The first chapter of the second installment of The Legacies Saga
CHAPTER ONE
THE VOICE OF GRACE
"I accept this role," Tuler Janiken said. "I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."
Green smoke started to emerge around Tuler's feet, but she didn't pay much attention to it. In all honesty, she barely noted anything until Mia Sanchez asked, "Did it work?"
Then, Tuler's eyes began glowing as smoke billowed from her body. She spoke.
"The hero wields his ancestor's blade
The guardian's decision has been made
The Hunter, though hidden, lives
The angel's legacy down below gives
The first to battle with forge's fire
Seeks descendants for the sky's desire."
"A prophecy," James Pierce said. "The spirit has accepted you."
Tuler raised a triumphant hand. "Whoo!" she said before collapsing.
~+~
When the door to Julia's... Tuler's... office opened, everyone conscious looked at the guy who stood in the doorway.
"Bryce!" Mia said. "What's going on?"
"Umm..." Bryce said. "Remember yesterday when I said I'd come back to talk to Julia tomorrow. It's tomorrow."
"Who is this?" Tori asked.
"Oh, this is Bryce," Mia introduced. "He came by yesterday to talk to Julia about something, but since she was so swamped he said he'd come back today."
"Hate to say it, Bryce, but you can't talk to Julia now," Adam said with a melancholic tone. "She died yesterday. Tuler Janiken here is the new Oracle." He pointed to Tuler's unconscious form spread out on the scorched carpet.
No, Bryce thought. Julia dead? But she was one of the last people to know the truth... And as far as Bryce was aware, the only others who knew were... Alaric and Dan.
~+~
"You must help me," a voice from the last Mainworld tree said.
Fiona immediately looked at the tree. It hadn't moved, though Fiona was positive that the tree was the origin of the voice. "Who are you?"
"My name is Thalia," the voice said. "I still have a connection with this tree and I need your help. Someone is looking for me. Hunting me down."
The Hunter was being hunted? Fiona only had time to think about that irony when she instantly matched a name. Alaric Burne. The demigod son of Hephaestus who was trying to resurrect Ouranos. Luckily, the protection Fiona had given the tree years ago - earth, air, fire, water, and aether - had stopped him. Only now he knew that he needed descendants of air, earth, water, and aether to get to the tree.
It's impossible for him to get one of Aether's legacies, Fiona thought happily. But he doesn't know that, and until he's certain, he's going to chase down Thalia Grace until it's too late.
An idea struck Fiona.
"Thalia... if I told you I could get help from Perseus Jackson, would you accept that?"