Vibe: Free Me by NEFFEX
Jason dreamed of Juno trapped in her earthen cage. But her image faded, and the scene glimmered and changed. He now stood in a large, sweltering hot cavern, watching ancient rivers flow around him.
Jupiter stood tall and proud within his cage.
Jason gaped at the surroundings, unable to comprehend it properly. The rocky walls were black and red, with grey ice coating the ceiling and black soil that squished under his sneakers.
"Father?" Jason asked.
Jupiter scowled down at him, "Well? Are you going to stand there and be useless, boy?"
"But… this place…"
"My powers are dampened here! Damn him!" Jupiter growled.
Damn who? Jason shook his head, trying to make sense. "Where's your Master Bolt?"
"You think if I had it, I'd be trapped here?" Jupiter snarled as though this was Jason's fault. "How long till you get here?!"
The demigod stared, "We're… on the quest. We're on the way—"
"Good! There will be consequences for your intolerable delay," Jupiter warned. "Release from here so I may punish you accordingly."
For the umpteenth time, Jason regretted his parentage. He did not want to be in this strange underground chamber, deep under the earth. It felt wrong. Even in his dream, Jason sensed the air trying to poison him.
It was nearly as bad as Jupiter's eternal displeasure.
"We're on the way," he finally said. "I spoke to Lady Juno. She spoke of a voice that drew her away from Olympus. We think that was the Earth Goddess. Lady Juno was wondering where you'd been for days and followed it."
"Inane woman!" Jupiter grumbled.
Jason held back a scowl. "And we're searching for Pandora."
For once, Jupiter seemed startled.
"Pandora?" he snapped. "Of all the ridiculous things—"
"Your oldest brother confirmed this, Father," Jason said, raising his voice. "When… when Maria di Angelo died, Lord Pluto was distressed. He turned away from the Underworld domain for a moment and Pandora's soul flew out."
Jupiter grew incensed. The cage imprisoning him glowed with his power. Searing heat slammed into Jason who stumbled back, nearly tripping over the rocks.
"If it isn't one thing, it's another!" Jupiter cursed. "What does that insipid soul think she's going to do?!"
Jason tried a few times until he could speak. "She… she's back… Prometheus had brought the pithos up to the mortal realm during the Titanomachy. Pandora intends to release Spes from her confines."
Jupiter fell quiet. Silent horror arose in his electric blue eyes.
"When?" he barked.
"The Spirit of Delphi predicts the date to be August first, 2015," Jason reported.
"Feast of Spes," Jupiter murmured. "After all this time… she's still on the warpath…"
Jason stepped forward. "Father. How do we find her? How do we stop Pandora?"
The King of Olympus stared off into the distance. Electricity crackled within the cage but did nothing to the bars and walls.
"Beware the Clay Masters," Jupiter finally said. "Pandora may have been blessed by the Olympians, but she will be different in this second life. She will be protected by the Clay Masters."
Jupiter turned away without so much of a parting response and Jason awoke.
His eyes snapped open. "Cyclops!"
"Whoa, sleepyhead." Piper sat behind him on the bronze dragon, holding his waist to keep him balanced.
Leo sat in front, steering. They flew peacefully through the winter sky as if nothing had happened.
"D-Detroit," Jason stammered, holding onto Festus's metal body. "Didn't we crashland? I thought—"
"It's okay," Leo said. "We got away, but you got a nasty concussion. How you feeling?"
Jason's head throbbed. He remembered the factory, then walking down the catwalk, then a creature looming over him—a face with one eye, a massive fist—and everything went black.
"How did you… the Cyclops—"
"Leo ripped them apart," Piper said. "He was amazing. He can summon fire—"
"It was nothing," Leo said quickly.
Piper laughed, "Shut up, Valdez. I'm going to tell him. Get over it."
And she did—how Leo single-handedly defeated the Cyclopes family; how they freed Jason, then noticed the Cyclopes starting to re-form; how Leo had replaced the dragon's wiring and gotten them back in the air just as they'd started to hear the Cyclopes roaring for vengeance inside the factory.
Jason was impressed. Taking out three Cyclopes with nothing but a tool kit? Not bad. It didn't exactly scare him to hear how close he'd come to death, but it did make him feel horrible. He'd stepped right into an ambush and spent the whole fight knocked out while his friends fended for themselves. What kind of quest leader was he?
"I saw something when I was out," Jason said, desperate to add something to the conversation. He told them about his conversation with Juno and the Jupiter.
"They aren't caged together?" Piper asked worriedly. "But we need him to lead the gods and fight the giants!"
"What about the Master Bolt?" Leo asked. "Was that with her?"
"No," Jason said. "Juno said Jupiter's been missing for a while before she started hearing a voice. She followed it thinking it was him. He didn't confirm it though. But I didn't see the master bolt with him."
Leo chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Someone lured the king and queen out of Olympus just by talking to them? It's gotta be the Dirt Gal."
"Maybe Zeus grabbed his bolt and went out expecting a fight?" Piper figured.
"He could have," Jason said. The cool wind soothed his worries momentarily. But he hadn't received any indication from his father, no dreams or nightmares, no strange voice coaxing him away.
"Have either of you heard of the Clay Masters?" Jason finally asked.
Leo and Piper shook their heads. He told them about Jupiter's warning.
"It's gotta be Prometheus and Epimetheus, right?" Piper wondered. "Annabeth told me that was the Titan who brought her jar up to the mortal world! He tried to convince Thalia and the others to open it. Rachel had to take it away from the campers who were starting to get interested in it. Apparently, they all heard Elpis inside."
Jason shuddered. He didn't want to imagine it… the spirit of Hope whispering into people's heads, convincing them it was the right thing to open the jar.
"Could Spes have spoken to Jupiter and Juno?" Jason asked. "Maybe she lured them away from Olympus."
"Spes?"
"That's the Roman name of Elpis."
Leo sniggered. Piper smacked his arm. "Eyes on the clouds, flame boy."
"You think it could have been her?" Jason needled them.
"How powerful can a spirit trapped in a jar for a thousand years be?" Piper asked, exasperated. "I think only a primordial can trick both the king and queen!"
"Seven thousand," Jason corrected.
Leo and Piper stared at him.
"The Pandora myth was pretty far back," Jason explained, blushing. "The Great Deluge happened only after she released all the evil into the world."
"Holy hell," Leo shook his head. "You know, I'd be pretty PO'd if I was stuck in a jar for seven thousand years let alone be named Elpisssssss."
"Real mature, Leo."
"I'm fifteen and going through a traumatic event. Sue me."
Jason chuckled as they flew into the night sky. Despite his nightmare, he couldn't help but feel hopeful thanks to his quest mates.
Piper, Leo, and Jason ended up in a large abandoned store.
The large M on the doorway ought to have tipped them off, but a middle-aged woman had enchanted Leo and Jason to start shopping, of all things.
The woman was an old princess of Corinth. She was tall, dressed in fine silk and jewellery. Piper did not like the way she kept staring at Jason like he was her pet.
She had spun voice magic like Charmspeak, but much more powerful. Leo and Jason were completely taken in but Piper tried to cling to sober reality. Everytime she tried to speak against the princess, her words faltered against the noxious magic.
"Death no longer holds me, young hero," Princess Medea said. "Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again."
Patron? Piper's mind reeled. Did Gaia make Medea immortal like Nyx did for Rachel and the others?
"Like… like Sciron," Jason said, struggling to regain clarity.
Medea ignored him. She spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again."
"Guys," Piper said. "The original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty."
"Lies!" Medea complained.
"On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king's daughter."
"After I bore him two children!" Medea said. "Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?"
Jason and Leo dutifully shook their heads, but Piper wasn't through.
"Neither was Medea's revenge," she said, "She murdered her own children to get back at Jason. She poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom!"
Medea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth—that unruly mob—killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I sneaked back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair—a suitable price."
"You're insane," Piper said. "Both you and your husband were pathetic losers!"
"I am the victim!" Medea wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when it's my beloved Jason!"
She spat his name and Jason could only blink. Piper was horrified. Did the crazy princess actually think he was her husband from eons ago or was she wilfully targeting them?
"Let them go, Piper," Medea urged. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Forget the gods. Zeus is done for! Enceladus will be pleased with you. You could have your father back today!"
Medea's charmspeak didn't work on her, but the sorceress still had a persuasive voice. Piper could have her dad back today?
She wanted to believe it. But…
"You work for Enceladus," she said.
Medea laughed. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause—a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free."
Medea plucked a diamond off her bracelet and threw it into a spray of water from the fountain. As it passed through the multicolored light, Medea said, "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean."
The mist shimmered, and Piper saw her father's study. Sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, was her dad's assistant, Jane, in her dark business suit, her hair swirled in a tight bun.
"Hello, Jane," Medea said.
Jane hung up the phone and switched on the speakerphone calmly. "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper."
"You—" Piper was so angry she could hardly talk.
Gaia had Medea pulling a lot of strings in the background. But after all this time, Medea must have forgotten that there were real consequences of angering demigods. Years of Piper's rage at Jane was streamlined at Medea now and she shouted, "So you're working for Gaia?! Do you grovel at feet long enough for her to feed you scraps of information, or does she pay you a ruby per quest?"
Medea glowered, "I am a princess, demigod! Do not talk down to me!"
"I never heard of a princess crawling around in dirt to get scraps of affection from a goddess who could care less!"
Medea snarled at her. Steam hissed around her. "How dare you?!"
"That's all you are!" Piper laughed. "A pretty little tool to make her stronger. Or I guess you were pretty. Some people age like fine wine. I guess that concept never dawned on you."
Medea shrieked, "I will have your head for this! I am the goddess's greatest ally!"
"I bet," Piper rolled her eyes. "So is she demoting Ajax to give you an immortality bracelet or did she promise to think about it?"
Piper hit a nerve. Medea had been brought back, but unlike Ajax, she clearly was still mortal. The princess shook in anger, glaring bloodshot eyes at her.
"Or do you still report to him?" Piper wondered. "Do you think if you give him the best information that he'd surrender his bracelet to you? I bet you couldn't pull enough out of your butt to even catch his attention!"
Medea cracked.
"Shut up!" she screamed. "I am the greatest sorceress and seer this world has ever known! The goddess knows this! Ajax knows this! I give him the best information! I told him his daughter was at camp! I told him how to lure Zeus out of Olympus and trap him! And I will find Pandora, no matter what the Fates decree!"
Piper sucked in a deep breath. Medea's rage actually broke through Leo and Jason's haze and all three demigods reeled for a moment.
Then they attacked.
By the time the store was on fire with everything exploding around them, Festus the bronze dragon had dropped in through the multicoloured glass roof.
He hurtled into the fray, destroying Medea's loyal monsters.
"That's my boy!" Leo yelled.
Medea cried as her store went up in flames. "I will not be abandoned again! You will fail without me! You will never find the king, heroes! You want to save the gods and your father? Take me with you!"
The building rumbled. Fire and smoke curled up the walls, melting the railings and turning the air to acid.
Despite the temptation, Piper saw Medea's grim smile. This woman had seen glimpses of the future and used her visions to warn Gaia of possible threats. She'd engineered Leo's mom's death, Piper's dad's kidnapping, and gods-know what else? Perhaps Zeus's end? And Ajax's daughter?
That was the baby from Busan that Cassandra and Iphigenia relocated years ago. No wonder Ajax relied on Medea.
She was confident in her powers of persuasion, confident that she could always make a deal with anyone, always escape, and win in the end.
"Not today, bitch," Piper jumped over the side. She plummeted for only a second before Leo and Jason caught her, hauling her aboard the dragon.
She heard Medea screaming in rage as they soared through the broken roof and over downtown Chicago and away from the raging inferno.
Perhaps there was no avoiding fate. But Piper would not let such a heinous person have any part in orchestrating her future.
Sally Jackson's Guide to Staving Off the Apocalypse
Step 1: Curse the gods (quietly)
Step 2: Call immortals to help (who actually care)
Step 3: Take some of the burden off of the kids (by threatening said immortals)
Step 4: Stress bake.
"Bloody idiot," Sally murmured. "Getting kidnapped right when both camps need him."
Rachel slurped her iced latte through a straw, watching Sally worriedly. The woman had been insulting Zeus under her breath for the past half hour now.
Sally had driven them to the town center of Gretna Green. The little diner sat in a prime location, so they chose a booth in the corner to avoid eavesdroppers. Sally had ordered a tray of authentic Scottish Popara and had gotten Rachel the cold drink she wanted despite winter setting in.
The door opened and in walked Sky's mother, Cassandra Alvida. Also Rachel's aunt, Sandy. Also, the original Cassandra of Troy more than three millennia ago, later turned immortal.
Rachel scrambled over the table, nearly upsetting the food. She launched herself at Cass.
"You'rehereyou'rehereIcan'tbelieveitImissedyou!"
Cassandra laughed, wrapping her arms around Rachel's waist and swinging her around. Rachel was now taller than her, but that didn't stop her from picking up the blubbering teen enthusiastically.
"Ma chérie! You've changed! Look at you, are you in heels?"
"Nope!" Rachel said proudly. "I got a growth spurt after my first death! And look at my boobs!"
Cass chuckled, pinching her cheeks. "Belle!"
Rachel squeezed her aunt again. She was so cheerful that she totally missed the other woman who'd walked in behind Cassandra.
"And you are?" Sally asked, standing up.
The eccentric woman's hair was nearly as curly and wild as Cassandra's. She wore large, thick glasses which magnified her glittering eyes. Her outfit also made her stand out from the rest of them. While Cassandra was in her usual green blazer over her black suit and pants, the unknown woman wore a grey smock dress with a hand-kitted cardigan over her shoulders.
"Sybill Trelawney," the woman introduced herself. "You are Sally Jackson."
Sally shook her hand. "Do I know you?"
"Ah, perhaps we have not. But I knew we would meet today. The Inner Eye tells me more than I wish to know sometimes."
Sally frowned. "Wait! Aren't you Harry's professor from Hogwarts? We met during the Yule Ball."
Sybill blinked her large eyes. "Hmm… I suppose my prescience precedes my memories."
Cassandra smiled. "Hello, Ms. Jackson. This is my great-great-granddaughter, Sybill. Yes, she is a Divination Professor at Hogwarts."
Rachel gawked. "You had a kid? Like a blood relative? Does Aunt Genie know?"
Cassandra squeezed Rachel's shoulder. "Yes, she does. I have no secrets from her. Shall we all sit?"
They sat back down. Sally faced the eccentric Sybill while Rachel sat opposite Cassandra. They ordered a pot of green tea for the table as per the professor's insistence.
"First thing's first," Cass broached. "Is Sky alright?"
"Yes," Sally assured her. "The kids are with him."
Cass frowned.
"Not just Harry," Rachel explained, holding back a grin. "Percy's there. So is Nico, Annabeth, and Hermione."
She accepted it.
Sally spoke up, "Are you and Iphigenia still immortal?"
Cassandra grimaced. "Yes. Unfortunately, Beatrice and Patrick are using our bracelets to track us. That's why Iphigenia isn't here. She's blocking all tracers long enough for us to have this meeting under the wraps."
Rachel's heart skipped a beat when Cass mentioned her parents. Sometimes, she convinced herself that the Dares were just on an extended work vacation without her. Cassandra noticed her discomfort and held her hand over the table, her grip comforting.
"What if I said I could get rid of the bracelets?" Sally asked. "Would that help you?"
Rachel gawked.
"You… you can do that?" she blurted.
"Not me," Sally explained. "But my guest."
Cassandra frowned. "The Night Goddess, you mean. I doubt Beatrice would allow that."
"Nyx is older than Gaia," Sally whispered. "If push came to shove, who do you think will win?"
Cassandra sat back, looking troubled. Sybill hummed under her breath, not too bothered. She glanced around for the waitress, still waiting on their tea.
"I'll need to speak to Iphy about it," Cassandra finally said.
Rachel bolted forwards, "You'd do it?! You'd be human again?!"
Cassandra squeezed her hand. "It will be dangerous. But I think three thousand years is enough for any life. Iphy would agree with me on that."
"But you have a bounty on your head," Rachel pointed out.
The woman nodded. "Yes, a few million each."
"Dollars? Euros?"
"Drachmae, darling."
Rachel swallowed. She doubted any mortal had even seen that much gold in their lifetimes. No wonder Sky had to run from their house. She couldn't imagine being Cassandra or Iphigenia telling her beloved son to get away just to avoid getting trapped in the crossfire.
"Would the price drop if you become mortal?" Sally wondered.
"I wouldn't bet on it," Cass sighed. "Iphy and I know too much."
Sally nodded. "Alright, here's my offer. I can have the night goddess dampen your bracelet. Trackers won't work on you. You can stay in one place for a longer time and you can visit Rachel, Sky, and all your hidden kids around the world as long as you don't cross any obvious lines."
Even Sybill stared at her. Cassandra scowled. "In exchange for what?"
Sally leaned forwards, her voice falling to a whisper, "For the same thing Lily and James asked. Your help in getting rid of Tom Riddle and the Death Eaters."
Cassandra's eyes widened. The soft green quality of her irises hardened as she stared at Sally, waiting for her to exclaim it was a joke. But there was no such announcement.
"Tea's here!" Sybill said happily. Indeed, a waitress had wandered over and set down four cups with a large, filled, steaming tea pot.
"Sybill," Cass chastised. "We're having a serious conversation here."
"Nana, this will help us. I wish for Rachel to try her hand at tasseography," Sybill explained as she poured out the first cup.
Rachel sat up straight as the cup and saucer was pushed towards her. "I already have my latte, ma'am."
"You'll appreciate this more, my dear," Sybill tutted. "Your Inner Eye is wide open to our fates. All you need is a little nudge in the right direction."
Abandoning her iced drink with a sigh, Rachel began sipping her green tea, no milk, one sugar. She added two more cubes.
"Sally!" Cassandra suddenly said, annoyed. "Is this why you took Sky? To get Iphy and I to go after Voldemort?!"
"I brought him to the house to catch your attention," Sally explained. "He's free to go after today."
"But, what about the Giants and monsters that are due to plague both camps?" Cass asked. "Not to mention, both Jupiter and Juno are missing from Olympus!"
Sally exhaled. "Yes. Percy informed me the camps had already sent three children to search for the queen. I'm not doing anything to upset their quest. Should your involvement disrupt one of their lives, it won't be worth it."
She continued. "No, I want you to wrap up the Death-Eater problem and let Camp Half-Blood take the claim for it."
Cassandra massaged her temples. "You want the wizards to be in debt to camp?"
"No. They won't owe their lives to the demigods, but they will be grateful enough to lend effort and magic in the war," Sally suggesed. "CHB's population is barely at 50 campers. Even the Hunters are down nearly half their women. Camp Jupiter outstrips them in terms of resources. With the wizarding community backing them, CJ will be more willing to take them seriously. Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights Percy's had ever since he's been attending those Roman conferences?"
Rachel wondered if she ought to say that immortals strictly didn't need sleep. But Sally was on a roll and wouldn't appreciate being interrupted.
"Tell me a better way to unite both camps, the Amazons, and the Hunters, with all the witches and wizards," Sally asked, her words growing sharp. "Clearly Harry and Percy knowing each other isn't enough to convince everyone. They're still learning, still growing. Both boys and Rachel have agreed to take up Lupa's training. The campers are dealing with Zeus and Hera missing, and having to find Pandora! I want them to focus on that, not on having to worry about integrating all the allies."
Rachel lowered her half-empty cup, gawking at Sally.
Sybill said, "Dear, make sure you don't drink all of it. Leave a bit of tea at the bottom."
"Uh… okay."
Sally and Cassandra were in a staring competition now. They sat with arms on the table, food ignored, watching each other quietly from opposite ends of the booth.
"What about the prophecy between Harry and Riddle?" Cass asked.
"That won't involve his minions, will it? Knock out the Death Eaters, arrest them, or whatever. Just take them out of the equation, demigod-style."
Demigod-style would be to just hack them to death, Rachel figured. She probably shouldn't tell Sally that Percy would be all for murder in that respect.
Cassandra was exasperated now. She nodded to Sybill. "Well? What do you think?"
Sybill Trelawney lowered her cup and told Rachel, "Ready? Hold the cup by the handle in your left hand. Watch how I do it. Swirl it counterclockwise so the dregs are distributed nicely. Yes, like that. Now invert it onto your saucer."
Rachel placed her cup rim down on the saucer.
"I have requested the Fates to give an answer," Sybill told Cassandra. "We must wait a minute."
Cassandra gave a wry smile. "In an ideal world, Sally, your plan might work."
"Then let's make the world ideal," Sally shot back. "I have a primordial on my side. You're immortal. Let's make use of this!"
"I'll have to confer with Iphigenia. I'll call you with our decision."
Sally nodded slowly.
Sybill cleared her throat.
Cassandra grinned. "Of course, sweetheart. Rachel, do you know why no one has been able to find Pandora?"
Rachel stared, eyes darting to Sally in question before shrugging. "Not really. I guess the Fates got really bored and are making us wait."
"... sure. But, it's been clear to us for a while now that Pandora seems to have protectors."
"It's been clear, huh? What protectors?"
"Certain people who have been hiding her identity for a while," Cassandra said. "I don't know much more than that. Sally, your sister gave the most useful information I've ever known in decades. She thought that Sky and Percy will figure out who Pandora is, despite the protectors' influence."
Sally winced hard. "Okay. Okay, but why them?"
"Well…" Cassandra ventured. "Sciron is technically still in his first life. He has the same body, and essentially mind, as he did two thousand years ago. We know that Pandora's soul escaped confinement in 1945. Anyone born before that and still living now cannot be her."
Rachel raised her eyebrows. "So there's no way Sciron can be Pandora! Same with you and Iphigenia!"
"And Nico and Bianca," Sally wondered. "Albus Dumbledore as well."
"Tom Riddle, Bathilda Bagshot, several vampires and werewolves still living now," Cassandra added. "None of them can be her. Perhaps that's why Kimberly said Sciron will find out since he cannot be her. But Percy must be able to find crucial information if he's involved in tracking Pandora down."
"Filters," Sybill said. "Rachel, dear. Now, using your right hand, turn the cup up from the right and look at it."
The dregs of her tea had collected at the bottom of the cup. Some of the soaked bit had dripped partially up the sides, but Rachel squinted in the middle.
"Looks like mush," she finally said.
Sybill eyed her over her glasses. "Your brother was quite skeptical when he was in my class, dearie. But he is not clairvoyant enough. You are. You will learn to read that mush to find the answers you are seeking. Even the elusive Pandora."
"Filters," Cassandra said, echoing Sybill's comment from earlier. "Kimberly mentioned using filters to find the truth. I think she understood how to check who qualified to be a rebirth of Pandora."
Sally gulped. "Will all dreamers have some new information to add to this?"
Cassandra was sympathetic. "I hope so. Dreamers are too rare. They're mostly Muggle and Mortal, mostly human. Lily Potter was an exception. I worry she knew more than she let on, but there's no way we can know now. Rachel might not be a dreamer in that sense, but she can still figure things out better than most people. She's a true seer. That's why I brought Sybill here. I want her to train Rachel in Divination methodologies to find out what works best for her."
Rachel blinked. "Really? I have to drink more tea now?"
"Palm reading, Tarot cards, dream interpretation, everything," Cassandra said. "Rachel, I think you can help Sky and Percy get closer to the truth. We'll need you in case the demigods' quest goes poorly and they fail to save Tristan McLean."
Rachel flinched. Shit just got real.
Sally leaned back and composed herself.
Cassandra hadn't confirmed if she would take down Voldemort and his terrorists, but she seemed willing. Hopefully, Iphigenia would agree to it. That should ease things for Harry and the Order.
Honestly, Sally hadn't been attending too many Order meetings. She'd gone to a couple to support Remus and Tonks and to belay Harry's inclusion. But was it worth anything? Voldemort had gone into hiding, unwilling to make a public appearance. Albus's reasoning was that since Ginny had destroyed so many of Tom's treasures in the hospital fire, things were 'slow' at the moment.
She breathed in deeply. The diner's aromas and flavours soothed her aching heart.
"Will you be joining us, Sybill?" she finally asked after the woman had coached Rachel through reading the tea leaves.
"I must be off," the ex-professor sighed melancholically. "I sense the atmosphere at your house may not be conducive to me. I must prepare for my lessons with my most promising new student here."
She gazed at Rachel with beaming eyes. "You have a wonderful sight, my dear! Please do not let it be clouded by your brother. He has never accepted my forewarnings."
"Harry's funny like that," Rachel agreed.
Sally nodded over to the other seer. "Cassandra?"
"Yes," the woman said, smiling sadly. "I would like to meet Sky before I must leave."
"Great. If you stay a couple of hours. I can send you off with some cookies. I haven't made any since Kimmy was born. I'm overdue."
Stay tuned for Rachel, Harry, and Percy's training with Lupa!
Cabba K.