The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (104 page)

“Well firstly...who was it that you went there to see?” I wa
ited to see his response with ea
ger eyes. I knew it w
as a woma
n from when Leivic said “She is waiting for you”
,
I couldn’t help the little twist of jealous curiosity that snaked in my belly.

“I was there to see a very good friend of mine, her name is
Pythia.” As soon as he said the name it pricked recognition from my brain. Where had I heard that name before?

“You like history yes?” I nodded at his question as I was still searching my head for answers.

“Are you familiar with Greek mythology?” As soon as he said the words my mind clicked and I found the answer.

“She’s an Oracle
!” I shouted a bit louder than what was
needed.

“Actually she’s
The
Oracle...as in
,
she’s the only one
.
”

“But I thought throughout history there has been many?” Even today some clairvoyants are sometimes considered to be the Oracles of our time.

“No, there is and only ever will be one. Pythia is the only direct communal link between the Gods from both sides. Greek mythology has her
known as the
Oracle
of Delphi, where she was the high priestess at the Temple of
Apollo
. There is some truth in this
,
but it is only where she was found, not where she remained. See it was believed back then that the Oracle changed from girl to girl but it was not true. Pythia just changed bodies every few years so that no one was ever sure it could be the real her. This still happens and it is imperative that it remains so. If she were to get into the wrong hands then they would have a direct line into the Gods
’
plans. You can see how that would be bad
?
”

“So when she left Del
..py
?” I knew I said the place wrong when Draven smiled but he didn’t correct me, if anything he look like he enjoyed it better this way.

“She left behind a fake that was believed for years after. I could not allow her to remain and besides she did not want to. She had seen nothing of the world she knew so much about. She had only been allowed to stay within the temple and
the only people she would see wa
s those of the priests and the Supplicants that underwent the arduous journey to consult the Oracle
’
s Devine wisdom. She may have been this creature but she was still just a girl as well. So I took her away to live how she desired as long as she was never discovered for what she
really
was. She calls upon me when she needs to tell me something and it is always on the seventh day of the month.”

“Why?”

“Because the number seven play
s an important part in my world.
It is a holy number for many of reasons that I cannot go into at this time.”

“Cannot or will not?” I asked sk
eptically crossing my hands over my chest.

“Both
!
” He admitted but he continued before
I could protest “ Keira there are
many things you will learn about my kind even if they are things I do not wish for you to know
,
but at least let me tell you of them in my own time”

“Fair enough
,
” I nodded knowing there wasn’t much point arguing as he would get his way whether I liked it or not. Of course he growled at this thought of mine but I didn’t care, it didn’t change the facts.

“Well
,
are you going to tell me?” I asked
,
proving my point, which he couldn’t answer. Instead he just shrugged his shoulders and we both let it go...for now anyway.

“What I want to know is why you needed to see her now, it isn’t even the seventh?”

“That is why I had to go, I knew it must have been something very important for her to call to meet with me. It was not like her
,
but now I know why
.
”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Keira...”

“I take that as a no then
,
” I said not keeping the sulking sound out of my voice.

“Let me put it this way, the last time I saw her we spoke about the same thing
.
”

“And that was?”

“You
!
” He said clearly like it was all so obvious.

“Me? Why, did you tell her about me?” I asked shaking my head wondering what on earth they could be talking about me for.

“Actually
,
she was the one who told me about you
.
” As soon as he said it
,
I don’t know why
,
but I started to hold my breath
.
Why would she know anything about me unless the Gods had told her and what would they have to tell her that would be important to Draven? We had met without any help so I didn’t get it, which is what I said.

“I don’t understand
.
”

“Keira, how can you still doubt yourself and the importance of our union. Before today, the last time I saw
Pythia
was over twenty three years ago, on the seventh hour, on the seventh day of the seventh month, 1987. So now you understand what it was that was so important for her to tell me”

“But...but that was....” I stammered out in utter disbelief but Draven finished the sentence off for me. He cradled my face in his hands and looked at me as though I was his greatest gift received from above before saying the worlds I couldn’t find....

“Yes...it was when you were born”

Chapter 45

Let Sleeping Dogs
Die
.

That night my dreams were filled with strange images of an
Oracle I had never met and a prophecy I didn’t understand.  For most of it I was in a Temple but not the one I had seen before. Somehow I knew this Temple was in Europe but I wasn’t exact on where.

It was all made from the purest of white marble and in my mind it kept flashing in between the old and new. One minute the great structure would be degrading flakes of old stone and weathered floors. And then it would flash back to it
s
glory days of radiant light and gleaming pillars of great craftsmanship.

I seemed to be the focus in the room as all eyes were on me. There were faces here I didn’t yet recognized but somewhere deep down I knew them. It was a
bit like when someone you know
tells you so much about a friend
, so that
when you meet this person, you feel like you know instantly it’s them. Well
,
it was like that only with a temple full. They all lined the pillars and lo
oked on with anxious faces. As though
everyone there knew my fate
,
but me.

I continued my assessment of the people looking on with a clear mix of desperation and fear.
It was only when I looked down at myself did I really understand these looks fully. I was bare footed and lines of blood trickled down them creating deep crimson footprints behind me. I wasn’t in pain as I probably should have been, but can you feel pain in a dream? Sometimes I would think so but now?

It looked as if I had just walked in and interrupted a battle. Everyone seemed to be wearing combat gear, black and oh, so ready for action. It was like good vs evil and the only thing that separated them was me walking in the middle of the room causing them to part and take each side of the temple. 

I was dressed in a white gown that floated around my skin like I was under water. It was
so
thin and wispy that I almost felt naked. Of course this stark white material that covered my skin was the perfect contrast to show the deep red pumping from my heart. I had been stabbed there, that much was clear as now there was a long, deep slic
e that le
d down past my breasts.

It was a weird sensation looking down at yourself in this state. I kept thinking that sur
e
ly I should be dying,
not walking towards an alta
r at the other end of the room. I should have felt weak and fallen to the floor to let the last of my life drain from me but I felt strong. I felt like my blood was leaving me but being replaced b
y something else...something un
earthly, something that felt as though sent by the Gods.

It was only as I got closer did I notice myself standing to one side
trying to push herself through the crowd of supernatural warriors
. I was in my own dream looking on in horror. I was screaming something to myself in a blind panic. I was dressed in pajamas and my hair plaited to one side, messy
,
like I had just woken up from a nightmare. Then I kept flashing in and out of each of my selves. One minute I was the nightmare Keira and then I was wa
tching on as the other me walk towards a brightly lit alta
r where I knew death awaited me.

“Don’t go there, RUN, RUN!” I was screaming out at myself but when my head simply turned to me, I only shook my head to indicate a “NO”
.

Then I was back to the bloody Keira shaking my head and mouthing the words
,

“No, it will be alright
.
” I wanted to go over and comfort myself, I looked so frightened and so, so fragile. Draven was right
... I was fragile.
I looked so breakable like that but not now. I wasn’t fragile like this, I felt strong.
Invincible. Godly.

I whispered a goodbye and started off as fast as I could into a lightening run. I could just hear one last scream from my o
ther self as I ran into the alta
r and collided with the brightest flash of light, almost like a meteor had just impacted where I stood.

That’s when I woke up and found I was dressed like the Keira in my dream, the frightened one. I had wet cheeks from tears I don’t remember crying. I had a scratchy throat from screaming words I didn’t shout out in the real world. But most of all I was heartbroken from watching myself die. What a horrible dream and most disappointing of all is that Draven wasn’t there at my greatest time of need. He hadn’t been there in my dream and he wasn’t here now. I was in my own bed at home and it took me a moment to realize why.  Draven had driven me home in the early hours of the morning and stayed with me until I fell asleep in my new room.

Now he was gone and my heart ached for him as the morning sun flooded my room that wasn’t yet familiar to me. After a few seconds of getting my bearings, I whipped back the covers and looked at my chest. What was I expecting to find exactly I don’t know but there wasn’t a gaping hole like there had been in my dream.  There was no sliced flesh and bloody feet. No flowing white gown and no strong buzz of energy raging through my veins. 

I was still shaking my head when I heard a knock at my door. Libby didn’t wait for me to say “come in”, she never did. She was dressed for work but instead of her usual power suit, she had on a loose white shirt that allowed more room for her growing bump. She was glo
wing in her cheeks and
the sight of her happy mood told me two things, One...she had enjoyed her night away from the she-Devil. And Two...she hadn’t yet had the pleasure of her company this morning.

“So, how did it go last night?” She plonked herself down on my bed and handed me the mug that she held
in
both hands. This time instead of Homer Simpson, it was a Liverpool Lfc mug with the words
“You’ll never walk alone” b
elow the team
’s crest of a Liver B
ird.

“Thanks” I said taking the mug of tea and taking my
first s
ip of the morning. I didn’t smoke but I would imagine that this was my equivalent of having my first cigarette of the day.

“So?” She prompted “What happened?”

“She met Jack, that’s what happened
.
” I said deflated. Libby just raised her eyes at me like I had lost it...maybe I had and after days like yesterday I th
ink I was certainly entitled to lose something!

“But that’s a good thing...right? I mean, it gets her out of our hair and gets her focus off Dominic
,
so drinks all round....or not
.
” She added this last bit when she saw the misery on my face.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she didn’t spend the night chasing after Dra...Dominic but I don’t want that at the expense of Jack’s feelings. Besides
,
I don’t think were as great of friends as I first thought. Not after hearing all about me from our delightful cousin.” I said bitterly and Libby covered her mouth in a dramatic shock.