James’s footsteps echoed behind mine as I made my way through the foyer and up the stairs, two at a time. I had no patience to wait for the lift.
“Quen, what is going on?” he asked, out of breath.
“I need to speak to Gareth. Will he still be here?” I hadn’t considered the fact that with the project on an indefinite hiatus, there may be no reason for anyone to be in the labs, let alone Gareth, who was overseeing the entire thing. Working from home was an option we would all take, given the chance.
“More than likely,” James told me. “He’s been in a foul mood and locked up in his office for the last week or so. Are you going to tell us what is going on?”
I ignored him and picked up my pace, flying down the hall to where Gareth’s office was. As I reached out for the door handle, it opened and I spilled forward, colliding with my boss.
“What the… Scott?” Gareth sounded a little less pleased to see me. “What are you doing here? Is Hunter with you?” There was an uptick in his tone.
For Gareth, he was the chosen one. The one Hunter opted to seek out and speak to. I didn’t have the heart to break it to him that his devotion to the God meant he was an easy target that could be manipulated with little effort. Not a chosen vessel so much as a puppet.
“I need access to Teixeira’s lab,” I told him. “I need the oleander.”
“What?” Gareth shook his head. “No. I can’t?—”
“Gareth, you need to listen to me.”
His face looked like thunder. “No. I am not bending any more rules for you.”
I narrowed my eyes, but James jumped in before I could open my mouth. “Gareth, I think we need to hear her out. There’s something more going on.”
“Of course there is,” Gareth muttered, but he turned around and walked back into his office. “When is it not when it comes to Scott?”
“Thanks,” I said to James over my shoulder.
When Gareth turned around, the exhaustion was written clear upon his face. The urge to laugh bubbled inside of me and I pushed it down quickly. I remembered feeling tired with the long nights in the lab, numbers and graphs on the screen, and endless pieces of paperwork that needed revisions. It was nothing compared to the fatigue that tried to pull me under, thanks to the mind games I was thrown into in Elysia. And to think… there was possibly an eternity of this.
“What is it this time?” Gareth asked, leaning against his desk and folding his arms across his chest.
Once upon a time, his tone would have left me feeling full of shame. I worked hard to make sure that my supervisors and managers saw me as an exemplary member of the team. Now, I didn’t care if Gareth saw me as a pain in the ass. I was done with trying to please everyone. I needed them to do what I asked.
“I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a war in Elysia. And if there’s a war there, then I don’t want to think about what might happen down here.”
James’s whispered profanity was almost drowned out by Gareth’s laughter. “What are you talking about, Scott? I spoke toHunter. He said that you were struggling to fit in. No surprise if you’ve been half as difficult with them as you have with us. They seem to accommodate all your needs, but he said you aren’t very grateful to them.”
I narrowed my eyes. “If you choose to believe Hunter, that is up to you,” I said, keeping my voice as even as possible. “I’m not going to waste my breath trying to convince you otherwise, but I’m going to remind you, Gareth, that I am also part Goddess. Everything you cherish and praise in him, a part of that lies in me. And I have been here, day in, day out, doing what you asked. Hunter, he only spoke to you when he needed something. It’s not my fault that my mother ended up being a Goddess. I didn’t ask for it. So if you’re sulking at that, or over how unfair it is. Or that it’s my fault this project has stopped, then you need to get a grip.” I shook my head in disbelief that even those I had worked with had abandoned me. “You know what? Forget it. I’ll do this on my own.”
There was a beat of silence before I left the office. Even if I didn’t have access to Teixeira’s lab, I’d break in somehow. Hopefully, someone was still in there crunching numbers or doing tissue culture and I wouldn’t have to resort to criminal activity.
I hit the button for the lift, expelling some of my anger, and, after a short wait, stepped inside. As the doors closed, a hand appeared and James stepped in beside me. He was quiet as I set us on course for Teixeira’s floor.
“Gareth’s a dick and you’re not on your own,” James mumbled. “I’ll always have your back, Scott. Tell me what’s Hunter planning?”
Spite made me want to stay silent, but I knew I needed as much help as I could get. James had always followed my lead, with some negotiations. “He’s planning to sacrifice Gray. Hewants to maintain power, and he thinks that if he sacrifices his brother, then the minor Gods will be happy.”
“He can’t do that.”
“He can, and he’s going to do it with me as his wife.”
“I’m sorry. What?”
I lifted my hand to show him the new ring. “That’s only the start of it. He’s got plans to use my gift. I don’t understand the specifics because he’s not explained. I think he’s planning to use it in a way that basically forces people to pray. To believe. I don’t even know if it will work, but if it does, this is bad. Hunter had me under house arrest, and suddenly I’m sent down here with zero explanation? There’s a war brewing and I think we’re at the precipice.” The lift reached the floor, and the doors opened. “I need to find some oleander and then I need to find a key to get this stupid cuff off.”
“And what happens then? You go back to Elysia?”
That was a good question. What was I going to do when I had my freedom and a weapon? Archer. Or maybe Dionne. They were my ticket back into the heavens.
