"I have questions." I blurted out, sharper than I intended. It was rude, given her title, but I was tired of being a prop.

  Pythia's slowly smiled with amusement. "Yes, I expect you have a lot, and I'll answer." She stood up, moving toward a low side table fitted with gleaming cups and a steaming kettle. With deliberate motion, she added tea leaves. Rhythmic and quiet clanks when she stirred the water with a long spoon. "But not for free."

  I couldn't tear my eyes from her back, certain she was baiting me. My muscles were pulled thin as piano wire. When she finally turned around, her smile was gone, replaced by an unsettling gentleness that didn't make me relax.

  She sat down beside me on the sofa and poured me the hot beverage. Delicate mist flying from the cup carried rich aroma of the black tea.

  Her eyes calmly fixed on my wrist. "Althea, please do not trouble us during our conversation."

  "Yes, Highest Priestess, as long as Leonard does not call upon me." Althea’s said flatly. Seal's pulse slowed. Pythia poured her own tea. "I'm all ears, Otherworlder," she said, leaning back. "But I expect a promise in return."

  I quickly settled my fingers over the Guide’s seal, tracing the faint warmth of my Guide.

  "What promise? And why do you order Althea around?" I asked, annoyance slipping through.

  "Promise me you will join our effort, even if you pursue your own in parallel."

  The question remained between us unanswered. My mind was torn between the foggy past and the unwanted present.

  *I didn’t choose this.*

  *Wait, I did, but was it really a choice?*

  "As long as it helps me go back, I agree." My hand gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white. When I realized, I loosened the grip.

  "Very well, we have time. There are many reasons I do this," she began patiently. "For starters, because I can."

  My eyebrows shot up. Her admission was stunningly arrogant, but she didn't flinch.

  "That ability is a blessing to me, but it can feel like a curse to others. Don't judge me harshly." She blew on her cup to cool the tea. "If you think about it, my power grants me knowledge others lack."

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  *She can hear other spirits, is it noisy for her?*

  She sipped her tea silently.

  *Could she eavesdrop on people? I wonder how useful her ability is in politics.*

  Pythia's tea cup clicked when she placed it on the table.

  *Likely depends on how many important people have spirits.*

  "I know you have your own agenda, and you make use of the tools at your disposal to achieve your goals," I challenged.

  Her soft eyes widened slightly, but she collected herself instantly. "Yes, that as well. But, there's a more pragmatic reason—sometimes hearing other people's spirits is simply annoying." A genuine smile touched her lips, as though recalling entertaining memories from a distant past.

  *Hm... so is it useful or not? Sometimes?*

  "I—I understand," I stammered. A moment of silence passed before I could frame my next question: "What is my guide?"

  Pythia took another sip of tea. Her delay felt deliberate, as if she were crafting the perfect answer.

  "Highest Priestess, you promised you will answer—all—my questions."

  She let out a soft sigh. "You are right. I apologize." She put the teacup down. Click.

  "Spirits are common in this world." She rolled up her sleeve. Two lines wrapped around her wrist, holding moon and sun mark inside. "Not everybody has one, but many do."

  Before I could catalogue the details, she rolled her sleeve back down. "These spirits are usually weak-willed, they wait for commands and follow them."

  She said it like a warning, "Yours has free will and can be like your parallel mind."

  This didn't sound very exciting at first.

  *Is free will such a big deal?*

  *But parallel mind... that could be rather helpful. Multitasking?*

  She leaned back slightly. "She is bound to you by contract with Pandora, right, Althea?"

  "Yes, Highest Priestess," Althea forced out.

  Pythia pushed her further. "Can you state your contract?"

  "Obey, protect, and guide Leonard to the best of my abilities," Althea stated without emotion.

  "Well, like me, she will always tell you the truth." Pythia raised her index finger—a warning. "But she may not tell you the whole truth, or what she thinks is true may not be reality."

  *Always the truth...*

  *...but maybe not the whole truth?*

  *And what she thinks is true may not be.*

  *Loopholes.*

  "This sounds pretty useless, if you ask me, Highest Priestess."

  Pythia erupted with laughter. "You must learn how to play your cards well." She paused taking a sip of tea, then resumed: "Althea has access to divine knowledge. But until you both prove yourselves, that access—that depth of knowledge—is limited."

  "How can we prove ourselves?" I asked without delay.

  "You can ask your Guide, make her earn her place." She waved her hand at my wrist. "I think you should start with something else entirely. Recover. Explore. Make your own judgment—but a solid one, grounded with experience and knowledge. Find your purpose."

  "I have my purpose," I replied instantly. "I want to go back to my world, and to do that, I need to fully know myself and my family."

  She pondered on my reply. We looked at each other for a long moment.

  "If that is your purpose, so be it," she finally said softly. "You have free will. Still, my point stands."

  I wanted to say something, but the wall to the right of the window shattered into thousands of pieces. A guard, previously camouflaged, suddenly materialized and bowed before her.

  "Highest Priestess! Royal Palace is under attack."