My Date From Hell (12 page)

“Most girls don’t,” Kai replied, dodging us out of the way of a strike.

“Most? Seriously?”

Bits of wooden floor flew with each pound of her hammers against them.

“Well, there was this one
—
”

Mathilda shot forward, slithering toward us like a snake, her arms extending and flailing as we backed up closer and closer to a wall of windows.

Whatever I felt about Persephone, no one else got to rag on her. Or impersonate her. “You are defiling the memory of my hotness, you fraud,” I said, as with my free hand I shot a vine around Mathilda’s wrists, binding them together so they were trapped above her head.

This allowed Kai to concentrate a nasty point of light which bisected her into halves. She shuddered and lay still.

Still holding fast to each other, we sidled over. Kai prodded her with a foot.

“Uh-oh.”

We jumped back as her bits slithered together.

Tensed and ready to battle again, we watched in amazement as the monster transformed herself back into regular, rigid Mathilda. She patted a lone stray hair back into place. “May I help you?” she asked in frosty tones.

“God, no,” I said and slingshot her into a far wall with one of my vines, hard enough that she blacked out. We ran (stumbling, since that stupid half-hug didn’t make for smooth movement) for Jack’s executive office, shutting the door behind us.

“You okay?” Kai asked.

I nodded and separated myself from Kai. To my relief, we were able to let go of each other now that we felt a bit calmer.

Cautiously, I pulled aside the damask drapes covering the office window and peered back into the reception area. Mathilda once more sat at her desk.

The room was busted up, but she was fine. I was glad she’d returned to her normal image. I couldn’t have handled it if she’d remained in Persephone’s form.

“He’s not here,” Kai said.

I turned away from the drapes to look.

The office screamed Big Cheese expensive comfort. All ergonomic yet tasteful furnishings, massive bookshelves stuffed with hardcovers, and walls holding art that was understated yet probably priceless.

Jack must have heard us and bolted because the leather blotter on his hand-carved desk was cluttered with papers as if he had left mid-read, an expensive pen tossed haphazardly on top. To the left of the floor-to-ceiling window stood a small bar. On it sat a cut-crystal glass holding a finger of amber liquid, no doubt poured from the open decanter beside it.

Oh good. A daytime drinker. Thanks to Felicia, I could handle those no problem. Except that he wasn’t here to deal with. “All that for nothing,” I sighed, scrolling idly through Jack’s call list on his landline.

Kai came and leaned over my shoulder. “Anything?”

I shrugged. “A bunch of international numbers. Just seemed the CSI thing to do.”

“Hang on. Go back.”

I glanced at the name. “Who’s Maia? New girlfriend?”

“His mom. Who he hasn’t spoken to in ages. Their fight was epic.”

Her number came up a bunch of times on the display. “So they made up?”

“Or they were never actually fighting in the first place. Just a convenient cover story.” He took my hand and tugged on it. “Come on.”

We strode past Mathilda, who didn’t give us a second glance, and over to the single elevator.

I pressed the button. “Let me guess, we’re going to Maia’s for a little interrogation?” I put on my best tough guy face.

We stepped into the elevator, which was as nice as the bathroom had been. More marble, classical music tastefully piped in, brass call buttons, and a comfy leather bench. Since we had thirty floors to go down, I oped to take it.

A small TV screen discretely mounted in the corner streamed various business news items. It also showed the time. I did the conversion and realized that it was still Saturday morning back at Hope Park. We had almost a day until my meeting.

Kai sat down beside me.

I angled my body toward him, one hand splayed on the bench, the other casually draped on his thigh. Seriously, great thighs. Then I looked sideways at him, up through my lashes. I’d seen Bethany pull this move and it always seemed to work.

A spark of interest lit his face.

“You know, we don’t really know much about each other at all,” I said. “I don’t even know where you live.”

A flash of sadness crossed his face. “I have a place where I like to get away from it all.”

“On Earth? Or in some alternate dimension?”

His lips quirked. “Yes, Sophie, on Earth.” The way he said my name, in a sexy flow with his slight accent, made me prickle in happy delight. “And you? When you’re not at school?”

“I’m mostly at school.”

Kai frowned. “You must see your mother at some point.”

I gave him a tight smile. “Felicia and I make it a point not to interact unless absolutely necessary.”

“That’s really sad.” I could tell his concern was genuine.

I blinked a few times, willing my eyes not to get wet. I was used to Felicia and it didn’t hurt anymore. Okay, it was no longer a sharp constant pain that I felt as panic whenever the holidays rolled around. More like a dull, throbbing sorrow that overwhelmed me for a few moments on the odd chance that I thought about it. “When this first happened? I wished that Demeter …” I shook my head, sharply. “Nevermind.”

Kai took my hand. “I used to be really jealous of what Persephone had with Demeter, too.”

I glanced up, startled.

He nodded with a rueful smile.

“Thanks,” I said. “For sharing that. It’s nice to know.”

“That I understand what you’re feeling or that we actually have something in common?” He poked me gently in the side.

“Both.” It felt really nice to just sit here and talk. I wished I could prolong it, but we still had to find Jack and the clock was ticking. “Where are we going to find Maia? Wait, don’t tell me. Atlantis. We have to find a lost city under the sea.”

“Please. That’s so 1800 B.C. Try again.”

I tapped my index finger against my chin. “Florida. She’s a snowbird. Has a really purdy trailer with a gnome.”

Kai laughed. “A big ole’ double-wide. Nope, sorry to disappoint, but she lives in Athens.”

“How anticlimactic.” I grinned, my body relaxing like melted butter in this new and precious moment of being a normal, flirty teen girl. I liked it. Go figure.

The elevator glided to a smooth stop. The doors opened soundlessly. Kai stood, his hand possessively placed on the small of my back. He guided me into the vast and very busy lobby.

Theo, Hannah, and Festos came barreling in our direction. They grabbed our arms and led us toward the bank of exits.

“Did something happen?” I asked, worried.

“We’re your chaperones,” Festos said.

Theo wriggled in between me and Kai. “One body width of space at all times as is proper.” With a gleam in his eyes, he produced a small plastic ruler from his pocket. “I will smack your hands if hanky panky occurs.”

I stuck my free hand behind my back. “Hanky panky? Gee, Mr. Rockman, you gonna bring us to the soda shop for malteds?”

“I’m just here as an observer,” Hannah said as we piled through the revolving doors and exited.

The roar of the city hit me. London was so alive. Especially compared to my boring-to-the-point-of-comatose corner of Vancouver Island. Tiny cars zipped in and out between black taxis and double decker buses, while throngs of bright and beautiful people flowed up and down the streets, some with long, black umbrellas tucked under their arms. A wise decision given the heavy grey clouds overhead.

I stood there staring in awe, wishing we had time to sightsee but not wanting to stay exposed. “We shouldn’t stay out here.” I pointed upwards discreetly. “Could get company at any time.”

“Stay against the wall of the Wing building and you’ll be fine,” Theo said. “No doubt Jack’s put his own wards around the place to prevent unwanted attacks.”

“Wow,” Hannah breathed beside me. “Look at the architecture.” It was wild seeing these old weathered stone buildings whose ground floors boasted high end retailers and restaurants. But it all worked, coming together with a crazy charm.

I nudged Hannah and grinned. “Check out the phone booth,” I said delightedly. Not only were phone booths virtually nonexistent in our part of the world, this one was fire engine red.

“Aw,” Festos said, “look at the little puppies so excited to be out in the big, wide world.”

He tugged off my coat, forcing Kai and me to switch hands as he divested me of it entirely. Then he pulled off the turtleneck I’d been wearing, revealing my purple tank top underneath.

I shivered. “Hey, London’s not a tropical paradise. I’m freezing here.”

Kai tugged me in close, his arm over my shoulder. “Better. I don’t feel like I’m hitting on the Pillsbury doughboy anymore.”

My hand flew to my sapphire pendant. “This thing is the size of an egg. It must be worth a fortune. I’m gonna get robbed.”

“Nah,” said Theo, “no one will believe you’re wearing a real rock that size.”

I swatted at Festos as he fluffed up my hair. “What are you guys? Bad cop, good pimp?”

Festos grinned at Theo. “Pretty much,” he said.

“So glad I could bring you two together.”

“I’m still undecided,” Theo said.

“Yeah, but I’m wearing you down,” Festos pointed out happily. He blinked my jacket away.

“Give it!” I protested.

“Shush. It’s waiting for you at school. I’m just making sure you spend quality eye candy time together.” Festos tried to put my hand on Kai’s butt. “Just trying to help the cause.”

“Don’t even,” I warned him, jerking my hand away. Touching that part of Kai’s anatomy could be detrimental (
dee
-tree-mental?) to my well-being. “And show a little decorum. We’re going to Athens. The old country and all that.”

“Maia,” Kai clarified.

Festos and Theo exchanged looks.

Uh-oh.

“Kourambiethes?” Theo asked, cautiously.

“Better be,” Kai said.

“What is it?” Hannah asked, her curiosity evident.

Mine too. This could be vital.

“Almond shortbread cookie,” Theo said happily.

“Maia makes the best ones ever,” Festos added.

“I’m skipping school with my already perilous status so that we can go eat cookies? No. No cookies. Cookies are not on the list.”

“You have to eat cookies,” Theo said. “Hermes’ mom is totally insane. Refuse her cookies at your peril.”

“To be fair, they are really good,” Festos reiterated.

Theo nodded.

Maia was insane, huh? Maybe I’d get to vine something. That would be good. Release the tension and all, since I was trying hard not to hug Kai like a pillow. Also, hello? Cookies. Why fight it?

I sighed. “Athens, here we come.”

Eleven

It began to drizzle. London was losing some of its appeal, and fast.

“So,” I asked, burrowing into Kai as he led us around the corner of the building to a quiet loading dock, “are we going by tree or will the gods among us blink us there?”

Festos looked at Kai. “Kyrillos, you have the address?”

“Yup.”

“You’ve got to be joking,” I said. “You need an address?” I rubbed my arms to keep warm. Looking like a ho worked better in tropical climes.

Three pairs of confused male eyes swung my way.

“Of course, Magoo,” Theo said. “How else do you get where you’re going?”

“You guys pop in and out all the time,” I said.

“Because we know where we’re going.” Kai exchanged a look with the guys that was so patently “oh, those illogical females” that my teeth ground together.

Hannah rolled her eyes. “Really not advancing the positive data,” she said to me.

Kai took over the rubbing of my arms to keep me warm. Theo pulled out the ruler to warn him, but with a death glare from me, aimed his thwack at me instead.

I snatched the ruler and tossed it away.

“Buddy system,” said Festos, grabbing onto Hannah with one hand and Theo with the other. I already held Kai’s hand, so I grabbed onto Hannah’s free one.

“You never hold my hand,” Kai said to Festos.

“I’m scared one touch and your manliness might just send me up in flames. Whoosh!” Festos shivered dramatically.

“Possible,’ Kai replied.

“What am I, chopped liver?” asked Theo.

If Theo could joke about livers, chopped or otherwise, it was a good thing.

“
My
chopped liver.” Festos gazed adoringly at Theo, who blushed. “And I could just eat you up,” he added.

Theo shook his head.

“Too far?” Festos asked me.

I nodded. “Light years.”

“And away we go,” Festos said with a nod to Kai. Then
poof
!

In a blink, I found myself squinting against the moonlight. And pissed that I’d lost my jacket because we may have been in Greece but it was still cold. I snuggled closer into Kai, feeling the soft rise and fall of his breath as we took in our surroundings.

We stood on a rooftop patio. Immediately in front of us was a jumble of low buildings, most lit with a soft yellow light and interspersed with olive trees. What really blew my mind was the massive rocky hill looming over everything, brightly illuminated in a golden glow. Specifically the temple at its top. “Holy crap! That’s the Parthenon.”

“Welcome to the land of your people,” Kai grinned with a sweeping hand gesture. An elderly woman clad all in widow’s black shuffled up to him. She had white hair and an even whiter smile. Well, the teeth that were left positively gleamed.

“Efharistó,” Kai said to her, and pulled some drachma from his pocket for her.

“This your secret landing spot?” I asked him. “Grandma’s your minion?”

“One of many.”

The old woman beamed at each of us as we filed past, and patted Festos on the cheek.

“Gay or not, the ladies love me,” he said, spinning his cane.

We headed down a few flights of stairs and stepped out onto the street.

Fabulous chaos. Even though Theo said it was about 9PM, Athens was jumping. Tourists in tacky outfits with fat cameras strung around their necks mingled with black-robed priests, families with kids, and men in thin patterned shirts and fat gold watches leading hennaed women tottering on heels.

I felt a tug on my arm. I glanced at Kai, who tilted his head to motion that I should follow him.

He led the group away through the winding pedestrian-only streets. We passed between well-lit low buildings in butterscotch, terra cotta, or just whitewashed with classic blue trim. Bright purple bougainvillea grew up some corners of the walls, while palm trees cast lacy shadows.

“Where are we?” I asked, my head practically spinning like the exorcist baby as I tried to take it all in.

“The Plaka,” Theo said. “Tourist central.”

“Known as the ‘neighborhood of the gods’ since it’s right under the Acropolis,” Hannah added. All the guys stared at her and she stared back. “What? With my life now overrun with deity types, I felt it prudent to read up.”

“Well, it’s not my neighborhood,” Theo replied.

“Is she always like that?” Festos muttered to me.

“Pretty much.”

Kai turned right. I twisted my head as we passed a large lot, astounded to see an excavation site, ringed on one side by modern cafe umbrellas.

“Ruins,” Hannah gasped. Theo had to tug her hard to keep her moving.

I checked the skies for any Photokia or Pyrosim hordes. All clear. “Where are they?”

“You’re upset that minions of Olympus and the Underworld aren’t trying to kill you?” Kai asked as we dodged a rambunctious toddler.

“Yes. Fish in a barrel here. You, me. Couple of pissed off dads? What, are we suddenly not worthy?”

“Tell me you’re kidding,” he replied.

“I am one hundred percent serious. We are the prophecy, Kai. I think they should be showing a little respect for that fact.”

“By trying to kill us.”

“Exactly.”

Kai pressed a hand to his forehead. Like it hurt. “Theo and I discussed it. Since Hades and Zeus are working together now
—
or are at least on speaking terms
—
maybe they think they can kill us on
their
timetable.”

I snorted. “Arrogant much?”

Kai looked incredulous. “Zeus and Hades? Yeah. If you look in the dictionary under ‘Arrogant,’ I’m pretty sure you’ll find a family portrait of the two.”

With Kai in his own special frame.

We came to a busy marketplace with narrow, clean streets. Vendors of every nationality had tables set out in front of small shops, selling everything from backgammon boards to tiny statues of the gods. That was pretty funny, since they looked way off the mark from the ones I’d met so far.

At one stall, a basket of pomegranates sat next to a manual juicer. A thin man pressed fresh juice and held the cup out to me.

My mouth watered. Persephone and I shared a love of pomegranates, but there was no time to stop. I sadly shook my head and kept going. Hannah’s head was turned by the blue-and-white painted pottery, while I saw the guys shoot longing glances at the souvlaki stands we passed.

Charcoal smoke swirled up to the moonlit sky from small sidewalk grills as vendors hawked their food to dazed tourists sitting at wooden tables. Cats twined underfoot and added to the overall festive air.

We wound our way through the throngs. A pretty street musician, eyes ringed with kohl, lips rouged, gave Kai a knowing smile as she played what I was later informed was a bouzouki. It was a guitar-like instrument with a really long neck and oval body, and she cranked out traditional Greek music. You know, the kind of tune that makes you want to dance on a hilltop with your arms raised to the sky then maybe break some plates.

After another few blocks, Festos planted himself on a stool outside of the tackiest tourist trap I’d ever seen. The store sold nothing but American sports shirts, their team names spelled out with Greek letters, and novelty Ts with slogans like
Ouzo: Making you look hotter one shot at a time
. “Give me a second,” he said. He’d kept up with us so far but his foot must have been bugging him.

Locals and tourists alike stared at Festos in his skinny jeans, fedora, and bright red dyed hair.

“One of these things is not like the others,” Hannah joked.

The store’s eager young proprietor beckoned us in but Kai waved him off.

Festos leaned on his cane and got to his feet. “Lead on.”

It wasn’t much farther. Kai led us past a shop that had me drooling. The window was piled high with platters of pastries in jewel tones of reds, golds, greens, and browns. I recognized some kind of tiny squares wrapped in pistachio, and baklava in all its sticky glory, but beyond that it was just random yumminess.

A few steps later, we turned into a tiled courtyard, the temperature much cooler due to all the overhanging plants and a Jacaranda tree that still held some of its gorgeous, blue bloom. I went over and patted it softly on the trunk, letting its subtly sweet scent waft over me. “Hey, baby,” I said with a fond gaze. I got a charge off it better than a caffeine rush.

Then I stepped up to the heavy wood door set into the stonework and knocked.

The door swung open, revealing a nine-foot-tall bronze man-creature with a nail in his head.

I fired my ribbons of light and was safely spinning him to oblivion when the others caught up with me. “On it,” I said with confidence. “So much for Jack’s little security system.”

The monster’s skin began to undulate in molten bronze, the heat of which dissolved my ribbons.

“Golem,” Festos sighed as Kai shot out a shield of black light that temporarily held the monster at bay.

“That’s not Gollum,” I said.

“Not Middle Earth, darling,” Festos said, “Judaism. Kabbalah. G-O-L-E-M.”

“It’s not that either,” Hannah said staring at it in wonder. “Golems are clay. This is bronze.”

“Festos is deflecting,” Theo said in disapproval. “Probably because he made this automaton.”

We all glared at Festos, who shrugged.

Well, most of us glared. Hannah requested a home model. Dork.

Festos clasped his hands on top of his cane. “I may have dabbled. Talos really was some fine bronze work of mine. I don’t remember this one, though.”

The bronze creature roared and swiped a hotly glowing arm at us, revealing the “FeE” embossed on its flaming underarm.

“Whoops,” Festos said. “Now I do.”

Kai wasn’t going to be able to hold the automaton at bay forever. “Bicker later,” I said. “How do we kill it?”

“Pull out the nail. Its insides run out and it dies,” Kai said, and Festos nodded in agreement.

“Look at you all with the smarts,” Hannah said.

“I’m more than just a pretty face.” Kai glanced over at me.

“What?”

“I’m waiting for your snarky retort.”

I patted him on the cheek. “I live to keep you on your toes.”

He pressed a swift kiss to my cheek.

Ho-boy. I was used to hot Kai. And all its subsets like snarky, smug, and ego-centric Kai. But I kept discovering more about him. And my crush on him only grew. Which made me worry that I
was
going to fall for him first.

And it wasn’t going to take an arrow.

“Fun is fun,” Festos said, motioning at the automaton. “But I’ve had enough. You really make a boy work to spend some time with you,” he said to Theo.

“A, this is all on you,” Theo replied, with a tilt of his head toward the bronze monster. “And B, I’m worth it.”

Festos frowned. “Jury’s out, darling.” He turned to me and Kai. “Drop the shield, Enterprise.”

“No way,” Kai said. “You guys get out of here first.”

The automaton made some really interesting screeching noises and glowed stronger, as he tried to force his way past Kai’s light. He was getting madder.

I placed a hand on Kai’s arm. “Be reasonable. We need to get inside and see if there are any clues to Jack’s whereabouts. And you can’t hold that shield up indefinitely.”

“No.” End of discussion. He used his scary voice so I knew he meant it.

Talk was cheap.

I stepped forward, trusting he’d pull back the shield in time to let me through and not turn me to ash memories.

He did but from his growl, I knew it wasn’t happily.

The bronze man turned his attention to me but before he could charge, there was a sharp whistle.

The automaton startled and swiveled his head to Festos, now standing.

“Honey,” he said, “if you’re going to play with fire, do it right.” With that, he gave an almost careless wave and sent out a torrent of flame like I’d never seen before.

“God of Volcano and Fire, indeed,” I said as Festos concentrated his efforts on the nail in the automaton’s forehead.

“If you can’t pull it out, melt it away,” he said cheerfully. “Same same.”

With a sudden
sploosh
, the automaton puddled into molten bronze on the ground. We scrambled out of the way, climbing the courtyard furniture so we wouldn’t get burned.

“That was pretty cool,” Kai admitted a few moments later from where he and I stood atop a table.

“I have certain talents,” Festos said. He stepped to the ground. “Stay out of the puddles.” He prodded one with his cane.

I was about to jump off the table when I was hauled back against Kai. “Pull a stunt like that again and you’ll be sorry,” he said in my ear, his hands on my hips.

I squirmed slightly at Mr. Sexy Threat’s voice. “Promises, promises,” I tossed back as I got down.

We stepped into Maia’s house.

The first thing that hit me when I walked in was the smell of almond, butter, and cookie heaven. It made me think of standing on a chair in the kitchen, helping to stir batter and being rewarded with licking the spatula. The kind of memory I’d never had and always had envied in others. Felicia hadn’t even believed in buying cookies never mind making them.

“Everyone take a room and look for any clues to Jack’s whereabouts,” I said. I started through the dimly lit hallway. Every square foot was tiled in terra cotta and my boots made soft slapping noises as I padded along the floor.