“I only hand you my trust right now because I have little choice, so make no mistake it’s not because you have earned it.” This made her frown up at me and in turn I scowled down at her. If anyone who hadn’t know our past or who exactly the Oracle was had walked in right now to see a grown man having a showdown with a small child they would no doubt have found this comical. And for that reason alone it made me glad Lucius wasn’t here.
“Whatever!” She said throwing up her hands in defeat, but I could tell her little act was hiding the hurt I had inflicted with my words.
“Sophia.” Pythia said nodding to my sister and Sophia’s response was very much like my own, that of being unable to curb her tongue.
“Home wrecker.”
“Fine I get it! I had to tell you shit that you didn’t want to hear but I only did what was needed, from both sides. And one day you will all understand why because what do you think would happen to, not just you, but everything this Earth has ever known, and those you care for calling it home if the prophecy never happened…um? Oh you’ll all see and then I will just make you all buy me cake! Yes, the biggest darndest cake I ever saw, with the words ‘sorry, I guess you we’re right after all’ written all over the damn thing! Now can we all just stop pointing fingers and get back to saving the Chosen One!” She finished her little speech with a foot stomp making her black riot of curls bounce around her head. I simply folded my arms across my chest and said,
“Fine.” Then she turned her gaze to Sophia who stood with her arms folded also and said her own,
“Fine!” It was only my brother who said,
“I think that would be best,” in his usual calming manner.
“Right, good, so now that’s all done and dusted and the royal trio have been reprimanded let’s begin should we?” This time is was Sophia’s turn to growl, however Pythia just ignored her and lifted up the paper to examine it.
“Umm…”
“What is it?” I asked getting impatient.
“You have taken Keira’s blood recently.” This wasn’t a question as the Oracle rarely needed to ask anything of anyone. I nodded all the same.
“Then come here.” She ordered and I stepped back up to her and stared down into her chocolate eyes that matched her perfect youthful skin.
“Bite.” She said motioning to my own hand and I now knew what she recognised the paper needed. So I raised my own hand and bit into the flesh feeling little pain. I fisted my hand to get the blood pumping and dripped it over the paper she held out. It didn’t take long before she was proven right.
She held it up to the sun beaming through the windows and we all watched as our combined blood, Keira’s and mine, dripped down the page. Then one word started to shine through like the paper was almost burning with the name.
“Impossible.” Vincent said behind me as I was left speechless.
“It can’t be…can it?” Sophia asked looking from each of us until finally my lips formed a name I had not heard in centuries.
“Eveleen.”
“Yep, looks like the past really does like to bite you in the ass!” I ignored Pythia and turned to Vincent and asked him the only question I needed to know as I now knew where the Nephilim had taken her.
“Where was Lucius heading?” The answer I got back was the right one…
“Afterlife.”
Keira
Chapter 40
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree
I woke up to the sound of pained whispering voices all around me. I winced as though I had hit my head and that’s when everything started to come rushing back to me.
Alex.
I shook my head at how blind I had been. All this time people had warned me against him and I had been too damn stubborn to see it. Well this time I had my eyes wide open and the blinkers were off as I prepared myself for the fight ahead. So what did I see when I first opened my eyes. I saw the broken pieces of a storm beneath my body and when turning my head to the side one image of something mighty was all it took for me to know where I was.
“Finally you’re awake. I had feared I hit your head too hard and you would be waking an even dumber shit than before.” Alex sneered as he walked from behind the colossal fossilised tree at the centre of this crypt I knew lay at the heart of Afterlife. Alex had brought me home and I could only guess why.
I lifted myself up and felt my head where there was no doubt it had been split open from my attack. However, I was at least grateful to know that thanks to Draven’s essence back in my system, my skin had healed. Unfortunately for me though, it still left me a bit wobbly on my feet.