Greed: Goddess of Delphi (Goddesses of Delphi Book 3)

by Gemma Brocato

  Polly knew that name. She was the frowning woman who’d greeted her and Bill at Eos earlier in the day. “Scott Peltier’s new assistant?”

  “The same. Things always feel…” Ian swept a hand over his chin. “I don’t know, I always feel murky when she’s around.”

  “Murky?” Mars lifted his chin, as though challenging Ian’s word choice.

  “Like there are two people occupying her body.” Ruddy color rose on Ian’s neck, like he was embarrassed. “That’s weird, isn’t it?”

  Zeus and Mars exchanged a glance and silence reigned for a moment.

  Ian’s gaze shifted from the two men to Polly and back. He hopped off his seat and then sidled around to Polly’s side of the island. “What are they doing?” His question was low, for her ears only.

  “Sidebar conversation. They’re discussing strategy or something.”

  “Can you do that as well?”

  Polly faced him, leaning a hip on the counter. She laid her hand on his bare chest to find his heart pulsing at a normal rate. Good, he wasn’t too freaked out by all of this. She smiled. “Yeah. All immortals have that gift, although some are much better at communication than others.”

  Ian cracked a grin. “That sounds almost mortal.”

  Laughing, she replied. “It does.” She sobered and searched his face. “I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this. But it seems like your involvement was ordained by the gods.”

  “I’m just going to look at this like a big adventure.” Ian skimmed the back of his knuckles down her arm. The light touch simmered along her nerve endings. When he reached her hand, he laced his fingers with hers.

  Her body strained toward him, need and desire trumping the situation. If her father hadn’t just fixed his stern gaze on her, she’d have wrapped her arms around Ian’s neck and pulled him down for a passionate kiss. Sybil buried her nose in the display on her phone, pausing to scratch a note on the paper on the counter.

  “It is our belief,” Zeus announced, “that your Ms. Cronin might be an operative, placed by Pierus.”

  Ian shifted his gaze toward her dad. “She was hired only a few week ago. The whole affair seems odd because it happened so quickly. It was business as usual until the merger talks began. Then, bam! Peltier’s trusted assistant of twenty-odd years, Beverly, is gone.” He tapped his thumb on Polly’s knuckles as he continued. “Ms. Cronin arrived the next day, like she’d been waiting in the wings as an understudy. By Friday, the merger was a done deal. By today, everything has changed.”

  “Explain changed.” Sybil cocked her head to the side and lowered her phone.

  “Cronin sits in on all Peltier’s meetings. The email directing me to approve an alternate plan, the chemical plan I opposed, came from her, not Scott.” Ian scratched his chest as he frowned. “Normally, Scott and my immediate boss would have come to my lab to see me.”

  Mars spread his legs and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “We’d like you to get to know this Ms. Cronin better. Find out about her…what are her qualifications, her work history, that sort of thing. Find out what Scott Peltier is up to. What is coming next for the company? Learn what you can about their finances. Listen around the coffee station for what other employees are talking about.”

  “I’m just a lowly lab manager. A researcher. They’ll never give me access to the kind of information you need.”

  “Our security division will remotely provide you access to what you need,” Mars said.

  Ian’s brows drew together in a deep scowl. “Hacking is illegal.”

  Zeus slapped his hand on the countertop. “A necessary evil to save the world, young man.”

  Zeus’s uncharacteristic display of temper alarmed Polly. “Dad, you’re talking about corporate espionage. That could result in charges or prison time if Ian’s caught.”

  Mars laid a hand on Zeus’s shoulder. Her dad grimaced, but then his face relaxed. “Daughter, we must make every effort to stop Pierus. Yes, hacking might be illegal. But poisoning millions, putting thousands out of work, and beggaring hundreds of communities is immoral.”

  “Polly, our efforts in mortal databases are undetectable. This is something you know.” Mars shrugged his shoulders. “Ian, you’ll have the protection of our cloaking. You have undisputed knowledge of the inner workings of Eos. Just by walking the halls at the headquarters, you have access to an abundance of information. By interacting with your co-workers you’ll find out more than if we searched the corporate files for years.”

  Polly tightened her grip on Ian’s fingers and stared into his eyes. “You don’t have to do any of this if it makes you uncomfortable.”

  “Daughter!” The legs of Zeus’s stool clattered as he shoved to his feet. “If he won’t help, you could lose your human form. Do you want to be a magpie?”

  Anger swarmed through her like provoked wasps. “Of course not.” As much as she needed his help, she couldn’t stomach forcing his hand this way. “He doesn’t have to help. This really isn’t his battle to fight.”

  Ian tugged her hand, drawing her gaze back to his face. “I’ll do it.”

  Something cracked in her chest as her heart swelled. Polly choked back tears as she stroked her fingers through his shaggy blond hair. “There’s a lot at stake for you here. You could lose your job, or go to jail.”

  A crooked grin lit his face, making his eyes twinkle. “I was probably going to be forced to resign anyway. I’m not going to approve their plan to use a chemical solution in poor nations.” He drew their joined hands to the center of his chest. “I’d rather go to impoverished countries and dig sanitation pits with my bare hands than contaminate the drinking water supply.”

  “Ian—”

  He pressed his fingers over her lips. “Shh. It’s settled.”

  Polly spun to her father. “Zeus, this isn’t fair. You’re coercing him as much as Eos.”

  “Daughter, I’d blackmail him to keep you from being transformed into a nasty, scavenging bird.” Zeus’s hand shook as he scrubbed it over his face. He plopped back onto the stool with a sigh. “For the first time in eternity, I understand the anguish I must have caused Pierus when I cursed his daughters to that state for all time.”

  The tremor in her father’s hand was symptomatic of what Polly had begun to recognize as a general weakening of his health. First a blackened toenail, followed by obvious stiffness in his neck muscles. Now the trembling in a man who’d stood through several millennia as a rock of good health. Immortals didn’t get sick. Ever. Concern built within, the pressure squeezing her heart in a worrisome grip.

  Before she could speak, Mars interjected. “That was different, Zeus,” he scoffed. “Pierus could have made a name for himself thousands years ago, but he choked on his jealousy of you. He bought his daughters’ fates with his greedy, petty ways. And you know this.”

  “Dad, is your guilt what is causing you to be ill?”

  Zeus straightened on the stool he’d perched on. “Do not be foolish. I am fine.”

  Polly’s glance swept over Mars’s face. Her concern was echoed on his visage. Knowing she’d be spinning her wheels if she kept after her dad, she changed tactics. “I’d call bullshit on that but I have a request.”

  Leaning his elbows on the counter, Zeus steepled his hands under his chin, looking every inch the benevolent ruler. “Speak it.”

  “I’d like you to endow Ian with a special gift.” When Dad tipped his head, raised his brow, and waited, Polly continued. “I’d like you to give Ian the ability to nudge mortals, to more easily obtain information. In addition to him being able to access Eos’s files, being able to access mortal knowledge would be helpful.”

  “Can he do that? Give me that kind of power?” Ian spun toward Zeus. A furrow knit Ian’s brows.

  “Son, I am the king of gods. I can do anything I want,” Zeus spread his hands expansively, and then pointed at Polly. “But he requires training in using this ability, should I grant it.”

  Polly nodd
ed. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Nodding, Zeus circled his hand in front of Ian’s face. A current of green-tinted air shimmered between the god’s palm and Ian’s nose. Polly resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the unnecessary display. Seemed Zeus was intent on one-upping Sybil’s little trick. Ian’s chocolate eyes flashed golden as the power flowed from Zeus into him. When Zeus lowered his hand, Ian blinked hard, and took a stumbling step backward.

  Bracing her hand between his shoulder blades, Polly steadied Ian. “Just like that?” she asked Zeus.

  “You have a good reason to request this special gift. I trust you will instruct him in the wise use of it. And it is just temporary. He shouldn’t get used to it.”

  “Standing right here,” Ian complained. “What the hell did you just do to me?”

  “My daughter will explain. Welcome to the ranks of the demi-gods. Now, I must go. Gaia is wondering where I am.” Zeus stood and cocked a look at Ian’s bare chest. “I’m sure you don’t want her to pop in here while you are both wearing so little clothing.”

  He moved around the island and paused next to her. Tipping his chin down, he lowered his head until they stood forehead to forehead.

  As she closed her eyes, he whispered a message her mind. “Take care, daughter. Ian is a good man. With his aid I believe you will win this challenge. Be sure to help him manage his new gift; it wasn’t given lightly and shouldn’t be treated as such. Remember, I always love you.”

  Peace conquered the low-grade anxiety that had been stirring within her since Pierus had appeared at the Rowan and thrown down his immortal gauntlet. Her father rarely displayed affection for his children. The last time she’d experienced this outpouring of love and support from him was after da Vinci’s death. This was the second time he’d bestowed it on her since Greed first appeared in the sky over the lake. Even though it had been five hundred years in the making, the sensation was the same. His support made her feel powerful.

  Made her believe she would win this challenge.

  Zeus pressed his lips to her brow, ruffled her hair, and then took a step away. He turned his head and spared a last look at Ian. “This is my daughter, whom I love well and have for thousands of years. Have a care for her, or you might find yourself turned into rock.” His tight smile accentuated the flinty quality of his eyes.

  “Yes, sir.” Ian’s hand flinched, as though he stopped himself from saluting.

  Polly bit her lip to hold back her grin. Her father was tough…no one messed with his girls.

  Mars nodded to her as the air around him and Zeus misted in preparation for their return trip to Olympus. Ian tugged his ears and dropped his jaws as if trying to defeat the pressure in his head.

  Mars’s cobalt aura pulsed vibrantly, gleaming yellow in the center. The weak purple glow around Zeus looked dim next to the hearty color of his security director’s. A small spot of black, something Polly had never seen before, appeared at the base of Zeus’s neck as he dematerialized.

  “Dad!” She took a step toward him, but he slipped into the Hollow. “Dammit. I knew he wasn’t well.”

  The atmospheric pressure in the room stabilized as the pair blinked out. Ian slumped against the counter, still pulling his ear lobes. Sybil stood across the island from Polly, drumming her fingers on the dark gray top.

  “This challenge is killing him.” Polly couldn’t keep fright from her voice.

  Sybil nodded. “I’ve never seen him anything but hale and hearty. What’s up with that?”

  “I don’t like it. There is something else going on. Do you think there is a side challenge between him and Pierus?” Polly rubbed circles on her temples. “But if that was the case, shouldn’t he be getting stronger, instead of weaker? We’re winning.”

  Sybil straightened and dropped her pen to the counter. As she tore off the sheet of paper she’d been taking notes on, she said, “I’ll make some inquiries. But talk to your sisters and Gaia. Let them know about Zeus’s health. Maybe they’ll have some ideas. Better lay in a stock of ambrosia. That might make him right as rain again.” The space surrounding Sybil began to sparkle.

  “Wait!” Polly stepped forward. The glow dissipated. “You’re my protector. Aren’t you supposed to stay?”

  Snorting, Sybil gestured to Ian. “Ordinarily, I would. But I think three’s a crowd. You’re in good hands, especially now that he’s got a special gift.”

  “Yeah, about that,” Ian started. “Can you explain what all that was about?”

  “Zeus endowed you with an ability to…influence other mortals on a limited basis.” Sybil moved around the counter as she spoke. She approached Ian’s side and raised her hand, hovering it over Ian’s forehead. “I’m going to…for lack of a better word, open a link between us. Through this link, you’ll be able to communicate with me, should you need anything.”

  “Wait, why would you do that?” Polly asked.

  “Remember what happened with Clio. When Pierus kidnapped her and stashed her underground, she was lucky to get a cell phone signal. It’s just a precaution. Pierus knows Ian is your one man. Since Zeus gave him the power to influence mortals, I want him to have the power to reach immortals.” Sybil lifted her hand again.

  Dismay filled Polly and she clutched her throat. She liked Sybil, and liked that her partisan was a woman. “You’re going to get in trouble for this.”

  “Already coming back as a piece of furniture in the next life.” The woman’s laugh was brittle. “How much more trouble can I get into?” She motioned to Ian to lean down.

  “How does this linking thing work? Is it going to sting like Zeus’s infusion did?” Ian asked as he bent.

  Sybil waved her hand in the air. “Oh, it will be much worse. It’s going to hurt like a mother trucker.” Sweet, musical laughter erupted from her at the shock on Ian’s face. He took a fast step backward. She grabbed his arm. “Just kidding. You shouldn’t feel a thing.”

  Resting her palms on the crown of his head, she closed her eyes. Her lips moved as she silently intoned the linking words. When she was finished, she dropped her hands to her sides, scrubbing them over her jeans.

  Ian straightened. “That’s it? How do we know it’s working?”

  Yeah, that was a good question. Polly had always been able to simply talk to whichever immortal she needed to reach. No thought went into it…it just happened. Their method of communication had inspired the concept of instant messenger. She cocked her head at Sybil, waiting for the woman’s answer.

  “It’s up to you to open it first. Just think my name in your head as you imagine opening a door or window,” the partisan explained.

  Ian scrubbed his hands over his face, the bristles of his beard whispering under the pressure. He exhaled sharply, as if forcing the thought from his brain to Sybil’s.

  Sybil reared backward. “Dude! You don’t have to yell. I’m standing right here.”

  “That worked? You heard me?”

  “I believe your exact words were ‘This is so fucking weird.’” Sybil grinned. “But that was after you told me to open the damn door.”

  Ian’s smile lit the room. “Did I say weird? I meant cool. So can I use the link with anyone?”

  “Whoa, fella. You can link to Polly and me. But that’s it. I have to caution you to use it only in case of emergency. Like if Pierus and Greed show their ugly mugs. Or if Polly is in trouble.”

  “Right.” Ian nodded.

  Sybil faced Polly and gripped her arms. “Listen, I have to ask that you keep this our secret. Mars is already pissed at me. It will be bad when he discovers what I’ve done. And he will. Don’t want him replacing me mid-challenge.”

  “Your secret is safe with me,” Polly assured the woman.

  “Good. I’m out. I’ll check back in tomorrow.” Sybil began to glisten. The transformation to pure cobalt light took only an instant before she shimmered into the Hollow.

  “I have some questions and we haven’t had our baklava yet.” Ian whispered the words
into Polly’s mind as he skimmed her hand. Desire and lust flowed with his thoughts and touch, soaring up her arm.

  She tested the link to make sure it worked both ways. “We should take that box back to my bed. I’m happy to answer whatever you want to know.”

  A slow, sexy grin painted his face with light. “I like the way you think, woman.” Grasping her hand in one of his, he scooped the box from the counter and dragged her back to bed.

  She was certain working with Ian was going to be the best part of this challenge.

  Chapter 12

  Polly had said goodbye to Ian at shortly after six in the morning. He’d asked most of his questions about her existence as a Muse with scientific detachment. His hands on her body as they talked told a different story, however. Framing adequate answers was difficult when the callouses on his palms gently abraded her skin, or as his teasing fingers ran smoothly over her breasts and belly. When she’d flipped onto her stomach in order to answer without distraction, he’d kissed his way down her spine, cupped her butt and mumbled his questions against her flesh.

  It had been after three before he’d exhausted his questions and they’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms. Waking with his leg slung over her thighs, his hand possessively claiming her breast, felt wonderfully right. Like a gift from the gods. His breath stirred against her cheek, even and strong. Emotion bloomed as she waited for him to awake. She knew she should put these feelings on hold until the challenge was won. But with her eyes closed in the pre-dawn light, snuggled into his body, something close to rapture floated in her soul.

  As Polly drove to work, Ian texted that he’d arrived at his lab and already missed her. He’d told her he was going to stall approval on the sanitation project as long as he could. If Pierus was behind the push to change to a chemical solution instead of an organic option, Ian’s time with Eos could be measured in weeks, possibly days.

  Not like they had that much time. A week was more like it since Pierus had declared the contest on.