Pan's Conquest (Entangled Covet) (10 page)

Chapter Thirteen
Truth

Syrinx’s pulse throbbed in her head as she and Kaye jumped out of the car and rounded the shop.
This is not happening.
Flames licked at her apartment in the back, but the largest blaze came from the middle of their greenhouses, where the rose garden stood. Kaye ran back to the car and used Syrinx’s cell phone to call the fire department, while Syrinx ran to the front of the shop.

The door stuck, and she kicked at the frame. When that didn’t work, she threw her body against it.

“What are you doing?” Kaye pulled at her arm.

Adrenaline, fear, and the need to know what happened coursed through her. “I have to see inside.”

With one more push, she burst inside. Pots shattered on the floor. They were propped against the frame. Syrinx’s stomach sickened.
Someone had done this on purpose.
She shouted back to Kaye, “I want you to stay here. It’s not safe.”

“Hell, no.” Kaye’s face hardened as she saw the broken pots—pots that she’d found at yard sales all over New England. “I’m coming with you.”

They ran through the shop. Smoke had leaked from the back door, spreading along the ceiling. Syrinx didn’t have time to think about all the wilted plants. Crackling pops from the other side of the door promised more horror to come.

Syrinx grabbed the knob. The heat sizzled against her skin, but she didn’t burn. She turned back to Kaye. “Stand back.”

Kaye did as she told. Syrinx whipped the door open, and the raging inferno that was once the rose garden blew a blast of heat in their direction. Every rose bush was on fire like rows of torches.

Kaye cursed and kicked over a pot. She banged her fists on the doorframe, and Syrinx pulled her away from the blaze before she hurt herself.

Kaye collapsed to her knees, sobbing. “It’s over. It’s ruined. I won’t have a job. I’ll lose my apartment and have to live with my parents. You’ll go back to Greenland, and I’ll have to wear three winter coats to visit you. If I can find another job to pay for the ticket.”

Rage spread through Syrinx faster than the fire spread through the bushes. This was not a coincidence. Someone who knew the party was tomorrow had sabotaged all the roses. She thought of the mysterious woman stalking Parker. If she’d found out about Syrinx, all it took was one look in the phone book to see where she lived.

Whoever did it, she wasn’t going to let them win. She owed it to Parker to have a fabulous party, and she owed it to Kaye to give her a place to belong.

Syrinx brought up her arms and made a conscience, deliberate choice. Kaye would know her secret, but there was no way to get around that now. She took a deep breath, channeled her energy, and closed her eyes. Even for a god, this would take the cake.

Thunder cracked the sky as clouds swirled above in unnatural design. Rain started to patter, then pour, gushing from the sky in torrents. The flames challenged the rain, burning all the kindling that was once her prized roses. Syrinx squeezed her palms into fists, and the rain thickened into sheets, squelching the flames.

When the last ember died, she opened her palms, and the rain stopped. The clouds cleared, and the full moon reigned once again in the sky. The rose garden was a black-and-gray field of burned toast, oozing smoke.

But she wasn’t finished.

Syrinx blinked and stared at the ground until green poked through the ash. Slowly, like a time-lapse video of a sprout unfurling, the green encompassed the crispy black roots, infusing life back into each bush. Buds formed, opened, and blossomed. Around the garden, all of the structures were reformed, and the glass in the greenhouses reconstructed.

Syrinx finished, sighing with relief. The garden looked more beautiful than it ever had before. It had adopted her inner strength, conviction, and purpose. It was now a part of her.

That was the easy part.

She turned to Kaye. Her friend stood and wandered into the garden, speechless. She touched the petals of the nearest rose as if she thought it was a dream. Tears streaked the ash on her cheeks. She coughed and turned back to Syrinx. “You did this?”

“I’m sorry, Kaye. I’ve been keeping a secret from you.”

Kaye shook her head. “I don’t believe this. This can’t be real.”

“It is,” Syrinx insisted. “You have nothing more to worry about.”

“But why?” A wounded expression soured Kaye’s face. “Why did you keep this from me?”

Syrinx shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. “I wanted you to treat me like a normal human being. I wanted you to be my friend.”

“But you’re not a normal human being. What are you? Some kind of X-Man with mutated genes or something?”

Syrinx smiled and wiped her eyes. There was the old Kaye. “No. It’s not that cool. My name is Syrinx.”

Kaye furrowed her brow. “Syrinx? Syrinx who?”

Syrinx resisted the urge to roll her eyes. A Greek mythology class in college would have helped Kaye out. “Syrinx. You know, the river nymph, the goddess of chastity?”

“You mean the Greek god?”

Syrinx nodded, embarrassed and apologetic. “Yeah.”

“Wow.” Kaye fell silent. She walked around the rosebush, deep in thought. Syrinx’s throat constricted. This was it. She might lose her closest friend. That or Kaye might still think she was crazy, even after the show.

“You forgive me?”

Kaye rubbed her chin and nodded. For a mortal, she was pretty resilient. “Yes, I forgive you. I’m your friend, remember?”

“There’s something else I have to tell you, because I may have brought you into danger as well. I might know who did this.”

Kaye’s head shot up and anger burned in her gaze. “Who?”

Syrinx swallowed a lump in her throat. She hated saying his name out loud, as if it would conjure him there that very second. “Pan has been stalking me for centuries. I have reason to believe he might be here in modern times, and that he may know about my relationship with Parker. He may have sabotaged the roses for that reason alone.”

“Pan…you mean the god with the goat legs?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Kaye tapped her chin. “Everything is making sense now: the way your hair glows, why you seem to never sleep, your expert bowling skills…what did you say you were? The goddess of chastity?”

Syrinx sighed. “Yup.”

Kaye shook her head. “Well, that’s really cool and sucks at the same time.”

Syrinx laughed. Relief trickled through her. Finally, her real identity was out in the open, and Kaye didn’t hate her or spontaneously combust. “What do you mean?”

“That’s why you’ve never had a boyfriend. And that’s why you wanted me to come on your date tonight. You need a bodyguard—protection from the temptation of Parker.”

Syrinx held up both hands. “You got me.”

Kaye narrowed her eyes. “Is it possible to give it up?”

“It is, but I’d be throwing away something I’ve always believed in.”

“Would you go to god prison or something?”

“No. Nothing happens.” Syrinx had never thought about it that way before. It wasn’t like she was breaking any of Mount Olympus’s rules. Only her own.

Behind them, sirens filled the sky. The firefighters were going to be confused and maybe a little angry. Hopefully, she and Kaye wouldn’t get in trouble for a false alarm.

Kaye came over and placed her hand on Syrinx’s shoulder. “I admire your dedication and fortitude. And the way you brought all the roses back is epic. But, the chastity thing—” She shook her head. “That’s got to go.”

…

Pan pressed the end call button on his cell phone after firming up all of the last-minute details with the caterers. Rutherford had done everything for the planning of this party, and now it all fell to him.

But that was the least of his concerns.

He had to tell Syrinx the truth before Coral let the cat—or more like
goat
—out of the bag. When he thought he’d seen her at the bowling alley, fear like he’d never experienced before twisted in his gut. She could ruin everything with one word, and then he’d lose Syrinx forever. He had a feeling the fickle river nymph might show up to his party unannounced.

The truth had to come from him, not some jealous woman bent on revenge. If Syrinx cared for him enough, then she might forgive him if he was honest with her.

Tonight was the night. He’d come clean, then hopefully, she could get over the fact he was Pan and he knew about her secret. Then they could make crazy, passionate love together underneath the stars.

At least, that was his plan.

He walked from his room to the balcony, where he could survey all of the workers setting up the champagne fountain, the dance floor, and the band’s equipment. All he needed was the flowers. He checked his watch. Syrinx and Kaye were set to arrive in two hours and begin setting up. Excitement, along with some apprehension, riled him up until he couldn’t stand still. His fingers itched to play his reed flute, but the time for that would come later.

Stepping forward, his wingtip oxfords slushed in a puddle of water ruining the exotic hardwood floor. “What the?”

A giant puddle streamed from the study on the other side of the hall. Fists clenched, Pan walked across the balcony and threw open the door.

Coral hovered two feet above his Persian rug with her eyes closed and her arms stretched out. Her black hair was slickened to her pale face, obscuring her cheeks and mouth. Water dripped from the floor to the ceiling, collecting into a giant slate-colored lake above their heads.

“Coral, stop this now!”

Her eyes fluttered open. In an instant, the lake dropped. Pan plunged into the water, flailing to gain control. His antique clock floated before his eyes. The hands froze as the rush of water flooded the mechanism and stopped time. He couldn’t tell which way was up or down, and water gushed into his lungs. Good thing he didn’t need to use them.

A hand grabbed his ankle and tugged him deeper as the last bubbles of air escaped from his lips.

Chapter Fourteen
Fingerprints

Syrinx and Kaye leaned over the balcony of Parker Thomas’s estate, threading the last rose through the silken ribbons dangling from the ceiling. Kaye sighed, stretching her arms and cracking her back. “It’s finished.”

Syrinx stood back and admired their work. Roses decorated the entire room as if they’d sprouted from the walls in all directions. Their sweet scent infused the air with the promise of magical things to come. The baby’s breath Kaye had ordered looked like a bed of snow against the pure red, pink, and yellow blossoms. It was perfect.

Kaye brushed her hands on her jeans. “Why couldn’t you just snap your fingers and we’d be done with it?”

Syrinx gave her a chiding look. “If someone caught me, how many news teams would that draw? I’m trying to live as a mortal, which means adhering to all of their rules. There’s no challenge, no fun in making things too easy.”

“Well, this wasn’t easy at all. I’m exhausted, and my arms and legs ache. I can’t imagine how I’ll walk in heels tonight.”

Syrinx smiled. “With all the eligible bachelors around, you’ll find a way.”

“Speaking of eligible bachelors, where is Parker, anyway?”

Syrinx scanned the mob of workers. She ached to see him again and show him her masterpiece. It was strange, on the day of his own party he was nowhere to be seen. “I guess we’ll just have to wait until tonight.”

They drove back to the shop, where a police officer waited for them in his blue-and-white cruiser.

“Uh-oh.” Kaye unbuckled her seat belt as Syrinx pulled in beside him. “I hope this isn’t about the false alarm.”

“No.” Syrinx turned her engine off as apprehension prickled the hairs on her neck. “He wouldn’t come in person. We’d get a fine in the mail. He must have information about our break-in.”

“You mean he might know more about who did it?”

Syrinx steeled her nerves and opened her car door. “Maybe.”

They approached the police car. A young officer with buzz-cut blond hair and a thick, blunt nose greeted them with a nod. “Ladies, I have some information for you.”

Syrinx’s heart jumped to her throat. She gestured toward the door. “Will you come in?”

“No, thanks.” He leaned against his car. “This won’t take long.”

Kaye crossed her arms against the afternoon breeze, even though it was warm as bath water. “So what did you find?”

“There’s no sign of a break-in of any kind. The door wasn’t forced, besides what you did to get in, and none of the windows were broken.”

Syrinx nodded. She may have ruined some of the evidence when she repaired the rose garden. But that didn’t matter. Gods didn’t need to use the front door. “What about the broken pots?”

The officer nodded. “We analyzed the samples, like you requested. We did find fingerprints, but the perpetrator must have been wearing some type of gloves because they weren’t like any we’d seen before.”

Syrinx exchanged a glance with Kaye.
Bingo.
“Go on.”

He pulled out a file in his car and handed it to Syrinx. “I had my forensic team blow up the JPEG. You can see in the picture how there’s double rings within the swirls. We checked it in our database, and it doesn’t match anyone in the area, or anyone in the world, for that matter.”

Syrinx’s stomach twisted and dropped as she studied the picture. All gods had distinct fingerprints with patterns depending on family history and lineage. These double swirls were from one of her fellow river nymphs.

Could it be Coral?

Syrinx chewed her lip. But wasn’t Coral trying to help her get away from Pan? She wouldn’t mind her dating Parker Thomas. In fact, she’d probably be happy for her.

She tried to hide the confusion and disgust in her voice. “Thank you, Officer.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t have been more of a help.”

“That’s okay.” She closed the file and handed it back to him. Everything she believed to be true about Pan finding her in this world and stalking her movements fell through her fingers. No, it was someone she knew from the river. Someone who betrayed her. Too bad she didn’t have time to go back to Mount Olympus and question her so-called friends. That would have to wait until after the party.

“Good day, ladies. Stay safe. Report anything out of the ordinary to my office.” The officer saluted them with a wave and got into his vehicle. Syrinx nodded, even though she knew anything involving gods was totally out of law enforcement’s hands. She had to deal with this herself.

“Do you know who it is?” Kaye asked as the police cruiser drove away.

“No.” Syrinx shook her head, staring into the dense jungle of green beside her floral shop with suspicion.

…

Pan struggled against Coral’s grasp as river reeds wound around his arms and legs. She’d grown more powerful since he’d left the god realm, powerful enough to abduct him from his estate and take him to her riverbed. An antique golden crown with gaudy gems bobbed beside him, tied down by a cattail. It looked as though it had come from a seventeenth-century king or prince. A shotgun floated beside the crown, the metal rusted away and crusted with mold. Deeper down within the plant life, a skeleton reached for the twinkle of the distant sun.

Pan shivered. He was about to become another prize in her collection.

“Why have a party up there when we can have one down here, just the two of us?” Her raven hair swirled around her pale face as she moved with the waves. Behind her, a school of silver fish darted through the riverweeds.

“Let me go, Coral.” He was reluctant to turn into his god form right before Syrinx saw him. There might be some layover, like the green in his eyes or the dark chestnut running through his hair. It wouldn’t be much, but may be just enough to scare her away before he had a chance to talk with her.

Coral’s fingers clutched his shirt. “And let you run right back to her? You’re not meant to be there, Pan. Don’t you see? Neither of you are.”

Pan struggled against the bindings. “We’re gods, Coral. We can go wherever we want.”

Coral’s eyes grew intense, like black pools of swirling ink. “Ask yourself this: Where is your true home? Is it some mansion in the mortal world, or the primordial forest that birthed you?”

Pan grew limp in the river reed’s grasp. Water was not his domain, so Coral had the upper hand. Besides that, she was right. The mansion wasn’t his home. But he felt no draw to his old forest. The only draw was to Syrinx. “I haven’t forgotten my home, I’ve moved on. Wherever Syrinx is, that’s my home.” The truth hit him hard, pricking goose bumps on his skin until he knew he wouldn’t be happy until he was with her. “I can’t live without her.”

Shock, disbelief, then disappointment registered in her black eyes. Coral released her grasp and floated a distance away. “What have I done? I’ve ruined both of you.”

Pan realized when he struggled, it only provoked the river reeds to wind tighter around him, so he calmed and tried to talk some sense into her. “All you did was tell me where to find her. We made our own decisions.”

Coral shook her head and continued to babble as if she didn’t hear him. “I have to fix it, make it right. Parker Thomas and Sylvia Rain must cease to exit. You have to be Pan, and Syrinx has to come back to her river. I have to apologize to Syrinx for telling you her destination. I have to tell her the truth.”

“No!” Pan knew Coral wasn’t sorry for what she’d done. She only thought about what she wanted: which was Pan back in his forest and Syrinx disgusted with him. She wanted to apologize to break them up, not out of some sense of duty. Fury rolled over him.

Pan called upon the wildness inside him, letting it reign free. He gave himself up to the beast within him. His arms and legs grew thick. His hair grew past his shoulders, fanning out around his face. The river reeds broke around his bulging muscles.

Coral’s eyes widened, and she swam for the surface.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Pan pursued her, kicking to gain momentum. Coral swam like a fish, and he was out of his element, his god form slowing him down with the extra weight. The river seemed to go on forever, and the sun was a distant sparkle in the darkness above. Pan cut through the water with each stroke, pulling himself up.

Coral broke the surface and swam to shore until he could see her bare feet no longer. He was losing her, and he couldn’t have her telling Syrinx the truth. That was his job, and his alone.

Pan reached for the sun and broke through to clear air. He coughed up the water in his lungs and breathed. Coral ran on the banks, skirting the forest, for that was his domain. She must have used all her power to lure him here, because she headed toward the gate that bound the two worlds. She couldn’t blink herself back to his mansion.

Pan climbed from the water to the shore. He had time, and he could run like the north wind. The woods were his element, his domain. Gaining momentum, Pan followed Coral down the banks. Other river nymphs turned their heads from their fishing, but Pan chasing after a female was a sight they’d seen before. With one look, they turned back to watching the water.

Pan broke through a cloud of glitter fairies and jumped over a log. He landed in front of Coral, stopping her in her tracks. “You will not meddle in my affairs any longer.”

Behind her, roots from the trees on the edge of the forest crept toward her feet.

Coral’s eyes widened as if she’d jumped in water over her head and forgotten how to swim. Pan was out of her league. She’d reached too high and come up empty-handed.

“I only wanted you.” She spat at him as the roots circled around her.

Pan smiled. “There’s a lesson I’ve learned in the mortal world, from a wise man named Rutherford Hayes. You can’t take someone’s love. They must give it to you willingly.”

The roots climbed her legs. Coral screamed and fought them as they pulled her to the ground and dragged her into the forest.

May you remain in this realm until you vow never to meddle in others’ affairs.

Pan closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on getting back his mortal form. Cursing Coral had drained a lot of his power. As much as he expended, it wouldn’t hold her there for long. She’d find a way around the curse. Coral may be creepy and hardheaded, but she wasn’t stupid. Pan had to get to the party and get Syrinx alone to tell her the truth.