by Tamar Sloan
Feeling a strange mix of determination and nervousness, I get ready to stand, only to see Haven startle like lightning just speared through her.
“Oh, god. There’s another one.” She shoots to her feet, staring at the end of the alley where it opens onto the street.
Caleb frowns. “Haven?”
But Haven’s already rushed off as a body walks past the mouth of the alley. We catch up as she freezes at the corner of the building, white-knuckled hands gripping the brick. “It’s another one, Caleb.”
Standing behind her, we take in the person who just walked past.
“Micah…” Kadence’s voice is full of foreboding.
The person is walking toward the center, pushing open the door. She takes off her sunglasses, glancing over her shoulder like she knows she’s being watched.
Simultaneously, we jerk back into the alley.
Haven’s frowning as she studies us. “You know her?”
Kadence arches a brow as she hikes a hand to her hip. “I’ve spoken to her a couple of times. That was Hiroko, Damien Black’s stepdaughter.”
Kadence
Something close to anger is simmering through my blood as I glance back around the corner. Hiroko is gone, now inside the building.
It doesn’t surprise me that girl’s a Shell. There was always something off, almost a little cold about her.
I turn to Micah. “I’ll follow her.”
Micah hesitates, that torn look flitting across his face. I know he’s balancing on a knife’s edge—it must be so hard to stay separate from a world part of you belongs in.
I grasp his arm. “It’s okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
His lips tighten. “No. I’m coming with you.”
“What?”
“I’m not letting you go in there alone. If we hurry, we’ll catch her before she heads through the next set of doors.”
This time, it’s my turn to hesitate. Micah’s becoming more and more involved. Rather than running when he discovered we were being followed, he turned around and confronted our new stalkers.
Of course, then we wouldn’t have learned about Shells. I glance at Haven. Or met another demigod.
Haven smiles at me, and I return the gesture. It’s nice to know you’re not alone. Surely this was fate. A thought startles me. Could it be possible that Micah belongs more than he realizes?
Taking Micah’s hand, I nod. “Okay. But you’re not going into the actual health center.” All those questionnaires would no longer be straddling the gray area of staying incognito. Especially considering his father owns the building.
Caleb looks to Haven. “I think we go see if there are many others.”
Unease tightens my throat. Caleb didn’t say if there are any others. They obviously think Hades is up to something, even without us telling them about the growing darkness.
Haven inclines her head. “You’re right. We need to check out some other Crossroads.”
She turns back to us. “When one of us knows something, we’ll contact each other.”
I nod just as Micah does. “We’ll be in touch.”
Caleb takes Haven’s hand as they prepare to leave. They’ll head to other Crossroads, and we’ll go inside the center.
Pausing, I glance at Haven, wondering if she’s feeling like I do. Here’s another girl, one who’s like me.
We move at the same time, hugging impulsively. It makes me realize how alone I’ve felt. How different.
Haven pulls back. “Look after yourself, okay?”
I almost smile. “I was just about to say the same thing.”
I’m glad we both appreciate the threat Hades poses.
With fleeting smiles, Haven and Caleb walk away. Close together, their shoulders tight with determination, they meld into the crowd.
Micah’s already tugging on my hand. “We’d better go in before we lose her.”
Well, before Micah loses her. There’s no reason I can’t follow her into the actual health center, but I understand why Micah isn’t eager to go through that again. It had been hard not knowing where Micah was every time he’d left me, and that was before I admitted my feelings for him.
Inside the building, the bright whiteness hits me all over again. You almost need sunglasses to be in this place. We’re instantly scanning as I desperately hope we arrived here in time. There are quite a few people here today, milling about or heading to the frosted doors in the back. It has my heart pumping like we just ran ten blocks to get here. We don’t have time for this.
It turns out we didn’t need to rush, because Hiroko is sitting in the café, a cup of coffee and a muffin on the table in front of her. I feel when Micah sees her, too—his entire body hardens, and he instinctively moves closer to me.
It makes my heart smile. This boy who lives with one foot in heaven wants to protect me.
Hiroko scans the room casually as she tucks a sleek black strand of hair behind her ear. Her gaze finds us, almost like she was looking for us, then stops. As she openly stares, she smiles.
Yep. I don’t like her.
Closing the distance between us, Micah and I keep our hands tightly knit. I don’t know what we’re going to say to this girl, but I’m determined to get some answers.
Hiroko watches us approach with the stillness of a statue, a half-smile frozen on her face. Just what I’d expect from a Shell. Even when we stop next to her table, meaning she has to arch her neck and squint a little in the bright light, her fractured smile doesn’t shift. She waves her hand at the seats across the table.
Micah and I glance at each other. His face is tight in a way I’ve never seen before. It sharpens his angles and tightens his lips. Gone is the sweet boy of Elysium. Now, I’m standing beside an angry demigod looking for some answers.
Sliding into the chair, pride fills my chest. I’ve already realized Micah’s far more special than he knows, but it seems there’s still more to learn about this boy I’ve fallen in love with.
Pushing aside the plates in front of us, I register the froth on the cappuccino still has its pretty leaf pattern. The muffin remains untouched. Unease slithers between my ribs. It’s almost like Hiroko was waiting for us…
She angles her chin, the smile growing in size but not warmth. “Hello, Kadence. Who’s this?” She eyes Micah, an appreciative gleam in her dark eyes.
“A friend,” I growl. “A friend who knows exactly what you are.”
Knowing that Caleb, a human, knows of the gods’ existence, infuses me with confidence. Micah doesn’t have to be a demigod to know Shells exist. It seems we’re not as relegated to legend as we thought.
Hiroko shrugs. “I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out. I was hoping it would be sooner.”
Micah’s angling is subtle—I sense it more than see it. His body is slightly closer, his shoulder tucking in in front of me. “Why is that, Hiroko?”
As I watch, Hiroko slants her gaze toward him, a question flashes through my mind: How does Micah feel about this girl? She was raised by his father. Hiroko’s known Damien Black in a way Micah never has.
Hiroko sighs, but it seems fake. “I’d say I wish I had time to explain it, but that would be a lie. Let’s just say being raised by the man I called ‘Dad'”—she sneers the word—“is something I’ll no longer have to endure.”
Micah stiffens at the mention of Damien Black. “He took so much from you.”
Of course Micah could empathize with a Shell…
Hiroko looks at Micah quizzically. “His obsession has invaded everything he does.”
I feel like I’m being given more pieces of the puzzle, but I’m left holding them, having no idea where they go. Mentally sorting through it all, I realize I don’t even have a corner or an edge piece to get me started. I have no idea where this starts and where it ends.
Something strikes me, and I angle my head as I study the cool girl across from us. “Of course, it was Hades who made you what you are.”
There’s no surprise or shock at the use of the god of the Underworld’s name. In fact, Hiroko leans forward slightly, a challenge deep in her dark eyes. “Although there’s only one way you can prove that.”
Suddenly confused, and not liking the feeling, I have to stop my frown. What’s she talking about? The pieces start spinning in my head, and I tighten my grip on Micah. Nothing is making sense.
Hiroko straightens as if something just occurred to her. “You thought I was one of them?” Her laugh is high pitched and cold as she looks at us like we’re idiots. “Do I have a shadow?”
Instinctively, I glance at the ground. Hiroko has the pale, multiplied shadows this overly lit space creates.
Micah’s hand tenses around mine, returning the death grip I have on his. Shells don’t have shadows…
But that means Hiroko is—
Micah leans forward. “Hades is your father.”
Hiroko flicks her ebony hair. “Of course he is. He knew Heath wouldn’t cut it.”
Micah shakes his head. “The gods only have one child each generation.”
He’s right, and I sent Heath to the Underworld. He was Hade’s demigod child.
Hiroko smirks. “Not unless your father discovers the power of the Crossroads.”
The pieces start to click. Hiroko starts with an H. And Hiroko isn’t a Shell, even though Haven couldn’t see her soul.
Which means, I have to stop time.
Falling so I hit the back of the seat, I look to Micah. My heart feels like it’s jackknifed somewhere into my throat. I swallow, but the lump doesn’t dislodge.
He shakes his head. “Don’t do it.”
He’s right. I’ve learned too many times the consequences of stopping time, not once have they been something I want to repeat. Plus, it’s almost like Hiroko wants me to.
But what if this is Micah’s reticence, his fear of becoming involved speaking? If I stop time, there’s a good chance Hades will arrive. We could get the answers we’ve been searching for.
But then Micah would be even more exposed.
Turning back to Hiroko, I fist my hand on the table. “We already know who you are. I don’t need to prove it.”
Hiroko leans forward over the table, her face jerked up in a sneer. “If you want answers, then do it.”
My pointer finger twitches, and I tighten my hands even more. “No. Tell us what Hades wants with human souls.”
With an exaggerated sigh, Hiroko leans back and looks around the room. People are still milling about, some sitting at the tables beside us, others walking and talking and going about their business. When she looks back at me, her eyes are the darkest I’ve ever seen. Black, but strangely empty.
Dread sinks sharp, icy talons into my chest. I should never have brought Micah in here. I grab his hand. “Let’s go.”
Hiroko shakes her head. “You leave, and that girl loses her life.”
She indicates with her chin toward the waitress we saw last time. She’s sees us looking and must figure we’re ready for the check, because she smiles and begins to walk over.
Micah shoots to his feet. “You hurt anyone and I’ll…”
Hiroko barely glances at him. “You can’t stop me.” She smiles at me. “But she can.”
With a swift, smooth motion, Hiroko flips open the leather folder. Inside, are the brochures she had at the building site, a stack of bills, and…a gun.
Compact and black, a little like its owner, the pistol’s matte surface seems to absorb light like a black hole. Without looking down, Hiroko wraps her hand around it. Her finger slips along the trigger with practiced ease.
I shoot upright, too. “You can’t.”
Micah spins around, and heads over to the waitress. Oh, crap, he’s going to try and stop her from coming any closer.
I realize in that moment, Micah will do whatever he can to stop the loss of a life, especially when he’s here. If this girl dies, he’ll blame himself. Images of him jumping in front of the waitress are already firing through my mind.
As he angles himself between the waitress and us, I realize that’s exactly what he’s willing to do.
Hiroko must see it, too, because she huffs out a laugh. “Does he think I won’t shoot him, too?”
Turning back, I find the gun is gone and Hiroko’s hands are under the table. Determination is undeniably stamped across her face.
My throat is too tight to breathe, my chest too rigid for my rapidly beating heart. I keep hoping she’s bluffing, but everything about the girl sitting across from me tells me otherwise. Her shoulders rise slightly as her arms move. There’s no denying she’s lifting the gun. Her gaze is now locked on the waitress.
No, it’s locked on Micah.
Because he’s now blocking the line of sight to the innocent girl.
My hands are trembling as I bring them up, my pointer fingers coming together like two magnets. The sensation of the tips touching feels like a sonic boom through my body.
Then, just like all the other times, everything stops.
The people turn to living statues, captured in suspended animation. Noise disappears like it never existed. Even the air is still, light no longer traveling, everything seems to turn to stone. It’s a state of suspended animation that feels nothing but wrong. I can’t believe I thought this was the solution.
Hiroko freezes across from me, a victorious smile solidifying across her face.
Spinning around in the still room, though, there’s only one person I want to find.
Micah’s already breaking free of the bonds imposed by time, his body jerking and pulling like it’s being held by invisible ropes. I rush toward him, wanting to help, but not knowing how.
He jerks forward, like he’s broken free of the last shackle, and I half-catch him, half-crash into him.
“Micah.” I run my hands along his chest, arms, hair. “I’m so sorry. I had to.”
He grasps my face in his warm hands. “I know you did. There was no other option.” He searches my face. “Are you okay?”
I find myself drowning in his Mediterranean eyes, so full of concern and understanding. I was the one who just froze him for a second, and he’s checking to see if I’m okay?
Three slow, sharp claps pierce the air. Hiroko rises from the table as her hands drop to her sides. As nothing else moves around us, it confirms what she was saying is true.
She’s a demigod.
The demigod daughter of Hades.
Hiroko shakes her head. “Touching, you two, really touching.” She narrows her black gaze on me, her face filled with contempt. “Pretty stupid, though, Kadence. Falling for a guy when you have a job to do.” Her smile slithers across her face again. “Although I think it worked in my favor.”
Micah stiffens like he’s just been slapped. Hiroko just gave voice to his worst fear—that by being present, he’s changing things…but not in a good way.
Stalking over to her, I have to resist seeing if coffee still spills as I throw it in her face. “It doesn’t matter if Micah is here. You were going to hurt that girl, anyway.”
“True. But would you be here if it weren’t for him, I wonder?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “It was my choice to come here. It was my choice to stop time. And now you’ll be leaving.”
Closing her folder, Hiroko takes a seat again. Crossing her legs, she glances at her watch before shaking her head as she remembers it’s pointless. Time stopped the moment my fingers touched. She smooths her skirt, then does the same to her hair.
I frown. “What are you doing?”
Hiroko looks like she’s suppressing an eye roll. “I’m waiting.”
The realization of exactly what, or who she’s waiting for slams through me like a wrecking ball.
Hades is coming.
I turn to Micah. “You need to go. Now.”
That torn expression fills his face again. The want to stay. The need to run.
I grab his arms, desperation causing me to cling tightly. “We�
��ll both go.”
Micah glances at Hiroko before looking back at me. He nods, although I can tell he doesn’t want to. We need answers.
But I don’t care. Micah needs to stay safe more than anything.
Except it’s too late.
A new sound crawls through the silence. A soft, gentle sound. The sound of a door opening.
Hades just entered the building.
Micah
Hades looks like I would’ve expected. Hair the color of night, his skin pale and smooth because it rarely sees the light. Everything he’s wearing is the color of death. He moves toward us with the grace and confidence of a snake.
Instinctively, I step in front of Kadence. Everything about this man has cold seeping straight through to my bones. Except Kadence steps around me, coming to stand by my side. Against the odds, warmth flickers within me. She’s saying we’ll face this guy as equals.
Hades reaches Hiroko and leans down to brush a kiss on his daughter’s matching midnight hair. “Thank you, child.”
Hiroko looks up, eyes shining. “Hello, Father.”
“You did good, daughter.”
Hiroko flushes as she looks down. “I’m pleased to hear that.”
Slowly, like he’s greeting visitors, Hades turns to us. “Hello, Kadence. I see you’ve found another demigod friend.”
My gut’s churning so bad, the taste of bile stings my tongue. Hades may know I’m a demigod because I can move while the world is frozen, but not who my parent is. It’s an advantage I need to keep.
So instead, I channel the anger at the injustices this god has wreaked. Innocent people losing their souls when they come to access free health care. It doesn’t get much lower than that.
I glare at him. “Why are you taking souls, Hades?”
Hades inclines his head, as if to say he was expecting that question. He takes a seat on the same chair his daughter just exited. “Hiroko.” He waves a hand dismissively. “Go and get your affairs in order.”
Hiroko bows her head, a small smile flitting across her lips. “Yes, Father.”
Hades turns back to us. “She’s been wanting to join me for a long time. I’m surprised she didn’t goad you long before now.” He gestures toward the table in front of him. “Why don’t you take a seat?”
