day after day. For the time being, I was just glad we had food, but I didn’t doubt that it wouldn’t be long before I got sick of the monotony.