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Perhaps that was why Lila shot off the bench first, spying Mòr’s eyes as they rolled toward the ceiling. Cradling the oracle’s head, she stopped it from striking the table, guiding her down to the floor. Connell appeared at her side a split second later and rolled his lover onto her side, pulling her away from the table so that she would not bang her legs or arms upon the wood. He fiddled with her bracelet as Nico shoved a pillow under her neck so that she would not injure her head.
Connell watched as his lover shook and jerked and drooled on the floor. Half-chewed tortilla tumbled from her mouth as she mumbled. All he could do was check his watch and keep the time.
Lila only caught a few of Mòr’s words here and there. “…serpents rising. The bishop lost in the golden house of the bulls… The Army of the Dead assembles under the same stars. Lila… Lila… Lila…”
Nico grabbed a clean napkin from the table, passing it to his chief so that he could wipe Mòr’s mouth.
Kenna stood. “Cecily, Camille, take your food into the kitchen and eat in the breakfast nook. You know Mòr doesn’t like being stared at when she’s like this.”
The young women obediently took their meals away.
Dixon and Blair followed.
Nico also got to his feet. “I should leave for first patrol. If you don’t mind, I’ll take my breakfast to go this morning.”
“No, it’s not right, Nico,” Connell said. “This is happening much too often. Kenna can stay with her sister this morning. I can’t—”
“The oracle needs to be with her family right now, and I serve the oracle. This is part of it. I would do this every day for the rest of my life if duty called for it.”
“Sixteen-hour days? You’re going to start making mistakes.”
“Nonsense. The oracle had a good day yesterday, and I got a good night’s sleep, filled with very pleasant dreams.” Nico’s gaze flicked toward Lila. “I’ll be fine for days. I’ll take my breakfast and relieve Boyd. Stay with your lover. You ease her, and she needs it.”
Nico chugged his orange juice and dumped a few more spoonfuls of migas and an extra tortilla on top of his plate. Then he covered it with a napkin. “It was lovely to see you, Lila. Knock on my door tonight if you want more of my cooking. Cabin twenty-four. And go see Dr. McCrae about that bump on your face, will you? I don’t like seeing you hurt.”
“It’s just a bruise. Besides, I’m heading back into town to see my doctor tomorrow morning.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Nico marched from the dining room, whistling as his footsteps retreated through the parlor.
Connell brushed Mòr’s hair from her eyes as she finally stopped thrashing. “Nico likes you. He can be a little aggressive in his pursuit sometimes. If you want me to talk to him, I will.”
“I’m more than capable of handling blunt men.”
“I imagine you are,” he said. “Your reflexes are faster than I thought.”
“I just happened to look up at the right time.”
“You might not be able to fight worth a damn, but I suspect that will come in time. I could use someone with your talents, and I understand that you’re in need of a job.”
“What does Mòr think about that?”
“She’s not a matron. I don’t need Mòr’s approval or permission on security matters. I did run it by her, though. She likes the idea of keeping you close. What happened last month keeps us both up at night. Think about it.”
With that, he picked up the oracle. “Kenna, send Dr. McCrae to our bedroom when she arrives, will you?”
Connell trudged from the room, Mòr in his arms.
Kenna rearranged the pitchers on the tables. “Mòr has seizures all the time. It can be a bit nerve-racking to outsiders.”
“To insiders as well.”
“They usually aren’t this bad. Most of the time, she just spaces out. Sometimes she doesn’t even drop whatever she’s holding. She’s had them at the temple before, and most of the time, pilgrims don’t even notice. I catch her up in her earpiece when she gives me the signal. She’ll even carry on for the rest of the day. Lately, they’ve been different.”
“Because of the thrashing?”
“And what she sees. Death, destruction, blood. Whatever it is this time, it’s big. Big as in conferences with your father. We’re lucky, really. The prime minister might want to interfere with us, but he listens when we speak. It’s more difficult to warn someone when they do not yet believe. It’s why there are factions within our numbers who wish to return to the old ways.”
“When the oracles controlled the government?”
