Kill me. Diana wanted to drive those words from her mind the second Alia spoke them. And she’d said them so easily. Too easily, Diana decided. Alia was just frightened, shaken by what she’d learned. None of it would matter when they reached the spring.
Jason made a quick phone call and ushered them out through the hotel’s back entrance in case anyone was watching the premises. Diana could at least appreciate that he’d taken some of her warnings seriously.
The alley behind the hotel was pungent with smells Diana’s mind could barely make sense of—a rotting vegetable stink coupled with what she thought might be urine and human feces, all of it made worse by the summer heat.
They passed through the back of a cleaning facility, crowded with moving racks of clothing packed in plastic, the cloyingly sweet steam welcome after the alley. Then they crossed the street and raced down the sidewalk to another alley, where a sleek black car was idling.
“Hey, Dez,” Alia called to the driver as they climbed inside.
“Hey, Al.”
Diana noticed Alia didn’t correct the driver’s use of the nickname the way she had with her brother.
The air inside the car was crisp and fresh, and Diana allowed herself a small, contented sigh as the sweat cooled on her skin. She was surprised at how pleasant the vehicle was inside, spacious and dark as a cave, its black seats stitched with a precision that could never be accomplished by hand. Jason poured himself a drink from a bar tucked in the car’s paneling, and Diana watched the streets slide by slowly through glass tinted dark as smoke, the sounds of the street muted in a heavy, comforting hush. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of leather and something she couldn’t quite identify.
“What are you doing?” Jason said abruptly. He was seated across from Diana, watching her closely.
“I did nothing.”
“You were smelling the car.” He turned to Alia. “She was smelling the car.”
Diana felt her cheeks color slightly. “It has a pleasing aroma.”
“It’s new-car smell,” Alia said, a smile twitching her lips. “Everyone loves that. And Jason is so uptight about keeping the car clean, Betsy never lost it.”
“Betsy?”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Alia insists on naming every car. How has Diana Prince, Origins Unknown, never smelled a new car?”
“They don’t drive where she’s from,” Alia said smoothly. “They’re almost Amish.”
“Amish with combat training?”
Diana ignored the jab. “Why can’t we leave for the spring immediately?”
“The annual board meeting for Keralis Labs is tonight, followed by the reception for the Keralis Foundation’s donors. We’ll leave as soon as it’s over.”
Diana sat forward, the appealing smell of the car forgotten. “You want us to stay in New York for a party?”
“It isn’t a party; it’s a reception. Our family is the face of the Foundation. And if we want to keep it that way, I need to be there. Alia should attend, too.”
“A public event?” Diana could hear her pitch rising, but she simply couldn’t believe what he was saying.
“It’s hardly public. It’s a private event at the Temple of Dendur.”
Diana frowned. “So it’s a type of holy rite?”
Jason took a long sip of his drink. “Where did you find her? It’s a permanent exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. People throw galas there all the time.”
“Galas,” said Diana. “I believe that’s another word for parties.”
“Hold up,” said Alia. “What do you mean, ‘if we want to keep it that way’? How can there be a Keralis Foundation without Keralises?”
Jason leaned back in his seat. Diana knew that he was only a few years older than Alia, but there was a weariness in him that made him seem older. “You don’t go to the board meetings, Alia. You don’t read the reports. The Foundation’s been taking a beating in the press recently. The company’s profits have slowed. The board doesn’t take us seriously. If we want to be a part of our parents’ legacy, we have to step up.”
“You’re saying the board is going to try to keep you from taking control?” Alia said.
“Michael is worried,” Jason admitted, his gaze troubled. “It’s one thing for me to be involved with a charity, but no one is that excited about a twenty-one-year-old taking over a multibillion-dollar corporation.”
“Who’s Michael?” asked Diana.
“Michael Santos,” said Alia. “Our godfather. He’s been running Keralis Labs since our parents…since the accident. But now that Jason’s coming of age—”
“He wants me to take more responsibility.”
Alia fiddled with the hem of her T-shirt, then said, “Would it be such a bad thing for you to let Michael run the company awhile longer? You could finish up at MIT, go to grad school—”
“I don’t need a degree,” Jason said sharply. “I just need a lab.” Diana wondered if he was trying to convince Alia or himself. “And I can’t miss the meeting tonight,” he continued. “It would mean a lot for us to present a united front at the reception.”
“This is absurd,” said Diana. “Alia can’t possibly attend.”
To her surprise, Alia said, “Agreed. One hundred percent.”
Jason pursed his lips. “You’re only saying that because you hate getting dressed up.”
“I feel like death threats are a totally legitimate reason not to put on a gown.”
“No one would know you’re going to be there,” said Jason. “I thought you were going to be on that stupid boat trip—”
“Not stupid,” grumbled Alia.
“So everyone else still thinks you’re abroad. And the people who attacked the Thetis believe you’re at the bottom of the sea. They won’t expect you to be at a party in New York tonight. No one will.”
“But if she’s spotted—” Diana began.
“Then that can only work for us. By the time word reaches anyone that she’s been seen in New York, we’ll be on a plane bound for Greece and they’ll be chasing their tails in Manhattan. The security will be top rate.” He leaned forward. “Alia, if it wasn’t safe, you know I would never suggest it.”
“That’s true,” Alia conceded reluctantly. “He’s really uptight.”
“Cautious,” Jason corrected.
Diana considered Jason’s bunched shoulders and clenched jaw. “He does seem highly strung.”
His eyes narrowed. “Maybe it’s because WNBA players jump me in hotel rooms.”
Diana shrugged. “If you try to break into a woman’s chambers, you should expect to be trounced.”
“Trounced?” he said indignantly. “You took me by surprise.”
“I had you facedown on the floor.”
“Would you two quit it?” said Alia. “I need a minute to think.”
Diana crossed her arms and stared through the window, telling herself to take note of her surroundings, biting her tongue against the flood of words that wanted to break free. The arrogance of this boy, so sure in his power, buttressed by the trappings of his wealth. It was possible Alia’s power was increasing her irritation toward him. Or maybe he’s just irritating.
The car turned off of the street and entered a dark corridor that led underground. If this was where Alia and her brother lived, she supposed that with the vehicle’s tinted windows, someone observing Jason’s comings and goings from afar would have no way of knowing he hadn’t returned to the building alone. They passed row after row of gleaming automobiles far sleeker than those they’d seen in the other parking garage.
“Home, sweet home,” Alia said, her face melancholy.
“You may not be glad to be here,” said Jason quietly. “But I’m glad to have you back.”
Alia looked down at her hands, and Diana thought she understood her sadness. Alia had sought adventure and independence but had found only failure and suffering. Diana wondered if she would feel that same sadness returning to Themyscira. If she ever could return. She didn’t want to think about that possibility. She’d hungered for the chance at a hero’s quest, and heroes didn’t get homesick. Better to focus on the task at hand: ensuring Alia’s safety and getting to the spring.
The driver pulled the car around to an unobtrusive-looking set of metal doors.
“Is this secure?” Diana asked as they exited the vehicle and Jason pushed a button.
“This elevator is reserved for the penthouse,” said Jason. “No one else has access.”
Diana looked around warily as the doors slid open and they entered the little room. They had elevators on Themyscira that were operated by pulleys and used for moving heavy or unwieldy cargo. Aside from the panel of buttons to the right of the door, she supposed this was no different, even if it was more luxuriously appointed. Its floor was carpeted, its walls mirrored. She caught a glimpse of her reflection, dark hair still damp from the shower, rumpled T-shirt, blue eyes a bit dazed. She looked like a stranger. Jason’s gaze met hers in the mirror, and she realized he’d been watching her again. He took a key from his pocket, inserted it into a lock beside the panel, and pressed P.
The elevator lurched, and Diana attempted to keep her face neutral as they shot upward, leaving her stomach somewhere near her feet. This was not like the elevators on Themyscira.
She took a deep breath through her nose and tried to keep her mind off the horrible sensation in her gut and instead concentrate on what Jason had said about the elevator’s security. So what if access to the penthouse was restricted? There had to be stairs somewhere. And if someone was determined enough, they could simply take down the whole building with explosives. What were a few more lives lost if a world war could be prevented?
A moment later, the elevator jounced to a halt, and the doors opened into a cavernous hallway, two stories high. Sunshine streamed in through a skylight, illuminating a staircase of polished wood that swept up one paneled wall, and floors set in a spiral mosaic of black and white tiles.
Diana tensed at the sight of two large men in dark suits standing by the doors, but they simply greeted Jason and Alia with a nod.
“This is Meyers, and this is Perez,” Jason said to Diana as they passed. “They’re both former Navy SEALs and have been with my family for almost ten years. They’re either trustworthy or the slowest assassins ever.”
Diana said nothing. If her reading on politics had taught her anything, even a loyal man might be swayed under the right circumstances.
They entered a large dining room and a living area that opened onto a terrace of gray stone squares separated by manicured hedges, and beyond that, a swath of open blue sky that made her heart lift. Colored spheres of blown glass spread over the living room ceiling so that it looked as if an underwater garden had bloomed above them. These were considerably nicer lodgings than the Good Night.
Jason continued on to the kitchen, set his keys down on the counter, and opened what appeared to be a refrigerator.
“Juice?” he said.
Alia nodded, and Jason set three glasses on the counter, along with a pitcher of juice and a jug of milk. Alia filled her glass with orange juice, added a splash of milk, and pushed the mixture over to Diana.
“Try it,” she said. “It’s delicious.”
“It’s disgusting,” said Jason, pouring himself a glass of plain orange juice.
Diana had the feeling they’d done this a thousand times, a homecoming ritual. She accepted the glass Alia offered and took a sip. Sweet Demeter, it was disgusting. But she forced herself to drink the rest and smile rather than agree with Jason.
“Refreshing,” she managed.
Jason lifted a brow. “You’re not fooling anyone.” He leaned back against the sink. “Give me an hour at the party,” he said to Alia. “We’ll shake hands, put a good face on everything, then we can take a helicopter straight to the airport and see about this spring of yours.”
“How long is the flight to Greece?” Diana asked.
“About twelve hours, give or take. I’ve texted our pilot, Ben. We can fly into Kalamata. That’s about a two-hour drive from Therapne.”
If he was right, they could be at the spring in less than twenty-four hours—with days to spare before the reaping moon.
“Alia, we need this,” Jason said. “There are people on the board who have their own ideas about the direction Keralis Labs should go. The only reason they haven’t moved against me is because they know how bad the PR would be. We need to keep it that way. Show them we’re continuing in the tradition Mom and Dad began. Show them…we’re still a family.”
Alia turned the glass in her hands. Diana could see the effect Jason’s words had on her. She supposed she could respect how seriously he took his responsibilities. Even if he was a domineering ass.
“What do you think?” Alia asked Diana.
Diana pressed her lips together. She knew attending the party wasn’t a wise choice, but she also understood the stakes were different for Alia and Jason. They had a life they wished to return to when this journey was over. No one would know Alia was attending until she was mingling with the guests, and if any spies relayed that information onward, they’d be gone from the party before Alia’s enemies could act. “An hour,” she said at last. “No more.”
“Okay, then,” Alia said. “I’ll go.”
A broad smile broke over Jason’s face, carving a dimple into his left cheek and transforming his features completely. “Thank you.”
Alia returned the grin. “See, Jason? You’d get your way more often if you just made your case like a human instead of resorting to ‘Obey or face the consequences.’ ”
He shrugged, still smiling. “ ‘Obey or face the consequences’ is just so much more efficient.”
“Can I bring Nim?”
Now the smile vanished. “Alia—”
“Nim comes, or I’m wearing sweats.”
Jason blew out a breath. “Fine.”
Alia pumped her fist. “Cell.” Jason slapped his phone into her palm with a resigned expression. “Come on,” Alia said to Diana, already heading back toward the entry, her attention focused on the phone, thumbs moving in a blur.
But as Diana made to follow, Jason stepped into her path. All the warmth he’d exhibited the moment before had vanished.
“Who are you, really?” he said, voice low. “You’d better believe I’m going to have my people digging up every bit of information on you they can find, Diana Prince.”
“They’re welcome to.”
His scowl deepened. “If you hurt my sister—”
“I would not harm Alia. I risked a great deal to bring her here.”
“So you keep saying. What I want to know is what’s in it for you?”
How could he ask that, knowing so much was at stake?
“A future,” she said, though she knew that wasn’t the whole story. I see you, Daughter of Earth. I see your dreams of glory.
His laugh sounded hollow as a drum. “I’m not sure if you’re a fanatic or a scam artist—and I’m also not sure which is worse.”
“Is it so hard to believe I’m trying to do the right thing?”
“Yes.”
Diana frowned. What kind of life had this boy led that he’d grown so cynical? “I want nothing from you or Alia except the chance to set this world to rights.”
“Being a Keralis means everyone wants something from you. Always. Alia is the only family I have. If—”
“Then maybe you should stop bullying her.”
“I never—”
“Since I’ve met you, all you’ve done is dictate her behavior, call her stupid, and sneer at her attempts to pursue her dreams.”
“I’m letting her chase after this ridiculous spring, aren’t I?”
“Letting her.”
Jason cut his hand through the air dismissively. “She’s not equipped to deal with the world. Alia has had a very sheltered life.”
“Whose fault is that?” Diana felt her temper quicken. “You can’t even imagine the courage and resilience I’ve seen her show.”
“In your long acquaintance?”
“Maybe if you saw more truly, listened more closely, she wouldn’t have felt the need to lie to you.”
Jason’s jaw hardened. He took a step closer. “You don’t know anything about me or Alia, so just stay quiet and don’t get in my way.”
“You wouldn’t even know your way without me.”
“If you make one move that seems—”
Diana leaned in. She was tired of threats from this boy. They were almost the same height, and she met his gaze easily. “What will you do?”
“I’ll end you.”
Diana couldn’t help it. She laughed.
“What’s so funny?” he growled.
How could she possibly explain? She’d faced the death of her mother and friends in the Oracle’s vision. She’d braved exile and nearly drowned to come here. Besides, when you’d stood toe-to-toe with the great Tekmessa, general of the Amazons, and endured her derision, it was hard to fear a mortal boy—regardless of his well-made frame.
“You’re pretty enough, Jason Keralis. But hardly intimidating.”
His eyelids stuttered. “Pretty?”
“Is Jason being a jerk?” Alia called from somewhere in the penthouse.
“Yes!” Diana called back without breaking Jason’s gaze. “If you’ll excuse me?”
She bracketed his shoulders with her hands, and he emitted a squeak as she picked him up and moved him out of her path.
Diana strode past, not bothering to look back. From behind her, she heard Jason mutter, “Pretty enough?”