by S. L. Stacy
“We stopped at his place first. No one was home.” Suspicion glints in Rodriguez’s deep brown eyes. She has the look of someone who knows something’s not quite right but can’t put her finger on exactly what. “Your parents gave us a list of your friends’ names that are in the area.”
“We’re glad to see you’re okay,” Sloane puts in, easing up on his cop voice this time. His blue eyes cut to Rodriguez. Reluctantly, she nods, her body still tensed with pent-up aggression. I suspect this confrontation has ended rather anticlimactically for her. “But call your parents. Today. Promise?”
I smile sweetly. “Pinky swear.”
“Siobhan?!”
This time, I’m the one who jumps. My eyes fly up, meeting a pair of amber ones set in a pale face that’s appeared in the doorway behind the officers.
“Victoria?” I manage to croak before my heart leaps up into my throat, cutting off all further words. Man, my intuition must be really off today. First, I get the feeling somebody’s watching the house and just barely suspect the damn cop car sitting right outside. Now, the goddess of victory has landed right on our doorstep, probably here to drag my ass back to Olympus.
Except she doesn’t look like someone who’s come to serve justice. Her face is as white as an Olympian beach. I can almost see the color draining from it as she stares at me, her lips slightly parted.
“Miss?” Sloane takes a step toward her. “Are you alright?”
At last, realization passes over Victoria’s expression. Her eyes harden. “Yes. Yes, sorry. I’m fine.” She shakes herself, then looks over at the cop. “I’m Gamma Lambda Phi’s president. And Siobhan’s big,” she adds, cocking her head toward me. “Carly told me you were looking for her. I’m glad I managed to catch up with you, although I wish I’d been home when you stopped by. Could have saved you a trip. Siobhan told me she was staying here this week.”
“Yep,” I chime in with a grin. “I tell my big sis everything. She really is like my much, much older sister.” While Sloane and Rodriguez cast each other puzzled looks, Victoria glares at me.
“Well, this certainly has been an interesting morning, to say the least, but I think we’re done here.” Shaking his head slightly, Sloane starts for the door. “Call your parents,” he reminds me one last time.
“Will do, officers!” I salute them on their way out. “Sweet Jesus,” I sigh once the door is closed firmly behind them. “I thought they’d never leave.”
“What was all that about?” Jimmy wonders.
“I don’t know,” Victoria says, crossing her arms. Her eyes pin me like daggers. “Why don’t you ask her?”
Chapter 5
“Is it too late now to say sorry?”
I meet Victoria’s glare head-on. “Ask me what?”
She frowns, coming closer to me until I’m forced to crane my neck back to maintain eye contact. As soon as the cops left, I shed the illusion, making it much easier for her to hate me, I suppose. “What the hell happened to Siobhan?”
“I don’t know,” I insist with a shrug. “Haven’t seen her around. She’s probably shacked up with one of her many boyfriends—”
“Don’t play dumb,” she snaps, cutting me off. “Your brother never made it to Olympus. You’re here...and Siobhan never made it out of Pandora. I’m willing to bet you and Dolos had something to do with that.”
“Dolos didn’t do anything.” Caught up in my anger, I’m vaguely aware that an arctic chill has settled over the foyer. “If he didn’t make it home, this is the first I’m hearing about it. Whatever this is, leave him out of it. My brother’s been through enough.”
“Okay. Fine.” Unfolding her arms, Victoria balls her hands into fists at her sides. “Forget him for a moment, then. That still doesn’t explain how Siobhan didn’t make it out of Pandora before the portal closed.”
“I don’t know anything about that, either.” I back up a few steps for some breathing room but maintain eye contact. “Guess she just wasn’t strong enough. Or maybe she liked it there. I hear Pandora is great this time of year. Dark. Endless. Airless. The perfect place to get away from it all.”
“Apate?”
I shudder. Jimmy. I’d almost forgotten he’s here. Reluctantly, I look over at him. He’s staring at me, wide-eyed, that beautiful mouth of his frowning. Well, he’s sort of always pouting, he has whatever resting bitch face is for guys, but this is the real thing, that I’m-preparing-myself-to-be-disappointed-in-you kind of frown that’s like a punch to the gut.
“What is she talking about?” he presses when I still haven’t said anything.
Damn it. Why did the cops, and now Victoria, have to barge in here today of all days asking about Princess Blondie’s whereabouts? This is supposed to be my day, my story. I mean, I thought the morning had been going pretty well, you know? Epic sex. Yummy bagels. Even sharing feelings and all that crap. The last thing I need right now is Jimmy knowing I screwed over his ex, his childhood friend he’s known for years. Years. He’s only known me, what, a little over a month? And no amount of great sex or bagels or feelings is going to make him take my side in this.
“I don’t know,” I mutter, quickly sliding my gaze back to Victoria. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t.”
Lips pursed, Gamma Lambda Phi’s president finally backs away from me, opening the door. She waves a hand toward it. “Outside.”
“Oh, are we gonna fight now? You’ll lose, you know.” I smirk. “I may be small, but I’m strong as hell, and fast.”
“She is freakishly strong,” Jimmy concurs.
“I just want to talk for a minute. Privately. No offense, Jimmy.”
“None taken.”
“Can’t we talk in here? It’s so gross and rainy—”
“Outside!”
Huffing, Victoria turns and, without looking back to see if I’m following, stalks out onto the porch.
Groaning, I follow.
“What do you want from me?” I hiss, letting the door slam behind me. “I’ve helped you and your thick-headed sorority sisters multiple times, in case you’ve forgotten. With recruitment, then the Pandora ritual. What is it going to take to get you to trust me?”
“Well, you can start by telling the truth,” she shouts back, whirling on me. “And don’t pretend like you didn’t have a stake in any of that. We did the Pandora ritual to get Carly and your useless brother back!”
Anger as hot as lava flares inside me. “How fucking dare you call—”
“Our sister endangered herself to save his ass, and now she’s stuck in the space between universes because of you—”
“You’re right. She is.” I cross my arms, giving her a challenging look. “There. I admitted it. Happy now?”
Victoria’s face crumples. Her head jerks away from me, but not before I see a single tear crawl down her cheek. She wipes it quickly away.
“But you…” I falter, heart hammering in my chest. “You already knew—”
“I suspected it,” she corrects me, turning to face me again. “I guess I’d been holding out hope that maybe I was wrong. But you just confirmed it.” Sighing, she falls more than sits down onto the porch swing, putting her head in her hands. The swing squeals on its chains, making me wonder how secure it really is. It looks old, and I don’t think I’ve seen Jimmy or anybody else ever sit on it. I’m pretty sure a plume of dust went up from its faded green cushion when Victoria sat down.
“I…” After a moment’s hesitation, I sit down on the other end, giving her plenty of space. “I am sorry. As soon as I left, I regretted it. It was stupid. And selfish.”
“But why?” Lowering her hands from her face, Victoria looks at me with bleary eyes. “Why did you do it? Why go into Pandora in the first place?”
Oh, crap. Leave it to me to forget my own little white lies. “I...may not have been entirely truthful when I told you I didn’t realize my brother hadn’t returned to Olympus.”
“Well color me shocked.”
“Hey,”
I snap, holding up a placating hand, “do you want to be snippy, or do you want to hear my side of the story? I did it because I knew we weren’t going to get the amnesty you promised us. Well, I think you meant it,” I add before she can argue the point, “but I highly doubt the Elder Council is going to let us go with a slap on the wrist and a friendly warning. And maybe I deserve to be punished, but Dolos certainly doesn’t.
“So, I went in there to warn him. Told him not to go back to Olympus. And then...I knew you guys were having trouble keeping the portal open, and that only one of us, me or Siobhan, would be able to get out in time. I made sure it was me,” I finish quietly.
Looking past Victoria, I notice the rain is picking up again, falling in wet, silvery sheets from the sky. Wind gusts overhead. The autumn trees thrash in it, reminding me of large, colorful beasts shaking out their wet fur. A shiver passes through me, goosebumps popping up on my exposed arms.
She’s quiet for a long time. While her gaze is fixed on the ground, I continue watching the rain, listening to it beat out a staccato rhythm on the roof above us. Although chilled, the air smells clean and earthy. Closing my eyes, I breathe it in slowly, trying to capture in my mind the exact scent, the feeling as its coldness seeps into my bones. They’re small things, the music and fragrance of the rain, but sometimes the most inconsequential of things become the most precious of memories.
I should know. I know what it’s like to be shut away for so long you almost can’t remember the sound of rainfall, or the electric feel of the air before a storm, how vicious the sky looks, all swirling, voluminous gray clouds. I can feel it now, a tension in the atmosphere, as though something up there is poised and ready to strike.
In the distance, thunder rumbles. I open my eyes, stealing a glance at Victoria. She’s occupied with studying her slender, long-fingered hands.
“I’m sorry,” I finally say, breaking the silence. “I don’t know what else I can say. I fucked up. I left her in the one place I swore I’d never go back to myself. Are you...am I…”
I trail off, unable to finish the question. Of course I’m in trouble. “Are you going to tell Farrah?” Farrah is the Gamma Lambda Phi’s house mother, and Victoria’s real mother. “Farrah” is just an alias, like many of our kind have adopted since coming to this world. Her Olympian name is Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, love, and being really fucking full of yourself. Okay, I made up that last part.
Victoria gives an almost imperceptible shake of her head. “No. Not yet. And...maybe I won’t have to.” Straightening up, she finally looks at me, forehead creased in thought. Oh, Sweet Jesus. She’s getting an idea. I can practically see the little gears turning around in her head, plotting. I hate Victoria’s schemes. Lately, they all seem to involve me putting myself on the line for people I don’t even like. Which is, you know, most people.
“What? What?” I ask when she still hasn’t said anything.
“I think I have a job for you,” she says, leaning back in her seat. The porch swing thrashes from the movement. “Your little charade just now with the police has inspired me. If you do it, I won’t tell anyone about your involvement in all of this, or even that we talked. Not my mother, nor anyone else on the Elder Council.”
I bring my legs up to cross them, rearranging my black skirt over my knees. “Okay. What will this job entail?”
“I’ve been struggling with how to deal with Siobhan’s parents. And, clearly, I’ve put it off for too long already.”
“You know, there are these handy little devices called phones. Just text them, pretend to be her.”
She rolls her eyes. “You think I haven’t thought of that? I can’t find Siobhan’s phone anywhere. And I’m still not sure what we can do to help her, or if....when we’ll be able to do it,” she corrects herself quickly. “But in the meantime, we need to reassure the Elliots. They need to see their daughter. See that she’s okay.” Victoria gives me a meaningful look.
“Oh. Oh, hell no.” Unfolding myself, I hop down to my feet. “No way.”
“Yes way.” Victoria gets up and snatches my arm, forcing me to look up at her. “We just need...time. This will give us some. We can’t have the Elliots, and especially not the cops, sniffing around this. Anything they would try to do would be useless, anyway.”
“So you want to lie to them?” I shake her hand off. “You want me to, what, go to whatever country bumpkin town she’s from and pretend to be her, tell them everything’s just hunky dory? Oh, Mom, Dad, everything at college is just swell,” I say mockingly, bringing my voice up a few octaves. “Jasper asked me to go steady with him, and yesterday I bought a new pink shirt! My life couldn’t get any more perfect—”
“Stop it,” Victoria growls. “This is the least you could do for us, considering this is all your fault. And, if you don’t do it,” she adds, answering my unspoken question, “then it’s back to Olympus for you and Dolos, and I’ll personally make sure any punishment dealt is swift and severe. Since when is the goddess of deception averse to lying, anyway?”
I make a face at her but say nothing. Because she’s right. This is my fault. I can’t take it back, but maybe I can set things right, even in some small way. Even if that way is just giving Siobhan’s parents some closure. Letting them see their daughter one last time. I hope that’s not really the case, but the truth is, it might be. All because of me.
“Fine. I’ll do it,” I finally agree, folding my arms against my chest. “But, for the record, I’m a little sick of you and the rest of your merry band of good guys resenting me and my brother for our abilities. You sure don’t mind exploiting them when it benefits you.”
“We don’t resent you for them,” Victoria insists. “But this will be a chance for you to use them for some good.”
“As opposed to the random havoc we usually wreak?” In my opinion, Dolos and I are usually pretty good about keeping our powers in check. I’m about to tell her this, when the door creaks open behind me. Jimmy steps out onto the porch, hands buried in his pockets.
“How’s it going out here?” he asks.
“Great.” Victoria gives him a pleased smile. “Go today, if you can,” she says, turning back to me. “Laurel’s only about an hour away from here.”
Jimmy’s forehead knots. I heave a sigh. “Will do.”
Victoria starts to make her way down the steps, pausing halfway down. The rain has finally let up, the wind diminished to a calm breeze ruffling the hem of my skirt. “Jimmy can go with you.”
“No, he can’t.” I glance at him, then back to Victoria. “I don’t need a chaperone.”
She looks doubtful. “I think you should have someone go with you. And he’s from there. He knows the area, and her parents. He’ll be there for emotional support.”
Emotional support, my ass. She still doesn’t trust me. Not that I’ve exactly given her a reason to. “If you want me to have a babysitter, you should come yourself.” To be honest, I’d rather stick a hot poker in my eye than spend the day with the goddess of victory, but this was all her idea. And I don’t think I can keep up this pretense of ignorance with Jimmy much longer.
“I would—believe me, I would—but I can’t. We have a lot to contend with back at the house. So don’t screw this up.” Giving me one last, pointed look, Victoria hops down the remaining few steps, going over to her car.
“Care to fill me in?” Jimmy asks as we watch her pull away.
“Sure. But first,” I say, heading for the house, “we need to do some shopping.”
Chapter 6
“Life in plastic, it’s fantastic”
1:01 p.m.
GAP
I peek around the door of the dressing room. “Ready?”
“Please,” Jimmy begs. He’s sprawled in one of the chairs outside the dressing rooms, looking bored. “We’ve been here for hours. Just show me already.”
“We’ve been here for…” I glance at my smart phone. “Twenty minutes.”
“It’s felt like an
eternity.”
“Shut up.” I come out and do a little spin. “Voila! What do you think?” Coming to a stop in front of the three-way mirror, I pose with one hand on my hip. “Do you like?”
“I…” Sitting forward, Jimmy’s hazel eyes glance over me, his brow furrowed. “What in God’s name are you wearing?”
Leaving my reflection for a moment, I turn to face him. “It’s called a dress, genius.”
“I know that, it’s just...it’s so…” He leans back again, rubbing his forehead. “Pink.”
“Yeah. That’s kind of the point.” I sway my hips back and forth, making the hem flutter around my knees. It is pink, but not the garish shade Jimmy’s disdain might suggest. It’s more the pale shade of wedding roses. After Victoria left, I realized I’d need to tweak my style if I’m going to convince the Elliots I’m their daughter. A new outfit is just the thing to help me get in character.
On our way to the mall, Victoria texted me some further instructions, so we had to take a slight detour to pick up the additional supplies. Jimmy had been firmly against wasting anymore time shopping. I’d promised to be quick, although I don’t think any amount of time spent clothes shopping is short enough for Jimmy.
“I just mean it’s not...you,” he says presently, sounding exasperated.
“I will decide what is and is not me.” He’s completely right—usually, I wouldn’t be caught dead in this type of thing—but, to be honest, I’m kind of digging this dress. It’s breezy and feminine. Whereas wearing mostly black usually makes me look washed out, the pale pink color seems to be bringing out a similar hue in my cheeks. Add to that my vivid green eyes, and I’m basically a flower.
“I’m a flower.” I declare it out loud. “A sexy flower.”
“Ooo-kay,” Jimmy sighs. “As long as you like it, I guess it’s alright. But don’t you think you’re taking Victoria’s mission a little too far?”
“How so?” As I ask it, I whisk back into the dressing room, changing into my normal black skirt and clingy top.