Helios Oracles

Chapter 4: Jealousy

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.

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