Foresight Read online

  Rena is suddenly waving at someone across the table. I look up, startled, to find Sibyl watching us. Our grandmother nods to me and I nod back before ducking my head again, holding her mind at bay, a little surprised she doesn’t force the issue. I don’t want to talk to her right now. There are times I feel she can see right through me and this isn’t a time I’d like to be proven right.

  Rena hisses a moment later, setting down her fork even as I feel them approach. I turn slowly, plastering a smile on my face, and stand to greet my grandmother.

  She kisses my cheek with her cool lips.

  When she turns to greet Rena in the same fashion, Liander takes her place beside me. He’s smiling as well, but there is animosity in his eyes and I can’t shake the feeling he knows he gives me the creeps.

  “Liander!” Rena practically falls over her own feet to reach his side, bubbling with her usual need to be noticed. Never mind she was just speaking ill of him only a moment ago. “So kind of you to come to say hello tonight.”

  He ignores her, gaze locked on mine as he closes the distance between us by simply swaying forward. I feel his power push against me and allow it, knowing if I resist he’ll dig deeper. Let him feel the surface all he wants. I know better than to face off against him. Yes, I’m certain I could defeat him if the matter came to such a conflict, but it’s not worth challenging him when my grandmother is watching with her cold gaze.

  “Zoe.” Liander’s voice sends goosebumps down my arms. He must be half snake. “Your grandmother and I would see you in our chambers later.”

  I can’t think of something I’d rather not do, but I nod instead of rebelling.

  He turns without a word, Sibyl taking his arm even as he strides off. Rena glares up at me a moment before shrugging off her jealousy.

  “Thinks he’s all that,” she says.

  ***

  Chapter Four

  I turn to leave, only to have Rena grab my arm. Her fingernails dig in, and I can tell before I meet her eyes, she’s angry with me. I sigh and grasp her hand, pulling her after me, toward my room. She walks with heavy steps, pouting, while I lead her up the stairs, down the hall and through my door.

  Rena doesn’t come inside, though I release her before entering. I turn to gesture to her to join me, heart sore, knowing why she’s angry and unable to do anything about it.

  “Please,” I say. She’s my closest friend and it’s time this thing between us went away. “Rena, talk to me.”

  She flounces her way in, pulling the door sharply shut behind her. I join her on the couch as she sags into it, eyes tight and frustrated.

  “It’s not fair.” She looks away from me, sniffling a little. I have to remind myself she’s only seventeen, four years younger than me. Was I so childish only a few short years ago? “It’s all about you, every time.” She makes a bitter face. “‘Zoe, you’re so powerful.’ ‘Zoe, you’re so talented.’” Rena stands and storms over to the fireplace where only coals remain. “There are other Oracles in this Gaia forsaken place who have visions.”

  I stay where I am, hands folded in my lap. “You are very powerful,” I say, though it’s partially a lie. Rena has ability, but she is too lazy to hone it. I hide a wince at my harsh but private assessment as she turns and smiles at me, a flash of thanks.

  “I know you’re special,” she says, voice soft. “But we all are.”

  This time I stand and go to her, hugging her. She hugs me back, cheek on my shoulder.

  “We are,” I say. “The most special every created, the daughters of Gaia, the earth mother. Thanks to her, we have the power to see into the future.”

  “Some of us better than others.” Rena pulls away, wiping at her cheeks with her hands and I only then realize she’s been crying.

  I grip her shoulders in my hands and shake her ever so gently. “I would trade places with you, my dear cousin, if I could.”

  She smiles again before offering one of her trademark eye rolls. “Sure you would.” She flicks her fingers at my shirt sleeve, twisting her torso back and forth, looking up through her lashes, her sadness gone. “Thanks, Zoe.”

  I let her go then, waving goodbye at my door, firmly locking it behind me when she’s gone. I take a step toward my bedroom—

  —You look out over the city, see it burning and know she is the cause. Her face hovers behind the flame-engulfed towers, see her scowl as they scream in the streets, dying, desperate while she raises her arms over her head and her rainbow flames engulf everything—

  I know this vision, so when I stagger free of it, I’m not as disoriented as I could be. I’ve seen it many times before, though it’s the first time I’ve seen the city on fire before she appeared. I hurry across my living room and into my bedroom, hands already out and reaching for my jacket and the lighter inside. It’s cold in my palm for a moment, quickly warming to my skin temperature as I weigh it in my hand.

  This requires investigating, I think. But not here. I need the extra focus I can gain from the chapel. I slip into my jacket, lighter in hand, and head out, locking my door behind me.

  The halls are quiet this time of night, everyone settling in after dinner. It’s easy to avoid others as I make my way downstairs and past the dining hall, trailing a moment behind a pair of young sorcerers before losing them as I duck into a side corridor.

  The main chapel doors are open, as usual, though the altar and its cover stone remains closed. A single touch of flame lights the candles at the base of the dais, and I settle into the hard, stone bench where Oracles have sat for generations before me.

  It’s quiet here without my family filling the first two rows, the push of black power from the sorcerers who fill the rest. I prefer the cool silence hovering over the room, the way it feels holy, as though I am in the presence of something much bigger than me.

  I am, of course, though she is hidden under stone. I feel Gaia here the most powerfully, the connection to my Goddess and the flames so strong I’m sure, given enough time, I could see everything that could ever happen until the end of life itself.

  Tonight, I’m only focused on what I’ve seen. I flick open my lighter and wake the flame with a spin of the wheel—

  —Her, the Dark/Light One, the Werewolf, the Sorcerer, all of them, as clear as though they stand next to you. A house, white, black shutters, with a big yard, and a deep green fire burning under the ground. A dragon in the guise of a man, his diamond eyes seeing right through you, a fearful fount of flame rushing toward you as she charges on his back.

  A giant battle, but in the past, a hundred dragons, Liander full of power, towering over the Dark/Light One, the dragons falling to the ground, brought low by his magic. He is the hero, or so you’ve been told, and yet your heart mourns for the great beasts who lie helpless at the foot of a massive stronghold.

  You never see the end of the battle, though you feel it ends badly for the one who you serve. She was the victor, you are certain. But it doesn’t matter, not when another war unfolds, creatures of shining, iridescent magic attacking others of their kind, Dark against Light, while the dragon creatures circle and observe.

  She is there, her rainbow power flaring into flames, her arms raising, engulfing everything in a flash of multi-colored fire—

  I gasp a breath as I leave the vision, though not the fire. It begs me to stay, embraces me with its heat and I fall into it a moment, the searing temperature making me cry out. The flame on my lighter splutters and goes out, jerking me free of the seeking fire. I lower my shaking hand, muscles aching from holding it rigid for so long, and hang my head. Beads of sweat form on my upper lip, my tongue swiping over them, the salty heat tinged with the taste of soot.

  The lighter drops into my lap as I slide my hands over my face and look down at them. Black dust clings to my sweating fingers. I’ve never gone so far into the fire before, stayed so long. If my lighter’s flame hadn’t died…

  I might have.

  But if that’s the case, why did it feel so good
to embrace the fire?

  My palms rub over the tops of my thighs, transferring the soot to my jeans. Enough for now, but I know more than I did. I used to only see the final scene, where the one Charlotte called Syd raised her arms, rainbow power devouring everything and came to believe—thanks to Sibyl and Liander—it meant she would be the cause of the end of the Universe.

  Now I’m not so sure. The battle of the magic warriors makes me wonder. I still don’t have all the pieces. But I can’t risk going back into the flame tonight. I shudder at the thought, now I’m out of it. It’s just too dangerous.

  My knees shake as I stand and turn to leave the chapel, mind in my visions as I absently snuff the candles behind me with a touch of power. And realize, too late, I’m not alone.

  ***

  Chapter Five

  I exhale in surprise, though I’m smiling by the time the last of the air leaves my lungs and stepping forward, arms outstretched. The pair of Oracle siblings before me grin in turn and come to hug me all at once, a three person embrace I cling to as they whisper their greetings in my ears.

  I’m surprised to find tears standing in my eyes as I pull away, and cover my emotional reaction to seeing them with a laugh. The only male born of our family with Oracle powers, Thanos grins at me, arms dropping to his sides, though his eyes don’t see me. Both he and his sister were born blind, milky white orbs creating a stir every time they appear in the sanctuary. Though I never once thought them disturbing. Instead, I greatly enjoy their calm and confident manner, the way neither of them seem anxious about the past or nervous about the future, living in the present as true Oracles should.

  “We thought to find you here,” Thanos says with humor in his voice.

  “Where else, if not the streets of the city above?” His sister, Bellanca, smiles at me, hand reaching for mine. I always have the impression these two can see more with their other senses than I can with my eyes alone. Her aim is unerring, as usual, fingers catching mine.

  I follow them to a bench and sit, looking forward to the altar, Thanos on one side, Bellanca on the other, happy to be sandwiched between them. Rena might be my closest friend here in the sanctuary, but the Helios twins are siblings of my heart.

  “How long are you back?” They are of the few number of our order who live outside the sanctuary, often off on missions for Sibyl. Though blind, I’ve never doubted their capability in handling whatever my grandmother intends for them. They radiate such confidence I wish it would rub off on me.

  “Always with the questions,” Thanos says, tilting his head toward me so the light from above catches the bristly blonde of his close-shaven hair.

  I shoulder bump him. “Sorry,” I say. “I guess I’m just feeling a little lonely these days.” Should I tell them of Piers? Of all the Oracles in my family, I feel these two would understand, not only about my obsession with the outsider sorcerer, but my worries about my visions and the interpretations I’ve been taught to believe.

  “Poor darling.” Bellanca raises my hand to her lips and kisses the back of it. “We hate to abandon you so frequently.”

  “Duty calls.” Thanos sounds as sad as his sister, and I feel instantly guilty.

  “You’re here now,” I say, forcing brightness into my tone. “Tell me everything you’ve been doing.”

  “Better yet.” Thanos turns sideways, one arm draped over the bench back, face serious. “Tell us what you’ve been doing.”

  I stammer a moment, suddenly nervous, though not because of them. More of voicing the truth of what I’ve been feeling. But in that moment, sitting in Gaia’s chapel with my dear friends beside me, I know it’s time to finally share my concerns.

  My words tumble from my mouth like falling tears as I confess my deepest fears to them. Neither of the twins speak as I talk of my meeting with Charlotte and Piers two years ago, or of the doubtful seeds the werewoman planted. Of my secret meetings with the young sorcerer, though I don’t tell them of how deeply I feel for him or that I’ve been visioning him for years.

  Of course, they both know exactly who I refer to when I speak of the Dark One, but neither shows a flicker of surprise when I tell them Charlotte claims the woman of my visions is, in fact, the exact opposite. She is, instead, the savior of our Universe. I barely whisper the words, feeling as though I’ve committed some great sacrilege, doubting Gaia’s gift in her own chapel. But once I begin, I can’t stop, completing my verbal spill with what I’ve just seen.

  Hot tears drop to my lap as I finish, throat tight with guilt. Bellanca’s fingers still grip my hand, Thanos’s falling on my shoulder as he leans forward and presses his lips to my temple.

  “So brave,” his sister whispers. “Dear Zoe.”

  “You believe me?” I choke on those words, unable to convince myself they aren’t about to leap up and run for Sibyl, to name me a traitor and have me imprisoned. I’m shaking all over, teeth chattering, as Bellanca turns her blind eyes to me with a sad smile.

  “We’ve known all along,” she says, surprising me so much my tears dry up in an instant. “But you had to uncover the truth for yourself.”

  I’d be angry, except she’s right. Any attempt at fury dies as I nod, accepting her words. This isn’t something one can be told—that an entire existence is a lie, a manipulation. It’s a truth that must be experienced.

  “What do I do?” I look back and forth between them.

  Thanos sighs softly, his breath ruffling my hair. “What do you want to do?”

  “I need to talk to Grandmother.” Surely Sibyl has no idea. Which awakens my anger, and this time it lives on without being snuffed out by reason. “Liander Belaisle. He must be the source of the deception.” I can’t bring myself to believe my grandmother would agree to such, so she has to be warned. I look back and forth between the twins, a small hope in my heart. If they know… “Will you come with me? To tell her?”

  Neither responds positively, or at all for that matter, and my tiny seed of maybe dies.

  Bellanca shifts beside me, face pensive. “Perhaps it is Liander Belaisle who you must guard against,” she says. “Though things are often more complicated than we want to accept.” She tilts her head to one side, braid falling over her shoulder to pool in her lap. “If anyone can find the true path, Zoe, it’s you.”

  I open my mouth to ask her what she means. The twins are often cryptic when we talk, never quite answering questions when asked directly. But Thanos speaks up, silencing me.

  “A time is coming, Zoe,” he says, voice deepening, power rumbling through him. I can feel his fire waking as he goes on. “A time when you will be forced to make a choice.”

  I shake my head, not in denial but in wonder. “I don’t understand.”

  The pair rises, Thanos brushing past me to join his sister. Her hand gestures, flames rising from her fingertips.

  “Know you are on the right path,” Bellanca says while Thanos frowns at her like she’s overstepped her bounds. “Trust your heart, Zoe.”

  Thanos grasps his sister’s hand, the fire leaping as the two disappear into it. Leaving me with more questions than I had before, and the odd sense I’m missing an important piece of the puzzles that are Bellanca and Thanos.

  ***

  Chapter Six

  I wake to the sound of bells and curse softly to myself as I scramble from the bed. I don’t have time to shower, last night’s clothes stripped from my body as I jerk open the door to my wardrobe and pull out my ceremony robe. The heavy red fabric falls to my feet, brushing my bare toes, hood hanging over my shoulders as a niggling thought crosses my mind, like a flame just blown out, a wisp of smoke remaining. Have I forgotten something? It feels as though I have, though what exactly escapes me. I wrestle a brush and my thick hair, finally managing a rough bun at the base of my neck, sandals sliding into place, even as I run for the door and decide if it’s important enough, whatever I’ve forgotten will come to me eventually.

  I must have been more tired than I thought last nigh
t when I finally made it home to my quarters, because I have little recollection of falling onto my bed and passing out. A dreamless sleep did much to revive me, though I’m now, as I hurry through the hall toward the central worship hall, remembering the troubling conversation I had with the twins.

  Relief is welcome after all my anxiety over the matter. At least now I know I’m not the only one with suspicions. I have a pair of allies. I think. Now I reflect on it, was Bellanca more on my side than Thanos?

  I can’t allow myself to divide them in my mind. They are my friends, my family. I trust them more than anyone in this world. If they believe me—have known all along as they claim—I can believe them, in turn.

  Which makes my stomach sink as I slip past three girls in red robes, brushing by a knot of sorcerers grumbling about the early hour and stupid ceremony, sandals sliding over the stone floor as I take my breathless place in the second row behind the elder Oracles—the exact same seat I warmed last night—just as the last bell sounds.

  Rena glares at me, poking my ribs. “You’re late,” she hisses in my ear.

  I stick my tongue out at her, a childish gesture. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  And then there’s no more time for talk. The worship hall is full, the first two rows lined with red robes, the back stacked with black. I miss the quiet of the space, long for the empty silence that embraced me only hours ago in this sacred place. Well trained, we rise as one in a whisper of velvet and satin to greet the pair who mount the central dais, hand in hand.

  My grandmother’s red robe is trimmed in gold, Liander’s black one in silver. Both wear elaborate headdresses, towering over them like steeples of a human church. Sibyl gestures with her free hand and the casing of the dais opens to the chorus of many sighs.

  This was the only thing missing from my experience last night, the single regret I have when I come to chapel alone. Without Sibyl and Liander, I have no access to the blessed one below the stone slab. I ease toward the aisle, eyes locked on the shining rainbow case and the recumbent figure inside. Just the sight of my Goddess makes everything better, brighter. I forget for a moment my fears and anxieties, the warning from the twins, my two years of struggle with doubt. Being in the presence of Gaia always gives me peace.