CHAPTER 13
Ted waited until after breakfast to make the call. Tracking down Maria Spanos’s number had been easy enough. She was old-school and still listed in the phone book.
“Hello?” The voice that answered didn’t resemble that of an elderly woman in an independent living facility.
“Hi,” Ted said, “I’m looking for Mrs. Spanos.”
“This is her. Who’s calling?”
He glanced at his notes. “This is Ted Belkin. I was on the Crystal City Business Alliance with your husband, Don. I was hoping we could meet later today.”
“I’m sorry, but my husband died a few years ago. I don’t think I’d be of any help.”
Ted scrambled for an excuse. He couldn’t just ask if she was the Mother of the Gods. Could he?
“You’re actually the one I wanted to speak with,” he said. “I’m also trying to find Mrs. Mardas and Mrs. Zervos.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help you.” Her voice was clipped, eager to end the call.
“Wait.” Ted interrupted. “Maybe you could just tell me if Ida Industries was named after Mount Ida, where the Mother of the Gods, Rhea, hid her infant, Zeus.”
He waited, holding his breath.
Finally, she replied. “Why would it matter?”
“Because I need to find her.”
“Who?”
Ted paused. Was this a test, or was his hunch wrong? “Rhea, the wife of Kronos and Mother of the Gods.”
He expected laughter, but it never came.
Mrs. Spanos lowered her voice. “Meet me in the garden of the Blessed Mary’s Village in one hour.”
Mason swung his hammer, beating the framing nails into submission. He’d spent the night on the couch in Trinity’s house. Clio invited him to stay in her room with her, and although he longed to hold her in his arms, he resisted the temptation.
He’d laid all his cards on the table with her, something he’d never done with anyone before, and instead of meeting him halfway, she’d taken the first out she could find. He shouldn’t be disappointed, but he was.
He told himself it was for the best. He’d hunt Pamela tonight and finish his quest to avenge his family. And Clio would be safe.
He wiped his brow as a familiar car pulled into the theater lot. Clio parked and got out. He spun around the other direction and dug a nail out of his tool belt pouch.
“Mason?”
He gathered his emotions, boxing them up tight, and turned around. Clio, his beautiful, history-loving bookworm, stood before him in a pair of blue jeans, a T-shirt, and a brand-spanking-new tool belt hanging low on her hips, complete with a hammer, measuring tape, and a retractable razor knife.
Despite his mood, he caught himself starting to smile. “You went to Home Depot.”
“Yeah. It’s probably all crap, but I went by myself and wasn’t sure what to get.” She checked out her new tools. When she met his eyes again, the ache in his chest eased. “I was hoping I could talk you into teaching me to build things.”
He crossed his arms, still not ready to surrender the chip on his shoulder completely. “Since when do you want to work construction?”
“I don’t.” She rested her hand on the head of the hammer. “But I want to be able to build you a shelter in a storm, too.”
He dropped his hands to his sides, his tone softening. “Your smile is enough.”
She shook her head. “I realized last night that I may be book smart, but I’m pretty stupid when it comes to this whole relationship thing.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked up into his eyes. “I want to let you into my heart. I guess I’m just not sure how to do it.”
He chuckled, eyeing her tool belt. “You thought pounding some nails might help?”
“Well, it couldn’t hurt, right?” She pulled the hammer free from its loop on her belt. “I figured it might give me an excuse to spend more time with you.”
He couldn’t resist her for another moment. His hand slid into her hair as he bent to kiss her lips. She moved her hands up his chest, and he rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve never had a woman buy tools to make up with me before.”
“Good.” She grinned, and his heart pounded. “I’ve never bought tools to impress a guy before, either.”
“Good.” He winked and handed her a nail. “Let’s get busy.”
Ted found an available bench in the garden of the Village and scanned the area, even though he’d never seen Mrs. Spanos’s face before. A tall, slender woman who was maybe in her seventies approached him. She had another woman of a similar build trailing behind her. Maybe her sister?
“Ted Belkin?”
He stood up, offering her his hand. “Mrs. Spanos?”
She shook his hand. “Call me, Maria.” She turned to her friend. “And this is Tessa Mardas.”
He nodded. “Great to meet you both.” He gestured to the bench. “Thanks for agreeing to talk to me.”
They sat down, and Maria started by asking, “How did you find us?”
“Your husband’s obituary.”
Tessa leaned in closer. “All these years and no one has ever connected Ida Industries with Mount Ida.”
Ted gave them a brief introduction to the Order of the Titans and their mission to free Kronos from Tartarus, but neither woman reacted. Maybe he’d been wrong about his theory. But if they didn’t believe him, they hadn’t said anything. He frowned. “Am I missing something?”
Maria and Tessa shared a silent look before Maria answered. “Tartarus is impenetrable.”
“Wrong.” He waited for a reaction. When he didn’t get one—again—he shook his head. “We’re almost to the Earth’s core. Kronos will be free soon, but we’ve hit a snag.”
Maria crossed her arms, and something in her eyes smoldered. “You have no idea what you’re trying to unleash.”
“I’m beginning to understand.” He pulled his hair back from his forehead. “Which one of you is Rhea?”
“Neither of us.” Tessa laughed, the sound like an inhuman melody. “And we’ll do her a favor by not mentioning this meeting.” She glanced up at the building. “Thankfully, it was her turn to get a haircut today. Lia is up there with her right now.”
“So Mrs. Zervos is the woman I really need to see.” Ted gestured toward them. “And neither of you are senior citizen retirees. Who are you really?”
Maria lowered her voice. “We are ‘those who sit beside the Idaean Mother.’ We have been with Rhea for lifetimes.”
Ted almost choked on his tongue. “The guiders of destiny?” He hadn’t imagined Maria’s eyes changing earlier. She was an immortal. “I’m sitting with Titias and Kyllenos? I thought you were…males?”
“Gender means nothing to us.” Tessa shook her head. “We’re simply Tessa and Maria now. We no longer guide destinies of mortals. They have attorneys and life coaches for that.” She rolled her eyes. “We live a quiet life, forgotten by the mortal world.”
Kelly nodded. “We want no part of your madness.” She stood, much too fluidly for a woman her age. “Why did you think Rhea would help you?”
“Because Philyra is here in Crystal City, and she’s hungry for revenge.”
“She was Kronos’s mistress.” Tessa frowned. “Nothing more. Why would she be involved in your scheme to free him?”
“You tell me.” Ted looked up at Maria. “She goes by Pamela Costas now, and she’s been hunting down the muses and killing them off. I think she believes that Kronos will choose her for his partner when he ascends again.”
“Nonsense.” Maria placed her hand on her hip. “Why are you so sure Rhea would help you with any of this?”
Ted raised a brow. “Because I’m told she’s the only one who can stop Philyra. Maybe she has a magical ability or special weapon of some kind?”
There was that silent look between Tessa and Maria again. This time, Tessa answered. “Rhea has nothing of the sort. Who told you this?”
Ted’s gut twisted as he scanned the garden, Mikolas’s warning whispering through his head. What if Kevin Elys really was more than he seemed? And if he was an immortal, which one would have a good reason to want to find Rhea? Only one he could think of…her husband.
No. It couldn’t be. If Kronos had escaped Tartarus, they’d know. But still…
He stood up, fighting to keep from fidgeting. “Tell Mrs. Zervos to be leery of strangers. There’s an older man, about my height, who goes by the name Kevin Elys. He’s very interested in her. And not in a good way.”
He turned to go when a younger woman slammed into him, pummeling him with her fists. “You asshole. Stay away from these women. Don’t hurt them to get at me!”
“Stop!” He did his best to protect his vital organs without fighting back. The last thing he needed was to be arrested for assault. “Please…let me explain.”
Maria and Tessa caught the other woman’s waist, dragging her off him. He coughed and looked up to see Lia, the Muse of Comedy. He’d stood in the parking lot of her improv club a few weeks ago before his enforcer ran over her Guardian with a black Mercedes. No wonder she was pissed.
He put his hands up. “I’m not here to hurt anyone.” The woman behind her was the same height as Maria and Tessa, her perfectly coifed black hair was streaked with silver highlights. Crow’s feet lined her dark eyes—the only other sign of age. She had an aura around her, not only of power but protection.
“Rhea,” he whispered. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “You need to go inside.”
The muse put her arm around Mrs. Zervos’s waist to turn her back toward the building. “Yeah, you don’t want any part of…” Lia froze, looking back at him over her shoulder. “Wait a second. Did you just say Rhea?”
He raised a brow. “You didn’t know?”
Lia eyed each of the older women. “This is my Wednesday poker group. I cut and color their hair.”
“They’re more than that.” Ted crossed his arms, protecting his middle. He added softly, “And I think the man who told me Rhea could help us stop Philyra was setting me up.”
“Wait, who wanted you to find Rhea?”
“You don’t know him, but I’m starting to think he’s another immortal.”
Lia filled in the blank. “Shit. We just found her for him.”
“Exactly.” He glanced around for any sign of Kevin. “Get her back upstairs. I’ll be in touch.”
Mrs. Zervos shrugged Lia’s hand from her shoulder. “I’m standing right here, and last I checked, we were the immortals here.”
Ted ground his teeth, struggling to keep his voice down. “If I’m right, Kronos is already free.”
“Oh gods. The explosion on your Oceanus rig last year released him.” Lia’s gaze flitted around the open garden.
“What?” Ted’s eyes widened. “How do you know that?”
“Apollo told us.” Her gaze met his. “Kronos found you already?”
Ted’s thoughts were jumbled as he tried to keep up. Apollo was talking to the muses? “I think so.”
Mrs. Zervos raised her chin. “I had hoped to avoid this day.” She glanced at Maria and Tessa. “Let’s get back upstairs.”
“I’m going with you.” Lia pointed at the residential high-rise. “Agnes is up there alone.” Her gaze locked on Ted. “If Kronos shows up, stall him.”
“You have to keep your eye on the nail head, no matter what. It’s when you blink or get distracted that you’ll whack your fingers.” Mason’s lips brushed her ear as he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her, helping her hold the nail.
“I’m more worried about hitting you than myself.”
“I trust you.” He chuckled. “Besides, I’ve been smacked with a hammer before. Put some oomph into it.”
She held her breath and hit the nail head once, then twice. It almost slid off on the third swing, but the fourth made progress. Mason released her and took a step back. “You’ve got this.”
A few more swings and the nail was flush with the beam. She spun around with a grin. “Done!”
He clapped, a gleam in his eyes. “You’re a natural.”
They worked side by side for another hour as the sun sank lower in the sky. The silence wasn’t awkward; it was almost…sacred. Sure, the work was hard, she was sweaty, and her shoulders were starting to ache, but Mason hadn’t been lying when he’d said it was fulfilling. Being able to tangibly see the progress they were making with their own hands made pride swell up inside her.
Mason wiped his brow. “How long is Trinity going to be at Reed and Erica’s tonight?”
“She’s spending the night there to help Erica with Hope.”
He hooked his hammer back on his belt. “Let’s get out of here and get a shower, then.”
Clio unhooked her tool belt, enjoying losing the extra weight. “Before we go, I owe you an apology.”
He shook his head and started gathering his tools. “Nah, we’re good.”
She strode over to him and stood on the air hose as he reached for it.
He stopped and met her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it. Water under the bridge.”
“It’s not.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “You have been nothing but good to me, and I’ve felt shitty ever since I realized what happened at the hospital.”
He unlatched his tool belt and slung it over his shoulder. “I dumped a lot on you at once, and your friend just had a baby. I’m fine, Clio.”
“But I’m not.” Usually words came easily to her, but staring into his eyes, she wasn’t sure where to start. “I grew up an only child, so no siblings to get attached to. My mom was allergic to pet dander, so no pets, either. My dad traveled for work and left me with my mom, who was always a little distant when it came to me. I’m not trying to make excuses; I just want you to understand that I’ve never done anything like this before. Ever.”
A crease formed on his brow. “Done what?”
“Fallen in love.”
His heavy tool belt hit the concrete foundation with a loud thud. He closed the distance between them and wrapped her in his arms. His lips fused to hers. Clio laughed into his mouth when he lifted her feet off the ground, holding her tight.
He walked her over to the workbench and set her on the edge, kissing her over and over. When he finally pulled back, his gaze locked on hers. “It’s my first time, too, darlin’.”
Her pulse raced, her body aching for his touch, and her brain struggled to engage. “Are you saying…”
“I’m saying I love you, Clio Clarke.”
“Oh.” Gods, hearing him say the words… After reading about love for so many years, it didn’t even hold a candle to the real thing. She might never stop smiling. “You should take me home.”
“Definitely.” He stole another kiss and scooped her into his arms. She laced her hands behind his neck. “What about the tools?”
His eyes flashed with shock for a second before it was replaced with laughter and…
Clio grinned. “Mason Knowles, you’re blushing.”
“I’ve never forgotten to put my tools away.” He set her feet on the ground, pointing a finger at her with a playful glint in his eyes. “And if you tell a soul, I’ll deny it.”
She crossed her heart. “Your secret is safe with me.”