“That’s fascinating,” she said when Tessa finished.
“I think it sounds silly,” Tessa responded. “I’m worried I’ve wasted your time. And Dr. Cassidy’s. It’s just a dream.”
“A dream that stays with you in the day and has left a lasting impression,” clarified Danique. “There’s nothing silly about that. There are some who believe the gods speak to us in dreams. Have you ever heard that?”
Tessa was a bit taken aback. Even though she’d hoped to insinuate supernatural involvement with her dream story, she hadn’t expected it would be met with this sort of response. “No. I mean, not in seriousness.”
“There are some who believe the gods have returned to us again and are now battling for a place in the world. Those who believe gods are active in the affairs of mortals also believe that only a few very, very lucky people have direct communication with those gods. Dreams are the preferred means of contact. Such people might think that you were sent a divine message.”
“Do you think that?” asked Tessa, noticing that Danique was very careful to use terms like “such people” and “those who believe.”
Danique’s dark eyes glittered with amusement. “I’m not the one who sought out help. What do you think? Did your dream feel like something unusual?”
“Yes,” said Tessa, again feeling bad at the lie. “But I don’t really feel like it was a direct message.”
“What does it make you want to do?”
Tessa groped for a response that would be both believable and further her goals. “It makes me want to learn more about the things I saw in my dream. I mean, I guess I already am learning more about Senator Darling—being with the YCC and all. It’s the other stuff that pulls me but that I still just don’t get. Like the falcon. And that statue of O-Osiris. That was his name, right? Dr. Cassidy said you’re an expert in Egyptian stuff.”
“That I am,” Danique agreed. “And your conclusions seem logical. If you feel like you need to learn more about those things, then perhaps you should.”
“I did!” exclaimed Tessa, not needing to feign exasperation. “I looked all over the stream and found lots of things . . . but nothing that seemed real. Nothing that reached me in here.” Tessa touched her chest. “If you’re saying a god reached out to me, then I feel like whatever response I make—if it’s the right one—is really going to be something I feel.”
“I never said a god was reaching out to you,” Danique said craftily.
“You know more about this than the stream does,” said Tessa. “You know about these gods—what’s real and what’s meaningful. Please. Tell me what it all means.”
“Have you ever heard people referred to as ‘elect,’ Tessa? No? Well, let me see how best to phrase it. Some believe that there are people—humans like you and me—marked as special, often with notable powers or abilities, who are desired by the gods.”
Tessa’s breath caught. “You think I’m someone like that?”
“No,” said Danique bluntly. “Well, I could be wrong, but I’m usually good at sensing that kind of thing, and I don’t get that vibe from you.”
Tessa had started to get caught up in her act enough that she was almost too disappointed at not being “special” to realize that Danique had slipped for the first time, admitting that she had some involvement with gods.
“Most people are simply worshippers, some fulfilling important functions in a church or temple, but not having that exceptional quality that marks the elect. There’s another category, however, which some call the ‘the ascendants.’ Those are ordinary people, not initially marked like the elect, who nonetheless through remarkable cunning or dedication manage to rise in the ranks of godly esteem and nearly match the elect.”
“You think I’m like that?” asked Tessa, again reminding herself this was all nonsense.
“I don’t know,” admitted Danique. “Usually, an ascendant has purposely sought out the service of a god and worked hard before getting any favor. But there are always exceptions. You getting summoned out of the blue would seem odd to believers, but gods are rarely predictable.”
“What should I do?”
“If you think a god tried to reach out to you, then show your receptiveness. Keep researching—even if you don’t think anything will come of it. Pray. Meditate. Seek wisdom, and maybe the shape of your dreams will change.”
“But I can’t talk to anyone who actively worships that god,” said Tessa, not needing to hide her disappointment.
Danique’s expression grew gentle. “This is a dangerous path for any Gemman, let alone one who isn’t a citizen. Dr. Cassidy told me some of your background. As much as you’d like to learn more from others, solitary learning and contemplation is the best path for you right now. You shouldn’t attract attention, not when you’re so young and without citizenship. This counsel really is for the best. But know that people like me and Dr. Cassidy will be watching. If the time is right . . . well, who can say what will happen someday?”
A message lit up Tessa’s ego, and she saw it was from Rufus:
WHERE ARE YOU?
Apparently, he’d found a reason to come by the room. She wrote back: I’m fine. I’ll talk to you soon.
She turned her attention back to Danique. “I have to go soon. Can you at least tell me what the other things meant? Why did I see a falcon? Why did it turn into Senator Darling?”
“You tell me,” said Danique. “You said you’d researched. Did you find anything about a falcon?”
“The falcon is Horus,” said Tessa. “Is Lucian Darling Horus?” Danique blinked in surprise. She clearly hadn’t expected that leap.
“In ancient Egypt,” she said, “they believed those marked with greatness became kings and rulers. Then they became the chosen of Horus.”
“So he’s not Horus yet,” said Tessa. “Or won’t really ever be. But he is special and will have Horus’s blessing to guide and lead if he becomes consul?”
Another message from Rufus popped up: If you don’t tell me where you are now, I’ll go to the police and have the GPS locator in your ego activated. What follows won’t be pretty.
Tessa quickly sent Rufus the name of a café across the street and stood up. “I have to go. But am I right? Is Lucian Darling one of the elect? And will he have a god’s power to help guide the country?”
“I think you’re wiser than you know,” said Danique enigmatically. “And that you should think on what I said about ascendants.”
“Thank you for meeting with me.” Tessa started to leave, then remembered something. “That man who was here—Demetrius Devereaux. Geraki. Is he a, uh, expert in Egyptian mythology too?”
“No,” laughed Danique. “He’s an expert in another area. But we share many similar goals.”
Tessa thanked her again and headed out to meet Rufus. She dreaded the chastisement to come, but Rufus wasn’t her parent. He could only scold and turn her over to Cynthia . . . what would happen then was anyone’s guess. It was hard to be too worried, though, after everything she’d learned and heard tonight. Maybe she hadn’t received any direct confessions, but she was certain that her microphone had recorded more than enough for Daphne to build a pretty incriminating case against Lucian.
The thing was, Tessa realized, there might also be a case against Justin.
CHAPTER 21
Detour
As Mae neared the outskirts of the Holy Lake, the road split into two. One fork led to what was marked as a public camping and recreation area, something Mae found almost comical. It seemed ludicrous to imagine these hardened, devout people participating in anything like a lakeside picnic. The road’s other branch had signs warning that it was private and was for authorized personnel only. Mae decided this was the most likely route for the Grand Disciple’s residence and found a small pull-off on the road that kept the van concealed from any other traffic passing in the night. After a little maneuvering, she managed to turn off the engine and remove the keys.