by R. L. Naquin
“Sure. Ten minutes and we’ll be done.” Lizzy didn’t look like she believed what she was saying and didn’t expect me to believe it either.
“Sure. Ten minutes.”
THE TRIDENT WAS about two blocks up the street. Already, early partiers meandered down the sidewalk. The women teetered on six-inch heels with goldfish and Barbie heads bobbing inside their clear acrylic shoes. The men mostly smelled like they’d bathed in Dad’s aftershave from a decorative glass bottle shaped like an old car—the stuff even Dad wouldn’t actually use.
We dodged them and made our way past a giant marble fountain of twin dolphins spraying water from their blowholes. Even without the glittering golden sign, we knew we’d reached our destination.
The inside was decorated in blues and greens with generous amounts of gold. The servers—male and female—wore gold starfish over their nipples and green sarongs that glittered with fish scales. And not much else. They bustled past with trays held over their heads, occasionally stopping to do a graceful spin on bare feet.
I tried not to stare at their webbed fingers and toes. After all, I was green and had snakes for hair.
Lizzy tipped her head toward a shop inside the club. “Want to rent suits and hang out in the pools?”
I glanced at the various shallow swimming pools filling at least half the space and shivered at the thought of renting a bathing suit. Bowling shoes grossed me out. I sure didn’t want crotch cooties from a shared bathing suit. “We need to find a manager, not settle in for the night.”
We passed a small group sitting in one of the pools and laughing at some joke one of them had told. Steam rose from the water, and a tall woman with painfully arched brows wiped sweat from her forehead. She snapped her fingers at a passing server and held up her glass. “Another, if you’re not too busy doing your little spinny thing.”
The server turned her back and rolled her eyes so the customer wouldn’t see it. I smiled at her, and she smiled back before taking off toward the bar.
“Come on.” I grabbed Lizzy by the elbow and tugged her to follow the server with me.
When we reached the bar, she set her tray down and turned toward me. “What can I get for you?”
I shrugged. “I’ve never been in here before. What do you recommend?”
Her large, dark eyes twinkled. “How about a Molten Kraken?”
I gave her a wary look. “That sounds dangerous. What’s in it?”
Lizzy laughed and held up her hand. “No, don’t tell her. She’ll only back out and get a ginger ale or something.”
The server grinned. “And you?”
“I’ll have the same.” She flashed a dazzling siren smile.
The server—Kelly, according to the tag attached to the starfish on her left boob—giggled and leaned across the bar to give the bartender her order. “Arnold, I need another round of anemone punch, and a couple of Krakens for my new friends, here. Extra molten.”
She pointed us toward a cluster of tables and chairs and took her tray of drinks to the rude guests while our drinks were being made. A few minutes later, she returned bearing two tall glasses lit red from the inside by glowing plastic ice cubes and overflowing with a fog that had to be caused by dry ice.
“Impressive.” I took a sip through the long straw sticking out of the top of the fake lava. I tasted spiced rum, tropical juices, and a hint of cinnamon. “And delicious. Good recommendation.”
Lizzy nodded while she drank, refusing to break contact with the straw. “Mmhmm.”
Kelly grinned and dropped into one of the empty seats at our table. “So. A siren and a gorgon walk into a bar…”
I blinked at her. “What?”
“It sounds like the beginning of a joke. Is there a punchline? Or are you just here for a good time?”
I glanced at Lizzy. She was sucking down that Kraken so fast, you’d think she was preparing to be sacrificed.
“We’re here for a good time. But…” I paused, wondering how much to tell her. “But we’re also looking for somebody.”
She slapped her palm on the table, eyes lighting up in triumph. “I knew it! Are you cops? Private detectives?”
I gave her a small smile. “Something like that.” I reached into my bag and slid Kyra’s picture to her. “Does she work here?”
The light went out of Kelly’s eyes as she gazed at the photo. “Oh. Her. Yeah.” She brushed a wisp of blonde hair behind her ear. “Kyra covers shifts sometimes.”
I took a sip of Kraken. “Any idea when she’ll be in next?” I nudged the picture forward an inch with my fingers.
“No idea. She comes in to help out sometimes. My guess is she shows up when she runs out of money.”
Well, crap. That didn’t help much at all.
I took a piece of paper and pen from my bag and jotted down my number. “Any chance you’d give me a call next time you see her?” I handed her the slip of paper with some cash wrapped around it.
The paper disappeared, though I had no idea where it could have gone. “Sure. No problem.”
Lizzy came up for air and gave Kelly another siren-powered smile. “Thanks, Kelly. And could you do us a huge favor? Please don’t spread it around that we were looking for her.” She took another sip. “I don’t suppose you know where she’s living.”
She shook her head. “No idea. She comes and goes.”
I sighed. “Of course.”
Kelly tilted her head to toward us in a conspiratorial motion. “I won’t mention it. She’s a weird one. Between you and me, she says she’s got Sea heritage, but I don’t believe her. I’ll call you as soon as she comes in.” She hopped to her feet and pattered away toward a couple dangling their feet from above a small, decorative waterfall.
Lizzy and I watched the slow, liquid movements of a few people on the dance floor while we finished our drinks. When we were done, we slipped out of the club and walked back to the Pegacab stand to make our way to the dorm. After all, it was a work night.
And we were both a little drunk.
THANK the gods Wednesdays were a little slower than the beginning of the week. I was grateful for the dark glasses I wore in the bright atrium, since every beam of light pierced through my head like the stinger on a giant manta ray. My snakes hung to my shoulders, limp and lethargic.
I’d never been hungover before. I didn’t care for it. I’d heard ambrosia doesn’t give headaches. But that Kraken was a bitch and a half.
Since I wasn’t at the top of my game, my line moved quickly. I was hardly up to the challenge of making everyone work twice as hard to get me to cooperate. It might’ve seemed to them that I did it out of laziness, but that wasn’t it at all. I enjoyed creating red tape for people to deal with. Today, however, I didn’t have it in me, and people came and went as if my desk were a fast-food drive-thru during dinner hour.
I stamped a pile of paperwork that would allow the woman in front of me to search for her birth parents now that she had turned eighteen. Tears welled in her eyes as she thanked me and followed the correct line on the floor to her next stop.
When I looked up to call the next person forward, my voice caught in my throat. I’d dealt with witches, goddesses, and venomous creatures. I’d stolen from the gods, flown illegally in front of humans, and handled the worst kinds of bullies at that very desk.
But boys were still a huge problem for me.
Bart was hardly an intimidating guy. Kind of mousy and shy, with nothing notable or remarkable about him other than eyes so bright blue they glowed. Somehow, I’d managed to ask him on a date. I hadn’t meant to, exactly, but the words had tumbled out before I could reconsider them. And he’d accepted, much to my surprise.
Then he’d stood me up.
So, here he was in front of my desk where I should have felt like I had all the power, and all I could think about was climbing under my desk and hoping he’d go away.
I pushed a stray snake from my forehead. The only way to handle this would be to play it cool.
“Next.”
Bart shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Hi.”
“Hi.” I waited, but he didn’t say anything more. “Can I help you?”
“Well, I…” He shifted his feet and glanced around, as if to check if anyone was listening. “I just wanted to see how you were. I…um…didn’t see you at Nyx’s the other night, and I was wondering…”
Wondering what? How could he not have seen me?
“You were there?”
“Well, yeah. Of course I was.” He took a tentative step forward. “Where were you?”
I frowned and stared at him. “It’s not that big a place. It’s just one big square room. You couldn’t miss me. I was sitting right next to the barista.”
His brow crinkled. “Barista? House of Nyx doesn’t have a barista.”
“I don’t understand. What’s House of Nyx? I was in Café Nyx.”
He groaned and rubbed his palm over his face. When he pulled his hand away, he was grinning. “So, you didn’t stand me up?”
I frowned and shook my head. “And you didn’t stand me up.” A knot that had formed in my belly loosened and turned to nervous butterflies. “So, where the hell is House of Nyx?”
He nodded. “Exactly. Hell—or rather, the Underworld.” He shrugged. “Half the deliveries I make are to places in the Underworld. It never crossed my mind you were talking about Nyx’s upstairs, not downstairs.”
We’d been waiting for each other in different places.
I felt my cheeks get warm and wondered if they formed pink spots or a darker green when I blushed. “So, now what do we do?”
“I’d like to try again, if you’re up for it.” He swallowed hard and looked past me, as if eye contact were too difficult.
Then again, I did have to wear these stupid glasses to protect my eyes from the light.
“I’d like that.” My mouth was dry, and I glanced around for my coffee mug. It was empty.
“You want to try Cafe Nyx again tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“I’m off at six. I’ll meet you there at seven.”
We smiled at each other, and he hurried off to the elevator, no doubt to go back to work in the Underworld.
“Next.” My voice was louder, sharper than it had been. And my headache had disappeared while my attention was elsewhere.
“About time.” A minotaur with an elaborately carved walking cane stepped forward. “I need to renew my fishing license for the year.”
I quirked an eyebrow at him. “Do you have a form 687249 filled out?”
“Yes.” He slid the form toward me. “Can we move this along, please?”
I raised my other eyebrow and pretended to look over his form. “This is 687249A. You need B.” I dropped his form into the shredder next to me and handed him a new one. “Please have a seat in the waiting area and fill this out. Next!”
He snorted. His nostrils were wet. Gross.
For a moment, he wavered, as if contemplating whether to have it out with me. In the end, he snorted again, turned on his heel, and stomped off to the waiting area.
I felt so much better the rest of the day.
THE NEXT DAY WENT QUICKLY, despite my nervous excitement. I managed to assist the last person by five, gathered my stuff, and headed for my dorm to change.
On the way, Circe called to check on my progress. “What do you mean she wasn’t there? Did you look in every club?”
I stepped to the side out of the way of hallway traffic and spoke in a low voice to try to maintain some privacy. “I do have a daytime job, you know. I can’t be out all night. Besides, I found a lead. Someone should be calling me in the next few days when they spot her.”
Circe grunted. “Patrice, don’t play with me. If I find out you’re not making this a priority, I can make things very difficult for you.” The chill in her voice gave me a shiver.
“I promise, I’m doing everything I can.” I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. The headache was back. “I’ll call you as soon as I have more information.”
“Tick tock, Patrice. If you make me wait too long, I might have to fill the time by catching up on my letter writing. Who’s your direct supervisor again?”
I swallowed hard. “I’ll keep looking and let you know what I find.”
“Good girl.”
The line went dead. It took a few minutes of leaning against the wall before my heartbeat returned to normal and I could finish walking to my room.
Though now I wasn’t as excited for my date. I was nervous that I shouldn’t have even made a date in the middle of all this. Circe was right—I needed to make her daughter more of a priority.
That thought stopped me in my tracks and made me scowl. Screw that. I had a right to go on a date. Kyra didn’t appear to be in any danger, and I hadn’t been given a choice about taking the job.
I was going on a date. Then I could concentrate on Circe’s runaway.
If I’d been her daughter, I’d have run away, too.
To my disappointment, Lizzy wasn’t in the room to help me get ready. Still, she’d taught me a lot over the last several months, and I managed to pull together a tasteful, casual look that emphasized my legs and my green skin. With an hour and a half to spare, I dropped into a chair and reached for the television remote.
My cellphone rang from an unfamiliar number.
I made a face. “This better not be a telemarketer.” I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Is this Patrice?”
“Yes.”
“This is Kelly. You know, from The Trident?”
“Yeah. Hi, Kelly.” Oh, crap on a cracker. Please don’t say I have to go out there right now. “What’s up?”
“Kyra’s here. You wanted me to let you know. Not sure how long she’ll be here, but I think she’s trying to pick up a shift.”
I sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 5:40 PM. If I hurried, I could get out there, have a quick word with Kyra, then make it to Cafe Nyx before seven.
“I’ll be right there. Thanks, Kelly.” I hung up, grabbed my purse, and ran for the Pegacab stand. “This better be worth it.”
There were no cabs waiting when I got there. I waited ten minutes before one finally showed up. By then, I was antsy and ready to sprout wings and fly myself there.
At the gates to the Euphoria District, I paid the cover and let them stamp my hand, then jogged the several blocks to get to The Trident. By the time I made it into the club, I was sweaty, out of breath, and my snakes had ceased hissing at everyone I passed.
Jogging was hard on my snakes. I couldn’t exactly buy a sports hat to keep them from bouncing up and down. They weren’t boobs.
I glanced around for Kelly, but couldn’t spot her. I didn’t see Kyra, either. I finally gave up and flagged down a starfish-clad server with rippling muscles.
“Excuse me. Can you help me find Kelly?”
He stopped, his tray of dirty glasses held high. “Sure. What’s she look like?”
I frowned. “Kelly. She works here.”
His blue eyes stared blankly at me. “You sure?”
“Fine.” I rummaged through my purse and found Kyra’s picture. “How about her? Have you seen her tonight?”
He squinted in the low light. “Is that Kyra? It is. Yeah. She’s in the VIP lounge. Is she expecting you?”
“Yes?” I tried again, this time with more conviction in my voice. “Yes.”
“This way.” He turned and glided away.
I followed him down a side hallway
Water poured down the wall into a rocky stream at the base. Everything smelled wet and a little moldy.
At the end of the hall, we turned right, and my escort led me through a silver curtain into a room filled with tables of food and soft lights and padded places to sit. Across the room, Kyra sat on a sofa with her feet curled beneath her. Several men and women surrounded her, listening to everything she said. Occasionally, she threw her head back and laughed. In one han
d, she held a drink I never saw her sip from, and in the other, a long silk scarf covered in cartoon farm animals.
My feet wanted to run, but I made an effort to take slow, careful steps. I didn’t want to spook her.
She glanced up at me when my shadow crossed her face. “Hello.” Her dimpled smile could have been sincere, but I was guessing it was for show.
“Hi, Kyra. Can I talk to you for a moment?” She couldn’t have been much younger than I was, but I still felt like some crazy, middle-aged lady about to tell a runaway to go home, eat her broccoli, and make sure she always used sunscreen.
She tilted her head to the side. “What’s it about? Is this about those chicken eggs from the market square? Because that was totally an accident.”
Her cronies giggled.
“No. I’m here because your mom’s worried. She sent me to find you.”
Kyra let out an exaggerated groan while simultaneously rolling her eyes so hard I feared they’d pop out of the sockets and roll into the sunken fountain in the center of the room. “I’m fine. I told her that weeks ago.”
“I understand. It’s just that—” A loud explosion from outside the room cut me off.
I turned toward the door in time to see an orange cloud roll past the fluttering silver curtain. When I turned back, Kyra was gone. In fact, all her flunkies were gone, too. The only thing left in the room besides me was Kyra’s gaudy animal scarf.
I picked it up. “Oh, for the love of all that’s holy.”
The scarf smelled like some sort of exotic flower. Chocolate smudged several of the animal faces. In the folds, tiny flecks of golden dust winked at me. I growled in disgust and shoved the fabric in my purse.
I’d almost had her. Instead of solving the case, I had the equivalent of Cinderella’s shoe, and still no daughter of my client.
Some detective.
At least I’d wrapped it up quickly. I still had an hour to make it to my date on time.
Except that I didn’t. The police kept me there for almost an hour asking me questions about the bomb, or whatever the hell the big orange explosion had been. By the time I found a Pegacab and got out there, I was over a half hour late.
As I was walking in, Bart was walking out.
