Gods & Ghosts Collection

Chapter 7

“Why the hell am I in trouble?” I hissed at Cyrus as we followed Jonathan and damned Rowe down the hall. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re not in trouble.” Cyrus placed his hand on my lower back. “By god, Eva. You’re not going to be reprimanded. But we do need to know what is going on here.”

“Yeah? Well, it sure does feel like it.” I huffed. “What was he thinking, barging in like that? I really would have cut him to pieces if he hadn’t been armed.”

I didn’t want to tell Cyrus what Rowe had said about me bringing trouble to their doorstep. I knew that already. Hell, I’d warned them all about the darkness that seemed to follow me. But did Mr. Smart Ass want to listen? No.

I watched the object of my irritation fall into the chair across from the couch. No matter how handsome he was, Jonah had scared me to death. I had been unpacking, but the second I heard my door bang open, all I could think of was Elliot choking me.

Jonah Rowe really was lucky.

A cat sat so still by the stairs, I thought it was a statue. When everyone had reconvened into the family room, Terrence looked between us with a stunned expression.

“Jonah, did you really go into Eva’s room armed?” He seemed to stare at me a little longer than necessary before he turned back to his friend. “What were you thinking about?”

“Before any more words are spoken,” Jonathan reached out and beckoned to Jonah, “Your batons.”

Jonah handed them over, never taking his eyes off of me when Cyrus spoke up as well.

“Eva, your sword.”

Two could play this game. I glared at Rowe as I lowered my weapon to the coffee table. I’d be damned if he saw me relinquish it.

“Well, now. That’s done.” Jonathan took a spot between the furniture where Jonah and I sat. “Now, Jonah. Explain yourself.”

“Gladly.”

Jonah launched into a story of the dream he had about three women who wanted him. I rolled my eyes until he concluded by lifting up his sweats. His legs were covered in nicks and cuts from the knee down. I watched as he studied his friends as if waiting for them to speak, but he spoke to the wrong audience. Joey clasped his hand around my arm as we both recognized the horror that had happened to Jonah.

A person was most vulnerable to attacks when they were asleep. Elliot had attacked me through my dreams before I had been sent to the Academy. If it hadn’t been for Hecate’s tutelage, I"d be a demented fool right now.

I tried to wipe the fear off of my face and mirror the confusion on the other faces around me, but it was hard. I knew Elliot had enlisted the help of Pasithea, the wife of the god of sleep, to gain access to the dreamscape. But it was surprising how quick he had been to attack Jonah. I didn’t want to admit to myself that he had been right.

This was all my fault.

Truth be told, the only occupants in the room who showed no emotion were Jonathan and Cyrus. I jumped when I heard the admiration in my keeper’s voice instead of the anger I expected.

“Congratulations, Jonah Rowe.” Cyrus broke the tension that filled the room. “You encountered the Sirens, and are still here to tell the tale.”

“Look Cyrus,” Jonah leaned forward on his elbows as he began. “I don’t believe this s**t, but despite myself, I’ll humor you. I know about the Sirens because I read about them when I was a kid. They lured men to their ruin at sea. In case you hadn’t noticed, this isn’t the sea. And on top of that, the Sirens tempted men by singing. I assure you, there were no tunes.”

“True,” agreed Cyrus. “But times do progress. It’s a ‘brave new world,’ as people say. Do you think the gods and the monsters don’t adapt as well? You don’t think that the Sirens’ temptations can’t be just as effective on land? And who said they always had to sing to a man to get him to compromise his morals?”

Jonah turned away from Cyrus as if he was ignoring him, but I wasn’t. I stared at Rowe as I realized the one thing I would have known if I’d paid attention to Cyrus’ lecture about the Eleventh Percenters on the flight to Raleigh. These people were strong. Far stronger than I had given them credit for.

I felt my expression soften, so I closed my eyes and willed the b***h in me forward. I couldn’t get close to him. I couldn"t even play with the spike of thrill that sprung up every time I saw him. I wouldn’t start admiring him. It would be deadly for all of them if I did.

I had to remember that more than anything else.

“A more interesting thing, though,” continued Cyrus, “Is Jonah’s ability to resist them. Older, wiser men have fallen victim to the seductions of the Sirens. They fill your mind with false experiences, sometimes leaving no trace of the true memories. How did you manage it?”

“That would have to be attributed to Jonah’s ethereality.” Jonathan beamed at his pupil with pride.

“‘Ethereality?’” I opened my eyes with a snort. “Sounds like something off a cheap perfume commercial.”

Yeah. The b***h was back. I knew my words had hit home when Jonah straightened up in his seat.

“Well, see, Superstar,” He had regained his bastard form as well, “For those of us who have an I.Q. higher than Kanye and the Kardashians, ethereality is something that keeps us physically alive.”

Ok. That one hurt. I narrowed my eyes at him when Jonathan broke in.

“Now, Jonah.”

Jonathan stepped forward as if we were about to go at each other’s throats. It might have happened if Jonah put my intelligence on par with a damned Kardashian again. The leader of this little ragtag group cleared his throat as he continued.

“I think that this would be an opportune time to implement some of the anger control techniques Felix taught you these past few months. Eva was kind enough to explain the inner workings of her abilities as the Sibyl. Would you please share the Eleventh Percent with her and Joey?”

Jonah’s mouth twisted. He shifted in his seat as if explaining his abilities was the last thing on earth he wanted to do.

“If you aren’t up to the task,” Jonathan spoke with an obvious annoyance, “I’ll gladly ask Reena or Terrence to do it—”

“No, I got it,” interrupted Jonah. “I’m good. Now, Joey, Superstar, we are what you call ethereal humans…”

He went on from there. He told us about them having access to the extra portion of their brains. Told us about interactions with and influencing the spiritual world. Told us about how “death” was just a label we “Tenth Percenters” used, and that that transition was actually someone passing into Spirit, going from a physical life to a spiritual one. I felt Joey tighten his grip around my arm as Jonah explained how they believed that some spirits and spiritesses stayed on Earthplane and the Astral Plane while some decided to cross on to The Other Side. It was at that point that Joey interrupted.

“Other Side?” He repeated. “You mean like the Underworld? I’m just trying to keep up here.”

“No, son,” said Jonathan. “The Other Side isn’t a place that any of us can access. People don’t return from there once they go. The Underworld is an entirely separate matter. Jonah, please continue.”

Jonah cleared his throat, and kept going. I was with Joey. I tried to wrap my mind around how Eleventh Percenters couldn’t see spirits of other Eleventh Percenters, nor could they see the spirits of people that they were emotionally close to. He concluded with how some spirits enjoyed bouncing between the Earthplane and the Astral Plane.

When he was done, I couldn’t help myself. His explanations were too damned close to what I had experienced as my time as the Sibyl. But I wouldn’t let him know that. Instead, I began to cast looks on the strangers that were about as skeptical as the ones they’d given to me when I explained my own abilities.

“So let me get this straight.” I leaned back against the couch so that Joey would be forced to loosen his grip. He was trying hard to show he wasn’t rattled, but in the process, he was leaving bruises on my arm. “You people are like some glorified superheroes, or something?”

Jonah gritted his teeth, but Terrence chimed in before he could respond.

“That was awesome, Jonah,” He said. “But I’ll help you out now, man. Jonathan, is that okay?”

Jonathan opened his hands in a welcoming gesture. He looked like a proud parent who had just successfully launched a child into the world. Reena, on the other hand, looked skeptical.

“You’re sure, Terrence?” Reena asked. “I’ll wrap it up, no problem.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Clearly, he did not want to be deprived of his chance to impress me. I hid my smile behind my hand. Some fans were annoying. Others were adorable in their hero worship. Terrence fit into the latter category.

“Eva, Joey, our access to the ethereal world lets us use powers when we have spiritual endowments,” He began. “We’ve been endowed all day, and when we touch things made of ethereal steel, they gleam with the color of our aura. Here.”

For a reason known only to himself, Terrence already had weapons ready. He passed Reena a dagger, and pulled his own steel knuckles out of his pocket. The weapons turned yellow for Reena, and burnt orange for Terrence. I sat up again when I saw the weapons begin to glow. It was beautiful, dangerous, and thrilling all at the same time.

“As you can see, our colors,” announced Terrence. “Tenths’ aura colors change at the drop of a hat, but for Elevenths, the color is always the root of our personality. I’m burnt orange, Reena is yellow, and Jonah is the Blue Aura.”

I raised an eyebrow at Jonah despite the fact that I was talking to Terrence. “The Blue Aura? Is that like a big deal, or something?”

“Supposedly, it’s a very big deal, Superstar.” Jonah interrupted Terrence before he could open his mouth “I’ve been told that I’m only the eighth Blue Aura in history. I’ve been at this a few years, and I still don’t have it all figured out. I’ve got gifts on top of gifts that I didn’t even ask for.”

I stared at him as a strange feeling of kinship and respect washed over me. I clasped my hands together then rubbed my thumbs over each other as I whispered my response. “I can relate.”

No. I won’t. I couldn’t. I gritted my teeth, unlatched my fingers, and began tapping them against my knee.

“Look, it doesn’t matter. Tell me about these powers you all seem to possess.”

“Eleventh Percenters all have powers that are brought about by the ethereal world,” explained Jonathan. “But all have areas of expertise. Signatures, if you will. The aura colors that you see here are three of many, though Jonah is the only one that’s blue. Terrence has strength-based skills. Reena can alter her speed, create cold spots, and read essence. Jonah has…many gifts. The most prominent gift is balance, which is one of the things that the Blue Aura is all about. It’s that balancing power that saved him from the Sirens. It regulated his mind, gave him glimpses of his true self, and kept him from weakness.”

“That may be true, but it’s only a partial piece of it, Jonathan.” Cyrus still stood behind me. Still held onto my shoulder as if to keep me upright during this mess of a conversation. “To overcome the temptations of the Sirens, one must have a tether to their true nature. A powerful tether. Something to reel them in, if you will. So Jonah has abilities that include balance? Excellent. But there was definitely something that pulled him back from succumbing. What was it?”

Jonah swallowed. He visibly swallowed. It was as if Cyrus had asked him the secrets of the universe and expected a response.

“It—It was something my Nana used to say,” he answered. “The women in the dream—or whatever it was—were a little too eager and willing to let me have my way with them. It seemed to be their only thought. Nana used to say ‘Watch out for women who are hot in the pants and empty in the head.’ She used to say that all the time. That was in my head when they tried so hard to get me to join them.”

Liar.

I bit my lip to keep my mouth shut. It was true that I depended on Cyrus to tell me what I needed to know about the monsters I dealt with, but I was damn good at reading people. Jonah was hiding something. I could feel it.

Maybe he had a girlfriend. The realization made my stomach sink. I couldn"t explain why it bothered me. I had to remind myself that I had Cyrus. I was happy.

No, I wasn’t. I was lying to myself.

“Wise woman, your Nana,” Cyrus told Jonah. “Family influence, particularly positive ones, are definitely powerful tethers. Even across planes of existence, your Nana still saved your life.”

I rubbed my hands over my eyes as a sharp pain filled my heart. Family influence and tethers hadn’t been enough to keep me tied to my parents. I took a deep breath and began to count until the guilt lessened. It had been months since the murders, and I’ll admit, I’d made progress. But damned if it didn’t kill me when I was reminded of them.

Joey piped up from his spot beside me. He leaned forward to clasp Terrence on the shoulder.

“This is intense, man!”

“How do you think I feel?” responded Terrence. “I’ve been exposed to ethereal things my entire life!”

The new bosom buddies broke into a conversation all their own, so I ignored them. I clasped Cyrus’ hand when he squeezed my shoulder. But instead of the secured feeling I was used to when I was around him, I felt nothing.

I just wanted to be left alone. I wanted to get away from Jonah and the feelings he seemed to illicit from me.

Too bad Jonathan picked that very moment to make his announcement.

“Jonah, Eva,” he said, “you cannot be forced to believe. But belief is not necessary at this point, because the both of you have seen proof of the existence of each other’s’ respective realities. Jonah, the Greek myths are not myths. Eva, there is much more in this world than gods and monsters. All the nuances of divination—magic, ‘magick,’ or whatever semantics you choose to employ—they are all ethereality. No matter the realm or sphere of influence. The people that you see in the mirrors are still very much alive. They are simply no longer physical beings. Like it or not, our paths have been joined, and we have to adapt.”

I studied Jonah as he looked down at the cuts on his legs. When he met my gaze, I saw his expression shift from contemplation to fear.

“Superstar,” He breathed, “Your eyes are green. How in the hell did you do that?”

I felt the blood drain out of my face at his words. The only way my eyes could turn back to their natural shade was if I had lost my abilities as the Sibyl. It had happened twice since I’d taken Apollo’s oath. Both times were due to my injuries thanks to Athena’s Blade. So to say that Jonah’s words scared the hell out of me?

Understatement of the year.

“No, they aren’t.” I snapped. “There is no way. Give me a mirror!”

I stopped myself as I realized what I was about to expose myself to. “Wait, no! Don’t—don’t do that.”

“It’s fine,” said Jonathan hastily. “I can protect you. In my presence, the spirits and spiritesses will be held at bay. Please do not try any mirror stunts on your own, though.”

Joey pressed a button on his cell phone and passed it over to me. I snatched it and frowned.

“Why do you have a mirror app on your phone?” I knew I was deflecting, but I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t want to see what the others saw. I didn’t want to face the questions reeling through my mind. “I mean, I knew you were vain, Joey, but—”

“Just look.” Jonah shoved the phone upright until I was forced to look at myself. There were no whispers from the dead. No faces flickering across Joey’s phone. It was just me as I had been. Green eyes and all.

I did the only thing I could think of. I blinked. Hard. Then again until my eyes shifted back to the gold I’d grown used to. I couldn’t stop staring at my damned reflection as I realized what this could mean.

The wound from Athena’s Blade hadn’t been healed by the concoction Hecate"s apprentices had administered in Washington. No matter how fast my other injuries had healed, the one that had caused the most damage was still seeping poison into my blood despite the mark of the gods now tattooed on the skin of my left side.

After a few minutes, my eyes remained resolutely golden. But I couldn’t breathe. And I couldn’t reveal my concern to Cyrus. He would have me encased in bubble wrap and shipped back to California before daybreak.

I had to get out of here.

I pushed up from the couch to head towards the door as my concerns about the stab wound I had suffered brought forth my memories of Elliot’s threats. How he swore to destroy anyone who tried to help me. No matter who or what they were.

He had already proven himself capable. After all, Jonah had been hurt thanks to his brief interaction with me. I shouldn’t have cared given that he nearly broke down my bedroom door to voice his displeasure of my presence. But I did. A little too much.

The monsters under Hera’s control were closing in, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“Eva, stop.”

Cyrus caught up with me before I could leave the room. He snagged my arm and forced me to face him.

“Let’s go upstairs. You need to calm down in light of these recent developments.”

“No.” I closed my eyes, afraid that when I opened them, they would have changed back to green. “Cyrus, I need some air.”

“You need—”

“Please,” I whispered as my heart began to break. I had fooled myself into believing that I could get past my fears. I had convinced myself that I was stronger than ever. But I was wrong. Dead wrong.

I felt my eyes burning from the tears that wanted to fall, but I kept them in check. “I won’t go far, I promise. I’ll even stay on the porch.”

“Eva, you need more time to heal. The power of Athena’s Blade is still affecting you, despite the ministrations of Hecate"s Ambassadors.” Cyrus narrowed his eyes at me. “Surely it would be best if you stay close enough where I can reach you if needed.”

I nodded. “I’ll be fine. I just—I need time to think. And I can call you if I need to. I’m sure you’ll hear me if I holler for you.”

Cyrus still looked skeptical, but he didn’t argue as I turned on my heel to walk out of the room. I tried to remember what Terrence had said about maneuvering around this massive place. Soon enough, I found the front door.

The humid air hit me the moment I stepped out on the porch. I breathed in with blessed relief as my muddled thoughts began to clear. It was obvious that Jonah deemed me as an i***t. A dangerous one. Reena seemed much more guarded, which was good. Most likely, it was the only thing that had saved her when the Sirens attacked. Terrence? He reminded me of Joey. Happy. Thrilled to be considered special.

And possibly vulnerable. I shuddered. Could he hold a candle to Elliott?

Before I had been transformed into the Sibyl, I would have laughed at these people who called themselves Eleventh Percenters. I mean, come on. Mysterious mentor. Big house in the middle of nowhere. Everyone has special powers. A modern day comic book come to life.

But that was before. I propped my elbows up onto the porch rail and buried my face into my hands. Now, my life was nothing but monsters. Monsters and ghosts and revenge. It was horrible. My losses were great.

Yet, despite everything I’d been through, I couldn’t imagine my life being anything less than what it is now.

This was the main reason why I was so freaked out when I saw my eyes had changed. I was in serious trouble with only Cyrus and my abilities as the Sibyl to protect me. But there was another factor that weighed heavy on my mind.

“Evangelina.”

I jerked my head up to stare at a woman I hadn’t seen in over a year. Longer, since seeing your mother’s urn didn’t count as actually seeing her.

“Look at you. You’ve always been a f*****g mess.” She sneered in that trademark Charleston accent of hers. “Always running away. Always trying to find a man to hide behind. Didn’t I teach you better than that? There is no help for you, Evangelina. There never was.”

I stared at her with a mixture of fear and hatred. I had my reasons. Reasons that tried to bubble up to the surface the more I looked at her.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” I managed. “I’m not supposed to see you. Apollo forbade-“

Janet broke out into a cruel laughter. “Apollo has no power over the likes of me, little girl.”

“Yes, he-“

Janet waved her hand and within moments, I wasn’t on the porch anymore. I reappeared in a forest. Woods. There were trees all around me. I stood up to brush myself off when someone grabbed me from behind and slung me against the nearest tree. I cried out as my head cracked against the wood. I landed in a crouch then prayed to Apollo for the pain shooting across my abdomen to subside and my vision to return to normal. When I stood to face my attacker, I remembered something Cyrus had taught me on day one of my training. Not too long ago, Medusa reiterated it.

Always be aware of your surroundings.

There were eleven total. Each one stepping out of the trees to encircle me.

“Who are you?” I spoke, surprised to hear the steel underlying my words. “What role do you have in Hera’s fight with me?”

“Oh, darling Sibyl.” The shadow man laughed as he closed in the distance between us. “You elate me so! Perhaps I am a simple spirit, wishing for attention from the Daughter of Apollo herself. Perhaps I have a message for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I felt discomfort at these words. The phrase Daughter of Apollo engendered such uneasiness now. But my anger resurfaced as I watched the image of my mother disappear. “Wait. Where did she go?”

The man’s eyes glowed a familiar green before he struck out again. He punched me so hard, I landed flat on my back. Within moments, he grabbed me and the others parted as he slammed me against another tree.

“So pretty. So strong.” He hissed as he pressed himself against me. He freed one hand long enough to twirl a strand of my hair around one shadowed finger. “Some things are worth going to Hell for, Sibyl.”

“Yeah? Then by all means, let me help you get there.”

I couldn’t move my arms thanks to the hold this man had on me, but if I had learned anything during my time as the Sibyl, it was that there was more than one method of escape. I slammed my knee upwards, connecting with his center. The creature howled as my sword shimmered into view. He stumbled backwards and it was my turn.

I brought the sword up to slam the hilt against his throat. When he fell to his knees, I brought the blade down in a single motion. He disappeared within an instant.

I lifted the sword up and held it just in front of my face as I turned my attention to the ones who still circled me.

“Who sent you?” I called out, ignoring the blood that ran down my cheek from the blow I’d taken. “Who do you serve if not Hera?”

The dark beings around me lunged forward as a single unit. I would have cursed out loud if there had been time. I should have called out to Cyrus, but I didn"t want to. I wanted to lose myself in battle. I wanted to forget about the image of my mother. The hatefulness in her eyes.

So I fought.

I blocked their hands as they grabbed at me. Those who got in a hit met my blade the fastest. I thought I was doing pretty well until I felt a sharp pain slice across my side. It was so intense that I dropped my sword as I fell. I rolled onto my back as the creature scrambled past my legs to crawl on top of me.

“Dammit!”

I grunted as the thing scratched at my eyes. I turned my head to see the other beings following suit to circle me in a realm of shadow.

I stopped trying to get the creatures off of me as I raised my arms to block my face. Ideas flew through my mind as I took blow after blow. I thought about my Keeper’s suggestion to stay inside. I knew I would be land blasted for not listening to him the moment I got back.

But the worst part?

I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get out of this one.

I really was in trouble.