Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 25

Cassandra sat, bound, in the center of the tent. Her head had started to throb where Milady had struck her, but she resisted the urge to try and touch it. Her whole body ached, but she watched her captor unflinchingly. She could tell that the woman was becoming increasingly impatient with the answers to her endless barrage of questions.

"Tell me again how often you have these dreams," commanded Milady, slowly rising from her cushion-throne.

"It depends," replied Cassandra for what felt like the hundredth time, "sometimes they just come at night, but sometimes...sometimes they come when I'm awake as well."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"What does that mean?" asked Milady.

Cassandra looked at her for a moment. She struggled to keep the confusion from her face, but she could tell by the woman's glare that she had failed,

"I mean I don't know. It just happens."

For a second Cass thought that the woman would hit her. Instead she walked around behind her.

"So you have no control over it?" she asked.

Cass shook her head.

"What if you could?"

Cass turned and watched the woman circle back in front of her again,

"What do you mean?" asked Cassandra.
Milady's lips curved into an icy smile. "What if you could decide what you wanted to see? What if I told you there was a way to control your...gift?" she said.

Cassandra started to lean forward and then caught herself. This woman had sent the creatures that had killed Nuriel. This woman had hunted her family and kidnapped her. Everything she knew told her that this woman was not to be trusted, yet, to be able to control the nightmares. To be able to make them stop when she wanted. No one had ever told her that such a thing could even be possible. She looked up into the cold eyes of her captor.

"Oh yes, girl," continued Milady. "Your power can be controlled."

"How?" asked Cassandra, in spite of herself. Then she added, "Milady."

She sat down across from her once more. She leaned slightly forward her eyes had turned from cold ice to a frightening intensity.

"All it takes is an oath," she said.

"What kind of oath?" asked Cassandra feeling uncomfortable and hating herself for even considering to deal with this woman.

"An oath of obedience, sealed by magic," she replied.

"Obedience," said Cassandra

"Yes, obedience to me. I have some magic of my own." Milady brought her hand down to touch something hidden in her robe. "Once you have made an oath by my magic your visions will be controlled," she said.

"No," said Cassandra.

The blow was sudden and swift. Cassandra found herself lying on the floor with stinging pain across her face. She struggled to hold back tears as she looked up into the face of the woman who had struck her. The eyes had lost the flaring intensity and gone cold again.

"Foolish girl, I am offering you a way to control your gift." She said. "A way to realize the potential within you. Right now your dreams serve no one. You have no idea of what you are capable."

Cassandra tasted blood as she tried to rise. Slowly she pulled herself up to a sitting position once again. A couple of tears slid down her cheeks as she looked up at the woman.