“Tell me everything. From the beginning,” Selene said. Her voice held little sympathy, but at least it wasn’t tight with rage. She sounded calm and professional.
“I’m so stupid,” Minh began. Selene, Theo noticed, didn’t contradict her. “I finally went online a few months back. It’s been two years since my divorce, and everyone kept pushing me to do it. I had a couple of dates, nothing too horrible, but nothing worth repeating.” She paused, and Theo heard her take a sip of cocoa for the first time. When she remained silent, it was Gabi who pushed her to keep talking. Selene, for all her habitual impatience, had centuries of experience listening to women relate their suffering—she knew when to wait for the story.
“Lars was exactly what I was looking for. A scientist and educator, like me, and completely committed to his work. He’s a keeper at the Central Park Zoo. Cute, right? And a single dad with two young kids, and I don’t have children of my own, so I was excited about that. Not to mention he’s six-four and Norwegian and age appropriate.” Another sip of cocoa. “I spend most of my time in a darkened planetarium, so I found the whole outdoorsy daredevil thing irresistible. He goes into the grizzly enclosure and plays with the bears, safety precautions be damned. By our third date, I was ready for more. Then, in the middle, he asked me to …” She paused for a long moment before saying, “Do things I wasn’t comfortable with. I said no, but he didn’t listen. We’d shared two bottles of wine …”
“What exactly did that hijo de puta do?” prompted Gabi.
Minh’s voice sank to a whisper. Theo couldn’t hear her words, but Gabi’s horrified gasp was unmistakable. “Is that when he punched you in the face?” she demanded.
“No, nothing like that. He sort of … slammed my head into the bedpost. It was just an accident.”
Gabi snorted.
“Before we go any further”—Selene’s voice was carefully controlled, almost monotone—“I have to tell you that your best option is to go to the police and have this man arrested for rape.”
“It wasn’t rape. It was consensual … at first.”
“Like I said. Have this man arrested for rape.”
“I couldn’t do that. Even if I thought that’s what happened, it’s too murky. I said yes … then I might’ve said no … but I can’t really remember, and I should’ve been smart enough not to get myself into that situation in the first place. And his kids … they adore him. He’s a great dad. I’d never want to see him taken away from them.”
A chair scraped back from the table. “Then why are you wasting my time?”
Theo glanced at his watch. It had taken Selene all of ten minutes before she’d said something insensitive and inappropriate. She’s improving. During their last private investigation case, a month before, Selene had gotten so angry at the victim for saying she still loved her child-abusing husband that she’d brought the woman to the point of a hysterical breakdown five minutes after walking in the door. Eventually, Theo’d convinced the woman to call the police—a task made easier by threatening her with the only other option: having to work with Selene.
Minh’s voice took on a new fierceness as she answered Selene’s question. “I told Gabriela to call you because whatever happened … I never want him to do it to anyone else again.”
“So you’re looking for a castration?” Selene asked matter-of-factly.
“No! My God …”
“Selene’s just kidding,” Gabi put in.
No, she’s not, Theo thought, not without pride. There was something refreshing about Selene’s brand of ancient justice, even if it did make him unconsciously cross his legs.
“I just want someone to talk to Lars. Not take him from his kids or anything. Just warn him to stop what he’s doing.”
“Why don’t you do it yourself?”
“Because I’m scared, all right? I don’t like to admit that. I’m a forty-three-year-old woman, and I’m scared of this big man who could … who has … hurt me. Gabriela said you sometimes pose as a police officer, so I was thinking you could pretend to be a cop and give him an official visit.”
“That would be illegal.” But Selene didn’t refuse. “And Gabriela shouldn’t be talking about something she knows nothing about.”
“Knows nothing?” Gabi spluttered. “I saw you with a fake badge when you were investigating that cult!”
Theo winced at the memory. No wonder she doesn’t trust Selene, having seen her at work. But Selene didn’t seem fazed. She spoke to Minh with a chilly calm that only highlighted the ruthlessness of her words.
“If you want my help, I’ll proceed as I see fit. The only guarantee I can give you is that this man will never bother you—or any other woman—again.”
A long pause. Then a barely audible sound of agreement.
“Good. Now tell me more about this Lars. Where can we find him without his kids around?”
“He’s at the zoo four days a week.”
As Minh continued, Gabi rejoined Theo in the living room. “Knowing Selene’s methods, I don’t think I should hear any more,” she whispered. “Plausible deniability and all that.” She gestured him to follow her into the bedroom and closed the door. They sat companionably on the neatly made bed.
“You know that dead giant squid that used to be in the glass case in the lobby?” she asked with her usual disdain for exposition.
“At Natural History? Yeah …”
“You know how no one’s ever captured a living specimen? It’s this massive deep-sea monster, forty feet long, eyes the size of dinner plates, and it’s so wily, so rare, that the closest we come is the occasional dead body washed up onshore?”
“Where are you going with this?”
“Well, that squid in the case reminds me of your girlfriend.”
“Are you saying Selene looks like a slowly decomposing cephalopod? That’s a bit unfair, even for you.”
“Are you kidding me? She’s maybe the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Those legs! That face! It’s just that I get the same feeling when I’m with her that I get when I’m looking at the squid. Like I’m seeing something that’s so deep and dark that it should never see the light of day. Like it’s a secret we aren’t meant to uncover.”
Theo shivered. For all Gabriela’s bluster, she was one of the most intuitive people he knew, and she’d hit shockingly close to the mark. He lay back on the bed, suddenly wishing he’d gotten more than three hours of sleep. “You’re only saying that because she’s so tall.”
Gabriela sighed. “Maybe you’re right, chico. You know I can’t deal with women over five-eight. I feel like I’m staring at their breasts the whole time I’m talking to them, and it’s completely dehumanizing for us both.”
“I thought you liked staring at women’s breasts.”
“Please. I’m a lesbian, not a man. And Selene’s breasts, sorry to say, are her one less-than-impressive feature. Way too small for my taste. It’s just that watching her with Minh, she had the most bizarre look on her face. Any other woman would’ve been sympathetic. Or maybe scared. I, for one, was angry. But Selene was all ice. Is she some sort of sociopath?”
“Overdramatic, are we?”
“She does not have normal human emotions, that’s all I’m saying. Then again, next time I go for a walk through the park in the dead of night, remind me to keep her number on speed dial. Girl is fierce.”
Theo laughed. “As if you’d be dumb enough to walk through the park in the dead of … wait … why would you do that?”
“Oh, calm down. I’m trying to get in shape.” She looked down despairingly at the curve of her belly. “I’m too busy at the museum to exercise during the day.”
“So when have you been going into what park?”
She screwed up her face at him. “Morningside Park. Like two or three.”
“A.M.? Are you carrying mace or something?”
“I don’t believe in mace. It’s a tool of the elite. It’s something white women carry because they’re scared of
big black men. No thank you.”
“This isn’t about politics, Gabi. It’s safety. Promise me you’ll go join a twenty-four-hour gym or something instead. Or, Christ, do some Richard Simmons in your living room at two in the morning!”
“I like the park at night!”
“Then carry mace. Or a gun!”
“What are you, some NRA member!” She recoiled in horror. “What is that woman doing to you? Didn’t you say she hunts for fun? I’m telling you, she’s deranged. Or at least a Republican.” She shuddered.
A knock on the door. Theo suppressed a groan. “You know she just heard all that, right?” he said, keeping his voice to a totally futile whisper. Selene had ears like a bat.
“So? She knows I don’t like her,” Gabi replied, not bothering to lower her voice. “Come on in!” she called sweetly.
Selene stood in the doorway. She didn’t even look at Gabi. “I’ve got all the info I need. Let’s go.”
“What should I do with Minh?” Gabi asked.
“How would I know? I’m a sociopath, remember?” Selene stalked away.
“You’re amazing,” Theo said to his friend. “You’re deliberately sabotaging my relationship.”
“False!” she pouted. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy. Or at least I was before you insulted the woman I love.”
“You what?”
“I haven’t told her that yet … but … I don’t know what else you call it when someone enters your life and remakes the whole damn thing. I see differently now, I feel differently. If she left, I’d be like Dorothy returning to black-and-white Kansas after seeing the Technicolor glory of Oz.”
That shut Gabi up. If only for a moment. “I’m sorry, Theodear. I was being a bitch, you’re right. Maybe I’m just jealous.” She let out a long sigh. “But … be careful, okay? I don’t want you getting your heart broken.”
“Only if you promise not to get your heart stabbed. Will you think about the mace?”
She gave him one of her usual wry smiles. “Fine. Pepper spray. For you.” She patted her sternum. “I’ll keep it right here between my breasts for easy access. And I’ll think of you every time it accidentally goes off in my face while I’m jogging.”
Chapter 3
BEAR PAWS FOR HANDS
“Hey, Arktios, you sure this is a good idea?” Theo’s voice over Selene’s archaic flip phone was an urgent whisper.
“Do you have a better plan?” she hissed back as she prepared to break into the Central Park Zoo the evening after they’d met Minh.
“Catch Lars after he leaves work? Or is that too easy for the Potnia Theron?” He’d been using her epithets all night. Arktios: Ursine. Potnia Theron: Mistress of Beasts.
“Too late for second-guessing, Theo. I’ve worked it all out. I’m about to climb over the wall.”
“You sure that’s wise, you being the Arktokheir and all?”
She Who Has Bear Paws for Hands. Even Selene didn’t remember that one. For all she knew, Theo had just made it up. Having three hundred epithets gives him way too much ammunition, she thought, not for the first time. “Are you ready for your part, or not?”
“My part’s easy. I just wish I could be there with you.”
“The plan needs a pay phone, or else the cops can trace the call back to you. So you’re going to have to stay where you are.”
“Fine, but as soon as I’m done, I’m running back to the park. This is possibly the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done, and that includes venturing into the Underworld and confronting the Lord of the Dead.”
She didn’t bother replying; she didn’t want him to hear her trepidation.
“I still think we should test this out before you—”
“Too late.” She snapped her phone shut. Theo might be right, but once she’d put a plan into motion, she didn’t like to back down. He should be grateful I even have a plan. Her usual course of action involved leaping into the fray with arrows flying and worrying about strategy later.
She stood on the narrow sidewalk beside the busy Sixty-sixth Street transverse that passed through Central Park. It was five thirty—still rush hour—and a stream of cars and taxis blazed by her, creating far too many witnesses and blinding her night vision with their headlights. She waited for the stoplight on Central Park West to create a brief break in the traffic, then scaled the stone wall that separated the street from the park.
She fought her way through overgrown shrubbery until she reached a chain-link fence topped with concertina wire. An obstacle, but not an insurmountable one. Clearly the zoo officials didn’t expect anyone to break into the exhibits from this direction—especially when the animals inside could cause far worse injuries than the razor wire.
Selene had considered bringing a pair of bolt cutters to slice through the wire, or even a carpet fragment to protect herself from cuts while she climbed over it. In the end, she’d decided to simply circumvent the wire entirely. She found a sturdy tree close to the fence line. The maple’s lowest branch was still thirteen feet off the ground, impossible to reach for even the tallest climber—but the tallest climber hadn’t spent millennia communing with trees. Selene shimmied easily up the trunk using only the strength of her arms and legs.
From her perch, she could see over the fence and into the zoo itself. Feeling confident, she scooted along a branch that reached toward the chain-link—only to find herself still six feet shy of the fence. Her self-satisfaction evaporated. She considered her options. I could shoot an arrow with a rope attached, hope to gain purchase on a zoo building, and then zip-line over the fence—likely drawing the attention of every worker in the place. I could give up on the tree, cover the razor wire with my leather jacket, and get it—and myself—torn to shreds crawling over. Or, as Theo would no doubt suggest, I could give up on the plan entirely and find a different way to catch our zookeeper that didn’t involve risking my life. Then, with a shrug, she discarded all three options—and jumped.
She nearly made it.
One heavy leather boot caught in the razor wire, and she found herself hanging upside down, her chest pressed to the inside of the fence, and her head dangling four feet off the ground. Grasping the chain-link with both hands, she wiggled her foot free. The boot came loose with a metallic rattle, shaking snow onto her face and up her nose. Then the weight of her legs dragged her inexorably off the fence; she flipped backward like an accident-prone gymnast and crashed onto the snowy ledge above the bear enclosure. Various shrubs poked perilously close to her most sensitive areas. Deeply undignified for any burglar, she thought, heaving herself to her knees, much less a goddess supposedly endowed with preternatural grace.
She reached back to brush the snow and twigs off her pants. Trying to make up for her cacophonous entrance, she crawled slowly and silently toward the front of the ledge.
Betty and Veronica were waiting for her.
The pair of six-hundred-pound grizzlies, each standing on her hind legs, snuffled curiously at the intruder as if waiting for a treat to descend from above. Selene scooted backward in alarm, then reminded herself that the faux-rock walls stood at least twelve feet high and sloped slightly inward so that no mammal could climb up without a grappling hook—or at least an opposable thumb.
Veronica, the darker of the two bears, sniffed loudly, her squat snout twitching dexterously in the snowy air. Betty, the blonde, dropped back onto all fours with a thud and turned to the side, showing Selene her size. Both clacked their teeth and made popping sounds with their breath as they worked over Selene’s scent. Betty even reached out a paw to swipe at the air before her. Neither charged. Not yet.
Once, as the Mistress of Beasts, Selene had possessed the power to speak with nearly all denizens of the wild. She still maintained a special connection to her closest companion—the hound. As for her other sacred animal … well, she was about to find out.
“Hello, arktuloi,” Selene said softly, knowing full well that creatures born in th
e Rockies wouldn’t know the Ancient Greek for “little bears,” but hoping the words might help nonetheless. These bears were larger than those she’d played with in her Mediterranean youth. Curved, four-inch claws stood out from their dark paws like piano keys—if piano keys could kill you.
For her plan to work, she needed to enter the enclosure itself and approach the animals. For most people, that would mean getting bitten, mauled, or even killed. But not for the Mistress of Beasts. Or so Selene hoped.
She glanced at Betty’s beady eyes, then away, not wanting to rile her. Bears were solitary creatures, not pack animals. They didn’t respond to dominance the way a hound would. Yet even in that brief instant of eye contact, Selene felt a flash of recognition, as if she’d met a sister again after a lifetime apart. They’d both changed over the years, but an unquenchable spark of kinship remained.
“You and me, we’re the same, it turns out,” she said, keeping her voice low and unthreatening. “We’re both trapped in a world far from our home, amid creatures who don’t understand who we are or where we came from. Finding solace in whatever tiny patch of wilderness is left to us.” She found herself slipping into an old cadence, not a goddess commanding her worshipers, but a deity communing with her acolytes.
“We see with different eyes than they do, we hear with different ears.” She lifted her own nose to sniff the air. “I smell the snow and the smog. I smell your curiosity. I smell how healthy you are—so well fed you don’t bother to hibernate, though winter’s hard upon us. Your keepers give you peanut butter on branches and sweet potatoes beneath cairns to keep you from going mad.” She hadn’t prepared this speech—hadn’t even expected to talk to the bears in the human tongue at all. But seeing them there, so strong and powerful, yet utterly helpless, the words welled out of her in a torrent. Her own bitterness surprised her. “I, too, have found distractions here, enough to make me forget who I really am. I fight for women, I prowl the streets, sometimes I even shoot prey with my arrows like in days of old. I have a house and a dog and … a boyfriend.” She laughed shortly, and Veronica snuffed in acknowledgment. “What does that make me? A caged animal. Just like you.”
Winter of the Gods Page 3
