Contradiction

"I've been spreading the word all along that there were no dark clouds over Delphi, that there was water and land enough to take in those shrouded by darkness," Pythia said, blinking. "Don't tell me you never heard it?"

"Of course I heard it." A bitter smile appeared on Andros's face. "Do you know who told me?"

"Who?"

"Kaurien. Do you still remember him? The bell-ringer in the treehouse, the fellow who liked sitting in olive trees and teaching olives to sing."

"Ah... of course I remember him!" Pythia's eyes lit up. "I still remember when I first arrived on the island, he cut down an olive tree to help me build a house."

"Yes, he was a warmhearted fellow." Andros forced out a strained smile. "He rode over on horseback and told me about it, but months earlier, we had already received word that Delphi had been destroyed."

"You must have been tricked by Herpo the Foul!"

"I think so too."

Andros widened his eyes and stared carefully at Pythia, making the High Priestess's skin crawl. She unconsciously reached up and touched her face.

"In any case, I'm glad to see you, Pythia."

Andros broke into a brilliant smile and reached his hand toward Pythia. Pythia thought Andros was going to greet her as he had in the past, so she lifted her arm and extended her hand toward him.

"I'm glad too."

"Are you? Heh." A faint, flickering light shone in Andros's eyes. He clasped Pythia's hand in his broad, heavy palm, enveloping it completely. Pythia felt the warmth she had not known for so many years and let out a long breath, but immediately after, a sharp pain came from her fingertip. She widened her eyes in terror, but her heavy eyelids could no longer complete the