Field shook his head.
“Not yet,” he replied. “I think we keep this to ourselves. Until we know what message she’s trying to pass on, I think it’s better if the Druid doesn’t know about it. Especially as she might be trying to help get us out of here.”
“I agree,” Phoenix added. “We don’t know how much we can trust him—if at all.”
“There’s more,” Serena added, resuming her pacing. “When I went downstairs to try to syphon off him, he woke and took me through to a laboratory he has—it’s behind a hidden door in the basement room.” I shuddered, thinking of the old-fashioned hospital beds that Phoenix, Aida and I had lain on while we were going through the transformation into Oracles. When we’d woken, I had thought for one crazy, horrible moment that we were in some kind of psych ward. I wasn’t a fan of the basement, even if it was the coolest room in the baking-hot house.
“There’s a flame in the room,” she continued, “it’s obviously some kind of magic—it rises from some rocks on the floor, but there’s no fuel or anything to burn. Anyway, he told me to look inside the flame, and I saw our families in the In-Between, leaving the fire star to return home. None of them…” She hesitated, turning her back to us as she walked the other way. “None of them know we’re missing. It’s almost like we never existed in the first place.”
“What?” Phoenix replied, his brow furrowing more deeply.
I waited for Serena to clarify what she meant. So far, none of what she’d said made any kind of sense to me. She began to repeat the conversations she’d heard between our parents. When she mentioned my mom and dad, I felt my body grow cold—as if the life was being sucked out of my veins.
“What did the Druid say?” Aida asked.
“He said the whole Eritopia region is surrounded by mists, like a force-field. As soon as someone passes into them, they cease to exist anywhere else. It’s a way of protecting the area…making sure no one discovers it. I guess it stops people—other creatures from the In-Between—going back, or others following them.”
“You believe him?” Jovi asked, echoing my own thoughts.
Serena shook her head. “That I don’t know. It could all be a trick…but why bother? The only motive I can see for him lying to us is that we might give up hope GASP would come and rescue us, but it seems to be an extravagant way of accomplishing that, especially when things are feeling pretty hopeless anyway,” Serena replied despondently. “And I’m starting to believe he’s telling the truth—maybe not about everything, but some things at least.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked. Serena was naturally skeptical—she questioned everything, and rarely took things on say-so alone. If someone declared something was a fact, she would want evidence—she would want to prove it, beyond all reasonable doubt. Serena wanted to study journalism, but I often wondered if she wouldn’t be better off becoming some hotshot lawyer.
“A diary I found,” she replied, looking sheepish. “I didn’t mention it earlier, but it’s something I found in one of the other rooms. It belonged to a woman who lived in this house, a long time ago—and I think she was an Oracle too. The Druid mentioned another Oracle was here before the Nevertide one, and she’s the reason I don’t think the Druid’s making this all up. Her diary mentions the dangers outside—how the Druid’s father was keeping her safe.”
“And you didn’t share this because?” Phoenix questioned his sister, his face darkening.
“Because I wanted to find something in it that would be genuinely useful,” Serena replied. “I’m sorry I kept it quiet…I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I felt a weird bond with the woman. It was so personal, everything she’d written.”
“Diaries are personal,” Phoenix replied dryly. “We need to have a look at it.”
Serena nodded, leaving the room without making eye contact with the rest of us.
“I just don’t believe this,” Jovi muttered. “How can we simply vanish from our parents’ lives? From our own lives? I mean—what about all our stuff? The photographs around our houses? Does that all vanish too?”
No one could answer him. Any other questions we had would have to be put to the Druid when morning came. Then we’d just have to decide whether or not we were going to believe the answers he gave us.
Serena came back into the room, holding a small, leather-bound book. Its pages were clearly yellowed with age, as if the whole thing might crumble to ashes if a sudden gust of wind dashed through the window.
“It was written in the eighteen hundreds. Her name’s Elissa.” Serena opened the diary for us all to see. The handwriting was feminine, but cramped. On each page, I could almost sense the urgency with which she wrote everything down, the letters spiked, with ink blots here and there, indicating a sense of intensity—from rage, passion or frustration I didn’t know.
“How can she write everything down if she’s an Oracle?” Aida asked the obvious question. “I thought they were supposed to be blind?”
“I wondered that too,” Serena agreed, her cheeks becoming flushed with excitement as she turned through the delicate pages. “But she never mentions it—and goes into detail about the house, the Druid’s father…everything.”
Serena fell silent.
“You should keep reading it,” Field told her. “Find out what you can, especially anything about the side effects of visions, things like blindness or the lack of reproductive organs—the Oracle twins were barren, and blind. If this Oracle has found a way to circumvent that, I want us to know how.”
Serena nodded, and Field turned to us all, his face thoughtful.
“I know tonight’s been tough,” he said, as Aida rolled her eyes. It was a huge understatement, and Field half-smiled. “It doesn’t change anything, though. We still need to stick to our plan—using the Druid to help develop your Oracle abilities. Clearly, if the Druid is to be believed, using the visions is going to be our only chance of getting out of here.”
I nodded. Field was right—our original plan wouldn’t change. We would use the Druid for training purposes, getting him to help us develop the visions until we could use them for our own benefit. I didn’t really know if I felt bad about our manipulation. If the Druid was on our side, as he claimed, then if we could find a way to get home safely and escape the clutches of Azazel, he would support us. If not, well—that would just be tough luck on his part. We weren’t his puppets, and we never would be.
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.
“Can you actually explain this?” Phoenix asked me, gesturing to the food and the coffee.
“I can sort of explain it,” I replied. “The Druid hinted it was some beings called the ‘Daughters of Eritopia’ who put the house on a sort of magical loop.” I furrowed my brow, trying to recall if he’d said anything else—the concept of the ‘loop’ didn’t really make much sense to me. If the food was fresh every time we ate, why wasn’t the house in better condition? Why was it so aged and crumbling?
“So we’re going to be eating this every morning?” Jovi asked. “The same thing—every day?”
I nodded slowly, knowing how much food meant to Jovi. His werewolf genes meant that he needed to eat a lot, and frequently. It was the same with Aida. This diet was going to be difficult to maintain for them both…I was just glad for once that they weren’t full werewolf. There would be no way they’d have enough energy for the change on this amount of food.
“Wow,” he breathed. “Just for the record—really not liking this place.”
“Did he say anything more about the Daughters?” Field asked, turning to me.
“Nothing more than we’ve already heard,” I replied.
Field nodded, but my brother looked at me with a strange expression.
“You haven’t been spending time with him, have you?” he asked, brow furrowing.
“No!” My reply was a little louder than intended. I put my cup down, and replied in a calmer manner, “No, I haven’t. It was just during the time when you were out of it, and I was trying to find out as much information as I could. It’s not like I’ve been deliberately seeking out his company.”
Though my answer was perfectly honest, I could feel heat rising in my cheeks. Especially as Jovi had turned to stare at me, sharing the same quizzical expression as my brother. This was getting awkward.
“We should speak to him more about the Daughters though,” I continued, turning back to Field, who was the only one who didn’t seem suspicious of the information I’d managed to gather so far—which, in truth, wasn’t a lot. I couldn’t understand why Phoenix was making a big deal of it—surely it was better to know this stuff, by whatever means necessary? Plus, Jovi and Field had encouraged me to find out information from the Druid—I was only doing what had been asked of me, for the benefit of us all.
“I agree. They obviously have a lot of power—they must, to accomplish something like this. As the guardians of Eritopia, they might have a way that we can get home, and perhaps reverse the effect of the mists…” Field trailed off, deep in thought.
“Do you think there will be a way we can contact them?” I asked eagerly.
“I have no idea. Which is why we will need to speak to the Druid.”
“Or Bijarki,” added Jovi. “He seems a bit more willing to talk to us than the Druid does.”
It was true. The incubus, whatever reservations I had about him, did seem more open than the Druid had been so far. We would probably need to get him alone though—from the conversation we’d overheard the two of them having yesterday, it was clear that the Druid was the one in charge, the one masterminding whatever plan they were trying to set in motion. It would also help to know more about his kind—and, more importantly, why they had defected to Azazel’s rule.
I reminded myself that I needed to have a word with Vita about the incubus. After the Druid’s warning to him to stay away from the ‘females’, I had promised myself that I would warn her. It wasn’t that I felt she was easy prey for him—I had just noticed that his charm tended to be directed toward her, and his gaze, whenever it lighted on her, intensified just enough to be noticeable. The conversation would need to be held in private though—she’d get embarrassed if I brought it up in front of the others.
“Morning.” Aida greeted us with a sleepy smile as she and Vita entered the room. I made myself busy pouring them coffee, wondering when the Druid would also make an appearance.
Both Aida and Vita were still wearing their pajamas, and I made a mental note that clothing was another subject to discuss with the Druid. The boys were all still in their formal wear from the night of Sherus and Nuriya’s party, their shirts now looking a lot worse for wear, and their pants filthy and ripped. We certainly looked like an odd bunch.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Vita after she’d taken a sip of coffee, and began nibbling at the oat pancakes.
“Better. Needed the sleep,” she replied with a smile. Privately I felt she needed a lot more of it—there were purple shadows under her eyes, and she looked just as pale as she had been last night.
“Did anyone else have weird dreams?” Aida asked the table.
I looked at her in surprise. “No—what happened?”
She shrugged. “I can’t even remember
… They were vivid though—and I know that all of you were in them, just not what we were doing.”
“Was it a nightmare?” Vita asked.
“No, I don’t think so.” Aida shook her head, looking puzzled as she tried to recall them. “Just weird.”
“This might sound stupid, but maybe you should start keeping a dream journal or something?” I replied. “I read somewhere that it helps you remember your dreams…Now that you’re an Oracle, maybe you should take them more seriously, try to keep track of them.”
“It doesn’t sound stupid,” Field agreed. “They might be visions—or partial visions, getting mixed up with your subconscious. It’s worth trying.”
I smiled to myself. Now that Field had agreed with my suggestion, I could practically see Aida becoming a lot more receptive to something that she would have dismissed as hokey if only Vita or I had mentioned it. Aida caught my smile, and nudged me sharply under the table.
I turned toward the wall, hiding a snicker.
“Where’s the Druid?” Aida asked loudly.
“We haven’t seen him yet,” Phoenix replied, leaning back in his chair. Almost as soon as the statement left my brother’s lips, the Druid entered the room. He glanced over the remains of our breakfast, looking pleased that we’d managed to finish most of it. Mainly thanks to Jovi.
“Are you ready to begin training?” the Druid asked.
Phoenix glanced over at Vita and Aida. They both nodded.
“Okay,” my brother replied, turning back to the Druid. “Where do we start?”
“By following me back to the basement.”
Oh, great.
More time in the serial killer hangout. I wasn’t sure what was worse—the cold, damp rooms below the house, or the humid and blazing heat above it. Still, there was no way I’d miss out on the training session. I might have trusted the Druid more than the others, but I still wanted to keep an eye on him and my friends. I also had the feeling that this was something I wouldn’t want to miss. It wasn’t every day that your best friends and brother got to see into the future.