“Thank you, Blair.”
The warm, approving glow in his hazel eyes me made feelbreathless excitedstrange, and I muttered awkwardly, “I’m sure any other detective at INTERPOL could have done the same thing.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Most other INTERPOL officers wouldn’t even have made it past the entrance.”
“I don’t think so.” I was genuinely skeptical. “I’m just a Level 1 agent –”
“Exactly,” Paul said simply. “All of Midas’ casinos are for humans, and his security’s trained to keep high-level sups out of his hair. He doesn’t want any non-human interfering in the way he runs his business.”
“But you managed to get in,” I pointed out.
“I’m better at disguising my powers than most are.” Paul turned the radio on after speaking and I mentally dissected his words while keeping one ear out for the news. Was he able to disguise his powers by using a shield (which was a terribly expensive spell) or had he simply drawn everyone under his thrall (a natural-born ability that only immortals possessed)?
“And now, for this hour’s breaking news...”
The familiar sound of the messenger goddess’ voice had me sitting up while Paul tapped on his radio’s digital display to increase the volume.
No definite timetable for how long the mood swings would last...
Heavy flooding has now struck certain parts of New England...
Hurricane level may be upgraded to Category 4 if this continues...
Paul and I exchanged somber looks at the last piece of news. Category 4 meant that the wind gods were nearing at the end of their tether. We had to find out who that woman was – before Zeus ended up commanding his immortal liegemen to tear the world apart.
PAUL PICKED ME UP ATmy place at exactly eight the next morning, dressed impeccably in another dark suit, and with a black umbrella in hand. He had insisted on this last night, telling me with one of his rare wicked smiles that he wasn’t the type to take no for an answer.
A good number of curtains on neighboring properties twitched tellingly at his arrival, and I was pretty sure I caught sight of Mrs. Murray taking a quick photo of Paul’s SUV from her second-floor bedroom window.
“Good morning.” Paul’s lips curved into a smile of unabashed appreciation as his gaze took in my unbound hair, long wet strands curling against my back. “You look beautiful.”
“It’s the clothes,” I felt obliged to emphasize even as my cheeks turned pink. I was secretly (and foolishly) glad that I had taken extra effort with today’s outfit: a sleeveless lilac sweater worn over a collared lace blouse, a plaid skirt that conservatively fell well below my knees, and black, low-heeled Mary Janes to complete the look.
Paul laid a hand at the small of my back as soon as I finished locking the door and pulled me close under his umbrella while walking us to his car.
A little too close if you ask me, and I nearly fell into the passenger seat in my haste to put a bit of distance between us.
“Have you had breakfast yet?” Paul inquired as soon as he settled behind the wheel.
“I was thinking—-”
“So that’s a no,” he interrupted with a grin. “We’ll make a quick stop at Panda’s before I drop you off.”
“I can’t be late,” I warned even as warmth flooded me at his thoughtfulness. “I have a very strict boss—-”
“That sounds like Dike.”
My eyes widened. “She is my superior. Do you know her?”
“Just enough to promise I won’t have you late.”
He was doing it again, I thought in exasperation. Telling me everything without saying a single thing.
Paul parked his SUV by the curb and reminded me to lock my doors before making a quick dash to Panda’s. I glanced outside my window, and my heart grew heavy at the still darkened skies overhead. I personally loved the rain, and I usually loved the pitter-patter sound it made against the windowpane. This storm, however, was different. I just found it impossible to delight in it, knowing that this was nothing but a result of Zeus’ condition tampering with nature.
Paul returned soon after, and as he handed me my coffee and donut, he noticed the way my brows were furrowed and asked, “What is it?”
“I’m just worried about the storm.” I knew CIA, INTERPOL, and all the other agencies were doing their best to mitigate the damage, but I also knew that they were only buying humans extra time at best. The only way to solve this was to find a way to cure Zeus out of his mood swings.
