“Cyrus…”
I found myself at a loss for words when I brushed my fingers over the necklace he had given me. The chain was delicate. The links so small, you could hardly tell them apart. But the most beautiful part was the thin golden pendant that hung from it. It was shaped like a disc with the symbol of a Phoenix engraved in the center.
No. Not the symbol of a Phoenix. It was the symbol of the Sibyl. My symbol.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” I widened my eyes when I looked at him. “Where on earth did you find this?”
“I didn’t find it.” He grinned. “I had Hephaestus craft it for you.”
I didn’t know what to say. ‘Thank you’ seemed too trite. Too simple. So I leaned forward to give him another kiss before I wrapped my arms around him.
“You’re too good to me, Stick.” I closed my eyes as I rested my cheek against his chest. “Really. I can’t tell you how much I love it.”
Cyrus cupped his hand around the back of my neck and entwined his fingers through my hair as he held me close to him. We stayed that way in a blissful silence before finally, I moved. Not that I wanted to, mind you. But my leg was going numb. So I handed him the box.
“Put it on me?”
“With pleasure.”
He got up and offered me his hand. Cyrus turned me around, so I lifted my hair up off my neck to give him easier access. He looped the necklace around my throat before he closed the clasp. His fingers grazed over the thin chain for a second before I turned around to face him.
“Well? How does it look?” I grinned up at him. “Perfect, right?”
“Perfect.” Cyrus took my hand and squeezed it. “You sure you up for a date tonight, Evie? If you’re tired, we can always cancel.”
“Don’t you dare, Cyrus.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You promised and I’m holding you to it.”
“Your wish is, as ever, my command.” He leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll go grab the drinks. You order the food. And we’ll get this ball rolling.”
“Deal.”
I snagged my phone from the table and unplugged it from the charger as he left me. After I made the call, I dropped back down on the bed to turn the television onto Netflix. But my mind wasn’t on the old black and white movies we always watched. It was on the conversation I had with Zeus that very afternoon. So when Cyrus returned to pass me a glass of wine, I gave him a tight smile.
“What’s wrong?” My beloved lowered himself down on the other side of the bed. After a moment, he gave me a dark look. “You met with Zeus today.”
“I did and no, nothing happened.” I took a sip of my wine then wrinkled my nose. “I don’t know what you’re so worried about with him. Technically, he’s my grandfather.”
“Family ties has never been a hindrance to our Father God.” Cyrus sat his glass down. “Want to talk about it?”
“No, but I suppose I should.” I sighed. “He met me at the autism luncheon today.”
“Did Joey find out you donated his portion of the ad money?” Cyrus smirked. “Did he hit the ceiling or did he sulk for an hour?”
“Sulked, and don’t change the subject.” I folded myself up on the pillows next to him. “Zeus told me that Cronos has been banished to an old folk’s home in Alaska. He won’t be any help to us.”
“Why?” Cyrus shook his head. “The Titan created the barrier. Of course he would know how to keep it active.”
“Yeah, well. That was before Zeus had his memory erased.” I shrugged. “So he’s out. But he did say that Prometheus may be able to help us.”
Cyrus nodded before he responded. “It makes sense. An ally of Olympus who is an expert in Titan affairs.”
“He’s also close by.” I pointed out. “San Francisco to be exact. We’re going to head out tomorrow after the meeting.”
“Very well. I’ll be sure to be there with Dominique. The exposure would do wonders for her ego.”
“What’s her deal, Cy?” I leaned back against the headboard. “You haven’t told me much about her. And my access to her as been quite…limited.”
“Dominique was an apostle to Nike, the goddess of victory.” He took another sip of his whiskey. “She was born around 1889. No one knows for sure since such vital records for people of her descent were not kept at that time. The girl experienced a harsh life, Little One. Poverty, violence. You name it, Dominique fell victim to it. Yet, she was lucky in one aspect. She heard the stories of our gods. The girl adored Greek legend. She taught herself how to read using the tales of our heroes.”
“Ok. So she has a sob story.” I nodded. “But that doesn’t explain how she became a Keeper.”
“No, I suppose it doesn’t.” Cyrus reached out to play with my hair as he spoke. “On her twentieth birthday, the girl was attacked by a Shade. Logic would say she had no hope, but she attempted to fight off her assailant with so much ferocity that Nike took notice. She rescued Dominique from the creature and took her in. Dominique was so grateful; she swore herself to Nike’s service.”
I tilted my head towards his hand as he twirled a strand of gold around his finger. But I didn’t say anything. If this woman was going to be defending me, I needed to know everything I could about her.
“After eight years had passed, Nike referred her to Hecate and Medusa. She was trained in the same manner you were, Little One. She became a student of their elite Cronos program, which is exclusively for Keepers.”
“And now, she’s here.” I frowned. “I don’t understand. If Apollo wants me to be so well-protected, why her? Is she experienced in the Keeper arena?”
Cyrus sighed. “Yes. She was the Keeper assigned to one of Aphrodite’s pets. But after the man succumbed to disease, she became a free agent of sorts. Hecate recommended Dominique to Apollo when it became clear I would be promoted.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.” I sighed. “I don’t want you to leave me.”
“Believe me when I say I am not happy with the arrangement.” My beloved Keeper’s face darkened for the second time since we’d been reunited. “Especially since she is weak. Her timing is pathetic.”
“So I’m going to be babysitting her then, on this little expedition of ours.” I nodded. “Got it.”
“Eva, I want you to listen to me.” He dropped his hand from my hair to my arm. “I want you to look after yourself first. Joey second. Dominique can save herself if need be.”
“You know I won’t leave her behind, Cyrus.” I interlocked our fingers together. “I’d never be able to look at myself in the mirror again.”
“You can’t do that now.” He gave me a crooked grin. “But we’ll work on it. I promise.”
“No offense, but I’m done with the monsters and tragic histories for tonight.” I shifted until I was snuggled down against him. “Hit ‘play’, Keeper. I’m ready to forget the craziness for a few hours.”
Cyrus kissed the top of my head before he did as I asked. But as the opening credits scrolled across the screen, I found myself wondering if having Dominique on my team was a mistake. According to Cyrus, she was weak. A liability.
One I couldn’t afford if I was going to be able to defeat the bad guys this time.
Chapter Six
I arrived at Connor’s office minutes before my meeting with him was scheduled to begin. It was the first day I’d been back to the office since I’d returned from Rome, North Carolina and while nothing noticeable had changed, the place felt different. The air was heavy. Thick with sadness over the passing of Joseph Lancaster’s only son.
I waved at Connor’s assistant, Mistie, as I breezed by her. I didn’t want to stop for chit-chat. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear her condolences or how sorry she was that Elliot was gone. I was sorry, too.
Sorry that he’d gone insane. Sorry that he’d sold his soul to a vengeful goddess. Sorry that our friendship had shifted into a rivalry that left both of us hating each other.
I brushed the wrinkles out
of my blouse before I knocked on the door. After a moment, I heard Connor call out to me through the door.
“Come in, Eva. Mistie told me you were here.”
I took a breath and stepped inside my boss’s office. Joey’s words from the morning before flickered through my mind but I dismissed them. There was no way Connor would fire us. And if he did, there wasn’t a production company in Orange County who wouldn’t pick us up.
“Hey, Connor.” I dropped my messenger bag down next to the chair when I sat down. “What’s up?”
“First, I wanted to see how you were doing.” He gave me a look of pure pity. “First your parents. Now Elliot. Three funerals must have taken a toll on you, Eva.”
“Two.” I corrected him. “My parents had a shared ceremony.”
“Eva,” Connor rubbed his hand over his eyes before he continued. “Please know that Theia will do anything to help you get through this. You tell us what you need, and we’ll provide it.”
“I don’t need anything.” I shrugged. “I’ve shed my tears, Connor. I’ve got to keep moving. If I stand still for too long, then I start to think. I start to remember. I can’t do that.”
“Which is exactly why you need help.”
“No.” I cut him off with a wave of my hand. “You said ‘first’. What else did you need to discuss with me?”
Connor gave me a long look before he pushed a folder towards me. “As you know, Elliot was the executive producer over Grave Messages. We need a replacement.”
“Ok.” I frowned as I looked down at the folder. “What does that have to do with me?”
“We want you to take Elliot’s spot. And stay on as the host of the show, of course.”
I bit my bottom lip as I flipped open the folder. I scanned over the offer. The ridiculous increase in my pay. But the most important part of the whole document was the final paragraph. I would be given complete control of the Grave Messages franchise. As long as I kept the show with Theia Productions, I could do what I wanted. I could go where I wanted.
It was the offer of a lifetime.
“Connor, I’m flattered…”
“Eva, it’s no secret that Grave is the most important show under our umbrella right now. Thanks to the smash hit you, Elliot, and Joey have created, Theia has begun to expand its reach into other aspects of entertainment. Now, I’m not a begging man. And I’m not trying to lay all my cards out on the table, but we need you.
“Fine.” I closed the folder. “If we are so important, then you won’t mind if I asked for Joey a raise. I want him to make what I am making now. Give him Leyton’s old salary. He deserves it. Along with a bonus.”
“A bonus?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “$125,000. I think you’ll agree with me that he’s worth that and more.”
Connor was silent for a moment before he sighed in resignation. I knew how he hated to loosen up the purse strings, but I wasn’t kidding when I said Joey deserved a raise. He’d been with me since the beginning. Just because he was behind the camera instead of in front of it didn’t mean a damned thing.
“Fine.” Connor nodded. “I’ll have his paperwork drawn up this afternoon.”
“That’s perfect. It’ll give me time to fax this over to my lawyer’s office.” I scooped up the folder and dropped it into my bag. “Once Joey signs his new paperwork, I will sign mine.”
“For five years.” Connor gave me a shrewd look. “That is going to be my condition. You and Joseph will have to be under us for the next five years.”
“Yeah. We weren’t going anywhere.” I shrugged. “I’m lazy, Connor. I know the politics here already. And the coffee shop on the first floor knows my order by heart. I’m not looking to change that.”
I earned a smile at that. Connor shook his head before he extended his hand over the desk. I gave it a quick shake back before I fell back into my chair.
“So is it too early to talk about the location we are going to next?”
“That depends.” He scowled at me. “How much more money is this going to cost me?”
“Hell if I know. But the cost of one advertisement slot should cover it.”
I reached into my bag to pull out the documents I had put together before the sun had risen. I handed them over to him. It wasn’t until he started flipping through the pictures that I spoke.
“Hoia-Baciu Forest in Romania. Only one other paranormal show has filmed there in the past ten years.”
“And?”
“And there is a Greek element that I can’t discuss with you right now.” I folded my hands together in my lap. “But Joey will film the whole thing. And the ratings will, once again, blow the roof off.”
“Why do you want to go across the world to film in Romania? That’s a hell of a trip, McRayne.”
“I agree. But it would also help us appeal to our international audience. We can hit Romania. Then find other spots throughout Europe to investigate. My passport needs more stamps on it, anyway.”
“We can do a special in Greece.” Connor leaned back in his chair to press his fingertips together beneath his nose. “That can be the season finale.”
I swallowed down the sudden rush of fear that pierced through my heart. Greece? If the monsters from the ancient world could find me here in the U.S., what would they be able to do to me if I was on their home turf?
No. I couldn’t think about it. Barrier first. Greece later.
“Fine.” I nodded. “When can we have the Romania trip set up?”
“We will need some time.” He frowned. “Three, four weeks?”
“No. I’ll use the credit card.” I snagged the strap on my bag. “We are camping in the woods, so we’ll only need hotel rooms for a night or two. And since it’ll just be me and Joey, that’ll cut down on the number of people to pay for.”
“Eva,” Connor stood when I did. “Is it safe?”
“Now, Connor.” I smiled to him before I turned to head towards the door. “What fun would that be?”
“Eva…”
“We will leave for Romania on Wednesday. Early. I’ll have my new contract sent to you this afternoon.”
He didn’t respond when I closed the door behind me. And I thought I did well considering what had happened. I now had Elliot’s control over my show. I could dictate what I wanted and when I wanted it.
I couldn’t smile big enough.
***
“I got a raise!”
I glanced up from my laptop to see Joey bound into the room. He swept me out of my chair into a bear hug that lifted me off the ground as he laughed. When he put me down, he was grinning from ear to ear.
“Thanks, Evie. You’re the best.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I raised an eyebrow. “I thought they were firing you.”
“Uh huh.” He hugged me again. Tighter this time. “Seriously, Evie. Thank you. It’s good to feel appreciated.”
“Yeah, well,” I patted his back. “You’re the best. But Joey? You are smothering me. Let up a little.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He gave me a sheepish look. “Connor told me you got Elliot’s old job.”
“Yep.” I nodded as I felt a strange presence enter the room. Dominique Breaux stepped out of the shadows, but I ignored her. “That means we are going to Romania. First thing on Wednesday morning. So you better be ready. But first, San Francisco. Go grab your bags. I’ll meet you at the condo in twenty minutes.”
“Yes, m’am.”
Joey smiled, hugged me again, then dashed out of the room. I watched him go as Dominique came to stand just off to my side.
“Cyrus of Crete. Joseph Lawson.” Dominique clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth. “You got anymore members to this little harem of men you’re collecting, Princess?”
I didn’t stop to think about the repercussions of my actions. I slammed my elbow back until I heard her perfect nose crunch beneath it. When Dominique dropped to her knees, I whirled around with my sword in hand. I rested the tip
of the blade against the base of her throat before I responded.
I was proud of myself. I kept my voice calm. Steady despite my sudden anger at the hidden meaning behind her question.
“Call me a whore again and I will end you, Keeper.”
Dominique awarded me with a bloody grin before she brought her arm up. It was then I realized she had willed her weapon into existence. It was a small axe with a single lethal blade. She reacted as quickly as I had. She knocked my sword away with her axe, rolled to her feet, then stood. She wiped the blood away from her mouth with the back of her sleeve as she faced me.
“Come on, Barbie. Let’s play.”
I kept my blade down by my side as she circled around me. Her bright amber eyes gleamed with the excitement of a fight. For a moment, I wondered if what Cyrus had told me was true. Was she weak? Was she slow?
There was only one way to find out.
Dominique swung her axe at me but I blocked it with ease. Then again and again as I continued to circle around her.
“Cyrus said Medusa trained you.” I laughed. “I don’t think you learned a single thing from her. You should have taken me down by now.”
“Perhaps I value my role as a Keeper too much to throw it away for some blonde television star.”
“Maybe.” I admitted. “Or maybe, you don’t want to get your ass kicked.”
I launched forward to slam my shoulder into her chest. Dominique stumbled back, so I hooked my foot behind her ankle to sweep her legs out from beneath her. The apostle of Nike grunted when she fell. I sighed as I twirled my sword in slow circles by my side.
“I can’t do it. It’s too shameful. Stand, Breaux. I won’t kill you.”
“Perhaps it is I…”
“Save it.” I cut her off with a wave of my hand as my weapon disappeared. “We’ve got too much work to do. Where’s Cyrus?”
“Right here.”
I turned to see my beloved had entered the office. For the first time in over two years, I hadn’t noticed his presence. He awarded me with my favorite crooked grin before he approached me.
“You did well, Sibyl.” Cyrus clapped his hand over my shoulder before he turned a cold stare onto my opponent. “Breaux. I will report this incident to Apollo. He will be in charge of your punishment.”
The Daughter (The Oracle Series Book 6) Page 5