“There’s a database of sorts.” Aida wracked her brain to remember everything that Trista had said about it. “We submit our digital information into a database online. And we meet with them in person every quarter to report on our research. Come to think of it though, a lot of that report is on how the work makesmehappy.”
“That’s it then. We need to find out what that database is and where they store it. It’s not a real computer. It might have some digital interface, but I assure you, it’s something else.”
“And how are we supposed to do that? We can’t just askthem. My assistant is a locked box regarding information about MODA.” Aida tried to imagine a conversation with Trista about the database. “I think questioning it would set off every red flag she has.”
“Mine too,” Luciano agreed.
“They must have offices or rooms you can search,” Sophie suggested. “Start there.” She waved a hand, and suddenly the waitress was there. Reaching into her coat pocket, Sophie pulled out a slim wallet. She extracted several bills and handed them to the woman, who took them with a smile. Sophie stood and put her coat on. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Wait!” Aida couldn’t believe the goddess would just leave them there like that. “How do we find you?”
“You shouldn’t need to. Now that you have my aegis, I can easily find you. But if you really have to, I suppose you recall how to pray?” She gave them both a sage nod and departed.
“Pray?” Aida said, looking at Luciano.
He frowned. “I don’t remember the last time I prayed.” He gathered up his coat and stood. “Andiamo.I know a pub where we can get a drink.”
Aida followed, her heart pounding at both the idea of complying with a goddess’s wishes and going with Luciano off into the night.
16
December 2019
They ducked into a pub a few blocks from the restaurant, off a side street toward the hotel. Luciano led Aida to a cozy table in a corner, and they ordered beer. Neither of them had said much on the way, but after the waiter deposited their drinks on the table and left, they could hardly contain themselves.
“I don’t know how we’re going to do any of this,” Aida said. She pulled the little red plastic monkey off the side of her glass and set it aside. “The mere thought of presenting to MODA again just brings me terror.”
Luciano laid a hand on hers. “Me too. But isn’t that what she said her protection is for? To give us calm in the face of the gods?”
Aida’s cheeks grew warm with his touch. “Do you really believe that? Why couldn’t she have given us a magic shield to keep them from killing us?”
“Well, if she’s right, and the gods can’t directly kill us, then shouldn’t a calm spell protect us? We just can’t let on that we know who they are.”
“I’m not a great liar,” she said, thinking of Mo. Their usual banter, the sharp exchanges that used to feel so effortless, now hung heavy. She hadn’t ever fully trusted him—not really—but now, with the truth staring her down, matching wits with him carried a new weight. It would be harder to stay sharp, harder to fire back with the same ease when every word from him might cut deeper than before.
“We’ve both had our meetings for this quarter. If we’re lucky, we won’t see any of the gods till we return in three months,” he reassured her. “Maybe we’ll figure it all out by then.”
The weight of those words slammed into her, and a surge of nausea twisted in her stomach. “But, then what? What happens to us? To our jobs? I love this job. I’ll never have anything else like it.”
“I know.” He let go of her hand, which only heightened Aida’s sadness. “My family didn’t have much money when I was growing up. My father died in a car crash when I was a toddler, and my mother had stage-four breast cancer when I was just out of school. I spent several years taking care of her until she passed. The MODA job gave me stability. For the first time in my career, I’ve had a salary that means I don’t have to worry about paying for anything—car repairs, travel, or a nice dinner out with someone I like.”
Aida blushed.
He continued. “I too love this work. But I’ve always assumed it wouldn’t last, so I’ve been saving and investing in preparation for that day. I never want to worry about how I might pay my rent again.”
Aida nodded, understanding that feeling.
“I don’t know how I’m going to convince Dolores, my assistant, to tell me anything,” Luciano said.
“Me too. Trista barely has kind words for me on a good day.”
Luciano drained his glass. “I wonder if we can enlist help.”
Aida had been thinking about how she might find a way to safely ask Ilario and Pippa for advice, and she certainly wasn’t going to keep this a secret from Yumi or Felix. “Sophie didn’t say we can’t. But let’s be careful. If we have her protection, but others don’t, we could...”
“Be putting them in danger,” Luciano finished. He looked into her eyes.
She melted. “We wouldn’t want that.”
