Kristen Day - Chosen

“You know as well as I do that a certain level of evil is not tolerated. Your mother’s decision will be overridden by the-“

“Shut up!” she yelled and slapped me across the face. It stung, but I hid it beneath a purposefully smug smile -- which only made her vexation spill over. “Enough of this! You are no more than a means to an end. You will never be Prime. You will never see your tramp or your family again. You are nothing .” With that, she uncapped the syringe and drove it into my forearm; right through the eye of the skull. My thoughts turned to Stasia as my world filled with pain and faded into darkness.

The next time I awoke, it was to hushed voices and the clicking of heels on the stone floor. It was much darker, but I could still make out two figures standing on the other side of the cavern.

Reaching out with what essence I had left, I knew that one of the figures was Nadia. The refreshing smell of sea oats told me she was of the sea, but the cold, slimy fingers of her essence proved that it had been tainted by corruption long ago.

“We only have a matter of days,” the unknown woman said. “The moon must be at its highest when the transfer takes place. We have no room for mistakes.”

“I’ll hold up my end of the bargain, but how do I know you’ll do the same?” countered Nadia’s self-righteous voice.

“Whether you hold up your end of the bargain has yet to be seen,” the other woman countered. The velvety tone of her voice was hauntingly familiar. “Although you repeatedly fail to remember what’s at stake, I do realize you have your own agenda, of which I can respect. However, the binding agreement you stepped into will be complete on my word. No sooner and no later.”

I slowly attempted to pull myself up into more of a sitting position. Unfortunately the slight movement reverberated off of the cavern walls, and both women spun in my direction. I saw Nadia cross her arms as a hint of a smug smile lit up her face. The other woman walked towards me and the stifling chill that surrounded her hit me with immense force. She wore a long dress that trailed behind her and shifted as she moved. Her face was cast into shadow by the waning light above the river. As she came closer, I was just able to make out long black hair amidst more strands of green. The glittering scales that framed her face sharpened in my line of sight as she kneeled down. Her feline emerald eyes sparkled; reflecting the darkness within. I gave her my best smirk.

“We meet again, Keto.”

“I really feel like we’re trespassing,” Phoebe wiped at the foggy window with her hand and peered outside. “Everything’s so dark and quiet.” The city of Paphos lay completely silent on either side of the road as we cruised down one of the main thoroughfares on our way to Eventide. The numerous shops and restaurants that lined the street had long been closed, and the cloak of night had successfully draped its influence across the landscape.

“I guess three AM isn’t exactly rush hour,” I yawned. After safely landing at Paphos International Airport, we had climbed into the back of a black Escalade driven by a tall, nameless, and seemingly mute young man. He didn’t so much as utter a word as he loaded our luggage, but offered the slightest of smiles to each of us. He let out a surprised gasp when Carmen wrapped a hand around his arm without provocation, but appeared to collect himself rather easily. She sent him a tilted smile lined with madness and thankfully let go voluntarily. Phoebe had apologized while Willow yanked Carmen inside the Escalade; both receiving menacing looks from her.

“The House of Eventide is about the same size as Lorelei, but we will be staying in the visitor’s quarters. I’d like for you girls,” I noticed she focused her intense gaze mostly on me, “to get as much rest as time will allow. Breakfast will be at 9:00am.”

If I actually slept for the duration of those six hours, I’d be more successful than I had been all week. Somehow I didn’t think that being on the other side of the Earth would help ease my anxiety about Finn, or my impending meeting with the Nereids. A painful twist in the bottom of my stomach churned up an urgency that was getting harder to ignore. I had the disturbing feeling that we were running out of time.

The Escalade shifted as we all leaned to the left in an effort to see the passing marina bulging with sailboats, fishing charters, and personal craft. Other than its impressive size, it looked very similar to Bald Head Island’s marina with its wooden boardwalks, jetties and pylons.

“Oh. My. God. Is that a castle?!” Willow climbed over Phoebe to get a better view, “Please tell me that’s a real life castle!”

“Yes, dear that’s a ‘real life’ castle.” Natasha chuckled at Willow’s excitement, “It’s the Castle of Paphos, built in the twelfth century.”

“Uh, Willow?” Phoebe’s voice came out strained, “My ribs, built in 1995, are breaking.”

“Oh! I’m sorry!” Willow jumped off of her, still giggly with joy, “Good thing I’ve got these for backup.” She waved her fingers in the air, referring to her healing ability.

“I think we’re here…” I informed them as we entered a rustic looking gate with two large, majestic columns adorning either side. Letters had been carved in each that read in elaborate script: House of Eventide . I felt as if I were entering an ancient temple or mausoleum, and was reminded of images I had seen of ancient Greece.

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind, than we passed what appeared to be stone ruins on our left; sending everyone to that side of the car, consequently crushing Natasha. Carmen looked on with obvious boredom and contempt.

“Wow! What’s that?” Willow pointed out into the darkness at another pile of ruins.

“That’s the ancient Spiti of Theseus,” Natasha managed after we peeled ourselves off of her.

“Ew.” Phoebe shot her an odd look. “The Spit of Theseus?”

“Spiti.” Willow pronounced for Natasha, proud of herself for knowing a Greek word. “Spiti is another word for house.”

“Ohh! There’s something else!” Phoebe squealed, “It’s like we’re in Greece…except…not.”

“Take your seats girls; we’re almost to our destination.” The Escalade rounded a sharp corner and began to travel north. The dark, vast Mediterranean Sea spread out to our left, while sovereign white limestone buildings lay across every inch of real estate to our right. The old world Tuscan architecture produced arched windows, intricate cornices, and elegant terraces. By the shape and size, I assumed most were lecture halls, while the taller buildings were more than likely dorms.

We continued down the same road until taking another right and coming to a stop in front of a row of otherwise modern looking villas. My heart stuttered as I remembered that Finn’s body was currently lying inside, still and soulless. As the closemouthed driver unloaded our luggage, the constant howl of the sea breeze ruffled our clothes and hair. I watched the festive palm trees that lined the street succumb to the wind’s power, and felt a familiar humidity in the air that was almost tangible. November weather in Cyprus was more like late September weather back in North Carolina.

The night sky showed no signs of clouds as I regarded the moon and hesitated, as a foreboding awareness settled over me. A hazy sheen glowed around its edges, creating a haunting circle of light that whispered into the depths of my soul.

“A single ring around the moon warns of rough seas ahead.” I suffered a mini heart attack as Charon materialized next to me. His physical presence was quickly followed by the warmth of his strong, yet gentle darkness. He set down Natasha’s bags as he spoke. “It’s a pleasure to be in your company once again, Anastasia.”