Sirenz (12 page)

“Oh please, you were both drooling over this specimen. He's okay for a human, but he's human nonetheless. Since he's snubbed her, she'll be more receptive to an admirer. I picture Sharisse with a more divine companion.”

Jeremy had snubbed her? Was that why she'd been so silent at the Met? A chill raced down my spine, but I squared my shoulders. “You wouldn't.”

“Oh yes, Margaret.” He leaned a forearm against the door jamb and peered down at me. His face was set with intensity. “I want her, and I will have her. Her resistance is surprising. That doesn't happen to me too often. Which adds to her allure.”

“Welcome to Unpredictable Human Behavior 101. As … tempting as you might look”—I weighed my words carefully—“Shar has some sense. Why her? She's human and it would only be a matter of time before you got tired of her and moved on to someone else. We both know how you immortals operate. Your Greek history is pretty grim, from our viewpoint. It's littered with the unhappy fates of too many mortals to count.”

“That is inconsequential,” Hades replied. “I get what I want, and I want Sharisse. And you're right. She's no fool. And if we should part ways at some point, she'll be well compensated.”

“Just discarded like trash, without a second thought.”

“Grow up, Margaret! It's the way of your pathetic world. And who's to say you wouldn't be able to elicit something good out of this arrangement too? Let's talk about your assignment. The clock is ticking. Tick, tock.” Hades waved a hand, and an hourglass appeared. “What have you done so far? You've managed to bungle the perfect chance to finish your mission. Arkady still hasn't been sent to my realm, and both of you have taken on an alarming degree of the Siren form. You, maybe a little more.” He chuckled. “You're not holding your tongue very well.”

“How astute of you to remind me.”

“At the rate you're going, you'll find yourself in a bird cage before ever getting Arkady to a portal.”

“Oh yes, it really would have helped if you'd told us earlier he's practically blind
and
deaf. What good are our Siren gifts on him? And would it have hurt for you to let us know that he lives a cloistered existence, apart from the army of wellness gurus that march in and out of his vault every day? You couldn't make a portal in a more convenient place—like his office? We don't even know what a portal looks like!”

“Pathetic. You don't even realize you're standing next to one. Here.” He stepped away from the ticket booth door. “Take a look.”

Under the Wonder Wheel.
It was on the iPhone list, and I'd heard a dog barking.
Cerberus?

The ground beneath my feet thrummed. Darkness blurred the edges of the doorway as I turned toward it, and a chill air, different from the sea breezes dancing off the waves, came out, sharp and biting. I thought I heard whispers. My heart thudded painfully and I held my breath—this yawning blackness was the last road. Arkady and anyone else unfortunate enough to travel this path would never come back. I felt a growing horror … but before I knew what I was doing, I found myself standing at the edge, leaning inward. I heard a low growl and jumped back.

“Don't be afraid of my pets, Margaret. I know you'll get used to each other—eventually.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, rage replacing terror. Then the portal dissolved, leaving only the rundown booth behind him.

“What would you say if I told you that fulfilling your assignment could be so much easier?”

“I'd say beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”

“So clich
é
, Margaret!” Hades' voice, though low, echoed in the mist that seeped out of the ticket booth. “How about a little quid pro quo?”

I eyed him warily. “I don't have anything you'd want.”

He chuckled softly. “Of course you do. Everyone has something to offer.” His glance was watchful, making me even more uneasy. “You have Sharisse's ear. I want you to put in a kind word for me. After all, I'm not such a bad sort.”

“Talk to her yourself.” I inched a fraction away. Power emanated from him and I didn't like it.

“I'm not asking for anything dramatic, like telling her to jump into a portal or wrap herself up in a big pink bow for my birthday.”

I snorted. “Hmmm. Wouldn't you like that!”

He waved a dismissive hand. “All you have to do is get her to admit that she'd like to be with me. Just a few words … ”

“You're kidding, right?”

Hades sighed and shook his head. “She seems to be unaware of my charms.”

I burst out laughing. “She's aware, she's just not buying into it.”

“Well that's interesting!” He smiled slowly. “Still, if you go home and put in a good word for me, I would do something for you. It'll be a win-win situation.”

I was leery of what that something could be.

“If you speak to Sharisse for me,” he continued, “I'll remove some of the obstacles you've been facing.”

“Like what?” I couldn't believe I was entertaining this proposal.

“Let's see.” He rubbed his chin. “Arkady will experience some improvement in his vision and hearing, allowing your gifts to work better. I might also be persuaded to have a word with Demeter on your behalf. You could be done in hours.”

“I thought you two didn't get along,” I said, pointing a finger at him.

“We don't,” he said curtly. “Speaking to her will be unpleasant for me, of course, but I'm willing to do something distasteful to achieve my ends. What are you willing to do?” He ran his tongue across his Hollywood-perfect teeth. “You couldn't imagine how I'd reward you.”

I mulled over the proposal in spite of myself. I could say something to Shar—and tack on a big fat warning. Once she knew what Hades was up to, she'd understand why I'd made the deal.

“Oh, and Margaret,” Hades countered, giving me a knowing, shrewd smile. “No tricks. It would have to be a real endorsement—no disclaimers. And no telling Sharisse about our little chat.”

So much for that.

But he would make it so that we could get this done fast.

I'd have my life back again …

Shar would do the same thing if she were in my place.

Wouldn't she?

I wavered, about to tell him yes, I would do it, but then my head started to clear. His words were deceptive, twisted. Shar trusted me. If she breathed that she would go with Hades for even a millisecond, it would be the beginning of a steep, slippery slope. Her guard would be down. I knew what that meant for her.

Clenching my fists, I drew myself up and looked him in the eye. “Not a chance.”

He towered over me, his eyes burning like coals. A wind whipped up from the depths of the portal, carrying a pungent whiff of wet dog.

“You dare to say no to me?”

“I won't do that to Shar!” I shouted over the din. Sand blasted me in the face as I stumbled back. I threw up my hands to cover myself. Suddenly it all stopped and was quiet again.

Hades stood over me, a disturbing grin on his face. “You had your chance Margaret. I don't really need you. I'll make Sharisse a deal that's simply irresistible. Either way, I'll have you both.”

Before I could say anything, he stepped into the portal and it disappeared. What was he going to do?

I turned back, and Jeremy was still there, standing at the base of the Wonder Wheel. He had no idea what happened; he just reanimated, like the kids in the subway that first, horrible night. He stretched and yawned, and came over to where I was.

“How'd you get over there?” He rolled his shoulders. “You hungry?” he asked softly, wrapping an arm around me.

“Mmm hmm.” I was famished, as if all my energy had been sapped.

“Let's head over to Brighton. I know a good place there that makes a great veggie breakfast burrito.”

We walked along Surf Avenue, sometimes staring out at the sea. It was hard to think about anything other than Hades, what he wanted, and what he might do to get it. If only I could warn Shar, but if I called her, Jeremy would overhear. And this wasn't exactly something for texting—a lot could get lost in translation. It would have to wait.

We shared a burrito, nachos, and iced tea. I made talking impossible by stuffing food in my mouth every time he asked a question. I was still wary about saying too much, and, as much as it killed me, I wanted to get back to the apartment and Shar.

“Want to grab a coffee tomorrow?” he asked as my train pulled into the subway station. We had walked in silence, enjoying the morning even though the temperature was starting to drop. The sidewalks were starting to ice. The city had that air of depression that seemed to settle in right after the whirlwind of the holidays. I always hated this time of year. I should go home and help my mom take down the Christmas tree, but getting Arkady consumed me.

I tapped in a
and hit send.

“I'll take that as a yes.” Jeremy yawned and rubbed his eyes. I could see how tired he was.

“You and Shar take the rest of the day off. I need to go in and make sure the clothes are returned to the showroom, wrap up a few last-minute details.” He leaned closer, his breath warming my ear as he whispered. “Text me later.” His lips brushed my check. I forced myself away and withdrew onto the car. I had to get back to see what damage control needed to be done with Shar and Hades, and we needed to come up with a new plan. Through the window, I saw him watch the train depart.

“So, what happened? Spill!” Shar practically jumped on me when I got back to the apartment.

“Was Hades here?” I said, looking around for evidence of what Shar would find irresistible—first class tickets to Europe? A mink?

“Hades?” she asked, wincing.

“Who else? He's after you, in a big way. He wanted me to put in a good word for him. And when I refused, he said he was going to make you an irresistible offer. You have got to be on your guard all the time. If you admit that for even one second you'd like to be with him, you're his.”

She pressed her fingers into her temples as if she was thinking hard about something.

“Why me? I mean, he's been flirtatious—”

“He's beyond that. He salivates over you. He tried to bribe me to persuade you to say you want to be with him. He told me he'd let Arkady see and hear us, and keep Demeter away. This morning everything was going so great, and then he showed up and ruined what would have been a perfect kiss—”

“Jeremy kissed you?” Her tone was indifferent—or was it? Was she still interested? Was Hades lying about Jeremy snubbing her?

I waved her off. “Almost.” I looked at her with great seriousness. “Shar, this is more important. Promise me you'll try to stay away from Hades, and don't agree to go anywhere with him.”

“He can't be serious.” She wrinkled her nose at me. “He has a wife!”

“That means nothing to any of them. Your refusing him is fueling this obsession. I'm sure no one has ever turned him down, and even though he doesn't like it, it excites him. This is getting scary, Shar. Don't admit that you'd like to spend even a single second with him, or you'll have one foot in the land of slaves and shadows.”

“Well, aren't you a bucket of sunshine!” she snipped.

“I'm serious!”

“Alright, alright!” She rolled her eyes and put up her hand like she was taking an oath. “I promise, I swear, I'll be careful.”

I could tell she wasn't taking me seriously, and that was a problem. I put my head down, racking my brain for the most decadent possible temptations Shar might succumb to.

“You swear”—I paused, pointing a finger at her—“to turn him down even if he … jets you off to some exotic location … and offers you the shiniest, most expensive, exclusive excessive shoes you've ever seen—”

“Oh for God's sake, Meg!” Shar shook her head.

“What if he makes your hands
and feet
normal again?” I cut her off, watching her closely.

She hedged, but only for a second, then grinned evilly at me. “Oooh, that could be a problem!”

Diamonds Are Forever—Trouble

“We can't get together today,” said Jeremy regretfully as he gazed into Meg's eyes the next day at the office.

I rolled mine.

“I have some things to take care of for Mr. Romanov. Another time?”

Meg gave him a shy grin and ducked her head.

Oh, please!

“Awesome.” Jeremy rubbed his temple. “Okay, I need you two to go to Sam's, two blocks down, and pick up lunch for the office. Make sure you order the tomato and rice soup,” he said, exclusively to Meg. “It's so good, and it'll help your throat.” Then he looked at me. “You won't have to wait long—they're pretty fast about getting things together.”

“Can't we just fax them the order and have them deliver it?” I asked casually. Any chance to avoid the public had to be seized upon.

Jeremy shook his head slowly. “The last intern we hired tried that and Reynaldo whined for a week. Sorry, going in person makes for fewer mistakes. I'll take an order of vegetable samosas and a strawberry smoothie.”

Was
he
a veg-head too? God, I was surrounded by herbivore freaks. If there was a worldwide famine, they could be my food source. I knew who I'd snack on first.

“Mr. Romanov?” Meg queried. I was glad she wasn't so besotted she'd forgotten why we were here in the first place.

“Should we order something special for him?” I asked, trying to spare her a feather or two.

“Oh no,” Jeremy laughed. “His macrobiotic chef will be bringing his meal by a little later. Mr. Romanov only eats meals specially prepared for him. I'll tell you all about it another time. Make sure you ask Reynaldo, Demi if she's here, and Callie what they want.”

I tugged my Coach bag out of the drawer of the desk where Meg and I had been busy writing personal thank-you notes for Arkady to the rich and notorious who'd attended his show. I gave a little wave. “Later.”

We made the rounds. Reynaldo ordered a salad with exact measurements of nuts, berries, beans, and a sliver of salmon. Not too thick. No dressing. And get him a whole lemon. He would do the rest himself. He was so anal he probably squeaked when he ran.

The nasty goddess was in residence.

“Problems yesterday?” she snickered.

“Lunch order?” asked Meg, ignoring the taunt. The silent thing was becoming a habit, and she was using it to her advantage.

Demi answered brusquely. “Why, ambrosia, of course.”

“You mean, that icky marshmallow fruit salad?” I scrunched up my face in disgust.

“How retro,” Meg drolled. “I hear that was really popular sixty years ago, but I've seen it in a lot of delis. One ambrosia—” She started to write it down when the pencil flew out of her hand.

“Ugh! I would never eat any of the slop you call food. I don't want anything, Margaret. I … what's the phrase you use? Brown bag it.” Demi poofed a golden goblet full of some steamy liquid. It made the reception area smell like a fruit stand.

“Oh Demi, you've brought in your special diet drink again!” Reynaldo sniffed as he breezed through. “When will I convince you to give me the recipe?”

“Not in your lifetime,” she said pleasantly, without even looking at him. Reynaldo tittered as he pranced back through the doorway.

Demeter sniffed. “As i
f
! The pest. Sharisse, have you seen or heard from our mutual acquaintance? How is the dear boy?”

“Don't know, don't care.” I headed toward the door which Demeter slammed shut in our faces.

“Never turn your back on a goddess.” I felt myself being spun around until once again we both faced her. S
he likes to play games! Goody! Does she know Twister?

“You might want to be careful who you insult,” she warned. Her face softened. “You know, Sharisse, with my son-in-law's looks—that hard body, bronzed skin, and although I hate to admit it, his irreproachable good taste—do you really feel repulsed by the idea of spending time with him?” I let my silence speak for me and pointed to the door. It swung open. “Although I must say you seem to be giving him a bit of a challenge. Maybe he's losing his touch. Go a little crazy. I'm sure he'd show you a good time.”

“Then
you
sleep with him,” I muttered under my breath.

“Don't listen to her,” said Meg as we passed through the hall. “I don't know how we'll manage it, but we're going to do this. It's either that or you're stuck with me for a long, looong time!”

“With your taste in clothes? Don't torture me.” My jest got no laughs. It made me queasy to think that Meg was right. With the scheming of Hades and Demeter, I was stuck in a hard place between two divine rocks.

The next stop was Callie, House of Romanov's one-person computer department. I guessed with all he had to hide, Arkady wanted as few hands in his business as possible. But man, did this one have reality issues! Callie spent way too much time playing Final Fantasy and guzzling those god-awful energy drinks.

We found Callie under her desk, the back end of her khaki pants and her sensible walking shoes sticking out.

“Ahem.” I cleared my throat and Callie crawled out, dust and bits of paper stuck in her long and tangled brown mop. She looked up, blinking at us with bright, darting eyes.

“Oh!” she grunted, bumped her head and hoisted herself up into her chair.

“We're doing lunch orders,” Meg said blandly.

“Yeah,” Callie answered, perking up. “Food!”

“Uh-huh,” I replied. “What do you want from Sam's?”

“Don't they make those awesome jalapeno bean wraps?” she drooled.
Who got that excited about a sandwich?
“I want one of those,” she continued, “with extra cheese and hot sauce. Tell them to dump it all on. And a bag of Doritos—the big one.”

Beans and hot sauce? I am so avoiding you for the rest of the day!
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Meg crinkle her nose.
Right—make that the rest of the week.

“Jalapeno wrap, Doritos, big,” I said as Meg jotted it down. “Gotcha. Anything else? Something to drink?”

“Get me another three of these.” Callie picked up an energy drink can—one of the super-sized black ones with the slime-green streaks down the front—and shook it in our faces. Something sloshed around inside and a fly buzzed out. She finished it off.

“All righty then,” I said. There was no way I'd ever sit at a table with this woman.

“We better go before it gets really crowded down there,” said Meg. “Bye!”

“Finally!” I steered Meg out of the building and we headed downtown. That was after Callie came running out of her office with a spreadsheet of the extra food she wanted. It took up a whole page, and she insisted on going over it with us. Talk about OCD. Then Reynaldo caught us and added a brownie to his order.

“No nuts.” He'd wagged a finger at us like we were naughty children.

“I hate this job,” I fumed as we strode down the street a good fifteen minutes later. “I hate the assignment, I hate Demeter, I hate Hades, I hate—”

“Couldn't agree more,” sighed Meg. “Listen, I've been thinking about our situation. This might be a ‘burst in and haul him away' kind of thing.”

“And how are we going to break into his office and take him? He doesn't admit anyone other than specialists or your sweet Jeremy, who's there most of the time—we'd have to entrance Jeremy and whoever else is in there. Then there'd be problems if Reynaldo sees us, or Callie. And there's nothing we can do about her.” The complications were astronomical.

“Or Demeter,” Meg added. “She'd meddle just because she can, but she's weaving her own web, and we're the flies caught up in it.”

“Please,” I said, holding my stomach at the memory of the fly-in-the-can. “Don't talk to me about bugs.”

“We have to do it when no one's around,” Meg went on. “You had the right idea before, I think—if that's what you really want to do.”

“What's that?” I couldn't remember what splendid idea I had.

“Go to work when no one's around and do some digging. There's got to be a schedule or agenda that will give us a clue to Arkady's activities.”

It sounded reasonable; if we knew where and when he'd be someplace, we could coordinate his kidnapping.

We arrived at the deli—Sammy's Sandwich Shop, a regular hole in the wall. I was expecting something more exotic and upscale, but when we opened the door I knew immediately why the meals for House of Romanov came from here. I was seduced by the scent of hot pastrami on rye with mustard, and the sweet enticements of gooey chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven—yum yum yummo! But Callie and Reynaldo's extensive food orders had put us at the back of a long line of power-suited people who were too busy to figure out what they wanted until they got up to the counter.

“We're going to be here forever!” I sighed, adjusting my shades. I'd gotten quite used to wearing them, but when this was over, I wasn't going to wear glasses for a solid week. Sun exposure over that short a time couldn't give me wrin
kles.

Crow's feet on my feet AND on my face. Wonder if I can pre-pay a future facelift, like people do for funerals?

I dutifully positioned myself behind the last person, a tall, pin-thin blond woman. A small dog with a terrified expression on its face peeked over her shoulder. Meg took the tiny space that was left next to me. The next person would have to wait outside in the cold.

Blondie shifted from side to side as if she was slow dancing, and every time her poor pooch whimpered she would impatiently shush it.

While we waited, I examined every aspect of her that I could see. She had to be a foot taller than me, but we were both built the same way, slender with long legs. Blondie's were encased in snug-fitting jeans a color somewhere between beige and gold; there was a metallic sheen to the fabric. Definitely Dolce and Gabbana. Her jacket, bag, jaunty fedora, and five-inch heels seemed to be made from the same material, or at least they were all the same shade. When she moved under an overhead light, I discovered I was right—her outfit shimmered. If she wasn't standing so close, she'd look like a statue. Even the dog had a matching gold-toned collar.
How Hollywood A-List.
At least she should've looked
better
than the dog.

A large group left the store and the line shuffled up several feet. Now there were only a couple of people, including Blondie, in front of us.

“List,” I said.

“Here you are.” Meg held up the pad. “I think I'll get the same as Jeremy.
It sounds good.” She smiled faintly. I knew where her thoughts were going, and I envied her. My naughty thoughts had nowhere to go.

Meg pulled out Jeremy's House of Romanov credit card just as I was about to search for Hades'.

I clicked my tongue. “Which one should we use?”

“Does it really matter?” she offered. “It's probably all coming from the same place.”

“But what if he gets mad?”

Meg waved a hand. “Pffft! Come on Shar, he wants you so bad you could buy Rockefeller Center on his Visa and he wouldn't flinch. Besides, it's kind of like a business expense.”

The line advanced and Blondie was up. She had turned slightly and I could see her profile. Her skin was golden and perfect, and her features were fashion-magazine quality. The guy behind the counter started talking to her, and I turned my attention back to Meg, who was picking at a hangnail. I reached into my purse to get my wallet. I so didn't want to use Hades' card; the hologram was too suggestive. Seeing any more of him might burn my retinas.

I choked.

“What's wrong?” Meg asked, her voice low.

“My purse shook.” Slowly I pulled out a small blue box tied with a white ribbon.

“What's that?” she asked.

“The box is from Tiffany's, so it has to be good!”

Meg looked confused.“We didn't go there together. When did you manage to sneak out?”

“I didn't! It has to be a gift. From
you know
who
. Oh, this is going to be so
awesome
!”

“You're not going to keep it, are you?”

“You bet I'm keeping it—it's from Tiffany's. Oh, don't give me that look, Meg, it's probably something small and tasteful.”

“Greeks bearing gifts,” she mumbled.

One tug on the thick satin bow freed the lid of the box. Slowly I peeled it off. Now we both gasped. A chunky, square-shaped, crystal-clear blue diamond winked at us from a white velvet cushion. I stopped breathing. It had to be over five carats.

“I think that falls into the category of big and ostentatious,” she said acerbically.

“I didn't make any promises!” I blurted.

“Next!”

It was our turn at the counter. Blondie had stepped aside and was arranging her packages and dog while she waited for her order. As we stepped up, she gave us a piercing glance that for some reason made me shiver, despite the fact that it was hot and close in the crowded room.