So far he’d found nothing unusual with his brother’s intended. She was well liked, but not overly friendly with her colleagues. She seemed dedicated to her job, and spent far too much time squinting into her monitor.
He had been looking forward to seeing what she did on her time off, and laughed as she blasted heavy rock on her car stereo, singing slightly off key and using the steering wheel and dashboard as a drum kit. He hoped for her sake that she was able to maintain the beat and keep the car on the road at the same time.
Thirty minutes later, they turned off the highway at an exit for Agawam, according to the signs. Emesh wondered if this was where Glory lived, but quickly disabused himself of that idea when she turned the car into the main drive of a well-appointed building whose sign announced it as an assisted-living community. Emesh became even more curious. Was this a second job?
Glory parked the car and lifted two boxes—food Emesh had watched her purchase—off the passenger seat, and hurried from her vehicle. She walked into an elegant reception area and called to the woman behind the desk.
“Hi, Charlotte. Is Mom in the common room tonight?”
“No, Glory. We had her there waiting for you, but she got a little agitated, so we brought her back to her room.”
Glory sighed. “I’m sorry. I got tied up at work. I hate to be late.”
“I’m sure she didn’t even notice.” The woman named Charlotte smiled. Glory continued down the hallway.
Emesh was now fully interested. Glory couldn’t be out of her twenty’s yet; how old could her mother possibly be to have been placed in a care facility? And why? He watched Glory square her shoulders before entering a room off to the left.
“Hey, Mom. I brought your dinner.”
Emesh could hear the forced cheerfulness in Glory’s voice, and entered the comfortable bedroom-living combo right behind her. He watched carefully as she crossed the room to drop a kiss on the dark head of a woman sitting stiffly erect in a ladder-back chair facing the window.
Her mother, huh?
The female had to be younger than sixty, with very few gray streaks sifting through her hair. Her face was curiously unlined. Emesh was still at a loss as to what was wrong.
“Come sit at the table with me,” Glory implored, lifting her mother’s hand where it lay on her lap. Her daughter’s touch seemed to bring the woman out of a trance.
“Glory, dear. How long have you been here? Have we eaten yet?” Her innocent, brown gaze held warmth, but also a great deal of confusion. Emesh suddenly realized why Glory’s mother was under care. He wondered how advanced her Alzheimer’s was.
“No. We haven’t eaten. I’ve brought you the Bolognese from Spoleto, and they threw in some extra ciabatta bread this time since you loved it so much last week.”
“I did?” The woman looked at the container Glory opened and smiled. “There’s an awful lot here. I’ll never be able to eat it all, but perhaps you brought extra in case your friend is hungry.” Glory’s mother turned interested eyes in Emesh’s direction and looked straight at him. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Glory seemed momentarily lost for words, and Emesh cringed. Shit. Glory’s mother could see him. It was a problem they’d run into before; selective relatives being aware of the invisible gods, but how would he keep Glory from thinking her mother traveled a fast road into crazy?
“Mom?” she asked gently. “Who exactly do you see?”
“Don’t tease me, dear.” The woman raised a finger and pointed.
Emesh panicked. Glory would surely think this was a manifestation of new symptoms. He had to nip this in the bud before Glory asked someone in charge about hallucinations. The best policy—when this had happened before—had been honesty, so Emesh jumped in with both feet.
This is going to sound odd, he said, waving his arms a little. But your daughter can’t see or hear me, so the best thing to do would be to ignore me and have your dinner. I cross my heart I’ll explain things while you eat.
The woman turned her elegant head back to her daughter. “Oh. I must have been mistaken, dear.” She shook her head. “It was just a shadow.” She got to her feet and moved to the table where Glory had put the food. “This looks delicious.” She glanced at Glory’s worried face and touched her daughter’s hand as she sat down.
“I’m aware my condition may eventually cause me to see things, but I don’t believe I’m there yet, dear…am I?” She posed the last part of her question to Emesh with raised brows. He settled on the window sill and filled the woman in as she and her daughter ate their food.
No. You’re not, he informed her with an impish smile. I’m here to find out about your daughter, and whether or not she’s good at keeping important secrets.
Glory’s mom coughed, ingesting a little of the food into her lungs.
“Are you all right, Mom?” Glory thumped her mother’s back.
“Fine dear, fine.” The woman coughed again, this time into her napkin. “But I could use some fresh water from the cafeteria. Could you go get me some?”
“Of course. Stay put, I’ll be right back.” Glory got to her feet and exited the room, taking with her the carafe from the bedside table.
“You can’t possibly know the secrets we’ve kept in our family.” Glory’s mother turned to Emesh and actually harrumphed. “And now I have one myself, unless I’m just losing my mind.” She looked Emesh up and down. “What’s your name, young man?”
Emesh, he stated. And I’m not a young man, I’m a god. He puffed up his chest, filling out his pink tie-dye, T-shirt with his muscled chest.
“Well, my name is Kate, and if you’re a god, does that mean my time is nearer than I think?”
Goodness no. I’m not that god. Emesh grimaced, appalled. I don’t look anything like him. Emesh ran a comforting hand over his brown, bald dome, and tugged at the one earing he wore. His hair is a garish, bottled red, and he can’t accessorize worth a damn.
Kate laughed and opened her eyes extra wide. “You know what? You remind me of my son, Douglas.” She reached out. “Can I touch you?”
I’m not sure. Emesh moved off the sill and closer to Kate. We’ve met a human who can…oh, and a witch, but it’s hit or miss.
She reached out and Emesh felt her hand, warm and comforting. The god choked up. From what Enten said, this woman had lost her son many years ago, and it made Emesh happy she could feel him.
“Yes, you’re very much like Douglas.” Glory’s mother reiterated. She removed her hand, going back to her food. “Glory’s coming back. Talk while we eat. I can’t promise I’ll remember anything about you later, but know that it’s been nice meeting you.”
“Who are you talking to, Mom?” Glory’s eyebrows came together as she entered the room, looking around.
“Was I talking?” Kate asked innocently. “The food is lovely.” She looked down at her container. “I see they gave me extra bread.”
“Yes, Mom.” Glory sighed. “Shall I turn on the TV?”
“Why don’t we just have some quiet, sweetheart.” Kate tilted her head to Emesh and he obligingly continued to fill her in.
I live with a group of gods who are stuck here on earth, invisible to most people, which is a real drag. He lamented. In the past year, we’ve figured out that if we find our true mate—someone we call our Chosen—we become visible again. He pointed over at Glory. Your daughter makes my brother, Enten, visible. They’ve spent a little time together, and she’s definitely his one and only. You should have seen them last weekend. They were all over each other.
That got a grin from Kate, who hid the expression behind her hand. She was obviously thrilled her daughter had a beau.
Kate also wasn’t above some teasing. “So Glory, have you met any nice men, lately?”
It was Glory’s turn to swallow food the wrong way. She coughed and her eyes watered. Emesh could see her mind churning. She must wonder why her mother bounced back and forth between “clueless” and “extra with it”
tonight.
Glory eventually looked up with a shy grin. “As a matter of fact, I have.” Her eyes sparkled. “And Mom, he’s easily the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” Her face lit. “I’m waiting to see if he calls me,” she added. “I’m a little worried since I haven’t heard from him.”
Kate smiled. “I’m sure you will, Glory. And you’ll make a wonderful wife.”
Glory spluttered again and shook her head. “Hey. Let’s not jump the gun. Aren’t you the one who always told me to avoid men at all costs, and never put myself under a guy’s control? Are you really touting marriage to a stranger?”
Now Emesh was confused. Why would Glory need to avoid men? He settled in to see if any explanations would be forthcoming.
“I have a feeling gods make very good husbands.” Kate took a final bite and pushed her meal away.
“Gods?” Glory laughed, albeit not wholeheartedly. “It’s funny you should say that, Mom. Enten is kind of god-like, in a larger-than-life sort of way. I really think I could fall hard for him.”
Before Kate could answer, Emesh sighed, looking at Glory appreciatively. I’m really happy for my brother. He cleared his throat. Wanting to clarify everything to Kate. The only problem is, a bad bunch of humans led by an unknown god want to make sure we don’t find our Chosen. So we have to be very careful about our secret. Right now, we’re watching Glory to make sure she can be trusted.
Kate nodded in understanding, and spoke to Glory to assuage Emesh. “You are an extremely trustworthy soul, Glory, and I’m sure this young man will find that out once he gets to know you.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Glory leaned over and scooped up the empty to-go containers, looking happy. It must have been a while since the pair had something new to talk about, and probably felt good. Glory scooped things into a bag. “This has been a nice visit, Mom. I’ll be back on Thursday. I love you.” She bent and kissed her mother’s cheek, gathering her purse to go. “Bye.”
As Glory turned the corner to leave, Kate called after her, “Honey, I hope you’ll bring Enten with you next time you visit. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Glory stopped abruptly, shook her head, and then kept walking. Emesh knew why. She couldn’t remember if she’d told her mother Enten’s name. She’d come to the conclusion that she must have, because there was no other explanation.
“Can you stay for a minute, young man…I mean god?” Kate chuckled.
Sure. What else would you like to know? Emesh could easily catch up with Glory.
“If you don’t mind my asking, after all of your friends meet their women, what’s going to happen to you? If I’m not mistaken, you’re of a different bent.”
Emesh grunted. I know what you’re getting at, and yes, I’m gay. He felt young and vulnerable in front of the motherly Kate. I don’t know if there’s anyone out there for me. He let his heart show. I may be invisible forever. He’d thought about this long and hard.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Kate said, fairly definitively. “And in that vein, I have a favor to ask you, Emesh. Can you do something for a sick woman before she loses her mind altogether?”
Emesh looked at Kate uncertainly. He hated to think she had so little time before all she knew was foreign to her. What could she possibly want? Of course, Kate. You’re going to be my brother’s mother-in-law after all. That means we’ll be family. What can I do for you?
Glory’s mother didn’t pull any punches. “I need you to find my son.”
Oh, no. Emesh moved away. I’ll do just about anything to aid you, but I’m helpless where this is concerned. I’m a god, but I don’t have access to the Overworld. And if he went below, Emesh shivered, the Underworld is a nasty place, and no human can come back from there alive. He didn’t count Holly, who had gone under Ereshkigal’s protection.
Kate looked at Emesh shrewdly. Too shrewdly, he thought, to be caught up in a dementia episode.
“No, Emesh. You don’t understand. I don’t need you to travel to any other world. My son, Douglas, is here. On Earth. He’s alive.”
Chapter Nine
“Holy shit.” Matthew had his morning coffee in hand and the Boston newspaper spread out before him. His cup sloshed over as he leaned forward to look closely at the picture again.
He’d know that face anywhere. That was the god, Anshar, who had been kept prisoner in the Plymouth basement. The one mated to his one-time colleague, Lenore, who had subsequently defected from the organization. What the hell was the god doing in an ad? And who was the other guy?
Matthew scrambled for the magnifying glass in his top drawer. Anshar’s face popped into relief. It certainly was him. Incredulous, he moved the glass over to the other face, which seemed chiseled and cold, and knew why he’d been selected for this advertisement. He epitomized the kind of bad boy who made women wet and could sell things to them all day long.
The model was not anyone Matthew had seen before, but by the size and bulk of him, Matthew knew he had to be a god, which meant… What did it mean? Something nagged at Matthews’s brain. He’d seen gods before, but only…wait. That’s right. This god was visible. There was only one reason for that. He smirked. Somewhere nearby, out of the frame, a brand new, not yet out of the box Chosen existed. Matthew’s hands shook with excitement as he examined the ad in detail.
He almost used the brain connection his new boss had made possible to tell her the news, but stopped himself at the last minute. She’d threatened physical chastisement if he abused his new power, and as kinky as that might sound, Matthew wasn’t sure he trusted her not to irreparably damage him in some way. Better to have the whole story, wrap it up with a ribbon, and give it to Ereshkigal. If he screwed up, she wouldn’t have any ammunition against him. Matthew looked closely at the ad again, didn’t see what he wanted, and reached for the phone to dial directory assistance.
He named the paper and said, “Advertising department please…” He wrote down the number and dialed, thinking fast.
“Advertising department. How may I help you?” asked a female voice.
“My name is Matthew…Smith…” Nice asshole. Couldn’t he come up with something better off the cuff? “…and I represent a small clothing firm on the south shore.” He lifted the paper and held it in front of him. “You ran an ad on page five in today’s edition for a swimsuit designer.” Matthew looked at the ad and gave the name. “I really like the way this layout looks, and wondered if you could give me the name of the firm who produced it? I’d like to contact them to do some work for us.” He paused. “Yes, yes. I’ll wait.”
Less than a minute went by before the helpful individual came back on the phone, giving him the information he needed.
“Thank you,” Matthew said sincerely, pumping his fist in the air. “You’ve been a tremendous help.”
He laughed after hanging up. Northampton. That was where the agency did business. Huxley and the feisty doctor had been headed in that direction when Matthew had followed them several weeks before. He should have had the information he needed back then, but luck had not been with him. Erra had called him back before he’d completed his task. Matthew sighed. If people…uh, gods, would just let him do his job.
Mind back on the opportunity at hand, Matthew realized there was a strong possibility the new Chosen was either a model or someone involved in the shoot. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find out.
The pieces for a new round of kick-the-gods’-asses dropped into place. Matthew reached for the phone to gather his troops.
****
Two days later, Matthew watched as what had to be the last person out of the office locked the door and set the alarm. He’d kept out of sight in case any gods hung around to recognize him, but his team, incognito in shorts and touristy shirts that read things like “Lobstahs Rule” and “Boston is Wicked Pissah” had kept him informed over the day by cell phone. Only in the last few minutes had he left his car on a side street to slouch down on a bench a few doors away from his targeted des
tination. He reached for his phone.
“Did you get the code?” He had stationed his expert as close to the doorway as possible. Matthew heard a laugh.
“One, two, three, four, if you can believe that.” The henchman snorted. “I love these small towns. Everybody is so trusting.”
“Good. Now make yourself scarce and we’ll all meet back here dressed for darkness at two in the morning.” Three additional guys made up the break-in group. “We’ll be in the back alley, and as soon as you’ve entered the code, we’ll let ourselves in through a window.” Matthew had a feeling this would be all too easy. “Just don’t get caught.”
“You’re talking to a professional,” his right-hand man admonished.
“A professional who did time before I picked his ass up off the street,” Matthew reminded him. He got a growl in response. Better to keep his men on their toes than to make friends.
Matthew walked to his car, and slowly drove back to the motel where he and two of the guys had rooms. The other two on the team had picked a different motel so as not to call attention to a large group of sinister-looking individuals in one spot, not that anyone around here looked at anything odd as being out of place.
The small city streets were full of musicians and artists. Dread-locked dudes proselytized loudly to passersby, and even a guy with an unplugged vacuum cleaner looked like he seriously believed he cleaned the streets. Every weirdo just blended right in.
Matthew let himself into his small room. It wasn’t so bad. There was a petite kitchenette done in retro-50s turquoise green, and the bed, which took up the rest of the space, actually appeared quite comfortable. There was a TV hung on the wall, but he didn’t bother to turn it on. Instead, he removed his shoes and stripped down to his boxers, lying back on the soft mattress. He should definitely get some sleep before the night’s undertaking.
Matthew reached up and set an alarm before propping both hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. He let himself drift and the first thing that came into his head was a picture of Ereshkigal, full breasts swinging above him, pussy grinding down onto his cock. He hardened instantly. She was some woman. Her remembered her flavor, and couldn’t recall tasting anything quite so sweet. Her personality was still out for decision. She was bossy and demanding…but boy could she fuck.
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