by Brey Willows
“I’ve already had a quick look. I love what you’ve done. Especially with level six. I mean, heresy is old school, you know? But I never thought of doing away with it completely, and when I mentioned it to the big guy, he agreed and has taken it off his books. The staff loves having their own level to hang out on.” Az led the way to the elevator, and Meg followed. They went to level six and stepped out of the elevator to hear soft jazz.
“The best employees are the ones who are happy. Kera taught me that. If your staff has a place to relax after a punishment shift, they’ll be more likely to be able to balance the new differences between the really bad folks and the ones who are in the less painful areas.”
They stopped at a bar, and Az ordered them both a red cocktail of some sort. Meg didn’t care what was in it, as long as it was alcoholic. The past several weeks had taken a toll, and she was ready for a break. They went to a large open area that had lots of thick, comfortable armchairs and loungers. A couple of demons were having energetic sex on one of the loungers, and Az and Meg chose seats far enough away not to get hit with bodily fluids.
They sipped their drinks, and Az said, “Any ideas on the next steps?”
Meg nodded and handed him a binder. “That’s going to be harder. Convincing people to come here will be tough. I mean, you’re supposed to be the world’s best liar, right? Humans aren’t going to flock to you because you promise things aren’t so bad.”
He sighed but continued to look through Meg’s book. “I really wish J-ho hadn’t come up with that bit of marketing right from the start. Imagine, trying to combat thousands of years of people thinking you’ve got hooves and horns and lie all the time.”
Meg sipped her drink and tried not to stare at the demon couple, who had moved into a fascinatingly contorted position. Az’s shortening of Jehovah to J-ho had made most everyone laugh, but the guy himself wasn’t a big fan. Still, Meg liked it. “Hey, I worked for you, remember? I’ve been tarred with that rather smelly brush, thanks. We have to handle the marketing carefully. Personally, I think you start with page seven.”
He flipped to that page and studied it for a moment. “Flyers?”
“Real estate information. You start with your own followers, who are already happy to tell other people about how great you are. You give them these, have them share them, hand them out, and so on. It’s old school, but it’s good for the kind of underground groups you’re trying to reach. Maybe even make the rounds and tell them about the upgrades here. Then instruct them to tell other people.”
“And then?”
“And then you hit the billboards. And maybe the talk show circuit. I’m sure Selene would be happy to have you on her show. We’ll blow up social media too. We’ll post photos on sites like Instagram showing the renovations, we’ll Tweet about cool new drinks you’re serving in the Devil’s Lounge. Maybe we’ll even throw on some vlogs where you can talk about the changes directly to the viewers. You’re gorgeous, and that will play well with the vain who only want to be associated with attractive gods.” She stopped to think, tapping the pencil against the edge of the binder. “Maybe you could even have a debate with the big guy. That would do amazing things for Selene’s ratings, and it would get people to know the hot guy with the amazing body, instead of the old myth of hooves and horns.”
He straightened, puffing up his chest and smiling widely. “You have no idea how much I like the sound of that.” He caressed Meg’s hand. “How can I repay you?”
His expression told her exactly how he wanted to pay, and she laughed. “You and I haven’t locked naughty parts in a very long time. How about you tell other people how good I am and make a generous entry into my bank account, and we’ll call it even?”
He put his hands over his chest and winced. “Turned down flat. I must be losing my touch.” He grinned. “Consider it done. And really, thank you.”
Meg downed the rest of her drink. “You can buy me another one of these too. It’s—”
A small demon woman with enormous bare breasts came running up. Meg tried to focus on her words instead of her bouncing bosom.
“Tis has called an emergency meeting, Meg. She’s asked you to come right away.”
Meg stood, and Az got up too. “That doesn’t sound good.”
They headed for the elevator, and Meg wondered what could be bad enough that Tis needed an emergency meeting. She’d just been about to relax and simply enjoy the little bit of success she’d found in her new venture, but as usual, work called. But not even work, not really. It wasn’t the kind of work they should be doing. It was all this political upheaval. Meg found it unfair and destructive, and she detested both those things. But then, it’s change and drama, so that keeps things interesting, like Dani said. As usual, she was at odds with what she felt and wanted. The only time lately she felt at all centered was when she was with Dani. But that’s because she’s…Dani. As much as Meg wanted to move forward with Dani to see where it might go, she couldn’t quite convince herself to take the leap. What if it ruined everything? She’d never been a one-person kind of girl; what if she jumped in with Dani and then decided she wanted something, or someone, else?
The elevator doors opened, and Az and Meg headed to Zed’s office. Almost everyone was gathered around the huge TV on the wall. They went in and heard the news announcer speaking solemnly.
“And so, it seems yet another somewhat bewildering aspect of our new era has come about. Ancient deity Horus has joined with the Egyptian government, and they’ve said it’s the beginning of a new stage of rule. The new system is being called a democratic theocracy, which means the government and Horus will work together to serve the citizens of Egypt. While ancient Egypt was ruled solely by Pharaohs placed in their positions by the gods, this new system will include the government already present in Egypt taking advice and instruction from Horus, the god himself.” The reporter pressed on her earpiece and appeared to be listening to someone speaking. “And I’m now being told the Hindu god Vishnu has also joined with the government in India under similar conditions.” She returned her attention to the camera, looking slightly shaken. “There’s no way to know how this will play out, or what other theocracies may pop up. As has been the case from the beginning, all we can do is wait and see.”
A commercial for Edesia’s Italian Goddess Diner came on and everyone turned away. Zed motioned for them to sit.
“We should have seen this coming, but we didn’t.” Tis looked tired, and her wings drooped. “I didn’t. It never occurred to me gods would actively work with governments, and it should have. I’m sorry.”
Kera put her arm around Tis’s shoulders. “Babe, no one could see any of this coming. I mean, damn, they only just left here. Who knew they’d move so fast? We just have to figure out what to do and what it might mean, that’s all.” She looked around the table. “Thoughts?”
Azrael spoke up first. “I like it, but it’s my kind of game. It’s going to cause all kinds of problems. And there isn’t a god in existence who’d be willing to defer to humans for any length of time. As soon as they’re in, they’ll start pulling the strings until they snap. Governments will fall, and you’ll end up with gods running everything. Except this time, they’ll do it out in the open instead of from behind the curtain.”
“Which takes away free will, at some point.” Selene leaned against Alec as though for support. “Gods running whole countries will revert to what they know. They’ll expect the people in their regions to pray only to them. All we’ve been working toward, with people able to choose which belief system to follow, will be for nothing. They’ve stopped fading, but at what cost?”
The room was silent as everyone took that in. Finally, Meg said, “Okay, let’s think back. When a single god ruled a territory, they had their own staff too. They took care of their own. Things were sometimes too rigid, and sometimes the gods got out of control. But sometimes, it meant years of peace.” She shrugged. “Just playing devil’s advocate.”
> Az bumped her with his shoulder. “Always appreciated.”
Selene shook her head. “I understand what you’re saying. And it might have worked to some degree centuries ago. But in today’s world, it won’t work. There are too many variables. We’ve been telling people to choose freely, to think critically about what they want. Believers are now mixed together in specific locations more than they’ve ever been. To bring in a single entity in league with a government will mean many of the believers of other religions being ousted from their homes and countries.”
“We did tell them to go out among their believers, to help them and try to get them to settle down.” Tis rubbed tiredly at her eyes.
“Yeah, but you didn’t tell them to leave Afterlife and stay there. The idea was to be out among all their followers, not just the ones in a particular region.” Meg stuck her tongue out at Alec, who was looking at her as though she’d grown another head. “I pay attention, you know. Even if I’m not all serious Joe like the rest of you.”
Alec laughed. “I love the way you always surprise us.”
“Meg’s right. The hot crazy ones often are.” Kera grinned. “Not only couldn’t we have predicted this, but it’s not on anyone’s shoulders here. The question is what do we do about it?”
“You wait.”
They all looked up when Clotho entered the room from the hidden door behind the bookcase.
“For what?” Selene’s eyes narrowed.
Meg sat forward, the tension in the room making her nerves sing. Everyone knew how much Selene disliked the Fates, who never provided answers but seemed to be in charge of everyone’s life from the moment they took their first breath until they died in some tragic or ignominious way.
“For the eruption after the collision.” Clotho sat beside Zed, her hands clasped, her silver hair pulled back in a bun, the epitome of elegance and the harbinger of things out of control.
Kera sighed loudly. “Again with vague ominous collection of words that don’t mean shit to the rest of us. Would you even know how to give a real answer to anything other than your lunch order?”
Clotho gave her a tight smile. “Perhaps you should figure it out rather than bemoaning your lack of understanding.”
Kera started to stand, and Meg’s pulse sped up. She’d protect the humans in the room with her own life if she had to, but she’d very much enjoy watching Kera take a piece out of Clotho first.
Tis pulled Kera back down into her seat. “You’re always welcome, but is there a specific reason you’ve come down?”
Always political. Meg sat back in her chair, slightly disappointed in the lack of action.
Clotho turned to look at Meg. “Find your place. Find your way. When the collision comes, be right where you need to be, and don’t fail her.” She went from looking intently at Meg to looking at the others in the room. “Don’t forget what you are.” She stood but stopped and looked at Tis, Alec, and Meg in turn. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before she said, “There are some things we can’t see. Our mirrors are clouded, and the outcomes are uncertain. Often, there’s more than one possible outcome in a situation.” She put her hand on Zed’s shoulder, almost as though to anchor herself. “But there’s something of great importance involving the three of you we can’t see clearly, as though the outcome is so uncertain not even we are allowed to see it.”
She walked away from the table and back to the bookcase. “If we learn anything more, we’ll let you know.”
Selene made a slight scoffing noise, and Kera outright laughed. “And I’m sure you’ll let us know in clear, concise language. Thanks for dropping by with your usual cheer and joy.”
Tis elbowed Kera to get her to be quiet, but it didn’t matter. Clotho left without another word.
“What the hell does that mean? Find myself? Don’t let her down? Be where I need to be?” Meg gestured to the door Clotho had left through. “Why can’t she tell me where I need to be? Maybe then I’d know where the hell to find myself.” She grew more agitated with every thought. “And don’t let who down?”
“I say we drag her back down here, and you three do what you do with those reptiles you carry around until she just answers the fucking questions.” Kera scraped her chair back and moved to her desk, where she started moving stacks of paper from one to the other, clearly just needing something to do.
“I wish it were that simple. But you don’t mess with the Wyrd sisters. Believe me, I know.” Zed opened another bag of chocolate and dug in. “I tried once and watched as they nearly cut my string. Aside from the furies, they’re the only other beings capable of taking out a god.” He made a scissor motion with his fingers. “They cut any one of our strings, and poof. We’re dust.”
“I can’t tell you how immensely I dislike the way they can play with all our lives. But I suppose they’ve given us some kind of warning, however nebulous it may be.” Selene yawned, looking terribly human and fragile. “She said we have to wait, so I think we give it a little time and see what comes next.” She turned to Alec and held out her hand. “Let’s go home and relax for a while.”
Alec took her hand, and they moved toward the door. Alec stopped and put her hand on Tis’s shoulder. “You should go home too. Both of you. You look like worn-out rubber.”
“Nice. Thanks for that.” Tis smiled at her sister. “You look like your snakes are shedding.”
Kera wrapped her arm around Tis’s shoulder. “I think you both look like you need the kind of sex that happens fast enough you don’t fall asleep during it, and then a hot bath. I’m only offering it to one of you, though.”
“Damn right you are.” Tis kissed her cheek, and the two couples left the room.
Meg, Az, and Zed sat there, apparently forgotten. Meg turned to Az. “I can’t think of anything to compare you to in some kind of lovingly insulting way, sorry.”
Zed waved them off. “You should get out too. It’s not like either of you are hurting for bed partners. Ama and I have dinner plans, then I’m going to follow up on Kera’s advice.” He looked at Meg seriously. “We both know Clotho is never wrong. If something big is coming, you’d better be in the right state of mind for it.”
Meg didn’t know what state of mind that might need to be, but she wasn’t going to find it in Zed’s office, that was true.
Az turned to her. “Want to come back to my place? I’ve got some new staff who would turn you inside out and upside down. And it’s always fun to watch a fury fuck.”
She grinned, but that felt like the last thing she wanted to do. “Strangely, I think I’d rather be somewhere quiet for a while. Can I take a rain check?”
He kissed her cheek, and they both waved to Zed as they made their way back to the elevator. “You know you’re welcome any time. I’m going to drum up some kind of crazy orgy to take my mind off politics for a while.”
The elevator stopped at the foyer, and Meg started to get out, but stopped when something occurred to her. “I’m all for crazy orgies. But do you think you could check on something? It seems to me we haven’t given the underworld gods much thought in this. But if they start joining governments too…”
He nodded. “Yeah. Worldwide shit storm. I’ll hit some of them up, invite them over tonight, and see where they’re at. I’ll let you all know when I’ve got something.”
She gave him a fierce hug. He felt more like a friend than he had in ages, and it was nice to have one. It made her think of Fin, and she decided she needed to go see him again soon. “Thanks. Have some fun for me tonight.”
“Drop by if you change your mind.” He waved as the doors closed.
Meg headed back to her place, her thoughts racing. What the hell did Clotho mean? It was true, she’d been feeling a little lost lately, but she certainly didn’t feel the need to trade in her heels for flip-flops and go hang out at an ashram or anything, even though Jesus would welcome her. Clotho’s words were ominous, and anything that unsettled a Fate had to be particularly bad. Still, none of them
knew what to do.
She went inside and wandered aimlessly from room to room, flopping onto the couch only to jump back up and fling herself onto her bed. Restless, she decided only nature would calm her, the way it always had. But the idea of being alone was like sucking an old lemon. She grabbed her phone and dialed.
“Hey. I don’t suppose you feel like going out? Anywhere.”
“Sure. Things are a little crazy, and I might get called away, but I could use a break. Why don’t I come get you in twenty?” Dani sounded happy to hear from her.
Meg tried to ignore the slightly giddy feeling that swept over her at Dani’s immediate willingness to spend time with her. “Perfect.” She hung up and grabbed a black pencil skirt and sheer red blouse from the closet. She paired it with a lacy black bra that showed perfectly beneath the blouse and knee-high leather boots. She liked the way Dani looked at her, and right now, she really wanted to feel that rush of adrenaline she got from being desired. And cared for.
Chapter Thirteen
Dis yawned and shook her head. So predictable. So clichéd. There were positivity posters on every wall bearing quotes about reason and logic and how religion was control, and on and on. Given the fire of their leader, she’d hoped she’d find something a bit more inspiring at the Humanity First offices. But no. It’s just like the Confucian section at Afterlife. Lots of meaningless phrases on pretty pictures. She turned when Angie came into the room with a huge mug of coffee.
“Sure you don’t want any? Or don’t you creatures drink anything but flower water or whatever?”
Angie’s ire was clear, and Dis liked it immensely. “I drink despair and feed on the fear of the weak.”
“So, no, then. But at least you admit to being an asshole.” She shrugged, looking distinctly unimpressed. “What do you want?”
Dis tapped a glass on Angie’s desk, and it disintegrated into a pile of dust. She slowly stirred the pile with her finger. “I want to help your cause.”
