“Do you want to come in? To my room, I mean,” Mirissa whispered.
When Greco’s back stiffened, she knew she’d pushed too far. Their relationship was still new. Even though they’d known each other for over a year, they’d just begun dating a week ago. Both of them had chosen not to rush the physical side of their relationship, but now that Mirissa knew she had less than four days left to spend with him, she was seriously reconsidering that decision.
“What’s going on with you?” Greco asked, his baritone voice vibrating through her.
Mirissa snuggled closer, her hands locked at the small of his back to pull him closer still. "Nothing."
Taking her by the shoulders, he held her away from him, his blue eyes scanning her face with such intensity she felt like she was being x-rayed. "Tell me."
Mirissa's gaze fell under his scrutiny. "Nothing's going on." She attempted a chuckle, but it came out as a groan. "Can't I just want to be with my boyfriend?"
She glanced up to see his lips compressed in a scowl. When she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him, he pulled back and pinned her with a glare.
Tamping down the hurt of his rejection, she fired back, “You don't even want me to kiss you?"
“Not until you tell me what you’re hiding.” His eyes pleaded with her to open up to him. “What aren't you saying?" he demanded, his grip on her shoulders becoming almost painful.
Mirissa’s pulse quickened. She tried to keep her face relaxed and neutral. “Nothing," she repeated.
“Stop saying ‘nothing,’ Mirissa.” He released her shoulders, taking both of her hands gently in his. “You might be able to fool the others, but not me. I know you better than you know yourself.”
Forcing a laugh to ease the tension, she said, “That would be a scary thought if it was true.”
Greco released her hands, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall, distancing himself from her. “I do know you, Mirissa. For instance, I know you blame yourself for Lincoln’s death back on Ortega. Since then you’ve been living under the mistaken assumption that you aren’t strong enough to handle anything on your own.”
Mirissa swallowed against the lump forming in her throat. He was right, of course, but the fact that he’d seen through her charade of bravery unsettled her. “I’m more realistic now than I used to be. That’s all.”
She watched Greco’s eyes narrow in response to her lie. She hated misleading him, especially when she remembered how much it had hurt when he hid his past from her. Mirissa desperately wanted to feel his arms around her and have him tell her everything would be all right. When she stepped close, Greco held his hand up to stop her.
“Not until you tell me what you’re hiding.” His gaze bored into her. “I know there’s something.”
Mirissa cast her gaze to the floor, unable to look at him while she lied. “You’re wrong.”
Greco’s disappointment quickly transformed into anger. “You say I’m your boyfriend, but you don’t trust me enough to even talk to me. I’ve told you all my secrets, bared my soul to you, and you’re just going to stand there and lie to me?”
She stumbled back, her hand going to her lips to stop their quiver. Lying to Greco, causing him this pain, made her heart feel like lead in her chest. Telling him would be so easy. She longed to let everything spill out, to share the burden with him. After all, Greco had been willing to sacrifice his own life to save one little boy in Savannah. How could he not understand her being willing to do the same thing to save the entire human race? But she knew that wasn’t how it would play out. He’d find some way to stop her from doing what she had to do. If she let that happen, Greco, her parents, and everyone else in the world would die. No, she had to be strong.
Mirissa opened her mouth and forced out a barely audible reply. “There’s nothing.”
Greco sucked in a breath as if he'd taken a blow to the stomach. Growling like a wounded animal, he turned and strode away, leaving her standing in front of her room. He paused long enough to slam his fist against the wall before disappearing around the corner at the end of the hall.
“Goodnight, Greco,” Mirissa whispered. Brushing a tear from her cheek, she entered her room and closed the door behind her.
Chapter 12
Flip sat at the head of a long, golden banquet table with Aphrodite perched on the seat at his right hand. She lazily fed him decadent treats from the overflowing platter in front of him.
“I missed you so, Flip,” she said.
“Don’t you worry, pet. I’ll be at your side for the rest of eternity.” Flip lovingly caressed her cheek before turning his attention to the peon currently polishing the floor at his feet. “Make sure that marble has a mirror finish before you’re done, or else.”
“Yes, sir. It will, sir,” Daedric said with a horrified look.
Nibbling at a piece of berry-filled pastry nestled in Aphrodite’s delicate fingers, Flip—
“Horse companion!” Ares bellowed.
Flip awoke with a start to find himself in Ares’s library. “Yes, Ares. What can I do for you now?” He wasn’t sure what annoyed him more; being once again teleported against his will, or having such an incredible dream interrupted.
“Tell us what you’ve learned about the key-holder.” Eris’s voice, though beautiful, sent a shiver through him. It had been five thousand years since she’d last been on Mount Olympus, but her cruelty remained unmatched by any other god—even Ares.
Flip cringed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I mean, what information have you uncovered that might be useful to us?” The implied threat of bodily harm—or worse—if he didn’t produce worthwhile intelligence hung in the air.
Flip cleared his throat. “Well, they are a very close group. They fight for each other as much as they fight against their enemies. It’s quite remarkable, actually. Mirissa was willing to sacrifice her own safety to make sure I didn’t get hurt when Daedric pretended to try to injure me.”
“I wasn’t pretending,” Daedric mumbled from his seat on the leather sofa.
Flip glared at him. “I hope you like marble floors, Daedric.” The furrow in the half-breed’s brow said he didn’t have a clue Flip would soon be a higher god and more than capable of taking revenge on those who annoyed him.
“So, in all your time with the girl, the only information you’ve been able to garner is that she’s nice?” Eris looked less than pleased, which caused Daedric to lick his lips, as though salivating over the expected carnage.
Ares made his irritability known by hurling Flip to the floor. “My sister believes we’ve been going about this the wrong way.” The look he shot at Eris made Flip wonder who was actually in charge.
“You said as much yourself, brother.” The tone infused into that endearment showed how little love the two siblings shared. “Daedric has come at this girl head-on more than once and lost. Sometimes, all a situation requires is a little finesse.”
Daedric stood at the unspoken insult. “I don’t understand why you don’t just kill her yourself.”
Eris twitched with anger. “Because, when Zeus made this little bargain, he decreed that no god could interfere with either side.”
“But didn’t we already do that when I retrieved the box?” Daedric’s usual arrogance was replaced by confusion.
“In case you forgot, you’re not a god. Getting the box was the whole reason Ares sired you, moron,” Flip sneered.
Eris waved off their conversation as though it meant nothing to her. “Flip, tell me everything you know about Mirissa.”
“She’s quite powerful for a human. Even more powerful than she gives herself credit for. She’s very young, so her confidence level is lower than it should be.” He looked at Daedric, dreading having to utter the next sentence. “She doesn’t believe she could have beaten the half-breed without the help of her family and friends.” Before Daedric could interject some self-serving comment, Flip quickly added, “But I’m not sure that’s the case.”
/>
Ares strode forward with his chest puffed out. “Then we kill her family. Her friends, too. Everyone important to her.”
The goddess gave him a droll stare. “Zeus may be arrogant, but he’s no fool. He’ll be watching, waiting for us to break his rules and interfere. No, we must be careful.” Eris pondered the situation for a moment, then a cruel smile lit up her face. “Tell me, Flip. Of all the people she is with, who does she rely on the most?”
Flip had to think about that one for a moment. His first thoughts were of Greco. She was definitely emotionally attached to him and held him in high regard. But Flip’s gut told him something different. “I’d have to say her father, Steve. Given their history, his presence empowers her more than anyone’s.”
Eris clapped her hands together, the corners of her lips curling into a sinister grin. “There you have it, boys. One accident—completely innocent, of course—and our key-holder problem is solved.”
Chapter 13
The breakfast in what passed as a restaurant in their hotel left much to be desired. Mirissa pushed the watery eggs around her plate with a fork while waiting for her parents to join her, daydreaming of a mile-high stack of blueberry pancakes. At least the coffee tasted all right, and with the serious lack of sleep she was dealing with, that was a definite plus.
“You look tired, sweetheart.” Her mother pulled up a chair and waved down the waiter. “By the looks of your plate, I’m guessing I shouldn’t get the eggs.”
“Stick with toast. They can’t screw that up too badly.”
After placing her order and taking several long gulps of coffee, Myrine got down to business. “I just spoke with Beck. There’s still no sign of Daedric in this dimension. His last known whereabouts, according to the tracking device, is interesting, though.” When Mirissa didn’t take the bait, Myrine continued. “He left our dimension at the base of Mount Olympus.”
“Seriously? I don’t suppose there’s any chance that’s some sort of huge coincidence.”
“Not likely. My guess is the myths were right, and all of the gods are still living there, just not in our dimension. If that’s the case, and if Ares is still pulling Daedric’s strings, there’s a good chance the box is there, too.”
Mirissa pushed away her plate of uneaten food. “If it is, then we’re in real trouble. If I can’t get to the box, how am I supposed to close it?”
Her mother smiled in the way all moms did when they felt their kids were getting disheartened. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”
For the briefest of moments, Mirissa wanted to tell her mother everything Artemis said. She allowed herself to get caught up in the fantasy that her destiny to die was simply another problem her mother could figure out. If only that were the case. Although telling her the truth would lessen the weight Mirissa had to carry on her shoulders, that was the only good it would do.
Her mother and father would risk anything to save her, even if it meant putting the rest of the world in jeopardy. Just having to make the choice in the first place would destroy them. No, Mirissa wouldn’t put them in that position.
“I probably don’t say this enough, but I love you, Mom.”
Myrine cocked her head to the side. “I love you, too, sweetheart. Is everything all right? You seem a little melancholy this morning.”
Mirissa scrounged up a smile. “It’s nothing. Greco and I just had a bit of a fight last night. Nothing for you to worry about.”
Mirissa’s father chose that moment to join them. “I can kick his ass for you if you want,” he said while mussing her hair.
“Not necessary, but thanks for the offer. I’m lucky to have you. Both of you.” Mirissa blinked back the tears that threatened to shatter her resolve.
“Wow,” Steve said. “That fight must have been a doozy to make you this mushy. Would it be wrong of me to hope for more arguments between you two?”
The easy banter throughout the meal gave Mirissa the fortitude to stand by her decision. If these were to be her last days with her parents, this was exactly how she wanted them.
“Excuse me.” A petite woman with short brown hair, wearing a rumpled business suit, stood to the side of their table. “Myrine Colson?”
Mirissa’s mother nodded. “That’s me. How can I help you?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but the hotel receptionist told me I might find you here.” She fidgeted with her glasses as she spoke, pushing them up the bridge of her nose, and then pulling them lower again. “My name is Jill Gulick. The White House sent me.”
Myrine let out a long sigh. “Of course. It’s nice to meet you. This is my husband, Steve, and our daughter, Mirissa. We were just heading up to our room. Why don’t you get settled in yours and meet us there. Room two thirty-two. It’s sort of become our base of operations since this hotel lacks a conference room. I’ll gather the rest of the team.”
Using the short time they had available while their liaison went to her room, Myrine brought the troops together. “She’s here. Beck, I need you to stay behind while we check out the area where Daedric’s signal disappeared. Ms. Gulick will want an update, and Flip needs a babysitter.”
Beck crinkled her nose as though she’d smelled something awful. “Oh, this is gonna be an awesome day. What, exactly, am I supposed to tell her?”
“As little as possible,” Steve said with a wink.
“I’ve already called Julian,” Myrine continued. “He’s emailed several files detailing the clouds, the storms, and the archeological site. There’s no mention of anything supernatural, but there’s enough info in them to hopefully keep her busy. You’ll have to ad lib from there.”
“Lucky me,” Beck groaned.
A knock at the door signaled their time alone had ended.
Myrine looked to each of her team members and gave them a quick nod. “Here we go.” When she opened the door, a bleary-eyed Flip, grasping a cup of coffee as though it were a lifeline, greeted them.
“Good morning,” he said.
Myrine wasted no time. “Flip, we have a guest about to arrive. She can’t know about our unique abilities. Do you understand?”
“Um, okay. But you’re not very good at hiding that stuff. I mean, you let the cat out of its chair pretty quick with me,” Flip said.
“We let the cat out of the bag,” Orano grumbled.
Flip’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I know you did. That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
Mirissa interceded before Orano could strangle the little guy. “Just, keep it a secret, okay?”
Flip shrugged his shoulders as though he’d been asked a million times before to hide the truth about preternaturals, then plopped himself down on the empty chair in the far corner of the room.
Beck directed everyone’s attention to her laptop’s screen. “They’re giving an update on the storms.
********
CNN Special Report
Meteorologists worldwide are still reeling at the sudden formation of six hurricanes across the globe. Each storm is said to have the potential to become a category five or higher before making landfall approximately three days from now. Experts agree that, should these storms continue to strengthen at their current rate, the devastation caused will be incalculable.
What does this mean for you? Currently, evacuations are underway here at home for residents along both the eastern and western coastlines. People are being strongly urged to relocate as far inland as they are able until these storms pass. Satellite communications, though still functional, are quickly deteriorating as the atmosphere continues to be blanketed by quickly expanding rain clouds—a phenomenon called “rain fade.”
In related news, on the heels of international shipping companies recalling all of their transoceanic vessels to port, there are unconfirmed reports that fourteen ships may already be lost. With no communications received from any of these vessels since shortly after the storms appeared, officials are fearing the worst.
Stay with us here at CNN as we bri
ng you the latest news on what is now being called Stormaggedon. I’m Julia Saxon, and we’ll be right back.
********
“Things are going to get much worse,” Myrine said. “We only have a few days to fix this, or …”
Mirissa patted her mom’s shoulder in a lame attempt to alleviate her stress. “We’ve got this, Mom. It’ll be okay.”
“Hello?” The liaison pushed open the already ajar door and entered the room.
Myrine began the introductions but was interrupted when Flip bolted from his seat.
He ran his fingers through the tangled mess of his dirty blond hair and pushed his way through the crowd. “I’m Philip Petrakis. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand and, when she grasped it to shake, he instead brought her fingers to his lips, planting a light kiss on them.
Mirissa stifled a giggle. If this had been a cartoon, Flip’s eyes would have been replaced by two bright red hearts. To her surprise, the woman actually blushed.
“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Petrakis. Truly,” she said, casting her gaze away.
“All right, I think it’s time for us to go now,” Steve said with a smile. “Beck has some files for you to read, Ms. Gulick, which should bring you up to speed on what’s been going on. We’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Don’t you worry. I’ll make sure she has everything she needs.” Flip’s gaze never left the woman.
“Just remember what we talked about, Flip,” Mirissa whispered in his ear.
As they left the room, closing the door on poor Beck and her two unwelcome companions, Mirissa let out the laugh she’d been holding. “I think there was a bit of a love connection there.” She looked at Greco, hoping to find him laughing as well, but saw nothing but a blank stare. Don’t worry, Beck. You’re not the only one that’s going to have a long day, she thought.
Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group) Page 7