The Sibylline Oracle (11 page)

Yes, Valeria thought, the situation did seem slightly inappropriate. But she couldn’t seem to stop her reactions toward Alex. He
was
sitting next to her…and across from Daphne. But then again, there weren’t
that
many seating options. Valeria vowed to work harder to remember that Alex was taken.

“Daphne, I’m sorry! I promise to work harder to make you feel more…comfortable,” was all Valeria could think of to say. However, her words seemed to have the completely opposite effect. Daphne’s pale complexion turned purple as she glared at Alex and stomped off.

The entire table went from light snickers to rolling laughter. Alex’s arm went around Valeria in affection, as he let out an enchanting laugh; it had to be the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. She worked hard to breathe easily. She decided that appreciating his assets was only natural. Though in the back of her mind, she knew that her attention to his assets was only going to make it difficult to be the friend that she obviously was.

Wiping a tear of laughter from her eye, Ava was at last able to speak. She said to Alex and Valeria, “I am so sorry...well, kind of sorry.” She laughed again. “The tension was just getting too thick out here!”

The subtleties of the joke did not escape Valeria. Ava only aimed the question at Valeria to take a dig at Daphne. Leaning her arm on the table and pointing to Valeria, Ava said, “I like this lady! She has chutzpah!”

While Valeria appreciated the compliment, she wasn’t certain what she had said that caused the response.

Lars stretched his arm around Ava and patted her waist. “I’ll tell you what, let’s all reconvene in about three hours.”

Camille piped in, “Don’t worry about picking up.” The comment was unnecessary. Lars and Ava were halfway back to the house.

Glancing at his watch, Alex patted Valeria’s back. “I need to go handle some details with Tavish. Don’t worry about the dishes, it’s Caleb’s chore today.”

Immediately, Camille started stacking dishes and Valeria joined in. After the feast, there was not a single bite of food
remaining. Valeria learned that she loved the grilled zucchini. They carried the dishes to the kitchen and Camille filled both sinks with water, one with soap and the other without. She took out a pair of yellow latex gloves and set them on the side of the sink.

They walked back outside for another load of dishes. Camille placed her hands on her hips as Caleb played his computer game. “I’ll tell you what, Caleb. I’ll dry and put away if you come in right now.”

His smile was mischievous. “I wondered if you’d ever offer!” He set down his game. “So, what was all of that with Daph?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Camille responded, “Oh, you know Daph! Ava was playing with her temper.” Camille stacked the remainder of the dishes, and Valeria grabbed the linens. “But if you don’t want them to get your goat, don’t tell them where it’s tied!”

After Caleb and Camille had finished the dishes, he asked Valeria if she played badminton. She decided she would go change and attempt to join in on the fun. She found herself nearly running through the woods, excited for the game and enjoying the air and her new friendships.

Approaching the cottage, she found her mood was now one of near joy. Seeing the beautiful gingko tree, Valeria hoped she would have the opportunity to sit under it and read…perhaps,
Walden
.

She changed into a T-shirt and sweats and then surveyed Alex’s bookcase. She brushed her hand over the copy of
Sense and Sensibility
and then pulled out
Walden
, hoping she wasn’t overstepping the bounds of their friendship.

Returning to the main house, Valeria noticed that Caleb had already set the net up. She decided she would sit and watch Caleb and Camille first, to get the idea of the game. It seemed
simple enough, she decided. She opened Alex’s leather bound copy of
Walden
and noticed a beautiful hand-written script on the inside cover. It read,
However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names.

The sky became a deeper shade of fall blue as Valeria relaxed on the lounge and watched Caleb and Camille bat the birdie back and forth. They laughed often, especially when Caleb won. He would let out a joyful whoop and holler that made Valeria smile. She found that she wore the hint of a smile for the rest of the hour.

She noticed a shadow across her book and glanced up to see Alex in front of her. “Ah!
Walden
. Are you enjoying it?”

“Very much!” She grinned. “While I’m not certain I agree with Thoreau completely, the reading is soothing.”

Alex nodded. “My feelings exactly.
Walden
is an old friend that I have turned to during times of great hardship. It soothes me.” He sat on the edge of her lounge chair. “I hope you don’t feel as if I’ve deserted you.”

“No,” Valeria responded too quickly, while wishing for more time with him. “I’m enjoying my time here.”

“Lars, Tavish, and I are going to be tied up most of the evening, I’m sorry to say. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Disappointed, Valeria forced a smile on her face. “Of course.”

“But don’t think for a minute that I’m leaving you alone!” Daphne must have won out and now he felt he needed to avoid her. Obviously, they weren’t going to try to shove her into Tavish’s arms right away.

“I haven’t needed a babysitter for some time,” Valeria said. Her intention was stern but her voice was light. Somehow, talking to Alex did that to her.

He patted her leg affectionately. “Just the same…” Alex rose. “Lars wants to reconvene here in about an hour and a half. So, if you are going to take on Caleb, you had better do it now!”

With that, Alex returned into the house, taking a piece of the world’s brightness with him. Valeria jumped up from the lounger and grabbed the extra racquet, making it Camille and Valeria against Caleb, who was winning by a wide margin.

Valeria was glad for the opportunity to relax while playing badminton with Caleb and Camille. The three of them had laughed when, on several occasions, Camille and Valeria just barely missed hitting each other. Still for once she felt as though she were actually a part of a group—like the families and friends she saw in the park.

Camille tapped her on the shoulder. “Lars wants to start back up in about forty-five minutes. But the weather’s so nice; I suspect we’ll stay outside.”

Sweaty from playing badminton, she wanted to shower before she saw Alex again so she hurried back to the cottage. It was early evening and she found it almost magical to stroll along the wooded path now aglow with trail lights.

Back at Alex’s cottage, she showered and took the time to dry her hair. She actually touched it up with a curling iron and put on a tad more make-up than she had that morning. Valeria looked at her options and chose her white and coral, cotton peasant dress. She slipped on her white flats and headed back up the path, grateful to be going without the prerequisite panty hose that David required.

When Valeria returned, Alex greeted her with a smile that made her glad she had taken the extra time to fix her hair and select just the right dress. If she permitted herself to be honest, she knew she was overly excited to see him again.

“Tavish says we only have a few more days warm enough to sit outside. So, we decided to enjoy it,” Alex reported, as he guided her to the blazing outdoor fireplace.

The rest of the family, including Daphne, sat waiting for her. Daphne appeared to be under control.

Almost looking at Valeria, Daphne said, “I hear I owe you an apology for my…” she huffed, shooting the evil eye at Alex, “tenue. I hope you will excuse…what you may have perceived as poor behavior.”

Valeria had no idea what tenue meant, but she got the gist of the apology. Although, she felt some sympathy for Daphne.
If Alex were my lover
…Instantly, she regretted that thought when the blood rushed to her face, followed by the most extraordinary sensation of heat coursing through her entire body. She reminded herself that the relevance of the previous thought was that
Alex belonged to someone else
. She carefully structured her thoughts, knowing that if she were in Daphne’s shoes, she was not certain she could conduct herself so well, either.

“No problem,” Valeria said to Daphne, offering a reprieve to the tension between the two of them.

Lars and Ava arrived, again walking hand in hand. Valeria shivered as the evening’s cool air began to settle in. Alex ushered her to a seat near the fire and said, “Do you want me to get you a sweater?”

Camille offered, “I’ll get her a jacket.” Alex followed Camille inside for a moment.

To Valeria’s disappointment, Tavish sat next to her, his eyebrow raised in evaluation. With no one else talking, Tavish squirmed and then looked at her.

“Ya a duffer?” he asked Valeria with his broad smile-sneer.

“I...uh...” Valeria thought, Oh, God, the set-up has begun. Tavish is making his move. “I'm sorry...what?”

Alex returned, wrapping a jacket around Valeria. His fingers brushed her shoulder causing a wonderful quiver inside.
Why did his touch affect her so much?

“Tavish is asking if you golf. Tav, she just might be a very good golfer.” Alex cocked his head to the side in a challenge.

Tavish tucked his head in extreme doubt. “Fo a gull?” he said. “Cudna be.” He huffed an arrogant laugh. Valeria had no idea what he said.

“What about Babe Zaharias?” Alex’s face lifted in amusement.

Tavish waved his arm in dismissal. “The lass carried luck.”

Alex laughed. “Forty-one pro-tour wins and she survived the thirty-six-hole cut in three out of four PGA tours against men.” Alex winked at Valeria. “Tav is an avid golfer.”

“Well, Tavish...I don't think I even qualify as a...what did you call it? A duffer?” Valeria admitted.

This seemed to upset Tavish. “
A bloody hacker?
I'll be damned!”

Valeria understood that phrase; she had heard David’s associates insulting each other with the phrase “hackers.” It was during her first time on a golf course; out of boredom, she had begun walking the edge of the fairway. David and the course management seemed terribly upset by her actions, and they’d suggested to David that Valeria should not return. David, of course, took it all very seriously. Valeria thought it pretty funny.

Seeing that this might be just the angle she needed to get out of Tavish’s possible interest, Valeria added, “Yes! And it’s been recommended that I give it up permanently.”

Alex broke into his beautiful, rollicking laugh that made her smile as Lars called the group together.

“Where were we?” Lars asked.

“We were talking about Cassandra’s symbolon,” Alex said, his eyes meeting hers with a luminous intensity that caused her heart to stir.

Lars sighed happily, overly relaxed. “Go ahead, Lexi.”

Alex sat on the small table in front of Valeria that doubled as a stool. The glow of the fire shimmered over Alex and gave her heart a pleasantly painful little lurch.
Get a grip!

“Apollo knew that Cassandra’s symbolon would come for her and if she were already married, it would lead to tragedy. If Aegemon was able to keep Cassandra from marrying, by a secret agreement with the king, eventually Cassandra would find her way to her symbolon. So, Cassandra was pronounced a virgin priestess.” Alex lifted an eyebrow. “Disappointing more than one perspective suitor, I might add!” He leaned forward. “Incidentally, Cassandra, as far as I have researched, was the original virgin priestess.”

“Really?”

“Val, earlier you asked if all oracles were immortal. Lars is going to expound on that subject. Are you familiar with the term ‘Achilles’ heel’?”

“A weakness?” Valeria noticed the expression on Alex’s face. Evidently, this was the discussion that Alex had objected to.

Lars stood. “So, the story goes that Achilles’ mother gained access to the River Styx when he was an infant. The River Styx is the river that runs into the underworld and carries the dead to their proper location.

“She held the baby Achilles by his heel and dipped him into the river, making him immortal—everywhere except his heel. And, of course, an arrow to his heel was how he was killed during the Trojan War.”

Valeria shrugged, wondering what this had to do with anything. “Okay...”

Lars continued, “I don’t really know if that story is factual or not. But it applies to us. As oracles we are immortal. However, we can still die. Our first death is called our ‘Prima Mortis.’ The way in which we die in our Prima Mortis is our Achilles’ heel. If we die that way again, we die like mortal humans. At least, that’s what appears to be true.”

Lowering her brows, Valeria said, “I’ve noticed that your age differences are not the same as they are in the vision. In the vision, Alex was about ten years older than you Lars, but now you seem close to the same age.”

Valeria did her best to ignore Alex so that she could concentrate. “So, you must stop aging when you have your first death. Your…what did you call it? Prima Mortis?”

“Yes.” Lars turned toward Alex. “Alex we agreed. It’s time she heard it.”

With a sigh, Alex nodded and Lars continued, “When Apollo left—we refer to it as when he faded as he is immortal and certainly alive on some other plane. In any case, Aegemon went after the oracles. As we said earlier, we didn’t know the rules of our immortality and I don’t believe Aegemon did either. He captured those of us he could and after years of hard labor, he took us out to sea and had our hands and feet bound and then tossed us into the sea.”

“Most of you were drowned?” Valeria shook off a chill.

Lars nodded. “I was able to evade Aegemon’s troops until I was thirty.”

“Camille, you said that Ava is searching for your husband. What does that involve?” Valeria asked.

With her face steeled, Camille said, “In the sea, there are several possible outcomes, primarily hypothermia and drowning. There’s a strong chance that Jonah didn't die. At least, that’s what we’re hoping.

“Ava didn’t drown initially, so she can search the sea. The rest of us mostly stay clear of the water.”

“Alex...” Valeria could see that this was a difficult discussion for him. “Did Aegemon drown you?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Alex responded, keeping his face down.

Lars spoke up, “Well, that’s probably enough information for tonight.”

Camille grabbed Valeria’s arm. “Come on! We’re having a girls’ night!” Ava and Camille escorted Valeria a few steps before she glanced back to look at Alex, who was in a deep discussion with Lars and Tavish.

Walking the lit trail to the cottage, Valeria had a touch of excitement. She would have loved to have spent more time with Alex, and she felt awful keeping Ava from her time with Lars. But Camille had convinced Valeria that Ava did whatever she wanted to do. Plus, Camille was quite certain that when Lars and Alex finished their discussion, probably in the wee hours of the morning, Ava would sneak off.

Camille added, “Don’t worry; the others will be keeping an eye on us!”

Valeria still wondered what was up with that. But frankly, she had never had a real girls’ night with women her age…and as far as Valeria was concerned, these were two very extraordinary women!