“You cheating bastard!” Olympia growled at David. “Your word holds no honor.” She wobbled on her high heels as she stood up, pulling down the hem of her red spandex dress. “And you…” she looked at me “…you’re a sorry little bitch.”
“Excuse me,” I waved my finger at her, “but I’m not the one dressed like a two-cent hooker.”
“Why don’t you come closer and repeat that?” she seethed.
I took a step forward, and Alezzander intercepted me. David grabbed me by the arm and held on tight.
“Stop it,” David said.
“She started it,” I argued.
“Me?” Olympia gasped. “You broke up my engagement, you filthy whore.”
“Wait, wait,” I said. “Haven’t we established who’s the one doing all the whoring around here? Hint: you!”
“Aahh!” Olympia came raging at me.
“That’s enough!” Alezzander said, holding Olympia back. “Both of you! Enough.”
“I apologize for what’s transpired tonight,” Nyx said to Olympia. “But I’m going to have to ask you to leave. And although not honorable, David has made his choice.”
“But I was his first choice,” Olympia whimpered. “Me!”
“Olympia, please… Listen to yourself.” Nyx touched her shoulder. “Where’s your dignity? Walk away with what pride you have left and be done with this spectacle.”
Olympia stilled, her eyes sparkling with moisture.
“Fine,” Olympia said. “Fine.” She twisted her arm out from under Alezzander’s hold. Her nostrils flared as she looked around the room at all of us. “But I won’t forget this.”
Alezzander handed her one of the suitcases he’d walked in with. Olympia held David’s stare as she transformed into a cloud of golden glitter and vanished.
“At last,” Nyx sighed. “Thank the heavens she’s gone.”
“A fine mess you’ve made of things,” Alezzander said to David. “Why didn’t you tell me Isis would be here? I wouldn’t have brought Olympia.”
“How was I supposed to know she was coming?” David said. “Besides, I told you I had to speak to you, and I told you it was important, didn’t I?”
“And this was it? You called us here to tell us you were calling off the engagement because you’ve reconciled with Isis?” Alezzander asked. “You could’ve saved me the trip by telling me over the damned phone.”
“It’s not all I have to tell you. We…” David paused. “Father, Mother,” he took my hand, “as per the Laws of Caelum, I present to you my wife.”
Alezzander blinked at us.
“Don’t stop there. Go on,” Nyx pressed. “Tell him the rest.”
“There’s more?” Alezzander asked, and David nodded.
“Meum fructum gerit,” David said in Latin.
“What did you just say?” Alezzander asked, knitting his brow.
“She carries my fruit.” David squeezed my hand. “Isis is pregnant, Father.”
CHAPTER 13
I expected Alezzander to throw a fit. I expected him to break things. Whatever reaction was about to rise out, I expected it all—earth-shattering fury, sharp words that would cut deep into my skin. He raised his arms, and I winced, readying myself for the eruption of screams.
Nothing?
Alezzander rubbed his face with both hands. He walked to the staircase and clasped the banister like he needed its support to continue standing. He stood there. No reaction.
David and I exchanged confused glances.
“Could it be?” Alexander said. “Could it really be possible? There’ve been rumors floating amongst the members of the Council, lately, but…” Alezzander looked at his hands on the rail. “The signs were there. I didn’t want to believe it.” His brow tightened. “But it’s a children’s story.” He turned to look at David and me. “A fairy tale passed down through generations. Unless…”
“Unless it’s what we were made to believe—that it was a mere story,” Nyx said. “And it could very well be the reason the goddess Starr protected us all.”
“Clue me in. What are they talking about?” I asked David.
“I’m not sure,” David said.
“Do you remember when you were a child, the story I would tell you every night?” Nyx asked David.
“Yes. The Story of Carbō Spei and the Unknown Prince.”
“What if I told you it wasn’t a story?” Nyx said. “What if I told you it was the future? Your future.”
“Impossible.” David’s face wrinkled. “That would make me the Unknown Prince and Isis—”
“Carbō Spei,” Nyx said.
“What’s a Carbō Spei?” I asked. “Is it a Creatura?”
“No. It means the Marker of Hope,” David said.
I shivered. It was the third time I’d heard those exact words used to describe me. Deus had told me the answers would be given to me in time, and the time was now. What was my purpose for being like this?
“What happens in the story?” I asked. “What’s the Marker of Hope supposed to do?”
“The story goes like this…” Nyx took a seat on the steps of the staircase.
“In this world created countless years ago, mankind derailed from the path of brotherhood. So much was man’s segregation from one another that wars scattered in different corners of the Earth. Man was no more the gentle creature who valued the soil of his world, the blood of his kin, or the faith of his gods. The widespread growth of this new thinking brought suffering, famine, and illness. But man was ignorant of the fact it was the greed for power and the hatred greed brought with it that was to blame for the poor state of the world. This thinking and the actions of man needed to be corrected; or else mankind would one day cease to exist.”
Nyx smiled at the floor. “This is the part where David would say, ‘I’m scared, Mother,’ and then I would wrap him up in my arms and tell him there was nothing to fear.”
“And you told me the same lie every time.” David crossed his arms.
“You’re both making me nervous,” I said.
“Keep going,” Alezzander told Nyx. “Finish the story.”
“Stop interrupting,” Nyx told David. “Continuing… In a humble village off the coast of the Sea of Atlas,” Nyx continued, “a young mother gave birth to an unlikely hero—the one who would come to be known as the Marker of Hope.
“This child—a girl—didn’t know she had the power to save the world. She didn’t even know she was extraordinary. But once she came of age and met her true love, her truth was revealed.”
“The Unknown Prince?” I asked, and Nyx nodded. “What was her truth?”
Nyx resumed the story. “The Marker of Hope and the Unknown Prince would marry and bear a child who would be the first born of a generation of leaders and peacemakers to change the world for the better. These changes included the end to all wars and the spiritual, intellectual, and physical evolution of man—the new humankind would be, as the word suggests, kind to one other. But before the Marker of Hope and her love could find peace in each other’s arms, they would have to battle the forces of darkness that threatened to rip their child from her womb. If this were to happen, it would prevent the prophecy from unfolding and humanity’s inevitable extinction.”
“No.” I touched my stomach. “It has to be a coincidence. You don’t even have a name for the girl.”
“Her name was Eva,” David said.
“That’s my grandmother’s name, not mine,” I told them. “You’re wrong. It’s not me.”
“There’s more,” David said, taking my hands. “In the story, Eva’s mother’s name is Clarana.”
“And?”
“What’s your mother’s full name?”
“Claire Ann Mar… Oh.” I breathed. “Okay, so it sounds similar. But it doesn’t mean anything.”
“Can’t you see?” David gave my hands a squeeze. “There are too many parallels in Eva’s story and your life.”
“This is ridiculous.” I pul
led away from David’s grasp. “I am not her.”
“Has your name always been ‘Isis’?” Nyx asked.
“What kind of question is that? Of course. Since I was born.”
“Let’s find out.” Nyx pulled her cell phone out of her purse and tapped the screen. She placed the phone on her ear. “How are you, Claire? Yes, she’s still here,” Nyx said, glancing at me. “Oh, yes, we were upset and very surprised, but these things happen, and all we can do is try to be good and understanding parents.” A pause. “Oh, I know. I know.” Another pause. “Well, we’ll have to get together soon to talk about it, but in the meantime, I was calling because I have a question for you. You see, we were discussing baby names and…” Nyx laughed. She sure was good at faking it. “Yes, I know it’s too soon for it, and I know it’s a strange question to ask. But I was telling Isis that I changed my mind about David’s name about a hundred times before I chose one, and I assured her it’s very common. So we were wondering what other names, if any, you’d chosen for Isis before she was born. You know, just out of curiosity and for the sake of conversation.” She knit her brow. “Really? Uh… Just a second.” She touched the phone’s screen. “Could you repeat that?”
“I was saying,” Claire’s voice came from the phone’s speaker, “that I called Isis ‘Eva’ all through the pregnancy, because it’s what Hector wanted to name her.” I felt my knees buckle, and David steadied me. Claire continued to chatter away. “But a day before she was born, I was reading a book and the main character’s name was Isis. I fell in love with the name, so I called her Isis instead. My mother-in-law was disappointed I didn’t name her Eva after her.”
“That’s what I thought,” Nyx said.
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Go on.”
“So listen,” Claire said, “I think we need to sit these two kids down and discuss their plans for their future because—”
“Claire,” Nyx interrupted, “I’ll have to get back to you, dear. I hear Alezzander calling me.”
“Oh, okay,” Claire said. “I’ll talk to you later, then?”
“Yes, absolutely. Bye for now,” Nyx said and ended the call.
The room was silent as I focused on the floor. The similarities of the life of the girl in Nyx’s story to my life were too great to be coincidence.
“Nyx.” I looked at her. “Did you know this all along? Is it the reason you kept in contact with my mom?”
“I knew some of it. I hadn’t pieced it together until David started acting irrationally and went in search of Eros in Paris.” She put her phone back in her purse. “And…” She hesitated. “The Runes told me this would happen.”
“The Runes?” Alezzander asked. Nyx nodded. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“Like you, I didn’t want to believe it.” Nyx stood from the stairs and paced. “When I met you, Alezzander, I had visions—visions that terrified me. So much, in fact, I denied myself use of my clairvoyant abilities. Do you remember who I lived with then?”
Alezzander nodded. “Your uncles.”
“Uno and Enoch are Runes. They were my mentors, not my uncles. I lied to you because you already had a seat with the Council, and I was afraid if anyone found out, they’d use me at their convenience, like my mother had used me to gamble, kill…cheat. I’d seen that scenario play out in my visions so many times.”
“You have visions?” I asked. “You mean like Galilea has visions?”
“I was a Rune, like Galilea. Once I left Uno and Enoch, I refused the title. I haven’t used my foresight in a long time.” She turned to Alezzander. “I’m sorry I kept this from you.”
Alezzander stared at her. I couldn’t understand his calmness. Normally, he’d be spitting out fire in a situation like this.
“I’ve kept things from you, as well,” he said. “Uno told me about your foresight and about your past on the day we wed. He told me he and Enoch were Runes—The Runes. I promised to keep their identities secret. But this…” He motioned to David and me. “He never breathed a word of this.”
“Since we’re all being honest,” I said, “it’s not the first time I’ve been called the Marker of Hope.” Three sets of eyes questioned me in silence. “Deus and Uno called me by the name too.”
“Deus?” Alezzander’s eyes widened.
“Uno?” Nyx gaped at me.
“You didn’t tell me any of this,” David said.
“I know.” I gave him an apologetic look. “I was going to, but then everything happened at once—the demons, Claire, your parents—and we haven’t really had a chance to recap everything.”
“Demons?” Nyx asked. “What’s been going on here?”
“Where…when did you see Deus?” Alezzander asked, stepping closer to me.
“And when did you speak to Uno?” Nyx pushed her husband aside. “Did Galilea have something to do with this?”
“I’ll answer all of your questions, but before I do, answer something for me,” I said. “How does it end—the story?”
Alezzander rubbed his forehead and eyed Nyx. I turned to David for an answer.
“Come,” David said, taking my hand. He led me to the study. “I think you should sit down.”
CHAPTER 14
People didn’t often tell other people to sit down if what they were about to hear was good news. As a matter of fact, most times what followed was the worst news imaginable. I knew this firsthand because when my dad, Hector, died, my mom told me the same thing: sit down.
So I did. I sat on one of the chairs in the study. David placed his hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at him.
“How bad?” I asked.
“Just listen,” he said.
Nyx took the chair next to me, while Alezzander lingered at the door.
“This story isn’t like the stories you’ve heard before,” Nyx said. “The ending was never the same.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” I said.
“The ending was left up to the child hearing it to tell.”
“That makes no sense,” I said. “What kind of story is that?”
“I often wondered the same thing.” Alezzander walked into the room with his hands behind his back. “I thought it was meant to be a way to spark a child’s imagination and to make him or her feel like an important contributor to the victory—or demise—of Eva’s tale. But now…” He rubbed his chin. “Now I understand why it’s told this way.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because the only one who can decide how it ends is the Marker of Hope. It’s her story to tell, after all.”
“That’s it?” I said, unimpressed.
Alezzander nodded.
“You know….” I looked up at David. “You really shouldn’t ask a person to sit down unless you’re about to give them devastating news.”
“Uh…” David gave me a confused stare. “I asked you to sit down because I wanted you to relax.”
“Who said I’m not relaxed? I’m fine. You’re the one who should relax.”
“Isis, you’re stressed and your eyes are giving it away. They’ve been changing since my parents walked in the door. I’m surprised Olympia didn’t notice.”
I glanced at Nyx and Alezzander. They nodded in agreement.
“It happened in the car with your mother, too,” David reminded me.
“Okay. So, I might be feeling some pressure with all that’s happening. But how am I supposed to control something I have no control over?”
“You have to learn. It’s a part of you.” Nyx held her hand out to me, palm up. “May I?”
I gave her my hand, and she held it between both of hers. She fixed her gaze on a spot on the floor. It took no more than a few seconds before she looked up at me again.
“In spite of your mother’s claims saying you don’t eat,” she said, putting my hand on my lap, “you’re very healthy. And so is my grandchild.”
“Is that all you feel?” David asked his mother.
“Aside from her growin
g strength—we saw a display of it earlier—I feel as if the transformation has paused. But…” She shrugged a shoulder. “I could be wrong.”
“Really?” I stood up. “It stopped? Are you sure?”
“I could be wrong,” Nyx repeated. “I’ve been wrong about you before.”
In the midst of all that had transpired during the last couple of months, this news shed the most dazzling light of hope since I learned I was becoming a monster.
“We’re waiting on test results from Dr. Gunn,” David said. “Perhaps he’ll be able to confirm—”
“Gunn?” Alezzander’s forehead crinkled. “How did you get a hold of him?”
“Dr. Gunn and his wife are living here for now,” I explained. “With Galilea.”
“And why is Galilea living here?” Alezzander asked.
“Because I asked her to come with me,” I said.
“Galilea’s been protecting Isis all this time,” Nyx said. “Like she’s supposed to.” She lowered her head. “Like I was supposed to. Years after I left the Runes, she took my place.” She turned to look at me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you and one of my sons would end up together.”
“You’ve kept much from me.” Alezzander lifted Nyx’s chin.
“I have,” Nyx agreed. “I’m sorry.”
Alezzander kissed Nyx’s forehead. “It’s all right,” he said. “We’ll discuss it later.”
“So what do I do now?” I asked.
“Well, there’s only one thing you can do,” Alezzander told me. “Stay alive.”
Easier said than done.
***
I filled in Nyx and Alezzander on what happened from the day I left Bucharest with Galilea and the Doctors Gunn. I asked them about the repercussions of breaking off an engagement—David’s and Olympia’s to be exact—in their culture. They told me there’d be gossip and criticism, but nothing of consequence. Nyx told us how she and Alezzander flew in from Canada, where Alezzander had stopped to negotiate a business deal. The meeting ran late, and they missed their flight. During the delay to hop on the next plane, Olympia called Nyx, asking for David. When she found out David’s parents were heading to meet him, she insisted on coming along.