Fated: Karma Series, Book Three (18 page)

“Are you sure it was safe to come by yourself?” Kitty asked as I sat beside her on the couch. A large throw with the image of a cat, which went with the rest of her décor, lay over her legs. I knew her legs were still weak from when Malokin had broken them. The reminder of her torture, some of which I’d witnessed firsthand, was one of many that still haunted me from the time Kitty had been held hostage. She still seemed hesitant to stand even though there was a healthy looking flush to her skin.

“Yes, it’s fine.” I peeked out her back window and saw Paddy rummaging through her garden and hitting her tomato plants with his cane. When he’d stopped by for coffee this morning, I’d told him he owed me after the meeting the other day. He’d agreed to come but preferred to remain outside and unseen. I could understand all that but I wasn’t sure what was so offensive about the red fruit.

“Sorry I haven’t been by that much lately.” I could fool myself by thinking there hadn’t been time. It wasn’t like I couldn’t find a rational excuse, with the world was going to hell. No one would think twice about it and Kitty wasn’t one of those people who looked for hand holding.

The truth was I’d been avoiding this visit. She had suffered greatly, still bearing the emotional and physical wounds, while I’d floundered. I was ashamed that she had gone through so much because of me. Logically I understood Malokin was the one who carried the blame, but emotions didn’t work in a logical way. I’d finally gotten her out of there but not before she’d paid the price for both of us, and now I was paying my share in guilt.

She didn’t speak about what she had been though. There were large slots of time that were unaccounted for and probably always would be. That’s how, even if I hadn’t seen any of it, I still would’ve known how bad it had been. Some pain went too deeply to speak of.

“How are you doing?” I asked as I petted one of the many black cats roaming her house.

“It’s been so nice seeing the guys again.” She smiled toward the back of the house, where Bic was putting groceries in her refrigerator, before she looked back to me and redirected the topic away from her. “How’s it going with you?”

“Pretty good,” I lied, not wanting to dump anything else on her plate.

She snorted loudly. “That’s not what I hear. Your fights with Fate are like the daily soaps these days.

“You’re two of a kind, stubborn as all hell. That can be good or bad. It’s easier with two different types of people, when one is soft where the other is hard. You don’t have the clashes, the constant blows.

“But you two? No. You won’t come together easy. You knock into the other, setting off sparks with each collision. But eventually, after you’ve knocked and rubbed away all the hard edges, you’ll come together stronger for it.”

“We aren’t coming together,” I said, sipping my tea.

Her eyes rolled. “Yeah, I heard you were in denial too. Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on harassing you today. I had something else I wanted to talk to you about. That Knox boy came by. He’s not a bad sort, and he’s agreed to put me in for early retirement.”

“You’re leaving?” I understood the desire and shouldn’t have been surprised but I was.

“It’s been a long road and I think it’s time to call it quits. It’s just…” Her voice died off as I watched her eyes fill with memories.

“Different now,” I said, finishing her sentence.

She nodded. “Bernie is going to watch after the cats until they get my replacement.”

“When?” I didn’t realize I’d grabbed her hand and was squeezing it until she squeezed back.

“As soon as I say all my goodbyes.”

My smile was weak. As much as I tried to muster up how good it would be for her to move on, the words didn’t want to come out.

“Sometimes endings are good,” she said, patting my hand.

“Do you know where you’re going to end up?” I’d heard stories of reincarnation that ranged from Indian princesses to Hollywood stars but I had a feeling that wouldn’t be Kitty’s path.

“Nothing grand.” Her eyes looked skyward and a look of whimsy appeared. “Maybe a florist. I think I want bright beautiful colors around me all the time, even in the winter when it’s the bleakest.”

“Will I see you again?”

She smiled. “I’d bet on it. Just maybe in another life.”

***

My step was heavier when I walked out of Kitty’s house, knowing that I’d probably never see her again. As much as I wanted to be happy for her, I couldn’t help but mourn her already.

“Paddy, thanks for coming with me today,” I said, as he came around from the side of the house.

“I was in the mood for some fresh air.” He took a breath so deep I could see his chest rise dramatically. “By the way, she’ll be okay,” he said as he exhaled slowly.

The pain hit without warning. I gripped the railing on the second set of stairs that led to the sidewalk in front of Kitty’s house, my hip on fire. The metal was hard in my hand as I squeezed, waiting for it to subside.

One of the most intense bouts I’d had, it finally started to abate after almost a minute of pure agony. My lungs were able to expand. I looked over at Paddy, dreading the questions he was sure to have.

Paddy wasn’t there anymore, or not a Paddy I recognized. A handsome male in his prime stood in his place, almost angelic in his fairness and beautiful features. Even his eyes squinted shut and his compressed lips didn’t detract from his beauty.

Then he was gone and the Paddy I knew was next to me again, looking much more frazzled than he had this morning. His eyes shot to where my hand had unconsciously come to rest over the area of my tattoo. There was something about his expression that made me uncomfortable, but I brushed it off due to the recent pain.

“How long?” he asked.

“A few weeks, give or take. You?” I asked, afraid I’d know what the answer would be but having no clue what it meant.

“Same.”

“Sharp pain?”

He shook his head but didn’t offer a description of what he felt. I took the hint and moved on to my next question.

“Do you know why it’s happening?”

“No. Like I said, when I gave you a piece of me, it was a first.”

We stood silently for a minute before I suggested we leave. The walk to the car was as quiet as the ride, and my unease in his presence was slowly gathering steam.

I wasn’t sure if the awkwardness was created by him, me or both of us. It might have been that I’d seen Paddy for who he really was. Somehow knowing him as one of them, in such a tangible way, and not the old man I’d come to know, made him more alarming.

Paddy disappeared a block before I pulled up in front of Fate’s, the only thing he’d said before vanishing repeating itself in my head as I sat there for a moment before getting out.

“When they don’t understand why I would choose the form of an old man, this is what I tell them. Most don’t see the old, they don’t stop and stare and say, ‘Who’s that?’ They hold the door for them and help them on their way. Why? Because the old aren’t a threat. They’re just something to be pitied. But it is the young who deserve the pity, for they have no clue what is heading their way.”

And then he was gone.

I’d been lying on our bed as I tried to convince myself that the pain I’d been feeling was nothing. That Paddy, or whoever that thing was, feeling unwell at the same time was merely a coincidence. After all, it didn’t hurt right now. It was simply growing pains.

But still, it might be time to voice my concerns.

The bedroom door swung open and Fate, the man I needed to talk to, was standing in the threshold looking like he’d just shot a Givenchy print ad. Black suit, black shirt and sunglasses; you had to wonder what it would be like to walk around the Earth looking that perfect.

“Where are you heading?” I asked, once I remembered not to stare and then took another several seconds forcing my eyes to stop doing exactly that.

“Where
are
we
heading.” He laid a garment bag down beside me on the bed where I’d been hiding, or for appearances’ sake, pretending to read a book. “We need to meet an old acquaintance of mine. Put this on.”

“I’ve got clothes.”

He shook his head. “Not the kind you need.”

“Who cares what I wear?” I asked as I sat up, eyeing the bag and wondering what delicious outfit lay inside while pretending I didn’t care. Fate had good taste, maybe even great. Whatever was in there was probably really pretty.

“The people at the place we’re going, they’ll be insulted and less likely to help if you aren’t dressed to a certain standard.”

“Who are they?” I asked as my fingers ran over the garment bag. Fate didn’t run fools’ errands and he definitely never cared what anyone wanted. The fact that he’d just supplied me with a dress for this? It was important.

“Some old acquaintances. People you’ll want to meet. Be ready in thirty minutes.” He turned and left.

Old acquaintances. It was hard not to be curious. I was fairly certain old to Fate didn’t mean something as frivolous as twenty or thirty years.

A piece of Fate’s past hovering within reach?

I unzipped the bag as soon as he left the room and only because he walked quickly was I even able to wait that long. Once I’d decided to go I couldn’t wait to see what pretty things I was getting to play dress up in.

I looked down at the dress that was now fully out of the bag. There was nothing I could outright complain about. It wasn’t ridiculously low cut or short in the hem. It was only that I knew what it would look like on. I wasn’t built the way I used to be. This new body had come with some curves that my self-esteem didn’t quite know what to do with yet.

I looked at the clock and knew I had to get moving.

I stripped off my shorts and t-shirt and the fabric of the new dress practically slithered over my skin. I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know it was clinging to every nook, hollow and curve I had.

Solid black, and with a hem just shy of indecent, it had a high neck but it clung to the point that cleavage wasn’t necessary. My low-heeled sandals looked ridiculous so I swapped them out for a pair of strappy heels I hadn’t been able to resist at the boutique.

I threw on some make up, ran a brush through my dark hair until it was lying in some semblance of thick waves around my shoulders and then hesitated. I wanted to look good but I didn’t want to look like I’d
tried
to look good.

The house was quiet a half hour later when I stepped out of the bedroom, somewhere in between natural and glam girl. Fate was standing by the glass doors, staring out at the ocean. His arm rested above his head and his back was to me.

“Where is everyone?” I asked, as I click-clacked into the silent room and stopped by the couch. Fate hadn’t moved yet.

“Everyone went scouting for more pop-up armories or a lead on Malokin’s base. The Jinxes are on the roof keeping watch,” he answered.

He hadn’t bothered turning around yet, which made me feel slightly lighter and took the edge off. I’d been getting ready as if this had been a date but it wasn’t. The tension eased from my shoulders and I walked over to the bar and poured myself a drink.

“Who are we going to meet? You didn’t tell me.”

“Some old…” I heard Fate start to say before his words trailed off.

“Some old?” I took a sip and turned, glass in hand and nearly choked on the whiskey.

His arm still rested on the door but his face was turned toward me. Sometimes I thought I imagined the amount of heat this man could generate until I saw it again. His arm dropped and his eyes took in every bit of me. He started toward me, and I wasn’t sure what he was going to do once he reached me but I had hopes.

And then he stopped halfway and I had to force my legs not to close the gap.

“We have to make dinner,” he said and the heat I’d seen written all over him seemed to be retreating, or was at least being held in check.

“I’m ready.” My voice came out breathier than normal, and my lips felt incredibly dry as I stood there, wondering what might have happened if he hadn’t pulled back at the last moment.

“So am I but we have to go anyway.” He was back under control again and closing the final distance between us.

His hand went to the small of my back and the pressure there brought me closer, just shy of full contact with him. We could all be gone next month, next week, or maybe even tomorrow. Why was I avoiding this?

I tilted my head back as my lips parted.

“Don’t do this to me right now,” he said, his voice much deeper and softer than normal.

“Do what?” I asked, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would feel like if he took me right now.

His lips closed over mine. His hands cupped my ass, dragging me against him and showing me just how ready he still was. And then he was pulling my arms down from where I’d wrapped them around his neck.

“If it was any time but tonight,” he said, with a deep timbre pulling away and taking a few steps back. “Stop looking at me like that or we won’t make it anywhere.” He motioned toward the beach. “I ordered a door. We should go.”

After a slight hesitation he started heading toward the back of the house, which would lead us to the beach. I looked out and beyond him to see the door starting to glitter in the distance, along with the guards on either side.

The sight of the doors drove the hormones from my brain like a broom to a cobweb. “Oh no.” I took off in the direction of the kitchen and started frantically opening the lower cabinets.

“What are you doing?” he said. “We’ve got to go.”

“Don’t you have any metal polish?” I asked, digging out every bottle he had and dumping them on the floor.

“I don’t know. I’ve always had a crew that came in and did everything up until they all went crazy.”

I groaned and loudly. “This is very bad.”

“Is this about the guards? They aren’t going to care.” He stood at the end of the kitchen, looking at me as if
I
were mentally deranged.

“Oh yes, they are. I might get relegated back to swamps if I see them empty handed after all these weeks.” I got to my feet, scanning the kitchen for any other possible offering. “Towels, at least let me take them towels,” I rushed past him to the hall closet.

Fate watched, leaning on the breakfast bar as I moved around in a panic. “They barely talk, and they only started that when you came around. I think you’re putting too much thought into this.”

“You know, for being the almighty Fate, who’s lived forever, sometimes you seem scarily like every other male I’ve known in my human life.”

His hands went to hips as his chin took on a stubborn tilt. “We don’t have time for this silly stuff.”

I grabbed half the stack of towels he owned and motioned for him to precede to the beach, all the while hoping for the best. There I was, heels sinking into the sand and barely able to see over the heap of towels, as we headed toward the door.

I knew it was going to be bad as soon as I approached by the way I could see their heads turn away from me as we got close.

It was worse than I’d expected.

The visor slot of one helmet head shot to my hands, full of towels but devoid of polish, and turned back quickly.

“I brought you rags.” I held my hands out towards them, half a stack of designer towels in each. They took the offering while Fate grumbled something about them costing a lot more than “rags” would have.

And then I waited. Their heads swiveled to my hands again, as if trying to find polish that might have been concealed beneath, and my palms grew sweaty. I took a breath and decided to get it over with quickly.

“I don’t have any.” They turned their backs on me before I got the entire sentence out but I kept going. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t prepared for this trip. I know I haven’t seen you guys in a while but it’s not like we’ve been doing many jobs and—”

“You’re rambling and they aren’t listening,” Fate said as he rocked back on his heels.

He was wrong. They were listening. They were just pretending to ignore me. “I promise, I will get you polish this week.”

Guard on the Right’s head turned back to me by a millimeter. He was the softy of the two.

“Come on, guys, don’t be like this. I swear, I will get you polish.”

Guard on the left turned the teeniest bit and then looked away again, rethinking his action.

“I’ll get the really good stuff I said was too expensive to buy.” I watched and waited. Nothing. “I’ll make Fate buy you an entire case,” I threw out desperately.

“Where am I going to get a—”

I shushed Fate violently and gave him the eye.

“Fine. I’ll get a case…somewhere,” he said loudly.

Finally, they both turned back to me. They gave curt little nods I interpreted to mean I was on probation.

“Thank you! I will come through for you! Or more accurately, I’ll make him come through for you, but it will happen.”

They looked at each other and in unison, turned forward and nodded a bit more enthusiastically, or as much as a suit of armor could.

We walked through the door and I was thrilled to not step out into a swamp.

“You have the oddest relationship with them I’ve ever seen,” Fate said as he followed me through.

My eyes adjusted quickly as we went from the beach in full daylight to starry skies on a cliff overlooking the ocean. A pavilion stood twenty feet away, which held several very long tables, all with people seated at them. There were several smaller ones as well but one particular table closest to the cliff, where a single man sat alone, caught my attention.

“Where are we?”

“An uninhabited isle off the coast of Greece.”

“Who are the people?”

“Those are the Greek gods.”

Slowly, one by one, heads swiveled in our direction and nerves started to burst within me, exploding with each new stare.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to meet gods.”

“You’re Karma. Don’t forget that. It’s a pretty potent position. They won’t mess with you.” Fate’s hand came to rest reassuringly on the small of my back as we made our way through the crowd, each god looking more beautiful than the last.

“What are they doing here? Is this some sort of god party?” I whispered, relieved that I’d worn the nice dress.

“They gather here once a year under the last full moon of spring. That’s Zeus, in the corner in the tuxedo, getting a glass of champagne from the waitress.” He motioned to the gorgeous woman sitting next to him. “That’s Hera, his wife. They’ve got a complicated relationship. Fight constantly but looks like a good night though.” He urged me with his hand toward the table where the man was seated by himself. “And that’s who we’re here to see.”

“Who is it?” I smoothed my dress down and ran a hand through my hair.

“Ares, God of War and Violence.”

“Ahhh, good call.” If there were anyone who might know about Malokin, it would be someone with the same goals and motivations. “How do you know him and the other gods?”

“Hang around long enough, you tend to rub elbows with all sorts.”

Ares rose from the white linen table he sat at as Fate pulled out a chair for me.

“Ares, this is Karma.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” He smiled and then leaned over my hand and brushed a kiss across the knuckles. I would’ve thought he’d be instantly dislikeable. He was violence and war, and he had dark good looks that seemed to suit his position perfectly. He also had this charisma that was pouring off him effortlessly. It was the way he smiled, but just slightly, and the way his eyes narrowed as if he knew just what I was thinking and agreed with every thought.

Yeah, I confess, I liked the God of War. I’d done worse things in my life.

“She’s just as you described,” Ares said, still looking at me.

My eyes shot to Fate, who had taken a seat and was staring off at the horizon as if Ares hadn’t outed him. I would’ve loved to have heard those comments. I was positive he must have included the word transfer in there a few times.

A waitress in a flimsy white slip dress came by and placed two glasses of champagne in front of Fate and me. When I would’ve reached for the glass, Fate’s hand came and rested on mine, as if to casually hold hands. My eyes shot to his as he looked at the glass and then back to me.