Unlike the guys, I had no costume, so I wore my customary uniform with one small adjustment. My harness was already on and tightened, because I didn’t know how long I’d have to find a secure place to connect my rope.
“I really don’t like the idea of you going in there alone,” Demarco said for probably the twentieth time. Although I appreciated his concern, I could do without the broken record.
“I know, but trust goes both ways. You need to trust that I can do my job.”
He rolled his head back and stared at the sky. “I still don’t understand how you’ll get into the safe.”
And maybe someday I’d tell him—or better yet, show him—but not today. “You two ready?” I asked, scanning the area where I planned to deposit them. All of the guards were a safe distance away, and I was confident the guys would be able to do what they needed to and get away before anyone saw them.
“Yes,” they both said, but neither of them sounded very confident, which made me nervous.
“You have the lighter fluid?” I asked Tweety.
He tapped the bottle in his pocket. “Got it.”
“Lighters?”
“Romi, trust goes both ways,” Demarco said.
The guys would be setting up the fire with a fuse so they’d have time to get well away from the area before it ignited and hopefully drew the attention of the entire palace. They had a plan for getting back over the fence, and I had to trust them to survive, and focus on my part of the plan.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. Come on, let’s do this.” Still, pretending like my hands were cold, I cupped them over my mouth and blew before I took the hands of my companions. I didn’t know what good one lucky hand apiece would do them, but it was better than nothing.
Two steps and we were within the gate. I squeezed their hands before releasing them and staring at the roof as I stepped back into the shadows. Two more steps and I was atop the monstrosity. The lit-up city looked incredible from my high vantage point, but I didn’t let it distract me from finding something to secure the rope on.
Once I had the rope secured around a pole, I watched the copse of trees and my watch periodically. Right on time, I saw the first spark of fire. Thanks to the lighter fluid, it spread quickly, engulfing the bushes and grass around it. Soon it would spread to the nearest building and require all sorts of attention from the staff. Satisfied, I headed for the opposite side of the building while guards began sounding the alarm. I hung over the side of the rooftop and counted rooms until I found Eris’s, then I huddled in the shadows for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and leaping into my best Tarzan impression.
Eris’s curtains were wide open, as I’d anticipated. There was no reason to close them when she lived on the top story, surrounded by trees with a beautiful view. I swung down a little too quickly, coming upon the window faster than I’d expected. Since I didn’t want to slam into it like a bug, I released the rope from my harness, drawing shadows to myself, and fell into the realm of Erebus. A sliver of darkness passed before my eyes, and then I tumbled out on the floor of Eris’s suite. The now empty rope hit the window and harmlessly bounced off. Taking a deep breath and reassuring myself I was still alive, I stood and began searching for the safe.
After checking behind pictures, under the bed, and in a few built-in drawers, I found it hidden in the closet. I blew on it, blew on my hands, rubbed my hands over my ears, and leaned the side of my head against the cool metal and went to work on the dial. It was a much more rudimentary design than I could have hoped for, and the code was easy to crack. Like the rest of the gods, Eris was cocky and never would have expected anyone to get this close to her treasures. Boy, was she gonna be pissed.
The lock clicked open and I pulled the handle and peered in, having no idea what I was looking for. A plain, clear mason jar stood in the center of the safe. There appeared to be some sort of storm happening inside it, complete with flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder, clearly containing the head honcho of the gods.
Because I didn’t know how conscious one-fifth of Zeus could possibly be, I introduced myself and told him I was rescuing him and begged him not to zap me, before grabbing a towel out of the bathroom and gently wrapping the bottle in it. I didn’t know if the jar could break, but I wasn’t taking any chances. Once I felt it was adequately padded, I put the jar in my pack.
I was still zipping up my pack when the door slammed open and Eris—disguised as the Chief of General Staff—came rushing into the suite, gun drawn. Entering beside her was none other than Talon, wearing the rich playboy guise I’d first seen him in the night I stole the Harpē. They both seemed to realize I was there at the same time, but their reactions were vastly different. Eris looked like the nerve in her forehead was about to burst, and Talon laughed, thoroughly amused.
“Hold it. Stay right where you are and put your bag on the floor,” Eris said, leveling her gun at me.
The shadows could do a lot, but I doubted they could reflect bullets, and the chance of me outrunning a speeding bullet into the darkness were slim to none. I glanced at the window to where my rope hung, useless to help me out of my current situation. Out of options, I lowered my pack, held my hands in the air, and glared at Talon, suspecting he’d ratted me out again.
“Get the bag,” Eris commanded Talon.
The side of his lips turned up in the smirk I remembered. “I do not work for you,” he told her.
She took her gaze off me long enough to glare at him. “Get the bag,” she repeated.
He cocked his head. “Do you think I didn’t hear you the first time, Eris?”
Growling, she straightened. “Fine. I’ll get it myself.” She took a couple of steps, and then fell flat on her face on the marble floor.
Talon’s laughter only grew in volume and creepiness. Eris didn’t move. I stared from her to him, wondering what the hell had just happened.
“Trip wire.” He bent and snapped the thin line stretching from one side of the room to the other. “That trick never gets old.” Talon wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as I tried to figure out what the wire was attached to.
Someone shouted in the hallway.
Talon looked up at me and all humor vanished from his face. “What are you doing? Get out of here,” he said. Then he disappeared.
Completely confused, but startled into action, I grabbed my backpack, wrapped shadows around myself, and did exactly that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I TUGGED THE first essence of Zeus out of my backpack and set it on the bench beside Demarco’s forge. After Talon had disappeared, I’d done the same, picking up the guys at the rendezvous point, and whisked us all back to the relative safety of the blacksmith’s magical bubble-land. Tweety split off and headed to the house to make us celebratory sandwiches while Demarco and I stepped into the shop to try and figure out what to do with the first essence. We needed to go after Ares next, and didn’t relish the idea of leaving the essence anywhere. But we weren’t keen on taking it with us either.
“It’s almost two o’clock,” I said, pointing at the clock on Demarco’s wall.
He nodded.
I double checked my watch. I’d set it to the local time when we’d been in Turkey. “It’s nearing midnight in Turkey. See, ten hours, which would put us somewhere on the pacific coast. One of the gods had to have helped us get to Sweden earlier.”
“What about Talon?” Demarco asked.
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>I’d considered the idea as well, but immediately dismissed it when a thorough search through The Lowly Pawn’s Comprehensive Guide for Surviving Amongst Gods made no mention of Talon or any other son Dolos. So, Talon had to be a relatively young demigod, like me and Demarco, and couldn’t possibly have the power to manipulate time.
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>Unless, of course, he’d lied about his identity.
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>“I don’t understand why Talon would help,” Demarco said, sidling up to me to stare at t
he essence. Apparently his mind was traveling in the same circles mine. “Is he on our side now? Think we can count on him for help in the future?”
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>Shaking my head, I replied, “I’m pretty sure there are no sides when it comes to gods. Talon is going to do whatever benefits him, and nothing else. Maybe he owed Athena a favor? Or maybe she figured out some way to motivate him to help out as well? Who knows?”
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>Demarco grabbed my hand. “Well, as much as the guy gives me the creeps, I’m glad he showed up when he did. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to see you pop into that grove of trees unharmed.”
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>His voice was heavy with affection, and I couldn’t help but smile up at him. I’d been honest about what had happened in Eris’s room, and Demarco’s concern had been etched into the lines of worry on his face. Given a little time, I probably could have figured my way out of Eris’s crosshairs, but I was grateful Talon kept me from having to. “Me too. I bet Eris will have one hell of a migraine when she wakes up.”
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>Chances were good that her minions had already wakened her, and the goddess of strife and discord had probably launched a search party for us. Hopefully she’d keep it centered around Turkey until we figured out what to do with the essence.
36.7pt;text-autospace: none'>He nodded. “Yeah, and after what Eileithyia said about her, we should probably watch our backs.”
“My sister has a long memory and she does not forgive.” The warning replayed itself in my head, giving me goosebumps.
Masking my unease and trying to put on a brave face, I said, “What’s one more nutjob following us around and trying to kill us?”
Demarco tugged on my hand and pulled me into him, gently kissing my forehead. The gesture felt strangely intimate. Releasing me, he said, “We make a pretty good team, you know?”
Team. The word stirred up all sorts of emotions inside of me. He wasn’t trying to possess me or control me. He wasn’t trying to use my abilities to expand his wealth or power. Of course, he didn’t even know half of what I could do yet. I swallowed back a little guilt over that, reassuring myself I’d work up to showing him eventually.
“Yeah, we do.” I released him and kneeled down so I was eye-level with the essence. It still looked like a storm contained within a jar, crackling thunder, blazing lighting, and all. “And now we’ve got to figure out what to do with this.”
“What about dropping it off at Mount Olympus?” Tweety asked, coming down the stairs with a plate of sandwiches in hand.
Shaking my head, I said, “No can do. Never been there, and finding a travel agent with access to that picture is too risky and will take up too much time. We need to form a plan to go after the next essence.”
I turned my attention back on the jar, still unsure whether or not Zeus could hear me. Unlike Demarco, I was related to this crackling, womanizing sleaze bucket. Lucky me. Trying to keep the disdain I felt for him out of my voice, I tapped on the glass to get his attention.
“Hey, uh…Zeus. I don’t know if you can hear me, but we’re trying to keep you safe and could use a little help. If you could…I don’t know…give Athena a ring and let her know we’re ready for a pick-up, that’d be swell.”
I’d barely gotten the words out of my mouth before a knock sounded on the door, echoing throughout the shop. The three of us froze, looking at each other.
“Could it really be that easy?” Tweety asked.
The knock sounded again. More insistent this time. Since we had no clue what we’d be facing, all three of us hurried up the stairs and squeezed into the landing by the door. Demarco opened it, and sure enough, Athena stood on the other side.
“Where is he?” she asked, her gaze darting between the three of us.
Okay, so she’d definitely gotten the word that part of her old man was here. But before I handed it over, I desperately needed something from her. “We want to see Doreán first,” I replied.
She stiffened, her gaze fixing on me. “That is not how this works. You return all five of the essences of my father and I’ll return your child. You only have one.”
“I’m not asking you to return him.” I knew Athena would never leave us alone until we’d returned all of Zeus’s crackling pieces, and as much as I hated to admit it, Doreán was probably safer with her until we did. I couldn’t imagine trying to break into the presidential palace of Turkey with him hanging from my arms. Who knew what we’d have to go through to get the rest of the essences? “I’m just asking for a…a day with him. I need to make sure he’s okay and that he knows I haven’t abandoned him.”
Athena’s hardened expression didn’t waver. Compassion wasn’t an emotion the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy would understand, so I changed tactics.
“I have promised to get back the essences of Zeus, and I will, but it’s really difficult to focus on that task when I’m worried about my son. I need to see him and know he’s healthy and well, and then I will be more efficient.”
Still no change in her expression.
“Please, Athena. Just give me a few hours with him.”
“One hour,” she said finally. “Give me the essence, and I’ll let you have an hour.”
I nodded and Tweety ran down the stairs to retrieve the jar. As soon as he handed it over, Athena snapped her fingers and Doreán appeared.
“Momma!” Doreán shouted, hurling himself at me.
Tears stung my eyes as I stepped out of the shop, caught him, and pulled him in for a hug.
“One hour,” Athena repeated. “I’ll send Artemis to retrieve him.”
I nodded, still dangerously on the brink of bawling out of relief.
Athena stepped through a portal and disappeared.
Tweety joined us outside and mussed Doreán’s hair. “Hey kid. Whatchu been up to?”
“Tweety,” Doreán leaped out of my hands into the griffin’s. “Artemis has been teaching me how to shoot a bow! I’m getting really good. I can even hit the targets.”
Yep, it was exactly as I feared. My three-year-old son was now wielding weapons. I tried not to have a heart attack at the thought. “That sounds…dangerous.”
“I don’t shoot the arrows at anyone, Mom,” Doreán informed me, wriggling free of Tweety. “We’re very careful.”
He spun around to face me, putting my thigh sheaths at his eye-level. “You got new daggers!” He pointed to the handles sticking out.
“Yep.” I unsheathed the blades and held them out for him to admire. “And they need names.”
His lips twitched to the side while he considered the daggers for a few moments before blurting out, “Mario and Luigi.”
“Perfect. Thank you. Your dad made them,” I said.
“He did?” Doreán asked, his eyes widening.
“Yeah. You can ask him.” I nodded toward Demarco who was leaning against the doorframe watching us.
Doreán turned and slowly approached his father. Demarco hadn’t said a word yet, but I could see him struggling to mask the emotion he felt as he got his first good look at our son. Doreán looked so different to me, like he’d grown at least a few inches since I’d last seen him. His features seemed more defined. His dark eyes, even more intelligent. I had a million questions for him, but couldn’t bring myself to interrupt his silent inspection of Demarco.
Finally, Doreán asked, “You are my dad, aren’t you?”
Demarco nodded.
“I thought so. You look like me.”
Demarco chuckled. “Actually, you look like me.”
Doreán seemed to consider that for a moment. “But you’re really big.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ma be big like you when I grow up!”
Demarco squatted down so he was eye-level with our son. My heart felt like it would burst at the way the two of them were looking at each other, their gazes full of awe and admiration. “Probably. Especially if you keep training with weapons.”
“Did you really make Mom’s daggers?”
Demarco nodded. “Sure did. I like to make weapons. Would you like to see some other ones I made?”
Doreán nodded, but then looked to me. “Can I, Mom?”
I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek to keep my emotions in check. A brief glance at Demarco told me he was only doing marginally better than me. He offered Doreán his hand, and our kid took it and followed him down the stairs. Tweety and I hung back to give the two of them some privacy, but Demarco paused on the steps and gestured for us to follow.
Grateful because I could feel the minutes of our hour ticking away and didn’t want to let Doreán out of my sight for a second of it, I nudged Tweety forward and we all went into the shop together.
“Wow,” Doreán said, turning around in a circle to take in the space. “You made these?” he asked, gesturing at the weapons on the wall.
“Yeah, I did.”
Doreán’s eyes widened even further. “Will you show me how?”
Demarco smiled. His eyes were looking a bit glassy, but no tears fell. “I’d love to.”
Doreán cheered and held out his arms to Demarco. More emotion filled the big blacksmith’s eyes as he bent and picked up our kid. Doreán gave him a big hug and thanked him. Then he turned in his father’s arms to find me. “Mom, do we live here now?”
My mouth fell open. I had no clue what to say. Technically, we were currently homeless, but I didn’t want to explain that to the kid.
Demarco patted Doreán on the back. “Your mom, Tweety, and I have some work to do, and then we’ll get that all figured out, okay? You’re all welcome here, though. Or we can move somewhere else. I promise we’ll be close and you’ll see a lot of me when we finish these jobs. Okay, bud?”
Doreán nodded.
The rest of the hour passed quickly as we grilled Doreán to make sure he was eating and sleeping enough and that nobody was being mean to him. He said he’d missed us, but seemed genuinely happy. Artemis came to pick him up, and he gave us all hugs and promised to be good, but he didn’t shed a single tear when he went to her.
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