Flip swallowed hard, knowing his next words might be his last. “Daedric has the scythe.”
The god of war’s eyes widened, then immediately narrowed in suspicion as he looked to his son. “Is this true?”
Daedric stayed silent for a moment, apparently weighing his options. When Eris gave him a quick nod of her head, he pulled his shoulders back and raised his chin. “Yes, Ares. It’s true.”
Flip held his breath as he awaited the violent reaction he felt sure would come. With each passing second, the god of war grew more enraged. His cheeks reddened as he paced the room. With one swipe of his hand, hundreds of books crashed to the floor as their shelves were ripped from the wall. When he raised his arm again, Flip reflexively covered his head.
“Calm down, brother,” Eris said. “It’s all part of my plan.”
“Your plan?” Ares looked ready to explode. “This has all been my plan. I am the reason you’re free. I am the one keeping the box away from the girl. I am the one that sired Daedric to make all of this possible.”
When Ares turned his wrath on Daedric, Flip thought the half-breed might soil himself in fear.
“I created you! I gave you everything, and you betrayed me. How dare you go behind my back!”
Instead of shying away from his father’s anger, Daedric fought back. “You didn’t give me anything. I did everything you asked, and for what? You promised to make Flip a higher god in return for his loyalty. What did you promise me? Nothing, that’s what.”
Flip had to lower his head to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Daedric sounded like a petulant child and would no doubt be punished severely for it.
Ares’s response, however, left Flip the one feeling petulant.
“I had no intention of fulfilling that promise. The horse companion will never be a higher god. Not as long as I’m around.”
Once again, the occupants of the room had forgotten Flip’s presence, or perhaps they just didn’t care if he heard them. Although his ego took a beating, he knew once and for all that he’d made the right choice to help the humans. To that end, Flip decided to ratchet up the tension in the room.
“I have an idea,” he said. Every head turned toward him as though just realizing he was there. “Why don’t you give the scythe to Ares for safekeeping until the deadline to close the box is past?”
Ares’s brow furrowed at Flip’s apparent attempt to help him. “Yes. The horse compa … Flip has made a good point. Give me the scythe.”
“I don’t think so, brother.” The smirk returned to Eris’s face. “You’ve just shown that you can’t be trusted. The scythe stays with us.” She turned to Daedric. “Are you coming, nephew?”
“Of course, Eris.” The half-breed sneered over his shoulder at his father before returning his attention to the goddess. “It’s my pleasure to serve you.”
With that, the two disappeared.
Ares stared, mouth agape, at the place his sister and son once stood. His expression said he couldn’t believe they would even consider betraying him, even though he’d frequently betrayed anyone who made the mistake of trusting him.
“We’ll see about that,” Ares grumbled, before he, too, disappeared.
Relief washed over Flip as he realized he’d completed his task without receiving so much as a scratch in punishment. Not wanting to tempt the fates any more than he’d done already, he made a quick exit.
********
Mirissa glanced around Flip’s empty hotel room. The bed looked as though it hadn’t been slept in, and there was no sign of Flip. All of the drawers were empty, but that wasn’t so odd considering they hadn’t given the man any time to pack before forcing him to stay there.
All in all, nothing in the room pointed to Flip being anything other than the archeologist he claimed to be.
When she’d woken up that morning, Mirissa realized she didn’t have her toothbrush or other toiletries with her. She’d made the decision to sleep in her mom and dad’s room but hadn’t bothered to bring any of her things. When she went back to hers to get cleaned up, and with Orano’s words still nagging at her, she couldn’t help but stop at Flip’s door on her way back.
He hadn’t answered her knock, which increased her worry that Orano may have been right about him. She needed to know for sure, so with a quick glance to ensure no one could see her, she’d teleported inside.
Now, surrounded by nothing suspicious at all after violating the man’s personal space, Mirissa let the guilt wash over her. How could she have jumped to such a crazy conclusion? He’d been nothing but kind and helpful toward them, even when his life was put in danger. He was just an archeologist who happened to be unlucky enough to stumble into a nightmare.
A slight breeze lifted her hair from her shoulder, but before Mirissa had time to register the closed window, Flip teleported in, appearing right in front of her eyes.
“Son of a bitch,” Mirissa growled. She extended her ring’s blade and lunged at the unsuspecting Flip. His eyes grew wide at her attack.
“Wait!” he screamed. “I can explain.”
Although her blade missed its mark when Flip teleported behind her, Mirissa was just getting started. She’d had enough of being played. She’d befriended him, risked her life to protect him, and defended him every time Orano became suspicious. No, Mirissa would take him down—painfully.
Using her telekinesis, she slammed him to the floor at the end of his bed. “Who are you?”
The look of fear in Flip’s eyes only served to fill her with even more rage. If he expected her to go easy on him, he was in for a big surprise. “I will tear you limb from limb if you don’t come clean right now.”
To drive her point home, Mirissa flung him from the floor to the ceiling, then back to the floor, much as Daedric had done to her father on Ortega.
“Please,” Flip begged. “Give me a chance to explain.”
Either he was the least powerful being Mirissa had ever come up against, or he’d chosen to hold back for some reason. Other than teleporting, he hadn’t used any special powers to defend himself or to attack her. Why?
Standing her ground, but not going on the offensive, Mirissa let him get to his feet. “You have five minutes, and if I sense even a whiff of a lie, I’ll end you. Understood?”
Flip nodded and began his story.
Chapter 24
“Are you kidding me?” Mirissa stormed through the room. “All this time, you’ve been working against us? And you’re a god?” She couldn’t wrap her head around what she’d just been told.
“No! Well, yes, but …” Flip cut himself off with an exasperated huff, and simply sat down on the end of the bed, keeping his gaze low.
He hadn’t made a move to defend himself, even when Mirissa used her telekinesis to hurl him around the room after he’d teleported in. She wasn’t sure exactly what to make of that. A god had no reason to allow her, or anyone else, to hurt him.
That’s when she remembered. “When Daedric kidnapped you, that was all an act?”
Flip scrunched up his face like a child caught in a lie. “Pretty much, yeah. Ares got upset that I hadn’t gotten the key away from you yet. He thought maybe you’d give it up to save me.” His eyebrow rose as though he’d known it was a stupid idea. “I didn’t have a choice. Besides, I knew you’d never give Daedric the key just to save me.”
Had she not been so angry, Mirissa would have felt sorry for him. She couldn’t imagine the life he must have led to make him think he wasn’t worth saving. She would never have guessed that a god could suffer from low self-esteem.
But none of that mattered. Flip was a lying spy who’d only pretended to be their friend to help Ares and Daedric destroy the world.
“And my father? You did that?”
“No!” Flip shot to his feet, eyes wide. “I would never have done that to him … or you.”
“Don’t you dare tell me it was an accident. I’m not stupid.” Mirissa’s anger broiled just under the surfa
ce.
Flip took a deep breath before sitting back down on the bed. He stared at the floor while he spoke. “It wasn’t an accident. Eris thought taking him away from you would make you weak.”
“But you let it happen. That’s just as bad.”
“I know,” Flip said. “But I swear, I didn’t know she’d try to kill him. I thought she’d kidnap him or something.”
“Oh, that’s so much better.” Mirissa pulled out her cell phone and started dialing.
“What are you doing?” Flip asked.
“Calling my mother. She’ll know what to do with you.” Mirissa tried to press send, but the phone disappeared from her hand before her thumb hit the button. “What the hell?”
“Please, Mirissa. You need to listen to me.”
Screw that, she thought. Mirissa stomped over to the door and grabbed the handle, but it wouldn’t turn. She yanked on it, to no avail. When she tried to teleport, she ended up right back where she started.
“Let me out of here, Flip.” She could feel her muscles tense, as her perilous situation dawned on her. Not only was she trapped in a room with a god, but no one even knew she was there.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Flip said as he walked toward her. “I just need you to calm down and listen.”
When he reached out to grab her hand, Mirissa snatched it away. “Don’t touch me.”
Flip raised both of his hands in surrender and backed away. “I know you don’t trust me. I can’t really blame you for that, I guess. But whether you want to admit it or not, you need me. You won’t be able to close the box without my help.”
“And I’m supposed to believe you’ll actually help me?”
“Yes, damn it. I already have. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me.” Flip raked his fingers through his hair, revealing his frustration.
“What are you talking about?” She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.
Flip took a deep breath. “That huge chunk of stone Daedric hurled at you last night at Delphi? It would have taken off your head if I hadn’t redirected it. You’re welcome, by the way.”
Mirissa stopped pacing and looked at him. She’d been in the midst of another one of her weird visions when that rock slammed into her shoulder. A few inches over and she would definitely have been killed. “You did that? I thought Daedric just missed his mark.”
Flip let out a little laugh. “Believe me, Mirissa. You aren’t that lucky.”
She couldn’t argue with him there. “Why?”
“I already told you. I’m not working against you. I want you to win. You’re … my friend, and I don’t have many of those.” His gaze dropped to the floor as though embarrassed by the admission.
“Why didn’t you just take the key? You’ve had plenty of opportunities.”
Flip held up his hand, revealing a mean looking burn pattern bisecting his palm. “I tried. Turns out, gods can’t even touch it.”
With most of the fight already drained from her, Mirissa sat down next to Flip. “Okay. If you really are on our side, tell me where the box is so I can finish this.”
Flipped looked down to the floor. “I can’t.”
Mirissa shook her head, one corner of her mouth curling up. “I knew it.”
“No, you don’t understand. I don’t know where it is. When we first retrieved it, we brought it to Ares’s palace on Mount Olympus. But he didn’t tell me where he planned to hide it.”
“So, we’re back to square one.”
“Not exactly. Zeus wouldn’t have designed this test without giving the key-holder the ability to find the box. You have to remember, he wants you to win, too.”
“So, why doesn’t he just give me the box?”
“He can’t. His rules were quite explicit. No god can interfere. You will have to succeed or fail on your own,” Flip said.
“But you guys have done nothing but interfere since all of this started,” Mirissa retorted.
“I know, and Zeus won’t be happy about it when he finds out. But I’m working on your side now, so that should even things out again.”
Mirissa didn’t get the logic behind that, but decided not to push it. The gods worked in mysterious ways. “If the box is on Mount Olympus, how am I supposed to find it? I can’t even get there.”
Flip smiled at her, a twinkle in his eye. “Leave that to me.”
Mirissa glared at him, unsure whether she trusted him enough to travel with him to another realm—a realm full of gods. “Give me back my phone,” she said.
When it instantly appeared in her hand, she unlocked the screen, only to be stalled by Flip’s hand.
“If you tell your team who I really am, they won’t allow you to go with me.”
Mirissa paused. “Well, you’ll just have to convince them the same way you did me.”
“I will, I promise. But it will take time, and that’s something we have very little of. You know they won’t believe me—not right away—and I’m the only chance you have of getting to the box. Please, keep this secret for one day.” Flip looked almost scared as he held on to her hand.
Mirissa could imagine Orano’s reaction. Even if they had months, she wasn’t sure Flip could convince him of his loyalty. Those storms were set to make landfall the next day, and she couldn’t afford any delays.
“Okay, Flip. But I’m telling Greco.” She raised her hand to cut him off before he interrupted her. “That’s not up for negotiation. I will only go to Mount Olympus with you if Greco comes, too. Remember, I’m not entirely sure that I trust you yet.”
Flip nodded his head. “Fair enough. You might also want to consider telling him the truth about what your key says.”
Mirissa let the phone sit idle in her hand. She knew she would need to come clean to Greco at some point, if for no other reason than to say a proper goodbye. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it yet. “I will, soon. It’s not the right time now.”
Flip stared at her as though waiting for her to change her mind. “Well, if that’s what you want, I won’t force the issue. Just remember, when the time comes for you to actually close the box, it will be too late.”
Mirissa tried on a smile and dialed Greco. He joined them in Flip’s room a few minutes later, and shortly after that, they were on their way.
Chapter 25
The trill of Myrine’s phone woke her from a restless sleep. She was still seated in the chair next to Steve’s hospital bed, with her head resting at his shoulder.
“Hello?” She tried to clear the grogginess from her voice, but failed.
“Hi, Mom. I’m sorry if I woke you. I wanted to check and see how Dad’s doing.” Her daughter sounded tired, too.
Myrine took in the sight of her husband’s supine form in the bed. “No change yet, sweetheart. He’s still unconscious. What about you? Are you doing all right?”
“I’m okay. We’ve had a few developments, and I think I have a lead on the box.”
Myrine sat straight. “That’s fantastic. What can I do to help?”
“Nothing, really. This one’s kind of up to me now. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you guys.”
Myrine couldn’t help but feel there was more going on than her daughter was saying. Something in her voice, maybe. “Are you sure that’s it?”
“Yeah. Can you put the phone to Dad’s ear for me? I want to talk to him. Oh, and Mom? I love you. You know that, right?”
“Of course. I love you, too, sweetheart.” She pulled the phone away and placed it next to Steve’s ear. Although she couldn’t make out the words, she could hear Mirissa’s voice. A few minutes later, the line went quiet, so she pulled the phone back. “Are you there, Mirissa?”
A sniffle, then, “Yep. I’m here. I need to go now, okay? I love you.”
The line went dead.
Myrine stared at her phone for a few seconds before setting it back on the table that stretched over the bed. The uneasy feeling she’d had after Mirissa dodged her question about what
was going on grew until she could focus on nothing else.
She reached over to once again hold Steve’s limp hand. “What did she say to you, honey? What’s going on with her?”
Myrine stared at his bruised face. What had once been beautiful and kind, now looked frail and broken. The only proof he was even in that shell at all was the monotonous beeping from the various machines reading his vitals. He’s alive, and he will come back to me.
And he did.
Myrine felt her fingers being squeezed, gently at first, then with a strength she hadn’t thought he’d possess in his current state. “Steve? I’m here, baby. Fight your way back to me. Please.”
His closed eyes twitched, and she thought she saw the muscles of his jaw clench. Even the machines felt his presence, as they increased the tempo of their staccato beeps. Come on, baby. You can do it.
But he couldn’t.
As quickly as the signs of life had emerged, they dissipated. His hand went limp, his face relaxed, and the beeping resumed its slow, steady rhythm. He was gone again.
Myrine brushed her hand down his cheek. “It’s okay. You’re not ready yet. Take your time.” She hoped her voice sounded full of support and understanding, instead of the crushing disappointment she actually felt.
“Mrs. Colson?” One of the doctors strode into the room with a stack of charts in his arms. “Your husband’s readings spiked a moment ago. Did he regain consciousness?”
“No. He squeezed my hand and twitched some facial muscles but never opened his eyes. Can I assume that’s good news?” Myrine asked.
The doctor’s brow furrowed as he walked past her to examine his patient. He was obviously trying to find a polite way to tell her not to get her hopes up but hesitated a little too long for Myrine’s liking.
“Hello? Can you give me some information, please?” Although she didn’t want her husband to hear anything but love and support in her voice, Myrine had no problem showing her irritation to the doctor who now completely ignored her.
Before she could ask again, the man turned to her and smiled. “Yes, Mrs. Colson. I do believe it is good news.”
Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group) Page 12