Chapter 5

My dreams were chock full of inappropriate behavior, which took place, for the most part, on the red leather sofa. In the morning, I opted for a cooler shower to snap out of it. I didn't need that imagery seared in my mind all day.

I dressed and brushed my teeth and managed to forget all about the dreams until a text from Kane brought them flooding to the surface. It wasn't even a racy message. Despite the innocence of his morning greeting, my skin felt so hot, I had to splash more cold water on my face to stop the parade of thoughts.

Addison was still asleep in her room; she'd seemed in high spirits when she returned from the Arrowhead trailer park. According to her, she'd won enough money to extend her stay at the Castle. I assumed it was a joke.

I hoped.

Stomach rumbling, I padded downstairs for breakfast and was met by Ray at the bottom of the staircase.

"Good morning, Ray," I said through a yawn.

"It's almost noon."

"It was a late night."

"I noticed. Listen I've been doing some research," Ray said. "I think you need to see this."

I followed him into the kitchen to the ancient computer that took up half my counter space. "What kind of research?"

"I thought I'd get a jump on this Wild Hunt business."

"That's very enterprising of you."

"Your friend Matilda isn't being as forthcoming as she could be."

I shot him a quizzical look. "In what way?"

"Come and see." He motioned to the computer screen.

I scanned the photographs. "This looks like a war zone. What do these have to do with the Wild Hunt?"

"These are the places Matilda mentioned when the two of you were talking. I looked them up. The articles blame everything from climate change to deforestation to localized wars."

My stomach churned as I continued to scroll. For once I was grateful for Ray's eavesdropping. No wonder Matilda was concerned about Vortigern amassing more power. He was a threat to civilization as we knew it.

"Do you think your friend caused this level of destruction when she was mistress of the hunt?"

Ray's question had been circling the drain of my mind, but I'd been too afraid to voice it. It seemed unlikely given her contempt for Vortigern. Besides, Matilda was my friend. I couldn't see her inflicting this level of damage.

"I wish I'd had these photos at the meeting last night."

"Didn't go well?"

I shook my head. "They're assassins who consider themselves Good Samaritans, but only within the context of their jobs."

"In other words, the guild isn't a nonprofit."

"No, it is not, but Gun and Cam offered to help anyway."

Ray contemplated the images. "It's hard to see this and assume it'll all work out for the best."

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

Ray nodded his approval. "Martin Luther King, Jr."

"My grandmother was very fond of that quote."

I opted for a bowl of cereal with almond milk, topped with organic blueberries. Cereal was comfort food that took me back to childhood. Some of my favorite moments were when Pops declared it was a ‘breakfast for dinner' evening. We'd sit together, crunching our cereal, and share the details of our day. When I was really lucky, he'd tell me a story about my parents, although he mostly avoided talking about them. Now that I knew from the Fates that my parents had been murdered, it was hard to think of those moments with the same fondness. The Fates' revelation had raised more questions than answers. Had Pops avoided the topic because he was grief-stricken, or because he knew more than he was willing to admit?

After breakfast, I retreated to my bedroom and stared at the ceiling as I mulled over the images on the computer. I couldn't imagine Matilda causing that level of destruction. It had to be the reason she was so intent on stopping Vortigern. If he was capable of all that without absorbing the power of the white stag… I stopped my train of thought. As my grandmother used to say, "don't go borrowing trouble."

Maybe I could persuade Phaedra to craft a spell to track the white stag. Then the team would only need to chase it through the crossroads.

I debated talking to West about the pack's involvement in herding animals. So far, I'd only told him about the imminent threat so that he could decide whether to pull his guards. Naturally, he'd declined. What if Monica was right and I was overthinking the risk that a wolf would lose control and kill the white stag? This was a creature famous for evading capture. We needed as many volunteers as we could muster.

As I began typing a text message, the ward triggered an uncomfortable sensation—it felt like I had a TENS unit at full strength concentrated at the base of my neck.

I called to Ray, who materialized in the doorway.

"You rang?"

"Would you mind seeing who's here? I don't recognize the signature."

His form dissipated and returned a moment later. "A well-dressed gentleman with a very nice head of hair."

"That describes a few people I know."

"This isn't anyone I've seen before."

"Right." I popped open the trunk at the foot of my bed and retrieved a small dagger. "Where's Addison?"

"In the kitchen. She and Ingrid are baking a cake."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I think it's nice," he said, somewhat defensively.

"What kind of cake?"

"Looks like red velvet."

I nodded. "Good choice."

The doorbell rang. I swung by the kitchen and advised Addison to stay quiet.

The goddess turned to look at me. "Who is it?" she mouthed.

"I'll let you know in a minute."

I inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. Then I crossed the foyer to answer the door.

The gentleman caller was, indeed, well dressed if a bit over the top. His suit jacket was trimmed with rhinestones, and his black leather boots sported shiny metal tips at the toes. His eccentric style did nothing to distract from his good looks, however. Dark brown eyes framed by thick lashes. A strong, straight nose. Full lips that hinted at delicious secrets.

"Good afternoon, miss. So sorry to bother you on such a delightful day, but I'm looking for someone. You might know her as Addison Gray."

"I don't know anyone by that name. Are you going door-to-door? Doesn't seem like the most effective method."

He flashed a brilliant smile that suggested expensive veneers. "Maybe a photo will help." He produced a 3 x 5 photograph from his inside jacket pocket and held it out for inspection. Addison's face stared back at me. The twinkle in her eye hinted at the goddess within.

"Sorry, she doesn't look familiar. Are you a cop or something?"

He chuckled. "Oh, no. I wouldn't make a very good policeman."

"Why not?"

"Not a fan of other people's rules."

"Yes, I got that impression from your fashion choices."

His toothy smile remained intact. "Are you sure you haven't seen her? Because I met a nice man in town, chatty fellow, and he recalled seeing this woman entering through the gate of this very house."

"What man? I don't have any close neighbors."

"He was on his daily run. Apparently, he runs five miles every day, no matter the weather."

"Five miles in Fairhaven, huh? He must circle the town more than once." I pretended to study the photo again. "I think your runner friend was mistaken. If this woman came to my door, I didn't answer it."

"Why not? You answered for me."

"Maybe I wasn't home at the time."

Those dark eyes considered me.

I've been lying my whole life, pal. I'm practically a professional.

"Let's try this again," he said. "My name is Mathis Dell. I work for The Corporation. I believe you've heard of us. My employers have reason to believe you're harboring someone of great interest to us. A very dangerous someone, I might add. We'd be more than happy to remove the threat."

"The only thing I'm harboring is a grudge against a guy who is currently wasting my valuable time."

He laughed. "They weren't kidding about you."

His remark gave me pause. "Who?"

"The people I spoke to in town. They mentioned you leaned toward the cantankerous side. To be honest, I expected a much older woman when you answered the door."

I folded my arms and glared at him. "Tread carefully, Mr. Dell. You're on dangerous ground."

"I'm beginning to see that." He tucked the photo inside his jacket pocket. "Let's cut through the bullshit, beautiful. You and I are too skilled for this clumsy dance. I'm authorized to negotiate a deal on behalf of The Corporation for the return of Aite, or Melissa, or Addison—whatever new name she's given you. I should think you'd be happy to oblige, given how willing she was to sacrifice you to save her own ass. She can be quite a handful. Allow me to take her off yours."

Well, at least we didn't have to pretend anymore. I felt a sense of relief, despite the dangers this conversation presented.

"And which god are you?" I asked.

His expression relaxed. "Finally. My name is Hedylogos."

I nodded my appreciation. "They sent a sweet talker first. Nice strategy."

He grinned. "You catch more flies with honey."

"Flattery gets you everywhere, I suppose."

"Today has been a bit of a challenge." His smile broadened. "Honestly, it's a refreshing change of pace. Humans are usually too easy. The right compliment and—" Mathis snapped his fingers. "Target acquired."

"Who were you before you drank the soma?"

His eyebrow arched. "Spilling all our corporate secrets, is she?"

"I already knew. So, who were you? An innocent farm boy just trying to grow his crops and feed his family?"

"Does it matter?"

"Always."

"Very well then, Mathis Dell was a pathetic loser."

"A handsome guy like you? I doubt that."

"No, it's true. I was poor, uneducated, and my voice sounded like I'd never escaped puberty. The Corporation changed all that."

"They prey on the weak to make room for the weaker. Got it."

He laughed. "Weaker? I'm the god of sweet talk and flattery. Mathis has bedded more men and women than he ever dreamed of before I came along."

"That's your reason to come back to this world? Persuading people to have sex with you?"

He tugged the hem of his jacket. "Mathis is quite happy with the arrangement; I can assure you."

"From the sound of it, he ought to be exhausted."

The Elvis of Greek gods looked past my shoulder. "You have an incredible house. I'd love to see more."

"Oh, I'm sure you've seen better homes than this, given your impressive pedigree."

"You're not going to invite me in, are you?" He sounded resigned.

"Nope."

"Aite rambled on and on that you had to be a rogue goddess. She tried to convince us that you were a danger to our organization, but that she could help bring you into the fold."

"And?"

"Why would you protect someone willing to betray you?"

"It's only betrayal if she owed me her silence, which she didn't. We weren't friends."

He regarded me for a long moment. "You're a very interesting woman."

"Is that meant to be one of your compliments? If so, you might want to brush up on your skills. I think there might be a bit of Mathis slipping in there."

He tried to smother a look of disgust, but not before I glimpsed his reaction.

"Let's assume Aite is right and you're a rogue goddess. She mentioned nightmares, but across pantheons, that's still a reasonably long list of suspects. We know we didn't create you, so who did?"

I wagged a finger. "Did no one ever teach you about the birds and the bees, Mathis?"

"I'm not talking about Lorelei Clay. I'm talking about whichever goddess you've got housed in there with you. Or perhaps not a deity at all but a lesser being? My personal theory is that you're simply a witch who attempted to hex her during your scuffle."

"Do you think Aite would tell you the truth?"

He angled his head. "She mentioned the moat."

"The best lies are sprinkled with the truth. She was desperate to get back into your good graces. She would've said anything."

"Yes, we considered that."

"And?"

"And we decided to investigate her claim nonetheless, hence the reason I'm here. We pride ourselves on our thoroughness, Miss Clay. It would be impossible to operate a global organization filled with temperamental deities without paying close attention to details."

I folded my arms. "And yet you still don't know who or what I am. If I tell you I'm a sorceress and that I transported your friend to another realm, will you take my word for it and go on your merry way?"

He offered a smile full of mirth. "Alas, no."

"Didn't think so."

He fiddled with his lapel. "Listen, we have no intention of beating the truth out of you. We're willing to walk away and forget we ever heard your name if you hand over the goddess you've got stashed in that fortress of yours."

Somehow, I doubted that.

My stonewalling forced him to change tacks. "Anyone you miss? A young woman like you, living alone in such a big house. Surely you must have loved ones you've lost that you'd give anything to speak to again."

"Shouldn't you know? I thought you did your homework."

"That's one of the interesting things about you, Miss Clay. There wasn't much information available, and we typically excel at recovering data. Simply provide us with their names and we can help you reconnect."

"You have psychics that can connect me with the spirit realm?"

His teeth gleamed. "Even better."

"Better? Wow. Let me guess. The necromancy department?"

He scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. We have gods in our stable with the requisite skill set."

In our stable, like animals.The description nauseated me.

"You've lost someone," he continued. "I can see it in those beautiful eyes of yours. Who was it? A lover?" He examined me closely. "Ah, I see. Mother or father?" He paused, recognition settling in. "Both."

"It doesn't matter. I won't be taking you up on your offer."

He reached into his pocket. "Here's my card, for when you change your mind. It's my direct line. I look forward to hearing from you."

I glanced at the card. Mathis Dell, Director of Risk Management.

"You won't." I closed the door on the hunk of burning god.

Addison poked her head into the foyer. "Is he gone?" she whispered.

"For now."

"Thank you. I know you don't owe me anything."

I sauntered past her and entered the kitchen. "You're right, I don't."

She trailed after me. "Is he still hot? I couldn't see. He and I had a fling once upon a blue moon. I'd love to know if he's starting to show his age."

I glanced at her. "Do you think this is personal for him?"

"Nothing is personal for Mathis. He's loyal to The Corporation above all else."

I pivoted to face her. "And you? Who are you loyal to?"

Her chin lifted an inch. "Myself, first and foremost. After that, it depends on which way the wind is blowing."

I thought about the comments at last night's guild meeting. "Right now, I'd say the wind is blowing in my favor."

Slowly, she lowered herself into a chair at the table. "I was wondering when you'd decide to take advantage of the situation."

"Why don't you slice me a piece of that cake and we can chat about your former employer?"

Addison complied, bringing two small plates to the table. "Nana Pratt is a good teacher. It's especially impressive given that I can't see her or hear a word she says."

"That is impressive."

"I've worked under more challenging conditions," she said with a shrug. "This is a piece of cake." She snort-laughed at her own joke.

"Tell me about The Corporation. Why are they so desperate to get their hands on you?"

"Because I know too much. You don't want to hear all the things I've done for them."

"That bad?"

She whistled. "All those nightmares you have access to… Make them ten times worse and that was my role in the company."

"How many avatars do they have?"

"Nobody knows. They keep departments separate from each other. No mingling."

"Then you and Mathis were in the same department?" Aite didn't seem like the right goddess for risk management.

"At the time we were involved, yes. When he got promoted to risk management, he cut off contact."

I smiled. "But you tried to communicate with him anyway."

She shoved a forkful of cake into her mouth. "What can I say? I enjoyed our time together, and I've never been much of a rule follower, inside or outside The Corporation."

"Which department were you in together?"

"Operations. It's the umbrella department of risk management. Here's the thing, though. I loved my job. Loved. I never feel more alive than when I'm creating mischief and ruining relationships. It's who I am at my core."

"Is that why you chose to come here? You knew by showing up on my doorstep that you'd wreak havoc?"

She hesitated. "To be honest, I hadn't given it much thought. It was purely a survival instinct. It seemed like the safest of all the unsafe bets."

I couldn't decide whether to be offended. "How did I seem like a safe bet to you?"

"Truth?"

"Truth."

She scraped the frosting off her plate. "In two minutes, I sensed more humanity in you than any supernatural I've ever known."

"That's interesting, because as I recall, we were fighting to the death."

Addison offered a meek smile. "Oh, come on. I was gathering intel. I had no intention of killing you, and I figured out pretty quickly that you wouldn't kill me."

"You don't think I'd kill to defend myself?"

"I think you'd exhaust every other option first." She tapped with her fork. "And that's not typical of our kind. Gods and goddesses tend to do what they want, when they want, to whomever they want. We're a spoiled, selfish bunch."

"Gee, tell me how you really feel."

She sprawled her hands. "It's true. We all know it. It's almost a badge of honor to be as ruthless as possible. At least, it was for me."

"What happened? You don't seem so ruthless now." Unless she was still planning to double-cross me. I wouldn't put it past her.

"I was humbled by recent events."

"You hit rock bottom?"

"And bounced, then hit an even rockier bottom."

"Sounds painful."

Her mouth turned down at the corners. "You have no idea." She splayed her hands on the table. "Will you tell me who you are now?"

"Nope."

"Why not? I'm on your side now, remember?"

"The only side you're on is yours. You're the top priority, as you just reminded me."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Isn't your survival your top priority? Or are you hiding in this house because you like the sound of clanging pipes and wallpaper curling?"

"You said it was a Barbie dream house."

"I see the potential, but it's falling short at the moment. You can't live in potential. It's unsustainable long-term."

"Excuse me, not all of us have enjoyed a healthy paycheck from The Corporation."

She pointed a finger at me. "See? This is exactly what I mean. Your survival is so important to you that you've sacrificed all your potential in life in order to keep yourself safe. When's the last time you held down a job?"

"Not that long ago," I mumbled.

"She has a point, Lorelei," Nana Pratt interrupted.

I glared at the ghost who'd appeared in the kitchen doorway. Eavesdropping until she felt compelled to insert her opinion, no doubt.

"The difference between us is that you're willing to sacrifice someone else to insure your own survival. I only sacrifice parts of myself."

Addison rolled her eyes. "Gee, that sounds so much better."

"Is it wrong that she's starting to grow on me?" Nana Pratt asked.

It figured the elderly ghost would warm to someone like Addison. Nana Pratt was willing to do anything to protect her family. She'd probably even sacrifice me if it meant saving Steven and Ashley. Then again, Matilda had killed one of The Corporation's assets to protect me. Solomon had only shown up at Bruce Huang's house to investigate his silence. Now the djinni was dead so that I could continue to live.

"How many departments does The Corporation have?"

"Worldwide? No idea. I know the ones we've discussed, plus the prophecy department, merger and acquisitions, asset retrieval," She began to tick them off on her fingers.

"I guess merger and acquisitions is focused on finding humans to become avatars."

She nodded. "They recruited me. It isn't easy, though. They don't take just anybody. There's a lot of criteria that has to be met to qualify."

"Like what? Desperation and a burning desire to lord over humanity? Seems like that ought to be a mark in the negative column."

"I heard what you said to Mathis about preying on the weak. It isn't too far off. They find people who are down on their luck, who seek validation or want to be special. Then they offer them their heart's desire."

"Is that what happened to Melissa? That's your birth name, isn't it?"

She stared at her empty plate without answering.

"Tell me about the prophecy department." I pictured women in tailored suits chatting around a scrying glass instead of a water cooler.

"I don't know much since I wasn't a part of it, but they'd brief our department at meetings each quarter with any prophecies related to our tasks."

Fascinating. "How accurate were they?"

"Fifty-fifty, I'd say, but I wasn't privy to their official stats."

"Asset retrieval," I repeated. "Is that what you pretended to be when you came for the menagerie?"

She shook her head. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"I'm only trying to get a clearer picture of the organization."

"It's strange," she mused.

"What?"

"That you don't know more about them. I'm confident you're a goddess, but your lack of knowledge confuses me. I thought every god on this plane knew about The Corporation, either because they were an employee of the company, or because they were at a rival organization."

"How many rival organizations can there possibly be?" Cranking out gods in human bodies seemed like a pretty niche area.

"Not many. Mostly smaller operations like your buddy Magnarella's. They never managed to get very far with their programs, either because they lack the resources or because The Corporation destroys them first."

I winced at the mention of the deceased vampire. "He wasn't my buddy."

"I was sure he'd created you with his god elixir."

"He didn't. I met him for the first time after I moved here."

"What are the odds?"

"It's the crossroads," I said. "It acts as a powerful magnet for supernaturals."

"Is that how you ended up here? You were attracted to the town because of the energy?"

I couldn't answer that. I'd bought the Castle online without stepping foot in Fairhaven first. If I'd known about the crossroads, I wouldn't have moved here. My goal had been to avoid supernaturals, not to live smack in their epicenter. On the other hand, it was possible I was drawn to the town on a subconscious level. Just because I'd found the listing online all the way from London didn't mean there hadn't been external forces at work. I wasn't that naive.

"I wanted to move closer to where I grew up," I said. I chose my words carefully, not wanting to reveal too much about my background. I still didn't trust Addison. If she decided to return to The Corporation's fold or they dragged her back kicking and screaming, I didn't want to give her ammunition to use against me.

She snorted. "That's one way we differ. The only thing I wanted was to move as far away as possible from the place I was raised. Becoming an avatar was the ultimate escape. Usually there's a good reason we choose to abandon our human lives in the hope of something better."

"My childhood was reasonably good, all things considered."

Her eyes narrowed. "But there's a story there."

"Everybody has a story."

"Fine, don't share."

"Why should I? You haven't shared yours."

She pursed her lips. "I'm not hiding it. I just don't like to think about it. I merged with Aite for a reason."

"Don't you feel exploited knowing that The Corporation preys on the weak?"

"And the weak become strong." She traced the rim of her plate with her index finger. "I have many complaints about them, but I don't regret becoming a goddess."

"Did Addison… or Melissa get to choose which deity inhabited her?"

"Of course not. The Corporation decides based on availability and current needs. Not all deities are ready or able to return. How did it work where you're from?"

"Not like that."

She groaned. "Come on, Lorelei. I'm basically committing corporate espionage by sharing all this with you. Throw me a bone."

"You'd only be committing corporate espionage if you were gathering intel from The Corporation for the benefit of a rival company."

She blew a raspberry. "Details."

"The simple fact is that I don't owe you information. I don't owe you a place to shelter either. You should be thankful all I've requested is this conversation."

"And help moving the red sofa," she added. "Don't forget that."

"How can I when you won't let me?"

"It was awkward," she protested. "I think I tweaked a muscle in my back."

"Speak to the Castle's Human Resources department. Ray and Nana Pratt will be happy to assist you."

"You're the only one who can communicate with them," she protested.

"No, they can hear you. You just can't hear them." I finished my cake and walked our plates to the sink to rinse them. "Do you think Mathis will try to come back when I'm not here?"

"No."

I turned to look at her. "Why not?"

"There's more value in cutting a deal with you. He can't stand that you're a mystery. The Corporation doesn't like mysteries unless they've created them." She peered back at me. "It is interesting that they couldn't find much information about you. I assumed once I gave them the basics, they'd be off and running."

If the Fates themselves didn't have me in their database, there was little chance The Corporation would. I wasn't about to tell Addison about the invisible rose mark on my forehead that acted as a protective barrier.

"The cake was delicious. You and Nana Pratt did a good job."

Addison seemed taken aback by the compliment. "Thanks, it was fun."

"Do you think Mathis is staying in town?"

"Absolutely not. He's too fancy for Fairhaven. He's probably at the Ritz or the Peninsula in the city."

"No more outings for the time being," I told her.

"Don't worry. I was already planning to count spiderwebs to pass the time."

"You could try helping out with a chore. We've got plenty of them."

She kicked back her chair. "Like what?"

"Let me deal with our houseguest," Ray said, drifting into the room. "You're getting that pinched look. Get out of the house and do something you enjoy."

I barked a laugh. "How can I possibly do that when I've got a Wild Hunt and a diabolical middle manager on my doorstep?"

"You'll mishandle both situations if you don't take time to calm yourself and clear your head. I'd tell Renee to go outside and get fresh air whenever she was on the verge of being overwhelmed. It never failed."

I tapped my foot, thinking. "I could practice throwing knives in the woods."

"No," he objected. "Something normal, for pleasure. Don't be the liminal deity of the crossroads. Be Lorelei Clay for an hour."

"You've had that kayak in the outbuilding gathering dust," Nana Pratt interrupted. "Why not take it for a ride?"

It wasn't a bad idea. When I'd first moved to Fairhaven, I pictured myself kayaking once a week. Ha. Joke was on me.

"You'll look after Addison?" I asked.

"Nobody needs to look after me."

Ray nodded. "We swear."

"I won't," Nana Pratt said, "but only because I don't swear."

"Go. Clear your head. The problems will be waiting for you when you get back, but you might feel more capable of dealing with them."

My chest swelled with gratitude. Listening to Ray right now was like hearing the voice of Pops from the Great Beyond. Mathis was right that I had loved ones I was missing, but it was comforting to know I also had a few right here.