Page 25 of Gates of Tartarus

She raises a brow and twists her lips wryly at him. “Alright, Tanaka. For now. But you can’t protect your little pet forever, hmmm? At some point you’ll outlive your usefulness and leave Ms. Reed exposed to the elements. Perhaps you should start planning for that day, sooner rather than later, I’d think.”

Deo’s face is tight with anger and repressed emotion, but he motions genially toward the door, and she walks out, an air of smug triumph surrounding her.

Maddox buries his face in his hands with unusual emotion, and Walker moves over to him, nudging him gently. “You okay, man?” he asks quietly. “You… ah... seem a little tense.”

Madds mumbles something into his hands that sounds frustrated and sad and angry all at once. I don’t hear what he says, but Walker reaches out and lays a hand on his back. “Okay, Smith. Get it together now.”

Maddox growls into his hands, and Walker frowns, looking worried. “Seriously man, you okay? How bad is it? Like…”

Smith finally looks up, jaw clenched, but his tone is wry. “Somewhere between our time in Brasov and when we were in Baarle-Nassau.”

Walker’s brows jerk up in surprise. “Whoa…” he replies quietly. Then, “At least it’s not as bad as Bern?” he adds consideringly. “So that’s something.”

Smith puts his head back into his hands. “Maybe closer to Truth or Consequences.”

Walker looks surprisingly worried at the incomprehensible statement. “NewMexico?” He asks, almost hesitantly, and they exchange a long look.

I frown. “Guys, not that I’m trying to step on toes here, but when you go all secret code with each other the rest of us are left miles behind.” Pausing thoughtfully, I say, “Actually, maybe it’s not as hard as it seems.” Turning to Jonah, I say questioningly, “Denver, Massachusetts?”

He tilts his head curiously at me and replies quietly, “Um, Kai, Denver’s in–”

“Shhh!” I command. “Don’t ruin it for me.”

“AH! Right. Okay, yeah. So, more like… Honolulu, Hawaii.”

I nod seriously. “Oh geez. Yeah, Honolulu. For sure. But please don’t tell me it’s as bad as… Cleveland, Ohio?”

“Hey,” Maddox interjects, a small smile on his face. “Cleveland’s amazing.”

I look at him doubtfully. “Smith, I don’t want to question your ability as a leader of this task force, but, like, theirrivercaught on fire.”

“In the 70s!” he protests, a full smile now on his face, his sharp, Viking features softening in the curve of his lips. “Now it’s amazing. The Rock Hall? East 4th? Playhouse Square?”

“The foooooood…” Walker adds, almost longingly.

“Oh God, the food.” Smith nods in agreement. “Walker. Walker. TheChristmas Ale!”

My ears perk up at this. I fuckingloveme some Christmas. “Christmas Ale?” I ask, and Smith turns to me. “I’m listening…”

“When all this is done, you and I are going to Cleveland for a week, and you’re going to fall in love. Unexpected, head over heels, love.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“A little of both,” he replies, his icy eyes twinkling, and my breath and heart stutter slightly. “Now let’s get to work. We need to get our shit in order if Gomez is bringing her lawyer in. Innocent people don’t lawyer up, kids. This is getting more complicated by the day.”

Settling into our chairs, a gentle hum of camaraderie fills the room as we open our computers and ready our notes from the previous week. I feel the weight of eyes on me and look up to meet Walker’s considering gaze. He jerks his head slightly toward Maddox and mouths, “Thank you,” and I flash a quick smile of understanding, which fades as our eyes remain on each other, looking away only when I can feel Deo’s familiar energy approaching.

This is Your Brain. This is Your Brain on Scales

Tuesday, 6 November – Maela

I’m cross-eyed with fatigue when I get up this morning. I had odd, disturbing dreams of lying in hot sand next to Emlyn, listening to cobalt waves lap against the shore, and turning to him only to discover that he’s changed into James Tennireef. When I cry out, Magda appears and slits his throat. As his body jerks, he turns back into Emlyn, and then he’s whole again and asking if I’d like an ice cream.

Jorge gives me a big hug when I stumble into the kitchen, and I cling to him, grateful that he’s no longer being weird, and comforting myself with his warmth. After he and Emlyn leave for work, Kavi plies me with chai tea and wisely takes me through a balancing yoga routine. God knows I need it. The dream freaked me out, and I’m feeling incredibly nervous. This Cole person is the first outsider to know about me, and I’m worried she’ll think I’m a charlatan.

The woman sitting in a chair in Emlyn’s office is not what I was expecting. I thought a CEO would be older, but she looks to be in her early forties. She’s almost ethereally thin, with sharp cheekbones and narrow lips, and her skin is so translucent I can just see a blue vein at her temple. Her pallor is only accentuated by the navy pantsuit she’s wearing. However, for all her cool elegance, she has presence and projects an air of calm confidence. Her pale-gray eyes seem to size me up when Seef and I come in.

Emlyn stands up to make the introductions. “Ms. Cole, these are my colleagues Seef Arend, from MI6, and Maela Driscoll. Seef, Maela, Elizabeth Cole, CEO of the Gaia Foundation.” Elizabeth nods as I murmur hello and sink into a chair. She’s looking at me… curiously, which I suppose is only to be expected. How many times do you meet someone with preternatural abilities?