Dani didn’t let that bother her. She’d also figured she had no right to the talisman. “Right. And only because weird things in that house are not to be ignored, she handed it over, and I took it.”
The queen seemed to think about this for a long time before clearing her throat. “Now I’ll tell you something that no one else knows.”
Dani became alert, intrigued.
“I think the amulet belongs to Huxley. Since he wasn’t born with an amulet of his own, I believe it’s the last piece of the puzzle he needs to make him into an immortal prince.”
“Why do you think that?” Dani had performed the mating operation several times, removing and implanting the talisman. She shook her head, wary at the direction of the conversation. She’d been told how dangerous it would be to put a talisman in the wrong person.
“That amulet belonged to my baby boy. My prince, taken from me so many thousands of years ago. Thereafter, a foretelling became legend. It predicted that one would come to save the Underworld from disaster. That it would be someone with human blood. I deemed it prudent to keep my son’s amulet in case it was ever needed by this human.” Her voice sounded amused. “Perhaps the amulet spoke to me like it spoke to Holly.”
Dani tended to agree.
“Anyway, I believe the human it is destined for is Huxley. Although what good it will do him now, I have not a clue. Can you tell me where you hid it?” the queen asked hesitantly.
Dani answered in a shaky voice, “Well, the only place I could think to put it.”
Ereshkigal chuckled. “I know. Your underwear drawer.”
Dani continued as if the queen hadn’t spoken, “Well, yeah, at first. But then I felt uncomfortable being anywhere without it.”
Ereshkigal drew in a sharp, audible breath.
“So, you know. I put it where I figured nobody would find it if I was frisked. On TV, you never see anybody check someone’s shoes. I stuck it in my sneaker. I did a double lace thing, and tied it in underneath the tongue of my high-tops.”
“You mean it’s…it’s on you now?” Ereshkigal drew out the words, then repeated them with excitement. “It’s on you now.”
“Well, yes. And now that you mention it, the darn thing seems to be getting warmer the more we talk about it. I swear it’s been doing that ever since I’ve had it. Running hot and cold.”
The queen ignored that. “But since you’ve had it, has Huxley paid more than usual attention to you?” The queen’s question sounded a little crazy, but Dani gave it some consideration.
“Well, perhaps.” Dani blushed in the dark, glad that Eresh couldn’t see.
“And this warmth you get from it. Is it more pronounced when Huxley is near?”
Huh. Something Dani hadn’t considered. She searched back in her mind. “You know, I think you might be right. I guess the answer to that would be yes—”
“Dani,” the queen interrupted. “If it’s getting warmer right now, maybe Huxley is close to us. Do you want to know what I think?”
Dani got excited just from the queen’s tone of voice. “Sure. Yeah. What?” she spluttered.
“I think the amulet calls to Huxley,” she exclaimed triumphantly. “I think you and the amulet are bringing him right to us.”
Chapter Seventeen
“You’d better get lost,” Huxley told Enlil, watching the wind god as he crouched over Candy. “Once Nedu lands, if he sends god-energy feelers out again, you’re going to be found. He’ll come back after you.”
Enlil growled. “I’d like him to try. I’ll gladly take on his ass.”
A weak chuckle of amusement came from Candy.
“You know that’s not how Nergal wants to play it,” Hux warned the god. “He needs to make sure that nothing happens to the queen.” Or to Dani now that she’d be vulnerable.
“Listen, I’m going to head back toward Kenmore Square and see if I can help Marduk and crew spot the car Matthew used, but I…don’t want to leave Candy until she’s ready to be on her own,” Enlil said gruffly. Huxley paused, watching the odd facial expressions that chased across the blond-haired god’s face.
“I’ll stay until she’s steady on her feet,” Hux assured him.
“Yeah, okay,” Enlil huffed and got to his feet. “Ah, hell. I’ll just stick around long enough to make sure she can walk.”
What strange signals Enlil gave out. If Hux didn’t know any better, he would say that Enlil had a case of the hots for the agent, but that wasn’t likely. Hadn’t the two been fighting nonstop like cats and dogs? He reminded Enlil, “You know I have to be the one who stays, because as soon as I’m a hundred yards away, you go invisible and you’re useless to her anyway.”
“I get it.” Enlil did. But he clearly didn’t like it.
“How are you doing?” The wind god, while chatting Huxley up, had kept one eye on Candy, watching her regain her strength.
“Fucking peachy,” she said, her teeth beginning to chatter. “Just tell me why this had to happen in December. Boston Harbor in August and we could have called this a beach day.”
“Don’t complain, baby. The cold water probably saved a few of your brain cells. And I don’t know what you’re bitching about, I feel far from cold,” he puzzled. “As a matter of fact, it’s the damned strangest thing. My clothes are soaking wet, but I’m weirdly warm.” He involuntarily scratched his shoulder before looking at Hux. “But who gives a shit about me. Give the lady your jacket, asshole.”
Huxley’s head was not with Enlil and Candy. Hell, he’d already mentally hoofed it to his car and sped away to look for Dani…uh, and the queen.
“Shit. Sorry.” He stripped out of his shearling-lined leather and draped it over Candy’s shoulders as she attempted to sit up, and focused to pay attention. “Now go, Enlil. I’ve got this.”
Enlil reluctantly got to his feet and walked away. “Okay.” He looked back at Candy. “But if you’re not home in half an hour, I’m coming back to get you.”
“That threat alone will get my ass moving,” Candy groused, obviously trying hard to quell her shivers. She kept her eyes glued to Enlil as he walked across the parking lot until he eventually disappeared.
“How the fuck do you ever get used to that?” she asked rhetorically, expecting no answer. Hux didn’t give her one.
“Can we get you on your feet?” he asked instead, not wanting to hurry her, but at the same time anxious to get moving.
“Sure. I know you need to get to your lady love.” Candy grunted.
“My what?” Huxley paused in helping her up.
“Your lady love, main squeeze, arm candy. Whatever you want to call her.” Candy pinned him with a stare. “Oh, come on,” she groused. “Life’s too fucking short buddy, unless you haven’t figured that out yet.” She gave a toss of her head in the direction of the channel. “You know she floats your boat.” Candy snorted. “And Dani friggin’ thinks you walk on water. So if I were you, I’d get my head out of my ass and start telling her the truth about your past, so you can both move on.”
That had Huxley standing bolt upright. Shit.
“What do you know about my past?” He tugged Candy’s arm a little more roughly than he intended. She stumbled and he caught her by the waist.
“Geeze. Sorry,” he mumbled, but he’d been blindsided.
“See? You’re so goddamned paranoid all the time, nobody can say shit to you.” Candy jerked away from his hold, clearly determined to stay on her feet without his help, but she lit into him all the same.
“You forget. I’ve met that Worthington bitch, and I listened to her gripe even after she got that big wad of cash from your boss man. It wasn’t hard to connect the dots. As messed up as that shit is, there are a lot of things in this world that are way more fucked up.” She poked Huxley in the chest. “So grow a pair, and fill Dani in on what’s been screwed loose in your head. She’s the one who can help you fix it.”
Candy turned away from Huxley and started walking…weaving…slowly back in
the direction of the cars. Huxley’s feet wouldn’t move. He was rooted to the spot.
The agent hadn’t gone more than ten feet when she suddenly stilled. Her hands gripped either side of her head as if to hold in her brains. Then she whipped around, her eyes wild.
“How long was I out?” her voice emerged, panicked.
“What do you mean?” Huxley inched toward her. “How long did you remain under water?” He began calculating.
“Forget that.” She shook her head. “Was I breathing when Enlil brought me up?”
Huxley had no idea why this suddenly seemed so important. Maybe it was normal for people to freak when they found out they’d been nearly dead. He wondered if she’d had one of those seriously creepy out-of-body experiences.
“No. You weren’t breathing, but you only stayed down a total of two maybe two and a half minutes. That means one minute holding your breath, and no more than a minute and a half without oxygen. Not enough time to kill off your brain cells, and Enlil is right. The cold water probably helped.”
“But I had no vital signs for more than a minute?”
Huxley nodded.
“You’re sure?”
He nodded again.
“Shit.” Candy walked back to him and grabbed his shirt with both hands.
“Cell phone. Cell phone.” She dropped her arms and patted frantically at her dripping wet pants pockets. When she drew the device out and stabbed at it, nothing happened. It dripped seawater.
“Fuck me,” she hollered, throwing it out into the water. “Huxley, give me your phone.”
“What the hell’s the matter with you, Candy? My phone is back in the car. Calm down.”
She turned and broke into a trot, headed back up Kneeland Street where they’d left the two vehicles. Cripes. She’d been clunked in the head and nearly drowned. Huxley broke into a run to follow. Shit. For somebody who’d been dead a few minutes ago, the girl really moved.
“I need that phone, Huxley, or everyone’s screwed,” she cried out over her shoulder. She passed her white rental and made a beeline for Hux’s car. Wrenching open the front door, she gave a sigh of relief when she spotted his phone lying on the seat.
She picked it up and hit the on button. Huxley groaned. How could he have forgotten? He jogged up behind the agent.
“Is there a password for this motherfucker?” She thrust the phone at him. “Punch it in.”
“Uh, no Candy.” Damn. He knew he’d get a huge ration of shit as he looked at the phone. “It’s dead.”
“You have got to be shitting me.” At least she didn’t chuck his phone into the street. She simply launched it back into the car, then banged her hands on the roof. “Charger, Huxley?” She looked at him hopefully, but seemed to already know the answer as he shook his head. “Damn, we are so scorched.” She seemed to come very quickly to some kind of decision, and Huxley could only be grateful.
“Okay, fine. Go do your thing, but remember, if you get lucky and find Dani, don’t be a pussy-ass. Let her know how you feel,” Candy bit out. Her feet animated as fast as her mouth, back toward her car.
“Gotta go, Huxley.” Candy broke into a run. “Later.”
Her words cut through the night as Hux got into his car. He removed his now useless communications equipment and threw it on the seat. He only hoped he would find a trace of Dani.
He didn’t know what he’d do if she… No, he wouldn’t even begin to contemplate the worst. A world without Dani seemed impossible to him now.
All these months she’d spent at the compound, she’d done her thing so competently, interacting seamlessly with the visible gods, the other women and the witches; witnessing the care and attention she gave to everyone. And he had spent an awful lot of time giving her the cold shoulder. Despite that, she had treated him with the same grace and respect she gave to everyone else.
If Huxley were honest with himself, he didn’t want her to treat him like everyone else. He wanted her to see him apart from the group. To see him as someone special. That’s why he couldn’t help himself and pushed her physically, even though it made him uncomfortable. He wanted to mean something to Dani. She called to him in a way that no other woman ever had.
As he drove, he finally admitted that she’d worked her way into his heart. Damn it. How could he have let it happen? He’d always been so good at keeping himself apart. Now his world would be empty without her. He shuddered. If he got her back. When he got her back, he would tell her the truth.
Huxley could imagine her disdain. How could anyone want him after the things he’d done? How could someone as selfless as Dani want him? It would tear him apart to tell her, but he deserved the disdain she would show him. He was worthy of nothing.
Huxley’s hands shook on the steering wheel. He needed to get a grip on himself. The important thing now would be to stop wallowing in self-pity and find Dani. In truth, he didn’t know how he could go home if he didn’t.
****
Candy didn’t watch Huxley drive off. She was too busy running to her car. When she came even with it, her eyes snapped to the windshield. “You’re fucking kidding me? Assholes.”
She ripped the bright orange parking ticket off her car and tore it in half and nearly tossed it, then thought better of it. She stuffed it in the pocket of Huxley’s jacket before opening her door and getting in.
The car had only been sitting for fifteen minutes, so when Candy put the heat on, it came out ready and willing, blasting from the vents at her.
She couldn’t help but grimace as she removed her wet boots and socks. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be a total loss. The warmth played over her frozen toes, but she couldn’t sit like this forever. She had to find a phone.
Putting her body’s needs on hold, she dropped the car in gear, pulled off the curb, then punched “Blue Hills” as her destination, and the rule: “forbid highway,” into her GPS. She needed to stick to city roads if she was going to locate a frigging pay phone. Her head throbbed, but at least she’d warmed up.
Not until she’d travelled a good distance down Morrissey Boulevard did she finally spot one of the dying breed of pay phones. It sat lonely in front of a deserted gas station. She looked at the dash. Shit. Twenty minutes officially passed since she had “died.”
Thank God for debit cards. Candy didn’t carry a purse—way too sissy for her. She preferred tucking things into lots of pockets, and luckily her plastic had survived the plunge. It would cost her a mint to call California, but she didn’t give a shit. This contact needed to be made.
Candy punched in all the requisite numbers and waited while the phone rang. It was just before 10:30 in LA so her boss wouldn’t be in bed, because even if he had been, this was the second call he’d received.
“Jake Marsthall here, and it better be fucking good because I can’t ID this number.” Candy had never been happier to hear Jake’s gruff voice.
“Boss, it’s me.” Candy waited for an acknowledgement, an expletive. Anything. Dead air came from the other end. She continued, “Me. Candy. You know, your resident rude-assed-bitch.”
“Funny,” Jake said flatly. But did Candy detect a tinge of relief in his voice? “The Candy I know is dead. Her signal came in ‘all vital signs down’ not twenty minutes ago.”
“Yeah. Funny how that happens when you get thrown into the ocean with an anchor for a shoe, but I’m fine now.”
“Protocol, Candy. That’s all I’ve got to say to you, and you know it. This phone call’s doing you no good. It’s moot.”
“But Jake—”
“Don’t ‘but Jake’ me. I’m going by the book on this one. You’ve been out of the loop too long.” Now he sounded totally pissed off. This mess had probably ripped him out of a wet dream, or he’d been nailing some hot twenty-something bitch when the call came.
She decided to appease him. “Don’t let me cock-block you, boss—”
“Save it, Candy,” he interrupted. “I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and your mouth can
only get you into more trouble.”
“Fine.” Candy’s day had officially turned to total shit. “Nothing I can say, huh?” she attempted again.
“Nope.”
She heard the unmistakable sound of a cartridge being slammed into a gun.
There was no sense in pleading. When Jake made up his mind, and decided to go all by-the-book, he could be an even bigger prick than usual, but she had to give it one more shot to check out his sympathy level.
“Doesn’t it make your heart bleed that I’m standing in a phone booth, bare foot, dripping wet, freezing my ass off in twenty-degree-friggin’ Boston?”
“Nope.”
Well that was that.
“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon then.” Candy sighed.
“Yup.” Click. The bastard hung up on her. That was her MO, dammit. She never got a fucking break.
She shuffled from the phone kiosk. All she wanted to do now? Drag her sorry self back to the compound and pound back some of that vodka Marduk kept in his office, but now she was stuck taking a road trip. A very long road trip, hopefully far, far away.
She got back in the car and drove south on Morrissey Boulevard. At Neponset, she circled around under the highway, reversed directions, and sped up the onramp onto the highway.
If she got lucky, she could be back up in Maine in three or four hours.
Chapter Eighteen
Huxley retraced his path back toward Kenmore Square, but veered off to the south, down Mass Ave before he got there. He didn’t know what compelled him, but he was tired—too tired to fight whatever internal fucked-up-ed-ness took over. He felt like his body didn’t belong to him, which right now seemed okay.
He found himself at a stop a few blocks away from a twelve-story building on his left. It was clearly under construction. Its facade lay covered with scaffolding and green protective netting to keep things from falling on pedestrians below, but the material looked tattered in a way that had Huxley thinking that work had been stopped on the renovation for quite some time.
He felt his heart beating harder in his chest. He maneuvered his car into a parking spot. It wasn’t tough. Boston at 1:30 in the morning became fairly accommodating.
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