“Ah, yes, so you are one of those spoiled people who always used a silver spoon whenever they ate something. Five star meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is that right?”
He was glad she didn't take too much offense to his jabs. They weren't meant to ridicule her, just to tease and make her even more comfortable. He was relieved when she laughed at his taunts. “You make it sound so horrible. Just because I don't get a paycheck every week doesn't mean I don't work. I contribute more than most people to charitable events like this, to groups all over the world.”
“I'm not judging,” Sam said coyly. “I have a friend who is absurdly rich. He spends it all hopping all over the world.” He left out the part about Purdue looking for ancient relics and now running a secret society. Those didn't seem vital to this particular conversation. “With that much money, you can do whatever you like.”
“That's true,” Erica said, looking down into her drink. “So, have you found any good dinosaur bones lately?”
“That would be a paleontologist.”
“There's a difference?”
Sam shrugged and smirked. “Not really, to be honest.”
Sam glanced across the ballroom and saw Daisy standing awkwardly by herself, staring at them. She was looking more than a little conspicuous. He would need to hurry this along. He was just surprised by how friendly and down to earth the heiress was. He expected her to be stuck up and dismissive but it was quite the opposite. He was actually enjoying the conversation he was in the midst of. It was just a pleasant talk between two strangers. It wouldn't be as easy to steal that necklace from her as he thought it would be. He decided to be more direct.
“That's an interesting piece of jewelry,” Sam said, pointing at the blue and white pearl. “Where did you get that?”
“This?” She put her fingers on the necklace, glancing down at the pearls. “It's been passed down in my family for a very long time.”
“Interesting.” He didn't need to pretend.
If Purdue was there, he would have found some sneaky way to end up with the pearl. He might have convinced her to let him see it or wooed her to lower her guard. But Sam wasn't Purdue. He had his own way of doing things. Sometimes trickery wasn't needed. All of his investigations had taught him the power of truth, and that sometimes it was better to use that than deception. Honesty could occasionally unlock doors that could otherwise never be opened.
Sam decided to risk it, and reached into his pocket and pulled out the pearl that had devastated the Order of the Black Sun's plumbing. He held it out in front of the heiress and Erica's eyes grew large with surprise.
“That's...it looks just like...”
“Just like yours, yes.”
Erica's posture shifted and her eyes narrowed. She seemed much more closed off than she had been just seconds before he took the pearl out. He had hoped that both of them sharing similar pearls would be just another thing in common to discuss but it had clearly set off some red flags in her mind. Her perception of him had very drastically shifted the second she saw that and he realized why; he had just given her reason to think that he had ulterior motives—and of course he did.
“What is this?” she said accusingly. She looked ready to storm away, like a trap had just been sprung on her. She started to get up but Sam shook his head.
“Please, wait,” Sam said. “Please...just hear me out. Listen to what I have to say. That's all.”
Erica was standing, looking at him with a mix of shock and irritation, maybe even some disgust. She stared at him for a long moment, before slowly lowering back onto the stool. She folded her arms, closing herself off. “Go on then. Before I change my mind. What do you want?”
“This is going to sound a little unorthodox, I'll admit, but I actually really need that pearl.”
“No,” Erica said defiantly. “That is not going to happen. End of story. Have a nice life.”
She started to get up again but Sam acted quickly.
“Do you want me to tell you why I'm here or not? There's a lot more to that pearl than you realize.” He glanced at Daisy across the room who was still watching with worry. “Supposedly the one in my hand and the one around your neck are part of a set. Three pearls that used to belong to—”
“Poseidon.”
Erica said the name so casually that Sam froze. She knew.
“Yes, that's always been the story in my family. There were always stories that my ancestors stole one of the pearls from the god, at least that's what everyone always said. I didn't know there were more...but it doesn't really matter. I'm not just going to let some stranger take it away.”
“Bad things will happen if we don't reunite all three of the pearls.”
“Oh please,” Erica said with a roll of her eyes. “That's cryptic and vague. And by the way, it's disgusting that you orchestrated this whole conversation just to try to get this from me. That's a horrible thing to do to someone.”
“First off, I'm sorry,” Sam said. “But second, it's not just a threat or nonsense. I watched this pearl's power rip pipes apart, causing spurts of water to explode from the walls and whip through the air like it had a mind of its own. I saw the water turn into a person and demand that we give the pearl back to it. That happened. I saw it with these two eyes.”
He knew how crazy it sounded but at least it was the kind of crazy that he had seen with his own two eyes and knew for a fact had really happened. He probably sounded like just as much of a raving lunatic as Daisy but maybe channeling some of Daisy's weirdness would help, he wasn't sure. Surprisingly, Erica didn't look at him with disbelief. There was just recognition.
“Something similar happened to me...” Once again, she said something that completely caught Sam off guard. “But it wasn't water. There was an earthquake recently. The whole house was shaking, things were falling, but I could hear a voice...like someone was standing just below me, yelling up through the floor, through the ground. The pearl has always been able to make the ground shake when I wanted it to but this was different. It wasn't like that. It was doing it all on its own.”
That was news to Sam. This pearl also had power but its abilities were different than the one he possessed. It apparently could control tremors instead of water. Maybe the third pearl had its own unique power too.
At least she knew that he wasn't making any of it up since she had seen something similar firsthand, or at least heard it. That solved at least part of the problem. It might even make it easier for her to understand.
“Then you should know that the only way to stop anything like that from happening again—or worse—we have to take that pearl. We need all of them. Yours included.”
“And once again”—Erica put her fingertips up to her necklace—“that is not going to happen. I'm not going to give up a pearl that has been in my family for generations to complete strangers. I don't care how polite you try to ask. I don't even really care what your reasons for wanting it are. This has been in my family longer than most things have existed. Wrap your head around that. I'm not going to discard it.”
Sam tried to keep himself composed. It was frustrating to know that the pearl was so close yet they couldn't just reach out and get it. He couldn't bring himself to take it from her though, and if he did, security would probably ambush him and take the other pearl too. Then he would be even further behind. If he was going to get it, it would have to be from the heiress willingly.
“Look, if you don't let us have it, we can't get all three of the pearls together. If we can't do that and return them to where they belong, horrible—potentially world-ending things—might happen.”
“Because Poseidon says so?” Erica asked with a snicker.
Sam noticed the smirk on Daisy's face. She was enjoying seeing Sam have to convince someone else of all of this. He was probably seeming like quite the believer when it came to Poseidon, but he wasn't, but he would lean into that nonsense if it would help him get his point across.
“I don't know if i
t's Poseidon and I don't really think it is but it honestly doesn't even really matter if it is or not. I can tell you what I do know for a fact, and that is what could happen. I saw just a taste of it and it nearly ruined an entire building. It practically flooded the whole place in minutes. This power can turn water into a weapon. Do you know how much of the world is water? How dangerous that is?”
He felt a bit foolish speaking about that kind of power when the pearl of Poseidon that he already had was able to control water. He wasn't a complete hypocrite though since the pearl couldn't do anything on a massive scale on its own.
“All I am saying is that if anything catastrophic does happen when you had a chance to prevent it, how do you think you're going to feel?” He thought he saw her defenses lower just a little bit. She didn't seem quite as resistant as she had just minutes beforehand. “You talked about all of your charities that you contribute to, so obviously you like helping people. You like making a difference in someone's life, even anonymously, so I know that you're not completely heartless. That is...unless all of your donation work is just for show...to convince yourself that you're not just some insensitive rich woman that only cares about herself. Why not spare a few thousand dollars here and there to look like a better person in the eyes of others, is that how it is?”
Erica's face darkened. She had probably never been questioned about her charity work before. After all, the ones she was donating to weren't going to question it and her rich friends who all contributed to dozens of charities wouldn't have brought it up, since that kind of showmanship was probably how they did things.
Finally she spoke and sounded furious. “It's not for a show.”
“No? Prove it. Do you know how many people you could be helping by giving up that one pearl? That's worth the little sacrifice, isn't it? Hell, you could always just buy yourself a shinier pearl. You obviously have got the money for it.”
“It's not about the expense,” Erica said defiantly. “Were you listening at all? This pearl was my family's treasure.”
“No it isn't,” Daisy cut in. “It belongs to Poseidon. Your family just took it, stole it from its real owner. It's time to give it back to its rightful keeper. It's been with a bunch of thieves long enough.”
Erica looked livid from the remarks that Daisy was making but she didn't seem to plan on making any moves of retaliation against her. That was probably because Daisy had a point. Erica Diosa only had that pearl because she was descended from people who were fabled to be stupid enough to steal from a god.
“Forget about Poseidon,” Sam said, wanting to redirect the conversation back to the point he was making, since that point seemed to be getting through in some way to the heiress. “You have the chance to stop people from getting hurt. I get that pearl has meant a lot to you and has sentimental value but it can't be worth more than people's lives. You know that. We all do.”
Erica's gaze fell to the floor and she closed her eyes.
“Fine.”
Sam was stunned. That wasn't the response he was expecting. He was preparing himself to have to do a lot more convincing to get her to change her mind. Daisy looked just as confused as he was. This had turned out to be a bit less of a challenge than they were readying themselves for. Sam didn't know about Daisy, but the thought of stealing from the heiress did keep poking at his mind; desperation made criminal acts seem a lot more reasonable.
“So you'll give us the pearl?” Daisy asked, just for confirmation.
Erica shook her head and Purdue's excitement sunk. “I didn't say that I'm giving you anything, but you will have the pearl with you. It will be around my neck since I will be coming with you to bring all three pearls back to...wherever it is you're taking them.”
“What?” Sam exclaimed, now just utterly baffled. “I'm sorry but that's just not possible. You—”
“It's going to have to be possible,” Erica said firmly. “Since that is the only way you will have this pearl going anywhere. It's the only way you will have it with you. Also, if you refuse to let me help you, I will make sure you regret it. All I have to do is snap my fingers and my security team would be here in seconds to throw you out and to keep you out, and they're going to make it hurt. I'll also be sure that they take whatever valuables you have on you, as a tip for their good service. Oh wait, I guess that would include the pearl you have...and then I would have both of them. Two would look much better than one, don't you think? A matching set is always a good thing.”
“You are one seriously aggressive negotiator,” Daisy said, her jaw practically on the floor. “I might even use the word nefarious even.”
“This isn't a negotiation,” Erica said. “It is an ultimatum. The pearl isn't going anywhere without me so either let me come with you or I can make your life much, much more difficult.”
“It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice...” Sam said.
“You really don't.”
Sam still had to try to deter her from making a horrible decision. “I'm not sure you realize just what you might be getting yourself into. These jobs are dangerous; life or death serious sometimes.”
“I am a big girl. I can handle myself just fine, thanks.”
Sam looked to Daisy. They didn't have to discuss it. Despite constantly being on opposite ends of debates, they were very definitely on the same side on this one. They both knew that there wasn't much of a choice, especially with Erica's ultimatum that would put a serious wrench in the plans for their voyage and the search for the remaining pearl.
“Okay then,” Sam said. “You can come but you're probably not going to like it. The boat leaves tomorrow. Make sure you pack yourself enough things for the search.”
Erica balked. “I will have more than enough packed, I promise. I will see you tomorrow then. Don't you dare leave without me.”
Erica Diosa gave them a fake curtsy before walking away with newfound excitement in her step. She practically leaped across the gala's ballroom with a proud stride in her step.
Sam and Daisy were left alone, both unable to comprehend the conversation that just transpired.
“I like her,” Daisy blurted out, breaking the tension. “That girl has some serious moxie.”
“Purdue is not going to like this...” Sam said, already trying to figure out how he was going to explain all this to his friend.
“Probably not,” Daisy said. “But I know for a fact that he would want us to get all of the pearls. I really don't think he will care about the specifics of how we made it happen. He really doesn't even need to know the details.”
“It could be worse,” Sam said. “We could have been forced to rob a bank.”
“Exactly,” Daisy said. “I'm sure Purdue will understand why we had to drag a stranger along.”
It didn't sound as reasonable when it was phrased like that, Sam thought.
Purdue really wasn't going to like this one bit.
7
AN ALL-TOO-FAMILIAR FACE
Dr. Nina Gould was glad to have been given a much simpler assignment for the Order of the Black Sun this time. After the chaos of trying to find the sword of Julius Caesar, she needed a well-earned vacation, but since that didn't seem to be an option, she would just settle for an easier task. Her work for the new Order of the Black Sun usually had her frequenting exotic, faraway locations. They were usually places that were too remote and dangerous for tourists or most other travelers. That was usually just part of the job, something that simply came with the territory—but she was glad to be in a much safer environment this time.
All of that business in Rome and Egypt on her hunt for Caesar's sword had really rattled her. It was her first time leading an expedition and she nearly died about a dozen times. It wasn't an ideal start to her missions as a leader of the Black Sun. But since she was very good friends and a longtime partner of David Purdue, the new leader of the secret society, she wasn't too worried that her position would be jeopardized. Purdue seemed to be able to surmise that she needed somethi
ng of a break, just a task that she could complete without fearing for her life for once.
Her new mission was simple. She had to check every bookstore in London for rare books that would be beneficial for the Order of the Black Sun to have for themselves; books that would just enhance their already impressive records. She didn't have to climb up a mountain or dig up a grave. She just had to go on something of a shopping trip. Usually, she didn't really care about shopping sprees but since she was exclusively going to bookstores and antique shops, it was turning out to be a rather pleasurable experience. She just had to remind herself that she was there for a purpose or she would risk losing track of time. She could so easily get lost among all of the binding and pages of old books.
Back in the day, she would have had Purdue or Sam push her out of a store like that. They wouldn't let her get completely lost in her own thoughts. That was one of the best things about them. They understood her well enough to know when it was best to give her some solitude and when it was best to get her away from it. As successful as the new Order of the Black Sun had been, she really did miss how it used to be, when it was just three of them taking on the entire world together. The previous Order of the Black Sun never stood a chance against them. That's why they won. She, Sam, and Purdue had been a phenomenal team that apparently couldn't be stopped. Now the trio seemed to have become obsolete. They had all kinds of allies to help them now; they didn't just need to rely on only each other anymore. But there were times when she wished it was still like that, long before they had legions of capable people willing to help them.
Taking control of the Order of the Black Sun was the smart thing for Purdue to do at the time. Was it sustainable? She wasn't sure, but she knew she would see it out until the end. They were already doing so much good for the world, she supposed she could sacrifice the more intimate moments with two of her best friends if it meant the world could be made better more easily.
Nina took a seat at a cafe, propping open one of the new books she bought. She was looking forward to a quiet morning of learning. It was the perfect way to start the day.
Poseidon's Secret Page 6
