CHAPTER 1

Five Seconds After

I look back. My body lies crumpled. I see to the heavens. Isee the earth. I see Croesus, the former king of Lydia, pacingback and forth in a room. I see my love, Aristaios. I see thetemple of Apollo on Mount Parnassos and my oracle friends.Some are walking toward the evening service. My oracle friendChloe is running behind and preparing for the evening service.I see the priest in his chamber, preparing to walk toward thetemple, his thoughts floating up.

My name is Clea. I am the Pythia, an oracle at Delphi.

My skin is lustrous, light olive in color. My long, darkblack hair is splayed beautifully alongside my body. My whiterobe, slightly open, reveals my legs. I see my body alongsidethe crevice, on the dirt, where the water comes down themountain.

At this time in the temple, the bells have chimed, and theritual service of prayer and thanks to the god Apollo has begun.They will not notice me until two hours have passed. The cookshave begun to make the evening meal and are busy with theirchores. They will not notice me. No one walks by this trail untilthe evening sweep. My body is filled with toxins and vapors.

The cat I love is waiting for me in my room. My love,Aristaios, is stoking the fire of the evening. He will be waitingto see me in the garden, after the evening meal.

I am barely twenty-three years old, an oracle at Delphi, thePythia, the priestess to Apollo.

CHAPTER 2

Six in the Morning(Fourteen Hours Prior)

I opened my eyes to hear birds chirping. My stomach andhead hurt. I propped myself up on one elbow. There wasenough light in the room to see my cat, curled up in a ball onmy wrap, which was draped over the bed. Her white fur wasclumped around the bottom of the wrap as she woke up, yawned,stretched, and said a big good morning.

"Good morning," I said to kitty, rubbing my hand throughher fur.

A knock came at the door. I did not answer right away.Swinging my legs over the bed, I grabbed my wrap, unsettlingkitty. Another knock. Chloe, my best friend and oracle sister,said through the closed door, "Get up. Open the door. We haveto get going."

"Okay," I said. "I'm just getting my wrap."

"You're late already, and Calidora is waiting."

I reached the door and at the same time felt nauseous. Imanaged to open the door. Chloe came in with a big smile andimmediately filled the room with her bright energy. I relaxedwhile rubbing my stomach.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. Why?" I hurriedly dressed in comfortable clothesof light, white cotton that resembled the priestess, the Pythiadress, but was not clothing for the oracular chamber. I tied thestring around my midsection and rubbed my stomach again.

"You're rubbing your stomach and are late this morning."

"I woke up with a stomachache, and my head hurts too!"

"Come on, Clea. If you put food in your stomach, you'll feelbetter. Let's get going. I'm starving and was waiting for you tocome to breakfast. I also saw your name posted. You'll have towear ceremony clothes."

"Oh, thanks for the reminder. I'll be fine after eating somefood, going to class, and taking the spring bath. I'll dress inceremony clothes then. Maybe you can join me today in theoracular chamber?"

"That will be fine," she said. "I love working with you inthe oracular chamber. You've been on post, the one sitting onthe stool in the oracular chamber, all week. Why is that priesthaving you sit as the main oracle every day?"

"I don't know why the priest posted me all week, but I'mfeeling nauseous, and it's probably why I overslept. I heard aknock, knock, knock on my door last night and did not answer.Chloe, the priest gives me the creepiest feeling. I cannotexplain."

"Ah, I have the same feeling about him. I ignore him. Ishouted in his face to never try knocking on my door, ever—andif he did, I would knock him flat. Since then, he never triedagain. "

"The door knob started shaking last night after I did notopen it," I told her. "I ran over and put a chair under the knob.He finally gave up, and then next thing I heard was the birdssinging and you knocking on my door."

As soon as I was outside, walking in the warm sunshine,...