“Well, he’s not fully in the organization, but on the fringes.” She stopped and looked over her shoulder at me. “It’s the best we could do. He’ll get you inside and then you’ll need to make contact with Olivia.”
“And how exactly do I contact you once I find her?”
“That’s the tricky part,” she said, pursing her lips. “The people we’re dealing with, they know how to scan you for magic. We can’t send you in there with a communication device. They’ll find it right away.”
I swallowed hard. No communication with the outside world was a scary thought. What if something went wrong?
“Do you at least know where they’ll take me?”
Ruth gestured for me to continue following her while she talked. “From what little we know about this group, they like to change their location daily. Finding you would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“That’s reassuring.” I raised my eyebrows at her. “Why can’t you just use GPS like the rest of the world?”
She stared at me for a moment without blinking. “They’ll have sensors for that, too. Electronics and magic.”
Yikes. I was beginning to think I’d never make it back home.
“Luckily for us, we have Athena’s Jewel,” she added.
I stared at her. How would something so powerful fool their magic sensors?
“The necklace is a different type of magic. Ancient and unbreakable. We’ve tried all of our sensors on it and nothing unusual popped up. It’ll appear to them as an enhancement charm, like the little trinkets tourists buy to make them more beautiful, or charming, or something mundane like that.”
I pressed my hand to the necklace and felt its weight. It brought up a million questions, none of which were important at this moment.
“How does that help you locate me?”
“We were able to piggyback on the jewel’s enchantment with our own untraceable tracking spell,” she said with a flippant wave of her hand. “It’ll lay dormant for five days. That means, when you meet our contact tomorrow night, you’ll have four days left to make contact with Olivia, and prepare her for our assault. After your time has expired, it’ll send out a signal to our servers and then we can come in, guns blazing. Just be certain to complete your mission within that time.”
Only five days. That didn’t seem like enough time. What if my mother never showed? It would be all for nothing.
“And most importantly of all,” Ruth stepped in close, her breath warm on my face, “that means, don’t lose Athena’s Jewel. Without it, you’ll be lost forever in the underworld crime scene of Arcana.”
My fingers tightened around the jewel. Disappearing in some trafficker’s organization was not in the cards for me. Get in, get my mom, and get out. That was the plan.
Ruth led me into a large room with dark mahogany furniture. A huge wraparound desk took up half the space, with cracked leather chairs across from it. Shaded floor to ceiling windows overlooked the city and Lake Michigan bay, confirming for the first time that the harpies had transported me all the way to Chicago. I could even spot the top of the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel blinking in the distance.
“And how exactly will I be able to get into this organization when your contact can’t?”
“You will meet with Matt Rue in two days’ time at a bar called the Scarab Lounge. He is a new recruiter for the organization. As the organization only takes supernatural females, you will easily get farther than he ever could.”
“So, you’re saying he kidnaps women like me?”
Ruth pressed her lips into a thin line. “I suppose that would be accurate. Matt owes the HQ this favor. He is reliable.”
Anyone that kidnapped women for a living wasn’t exactly reliable in my book, but it looked like this was my only way in to save my mother. Armed with nothing but a mysterious piece of jewelry and my own powers, it sounded like a gamble and not a planned rescue. But if I didn’t help, I’d always have that little voice in the back of my head wondering if my mother was okay.
“Fine, sounds like a plan,” I told Ruth. “Now, how do I get home?”
Chapter Six
Angel gave me a scorching glare the moment I walked through the museum door. When the HQ dropped me off at my place last night, I found my phone blown up with a million voicemails and texts from Angel, asking me where I was. Since I was too tired to come up with a good lie, I texted her back and told her that Gideon and I had broken up and I took a personal day.
Surely, I was allowed one day. I'd never taken a single sick day since I started working there. She had to give me that.
But, the look on her face this morning told me Angel was suspicious. I couldn't blame her, but there was no way I was going to tell her about my mission with the HQ. She'd insist it was dangerous and insane. Then, she'd probably lock me in my office, and refuse to let me go until I abandoned the plan. For now, it was better that Angel remain in the dark.
"Where have you been?" she hissed.
Mr. Jones was standing in the back of the lobby with a man in a dark suit and shiny Italian loafers. I slid behind the counter with Angel and grabbed yesterday's mail.
"I told you, I took a personal day."
"You don't take personal days." She raised a perfect dark eyebrow at me. "The least you could've done was call me to let me know. Not text me back after work is already over."
I gave a fake sigh. "I know, I'm sorry. The day just got away from me. Wine and chocolate hangover."
"Well, you missed a lot yesterday, and I didn't know what to do without you here..."
"I think you can handle the museum without me for one day," I interrupted.
“It’s not that I can’t handle things,” she began, “it’s just that I tried to call you a million times…”
“I know and I’m sorry, okay? I really didn’t mean to leave you hanging like that.”
“Right.” She cut her hands through the air and gave a frustrated little shake of her head. “That’s not what I meant. Something happened yesterday and you weren’t around for it. Something big.”
I couldn't believe she was giving me a hard time. She was always telling me I needed to take time off, smell the roses or whatever. So what if I missed another fire breathing toad escape or another leprosy outbreak? She could handle it.
“I’m sure you didn’t need me for whatever emergency it was,” I said.
“No, it wasn’t an emergency, per se. It was just that Mr. Jones told me that…”
At that very moment, Mr. Jones and his swanky friend joined us at the counter, and Angel fell silent. While I’d met several of his rich friends who liked to pop in once in a while, this was a new one. He cut a lean figure in his tailored suit and matching blue tie. His strong square jaw was clean-shaven and his light brown hair tousled with some kind of mousse. My guess was that he was mid-thirties and single, by the lack of a wedding ring. Also, the way his dark eyes trailed over every curve of my body seemed to say unattached.
“Aya, I’d like you to meet someone very important.” Mr. Jones swept his giant callused hand to the side, nearly knocking the man in the head. “This is Trent McAllister.”
I nodded at Trent, avoiding too much eye contact. Now wasn’t the time for another one of Mr. Jones’ friends to try and pick me up. The last one was a seventy-year old widower who’d tried to impress me with his town car and Rolex watch.
“Mr. Jones, I need to talk to you about taking some vacation time,” I told him.
Who knew how long I’d be gone with this mission to find my mother. If I didn’t want to give Angel another panic attack, I’d need to come up with a good cover story, like vacation, to get her off my back.
“Sure, sure,” Mr. Jones mumbled. “Take all the time you need. That is, of course, if it’s alright with Mr. McAllister.”
My attention shot to Trent. He was still watching me, a look of mild amusement crossing his face.
I narrowed my eyes and forced myself to turn back to Mr. Jones. “Wh
at do you mean?”
“Well, Mr. McAllister is buying the museum from me, of course.” Mr. Jones rubbed a hand across his belly and laughed. “I’m getting too old for these kinds of adventures. My friend Trent here is an aficionado of all things supernatural. He’ll take good care of the place.”
My heart shattered into a million tiny shards of glass, and settled in my stomach to rip at my intestines. In one day, my plan of owning a little piece of the museum had been torn to shreds. By the looks of this man, with his slightly upturned nose and his manicured hands, he wouldn’t want to share a business with someone like me. I’d lost my dreams, my goals, and the place that mattered most to me.
I could feel Angel’s eyes on me, and I realized this was what she had been trying to tell me. That my absence yesterday had caused me to miss the sale of my museum. Maybe if I’d been here, and not kidnapped by some crazy harpies and their cult, I could’ve stopped it. I could’ve asked Mr. Jones to sell it to me. But now, we could chock this up as another way the HQ has ruined my life, and another reason why I would never join them.
“Why… why are you selling?” I could barely get the words out. I braced myself against the counter and waited for my knees to stop shaking.
“Like I said, I’m too old.” Mr. Jones made a face, the corners of his mouth pulling down into a comical frown. “And Trent made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I’m thinking about spending the rest of my days on a beach in Tahiti, with a beautiful waitress and all the rum I can drink.”
He slapped a hand on Trent’s shoulder, nearly pushing him into the counter. Trent maintained a dignified smirk and straightened his suit jacket.
Angel elbowed me, tearing my attention away from our former boss. She tilted her head down at the floor and silently mouthed for me to say something, before she snuck away to the back of the museum where a few customers lurked. But, there wasn’t anything I could say. The museum had been sold. I didn’t have enough money to buy it back from Trent McAllister and his expensive suit. The deed was done.
“I just hope that Mr. McAllister finds everything to his liking,” I said, dropping the stack of mail I’d been slowly rolling in my hands. “We’ve made a lot of improvements to the museum during my time here and I hope to make more.”
“Oh yeah, I’d love to hear more about your ideas,” he said. His voice was smooth and pleasant, like a baritone in a church choir. He smirked, his eyes narrowing. “Maybe I can get you to agree to accompany me to dinner tomorrow night and you can fill me in on all of your grand ideas.”
I took a small step back from the counter and bit the inside of my cheek. As tempting as it was to flirt with the new boss and get on his good side, Gideon and I had just broken up and it didn’t feel right to move on so quickly. Plus, I wanted to be taken seriously by the new management, and throwing in a little after-work flirtation was a quick way to ensure that never happened.
“I’m not so sure about that, Mr. McAllister,” I started. “Maybe we should plan a day meeting once I’m back from vacation.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Don’t you eat? I find business meetings are much less dull over a good meal and a drink.”
“Well, I don’t find business meetings about the museum dull at all,” I snapped back.
I winced at my tone of voice, but the damage had been done. His other eyebrow raised and now I had my future employer staring at me like I’d just keyed his Range Rover or something. Time to do some back peddling.
“What I meant to say is that, I’d rather meet during the day so that I can give you a proper tour of everything at the museum.”
I added my most charming smile and the look of surprise melted from his face.
“Sure, we can do that.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Mr. Jones. “I guess I’m stuck buying you dinner, Eddie.”
Mr. Jones cracked up, his belly undulating with the effort. “I’m afraid I’m not half as fun as Ms. Harris, but I’ll gladly take the free booze.”
They stepped away, but Mr. McAllister paused and turned to look at me. The air shimmered around his form, although no monster tail or scales popped out on his body. Instead, two long canine teeth flashed as he smiled at me. My new boss was a vampire – an immortal bloodsucking parasite. No wonder I disliked him already.
“Oh and by the way,” he said, the shimmer disappearing and his smile returning to normal, “I really insist you call me Trent.”
I nodded dully and pressed my dry lips together, determined not to fall into any charming trap he might set for me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a navy suit. Gideon had just entered the museum, looking as suave as ever, with his naturally tousled hair and a hint of stubble. My heart did a quick pitter patter as we made eye contact, and he waved uncertainly at me. I hadn’t expected to see him so soon after our breakup. Heartbreak like this required longer than three days apart to heal. He couldn’t just pop in whenever he felt like it and ruin my process.
I slid out from behind the counter and approached him at the front display. With a few deep breaths, I was able to slow my heartbeat back down to nearly normal.
“What are you doing here?”
He looked at me from under those long eyelashes and frowned. “Angel called me yesterday. She said she couldn’t get ahold of you. We were worried.”
“Well, I’m fine.”
Keeping my eyes glued to the tan speckled linoleum floor, I shifted my weight back and forth on my high heeled boots. If I didn’t play it cool, Gideon would know something was off. He was an investigator, after all. It was his job to sniff out lies.
“What happened? Did you see the HQ?” He grabbed my left hand and squeezed it. “Are you okay?”
I grimaced at him and fought off the nervous feeling of my stomach turning to jelly at the red hot touch of his hand. “I said I’m fine. Can’t a girl take a day off when her boyfriend breaks up with her without calling in the National Guard?”
He dropped my hand and instantly, I missed the feel of his skin against mine.
“Yes, but you can’t just disappear like that. Not with the HQ after you. I spent the whole day worried you’d been taken. That’s not fair to Angel or to me.”
A sour taste filled my mouth. “Not fair? Don’t get me started on what’s not fair. For instance – your boyfriend getting assigned to take down your murderous brother and having to break up with you. That’s not fair.”
Gideon shuffled his feet. The pain in his eyes told me that he didn’t like this anymore than I did, but he was trying to be strong. I felt awful for pushing him. It wasn’t his fault. His boss was the one I should hate.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “I just had a rough day. A rough week, really. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
He softly smiled, the warmth returning to his eyes. I longed to throw caution to the wind and kiss him right there and then, but we couldn’t. He had a manhunt on his hands, and I had a mission to find my mother. We couldn’t let our feelings get in the way.
“Really, where were you yesterday?” Gideon asked.
Inwardly, I groaned. Lying to him was like trying to stop the Titanic from sinking.
“I talked to your roommate, Johnny,” he continued. “He didn’t know where you were, either. That’s not like you.”
I blew a large breath through my lips and averted my eyes to the ceiling. “Nowhere. I just needed space.”
He stepped closer until we were nearly touching. “You’re lying. What happened yesterday?”
I blinked and sucked in my cheeks. “Nothing bad, Gideon. I swear. Don’t worry about the HQ. They don’t want to hurt me after all.”
With a sharp intake of air, he frowned. “You saw the Harpy Quorum? Where? What happened?”
I hadn’t intended on telling him anything, but maybe if he’d stop worrying about the HQ, then he’d finally give me the space I needed to get over him. At least, that’s what I told myself. “Yeah, they took me to their place in Chicago yesterday. Tha
t’s why I missed work. It was all a big misunderstanding.”
His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What did they want? If they don’t want to kill you, then why did they take you?”
I sighed. There was no way he was dropping this anytime soon.
“Because... because my mother’s still alive and they want me to help them find her.”
The words felt surreal coming out of my mouth. It was like breathing life back into someone who’d been dead for over a decade. My mother was still out of the picture, still practically deceased to me, but within a few days, that might change.
“Wait a minute. Did you just say your mother’s alive?” Gideon ran both his hands through his hair in disbelief. “How is that possible? How do they know?”
I gave him the quick and dirty rundown of everything I’d learned yesterday, leaving out the part about the pendant around my neck and the trials that I had to survive just to gain their trust. Ending with the plan to infiltrate the trafficking organization, I watched his face go from suspicion to shock to anger.
“And you’re just going to risk your safety on their information? What if this is all a trap?” he asked.
“They’re telling the truth.” I put on my hands on my hips and glared at him. “Besides, what kind of stupid trap would this be? I was already at their office and they let me go.”
“I don’t like it,” he said, his voice raising. “You can’t do it. It’s a dangerous plan and it’s going to get you hurt. I won’t let you.”
I raised myself to my full height and lifted my chin at him. No one was going to tell me what I could and couldn’t do. Especially not the man who had forfeited any rights to his opinion about me only three days ago.
“You don’t get to make that decision.” I could feel the angry sparks flying from my eyes. “You don’t control me and you never will. Let’s get that one thing straight.”
He stepped back as if I’d slapped him, hurt crossing his face. I should’ve felt sorry, but a righteous anger was burning in the pit of my stomach. If he thought I was one of those women who buried their heads in the sand when trouble came around, he was wrong. I wasn’t a helpless woman on the cover of a trashy romance novel waiting for a man to come to the rescue.
Athena's Jewel: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Aya Harris Collection Book 2) Page 5