Page 149 of Gates of Tartarus

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I say sincerely.

“I had our doctor check her; she’ll be fine, but she needs rest.” The reminder that Kronos will undoubtedly be subjecting me to tests makes me go cold again, but I manage to murmur, “oh, good.”

“You’ll have to forgive my curiosity, Maela, but I’m so glad you’ve decided to join us. What finally won you over? Did Kailani tell you about our new coffee bar?” Elizabeth laughs, and, in spite of myself, I smile.

“Well, that didn’t hurt! We’ve been texting actually. Not much, just sharing funny stories, or, sometimes, venting. We’re in the same position, you know? Both of us dealing with men who think they know better and see us as tools. You said yourself that I needed to develop a backbone. And, well, that got me thinking. I’ve been trying to be more assertive, and it hasn’t gone down well.” I’m spinning for all I’m worth, my brain working furiously. “The old boys’ attitude was bad enough at the university, but it’s ten times worse here.” Emlyn gives me a look, and I wonder if I’m laying it on a bit thick, but I plough on. “I just, I’m tired of being patronized, I guess. Kailani too, I think. And then I got the news about my dad…” I trail off.

“Nothing serious, I hope,” Elizabeth is all concern.

“Thankfully, no. But he’ll need an operation, and I don’t like being so far away. So, when Kailani texted that she’d had enough and was I in, it was an easy decision.” I bite my nail, sending a brief mental apology to my dad and hoping that my story is plausible.

“Well, Gaia offers an excellent health care package that covers close family members. We like to look after our employees. You’ll get all the details in the official offer.”

“That’s really good to know, Elizabeth. I have to say, the more I think about it, the more I know that I’ve made the right decision. I’m really excited about joining you.”

“As are we,” Elizabeth says cordially. “Well, I’d better finalize those offers. Speak soon, Maela.”

I hang up the phone and breathe out long and slowly. I feel like I’ve just run an obstacle course.

“Men who think they know better?” Seef asks.

“Who see us as tools,querida?”

“The old boys’ attitude?” Emlyn asks.

“Tired of being patronized,priya?”

“Ahh, heh heh. Had to think on my feet.” I twirl a lock of hair about my finger.

“Just for that,” Seef decides, “you’re cooking dinner. If you’re going to play at being the downtrodden little woman, you’d better have some practice.”

“I agree.” Emlyn quirks a brow. “After all, we want it to be believable.”

My jaw drops. “I was just… You’re not going to go along with this, are you?” I ask, turning to Kavi and Jorge.

“Querida, your safety is of the utmostimportancia.” Jorge looks earnestly at me.

“Absolutely,” Kavi concurs, eyes dancing. “I’ll have pepperoni and mushroom.”

“Huh? What?” Then the penny drops. “I can cook!” Honestly, you practically sever a digit trying to make a stupid pie, and everybody’s a critic.

“The question is,” Emlyn observes, “can you cookwell?” Jorge and Kavi nod in agreement, as if Emlyn’s just made an exceedingly clever point.

“Watch it,” Seef grins lazily, “I think she’s going to blow.”

I can practically feel the steam rising off the top of my head. “Ifyou overbearing ingrates don’t mind, I’m going to get myself a glass of wine. And then, and only then, I will consider ordering pizza. And that’s only because I actually want to eat something decent for dinner.” I glare at them and turn on my heel.

“Ouch,” one of them says behind me, as I stalk towards the kitchen.

???

Try as I might, I can’t get to sleep. The shock’s fading, only to be replaced by a swarm of questions, wriggling and burrowing like eels into the shifting sands of my brain. I punch the pillow, grumbling, then flop onto my back, staring at the lacy canopy overhead in the faint light of a street-lamp. Somewhere, off in the distance, a car horn blares impatiently.

Everything’s happened too quickly. Beyond deciding that Kailani and I will work for Gaia, we don’t have a plan. The guys and I went round and round the options at dinner, none of them appealing. Elizabeth will want to run tests as soon as we come in, and how can we refuse? It’s for the good of science, after all. But what if she wants to try other compounds on us? Would we even know, or could she slip something into our coffee? And if we back out now, she’ll grow suspicious, and we’ll lose what may be our only opportunity to dismantle Kronos. I flex my bicep, looking critically at it, and frown. If things come down to a physical fight, I am, for want of a better word, screwed. Kavi and Seef have been doing their best, but… Well, we’d better come up with something quickly. Elizabeth is coming to London for the big benefit next week, and she’s going to want to have a long chat about Gaia and my new position and when I can start. I really shouldn’t have thrown in that bit about my dad’s imaginary operation. Talk about over-egging the pudding. It would be nice to work in the same office as Kailani, but that would mean leaving the guys. My heart twists painfully, and I have to hug the duvet for comfort. And something Elizabeth said earlier in her conversation with Magda is niggling at me. What did it matter that Fallon was there? Fallon’s always there, in the background, ready and waiting to help, in any way she can. I still, a fantastic notion darting in my brain: Fallon isalwaysthere. I sit up, turning on the bedside lamp, and grab my phone to call Kailani.

Swim or Drown

Friday, 7 December – Kailani

---