The Sibyl (6 page)

He shook his head. “You have replaced Ms.
Carter as the Sibyl. I’m afraid you no longer have any say in the
matter.”

“The what? Replace her? ”I mirrored his
movement. “No. That woman attacked me with, well, something. I want
her arrested or thrown out of this conference. Do whatever the hell
it is that security does to people around here.”

“Yes. Replace her.” The stranger ignored my
demands. “Ms. McRayne, Kathy Carter is dead. You initiated her
passing the moment your spell was done.”

“Who are you?” Elliot finally decided to join
our little conversation. “If you’re with security, then it might be
best if you are outside looking for the woman who attacked Eva. If
not, then our time with you is done.”

“Eli, am I still out cold on the floor and
dreaming all this?” I turned to Elliot as if he had the answers. He
was just as confused as I was. It was the stranger who answered
me.

“I’m afraid there is nothing more which can
be done for Ms. Carter. We have much to discuss, Sibyl.” The man
pressed the mirror’s handle into my palm until my fingers closed
around it. “Your life has been changed in more ways than you could
ever imagine I am now assigned to you as your guard.”

“No,” I slapped the heavy mirror against my
leg in frustration at the riddles the man was speaking. “I don’t
need to be guarded because of some woman’s crazy mumbo-jumbo. Did
Connor put you up to this? Is this some sort of promotional stunt?
Because if it is, I remember what was written in my contract. Being
knocked out on a hotel floor was not in there.”

“Connor? Promotional?” The stranger had the
decency to look confused for a moment. “I don’t know what you are
talking about.”

“Wait, how do you know Kathy is dead?” Elliot
interrupted. “She isn’t here, certainly. But I’m sure there is a
perfectly rational explanation as to where she has gone.”

He was interrupted by the loud speakers
overhead and the faint sirens becoming increasingly louder
outside.

“Dearest Patrons, please return to your hotel
rooms. It is due to a most unfortunate accident the rest of today’s
sessions have been cancelled. Thank you for your patience and
please forgive any inconvenience this may cause.”

“Ok.” I drew out the word as Elliot and I
stared at each other. “That was just a coincidence. Wasn’t it?”

I turned around towards the strange man.
“Thank you for your help awhile ago. But I don’t think I’ll need
your services.”

“Come on.” Elliot led us out of the
conference room. “Let’s get you upstairs. I want to take a look at
the knot on your head.”

“I have a knot on my head?” I tried to keep
my voice calm, but thoughts of the handsome man seeing me at less
than my best came to the forefront. “Where?”

“Here.” Elliot stopped just long enough to
brush his hand against the side of my head. His gentle touch
changed into one of panic as he grabbed my shoulders and forced me
to face him. “Eva, oh my god.”

“What?” I pushed at his hands, but Elliot
wouldn’t let me go. Instead, he pulled me over to one of the large
mirrored columns in the lobby. “Eli, you’re really starting to
freak me out.”

“Look. Just look.” He turned me so I was
standing in front of him, facing the mirror. “Your eyes have
changed, Eva.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” I studied my form
in the mirror and gasped when I noticed just what Elliot was
talking about. My boring green eyes had shifted color. They were
now as golden as Kathy Carter’s had been. I only got a second to
see the difference before my reflection became someone else.

Kathy Carter, who had thrust her mirror upon
me not thirty minutes before was standing in front of me. She had
changed just as I had. The woman’s image in the mirror wasn’t the
young and beautiful person who had tricked me. She was old. Her
face was covered in blood. But her strange eyes were the very same.
She was laughing. I could hear her words in my head. I knew without
knowing how that she had thrown herself in front of a taxi.

“You have freed me, child.” She took a step
backward, the crazy grin still lighting her wizened face. “Take
care of my son. I place his very heart in your hands.”

I fell against Elliot so hard he almost
toppled over.

“Hey!” He managed to keep us from hitting the
floor, but I refused to look at the mirror again. I threw myself
into him, burying myself into his shirt. Elliot’s voice softened as
he adjusted his hold to pull me closer. “Eva, it’s ok. Gold is the
new green, right? I’m sure it’s nothing permanent.”

“She’s here.” I was shaking so hard my teeth
were clicking together. “Kathy Carter. I just saw her.”

“Where?” Elliot held me tighter as he tried
to calm me down. “I don’t see anyone.”

“Behind me. In the glass.” I tried to keep my
voice calm, but I couldn’t manage it. “She threw herself into
traffic, Elliot. Tell me you see her too.”

“See what? Evie,” Elliot pulled back just
enough to tug my chin upwards. “Who did you see?”

“Her!” I jerked away from him and pointed at
the column. “The scryer! She’s in there.”

“Ok.” Elliot breathed out the word as long as
he could as he kept his arm in place around my shoulders. “Let’s go
upstairs. You need to lie down. I’ll fix you a drink and you can
sleep this off. ”

“As I said, we have much to discuss.” The
stranger was standing behind us, his arms crossed over his chest.
“What you’ve experienced is only the beginning, Ms. McRayne.”

“Stop saying that!” I glared at him from my
position by Elliot’s shoulder. “There is no beginning.”

“Eva is in no condition to speak with you.”
Elliot snapped as he turned us towards the elevator. “Leave us
alone.”

I had no choice but to follow him. I didn’t
say anything while we made our way through the hotel. I did nothing
but keep my head down as I tried to ignore the others passing us in
the halls talking about the horrible accident out in the street. I
wanted to scream at them though. It wasn’t an accident.

Kathy Carter wanted to die. She wanted to be
free of the shackles binding her to this life.

Shackles she had clamped onto me.

***

I fell into a sleep filled with whispers when
we returned to my room. I don’t remember most of them, but one word
was repeated so many times I couldn’t help but remember it when I
finally woke up.

Cumae.

Elliot was sitting in a chair at the edge of
my bed flipping through the channels as if I were suffering from a
bad hangover instead of a psychotic breakdown. This was my rational
explanation. I’d gone temporarily insane from the stress of moving
across the country. I laid there for a minute, convincing myself
the symptoms had shown up long before I’d arrived in New York. I’m
sure it started back in Athens when I agreed to go out to L.A. with
Elliot in the first place.

My theory had holes in it, though. I kept
seeing the Carter woman’s crazy grin in the back of my mind. I kept
hearing her words echoing through the cobwebs of sleep clouding my
thoughts.

What did she mean, son? Who had she entrusted
into my care? Was it the stranger who had helped me?

I knew one thing for certain. I had to get
these thoughts out of my head before I started acting as crazy as
she had. I mean, come on. Talking to dead people through
mirrors?

I’d be locked away for sure.

“Hey.” I sat up in bed and cleared my throat.
“Any good football games on?”

“No. UGA is on hiatus this week.” Elliot
pressed a button and the screen went dark. “Are you feeling any
better?”

“Yeah.” I started picking at the blanket he’d
draped over me. “I think so. I was having some really weird
dreams.”

“What kind of dreams?” His face was soft in
the dim light. “Nightmares?”

“No.” I frowned, tapping my fingers against
the covers. “They were more annoying than scary. I’m in the dark
and surrounded by whispers. I couldn’t really make out what they
were saying.”

“Eva, maybe we should have a doctor check you
out.” Eli’s face was pale as he fiddled with the remote. “You might
have done some damage when you hit your head.”

“No!” I realized how harsh my voice sounded,
so I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice as I responded. “I
don’t need to see a doctor, Elliot. They aren’t going to tell me
anything other than what I already know.”

“Which is?” Elliot threw down the remote. “A
concussion is serious. It’s possible you have one.”

“I don’t think seeing a dead woman in the
mirror is a symptom WebMD lists for concussions.” I shook my head.
“No, I’m fine. I just got overwhelmed today.”

I reached over and flipped on the lights. I
didn’t know how long I’d been asleep, but the sun was going down. I
could see little streaks of purple and yellow from the gaps in my
curtains. “How long have I been out?”

“About two hours. Not long at all.”

Elliot had turned his attention back to the
blank television. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who was
annoyed. His shoulders were tense and the look on his face became
unreadable. Now it seemed as if it was my turn to ask.

“Ok, Eli. What gives?”

“Cyrus is refusing to leave.” Elliot frowned
as he tossed the remote onto the side table. “He says he is tied to
you now just like the damned mirror is.”

“Who – or what – is a Cyrus?” I matched his
expression as I swung my legs off the edge of the bed. “Don’t tell
me it’s the guy from the scrying session.”

“The very same.” Elliot gestured for me to
stay put and fixed me a glass of water. “Listen, you don’t have to
talk to him if you don’t want to. He could be a stalker.”

“Maybe.” I sipped on the water before I sat
it down on the side table. “Or maybe he knows something about this
crazy Carter woman and what she did.”

“Do you want me to let him in?” Elliot
stuffed his hands in his pockets. “He’s waiting outside the
door.”

I nodded, trying to straighten my messy hair
while Elliot had his back turned to me. He opened the door and
called out into the hallway. “Cyrus. She’s awake.”

Elliot returned to my room as I sat down in
the chair he had vacated. He took his place behind me as the
stranger from the conference room entered.

“Ms. McRayne, I failed to introduce myself
earlier. My name is Cyrus.”

“I’ve heard.” I tilted my head towards
Elliot. “I’ve also heard you refuse to leave.”

“Unfortunately, our fates have been twisted
together. It is not a matter of refusal so much as a matter of
protocol and necessity. I am not allowed to leave.” He stood in
front of me with his hands clasped behind his back. “Tell me, how
are you feeling?”

“Better.” I frowned at him. “This isn’t a
social call, Cyrus. I want you to take the mirror back.”

“I can’t do that, Ms. McRayne.” The stranger
shrugged. “I can only advise you in regards to the powers you now
possess.”

“Powers?” I laughed out loud. I knew it was
rude, but I couldn’t stop myself. “You have got to be kidding
me.”

“No, I am not.” Cyrus glanced over to Elliot
who rewarded him with a snarky smile. “It seems you were correct
after all.”

“Correct about what?” I glared at Eli as if
he were the enemy now instead of Cyrus. “What did you say about
me?”

“Nothing bad.” Elliot’s smile became the
picture of innocence. “I told Mr. Cyrus here you didn’t put much
stock in his…what did you call it? Mumbo-jumbo?”

I narrowed my eyes at Elliot when Cyrus spoke
up from his position. I’d almost forgotten he was still in the
room.

“What do you know of the Sibyls?”

“Absolutely nothing.” I shook my head. “I’m
not really in the mood for a mythology lesson either.”

“So you recognize the name from
mythology?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “I didn’t really pay much
attention in my literature classes, so I don’t know much about
them.”

“A pity you didn’t, Ms. McRayne.” Cyrus took
his phone out of his pocket, pressing the side of it. “All myths
find their foundations in history. You are now part of this
history. It is truly in your best interests to listen to what I
have to say.”

“I’m sorry.” I was trying to be polite, but
the laughter was bubbling up again. “Are you saying I’ve just
become some sort of mythical creature?”

“Kathy Carter was no ordinary woman.” Cyrus
fiddled with his phone for a little longer. When he turned the
screen towards me, there was a picture on it of an old woman
partially under a cab. “This is her after she died.”

I shook my head as Elliot leaned over my
shoulder and pushed the phone away. “No. That’s impossible. She was
so…”

“Young?” Cyrus smiled. “Yes, youth is only
one gift provided by Apollo to his Sibyls. It is the first trait to
fade when they lose their position. Immortality is the second
one.”

“Obviously not.” I frowned, tapping my
fingers against the armrest. “I don’t think immortality worked too
well for her when she decided to play in traffic.”

“Immortality is a gift as well. It fades just
as quickly as youth when the Sibyl is released from her oath.”
Cyrus leaned against the armoire the television was on. “Perhaps I
should start at the beginning.”

“No. I don’t want to hear about this
anymore.” I stood up, taking the mirror from where I’d put it on
the nightstand. “Do a spell. Chant a chant. Just make this go
away.”

“I cannot,” Cyrus stayed put, waving his hand
to dismiss the mirror I was handing him. “The only release is to
pass the mirror onto a willing participant. At which point, you
will cease to exist.”

“But I wasn’t willing!” I stamped my foot
with frustration. “She forced me into this.”

“You accepted the mirror.” Cyrus’s expression
was one of pity. “You spoke the words just as she asked you to. It
was at this point you made your choice.”