Several hours into her workday, the coffee in her travel cup was lukewarm. The sentiment on the mug proclaimed friend as her favorite F word, except when she drove. Lia had given it to Polly on her last rebirthdate, and laughed like a loon when Polly had unwrapped it. Count on Lia to give her something that would make her smile every time she used it.
Polly had been searching the Internet for information on Argran’s business dealings, and for personal information on Ms. Cronin. Frustration mounted and her gut twisted into a pretzel as she continued to hit brick walls on each item.
Bill stopped by her desk. “Will you be ready in ten?”
She glanced at the time on her computer. Oh, goddess. Their interview with the mayor was in thirty minutes. “I’m sorry, I got lost in some research.” She started closing windows on her browser. “I’m done here.”
“I’ll meet you at the van.” Bill whistled as he walked away.
She pulled her purse onto her lap. The soft leather gaped open and she dug inside for her cell phone, finding the device buried at the bottom under her wallet. Her heart quickened when she saw a text from Ian.
“Just tried my new gift. Found out from the receptionist that she had a quickie in the bathroom at McGillicuddy’s bar. Think my nudging technique needs some refinement. How about a lesson tonight?”
Laughter burst from deep inside and she plastered her hand against her lips. Ducking her head, she hid a snicker. She tapped out a reply. “Sounds like a plan. Call when you get off work.” She snatched up her recorder, shoved it and her notepad into her oversized bag, then scurried toward the exit.
“You look tired today.” Bill reversed out of the parking space. “And if you’re doing research you get lost in, that usually means you’re onto something.”
She sure as hell couldn’t tell him she was a supernatural being focused on saving the world, one magpie at a time. “Not this time, I’m afraid. It’s not anything more than a glimmer of an idea, and it doesn’t look like it will pan out.”
“Well, keep me posted. I wish we weren’t shooting in the mayor’s office this morning. It’s hard to get the light right with all that dark paneling. Why the man insists on working in gloom is beyond me.”
Polly hated the oppressive city hall as well. “He’s a politician. Most of his dealings are probably shady. It’s a nice day. I’m going to try to talk him into filming in the courtyard he just had rehabbed with taxpayer dollars.” She’d nudge him to get him to agree to a trip outside. No harm in that.
“I hope so. But we have the portable lights if need be.”
She smirked. “We won’t. I’m sure he’ll agree.
Twenty minutes later, they were setting up in the courtyard. Bill picked a shady spot for the interview. The sun slanted perfectly through the space that was open on one side to the street. Traffic noise might be an issue, but her cameraman excelled at mixing audio. Polly helped the mayor attach a microphone to the lapel of his navy blue suit coat.
When Bill situated the camera on his shoulder, Polly chatted with Mayor Alder. “Pretty great news about Eos’s merger with Argran.”
A shadow flickered in Alder’s eyes. “It’s quite a feather in our community’s cap. Imagine, one business deal bringing hundreds of jobs to town. I’m looking forward to a growing economy.”
The man’s stilted tone made her believe he was hiding something. Polly tipped her head, and kept her words easy. “You aren’t concerned at all by Argran’s history of buying up and dismantling companies?”
“Not at all. That won’t happen here. Eos is a professionally run organization. The management at Argran would be foolish to bust up a successful company like that.”
The man was positively deluded if he believed professional management would save a company that Argran had an interest in. But that wasn’t the story Polly had come to get today.
She shot Bill a look, and finding him in position, she opened the actual interview. “Okay, we’re ready.”
The politician settled into his power stance, hands clasped in front, chest puffed up.
“Mayor Alder, the city council voted recently to fund a seventeen million dollar improvement project for the road directly across from City Hall. Can you tell us what the budget plan is to meet this expense?”
Before the man had a chance to answer, a bird squawked loudly in the branches above them. Polly’s shoulders tensed as the squawking became a screech. Several black and white feathers floated to the ground.
Now was the worst possible time for Greed to show up.
“Time out.” Bill shoved his headphones off one ear, heaving an exasperated sigh. “Damn pesky birds. Polly, can you scare it away? I’ll never be able to cut that noise out.”
“With pleasure.” Polly waved her arms over her head. What she truly wanted to imagine was the bird plummeting to the pavement, deader than a middle-aged rocker’s career. But it would be difficult to not jump with glee. She opted to restrain herself and silently thrust a sharp nudge at the bird, imagining a broom sweeping it out of the tree and down the road.
Greed launched off the branch with an ear-piercing shriek, flapping her white-tipped wings wildly as it flew around Polly. The bitch shot upward, then dive-bombed straight toward her face, beak open, talons first. Polly ducked, covering her head. With another hard back-and-forth of her wings, she snarled her claws in Polly’s long tresses. The bird was close enough that Polly was eye-ball to eye-ball with her. A supernatural electric blue color reflected from the center of the bird’s obsidian irises. Polly’s eyes felt like they were compressing, until she squeezed them shut. She forced out a breath, carrying a sharp jab to the bird.
Greed attempted to lift off without releasing its grip. Tears of pain pricked Polly’s eyes as Bill lunged forward, and grabbed the hank of hair Greed was tangled in. He jerked the bird’s leg free. More feathers molted off the bitch as she zipped away.
“What the heck? I’ve never seen a bird attack that way!” Bill jerked a quill free of her hair. “It was like a scene from that Alfred Hitchcock movie. Are you okay?”
Polly smoothed her hair into place and nodded. “Birds, dogs and kids all seem to have it in for me.” She sent a glance to Alder, who appeared frozen in space. The blank look on his face as he stared after the retreating Greed shocked Polly.
She stepped closer to the man. “Mayor Alder?” His eyes were glazed over, as though in a thrall. She’d seen it happen before, when immortals interacted with mortals. She snapped her fingers in front of his face.
He jumped at the noise, and blinked rapidly, as though trying to clear his vision. “Goodness! That monstrous bird attacked you, Polly. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She glanced over her shoulder to ensure the bitch wasn’t coming back. Not a sign of the little monster. “Are you okay to continue the interview?”
Alder rubbed his hands together. “Certainly.”
Polly reached toward him, intent on checking his microphone. Dismay followed disgust as she pointed to the white splotch on his shoulder. “Um…it looks like the bird left you a little present.”
Alder’s lip curled. “That is gross. Do you have a tissue, or hazmat gloves?”
At least he kept his sense of humor. Polly pawed through her bag and located the small plastic package of tissues she always carried. She pulled a sheet out and handed it to Alder while Bill retrieved the headphones that had been jerked from his neck as he’d raced to help Polly with the bird. While no one was looking at her, Polly fussed with her hair as a cover for telegraphing a quick message about the attack to Zeus, Mars, and Sybil.
After Alder did the best he could with the tissues, Bill positioned the man so the stain wouldn’t show on camera. Polly resumed the interview and wrapped it with no further incidents.
Once they were back in the van and on the way to the station, Polly pulled out her mobile and opened a group chat with her sisters. Her gut churned as she typed. Think we need a meeting. Dinner at The Rowan at 6:30 for anyone who ca
n make it.
“You know I caught the Great Magpie Attack on camera.” Bill navigated through a left turn. “Lady, the steely look of determination on your face was something to see. I’m going to add it to the blooper roll for the company Christmas party.”
“Let me watch it first. I might have to vote no on the idea.”
“You can watch it, but you have no veto power. If you really want to bury this, it’s going to cost you some of that great pastry you bring in occasionally. That stuff is the bomb. The honey hits my sweet tooth.”
Funny, that was Ian’s response to it as well. Heat flushed into Polly’s face. “You know you can get fresh baklava every day from Pandora’s Bakery?”
“Yeah, but it’s not as good as yours.”
“Gonna let you in on a little secret, Bill. It is mine. I mean, mine is theirs. I don’t have time to make pastry.”
Bill scratched his head. “Swear to God, yours always tastes better.”
She couldn’t hold back the laughter. “You’re out of your mind. I don’t have a single domestic or baking bone in my body. Never have.” Not in even one of her lifetimes. None of the Muses had ever bothered to learn kitchen skills. Neither had Gaia. “But if it helps keep me from being embarrassed in front of my peers, I’ll gladly buy you some from Pandora’s.”
“It might.” Bill pulled the van into the station’s lot. After easing into the assigned spot, he cut the engine. “I’ll meet you in editing in fifteen minutes.”
Polly opened her door. “Perfect. Gives me time to call my mom.” She dragged her purse off the floorboards and then hiked it over her shoulder. She waved as she sauntered over to the picnic table where employees sat to smoke on nice days. And, with the exception of the attack by Greed, today was a truly fine day.
As she waited for her call to connect, she scanned the sky, looking for signs that Greed was returning. She rubbed the still-tender spot on her scalp and silently cursed the freaking bird.
“Good morning, daughter.” Gaia’s voice came crisply down the line.
“I only have a few minutes. I wanted to ask about Zeus.” She drew a breath and steamed forward. “Last night before he misted into the Hollow, I noticed a black splotch on his aura. Is he okay?”
Silence.
A fact more worrisome than the spot had been.
“Gaia? What’s going on?”
“We’d hoped you girls wouldn’t notice.”
Polly’s heart squeezed uncomfortably. No one liked to deal with the possibility of losing a parent. He’d been a solid rock for thousands of years. She’d never considered the idea of his passing away. A mortal world without the benevolence of this deity would indeed be bleak, even if they didn’t acknowledge his existence now. “You’re scaring me.”
“He has an appointment with Asclepius this afternoon,” Gaia whispered.
“Why does he need to see the God of Healing?” Especially one Zeus had put in a supernatural prison at one point. Her father had considered the medicine god a threat to the division between humanity and immortals.
“It started with a tiny cough during Clio’s challenge. At first, we weren’t even sure it was anything to be wary of. Then, when Nia faced Mayhem, he complained of stiffness in his back. Now that Greed is on the scene, he has a fatigue he can’t seem to shake.”
Polly did a mental rearrangement of her afternoon schedule. “I have to do a voice over for the interview with the mayor, but I can clear my schedule for the afternoon to go with you.”
“Don’t be silly, Polyhymnia.”
Aw, jeez, the full name came out. Gaia wasn’t pleased with her offer. “Mother, I’m happy to do it.”
“Zeus does not want you or your sisters to know. He doesn’t want his daughters worrying over nothing.”
“That horse is already out of the barn, Gaia.” Polly chewed her lip a moment before capitulating. “Fine. But tell me you’re going with him.”
More silence.
“Bloody hell, Gaia. Why is he such an obstinate cuss?”
Because he might be immortal but he was still a male. Stubborn. Leonardo had refused to seek medical assistance for an infected toe, which lead to what mortals now called sepsis. The obstinate old goat could have lived several more years. Just imagine what greatness she might have inspired him to.
“He has been this way for all your lifetimes. Why should he change now?” Rancor dripped from Gaia’s voice. At least she was angry about Zeus’s demand to keep the bad news from his daughters. “I have asked Asclepius’s child, Hygeia, to report back to me. Thank goodness the gods aren’t bound by mortal HIPAA rules.”
Polly pressed a hand against her belly, hoping to settle some of the roiling tension building there. “Please let me know what you find out.”
“I will, daughter. I’m sure it isn’t anything to worry about. Asclepius will know how to treat whatever it is.”
After saying goodbye, Polly disconnected the call and frowned at her feet. Waging an internal debate as to whether to notify her sisters did nothing to settle her nerves.
Opting to hold off, she jumped up from her perch on the bench. On the way back into the station, she mumbled a vow to herself. “He better freaking be okay. If I find out Pierus is behind this shit, I will make certain he faces a slow, painful demise.”
Chapter 13
Ian sang along with the Eighties tune playing on the sound system. It was frivolous to spend the money on something so elaborate for the garage, but he spent a lot of time tinkering with his car. A little bit ago, he’d yanked the carburetor from the Rover to clean it up while he waited for Polly. She’d texted that she had to meet her sisters for dinner, but would come over as soon as she finished.
He wondered if she’d drive or if she’d just pop up in front of him the way Zeus had last night. After he’d gotten past the mini-freak-out when three people just materialized in front of him, he’d embraced the cool factor. Myths and legends had always intrigued him. As a scientist, he’d known most of the stories had basis in fact. Actually, he thought it was kind of spectacular that Polly was an immortal.
Except it would suck when he started aging and she didn’t. He hated the idea of her moving on to the next young man that struck her fancy. Jealousy burned a path through his system and his gut lurched. It left a sour taste in his mouth. He’d fallen for a woman who’d outlast him by thousands of years. What a jackass move!
The screwdriver he was using slipped out of the slot and gouged his knuckle. “Damn!”
He pulled out the rag he’d tucked into his back pocket, daubed away the blood welling out of the scratch. It wasn’t too deep, he decided as he reached for the first aid kit he kept on the workbench.
The antiseptic swab he wiped over the cut stung like a bitch. He had a bandage wrapped around his finger in no time, and then picked up the screwdriver to continue working.
Bright lights flashed on the wall ahead of him. Craning over his shoulder, his heart kicked hard. Polly parked her car in the drive behind his Rover. When she stepped from the sexy blue Mustang, he forgot to breathe. She aimed her hand at the car and it chirped as she locked it up. The lights silhouetted her lithe body as she skirted around the car’s front end and approached.
“Ian?” Polly’s voice raised over the music. The car’s lights extinguished, leaving only the florescent lighting suspended overhead to illuminate the garage.
He tossed the screwdriver back to the bench and swiveled his stool around. God, she was stunning. Red-gold hair fell softly on her shoulders, the blue of her eyes deeper than the cobalt he’d had in his first chemistry set.
“You made it.” He wiped his hands on a raggedy towel.
Edging around the back end of his car, she approached. “Yeah, dinner didn’t take as long as I thought it might. Only Clio, Lia, Aerie, and Mel were able to make it.” She slipped between his spread thighs and draped her arms around his neck. “How about a proper hello?”
Resting his hands on her hips, he flexed his fingers i
nto her sleek muscles and drew her closer. “This what you had in mind?” He loved the way she fit against his body.
“Something like this. But,” she speared her fingers through his hair, and leaned into him, “maybe a little more.” She kissed his cheek, her lips soft. She moved over and kissed the other cheek, then straightened away.
He dipped his gaze to her mouth, gave her a cocky smile. “That’s not a proper hello, either. This is.”
He strained against her chest and slanted his lips over hers, relishing her taste and texture. Moving one hand up her spine, he braced his hand between her shoulder blades, and then urged her close to his body. Her belly brushed against his cock, sending a jagged spear of lust through him.
Changing the angle of his head, he took them deeper into bliss, and pulled her closer, until the taut nubs of her nipples were flattened against his chest. Blood surged into his dick, turning him hard in the blink of an eye. God, this woman had power over him and he loved it.
And she kissed him back, opening to accept his tongue. Tugging his hair, skimming her fingers over his cheeks and jaw. He loved how passionate her response was, how easy it was to lose himself in the moment with her.
When he ended the embrace, her soft sigh tickled his chin. She scattered kisses along his jaw then lifted her head to beam at him. “That was a very improper hello.”
He rubbed the ends of her hair between his fingers and held her gaze. “I aim to please.”
“Oh, you do please.” Polly licked the hollow between his ear and jaw.
Shivers coursed through him.
Rising from the stool, his jeans fitting a little too snug around his hips and groin, Ian lowered his hands to her waist. He claimed her mouth again, and backed her toward the Rover, until she was sandwiched between the rear quarter panel and his body.
Skimming one hand up, he palmed her plump breast. He squeezed in time with the thrust of his tongue, swallowing her quiet moans. Holding her body in place with his hips, he slipped the top button of her blouse open, and then the next. By the time he’d freed the third, the pale rose lace of her bra was exposed. Her alabaster skin glowed, and when he stroked his fingertip along the edge of the fabric, her flesh was petal soft.
Greed: Goddess of Delphi (Goddesses of Delphi Book 3) Page 11