“Is there a problem?” I leaned forward and turned up my charisma. I did not like the deep crease between his eyes or how frantic his fingers moved over the keyboard. I needed to distract him until we had tickets in our hand.
“There seems to be a flag on one of your passports. I’m sure it’s nothing.” While his attention was firmly on the computer, I knew that the only reason he had been honest with us was because of my Siren curse. I wasn’t even sure if he was aware he’d spilled the truth.
“Which passport?” I asked him.
“Ryder Sutton’s. The computer says I’m supposed to call this number if I should see this particular passport.”
That made sense since mine was a forged one and it wouldn’t flag anything to do with Ivy Pierce. Nix had no idea Genevieve Carston existed. Thank the gods. However, if Ryder’s had been flagged then that was a major problem.
The system would notify Nix immediately and give away our location and flight plans.Shit. Even if we managed to buy tickets, we were still going to be stuck here for the next two hours waiting for our plane. Nix would easily be able to catch up with us.
I took an instinctive step back and licked my dry lips. “You know what? I’ve, um, changed my mind. I think we should rethink our trip, Babe. Like, maybe we want to go somewhere cold and snowy. Or backpack through Europe instead. Let’s take a few nights to mull it over.”
Ryder finally caught on. “Good idea.” In a bold mood, he reached over the counter and snatched his passport from the bewildered clerk.
I was pretty impressed with his initiative and I would have told him that if we hadn’t turned around to find all of our exits blocked.
“Son of a bitch,” I moaned. “There are giantseverywhere!”
“I hate that when you say giants, you mean actual giants,” Ryder grumbled.
“You and me both.”
He chuckled darkly, “What now, Red? What’s the contingency plan?”
“This was the contingency plan!”
“Think fast, Ives. Gigantes are the least of our problems.”
I didn’t know how he knew it, but he was right. Crete Haden stepped out of the shadows and walked slowly toward us. I couldn’t remember Ryder ever meeting the god more commonly known as Hades before, but it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out there was something much more than human happening in Crete’s soulless black eyes. The guy practically radiated death and despair. I could feel the death-like coldness coming off him before I ever got close enough to actually feel it.
He gave me the absolute creeps. He was also the reason that when Anaxandra and Evaleen decided to let me help them escape, Eva had said yes.
He had purchased her from Nix and she would have rather died than face what that meant for her.
Actually, she did die. Anaxandra and Evaleen both died because they tried to run from Nix and this ugly world he was determined to chain us to.
“Siren,” Hades called out from across the quiet airport.
This early in the morning there weren’t very many people milling about. The shiny lobby floor glistened under the bright florescent lights between us. The whir of a floor polisher could be heard in the distance. Behind me, the clerk had gone absolutely still.
There were witnesses, but not enough to deter Hades.
“He’s using you,” I suggested on a total grasping-for-straws move. “All Nix wants is the mountain and you are just a tool to help get him there.”
Crete’s slow smile told me I was not nearly old enough to play this game of wits with him. “Are you trying to turn me against Poseidon? Against my brother?”
“I’m trying to give you options,” I replied confidently.
“Ah, I see.” He took another measured step toward me. “He said you had spirit.”
Ryder’s arm shot out and wrapped around my waist, tucking me behind him. I could feel the electricity build and pressurize inside of him. Whatever he had used to fight Nix that day was back and stronger than ever.
“Do not come any closer,” he called out to Hades.
“Orpheus,” Hades growled. “So the rumors are true.”
Ryder raised a hand sparking with supernatural energy. “I beat you once, Hades. Are you sure you’re up for round two?”
