Empowered: The Oracle Chronicles, #3

Love Snacks Publishing, LLC

Empowered: The Oracle Chronicles © 2019 Shaquana M. Boyce

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First Edition

ISBN: 978-0-9980436-9-2

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CHAPTER 1

Willow

"A NCESTORS, WE ASK that you will welcome Mathilda with open arms and watch over her." Alistair’s voice shook and tears fell from his bloodshot eyes.

Mathilda’s burial was a somber affair. Everyone’s emotions were still raw, open wounds and jagged edges. When Alistair, Mathilda’s father, invoked the ancestors to watch over her, Zoriana sobbed loudly. Anxious seconds had ticked by with Willow afraid that Zoriana would hurl herself on her daughter’s casket and demand to be buried alive with her. A few times, glimpses of Zoriana’s white hot anger poked through the heavy cloak of her consuming grief, and Willow nearly felt sorry for Morgana. Whatever hell Zoriana had planned for her would be unimaginable.

Again, Willow thought how cruel it was that a parent should have to bury a child. It had been hard at nine years-old to watch her mother be lowered six feet into the earth, but she couldn’t imagine the heartache, agony and rage that could be borne of having to bury a part of yourself, a child that had grown in your womb and gathered life and sustenance from your body for nine months. A shiver ran up her spine at the thought and she wrapped her arms around her body. Eli draped his arm across her shoulders, and she leaned into him.

After the ceremony he teleported them to the Walker house. As they walked to his rooms, she saw the hint of a purplish discoloration that marked his neck peeking out above his collar. Earlier, when he dressed for the funeral after the daily sparring match with Phaedra, she’d seen the fresh bruises he sported. If he wanted to he could choose to heal them or make them disappear, but she knew he wore the blue-black bruises as penance for not being there to save Mathilda.

They entered his apartment in silence. He was already tugging off his tie as he walked towards the bedroom. She lingered in the living room. The fact that she had yet to share with everyone her disturbing conversation with Morgana before everything happened weighed on her. Making the decision that she could no longer wait, she entered the bedroom.

Eli looked up at her as his nimble fingers unbuttoned his shirt.

We need to talk.

He looked at her with his eyes full of questions.

What I mean is that I need to talk to all of you. There are things that Morgana told me in the tomb that I haven’t shared.

He opened up his mouth to say something, and she hurried along in her explanation.

Before you ask, I haven’t said anything before now because it didn’t seem like the right time... everyone was grieving... everyone is still grieving, but I can’t wait any longer. Her fingers twisted themselves in knots as she looked at him.

His mouth was set in a grim line as he continued to change his clothes, moving from his funeral attire to jeans and a t-shirt. I’ll gather everyone. He slipped his shirt over his head. The sooner we know everything, the quicker we can act.

A rush of relief flooded her. She hadn’t realized how tired she was of carrying all of that around. Maybe she’d been tired of carrying everything around alone?

You know where to find us? He kissed her forehead and left the room.

All she could do was nod as anxiety assailed her over how the others would handle the information.

After Eli left to round up the others, she stripped off her dress and put on

jeans and a tank top. Unconsciously, her fingers found their way to the snake pendant that dangled from her necklace. She rubbed the silver piece of jewelry and briefly thought of her mother. The day after Mathilda was killed she’d finished reading all of her mother’s letters, wanting to see if there was anything contained in the letters that might have been useful in preventing her or Ulrik’s death. It was a relief and a burden not to have found anything within the letters.   Twenty minutes later, she walked into the room that had come to be known as their training room. Phaedra and Eli stood, and Max sat in a chair. It felt weird to walk into the room and not see the whole group. She shut the door behind her, not bothering to offer a smile like she normally would have. They’d grown quiet the minute she entered the room. It felt like an endless journey as she crossed the room and approached them, their eyes watching her every step.

Elias said you wanted to share some things about Morgana. Phaedra jumped right into it.

She couldn’t blame her, but she took a moment to check on Max. How are you feeling?

He gave her one of his signature Max smiles. I’m good. All the silver is finally out of my system. The good news about his health uplifted her spirit.

Her attention went back to Phaedra. Yes, I do... Morgana said some things before... She trailed off. The silence in the room was heavy with her unsaid words. She cleared her throat and continued on. Morgana said some troubling things... some things were regarding Mathilda.

What did that venomous bitch have to say about Mathilda?

Everyone’s heads whipped around to find Zoriana standing in the doorway. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, but she looked like a warrior, ready to fight.

Zoriana... we hadn’t expected you to... Eli started, before she cut him off.

To what? She looked at each of them. I’m still part of The Protectors right? A meeting was called, and I’m here. I want to hear what that piece of trash had to say about my daughter. Her chest rose and fell in agitation, and the fierce, rigid stance she erected belied the well of grief Willow knew was right below the surface. The only thing that gave her away, were the tears that glistened in her eyes. Go on Willow, what were you saying?

There was a long pause before Willow shook herself from her stupor and continued on. Morgana mentioned how after Mathilda’s big blow up with you... that we all overheard... Willow’s eyes darted over to Zoriana for a brief second to gauge her reaction. When she saw the hard scowl she wore she dropped her gaze and kept talking. When Mathilda fled into the woods that day, she stumbled on Morgana talking to Killian. She couldn’t let her get back to camp and tell us what she saw so she used a spell to put Mathilda to sleep. She’d resumed looking at each of them during different parts of her story, with the exception of Zoriana. The others grew upset over what she revealed.

How was she able to speak to Killian without him figuring out where we were or using another witch to figure it out? Phaedra asked the practical question.

She said she’d devised a way. I assumed it was some sort of spell. I didn’t ask her to elaborate. It was hard keeping the irritation at the question out of her tone. Her frustration wasn’t with Phaedra. It was more so directed at herself. Morgana had been forthcoming with so many answers that night. Why hadn’t she thought to ask that question? When she was sure no one else was about to lob another question at her, she picked up where she left off. She said she gave Mathilda a forget potion.

The minute she said that Eli, Phaedra and Zoriana verbally and mentally began to chastise themselves.

How did I not see it? Zoriana said out loud, but to no one in particular. She looked off and appeared to be thinking about the different moments when she should have caught onto something being wrong.

Don’t beat yourself up. She had us all fooled. Willow tried to offer. It was easier to say than to do. They’d all been playing this ‘what if’ game since everything had happened. What if I’d realized sooner? What if I’d just come into the tomb earlier? What if I’d seen Morgana for who she really is?

She more than anyone had been feeling that there was more she could have done. She’d been right there in the cave when it happened.

Dosing her with the forget potion allowed her to keep Mathilda from remembering.

The forget potion explains a piece of that, but not why Mathilda stayed angry so long. Phaedra theorized once again.

Morgana brewed another potion that would keep her angry at you. This time she looked directly at Zoriana when she spoke. She knew if she kept the feud going and Mathilda stayed upset with you...

A tear fell down Zoriana’s cheek before she finished Willow’s sentence, ... she’d never forgive me or want to confide in me.

Plus, it would allow her to stay close and keep tabs, in case any of the potions ever seemed like they were wearing off. It was agonizing watching Zoriana have the revelation that her daughter was kept from reconciling with her by a person she’d trusted and loved.

She said Ulrik recognized the effects of the potion the day at the apartment in Egypt. It was one of the reason’s she killed him. Besides the fact that Killian wanted him dead for a while.

Another wave of sadness engulfed them as they thought about their fallen friend. Even though they’d known him only for a short while, he’d proven to be a true ally, despite being a vampire. Willow thought of her goodbye to Anippe before they finally left Egypt. The young woman was bereft over his loss.

There’s more. She originally tried to kill Ulrik the day we fought Katana and her pack of vampires at the ruins.

"That explains the weird look on his face when he covered for her. He was probably trying to figure out if it was in his head,