Tyranny: Goddesses of Delphi

by Gemma Brocato

  Joining them, Polly set her cup and saucer down. She dropped her oversize purse to the ground with a loud thunk and scraped the legs of her chair across the shiny cement floor.

  “Girl, you can’t do anything quietly, can you?” Clio bit out. She immediately regretted her tone and attempted to soothe it with a tight smile.

  Polly shrugged and dropped into her seat. “Want the world to know I’m around.” She took a sip of her tea—her eyes alight with merriment over the rim of the cup. She’d always been the loudest one in the family. And in a household of nine girls, that was saying something. The trait had served her well in crowded press conferences. She always got a chance to ask her question.

  “Okay, now she’s here, Clio. You can finish telling about your night with the hunky Professor Callahan.” Nia waggled her brows as she spoke.

  Polly set her cup down with a rattle. “You and the hot prof did it?”

  “Holy Hades, you two. You are awful.” Best to just put it out there so they could move on. “Yes, I did sleep with Jax. And yes, it was better than awesome. Maybe even the best in centuries. Now, can we get back to the goddessdamn challenge?”

  “Good for you, Clio. You deserve to be sexed up properly. Goddess knows, it’s been too long.” Polly patted Clio’s hand. A genuinely happy smile lit her sister’s face, reaching her eyes. Polly finally put her phone face down on the table. “There’s a report of torrential rains in what is normally the dry season in Bulgaria. The Five Nations army occupies high ground. The storm gave them an advantage. Nia, have you discovered anything about the weather patterns?”

  Nia spoke up. “I’ve researched the crazy storms we’ve been having. Cross-referenced it with world events. I can’t find any instances of similar patterns in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s documentation. In addition to NOAA’s data, I looked at the United Nations’ archives and came up with a big fat goose egg there as well.” A smile slid across her wide mouth. “I should have started with the archives in Olympus. Because I found a gold-mine there.”

  Clio leaned forward, impatient to know what her sister knew. “Don’t keep us in suspense, Nia.”

  “In the fifteen hundreds, when Spain ejected Jews and Muslims, there were anecdotal reports of tornadoes, floods, and landslides. There might have even been an earthquake or two. I found two separate footnotes linking the unnatural events to Guabancex.”

  Clio pushed her cold coffee away. The dread in her soul frosted her blood. “Why the freak would the Taino storm gods be involved?”

  Nia shrugged. “I bet if we dug deep enough, we’d find some connection between them and Pierus. There is definitely some sort of conspiracy here.”

  Clio pressed her clenched fist to her mouth. Tension in the region of The Five Nations had gone on forever. It never occurred to her that Pierus was doing anything to escalate it.

  Polly stuffed her phone back in her bag. “Drill down to the roots if necessary. We need to find the link if we want to circumvent the death of so many innocents and keep Clio from becoming a pesky magpie.” She slurped the last of her tea then set the cup on the saucer with a distinctive clack. “I have to get to the newsroom. I’ll see you tonight at the Athenian. Togas optional.”

  “I have to go, too.” Nia hitched the strap of her purse over her shoulder. She stood when Polly rose. “Don’t worry too much, Clio. We’ll work this out.”

  Nia and Polly each kissed one of Clio’s cheeks. As they exited the shop, Clio propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. The meeting with her parents tonight was bound to be brutal. Gaia never missed much. As Clio was Zeus’s favorite, her relationship with Jax, a mortal man, would be subject to her father’s laser-like attention.

  But she’d have to bear it because there’d be Hades to pay if she missed the meeting and blew her task of saving the world. Life had been much simpler when she was only a librarian.

  Chapter 12

  Clio steered her Mini Cooper into a space in the lot next to the Athenian. She wasn’t late, but all her sisters had already arrived, judging by the cars present. She scrambled out of the car and trotted across the tarmac. She could have shifted through the Hollow and arrived faster, but it was a pleasant evening for a drive. And since it could be one of the last pleasant nights she’d have, she was damn sure going to take advantage of it.

  Her parent’s resort was on the south side of town, on the edge of an enchanting woodland, bordered on one side by a wide river. She and her sisters had grown up on the property and learned to swim in the fast-flowing current. Of all her childhood homes, this ranked as one of her favorites. Until they came into their powers in each life cycle, they’d been allowed to roam free, riding horses as young girls and Vespas as teeny-boppers. Her mother had hosted many of their school dances in the ornate ballroom at the rear of the main building.

  When they’d received their powers this time around, the ceremonies took place at a temple buried deep in the forest. The event hadn’t been much more than an outdoor barbecue, after which Zeus and their godparents chanted a prayer over their heads. Each of them had celebrated their rite of passage at the space that doubled as a picnic area for resort guests.

  Gripping her keys in one hand and her purse in the other, Clio’s footsteps lagged as she approached the resort’s colonnaded front entry. Near the bottom of the steps lay a clump of black and white feathers. Noxious awareness slithered up her spine. Nerves jumbled around her belly. Tyranny was losing her feathers. Replacing them with what, though? They had to figure out a way to defeat Pierus. And she still hadn’t spoken to Jax to see if he’d commit to helping.

  The marble columns, topped with ionic scrolls common in many majestic old ruins, should have looked pretentious. But they fit with the rounded portico covering the front entrance. Polished stone gleamed in the late afternoon sun as she clambered up the steps.

  “Daughter.” Zeus’ sonorous voice stopped her forward progress.

  He’d traded his normal business suit for board shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt in orange, lime, and fuchsia. The informal dress was at odds with the severe style of his wavy, salt-and-pepper hair. At least he hadn’t plucked laurel twigs from the nearby bush to weave a crown.

  She jammed her hands on her hips and faced him where he sat on the gliding porch swing. She’d spent a lot of hours there with him. “I’m not late, Zeus. I’m five minutes early.” Even though he referred to her as daughter, he’d never encouraged them to call him Father. And Dad had never fit with his role of CEO of the multinational conglomerate Olympus had evolved to. So Zeus it was.

  “I know this, Clio.” His low chuckle rumbled in his chest, and his deep violet eyes glittered with humor. “I came out here to wait for you for a proper hello before the rest of the hens start cackling.” He tipped his chin up, revealing a tiny cut on the underside. Stubble she wasn’t used to seeing encased his strong jaw.

  She swept one index finger over the other, a non-verbal shame-on-you. “That’s a lie. As soon as there was more than one of them in the library, that ship sailed.” She sent him a sunny smile as she crossed the porch. The swing stirred gently when she took a seat next to him.

  “As you’d say in this life cycle, ‘busted.’” The sound of feminine laughter echoed through the open front door. Zeus grimaced. “Thalia is trying out a new comedy routine. I do believe this one is quite entertaining, but I don’t understand some of the jokes.”

  “I only have four minutes now until I’m officially late and Calliope makes sure I know it. Zeus, you aren’t waiting out here to escape Thalia’s sense of humor. Why don’t you tell me what’s really on your mind?” She folded her hand into his.

  “I am worried about this challenge you face. Pierus’s insistence that you must have a man help you is perplexing. This has never been the case in all the millennia of our existence. Why the sudden shift?”

  Clio shrugged. “Maybe he thinks the man destined to help us won’t actually find us.” Or maybe the
dirty bastard believed if the Muse fell in love with the man, it would be easier to break their hearts and defeat them.

  “I should have encased the little fucker in granite when I had the chance. Instead of magpies, I should have turned his daughters into guppies.”

  That made her laugh. But she sobered quickly. “I’ve found the man to help me. Jax Callahan.”

  He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and urged her face his direction. “I know this as well, daughter. And have you lost your heart to him?”

  Had she? She’d never felt the kind of magnetism she’d found in Jax’s touch. Never experienced the type of passion he aroused in her. It was her job to inspire him, but she felt as though the sandal was on the other proverbial foot. Unlike her sisters, in all her lifetimes, she’d resisted love. Being reborn with every memory intact came with consequences, and she remembered every relationship and partner she’d ever had. Recalling previous loves was always be painful. Was it just the challenge that made Jax different?

  Zeus inclined his head and waited patiently for her answer. She shook her head. “Don’t know, but I might have.”

  “Clio, if you have found love, this is a good thing. It means you will work harder to win the challenge Pierus has thrown down. And this makes me happy, because of all my children, of you nine girls, to see you transformed into a bird for all eternity would break my heart.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead then drew her head to his shoulder.

  The weight of his arm holding her close made her feel secure and protected, a comfort lacking since she first learned of the difficult task in front of her. The only other time she’d felt this had been in Jax’s arms. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, willing the last shred of trepidation from her body. It wouldn’t do to give in to uncertainty. Better to believe she’d win.

  While they sat in silence, the sun sank behind gathering clouds. Another storm brewed for Delphi.

  “There you are,” Callie said from the door. For a change, she wore a gentle expression, instead of her normal my-way-or-the-highway scowl. “We’re ready to get started if you are.”

  Zeus squeezed her shoulder. The old wooden swing gave a little as he disentangled himself and rose. Confidence oozed from his posture as he strode across the porch.

  He paused next to Callie and patted her cheek. Zeus loved all his daughters, and he never failed to demonstrate his devotion with kisses and hugs. He hadn’t always been around as they grew up, but they’d known of his affection for them. After Callie pressed her lips to his cheek, he disappeared inside.

  Clio grasped her purse handles and rose from her seat.

  Callie stopped Clio with a hand on her arm when she would have moved past. “I know I’ve been tough on all you girls lately, but I’ve been that way because I’m terrified for all of us.”

  It wasn’t often that Clio found herself in a position to comfort her bossy older sibling. “We’re all frightened, sister. But I believe we’ll be okay. Together we are a power to be reckoned with. And with men we love at our side, we will defeat Pierus for all eternity.” She hoped the emotion she felt for Jax was returned. But since he hadn’t even committed to helping yet, she had to squelch that desire. If she had to find a way to win without Jax, she would.

  She laced her fingers through Callie’s and tugged her inside to join the rest of the Thanos women and one old, softie king of the Greek gods.

  They moved into the resort’s small conference room. Clio’s sisters and their parents were seated around the oversize table that had served as the site of all their holiday meals. Instead of the china and crystal, pads of paper and pens littered the top. Thalia and Mel had their identical twin heads together in a whispered conversation. As Muses of Comedy and Tragedy, they looked alike, yet personality-wise, they were as different as salt and pepper.

  Aerie doodled on a slip of paper. Of all her sisters, Aerie was the shyest. Which was funny because she was the Muse of Romantic Love. Her job as a wedding planner was perfect for her. Clio craned her head to see what Aerie had drawn, but beyond the outline of a heart, the scribbling wasn’t obvious.

  Nia looked up from her conversation with Polly as Clio slipped into the seat across from them. Both women gave her broad smiles and winks. Damn, she should have kept her mouth closed about her time with Jax. She sure as hell shouldn’t have told them it was the best sex she’d had in a millennium.

  She cast a quick glance toward Gaia, who bestowed a calm, knowing smile that worked wonders to settle Clio’s nerves. She held her mother’s gaze and mouthed I need to talk to you privately.

  Gaia nodded and mouthed back After.

  Corie, Muse of Dance, and her musically inclined sister, Terri, sat at the far end of the table, to the right of the chair Zeus occupied. They bickered quietly about something. Clio couldn’t hear the conversation over Thalia’s sudden laughter. The musical sound lightened Clio’s spirits.

  Gaia rapped her knuckles on the table, bringing the meeting to order. Zeus might be at the head of the table, but this was Gaia’s gig. He seemed content to let his lover take the lead. Clio settled her handbag on the floor and grabbed a pad from the stack in front of her. She stole the pen Polly had behind her ear.

  Polly tried to snatch it back. “Bitch! Get your own.”

  Clio pulled her hand back, keeping the pen out of Polly’s reach. “I promise to return it, stingy.”

  “Children,” Gaia gently chided. “We have important things to discuss. Shall we get started? Clio, can you give us a report?”

  Sucking in a deep breath, Clio began. “First you should know I believe the Tainos are involved as well. It appears Pierus might have forged an alliance with them. Kind of like despicable, silent partners.”

  “Dirty bastards,” Callie muttered. “Of course he couldn’t be in this alone.”

  Clio held up a hand. “Callie, we don’t know for sure they’re involved. Call it a hunch.” But it was a pretty strong coincidence that couldn’t be denied. “It’s just...there have been so many freak storms in the past weeks. Here and in Bulgaria.”

  Silence reigned around the table as Zeus sat unnaturally still, head tipped back, his eyes closed. His shoulders lifted in a shrug an instant before his eyelids popped open. The residual golden glow faded from his eyes as he nodded. “Proceed, Clio.”

  “I found the man Pierus foretold. Or rather, he found me.” Clio wondered briefly whom her father had been communicating with, but knew he’d tell them eventually. She leaned forward, propped her arms on the table, and tapped Polly’s pen on the dark cherry surface. “However, I’m not sure he’ll help.”

  “Why wouldn’t he? Doesn’t he want to save the world?” Mel demanded. Leave it to her to make it as dramatic, as potentially tragic, as she could.

  Clio sent a quelling look toward Mel before continuing. “He’s already advised the government on a diplomatic solution for The Five Nations build-up, but they didn’t listen. And it isn’t the first time they’ve disregarded his counsel. The last time resulted in a major loss of life. He’s gun shy and no longer believes in his ability to make a difference.”

  Just saying the words caused anxiety to rattle her spine and settle like a boa constrictor around her throat. She hooked a finger in the collar of her navy-blue T-shirt and pulled it away from her neck, hoping to ease the choking, suffocating sensation.

  Callie spoke up. “It does sound like he is the perfect candidate. We just need to figure out how to get him to believe in magic again.”

  Hanging her head, Clio made her confession. “I told him what I am.”

  “Daughter!” Gaia shot a worried glance at Zeus.

  “I’m sorry. I know I probably shouldn’t have, but I didn’t feel I had a choice. He believes I believe I’m a Muse, but I’m still not sure he’ll help.”

  Zeus shook his head. “We will worry about this breach of our ways later. If necessary, we’ll enlist your auntie, Mnemosyne, to remove his recollection of your slip once the challenge is w
on.”

  If the goddess of memory got involved, would Jax forget her? Was that the danger she faced in winning the challenge? Would her heart ever heal in this lifetime or any future existences? If not, she’d almost rather be a magpie.

  “And if he doesn’t help?” Thalia asked, a tight frown furrowing her forehead. “Can we proceed without his assistance? Can we make a difference in the situation overseas?”

  Ten pairs of eyes looked to their father for guidance. Zeus steepled his fingers and pressed them against his lips. His eyelids drifted shut as he contemplated the question.

  Tension grew with the ongoing silence until Clio thought it might crush her lungs. “Pierus’s e-mail only said we had to pair up with the man. To win the challenge, we must make him question what if. And reject a deep-seated belief. I might have already done that by getting him to believe I’m a Muse. If he believes that, he’s already asking the magic question. He’s a pragmatic history professor. Until last night, Muses were nothing more than a myth.”

  Zeus hummed, an ancient tune that all who knew him recognized as his consulting mantra. His lips moved as if he spoke to someone. The CEO of Olympus was using his supernatural link to talk to some other god about the situation.

  Mel sipped her water and then carefully set the glass on the coaster in front of her. “It still doesn’t solve the problem The Five Nations presents.”

  Clio clung to the idea that if Jax accepted her as a Muse, he’d accept his role in stopping the madness overseas and Pierus’s hostile takeover bid. If she was asking him to believe in her, she had to believe in him.

  Chapter 13

  Zeus’s eyes popped open. His smile broadened as he glanced around the table. “I do not know if Clio has already fulfilled the requirements. But I believe I have found a way to sway Professor Callahan’s thoughts. At least on the subject of his ability to make a difference.” He paused and shut his eyes again.