by Noree Cosper
"Hrm," she mumbled.
I rushed us out of the building and into the car, only taking my first deep breath of relief when we were on the road. If I'd had to sit there and watch the two of them for much longer I would have exploded. Now, I would have to live with the sharp twisting in my stomach.
"So, that's the god?" Aunt Jo asked.
I blinked and swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah."
"Hmph, one that likes to show off. Probably Greek."
"Why?"
She snorted. "I don't live in a hole. I watch TV, read newspapers."
"Oh, right."
"Ya might try and get close to him and learn more before we make our move."
I cleared my throat. "That may be a problem. He knows about me."
She raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"Well, there was a little bit of a reaction when he touched my tattoo."
"Why was he close enough to touch it?"
I stared at the stop light impeding me from getting out of this conversation faster.
"Damnation, girl. Ya couldn't keep it in yer pants?"
"I have been doing a fine job of keeping it in my pants, thank you." I gritted my teeth. "It's not like I knew he was a god."
"We're up the river without a paddle here, Cassi girl. What do you know about him?"
"Not a whole lot. He's here to head a project I'm in." I gripped the steering wheel. "And my roommate says they're related."
"Related?"
I rolled my eyes. "Brother and sister, I think. But she's so offended he left her alone with their sick mother that she keeps referring to him as if he's some second cousin twice removed."
The motor of the car was the only thing that could be heard for a while.
"Does she know about you?"
"Not yet," I said. "I doubt she's going to listen to anything he has to say."
Aunt Jo shook her head. "No good. That mark's only gonna get more powerful. If she's a god, she'll sense it soon."
"Why would a god go to college?"
Aunt Jo shrugged. "Why do they do anything? We don't know much about them. Hasn't been long since they came back."
"So, now what?"
"I got an extra bed in my room. Ya stay with me till we get these gods taken care of."
"I don't think Serenity is doing this. I've known her for years. If she wanted me dead, or anyone else, I think I would have noticed."
"But ya never figured out she was a god."
"What if she doesn't know?"
Aunt Jo snorted. "Bullshit. She knows they're related."
I sighed and bit my lip as tears sprung up in the corners of my eyes.
"Look, maybe yer right," Aunt Jo said. "But we're not sure. How can ya sleep under the roof with her when she might be a danger?"
"Fine," I said. "She should be in class now. I'll grab some things and head back over here."
I dropped Aunt Jo at her hotel and headed to my apartment. My key slid into the lock with a soft click. I opened the door to a cool, darkened living room. I gripped the back of the couch as I scanned the room, from the fallen cushions on the floor to the pile of video game cases stacked next to the TV. I bit the inside of my cheek gently and closed my eyes, willing the pressure in my chest to release.
I marched to my room and grabbed the giant bag from my closet. I needed to treat this like a bandage and get it over with. I yanked a large group of clothes from their hangers and tossed them in the bag. I slipped my laptop into the side.
"What are you doing?" Serenity asked.
I jumped and spun around. She leaned against the door frame in a pair of shorts and her Cowboys t-shirt with her arms crossed and brows furrowed. My chest tightened.
"I thought you'd be in class," I said.
"All classes were canceled due to yesterday," she said.
"Oh, right. Because of James." I hadn't even bothered to think of going to school, much less whether it would be canceled.
Her gaze fell upon the bag on my bed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm, uh, going to stay with my aunt for a while."
"In a hotel?"
I inched back to my bed and closer to my baseball bat.
"Is she sick or something?"
"Uh, well..."
She took a step into the room but stopped when she saw me stiffen. "What's wrong? You're acting really weird."
I stared at her for several moments with my mouth open. Did she know what Mercer was? She'd always been against him ever since he'd shown up here. Maybe she'd been afraid he'd reveal her. I wanted to ask her, but the words stuck in my throat. I shook my head.
"Hard to find a place to begin," I said.
"Did something happen between you and Mercer?" Serenity asked.
I couldn't stop the bitter laugh that escaped. "You could say that."
Her lips pressed together in a thin line, and two small red spots appeared on her cheeks. "I'm going to kill him."
"I'll see you at school." I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.
She followed me through the living room with a confused look on her face. "You're just going to leave because of him?"
I paused at the front door. "I really don't know either of you."
She stayed on the rail of the second floor, watching me drive off. As she faded from sight, I couldn't keep the tears back any longer. I turned my radio up to ear-blasting level to cover the sound of my sobs.
My world was burning down around me, thanks to this damn tattoo and a family legacy I never wanted.
17
I rubbed the bandage covering my wrist with my thumb as I stared at the giant picture of James from the back of the funeral parlor. Several people sat in the wooden pews talking quietly while others stood in the line to view the casket.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my churning stomach. I hadn't slept well in the last two days since I'd moved in with Aunt Jo. As much as I wanted to blame her snoring, every time I closed my eyes, my mind replayed James's death and my discovery about Mercer. I'd almost paced a hole in the hotel carpet, trying to figure out what to do about him and Serenity. Now, here was the funeral, where both would definitely attend, and I still had no plan.
I jumped at the hand on my shoulder and spun around.
Sheridan held her hand up with a wide-eyed look. "Sorry, didn't know you were so jumpy."
"Sorry," I mumbled.
She nodded her head to the front. "I still can't believe it. I keep expecting him to walk in and say it was a joke."
I choked back a bitter laugh. "Some joke."
She bit her lip, and her eyes watered. "I don't understand why."
I gave her an awkward pat on her shoulder. "It's something I think we all are trying to understand."
"You were there. Did he say anything before?"
I looked down at the floor, feeling that familiar burning lump in my throat. "A lot that didn't make sense."
The front door to the funeral home swung open, shining bright natural light into the dim foyer. Pins and needles spread across my tattoo and up my arm. I made a small hiss and rubbed it harder as I glanced behind me.
Mercer stood with his hand on the handle and his gaze on me. My heart pounded in my ears as everything in the room blurred out of focus except for him, and the tingling turned into a buzz that traveled to every nerve. Sheridan moved between us, and the moment was broken.
"I wasn't sure if you'd be able to make it," she said.
He glanced at her with a smile. "I cleared my schedule. James was important."
I turned away and found a seat in one of the back pews. Of course he wouldn't miss it. James had headed one of the teams of the Proprius project. What would it look like if Mercer was absent from his funeral? The school would be more inclined to shut him down, which wouldn't work for whatever plan he had in that godly head of his.
I sighed and chewed the inside of my cheek. Maybe, with Aunt Jo's clout with the school, we could get the project shut down. Mercer would have n
o viable reason to stay afterwards. My heart squeezed in my chest at the thought of him disappearing from my life, and I shook my head. Stupid, stupid girl.
I pressed my thumb into my tattoo as he passed by me and sat in a pew two rows in front of me. More people took their seats and talked quietly together. I stiffened as Serenity sat down next to me. She glanced in my direction, opened her mouth, and closed it with a shake of her head. I knew how she felt. We had too many questions we were afraid to ask each other. I endured the Eulogy with a clenched jaw and rigid back, trying to keep my gaze from wandering to Mercer's dark hair. The voices of the speakers merged with one another and faded into background noise.
Even for a god, it was poor taste to come to his victim's funeral, if he had killed James. He'd been hit with the same cloud of depression that had affected me, unless it had been an act. If it wasn't, that left Serenity. My roommate sat with her shoulders straight, staring ahead at the speaker, a former classmate of James. She twisted a piece of tissue around in her hands, belying the calm she was trying to put on. She couldn't be capable of killing James. Besides, neither she nor Mercer had red hair, nor were they decaying. Something else was stalking the streets. How many players were in this game?
The priest came to the podium, and everyone bowed their heads. I blinked and joined them, letting the words of prayer pass over me without hearing them. There were too many gods, some in this very building, to bend my knee to one, especially when no one knew who that god was. I remained seated as people shuffled out of the funeral home and to their cars to drive to the cemetery. Serenity shifted her body toward me.
"I don't know what this is about," she said. "Why can't you talk to me?"
"This isn't the best place to talk." Then again, would there ever be one?
I pressed my lips together and dug my nail into the bandage as Mercer and Sheridan passed us. She gave us a small smile, but he kept his gaze straight ahead. They were stopped by a small group of students at the door. Serenity watched me with narrowed eyes.
"Nope," she said. "I'm not suffering in the middle of this."
She stood and marched toward Mercer, cutting through the crowd surrounding him. Mercer blinked, and the sound of his voice traveled back into the viewing room, but his words were lost. Sheridan's eyes widened, and her mouth hung agape as Serenity grabbed Mercer's arm and yanked him away from everyone else.
I gripped the back of the pew as my heart pounded in my chest. She wasn't going to bring him over here, was she? They disappeared beyond the door and farther into the foyer. I let out a long sigh with my shoulders slumping.
I stood and walked to James's casket. The polished wood gleamed under the overhead lamps, and the lid remained closed. The aftermath of his fall hadn't left his remains pretty. This had scarred all of us. I laid a shaking hand on the casket and wiped the tears away from my cheeks. At this point, I didn't know who I was crying for anymore.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
With my head bowed, I turned and headed into the foyer. Sheridan stood next to a small table with an array of lilies, her arms crossed and one foot tapping on the cream carpet. She glanced from her watch to the darkened hallway to her left and sighed.
"Are they still talking?" I asked.
She blinked at me in surprise. "Yeah. We need to get going if we're going to make it to the cemetery."
I nodded to the door. "Go ahead. I'll get them."
"Well, I was supposed to be riding with Mercer."
"Find another ride," I said.
A small annoyed humph followed me down the hall. I trailed their voices to a closed sliding wood that led to another viewing room. The only light came from a small window. I leaned back against the wall with my arms crossed and my eyes shut. I was making a habit of eavesdropping on Mercer.
Serenity gave a bitter laugh. "Why should I avoid her? Because you fucked things up?"
Mercer sighed. "She could be a danger to the both of us, especially if it's true that she has an aunt here."
"That didn't stop you from sleeping with her; then again, nothing stops you from doing what you want."
They were talking about me. Unless he'd been a busy god.
"I didn't know what she was at the time. She somehow hid her true nature."
"Like you're hiding yours?"
"And you," he said. "You need to continue. You can't let her know what we are."
I slid open the door and glared at both of them "It's a little late for that."
Mercer's jaw set, and his eyes narrowed, while Serenity turned my direction with wide surprised eyes. I stepped into the dim room and shut the door behind me. Sheridan didn't need to hear this if she decided to come searching instead of listening to me.
My chest tightened as the words danced on my lips. I had so many questions trying to get out at once. My gazed darted between the two of them as I debated which to ask first.
I settled on the big one burning in my mind. "Did either of you kill James?"
Serenity stepped back in a jerky motion and clenched her fists. "How could you even ask that?"
I stared at Mercer.
"I'd have more grace than to come to his funeral if I did." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not your enemy, Cassi."
"All of you are enemies." My voice trembled slightly.
"Serious, that's how you feel after all these years?" Serenity asked. "None of it matters?"
"You hid what you were," I said.
"I thought my roommate was a human. Who would believe all of it? I was wrong." She shoved past me and slid the door open with a slam. "You're just as much of a liar as I am."
Her footsteps echoed down the carpeted hall and the faint slamming of the front door reverted. Mercer's suit jacket brushed against my arms as he moved past me. The tingling in my wrist intensified, but it held nothing on the fluttering in my stomach. I stepped back and pressed my thumb in against my tattoo as heat suffused my body.
"Not all of us are the same," he said.
I raised my eyes to his emerald ones, almost black in the gloom. "Who are you?"
He gave me a sad smile as he stepped in the hall. "More than you're capable of dealing with."
18
The words on the screen of the laptop began to blur together. The list of possible gods continued for ten pages with long paragraphs describing each. I reclined in my chair and rubbed my eyes with a long sigh.
"You want another Frappuccino?" Katy, the barista, asked from behind the counter.
I gave her a weak smile. "That would be great."
I leaned forward and focused on the list in front of me once again. Aunt Jo was right. Mercer had to be one of the Greek gods. Which one could cause depression? According to the stories, they could do damn near anything they wanted, so he could be any one of them. That was thousands of years ago, though, before they disappeared. We hadn't been able to get much information on them since they returned. I had to play the guessing game.
He couldn't be any of the women since none of them ever seemed interested in shifting sexes, except maybe Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. The role of a playboy billionaire didn't really suit her. She'd be somewhere in the Amazon or the Australian Outback, reveling in the last remaining wild places. That left the males. Apollo, the god of music and prophecy, was a possibility. So was Hephaestus, the smith god. Mercer had come here with the intention of creating a new device. He was also playing human, which Zeus, the king of the gods liked to do, as did Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Hades, lord of the dead, could explain the suicides. However, Mercer wasn't here for the first one.
I leaned back with a frustrated groan and rested my forehead on my fingertips. The only one I could rule out was Ares, the god of war. The myths portrayed him as way too violent and impulsive.
"Your frap's ready," Katy called.
I stood and stretched my arms over my head, arching my back. Hours of sitting hunched over that laptop was causing a kink in my neck. I tossed a five-dollar bill on the
counter and grabbed my drink. I took a pull from the straw and closed my eyes as the sweet, creamy liquid hit my tongue. The bell above the door jingled, and Serenity stepped in. We both stiffened, staring at each other from across the coffee shop. Her chest rose and fell in a large sigh, and she walked towards me with her hands shoved in her pockets.
"Hey," she said.
I gulped down another sip. "Hey."
"Can we talk?"
"Depends on the kind of talk."
"A real one," she said. "No more lies."
I stared into her direct gaze and gently bit the inside of my cheek. This was what I wanted, right? She could give me an explanation and maybe a clue to who Mercer really was, who she was. Could I trust her? I didn't know unless I tried.
"All right." I walked back to my table. "Should we move somewhere more private?"
"How about the Alcove?" She nodded to the group of three seats behind a large bookcase that we'd nicknamed years ago.
"Sure." I grabbed my laptop tucked it under my arm as I followed her.
I plopped down into the blue velvet armchair, and she took the red one across from me, flinging one leg over the armrest. My laptop balanced on my knees, but I left it closed for now and instead focused my attention on Serenity as I took another drink. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt for several moments before looking up at me.
"I'm sorry if it came off as a big lie, but how could I tell the truth?" she asked. "Would any normal person believe me?"
"No, but then again, I'm not normal," I said. "Not that you knew that."
She smirked. "Yeah you really had me fooled. Which is something, considering..."
"Considering what?"
She cleared her throat. "The point is, I'm sorry."
I rested my chin on my interlaced fingers. "I'm sorry, too. Though, I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes. If you're related to Mercer, our bloodlines are enemies."
"Yeah. What's that about?"
"It all goes back to Pandora. The gods kind of screwed her over from her creation. They made her, and then made her responsible for unleashing a bunch of evil shit on humanity." I shrugged. "Her bloodline has been cleaning up her mess ever since."
