“Paige?” Ethan looked at her; his eyes wide with surprise. She’d dressed in black denim that matched Rowan’s. But it was what Ethan felt from her that was even more astonishing. “Jesus. You—you’re awakened.”
Rowan elbowed her in jest nodding at Ethan. “Your mate, he’s perceptive, that one.”
Paige grinned, folding her arms and looking drop-dead beautiful.
Ethan returned her grin. “Believe me now!?” he asked with a heavy sarcasm, grinning at her.
“Everyone knows about us now.” Paige walked up to him and gave him a hug and a sweet kiss on the cheek. “We’re all over the media. Everyone’s talking about us.”
“What is up with you?” Ty glared mockingly at Ethan just as he was briefly holding Paige. “Does every hot woman you meet just walk up and kiss you?”
“We haven’t formally met, Ty. I’m Paige. Ethan’s lunch buddy.” She extended her hand.
“I know who you are, Paige.” He shook her hand with a smile. Paige was more than just awakened. Ty took immediate notice of her eyes. “Nice to finally meet you.” He offered out loud. He offered her few other private empathic thoughts as well—none of them involving her wearing the black denim she currently had on. She held onto his hand returning the aggressive flirt with some rather naughty thoughts of her own about him.
Rowan glared at the two still shaking hands. He’d seen this kind of greeting more than a time or two. He didn’t need the two of them rooting in public, even if it was just empathic. He took hold of their wrists, separating their hands. “Well now that we’ve all got our niceties out of the way,” he was mostly snarking at Paige, “we have vessel to catch.”
“A vessel?” Ethan’s mind worked quickly. “Is that where you’ve been taking all of us?”
“It is, Ethan,” Rowan began. “It’s an ark called Paradisus. I’ve actually been on a rescue mission of sorts. Taking as many as I can find to a place off-world where the newbloods will be safe and out of the way of all of this global government nonsense. You two are the last of my cargo.”
Ty looked at Ethan. Then both looked at Rowan. “We’re not going.”
“The hell? Oh, yes you are.”
“Rowan,” Paige placed her hand on Rowan’s arm. “Wait. You two have some really jumbled feelings. Both of you. What’s going on?”
Both frowned and then shrugged in unison as if they were identical twins.
“Oh, I get it,” Rowan began. “I’ve seen those looks before. One’s attracted; one’s not. Bloody. Who is she?” Rowan demanded.
“No one you need concern yourself with.” Ty folded his arms, glaring.
“Rowan. Let’s let them talk,” Paige suggested. “But not here. We lost your trail in San Diego. How did you two get here?”
“Teleport,” they both said.
“Really?” Rowan raised an eyebrow looking at the two of them and then at Paige; his attitude suddenly taking a turn. His ties with the Kir gave him the ability to use the portals, but only the Ra gods had teleportation. He’d been following Ty all this time and the godling had toys like fucking teleport? Shit. No wonder the bastard was so hard to find.
“Ty,” Rowan began. “I’m not here to make trouble. Really, I’m not. Take us someplace quiet where the four of us can talk.”
Ty nodded. And with a subtle rush of air, suddenly, all of them were gone.
* * * * *
“When are you going to pull out of this funk?” Lisa sat down on the other side of the couch from him with her tea.
“Maybe never,” Kent grumped.
“The truth will come out. Eventually. Maybe you need to hire a PR firm?” She smirked.
“It’s not funny, Lisa. People died and the government just blames me for all of it. They were the ones who started shooting first. I just wanted to have lunch with Perry and Adam.” He glared at her, sulking.
“You shouldn’t even care. You know what happened.”
“I know.”
“You’re jealous. I can feel it.”
“A little.”
“A little?”
“C’mon, Lis’. This video goes all over social media and I get blamed for killing people while your agency triples your contract fees with Seattle Denim. ‘You’ll look like a goddess.’” He mocked the new ad slogan now that the public had become aware of the Ra.
“Honestly, Kent, I think this little ploy by the Administration is going to hugely backfire. Once it gets out that the government started shooting first, trying to kill a small group of people who did nothing more than breathe air, it’s going to just generate sympathy for people like us.”
“Sure it will, and it will also generate antipathy. They don’t really care about us; one way or the other, Lisa. All the Administration wants right now is get people generating controversy. One side arguing against the other. Agitate and divide. That’s then end game here.”
“I’ve seen the news. You’re right, it’s all one-sided.”
“Now they’re doing puff pieces on the men and women of our international police force; ‘a united government effort to rid the world of the evil demonic gods plaguing humanity,’” he mocked.
“I know. They want people comfortable with the U.N.’s new international police force.”
“Exactly. And now that we’re the bad guys, people will just give the government everything it needs to rid the world of the evil demonic Ra.”
“You think they will? Just hand over their sovereignty like that to the Seven?”
“Only if they want to eat. These nations control most of the banks and commercial manufacturing and shipping all over the globe. If you want to get your oil or produce or goods from point A to point B, you play the game the way the Seven want you to, or you don’t eat.”
“Nobody likes the idea of one-world global government, Kent. Especially here in the States.”
“But they won’t be so overt about it, Lis’. Everyone will get to keep their sovereignty, just like the States are sovereign under the federal government. Only there’s not really any sovereignty at all; it’s all just a placebo sovereignty. It doesn’t really exist.”
“We can’t be the only ones who see this coming.”
“We’re not. Even the humans can see it. But there’s not enough of them in the governments to stop it. Slowly, the governments led by the Seven will start whittling down the resistors. Painting this group as evil and that group as good. People won’t mind seeing the neo-Confederates get bombed or even nuked if they think they’re getting rid of people who are deliberately hurting the planet. The weapons are already in place, it’s the PR war that is the only thing standing in their way.”
* * * * *
“I must say, I had very serous reservations about the leak of Kent Levi’s encounter with us in Seattle, Brett. Very serious.” Rigel walked with the president along an underground corridor that led to an emergency evacuation hanger not far from the White House residence. The subterranean hallway was always private.
“I understand.”
“I cannot have you making such huge decisions without the benefit of our models.”
“Sure.”
“However, your intuition appears to be playing out well, in ways we did not anticipate. It was a good move, Brett. A gamble, to be sure, but a good move nonetheless.” Rigel stopped and placed his hand gently on the president’s shoulder. “But in the future, Brett, please, for your own sake, consult me first next time.”
The president nodded.
“I can tell you that I would not have made such a bold move, but now that the pieces are in place, whether we like them where they are or not, we appear to be making significant headway. Our side is apparently embracing the idea of the existence of the gods while our adversaries are fraying at the seams wondering what to do with us.” Rigel chuckled. “It was a brilliant move, Brett. In fact, your team is to be commended. I’m instructing the investors to give all of you a little something extra in the disbursements this quarter. A nice, well-deser
ved bonus.”
“Well, thank you. I’m sure the team will be very appreciative.”
44
K ira, I need to ask you a personal question.” Bette was a sharply groomed, forty-something accounting major with a type-A, no-nonsense personality who ran her one-store business by the book. Kira stood in her small, sparsely decorated office just off the dining room of her struggling San Francisco coffee house.
“Of course?”
“Do you have any tattoos?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Just answer my question.”
“You answer mine.”
“Do you want to get fired?”
“Do you want to get sued?”
Bette pursed her lips. She had a decision to make and she didn’t really want to make it. Kira was beautiful, not in just the way she looked but in how she treated others. She was kind, chatty, helpful, with lots of energy, the perfect kind of beautiful that brought in customers. Business had been noticeably up since Bette had brought her on. She was also smart, and at times just as no-nonsense as Bette was.
Bette liked Kira, a lot, everyone did; but she had a business to run. For a couple of weeks now Bette’s intuition had been keeping her up at night—wondering. However, the city council had made it abundantly clear that Ra, whoever they were, were welcome in the sanctuary city. She couldn’t legally fire Kira because of her race. That would be a PR nightmare in this town. But she also couldn’t have an employee with whatever infection was in their blood working in foodservice. People died just coming in contact with the Ra. That was a huge lawsuit just waiting to happen.
“Kira, you kind of place me between a rock and a hard place.”
“How so? I’m sure my work isn’t a problem.”
“No. But I think you already know why I’m asking what I am.”
“Perhaps you should tell me.”
“Are you Ra?”
“Why would it matter?”
“I’m worried about having an employee infecting and killing my customers.”
“I don’t think that’s really the issue.”
“Of course it is.”
“You shouldn’t lie, Bette. You’re better than that.”
If Bette was glaring at her, she didn’t mean to. But this young girl had just zeroed in on what Bette was really worried about.
“Alright, Kira. I’m not going to try to match wits with a goddess. The fact is people are talking about you. Customers, other employees. You stand out, Kira. Look at you. You’re not wearing any makeup and you’re beautiful. Your skin is flawless. Honestly, I don’t know why you’re even here.”
“I wish I knew the answer to that myself, Bette.” Kira’s countenance seemed to fall.
Bette was suddenly puzzled by Kira’s answer. The no-nonsense business side of her softened. “So, why are you here?” she asked curiously.
Kira sat down. “I guess I’m looking for something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. I’m not even sure I’ll recognize it when I find it.”
Bette had a rule about getting personal with employees. She didn’t.
“I really don’t want to let you go, Kira.”
“Then don’t.”
Bette sighed. “But people are talking.”
“So? Let them talk. Evidently it’s good for your business.”
Bette thought for a moment. She wasn’t anything close to a marketing person. Despite her own best efforts, nothing was creating buzz for the small shop. The coffeehouse was making it, but just barely, and not really enough to keep it open. Still—the past several weeks had seen a nice uptick since Kira had started. People were talking about her coffeehouse; they genuinely liked being around Kira. Seattle Denim had a goddess. Maybe—maybe she was looking at Kira all wrong. Instead of a HR liability waiting to kill her customers, perhaps the clandestine goddess was actually a stroke of luck. The word-of-mouth publicity of a goddess working in her dining room would either kill her shop or, it might really help it. She didn’t really know which. But her sales were already dead competing with the new Starbucks a block away. Bette made a rare snap decision, and then broke a small smile.
“Kira,” she stood up from her small perfectly organized desk. “Let’s just pretend this conversation never happened.”
“Oh?” Kira elegantly lifted herself from the chair.
“This is a tough business. Especially in this area of town. Maybe it’s a mistake; but maybe having a real live goddess serving customers is more of a good thing than I realize.”
“You should probably give me a raise then. So I don’t leave and go down the block to Starbucks.” Kira grinned.
Bette smiled. She was still digging herself out of a sales slump with the new competition. But she’d gladly pay the Ra whatever she wanted if she kept customers coming in the door as she’d been doing. Bette held out her hand as if making a business deal. Kira shook it. “I can’t afford much right now, Kira. But let’s just see what sales do over the next few of weeks. I’ll make it worth your while to stay.”
45
P aradisus isn’t a prison, Rowan.” Brenda’s life-size holographic avatar was a perfect, barely transparent shimmering image within his undersea hideout. “The people here all chose to leave Aden, to make new lives away from the turmoil of the new global government. No one said they couldn’t go back. If Ty and Ethan want to come and go, I’m not going to stop them. Apparently they have their own vessel?”
“They do. A bit of a sweet ride as well.”
“They are welcome here, Rowan.”
“You many want to sit down for the next bit of news. I now know what happened to the Masters.”
“Do tell.”
“They left.”
“I knew that. I watched them leave.”
“You did?”
“One by one, Rowan. Until there were no more of them.”
“Yea, well they didn’t exactly take their bodies with them.”
“No. No they didn’t. The new Masters didn’t have bodies. I’m curious how you would know that?”
“Cause one of ‘em stayed behind.”
“Really? That’s—that’s—”
“Weird.”
“I was going to say dangerous.”
“What’s dangerous about her?”
“They’re new, Rowan. The Masters didn’t know their own power. She could really hurt someone—or some ones.”
“There’s not much to her, actually.”
“Not true Rowan. An evolved Master is undisciplined, unskilled, untested in her ability. She doesn’t even know what she is yet. None of them did. It’s why they left.”
“How come you know so much?”
“Never mind. I don’t want her near Paradisus. Not because I don’t trust her, but because I’m being cautious with what the ark is carrying.”
“I’ll let them know.”
“Where are they now?”
“San Diego. Ty has a friend who owns a yacht there.”
“I see. We should,” she paused, “invite Ty and Ethan to have a look around the ark. It’s a beautiful place, Rowan. If nothing else, they can dock their vessel here.”
Rowan nodded.
“How is your new partner working out?” she asked. “Everything going well, I trust.”
“A little too well.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“I was only lookin’ for an empath—”
“Awakened a real-live goddess did you?” Brenda’s avatar showed her wry smile. “Those genetics of your are getting you into trouble again.”
“I gotta stop awakening sheilas.”
“You’re not exactly half-blood material, Rowan. You were awakened by one of the ancients. That’s bound to reveal a golden-eyed someone in your bloodline at some point. You should be happy you’re not extinct. I bet she’s—attractive.”
“Yea. Not goin’ there. She’s just a kid.”
“So are you.”
> “Everyone’s a kid compared to you.”
“She seems attracted to you as well.”
“She’s gonna get myself arrested, that’s what she’s gonna do.”
Brenda giggled.
* * * * *
Ethan sat on a park bench and looked up into the night sky. Only a faint reflection of Saturn’s rings were visible now in the long shadow of the immense planet. Still, they looked beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Thea felt wrapped in his arms. It was like the two of them were inseparable now; oddly addicted somehow to each other’s feelings. The differences between them seemed immense; he was trapped in his body, while her mind was free to roam wherever she liked in the Universe. He was young while she was very, very old.
Even older still was someone else on board the Paradisus. Ethan watched her empathically as she approached. She wasn’t like the others. Not even close.
“Out for a midnight stroll?” Brenda asked.
“Can’t sleep.”
“Worried about Ty and Sofia?”
“No. I don’t know. Maybe. Yea.”
“You’re a bit of a mess, Ethan,” she said simply, taking a seat on the bench to look at him.
“That’s an understatement.”
“I had a little chat with Thea this afternoon.”
“Huh?”
“She’s very sweet. I could see you all over within her feelings. I can only imagine what it must be like, making love to someone like that.”
Ethan nodded.
“She’s dangerous, Ethan.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“You won’t survive.”
Ethan blinked at her. He wasn’t stupid. He already knew things were getting out of hand. “I don’t know what to do.”
“She’s like an addiction—both of you addicted to each other. I’ve seen it before.”
“I guess we’re just going to have to learn how to be just friends.”
“I don’t know that the two of you can be ‘just friends’ at this point.”
“Yea, that would be a little difficult,” Ethan admitted.
“She’s going to kill you, Ethan. Not today, not tomorrow. But sooner or later. At some point, both of you will lose control. And she’ll destroy your mind. It’s why the Masters left once they evolved.”
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