Page 40 of Shadow Dreaming

I glanced around. The others were still staring at her, with Orik looking pale, like he’d seen a ghost. Duran was silent, but he looked a little scared. Sophia was smiling. She stood and curtseyed.

“Lady Hecate, welcome to our office. Thank you for the visit.” Her voice had just the right mixture of respect and humility.

Hecate glanced at her, then she laughed. “I never fail to find these meetings amusing. Sit, everyone. And Sophia, Pythia speaks highly of you. Zeus will never know about my visit, I give you my word.”

Sophia let out a long breath and sheepishly said, “Thank you, I appreciate that, and I won’t forget it.”

Hecate laughed again. “The Lightning-Father doesn’t need to know everything.”

She took a seat at the table next to me, and I swallowed my latte, trying not to choke on it. Just sitting next to her was like sitting next to a live wire and my skin twitched.

“I’m not sure what you know, but Penn has been kidnapped—Penelope Fircrest. She’s?—”

“My priestess. Yes. I didn’t know until last night when Pythia told me. I haven’t received any pleas from her. What do you know?” Her expression was impossible to read, but the tone of her voice told me I wouldn’t want to make an enemy out of her.

“We found out that someone named Jiles Smithson ordered her kidnapping. He’s working for Brim Fire as an undercover agent, infiltrating the Crystal Court. We’re not entirely sure why they wanted Penn, but given the Crystal Court has now expelled her, she’s useless to Brim Fire. I’m afraid if they find out, they’ll kill her.” I took a deep breath. “We also have one of the people who kidnapped her, or rather—he was told to hire the thugs. We’ve locked him away and we’re not sure what to do with him.”

“You seem to be in a situation. There are things I can’t interfere in, but Penelope is my priestess, and she’s been loyal to me since I first called her in. I’ll give you what help I can at this point, but you must—as a group—make a promise to me.” Hecate’s gaze was laser fixed on mine.

I took a deep breath. “I can only answer for myself, even though I own this organization. I can’t make a promise for others to a goddess, not without their consent.”

Orik spoke up. “I can’t promise anything that would compromise my service to Odin,” he said. “But if there’s no conflict, I will give my oath.”

“Nor I, to Pythia. But, barring that, I also give my promise,” Sophia said.

“You have my vow,” Dante said. He looked at me. “What about Lazenti?”

“If he doesn’t want to agree, he can leave the company,” I said.

Hecate turned to Duran. “And you?”

He shifted. “I’m not part of Shadow Blade, but I’ll help.”

“You’ll have to ask Carson when he returns,” I said.

Before anyone could say another word, the breakroom door opened and Carson entered, accompanied by a woman who looked a great deal like him.

“My sister decided to visit,” he said.

His sister took one look around and froze in her tracks.

“Maya, you’ve come at quite the time,” I said. “Please say hello to Hecate, Lady of the Crossroads and Magic.”

“What?” his sister said, blinking. Then, she blurted out, “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” She took a step toward Hecate.

“Thank you,” Hecate said, her voice reverberating in the room.

“Carson, why don’t you introduce your sister,” I said.

Carson nodded. “This is Maya, everyone. My twin sister.”

Maya squeaked out a hello. She was gorgeous, obviously Carson’s twin.

“Maya, I’m sorry things seem so chaotic right now,” I said. “We’re in the middle of an emergency.”

“I can go for now, if you need Carson,” she said, her voice lilting. She shrugged off Carson’s protest. “There’s a gorgeous park or something out there,” she said. “I saw it on the way in.” But something in her voice told me she didn’t want to go trudging through the rain.

“That’s the Queen Anne Greenbelt, and it’s beautiful. But isn’t it raining? I don’t want you getting drenched.” I noticed one of her nails was broken. “Let me give you a treat. My nail lady is downstairs. I can see if she can take you in and fix that, or even if you want a new set? Then, you can be ready when Carson finishes here.”

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