“He put me in a box for five thousand years.”
She didn’t need to elaborate, as Daedric could imagine the hatred she must have felt. “How will I find it?”
“It is hidden at Delphi,” Eris said.
“The Oracle of Delphi,” Daedric repeated. “I’ve heard the stories of her prophecies. Gases released from the earth caused her to have hallucinations that everyone thought were divine messages.”
“Is that what people now believe?” Eris looked amused. “How easily humans create stories to negate the power of the gods. When Zeus buried the scythe, it was covered in the Titan’s blood. One drop carried more power than you can imagine. If your oracle somehow tapped into that energy, she would indeed have been prophetic, at the very least.”
Daedric, knowing his next words would incur the goddess’s wrath, braced himself. “Eris, Delphi is the site of the ruins from something like six temples going back more than two thousand years. They were built and then rebuilt by everyone from the ancient Greeks to the Romans. Any artifact buried there would have been found centuries ago and would be long gone by now.”
Eris shook her head and chuckled, a reaction that surprised Daedric. “It is still there, nephew. That weapon is something every god who has ever coveted the power wielded by Zeus has searched for—and never found. If a mere human had uncovered it, the world would be a very different place.”
“How can I be expected to find something that’s eluded the gods?” Daedric had an exceptionally healthy ego but wasn’t delusional.
“Zeus is a tricky one, but he’s not all that bright. He shielded the scythe from the gods, but created humans much later. In his arrogance, he never considered them a threat.” Eris held out her hand. In it sat a silver compass. “This will guide you to the power of the Titan’s blood.”
“And Zeus just lets you carry this thing around? The one item that can get you the scythe?” Daedric raised his eyebrow to show his disbelief.
“Do not forget to whom you are speaking, nephew.” The table vibrated, his wine glass almost toppling over, as her eyes turned cold.
“I’m sorry, Eris.” Daedric hoped the sincerity in his voice would be enough to calm her down. He most certainly didn’t want to get on the bad side of that one.
“Very well,” she said. In the blink of an eye, she’d once again become calm. “To answer your question, Zeus doesn’t know this compass exists. It was forged for me by Hephaestus, who may actually hate Zeus more than I do. I was locked in the box, still holding it in my hand, before I had the chance to find someone like you to use it.”
Daedric took the compass, unconsciously glancing down the street it pointed to. “And this will lead me to the scythe.”
“It will lead you to the Titan’s blood. From there, it will be up to you to find the scythe. Bring it to me.”
Chapter 17
The drive back from Litochoro was a blur for Mirissa. Her scattered thoughts shifted from her father, to Daedric, to her destiny, and then circled back to her father again. Her world had been tipped on its side, shuffling everything around until nothing made any sense.
When they were almost to the hotel, Greco squeezed her hand. “You doing all right?”
She turned to look at him, drawing her strength from his. “Yeah. I’ll be okay as long as Dad is.” Mirissa leaned close to keep her next words from reaching Orano in the driver’s seat. “Thank you. I know you’re still upset with me, but thanks for being here.”
Greco placed his hand tenderly on her knee. “I’ll always be here for you, Mirissa. You should know that by now. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you hide things from me. Before the day is out, I want you to tell me everything.”
That statement still echoed through her mind when they entered her mother’s hotel room. She did her best to put on her game face and deal with the immediate issue. One problem at a time, she thought. “Where’s Daedric?” she asked Beck after receiving an unexpected hug.
“He was in Thessaloniki, but now he’s in Delphi.” Beck pulled up an online map of the area. “It’s more than two hundred miles from here, so I had Julian scare us up a chopper. We’re ready to go when you are.”
“Give her a few minutes, Beck. She’s had a tough day,” Greco said.
“No.” Mirissa took a deep breath. “We need to move now, before Daedric disappears again. This might be our only chance to find the box.” It took her a moment to realize someone was missing. “Where’s Flip?”
“I told him to take Jill for a walk. They were driving me crazy with their lovesick teenager crap.” Beck stuck her finger down her throat to emphasize her distaste for their behavior. “On the bright side, he did distract her enough to keep her from asking too many questions.”
Mirissa sprouted a small smile despite the pain she felt. The thought of Flip making googly eyes at their government liaison succeeded in lightening her mood—a little, at least. “Do we leave them here while we go to Delphi?” she asked.
“I vote yes,” Beck immediately replied.
“Me, too,” said Orano.
Mirissa looked to Greco. “What do you think?”
“This isn’t a democracy, Mirissa. This is your show for the time being. Your mom is still our leader, but she’s not here. You’re the one with the key. You’re the one ultimately responsible for closing the box. So, whether you like it or not, you’re the one in charge right now.” Greco wiped away the errant tear that fell down her cheek. “That doesn’t mean you’re on your own.”
Mirissa squeezed her eyes shut, trying to tamp down the emotions erupting inside of her. It didn’t work. The fear of losing her father, compounded by her worry that she wasn’t strong enough to stand against a goddess, overcame her. Her chest tightened until every heartbeat threatened to burst through her ribcage. Her breaths came in short, shallow bursts until she was dizzy from the effect.
I can’t do this. I’m not ready, she thought. Images of every failure she’d endured flashed through her mind, intermingled with those of her father lying broken in his hospital bed. Her inadequacies always caused horrific pain, but this time, every human being on earth would suffer and die because she wasn’t strong enough to save them. Held in the grip of terror, the images racing through her mind became all-consuming.
Noises assailed her—crashing, yelling, and loud thumping—but she couldn’t focus on any of them. Her Amazon ring heated to the point of pain. The small green snake that was once a simple inlaid emerald design, came to life and spiraled up Mirissa’s forearm, getting thicker and longer as it went, its head eventually settling on a spot just under her shoulder. The tiny hairs on her arms rose as energy pulsed through her, increasing in strength until Mirissa felt like she would explode with the pressure, then—
Silence.
The feel of Greco’s warm hands on her cheeks.
“Look at me,” he said calmly.
When she opened her eyes, Greco’s face was inches from hers. She felt her heart rate slowly drop while the energy drained out of her.
“That’s good. Let it all go. You’re doing fine, Mirissa. Just breathe,” he said.
This wasn’t the first time Greco had talked her down from a power overload. Before she even knew she had special abilities, a fit of anger had triggered them, and she’d almost destroyed the Omega Group’s safe house back in Jacksonville.
“I’m okay,” Mirissa said as she regained some of her senses. She took a step back and hit a wall—a wall that hadn’t been behind her before.
“Beck put a shield around us to keep you from tearing apart the room.” Greco smiled warmly.
The shield dissipated, and Mirissa surveyed the damage she’d caused. The mirror that once hung above the dressing table was shattered with the pieces strewn across the floor. The bed, no longer neatly made, lay several feet from where it had been, its broken leg visible through the torn bed skirt. A crack in the drywall next to the door spread from the floor to the ceiling.
“I’m rea
lly sorry,” Mirissa said to Beck and Orano. “I should be better at controlling my emotions than that. Did I hurt you guys?”
Beck shook her head and smiled. “We’re fine. Don’t worry about us.”
Orano made a point of taking in every inch of the room. “I’ve done worse, and to better hotel rooms than this.”
“Mirissa! Are you okay?” Flip came charging through the door, eyes wide, dragging Jill behind him. “What happened?”
“I had a bit of a meltdown, but I’m all right now.” Mirissa tried to reassure the little man. The last thing she wanted was to make him scared of her. He’d already had enough of that with Daedric.
Flip stood in front of her, his head tilted back so he could see her eyes. She thought he was going to speak, but instead, he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, pinning her arms to her sides.
Another unexpected smile crept its way onto her face as she waited for him to release her. “Thank you, Flip.”
When he finally pulled back, his eyes glistened.
Jill placed her hand on his cheek and asked, “Do you need a tissue, Philip?”
Flip scrunched up his forehead and raised an eyebrow. “For what?” A single tear chose that moment to make its way down his cheek. Instead of wiping it away, Flip slapped at it as though he didn’t know what it was. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“There’s definitely nothing wrong with you, Phillip. Nothing at all.” Jill smiled at him with admiration, and Flip’s cheeks flushed a bright red.
Mirissa could see what Beck had been talking about earlier. They were lovesick puppies. But she found it adorable. “Listen, Flip. We need to go run down a lead. We’ll be gone for most of the night. Are you going to be okay here with Jill on your own?”
The looks they gave each other made Mirissa feel like a parent leaving her son alone with a girl for the first time. “On second thought, maybe you should come with us.”
“We’ll be fine,” Flip said. “Besides, wouldn’t we be in the way if we came? You know, we might cause a problem?”
Mirissa was well aware of the difficulties that would arise if their liaison came with them. They’d be going up against Daedric without the benefit of using their special abilities. Yet she still didn’t feel comfortable leaving them alone—unprotected and unchaperoned.
“Just go. We’ll call you if we need you. Right, Jill?” Flip looked expectantly at the woman.
“Of course. I’m here to report your progress to the White House, not hinder it,” Jill said. “Do what you need to do.”
Chapter 18
The chopper landed in a small clearing just outside the ruins at Delphi. The darkness was complete, with no moon visible through the thick layer of clouds. The electrical storm that had been ravaging the skies for the last twenty-four hours had dissipated, but the winds were robust.
As the group wound their way up to the ruins, Mirissa couldn’t help but wish they’d been able to make this trip during daylight hours. Being built on the southern slopes of Parnassos Mountain, the site was packed with imposing ruins and surrounded by what would have been an incredible view.
An enormous stone amphitheater descended to the plateau that held the remains of Apollo’s temple. The temple’s foundation, nothing more than a large rectangle of stones with a few pillars still intact, edged another drop-off that held dozens of ruins. Mirissa assumed they had all once been statues. The entire area, spread throughout several plateaus, was filled with the remains of a multitude of buildings.
“Do you feel that, too?” she asked Greco. “My ring’s vibrating again.” Her Amazon ring had always tingled when she neared something dangerous of the preternatural variety but, for the last few months, it seemed to be picking up on more than that. She’d get strange feelings when something bad was about to happen and somehow knew her ring was sending the warning. That newfound intuition had already saved her life on several occasions.
Greco looked down at his ring, then back to her. “No. Mine’s still dormant. Maybe yours is picking up on Daedric’s presence.”
She nodded, continuing toward the Temple of Apollo. According to the tracker they’d placed under his collar, Daedric was there. If they were lucky, the box would be there, too.
When are we ever lucky? Mirissa thought.
As they neared the edge of the massive amphitheater carved into the rock above the ruins, Mirissa signaled for the team to stop. “We’re here to get the box, not Daedric. So let’s not start an unnecessary fight. We’ll just watch him until he leads us to the box, then grab it. Okay?”
Her three teammates sent each other questioning looks before nodding their agreement. True, they were always ready for a battle, but Mirissa didn’t want to risk their lives if she didn’t have to.
“Can I have a quick word?” Greco whispered in her ear.
Mirissa took a deep breath and led him a few feet away. “Look, I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. Not starting an all-out war right now is the smart thing to do. We need the box way more than we need Daedric, and I want to make sure we get it. If we go in all guns-a-blazing, we risk our lives and might lose our only lead to find it. This has nothing to do with some deep-seated fear you think I have about not being strong enough. It’s the right thing to do. Period. You said yourself that this isn’t a democracy. I’m in charge. So, those are my orders. Deal with it.”
Greco gave her a lopsided grin, raising his eyebrow as though he found her funny. “I was just going to give you a bit of a pep talk, that’s all.”
Mirissa felt her cheeks flush as she dropped her gaze. “Oh, sorry. I thought …” She shook her head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Let’s just find that box and get this nightmare over with.”
********
Daedric leaned his back against one of the six remaining columns of Apollo’s temple. He’d been there for over an hour already and still had no idea where to begin looking for the scythe. The compass led him to the temple, but that was as narrow a target as it had given him. He’d tried using his telekinesis to move the massive stone floor of the ruins, but the weight proved too much for him. He was no closer to finding the damn scythe than he’d been when he got there. And now he had company.
He’d heard the telltale whump-whump of the helicopter and knew he was no longer alone. There was little doubt in his mind who would be coming at that late hour, and his assumption proved true when Mirissa and her friends came strolling onto the plateau. How did they find me?
Placing the compass Eris had given him in his pocket, Daedric readied himself for the inevitable attack. Everything was riding on him retrieving the scythe—his place amongst the gods after the humans were destroyed would be decided that night. He would not allow that little girl and her friends to thwart him again.
A minute passed, then another, and another. Why weren’t they attacking? What were they waiting for? Although Daedric reveled in toying with his victims—keeping them guessing as to exactly when and how he would kill them—being on the receiving end of that torment was excruciating.
“What are you waiting for, Mirissa? An invitation?” Daedric taunted, yelling over his shoulder. When he received no response, he added, “I’m a little disappointed. I thought you had more fight in you. But, there’s no electrical storm for you to syphon from tonight.”
Still no response.
“I can stand here as long you want, little girl. I’ve got nothing but time, but I don’t think you can say the same thing.” A cold smile curled his lips as he spoke. “And I know your father can’t.”
********
“You son of a bitch!” Mirissa yelled as she bolted from her hiding place near the amphitheater.
Greco grabbed Mirissa’s arm, stopping her from charging Daedric head-on, and pulled her back behind the stones.
“Let me go,” she spat out through clenched teeth.
“He’s trying to goad you. Don’t let him,” Greco said, his fingers digging painfully into he
r bicep.
Mirissa let her anger wash over her. “If he’s the reason my dad’s in the hospital, I’m going to make him pay.”
Greco held her gaze. “This is exactly what he wants: you to lose your cool and make a mistake. Don’t let that happen.”
She took a deep breath, pushed aside her emotions, and nodded. He was right. Her first time in charge of a mission and she was already failing miserably. “I’m okay. You can stop cutting off the circulation in my arm now.”
Greco smiled as he gently rubbed the area he’d been gripping. “How do you want to proceed? He knows we’re here, so there’s no chance of him leading us to the box.”
“Maybe he already has.” Mirissa raised her eyebrows. “What other reason could there be for him to come here?” She reached into her shirt and pulled out the key she’d worn on a chain around her neck for months, tugging it over her head. “You take this while I keep Daedric busy. It glowed red-hot when the box was opened, so it stands to reason it’ll do something when the box is close by. Find it for me.”
Greco looped the chain around his neck and gently tucked the key inside his shirt. “I’ll take Orano. You take Beck.” He leaned in and pressed his lips hard against hers in a scorching kiss. “Be safe.”
Mirissa strolled out into the open, ready to get her snark on. “Hey, half-breed,” she called out. “You hiding from little old me? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised considering how badly I’ve kicked your ass lately.” She walked along the bottom row of the amphitheater’s carved stone benches, hoping to draw the demi-god’s attention away from Greco and Orano as they sprinted in the other direction.
The closer she got to the temple ruins, the more her ring vibrated. Ignoring the discomfort, she continued. “We can end this right here and now, Daedric. Just tell me where it is and I might not embarrass you again.”
“Not likely,” came his response, whispered in her ear.
Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group) Page 9
