CHAPTER EIGHT
Detective Marx
The guy was huge. And he had wings. Gi-fucking-gantic wings. Marx was glad he was already sitting because just looking at the … whateverthehellhewas … made his knees feel like rubber.
First the crazy-assed vampyre/goddess and the bloody black curtain at the Mayo. Now a winged giant who said he was Death’s Warrior.
Was he fucking dreaming?
Well, if he was, the dream kept on going and going, because Thanatos was talking to the winged giant and Marx damn sure wasn’t waking up.
“Go with me? To downtown Tulsa in full view of the—”
“What will you do if Neferet’s threads of Darkness attack you? I understand this manifestation of Darkness. I battled it over and over again in the Otherworld.” The giant’s powerful voice shot out: “Which would the humans fear more, the incarnation of evil, or the presence of a god battling it in the streets of Tulsa?”
“Humans don’t believe the gods walk the earth anymore,” Thanatos said.
“My point exactly!” said the winged giant. “Neferet’s actions have negated the norm. It is past time humans take their heads from the sand and realize this world is filled with magick and mystery and danger. It is also time I do what I was created to do—be a Warrior and battle Darkness.”
The High Priestess bowed her head ever so slightly in acquiescence to the winged man. Then she turned to Marx. “Detective, I would like to introduce you to my Oath Bound Warrior, Kalona. He is my protector, as well as this House of Night’s Sword Master. He will be accompanying us to the Mayo.”
Marx hesitated a moment and then did the only thing he could think to do—he held out his hand to the big guy. “Good to meet you, Kalona.”
Kalona gripped his forearm in the traditional vampyre greeting. “And you as well, Detective.”
“You aren’t a vampyre, are you?” Marx couldn’t help asking.
Kalona’s smile was sardonic. “No. I am not.”
Marx glanced at the guy’s wings, which now were tucked against his back. The damn things were so long they actually brushed the floor. “What are you?”
Kalona’s smile widened and seemed to turn genuine. “There is a complicated answer to that, one I promise to give you after we have dealt with Neferet.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise,” Marx said, trying not to look directly into the guy’s eyes because doing so made his head feel woozy and thick, like it was filled with cotton balls.
“You won’t have to, Detective. I’ve learned the hard way that it is best that I hold myself to my promises.”
“So we’re actually all going to the Mayo?” Aphrodite asked.
“No. Kalona and I are going, as well as Zoey, Stark, and her circle. Darius, Aurox, and Aphrodite—you will remain here with Lenobia. The two of you will call a school assembly. Fill in the professors, Warriors, and the student body. Give them the basics and no more. And put the school on high alert. We have no idea what Neferet’s next move may be.”
“Do ya really think everyone should know what’s goin’ on?” Stevie Rae said, echoing Marx’s thoughts.
Zoey spoke up before Thanatos could. “I’m thinking that Darkness hates to have light shined on it, so let’s shine a big ol’ spotlight on what Neferet’s up to.”
“That’s damn sure one way to find out who wants to slither back under the rocks with Neferet and who wants to stand up and fight her with us,” Stark said.
“The two of you have echoed my thoughts exactly,” Thanatos said.
“Well, all right, then. But I’m calling in Kramisha to help me. She always knows who’s up to what,” Aphrodite said.
“It is a wise Prophetess who gathers to her others gifted by her Goddess,” Thanatos said, giving her approval.
“It’s also a wise Prophetess who keeps her cell phone close by. Call if all hell breaks loose—literally or figuratively,” Aphrodite said.
“Will do,” Zoey told her.
“We’ll follow you, Detective Marx,” Thanatos said.
Marx drew a deep breath and totally turned off his sanity switch. “All right. Let’s do this.”
Lynette
“Lynette, I do adore a surprise…” Neferet hesitated before continuing, lifting one slender finger, “if the surprise is pleasant. If it is not, then a surprise is nothing more than an irritating interruption. I loathe interruptions almost as much as I loathe being irritated.” Her gaze left Lynette’s, and she glanced at what appeared to be her bare legs. “Speaking of irritations—why are you milling aimlessly about? I am perfectly safe, and you have all been perfectly satiated. Go amuse yourselves elsewhere and cease tugging at me. Go on now, shoo!” Neferet fluttered her fingers dismissively before turning her attention back to Lynette.
Lynette didn’t see the snake-things, but she could feel the cold brush of something slithering past her. She suppressed a shudder of revulsion.
“Dear Lynette, where were we? Ah, yes, I remember. You announced that you have planned a little surprise for me. Please continue to explain yourself.”
Lynette met the Goddess’s gaze without flinching. The panic that was gathered somewhere under her breastbone shivered and shied, but she tightened the mental reins she’d tethered it with and let only the joy of planning a spectacular event fill her mind. Lynette’s smile was full of confidence, as was her voice. “Goddess, I am very good at my job. Even though I was working under unusual circumstances with limited means, I absolutely believe you will find my surprise pleasant.”
“Limited means—that sounds so tawdry, so cheap.” Neferet frowned. “I certainly never meant for you to feel as if your Goddess is miserly.”
“Oh, I don’t feel that at all!” Lynette assured her, hoping she hadn’t tripped Neferet’s crazy trigger. “I put myself under a time and means constraint because I wanted to prove my worth to you. But of course this is just a small sample of the events I could plan for you daily—had I more time and money with which to work.”
Neferet’s brow unfurled. “You are a wise woman, Lynette. Show me what you have concocted for me. If it pleases me, you may be assured that you will be allowed to move forward with limitless means, though I cannot promise I will be patiently allotting you too much time. I waited far too long to begin my reign. I am restless for the worship of my supplicants.”
“That is very understandable, Goddess,” Lynette said. “I have never been as concerned about time as I have money when it comes to event planning.”
Neferet studied her.
Lynette concentrated on business. She excelled at business. She was confident about business. Business did not terrify or repulse her.
Neferet smiled. “You are being absolutely honest. Your business and the acquisition of money have long been your main concern. Lead on, my supplicant! Reveal my surprise.”
Lynette curtsied and led Neferet from the penthouse suite to the elevator, stopping it on the mezzanine. “Please wait just a moment, Goddess.”
Neferet smiled and made a gesture of acquiescence. Lynette punched the hold button on the elevator and then tapped the almost invisible earbud, speaking quickly and quietly. “Kylee, wait ten seconds and then cue the quartet to begin.”
“Yes, Lynette,” came Kylee’s robotic response.
Lynette glanced to her right and made a come-here gesture. Judson, the handsome bellman, stepped from the shadows. He was dressed impeccably in a freshly pressed uniform, and he was carrying a shining silver platter on which rested one perfect crystal flute filled with bubbling pink champagne. He bowed perfectly, mechanically, to Neferet and said, “May I offer you champagne, Goddess?”
“Why, yes. Thank you, Judson.”
The music began the instant Neferet lifted the flute from the tray. Lynette was pleased to see a smile lift the corners of the Goddess’s lips.
“Strauss’s ‘Blue Danube’—one of my favorite waltzes. Ah, Vienna—it was so lovely and decadent in the past.”
“Please, follow me, Goddess,” Lynette said formally, leading Neferet around the mezzanine to the spot she’d had her temporary throne moved to—just above the landing from which she’d addressed her new “supplicants” a mere three hours before, and where, now, the string quartet from last night’s wedding was nervously, but beautifully, playing.
Neferet sat gracefully, peering down at the quartet. “They play well, though I would prefer a full orchestra.”
“Time and means,” Lynette said with a wry smile.
The Goddess’s lips twitched. “I am taking note of that.”
Lynette bowed her head to Neferet and surreptitiously tapped her earpiece again. “Send them at the beginning of the next six count.” Then she held her breath and hoped the twelve performers managed to keep themselves together.
The heavy velvet drapes that enclosed the ballroom below parted, and from opposite sides of the room, six couples moved quickly to the center of the marble floor. The women were all wearing dresses that were as close to the same shade of scarlet as Lynette could find. The men were in tuxedos she’d managed to piece together from whatever was left over from the wedding, was clean enough, and could be made to fit.
Fit! That had been only part of this wretched event’s problems. It had been a horrendous job to find six men and six women from what Lynette had already silently named the prisoner pool, who were relatively attractive, relatively graceful, and relatively able to learn and perform the simple steps of a basic waltz. Yes, she could have used all of the snake-infested staff members—they’d certainly obey anything she told them to do as long as she didn’t try to escape the Mayo. But Lynette’s instinct had told her that people already under her control going through a performance by rote wouldn’t impress Neferet.
No, Lynette believed Neferet wanted, needed, the illusion of being worshipped. So she’d threatened, nagged, and cajoled twelve decent-looking people into working for her.
Lynette could see that they were nervous—two of the women were trembling so badly she could she their arms shaking—but just as she’d instructed, the couples positioned themselves in a large circle and managed to be in place at the end of the first six count. At the beginning of the second set of notes, all twelve people looked up at Neferet, paused for three counts, and then as one, each man bowed and each woman curtsied to the Goddess.
Lynette saw their mistakes. Saw that the woman named Cindi almost fell over, and only her partner’s quick hand under her elbow saved her. Camden, the tall kid who had been best man at the wedding last night—and unlucky enough to have been too hungover to have made the dawn flight the bride and groom had caught to Dallas—held his bow far too long. Lynette gritted her teeth. If that spoiled frat boy messed this up, he was going to be sorrier than she was.
Lynette glanced at Neferet. Obviously pleased, the Goddess smiled and nodded her head regally in response to the performers.
Now just dance and don’t look too awkward! Lynette thought.
They danced. All twelve of them actually began on the same note and moved around the room in an almost circular pattern. They were far from perfect, but the music was lovely, and if some of the dancers faltered, “Blue Danube” remained true. When the final note ended, the six couples curtsied and bowed again to Neferet, this time holding their poses in a freeze frame that even Lynette had to admit was actually rather beautiful.
Neferet stood and, to Lynette’s immense relief, applauded and laughed.
“Well done, all of you! That was quite nice. Judson, open fresh bottles of champagne for these lovely supplicants.”
“Goddess, they are waiting for you to allow them to rise,” Lynette whispered to Neferet.
“Of course they are, and thank you for reminding me, dear Lynette. You may rise!” Neferet called down to them. “Enjoy your champagne and your Goddess’s gratitude for your worship.”
Lynette tapped her earpiece. “Kylee, tell the quartet to begin the next piece.” Within just a few moments, music filled the ballroom again.
“‘Waltz of the Flowers’ from The Nutcracker. Two lovely pieces and excellent choices,” Neferet said.
“So my surprise was pleasant?”
“It was. The candelabrum, the flowers, the tuxedos, and the red dresses—they were all thoughtfully chosen. Lynette, you have made a very good beginning as my event planner. I approve of your theme—exquisite music, a beautifully appointed space, and respectful homage being paid to me.”
“Then is it safe for me to assume you would like more events planned as such?”
“Yes, it would be, but next time choose to set the event in a theme of my favorite era—the 1920s. That was a decade worth reliving. Can you Charleston, Lynette?”
“Do I have access to the Internet?”
“Yes, you do, as well as a very generous event account,” Neferet said, smiling knowingly at Lynette.
“Then I can Charleston, and so can your supplicants.”
“We will need more musicians,” Neferet said.
“Yes, Goddess. I will make it so,” Lynette said, already tapping notes into her smartphone.
“And costumes. We will need many more costumes.”
“Of course, Goddess,” Lynette agreed.
“And I need more than just dancing, though that is a nice beginning.”
Lynette glanced from her notes to Neferet. The Goddess wasn’t looking at her. She was stroking the crystal champagne flute and staring down at the ballroom and the six couples who were milling in a little group, nervously accepting the champagne Judson was offering them. Lynette followed her gaze. The spoiled frat boy was downing what appeared to be his second glass of champagne. Neferet was devouring him with her eyes.
“It pleases me that my supplicants are so attractive,” she said.
Lynette’s sarcastic snort was automatic, but when the Goddess’s gaze snapped to her, she was instantly sorry she’d allowed her composure to slip.
Neferet raised an auburn brow. “Ah, I see. You chose the twelve of them carefully, because not all of my supplicants are so attractive—and that’s that truth, isn’t it.”
She didn’t frame the words as a question, but Lynette felt compelled to answer. “Yes, that is the truth.” She shifted her shoulders restlessly. “I’m sorry, Goddess. I just wanted to be sure that you were happy with this first, small event.”
“That is very understandable, dear Lynette. Actually, I appreciate your efforts, and while I appreciate all of my subjects, I also appreciate things—and people—that are pleasing to my senses.” Neferet leaned forward in her throne and spoke to Lynette in a conspirator’s voice. “You could add that to your duties as my event planner.”
“I’m willing to serve you in any way you require, Goddess.” Lynette tried to understand her meaning. “But what duties do you mean by ‘that’?”
“Making certain my supplicants always appear as attractive as possible, of course. Yes, I am quite sure you will have a talent for makeovers.”
“Makeovers.” Lynette repeated the word, feeling utterly overwhelmed as snapshots of some of Neferet’s less-than-attractive supplicants flashed through her memory. The fifty-something woman who needed to lose fifty-something pounds … the scrawny redheaded preteen whose face was already blotched with acne … the businessman who was bald and had a bulging gut and a triple chin that looked like a goiter …
Neferet’s mocking laughter ended the slide show in her mind. “Stop fretting, dear Lynette. Between the two of us we shall cull the herd. After all, I can control everything they eat, everything they do. Don’t you agree that diet and exercise are very important?”
Lynette felt her head nod and tried to keep her mind completely focused on Neferet’s emerald gaze.
“So besides putting some of them on a diet and making sure they spend time in my Temple’s gymnasium, I’m confident you can give hair, makeup, and clothing tips. Correct?”
“Yes, Goddess,” she said automatically.
“Excellent. I am glad you brought this to my attention. It is important my supplicants always look their best. They are, in some small manner, a reflection of myself.” As if that settled the subject, Neferet’s gaze moved back to the group below them, halting predatorily on Camden.
“You made an excellent choice in that one, Lynette. He’s tall, young, and blond. That is how I prefer my men,” Neferet said. “His name?”
“Camden,” Lynette said. “He was best man in the wedding that brought me to the Mayo.”
“Best man? Really?” Neferet’s emerald eyes gleamed with a dangerous intensity, and Lynette was thankful that intensity wasn’t focused on her. “Perhaps I will put that title to a test and see if Camden is, indeed, the best man here.”
Lynette repressed her shiver of fear. “Would you like me to send for him?”
“No, dear Lynette. I can summon best man Camden with ease. Perhaps he would like to visit the balcony of my penthouse.” Her jeweled gaze turned to Lynette and the feral gleam in them hardened. “My staff has gotten rid of those unsightly remains, have they not?”
Shit! I was too busy pulling off this performance to worry about being sure all the pieces of people were thrown off the balcony. Lynette’s mind scrambled and she let out a relived sigh when she found the answer. “Goddess, I believe Kylee was in charge of seeing to your balcony.”
“That girl,” Neferet muttered, sipping her champagne. “She’s good at some things, but she needs so much supervision. Could you use your useful little ear machine to remind her of my command?”
“Of course, Goddess,” Lynette said.
“And while you supervise Kylee, I believe I shall mingle with my adoring, attractive supplicants. Can you imagine how honored best man Camden would be if I allowed him to ask me for a dance?”
Thankfully, Neferet’s question was rhetorical, and instead of focusing on Lynette for a response, the Goddess turned her back to her and, sipping her champagne, she walked toward the large double staircase that led down to the ballroom.
Lynette noted Neferet didn’t glide. It’s because she sent the snake-things out to play, Lynette thought. Somehow they must carry her—or channel power to lift her—or something equally insane.
She shook her head, as if clearing cobwebs away. She couldn’t afford to overthink. She couldn’t afford to do anything except survive.
Lynette tapped her earbud. “Kylee, Neferet is going to inspect her balcony. Soon. She’s holding you responsible for it being clean.”
“I understand and will obey,” came Kylee’s robotic response.
Lynette sighed heavily. She took a few stumbling steps back and leaned against one of the marble pillars, doing nothing for just a moment except breathing.
She’d made it through Neferet’s first test. She was still alive, and still not possessed by anything that slithered. But if she was going to stay that way, she couldn’t afford to relax. There would be time for relaxation after she got through this. And Lynette would get through it—she always got through whatever bullshit life shoveled on her.
To begin, Lynette had a list to make.
She had to check out every single person in the building. They needed to be categorized as either attractive and acceptable, or needs work. Under the needs work category she’d subcategorize as fat, fashion impaired, or just plain ugly. The first two could be fixed—maybe. The third, well, just plain ugly would have to learn some skills that kept them behind the scenes.
“Here’s hoping they can cook or sew…”
Lynette was mumbling to herself as she tapped her smartphone notes list when she heard a scream coming from the ballroom. What now? What more could Neferet be doing? Her mind was heavy with fear and exhaustion, but she made her feet carry her to the mezzanine railing.
Neferet was standing beside Camden. He was staring at the plunging neckline of the Goddess’s short velvet dress. The other eleven people were staring at the slithering snakes that were coiling around Neferet’s bare ankles.
“Oh, do be quiet,” Neferet snapped at the girl who had screamed. “You need to get used to my children. They’re never far from my side, just as you, my loyal supplicants, are never far from my side.”
“I-I’m s-sorry, Goddess. Th-they look like snakes. I-I’m afraid of snakes,” the girl stammered.
“They are not snakes. They are much more dangerous. And I’m not asking that you get over your fear of them. I’m commanding that you not voice it.” Neferet shifted her gaze downward to the snake-things that were writhing with what seemed like excitement around her feet. “What is it, my darlings?”
“Goddess, the detective has returned,” Judson called from the front of the foyer. “He’s brought more people with him.”
“That means nothing. He can bring an entire Oklahoma National Guard armory with him. They cannot penetrate my protective curtain.”
“He hasn’t brought an army, Goddess. He’s brought a vampyre who is making the air around her glow while a large man who appears to have wings hidden under his trench coat paces nearby.”
“Why did you wait until now to tell me?” Neferet shrieked. “Children! Come with me!” Lifted by the fully visible nest of slithering vipers, the Goddess glided to the front doors.
Lynette’s body went cold. She slipped out of her chic heels so that she could sprint quietly around the mezzanine, heading for the large picture windows that overlooked the front of the building, trying not to think at all, but especially trying not to hope.