"Yes," I said eagerly. "That was exactly what I was thinking about." Some might think this was another deus ex machina at work, but who cared? Fate was fate, and my guts told me that the answer I was seeking for lay in the Underworld...of another realm.
Chapter Nine
A pair of towering red gates appeared with a wave of Madam Xi's hand, and Mary Priscilla and I exchanged nervous looks at this impressive display of magic. The temple I had seen last night turned out to be Madam Xi's home-slash-workplace and coming into life before us were four towering stone statues: the Azure Serpent of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Turtle of the North.
"You are allowed to ask four questions," Madam Xi declared imperiously, "one for each of the Four Cardinal Gods, and no more or less than that."
"Got it."
"Begin by stating your name before asking your question, and be sure to ask only questions that are answerable by yes or no. Once done, toss these into the air."
The old woman placed a pair of red moon-shaped blocks of wood in my hands, and I felt them literally pulse with power against my flesh.
"They are called jiao bei," Madam Xi said briskly, "and unlike those used by humans, these do not need to be cast multiple times to gain an answer from our gods."
I stared at her, and she stared back at me unblinkingly.
"Anything else?"
"No. That is it."
"Seriously? I just say my name, ask my question, toss these into the air...and that's it?"
Madam Xi's lip curled, and I...had no idea how to interpret that. I glanced at Mary Priscilla, but the little girl only shrugged. A big help she was, my little handmaiden, and—-whoa!
The four giant statues suddenly roared, and Madam Xi frowned. "The gods are fast losing their patience. Please ask your first question now."
"Oh." Shit. "Sorry for—-"
Another fiery roar, and this time the message was loud and clear, and I started speaking. Fast.
"My name is Saoirse, and I would like to know if Persephone, the former Lady of the Underworld, was the one who wrote a death curse in my name." I tossed the jiao bei into the air, and my heart started beating madly as I watched both pieces fall on their flat side.
Madam Xi's lips tightened. "The gods say no."
My mouth opened and closed.
No? Seriously? No?
I was tempted to ask if this whole divination thing came with a money-back guarantee, but considering how each of these four stone gods was about the same size as the Empire State Building—-
Maybe this was like how it was with Little Iron, I told myself, and it was just a matter of asking the right question.
Bending down, I picked the jiao bei from the ground and stated my name once again before asking my second question.
"Did Persephone order someone else to write a death curse in my name?"
Up went the jiao bei again, and I heard Madam Xi sharply draw her breath as the first block fell on its flat side while the second one fell on its round side.
"The gods say yes."
Even though a part of me had already expected such an answer, I still found myself nearly swaying in my feet at having my worst suspicions confirmed. Hadrian's wife might be a natural-born goddess, but this time there was no denying how Persephone also happened to be a murderously psychotic bitch.
And as for my third question—-
"Do I have a divine dominion of my own?"
When the jiao bei fell back down, its answer required no interpretation. One still fell on its flat side, the other piece fell on its round side, and so this meant oh hell yeah, I did have a divine dominion of my own, and boy oh boy, did our Greek Oracles certainly have something to learn from the Four Cardinal Gods—-
"Saoirse," Mary Priscilla hissed.
Oh shit, I got distracted again, and when I saw that the stone gods were already fuming, distraction turned into panic, and my mind went completely blank. "I can't think of a question," I blurted out.
Mary Priscilla groaned...and so did Madam Xi, which was not a good thing at all.
"Just ask anything," the old woman urged. "It must be four questions—-"
"Can't I take a rain check?"
The stone gods roared, and since that pretty much answered my question, I said the first thing that came to mind.
"Does my divine dominion have anything to do with great intellect and wisdom?"
Up went the jiao bei—-
And once it fell down—-
Huh.
Both pieces fell on its round side, and when I glanced at Madam Xi, it seemed as if the older woman was doing her best to fight off a smile.
"What's so funny?" I asked suspiciously.
"According to the jiao bei...the gods are laughing like crazy at your question."