Sin City Goddess (22 page)

I kept flying, searching for the demon again. It was just a moment before I saw its ugly, scaly green head and black eyes pop out of the water. Its jaws were moving, and I noticed a man, obviously bespelled, drifting dangerously close to the edge of the dock, a camera loose at his side.

I squeezed Indigo and shot down toward the water demon, and she set its head ablaze. It screeched in pain, succumbing to the dragon’s power. Its jaws stopped moving after a few
fruitless snaps. Then it oozed into a heaping pile of seaweed, slipping deep beneath the surface of the water.

How many more demons had escaped when the humans had opened the gate? Was someone—some god—purposely sending them through?

How would I ever focus on finding my sister if my task was being foiled by one of my own?

The crowd burst into whistles, catcalls, and applause. I caught Thalia’s eyes and tilted my head toward the Venetian hotel across the way, and the Grace nodded. I hovered for a moment, looked at Molpe—who winked, signaling she had caught that—and disappeared behind the building. I landed near a Dumpster of trash, tucked my wings away, and waited for Molpe, Thalia, and Cerberus to join me.

As I paced, my fury built. This whole thing was a kaleidoscope of sewage, and I was standing in the middle of it. I was growing tired of dealing with demons. It was as if this entire thing had been planned—the kidnappings, my sister, the escape.

But by whom?

And for what purpose? Lamia couldn’t possibly have orchestrated all of this. Her mind was too diseased for such an elaborate plot. She had to have had help. Or perhaps someone had wanted to partner with her, and in exchange, her reward would be assistance in overthrowing Hades.

I didn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle, and that infuriated me. I wasn’t used to these types of cases. I was used to knowing the facts before I chased suspects. I was used to having more open access to the gods. One thing I knew for certain: when this was all over, I was going to urge Athena to work on better communication methods. Perhaps the Google
that Archer always mentioned. Or that electronic-mail system he had told me about.

Thalia, Molpe, and Cerberus showed up then.

Molpe clasped my hand in hers. “Thank you, dark one. I am indebted to you.”

“Nonsense. It is my job to protect and serve.”

Thalia shuffled nervously. “Tisi, look who’s here.”

She stepped aside, and Rumour emerged from behind her.

Oh, lords, give me the patience not to stab her with my sword.

Rumour was fairer skinned than most gods of the Underworld. She had perfectly straight teeth, a perfectly cut bob, and a perfectly foul sense of fun.

“There’s my favorite cousin.” She stepped forward to hug me, reeking of rose petals. I put my hand up.

“No,” I said.

Rumour smirked. “Still don’t like to be touched, is that it?”

“I don’t like to be burned, Cousin.”

Aside from the falsehoods she spread all around Olympus, the pain she caused, the disruption, Rumour had testified against me at my trial. Said there was a cover-up, that I didn’t even have the right man. She had made a mess of things that took ages for the Fates to sift through.

Rumour stuck her lower lip into a pout. “Aw, still sore about that stupid trial? You really should learn to let go of grudges, Tisiphone.”

I advanced on her, ready to grab her throat, but Thalia stepped between us.

“Tisi, remember why we are here.”

I closed my eyes, called on the meditation that Athena had taught me, and calmed my fury.

“We need to go someplace to talk,” I said.

“How about your place?” Rumour asked. “I’ve been dying for a look at the high gods’ suite.” She smiled wickedly. “Plus, I hear you’re keeping a delicious mortal in there that you don’t want to share with the rest of the class.”

I really wished someone would cut her tongue out. It was my understanding that the room Archer and I shared was reserved for high gods and those who served them. Lesser deities, such as the Muses and the three standing before me, were accommodated elsewhere.

But I wanted Rumour nowhere near Archer. Besides, we had a meeting in a short while with the man who was targeting the women. I felt it wasn’t safe for any of them to be in his presence.

“That’s not an option.” I glared at Rumour so she knew I meant business.

Thalia said, “There’s a small café around the corner. It usually isn’t too crowded at this hour.”

We followed Thalia to the café, where there were a few tables spread outside. A tired-looking waitress took our order, and Cerberus curled around my feet.

Thalia and I took turns explaining to Rumour and Molpe what was happening. The kidnappings, Alecto, Lamia, the gate, all of it. Somewhere in the middle of our story, the waitress (I learned they didn’t like to be called servants) brought our coffee.

Rumour snorted when we were finished. “Come now, Tisi. Lamia is no match for Hades. And as for your sister, well”—she looked me straight in the eye—“you know Alecto has probably just gone rogue. Probably got sick of bedding all the gods of the Underworld, so she wanted to try her hand at the mortals. Maybe she wanted her tether to break.”

I reached over and slapped her across the face.

Molpe lurched back and Thalia jumped. “Tisi!” said the Grace.

But I wasn’t listening. I kicked a chair out of the way and advanced on Rumour.

She rubbed her cheek. “You will pay for that, Cousin, I promise you.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. I could feel a vein throb in my head, and my wings were vibrating. “Have you no shame? No compassion? No loyalty to your own people?”

“And what have my people ever done for me, huh, Tisiphone?” She flicked her eyes to Thalia, then Molpe. “I have not the gift of music, of comedy, of poetry.” She returned her gaze to me. “I have not the duty of discipline. Of setting the course of history right where the humans have failed. The Fates never saw fit to bestow upon me any such talent save for my tongue, and that is what I use.”

I took a deep breath and moved closer. Her defiant chin was inches from mine. I could smell the coffee she had ordered on her lips.

“It is up to the individual to develop talent. With talent come gifts; with gifts comes power. It is earned. It is a privilege and a responsibility. If your power never came, you have only yourself to blame. Not the kingdoms.”

I flipped some currency on the table and called to Cerberus. The dog stood.

I tossed my telephone to Thalia. “Input your contact number in there. Do the same for Molpe.” She did and programmed my information into her telephone.

“Contact me at once when you return from Olympus. And for the love of Zeus, tell Athena we need better communications. Email, perhaps. Archer has one for Google.” I relayed the address to her.

Thalia nodded.

I looked at Molpe. “I think you should go with her. You’ll need to rebuild your power, and the best place to do that is home.”

Rumour said, “You really should learn to curb your fury, Tisiphone. It could get you in a lot of trouble.” She tapped her lip. “Oh, wait, that’s right. It already has.”

I wanted to slap her again, but after the flight, the water demon, and the anger pumping through my blood, I could feel my strength fading. And I needed every ounce of it tonight.

“And you’d better pray that whatever leaked from the Underworld doesn’t come after you. A demon, a dark deity, or perhaps a soul you crossed? Someone whose afterlife you may have ruined with your lies?”

Rumour didn’t blink, but I could tell that last part shook her up.

I leaned to whisper in her ear. “Because if that were to happen, Cousin, I won’t be there to save you.”

With that, I picked up my portable telephone, and the hound and I left.

There was no time for Rumour’s nonsense.

I had a meeting with the man who had stolen my sister.

Chapter 38

It was almost dark when I got back to the suite.

Archer asked, “How’d it go?”

He was sitting at the laptop, drinking a soda, looking even sexier than when I had left him.

I told him about the portrait of Hades, my thoughts on an upheaval, the water demon, and that maggot Rumour.

“Sounds like you had an interesting afternoon.” He came over to me and rubbed my shoulders.

I dropped my head, enjoying the calming feel of his fingers walking along my neck, my shoulders, my back. I wished I could crawl into bed with him to finish what we had begun earlier that day, but there was no time for that.

I had a job to do.

“Were you able to meet with Tommy?” I asked.

“No. He wasn’t home. But I did find out something interesting.”

He drifted away from where I stood and punched a few buttons on the laptop. “I was thinking about what you said. About Hecate’s warning about the eclipse, and the five-moon spell. I did a cross-reference check in the FBI database for criminals in the area who are into… what did you call it? Dark arts?” He shifted to look at me. I nodded. He turned back to the screen and tapped a few pictures.

A man’s image sizzled into view. He was standing before a lined sign, holding a card in front of him. A mug shot, I recognized. His eyes were so dark, they seemed to have no color at all, and his head was covered with stubble. He looked young, not unlike some of the waiters and bartenders I had seen across the city. He could have been anyone. He could have been someone’s next-door neighbor, a musician, a deliveryman.

Except he had three eyebrows.

“Meet Jason Helm, registered sex offender and devil worshipper.” He hit a button, and another machine on the desk spit out the image.

Humans and their absurd religions. Now I had heard everything. Worshipping the evil that lived inside you had to be the ultimate display of narcissism.

I locked eyes with Archer. “You think he’s the one who stole Alecto? Who killed Cicely Barnes?”

Archer said, “I think he’s the guy. He’s been heavy into the occult for years, and I don’t mean witchcraft. I mean scary stuff. Got a few raps when he was younger for sacrificing animals, desecrating churches, that kind of thing.”

I wrapped my arms around Archer and kissed him. He pulled me into his lap. “Good work, Lawman.”

His hands began roving, and I let them for a few moments. “Don’t we have work to do?”

Archer sighed. “Yep. We do. One other thing.” His voice took on a foreboding tone.

“What is that?”

He scratched his head. “Remember when I said the eclipse was four days away yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I double-checked that. It isn’t. It’s tomorrow.”

I straightened my spine. “What?”

“I’m sorry. It was bad information. That’s the trouble with the Internet.”

“Are you certain?”

He nodded. “I checked about ten different sites. Tomorrow. Five fifty-five our time.”

That number again. Five. Which reminded me. “Have you heard anything about another woman gone missing?”

“No. I checked the news a few times.” He squeezed my hand. “Seems he’s waiting for you.”

“Well, let’s not keep him waiting.”

Archer looked at his watch. “I have an address, but we have only a few minutes until you’re supposed to meet with him. What do you think we should do? Let him come to us? Or should we go to him?”

I thought about that a moment. If we let him come to us, then the women and my sister would be safe, at least for the time being. If we stormed his home, there was no telling what would happen. He could have it booby-trapped. He could try to shoot his way out, harming the girls in the process. No. It was probably safer for him to come to us. If something went wrong here, we could always track him to his home. Unless…

“We could split up. I could bait him, keep him talking, pretend like I’m interested in his propositions while you go rescue the victims.”

Archer frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t like that idea much.” He tapped his fingers on the chair. “Maybe we should disguise you. We know what he looks like now. Maybe that would give you the upper hand. You’ll likely see him before he spots you.”

“Unless there is something here in the suite, we don’t have time to shop for a disguise.”

Archer frowned. I knelt down before him and grabbed his hands. “He is a mortal. This is what I was born to do. Trust me. I will not fail. My sister’s life depends on it.”

Archer reluctantly agreed to split up. He tried to supply me with a firearm, but I declined. He did, however, tuck a pair of plastic restraints in my hand. I quickly changed into a fresh pair of jeans, thigh high boots, and a silk halter top. I hid Indigo inside the right boot, making sure there was enough room for her to breathe.

I decided it was best to leave Cerberus in the room, although I left the door slightly ajar in case he needed to relieve himself.

Archer asked, “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if someone breaks in?”

“Then Hades help him,” I said.

Archer looked at the large black dog. “Good point.”

We traveled down on separate elevators. I took the one that would get me closest to Shadow Bar, while Archer ducked around to the elevator that was closest to the palace entrance.