The Last Oracle (44 page)

Valeria stood on the back of Charon’s ferry as it moved down the river causing her white gown to flow behind her. On the edge of the dark cave was a ledge where three women worked with a spinning wheel. One woman sat at the spinning wheel although it was covered with cobwebs and no longer seemed operational. Another woman held a ball of yarn and she was locked in the motion of wrapping and rewrapping the same thread. The youngest of the women walked to the edge of the river. Leering at Valeria, she reached out to the string leading to the ball of yarn, and snipped the thread.

Time passed, but it was only a consequence of motion. As they came to a fork in the river, an ominous figure stood as if passing judgment. The figure nodded at Charon and they proceeded toward the light. Then, from the darkness of the cave, she noticed they were moving up a stream and it seemed to be getting lighter.

The surroundings were transformed and it was as if the River Styx was a gentle creek moving through a beautiful, golden countryside. The boat pulled up along the field and Valeria stepped off the ferry as Charon nodded to her with the coin still in his hand.

Valeria began to walk through the field. The sky was a brilliant blue and, in the distance, she saw a beautiful oak. She watched as it transformed into a ginkgo tree that was even more magnificent than her tree at Morgana. There was a tug at her heart, but soon it was gone.

There was an odd ruffled movement up the hill as if someone had cut a video and hastily taped it back together. Valeria noticed that the shape—or lack of shape—seemed to be moving toward her, and then it morphed into nearly a mirror image of
herself.

“Cassandra!”
The woman said as she ran through the field with her brown hair flowing behind her in a light breeze. Valeria took in the startling resemblance of this woman.

Suddenly, Valeria felt the most joyous of feelings and held out her arms for the woman.
“Coronis!”

The two women hugged each other and, if tears had been possible, they would have been on both of their faces. Valeria noticed that
Coronis’s eyes were a far lighter blue than her own. That must have been how others could tell them apart.

Coronis took Valeria’s hand to lead her near the ginkgo tree. Lifting a brow, Valeria said, “So, tell me cousin. Is it possible for a mere mortal princess to truly find love with a god?”

With a glow, Coronis looked up dreamily as a spark brushed her eyes. “I can tell you that the mere mortal princess has been in a beautiful dream for...ever.” Turning playfully to Valeria, Coronis asked, “And so?”

“Yes, I found Alexander. We have a child!” Then her smile faded and she again felt the tugging of her heart. “Is your child...Asclepius...is he here? How does that work?”

“
No, cousin!”
she said, as if that were an absurdity. Then her smile widened. “He was left to live his life...with my closest and most trusted of friends.”

“Where?”
Valeria asked, but Coronis’s attention was diverted by a magnificent figure on the hill. Immediately, Valeria recognized Apollo. “That must be the god who is now my cousin!” she giggled.

Taking her hand, Coronis gushed, “He will not admit this to you, but he is so grateful for your matchmaking. Otherwise, he may have continued to chase those silly and unattainable maidens...and I might have ended up the object of some lesser god’s affection...or worse—a prince!” They laughed, but as Apollo drew nearer, Valeria became more serious and reverent. “I will see you again, cousin!” Coronis
whispered as she blew Valeria a kiss and then faded and, in an instant, was gone.

Apollo looked as though he had inspired Michelangelo’s David. He was over six feet tall with light brown hair and soft blue eyes.

“Cassandra!”

Valeria bowed.
“My, lord!”

“I have something for you! But now, come, let us walk,” Apollo said as he took her arm and led her up a hill. Somehow, despite Apollo’s stride, Valeria had no difficulty keeping up. “I am pleased to see you here.”

“I am pleased to see you, my lord. The sky is not so blue without your presence.”

Apollo offered her a knowing smile as he said, “But I am not your symbolon.”

Glancing away, Valeria said, “No.”

Apollo lowered his brow and slowed his pace. “You are not happy here?”

“As happy as one might be...without one’s symbolon,” she said.

“Of all the symbolons, you and Alexander have always been special.” He stopped and turned to her. “I’ve come to realize that the oracles will require the power of the gods to fight the gods.”

“My, lord, I am concerned about this battle...and I wonder if there will ever be a time when I am again with my symbolon.”

Smiling gently, he took her arm as they continued their walk.

That night Alex sat in the bedroom and rocked his daughter—with his wife’s lifeless body on the bed next to him. His anguish over Valeria was still devastating, but now he had something to cling to and something else to occupy his mind. He had returned to the cottage with Genni and then passed the infant to Lita. Once he had Lita’s assurance that she would hold Genni until he returned, he showered and cleaned up.

Now sitting in the darkness, he heard a discussion outside the cottage. Lita returned with a bottle. “Would you like me to feed her this time?” she asked.

“Yes, please.” He narrowed his eyes as he glanced out the window. “What’s going on out there?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s been going on for hours.”

“I think I’ll go see for myself,” Alex said.

As he opened the door and saw Lars, Ava, Myrdd, and Paolo.

“Lexi!”
Lars said. Alex quickly placed a finger over his mouth to quiet him.

“Genni will probably be asleep any minute. Lita’s feeding her,” he explained. Although his world had crumbled, there was a light in the darkness that was Genni, and he pledged to battle the darkness that threatened to swallow him. Lars and Ava smiled and nodded.

“She is a good baby,” Myrdd said.

“I’m glad you’re back, Myrdd,” Alex said, his eyes betraying the
bittersweetness of the moment.

Alex sat down and said, “You don’t need to stop your discussion on my account.”

Ava brushed a hand over his shoulder. “Honey, we should have been discussing this at the main house but...” Ava said and glanced at Myrdd. “Evidently, Myrdd wants to be here.” She shrugged, indicating that they had no control of Myrdd’s actions.

With a fire in his eyes,
Myrrdd pointed to Alex. “You must go to her!”

Alex turned his head to peer into the bedroom window with sudden hope and anticipation, but Myrdd shook his head. “She is no longer there.”

“Where then, Myrdd?” Alex asked, as he felt his heart beginning to pound again.

“The Elysian Fields,” Paolo said. “Daphne says that is where she is now.”

Alex shook his head cynically. “I no longer believe anything Daphne says!”

Paolo looked down and pressed his hands together.

“Alex, Myrdd said the same thing as soon as he recovered,” Ava added, as Lars nodded in agreement.

Alex glanced in through the bedroom window where Lita was smiling as she rocked the pink bundle. 

“What about Genni?” he said, feeling torn. “Val’s father deserted her—although that was mostly an emotional desertion. But how can I do that to her daughter?”

Myrdd spoke, “It is part of his plan.”

“Whose plan, Myrdd?” Lars asked, but Myrdd was lost again. “Myrdd?”

Paolo drew a deep breath and said, “Alex, I believe that you must go to Valeria now if you are ever to see her again.”

“No offense, pal, but you aren’t high on my list of trusted sources either,” Alex said lowering his brow.

Paolo continued, “It makes sense though, does it not? That is why Myrdd insisted that Valeria go to Cuma—”

“Please!” Alex said raising an arm and gulping back the tears. He couldn’t have this conversation with Paolo right now.

Standing to return to his daughter, Alex felt a delicate hand on his shoulder and turned. It was little, blond Olivia.

“Hello, Alexander!” she said as her face turned beat red—reminding him of his beloved. She cleared her throat. “I apologize for the intrusion.” Alex narrowed an eye and saw Elliot standing at the base of the porch. “I had a dream—”

“Despite your hardships at this time, I told Olivia that she must share this with you!” Elliot interrupted.

Alex nodded, and Olivia continued, “I had a dream that you were wandering your way through a labyrinth,” she said.

“That’s hardly news,” Alex said, and then instantly regretted it as Olivia’s blush increased and she stared at her feet.

“I am so sorry to be intruding at such a time. Perhaps Elliot was wrong and I should come back later,” she said in almost a whisper; then, with a small curtsy, she turned.

Realizing what he had done, Alex put his hand on Olivia’s shoulder to stop her from running. Instantly, Elliot was on the porch and physically removing Alex’s hand.

“Unhand her!” he said. The first word came out bravely. The ‘her’ came out in a screech. But Alex removed his hand.

“I am so sorry, Olivia,” Alex said. Then he glanced at the red-faced young man, and added, “And Elliot! I just have not been myself. Please forgive me!”

Elliot looked down and, even through his light hair, his scalp was red. He looked up and his eyes were big and terrified.

“Olivia, please have a seat and tell me about your dream,” Alex said gesturing to a rattan loveseat.

Nodding to Elliot, Olivia took his hand and they sat next to each other as Olivia pressed her ankles together.

“Well,” Olivia started, “you were walking through a labyrinth. Only there was...I think it was more like a...like a maze. There were different ways that you could turn. You were guided by—”

Ava interrupted, “I hope it was Virgil, because we’ve probably burned bridges with the Cumaen Sibyl.” Olivia and Elliot glanced at her accusingly. “I’m just saying,” Ava said as she shrugged in apology.

“Go on, Olivia, please,” Alex urged.

Elliot nodded at her and she gathered her courage again. “Well,” Olivia said in an embarrassed whisper, “actually, I don’t know who the guide was...because he was in a shadow...” Olivia narrowed her eyes for a moment before continuing, “But it felt like there was...I suppose it was like, an angel who was guiding you.”

“Olivia, have you been reading Dante recently?” Alex asked.

She shook her head innocently, and Elliot spoke on her behalf. “I asked her the same question when she told me of her dream. But Olivia has never read or studied Virgil’s
Aenied
nor Dante’s
Divine Comedy
,” Elliot said. “That is why I determined that we should approach you with her dream.”

Lars drew a breath. “Olivia, as an oracle, what visions have you had?”

Her pink mouth turned into a perfect pout as her brows dropped to ponder the question. “What do you mean?”

“Olivia, we all have visions or gifts that focus on a particular area. Have you ever had visions or dreams of Val—Cassandra—or Alex?” Lars pressed.

She looked down and said softly, “I don’t believe so.” Then she turned to Elliot. “I thought perhaps it was only a dream.” She took his hand. “Elliot, we should leave this poor, grieving man to his peace.”

They stood, and Olivia released a light sigh as they walked down the steps and around the surviving hydrangeas. Suddenly she stopped and, without turning to face them, she said, “
I come from there, where I would gladly return—if not for your absence. And now, love has moved me and compels me to speak.”

All eyes turned toward Olivia. “Those were the angel’s words to you.”

Alex’s eyes grew wide.

“Those were the words of Beatrice,” Paolo said in a ghostly whisper.

Olivia’s face was blank. “I do not know a Beatrice.” Alex sat speechless.

Elliot’s face filled with understanding, “Dearest, Beatrice was Dante’s lifelong love from afar. In his
Divine Comedy
, Beatrice, who is in Paradiso, requests that Virgil go to Dante’s aid and escort him through the underworld.”

Olivia’s face was still blank. “Elliot, I have never heard of Dante or Beatrice.”

Elliot smiled joyfully at the girl, as if she had just uttered the most extraordinary words. “My Olivia has no interest in literature or theater,” he informed Lars and Alex.

Paolo narrowed his eyes. “I believe the interpreted line is ‘
I come from there, where I would gladly return.’ Beatrice did not say, ‘
—if not for your absence.’”

Alex’s eyes rimmed with tears. “You’re right Paolo. Beatrice didn’t say that—Val did!” he said as hope again filled his heart. Alex stepped down the stairs to Olivia. “Thank you, Olivia! Thank you!”

She blushed and glanced down at the ground, but seemed to be standing taller—as was Elliot.

Lars stood. “Lexi, I think we should consider a family meeting. And despite your upset with Daphne, she should be present. We need to determine if something can be done.”