His hands went to hips as his chin took on a stubborn tilt. “We don’t have time for this silly stuff.”
I grabbed half the stack of towels he owned and motioned for him to precede to the beach, all the while hoping for the best. There I was, heels sinking into the sand and barely able to see over the heap of towels, as we headed toward the door.
I knew it was going to be bad as soon as I approached by the way I could see their heads turn away from me as we got close.
It was worse than I’d expected.
The visor slot of one helmet head shot to my hands, full of towels but devoid of polish, and turned back quickly.
“I brought you rags.” I held my hands out towards them, half a stack of designer towels in each. They took the offering while Fate grumbled something about them costing a lot more than “rags” would have.
And then I waited. Their heads swiveled to my hands again, as if trying to find polish that might have been concealed beneath, and my palms grew sweaty. I took a breath and decided to get it over with quickly.
“I don’t have any.” They turned their backs on me before I got the entire sentence out but I kept going. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t prepared for this trip. I know I haven’t seen you guys in a while but it’s not like we’ve been doing many jobs and—”
“You’re rambling and they aren’t listening,” Fate said as he rocked back on his heels.
He was wrong. They were listening. They were just pretending to ignore me. “I promise, I will get you polish this week.”
Guard on the Right’s head turned back to me by a millimeter. He was the softy of the two.
“Come on, guys, don’t be like this. I swear, I will get you polish.”
Guard on the left turned the teeniest bit and then looked away again, rethinking his action.
“I’ll get the really good stuff I said was too expensive to buy.” I watched and waited. Nothing. “I’ll make Fate buy you an entire case,” I threw out desperately.
“Where am I going to get a—”
I shushed Fate violently and gave him the eye.
“Fine. I’ll get a case…somewhere,” he said loudly.
Finally, they both turned back to me. They gave curt little nods I interpreted to mean I was on probation.
“Thank you! I will come through for you! Or more accurately, I’ll make him come through for you, but it will happen.”
They looked at each other and in unison, turned forward and nodded a bit more enthusiastically, or as much as a suit of armor could.
We walked through the door and I was thrilled to not step out into a swamp.
“You have the oddest relationship with them I’ve ever seen,” Fate said as he followed me through.
My eyes adjusted quickly as we went from the beach in full daylight to starry skies on a cliff overlooking the ocean. A pavilion stood twenty feet away, which held several very long tables, all with people seated at them. There were several smaller ones as well but one particular table closest to the cliff, where a single man sat alone, caught my attention.
“Where are we?”
“An uninhabited isle off the coast of Greece.”
“Who are the people?”
“Those are the Greek gods.”
Slowly, one by one, heads swiveled in our direction and nerves started to burst within me, exploding with each new stare.
“I’m not sure I’m ready to meet gods.”
“You’re Karma. Don’t forget that. It’s a pretty potent position. They won’t mess with you.” Fate’s hand came to rest reassuringly on the small of my back as we made our way through the crowd, each god looking more beautiful than the last.
“What are they doing here? Is this some sort of god party?” I whispered, relieved that I’d worn the nice dress.
“They gather here once a year under the last full moon of spring. That’s Zeus, in the corner in the tuxedo, getting a glass of champagne from the waitress.” He motioned to the gorgeous woman sitting next to him. “That’s Hera, his wife. They’ve got a complicated relationship. Fight constantly but looks like a good night though.” He urged me with his hand toward the table where the man was seated by himself. “And that’s who we’re here to see.”
“Who is it?” I smoothed my dress down and ran a hand through my hair.
“Ares, God of War and Violence.”
“Ahhh, good call.” If there were anyone who might know about Malokin, it would be someone with the same goals and motivations. “How do you know him and the other gods?”
“Hang around long enough, you tend to rub elbows with all sorts.”
Ares rose from the white linen table he sat at as Fate pulled out a chair for me.
“Ares, this is Karma.”
“A pleasure to meet you.” He smiled and then leaned over my hand and brushed a kiss across the knuckles. I would’ve thought he’d be instantly dislikeable. He was violence and war, and he had dark good looks that seemed to suit his position perfectly. He also had this charisma that was pouring off him effortlessly. It was the way he smiled, but just slightly, and the way his eyes narrowed as if he knew just what I was thinking and agreed with every thought.
Yeah, I confess, I liked the God of War. I’d done worse things in my life.
“She’s just as you described,” Ares said, still looking at me.
My eyes shot to Fate, who had taken a seat and was staring off at the horizon as if Ares hadn’t outed him. I would’ve loved to have heard those comments. I was positive he must have included the word transfer in there a few times.
A waitress in a flimsy white slip dress came by and placed two glasses of champagne in front of Fate and me. When I would’ve reached for the glass, Fate’s hand came and rested on mine, as if to casually hold hands. My eyes shot to his as he looked at the glass and then back to me.
“Kill joy.” Ares said before he raised his own glass and took a healthy sip.
“After that lost year in the crusades, I find it better to abstain,” Fate said. “What do you know of the person I was inquiring about?”
“I know he’s stepping on my toes and that he shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t exist at all.” The true potential of Ares poked its head out as he spoke and I could literally feel the violence churning in the air around me. A sheen of sweat started to coat my skin. “There’s always been some overlap, here and there. You know this well yourself as you’ve occasionally had to make your way into our domain and have stepped on Moirai’s toes, you both handling fate. But this one, he has no couth, no manners. And he’s a glutton. No thought for balance and yet he moves about in my territory as if he has every right. I want him gone.” His fist slammed into the table we were seated at, leaving a burn mark in its wake.
The only thing that kept me in my seat was Fate’s relaxed demeanor, as he was still reclined in his own.
“But did you come up with anything to help us?” Fate asked.
“No.” Ares stood abruptly, barely containing the anger boiling and swirling around him. “But I want him gone.”
“Then give us something we can work with.” Fate rose as well, and that was the only cue I needed to leave.
“Don’t you think I’m trying?”
I dipped my head, thinking this felt awfully familiar. Another god having a temper tantrum in less than a week? I’d either been created at a bad time or these folks needed some anger management classes.
“Try harder,” Fate continued. “Let me know if you get anything.”
Fated moved to leave and I didn’t need a signal to join him. The waves of anger swirling around Ares were getting stronger by the second as we headed toward the doors that had remained open and waiting.
This obviously was not Ares’s first meltdown.
“Now what?”
“I know a great restaurant over in Mykonos. You hungry?”
Chapter TwentyFive