Stepping through the door of the bar, I’m blinded by the abrupt change in lighting. The air fills with a heady mix of sawdust, stale beer, and an array of perfumes and colognes. Laughter and shouts fill the gaps between the songs.

The speakers play Patsy Cline's unmistakable voice, filling the room with its soft, melodic sound. My heart clinches at the emotion in her voice.

People occupy the bar stools along the long wooden counter and fill the booths. An electric game of poker beeps and flashes on the opposite end of the room. Its lights, along with the neon signs, compete to brighten the gloomy interior.

I spot my contact sitting in a booth with a small fuzzy shape in front of him. I’m approached by drunk men who think they are charming, but my gaze silenced them.

Walking up to the booth, I nod at Gill-Eion. A snitch Talon introduced me to when I was first assigned to him.

After taking a seat, I nod in acknowledgment of the white rabbit with black ears and spots on his face. The rabbit nods back at me and continues to munch his carrot.

I ask Gill-Eoin, “What’s the word?”

“Oh, many words, me lassie. You know the cost of words, for they live on the wind and I must wrangle them.” He replies with his Irish lilt.

I plead. “Danu, why do you have to be so old school?”

I pull a small piece of paper out of my pocket and write out the words. One small favor owed to Gill-Eoin from Avril Florez. Signing with a flourish at the bottom, I slide it over to him.

Gill-Eoin responds. “That’ll do lovely. The words you want are that someone admires you. Why I don’t understand.”

His contempt for my blood status is clear in his expression.

“Is this word from the mouth of the one or the oracles?”

He replies. “The oracles speak of you, Avril, and they have so much more to say about you. Things that are disturbing and intriguing. But those things will cost you more than a small.” Pointing out the size of the favor I offered.

Coughing from a patron who has smoked too many cigarettes in his time interrupts our exchange. Allowing me time to think over if it’s worth a larger favor. I am prohibited from giving major favors because of my job as a detective, even if I’m on forced leave.

“I don’t have that coin for you today, Gill.”

The rabbit looks up at me and menacingly sticks out its tongue and blows me a raspberry.

Gill-Eoin declares. “Times up, little mortal, scurry along. I have drinking to do and himself has munching to do in private.”

I rise from the booth and leave the bar, my mind filled with cryptic oracle words floating in my head.

Thoughts of the oracle's cryptic words keep gnawing at my mind like a relentless itch. I know I should be focusing on my forced leave from the detective force, but curiosity drives me forward.

The next day, I find myself wandering through a labyrinth of narrow alleys, searching for the hidden entrance to the elusive Oracle's sanctum. The whispers of Gill-Eoin's information have piqued my interest, and I can't let it go.

Finally, I come across an unassuming door, guarded by a towering man with a tattooed face. He scrutinizes me with piercing eyes, his hands crossed over his muscular chest.

"I seek an audience with the Oracle," I say with as much confidence as I can muster.

He smirks, amused by my request. "And what do you bring as an offering?"

In a daring move, I pull out a small, ornate box from my pocket. Inside lies a rare and precious gemstone I had acquired during a previous case.

The guardian's eyes widen in surprise. "Follow me," he commands, opening the door and allowing me to pass.

I step into a dimly lit chamber, filled with the heady scent of incense. Before me, shrouded in a veil of mystery, sits the Oracle. She's an elderly woman, her face adorned with intricate symbols and her eyes clouded with otherworldly wisdom.

"You seek answers, child of two worlds," she says in a voice that seems to echo from far beyond.

I nod, trying to keep my composure. "Tell me what you see, who is seeking me."

The Oracle raises her hands, and her eyes close as if she's delving into the realms of the unknown. "I see a soul bound by duty and torn by loyalty. A heart yearning for acceptance in a world that deems it unworthy. A path ahead filled with darkness and light, where choices will shape destinies."

The words send a shiver down my spine.

"You must embrace love." She continues after a heartbeat, "for only then will the mysteries of your curse to be revealed."

I swallow hard, realizing that all she did is what I expected, cryptic answers that mean nothing.

As I step out of the Oracle's sanctum, I carry the burden of her words with me. The path ahead is uncertain.

I return to my daily life, but now, with more confusion. The mystery surrounding the Oracle's words drives me to seek answers, not only about myself but also about the world I inhabit.

Through it all, the memory of Gill-Eoin's contemptuous expression fuels my determination to find the answers I seek.

The bar with its mix of scents, sounds, and characters becomes a distant memory, but the words exchanged with Gill-Eoin and the enigmatic Oracle linger in my soul. They serve as a constant reminder of the price of seeking the truth and love.

In the end Alexandr calls asking me if I’m free tomorrow night. Is he the love the Oracle mentioned?