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  She knew she was merely humoring the demigod, her stomach churning as she faced the terrible fact that Athena’s understanding of the god Neptune had been so very wrong. And at the fact that Allegra had been forced to ruin Athena’s love for Neptune. It couldn’t be that much different to having to reveal to a child that their parent was a killer.

  Athena smiled sadly. “I know that your experience with Neptune may have been affected by something, perhaps an outside influence. You’ve had obstacles placed in your path every step of the way since the moment Max found you. What if there are forces out there that want to ensure you do not trust Neptune for some reason?” Then she let out a long, ragged breath and ran her hands through her hair, mussing her usually neatly combed ponytail. “Or maybe I am entirely wrong here, and my own perception has been flawed all along.”

  Allegra sighed and leaned against the window, looking out at the clouds and the endless blue sky. “I’ve always loved the water. It has always been the one place in which I could feel at peace. And ever since that moment when the Qurux went down and Xenia and I almost died—when Neptune tried to kill us—I’ve been terrified of the water. I stay far away from it, even though I’m desperate to be within it.”

  “Could there be something about that peace you feel while within the water that perhaps someone understands better than you?” asked Max, his voice almost startling Allegra. When she glanced over at him, he gave her a soft, apologetic smile. “Perhaps the water gives you a certain clarity?”

  Allegra stilled as she recalled her experiences inside the pool back at her villa in Venara Hills.

  Athena rapped the table with her fingernails. “Right from the beginning, when the first Sybils were channeling prophecies and the words of the gods, water was always used as the medium for inducing visions, or at least inducing the oracle, in either the Delphian or more standard-issue seers.”

  Allegra let out a soft laugh as she glanced at Athena. “Standard issue seers. That’s funny. I wonder what Corina would—” Allegra’s smile withered, and her heart clenched as Corina’s cheerful smile drifted before her.

  “Allegra?” Max’s voice penetrated her haze, and she blinked, looking over at him as he nodded to her, urging her to remain calm.

  She swallowed and nodded, glancing down at her fingers, flinching at the sight of her blood-drenched palms. She balled her fingers into two tight fists and hid them beneath the table.

  When she looked up, pulling calm and serenity over her the way she did when she told delegates of her visions, she saw that Athena had not been fooled.

  Reaching out, Allegra grabbed hold of Athena’s hand. “I promise I will tell you about that too. Add it to your agenda.” She grinned and then sat back. “Max, Athena has a good point. There was a time, before Xenia and I were almost killed, when being submerged in water did more than just bring me peace.”

  Max got to his feet, his massive form almost engulfing the space around them. “Athena is right?”

  Allegra nodded. “It must have had some sort of meditative, focusing effect. Submerged in the water, I heard the voices of women, sometimes a few at the same time, at other times just one voice.”

  “What were they saying?”

  “At the time…they were telling me it all depends on me and that I must stay the path. Just hearing those voices terrified me.”

  “And then, when you thought Neptune was trying to kill you, you stopped immersing yourself in any body of water out of fear?” murmured Athena. “It does seem to me an effective method to ensure you do not access these voices.”

  “And who do you suppose these voices are?” asked Allegra, merely voicing the question to fill the tense air.

  Max sighed. “I can’t think of anyone other than the other Oracles of Delphi. Perhaps this is the most natural way to maintain a line of communication among the oracles.”

  Allegra sucked in a small sob as she shook her head. “It does make sense. I’ve always been a water baby. Why else would it have been so easy to compete in the Olympic G—”

  Athena gasped, then let out a shocked cry. “You’re that Allegra?”

  Wide-eyed, Allegra looked at Athena, aware of Max’s wide grin. “You follow the Games?”

  Athena nodded. “Who doesn’t? Never missed a one. And I was on my feet, yelling your name out so loud the neighbors were banging on the wall to tell me to shut up. I swear I cried when you won. Take that Augustus Poole.” Athena slapped her hand on the table, the sound echoing like a gunshot around the cabin. “Bastard thought women couldn’t compete against men and win.”

  Allegra chuckled. “Not that my winning stopped him from continuing to lobby against co-ed races. He went around telling people that Jun Yong Park and Leo Pelham had to slow their speeds in order to allow me to win because it would look bad for them if they beat a woman.”

  Athena’s eyes were wide as she shook her head. “I just didn’t realize you were her. Guess we’ve never had a Pythia succeed at something other than prophecies before.”

  Allegra lifted a finger. “Not that we know of.”

  Sober now, Athena nodded. “Not that we know of…. So I guess now we figure out a way to find out if Neptune is innocent or guilty?”

  Allegra lifted an eyebrow. “Exactly. We cannot rule out the possibility that Neptune could possibly see me as a threat and truly wishes to stop me.”

  Athena’s face darkened, her mouth turning upside down. “Sadly, I have to agree. We can’t not consider his possible reasons. Although, I would like to state now that I don’t believe he would hurt you.”

  Allegra smiled and patted the surface of the table. “Now that I think about it, I never wanted to believe it either. Let’s hope you are right. That’s one heartbreak I will gladly live without.”

  Chapter 12

  The rest of the flight passed in a calmer silence than Allegra had expected. She knew that Max’s anger had not dissipated, the mystery surrounding her possible trip into the future had presented a problem, one that had redirected Max’s concentration away from Allegra’s veering from the path of safety.

  But just because she’d avoided a telling off from Max didn’t mean that Allegra was still not worried.

  What had the vision meant? And if it wasn’t a vision, how was she meant to get her head around such a reality? Yes, she had a birth certificate that claimed her birth date was 100 years in the future, but if that was at all related to her dream, she had to find a way to be certain. There were too many things that hung in the air, too many of those things also bearing large question marks. Had she really seen her mother in the moment she’d made the decision to give Allegra up? And could she even hold it against Jocasta? And further to that, was the other issue that Allegra had not yet touched upon.

  Aurelia.

  The Pythia that Allegra had never met. But a woman who had been watching over Allegra from birth. Aurelia had brought Allegra back from the future, had inserted her into a life with a family, who to this day, Allegra had believed to be her birth parents. Allegra stilled for a moment as she considered how she felt with that particular truth facing her head-on. Did she feel any different toward her father and mother knowing they were adopted and not her biological parents? She gave a slight shake of her head. No. Her love for her mother and father was true, and would remain unaffected no matter who her birth mother was.

  But, even though she could accept the situation, she was curious as to whether Aleks and Diana Damascus had been at all aware of Allegra’s true destiny? And a more urgent question was the glaring coincidence of the fact that Allegra’s surname on her birth certificate was the same as her adopted parents.

  Then Allegra smiled.

  Perhaps Aurelia was smarter than Allegra gave her credit for. Had it been Allegra making the arrangements, she too would likely have selected parents with names that would match as closely to the child’s true parentage as possible. Allegra rubbed her forehead and then rested her head back against the reclined seat. She stared out at
the clouds in the blue sky, considering her next steps. Perhaps Mara would know something, perhaps Aurelia had more hidden documentation somewhere on the estate, just waiting for her to uncover it when she was ready to know the truth.

  Still, even if she were ready, there was still the other matter of how.

  How had Allegra been transported to the future, a process that she was certain was not a simple thing? There would have been a summoning, rites performed. Some way to direct the spirit of Aurelia to the future. That left the question of how Allegra had managed to tag along unnoticed.

  Leaning her head against the window, Allegra considered Athena’s words in favor of Neptune. She supposed that she ought to attempt the use of the pools at the estate, if only to see if her own reaction to water was still the same. Perhaps she’d been reluctant at first to believe Athena’s claim that someone else may have been attempting to drive a rift between Allegra and Neptune. But now that she thought about it further, she was able to see the likelihood of the theory.

  With thoughts of swimming filling her mind, Allegra fell asleep for the last three hours of the flight, her dreams leading her in an endless looping replay of the visit to Jocasta, her near-death drowning when the Qurux sank, and the replay of Cathenna’s terrible death at the hands of Langcourt, and then the dreams of blood-stained hands, and of Corina’s pale face as she breathed her last breath.

  Mara let out a cackling laugh as she bustled around the table serving Max, Allegra, and Athena their lunch. Les was noticeably absent, and the old woman seemed to take a particular delight in attending to the trio. “Max, my boy. Whatever gave you the impression that Allegra would obey your commands?” the woman asked, snickering as she took a seat and filled her own plate.

  Freshly baked chicken filled with herbs, dried fruit, and slices of lemon, whole baked potatoes drizzled with butter, pepper and salt, baby carrots and courgettes from the estate’s farm. The meal smelled delicious, and Allegra knew it would taste amazing, but she steeled herself against diving in and waited for Mara to sit back and study the faces around the table.

  She stared pointedly at Max, clearly still waiting for an answer.

  The commander let out a pained breath, Allegra and Athena both hid their smiles, and Mara’s eyebrow rose a fraction higher. She was not a patient woman.

  “Common sense,” Max said, stabbing a piece of chicken and shoving it almost violently into his mouth. “And a responsibility to the team.”

  Mara snorted. “I thought you knew the girl well,” Mara commented as she too tucked into the meal.

  Allegra busied herself with her own plate, attempting to drown out Max’s simmering anger with the taste of delicious chicken and the odd burst of sweetness that would hit her tongue when she bit into the dried fruit.

  “I thought so too,” Max lamented between bites. “Seems I was wrong.”

  Allegra swallowed and said, “I’ve already explained. You were already on the water, Athena was back on the ship helping the refugees board. I was the last one to leave. And two girls were still missing. It wasn’t like I had a choice. The ship was sinking, I can hold my breath longer than the average person. It made sense to go, and to be quick about it.”

  “And how did that work out for you? Stuck in a cabin on a sinking ship with only a pocket of air to keep you alive? Sounds to me like things didn’t exactly go according to plan.”

  “But it did go to plan.”

  Max lifted an eyebrow, his fork hovering half an inch from his potato.

  “The two girls were saved,” said Allegra simply. Then she focused on her food, determined that be the end of it.

  But Mara wasn’t having it. “So you disagree with Allegra’s decision? You prefer those two girls to have died?”

  “That’s not what I was saying, old woman. Stop twisting my words.”

  Mara shrugged. “Seemed to me that it was an either-or situation. Ship is sinking, girls are inside, everyone’s gone. Allegra made a decision and saved those girls. Had she waited, they could have died. Or perhaps one of you died too when the ship rolled over.”

  Max let out a huff. Athena had been oddly silent, and when Allegra glanced over at her, she was surprised to see the woman frowning at Max.

  Allegra smiled. So even Athena was seeing the sense in Allegra’s defense.

  “Max,” asked Athena softly, “is there another reason for your...anger with Allegra’s decision to go in without telling us?”

  Max’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the demigod. He would likely have assumed she’d back him up so it made sense he’d be a little affronted. “No. There is no other reason. The Pythia was reckless. She put her life in danger.”

  “But surely the circumstances would allow for a little leeway in this situation?”

  “Leeway?” Max asked leaning forward. “What would you have done had Allegra died in that ship?”

  Allegra lifted a finger to point out Xales’ uncanny knack for appearing when she most needed him, but Max threw her a dirty glare and she settled back, hiding a smile.

  Athena shook her head. “I don’t think that would have been an issue,” murmured Athena, also sitting back, as though Max’s fury was tangible enough to reach out and strike her.

  “But what if it was? Do the lives of two people have a greater value than that of the Oracle of Delphi? Would those two girls have been in a position at any point in their future to save thousands and thousands of lives? To avert disasters over and over again, to ensure humanity remains on the correct path?” Athena opened her mouth to reply, but Max shook his head. “I don’t believe so. Not unless one of those two girls were the next Pythia. Can you not see that by risking your life, you are also risking the lives of all those hundreds of thousands of people you will save in the future?”

  Allegra’s jaw hardened. “I know my responsibility, Max.”

  “But that’s just it. It’s not at all about responsibility. It’s way more than having an obligation to help people. I know you. I know how you feel about the people whose lives you save.”

  “That’s the very reason I went after those girls.”

  “I understand that. And maybe this time you came away with your life. But what happens if the next time you race off without backup and get yourself in a spot of danger and none of us are there to help? What then? What if you die?”

  Allegra shrugged. “If that happens then I believe the world will continue to turn.” Allegra knew the words were flippant, but she wasn’t sure what else to say. She understood what Max was trying to say. But she stood by her decision to save those girls.

  Max was shaking his head as though he was reading her mind. “I can see I’m getting nowhere.” Max glanced over at Mara. “You want to help me out here?”

  Mara clamped her mouth shut.

  “I’m surprised, Mara. I recall you were one of the first people to chastise Aurelia if she ever endangered her life. You never liked her leaving the estate at all. In fact, I remember you telling me off and attempting to get rid of me because Aurelia called to tell me a tsunami was coming but she needed help to figure out exactly where.”

  Mara grunted. “That was a bit too dangerous. Besides, Aurelia was already seventy-four years old at the time.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that since Allegra is young, it’s okay to risk her life?”

  Mara didn’t reply. She took small bites of chicken and carrots and chewed loudly.

  “A young Pythia is just as dead as an old Pythia, no matter what her age. Add in the fact that Allegra is the last of her line, and I’ll repeat that in case it wasn’t clear...the very last of her line?”

  Mara snorted and got to her feet. Plate in hand, she stalked off, pausing on the threshold to look over her shoulder at Max. “Then perhaps you had better get to work on fixing that situation, hadn’t you?” she snapped before flouncing off down the hall.

  Allegra’s eyes were wide, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth. Athena looked over at her, expression curious and j
ust as reluctant to show her amusement.

  Max let out a sigh, although one look at his face confirmed that Mara had hit a sore spot with her comment.

  Allegra got to her feet and went to Max. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I didn’t think about the consequences. All that mattered to me at the time was saving those two girls, and I didn’t consider that I could possibly have died in the process.” She let out a sigh, vaguely aware that Athena had left the dining room as Max got to his feet. Looking up into his eyes, she laid her hands on his chest. “I know what you are worried about, but I don’t think I have it in me to weigh my own life against two innocent children and truly believe that mine is worth more than theirs.”

  Max gripped Allegra’s hands in his. “And that’s what makes you such an exceptional person. It’s what I love about you Allegra, that passion you have for each and every living soul. I understand that, I really do. But there will come a point when you will have to make decisions in terms of the good of the many. It may sound callous and cruel, but it’s a reality you need to face. If you had died saving those girls, you wouldn’t be around to help if tomorrow a tsunami rolls over the Eastern shore of Indus? You wouldn’t have been here to predict it, and because of one sudden decision hundreds of thousands of lives are lost.”

  Allegra let out a sigh and rested her forehead on Max’s chest. “Why is all of this so hard? I’m beginning to think I’m not strong enough to keep going with this job and come out the other end with my sanity intact. I wish I could talk to Aurelia...find out how she managed so well.”

  Max let out a rough laugh. “What makes you think Aurelia was sane?”

  Allegra swatted his chest. “Watch what you say. You do not want a Pythia to decide you were worthy of being haunted.”

  Max let out a shudder. “Apollo save me.” Max curled an arm around Allegra’s shoulders then gave her a squeeze. “Please, could you check with me in the future before making any rash decision?”

  Allegra nodded solemnly.