Mirror of the Gods, page 6
Dira unceremoniously dumped him into his desk chair. “I just knocked him out. Relax. You go and do what you need to do, then come straight back here.” She rubbed her temples. “I need to watch him, so that if he wakes up, he doesn’t call the cops and get me arrested, leaving you defenseless.”
Lucy wanted to object, wanted to claim that she wasn’t defenseless, but thought better of it. So she turned on her heel and practically ran out the door, shutting it quickly behind her.
Chapter Seven
It took a lot less time than she expected to make a huge life change. Lucy tried not to dwell on the lies and half-truths she’d told, or how easy it had been to tell them.
As she had knocked on her adviser’s door, the older woman with bright red horn-rimmed glasses glanced up and beamed.
“Lucy darling, come in! What brings you by?”
Shirley’s wide smile had dimmed a bit as Lucy recited her cover story about why she had to drop out for the semester.
After that, it was all done in about ten minutes. She didn’t need to sign anything or say anything else. She thanked Shirley and headed back to where Dira waited for her.
Pulling open the door to Dr. McCain’s office, Lucy half expected to see him awake and Dira in handcuffs. She was marginally relieved to see her professor still slumped over his desk, and Dira leaning against the wall with her arms and ankles crossed. Cool and composed.
“Done?”
Lucy nodded, frowning at Dr. McCain.
Dira followed her gaze and gave a dry laugh. “Don’t worry, he’s coming along with us.”
“What? Why?” Of all the things Lucy had expected her to do with Clint, that was definitely not one of them.
Dira gave her a blank look that made Lucy feel both scolded and dense at the same time. “If we leave him here, the first thing he is going to do when he wakes up is call the police. You’ll become a missing person. I’ll be a suspect. It would just be a right mess.”
Lucy floundered for a moment.
“Okay, that’s fine,” Lucy said, as Dira drew a small pouch from her black leather jacket. “But how are we supposed to...” she continued, as Dira unzipped it, and moved toward Clint. The man in question was slowly beginning to wake up, eyes bleary as he groaned, pressing a hand to his head. “What the hell are you doing?” Lucy hissed.
Dira glanced up at her as she removed the needle from McCain’s neck, placed the syringe in its little case and then back into her pocket. “Are you always so... uptight?” she asked. “It’s nothing bad. Just a little something to make sure he’s a bit more amiable while we get him into the car and on the plane.” She lifted one of the man’s arms over her shoulders. Lucy moved over to do the same, despite the fact that Dira looked like she didn’t need much help.
“Not only am I dropping out of classes and going on the run, I’m also now committing a felony and kidnapping the one professor who already hates me,” Lucy moaned.
***
As they moved into the empty hall, Lucy peeked around the anesthetized man hanging between them. “Why did you even have that with you in the first place?”
Dira’s nostrils flared. Not meeting Lucy’s eyes, she gave a little shrug and hefted up Dr. McCain. He gave a low grunt at being jostled. “In case you made all of this more difficult than it needed to be.”
Lucy blanched. They dragged Clint down the main stairs. “So a normal, everyday reason,” she said flatly. Dira stifled a chuckle.
“That about sums it up.” She opened the back passenger side door of the car. Once Dr. McCain was securely laid across the back seats, Dira shut the door firmly and then rounded the car, giving Lucy an expectant look.
“Right then,” Lucy murmured. “Off we go.”
Dira had started the car and pulled away from the curb before Lucy even had her seatbelt fastened. As they drove through Boston and headed north, Lucy periodically twisted in her seat to check on her dazed and drugged professor.
“Dira?” she asked. “Why were you looking for me in Norway?”
Dira exhaled slowly through her nose. “The same reason those men came after you last night. The bracelets.”
Lucy gnawed at her thumbnail nervously. “You know I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, right?”
“What do you mean?” Dira finally glancing over at her. The woman looked about thirty seconds from a major mental breakdown.
“When I found them—excavated them—they just felt so familiar. Kind of like you do. Ah, what I mean is, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d touched them before. Or seen them. It was like... How can I explain?” Lucy curled her body inwards, huddling in her seat. A defense mechanism, and Dira knew it well.
She was protecting herself from everything around her.
“I can only describe it as this incredible feeling of déjà vu, but so much stronger. They were large, and at first, I thought maybe they were shin guards or leg gauntlets. Then I thought maybe they were bracelets, so I slid them over my wrists. And I know now how stupid that was, but they were just so odd. I had never seen anything like them before.”
She sighed before continuing. “And the next thing I know, Dr. McCain is behind me, berating me, and I panicked. He’s got this rule about not touching anything we find. He thinks students aren’t intellectually capable of handling artifacts with the level of reverence and care that he shows them. Which isn’t true.”
“Isn’t it?”
“I guess I can’t really talk, since these are, well, stuck on me.” Lucy wriggled her arms, the cuffs glinting in the sunlight that streamed through the windshield.
Dira glanced in the rearview mirror at the begrudgingly handsome man, who was practically drooling on the arm he was using to prop his head up. “He sounds like a pretentious academic.” But maybe he had a point.
Lucy gave a snort and rolled her eyes. “You have no idea. Anyways, as I was climbing out, I realized the bracelets were now solid and weren’t coming off.” She sighed again. “What I’m trying to say is I messed up, but I didn’t mean to put on some magical bracelets that would make me a target. And I’m sorry we were excavating there.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“I don’t know.” Lucy blinked owlishly at her. “I think somehow you’re connected. I feel it. And... your eye twitched as I was talking about Mound One,” Lucy added, giving a sheepish smile.
The girl was more observant than Dira had given her credit for. “They were my ancestors.”
She’d expected the quiet gasp of surprise from Lucy, but certainly not this degree of childlike enthusiasm.
“Really?” Lucy twisted in her seat to look at her. “Do you know who was buried in the largest mound? We were trying to excavate it as quickly as possible but by the time I left, we hadn’t even scratched the surface.”
Dira considered her reply before deciding on the truth. “Mordira the First.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “It was a woman then? Wait, are you named after her?”
Dira’s lips twitched, eyes glued to the road. She rolled her shoulders to ease the tension, relaxing into her seat.
“Yes,” she said. “My full name is Mordira, but I just go by Dira. My mother was also Mordira, and her mother before her.”
“So it’s a family name. What number are you, like, the sixteenth?”
Dira chuckled. “Something like that. I’m not really sure.”
Lucy hummed and sat back as Dira made their exit and began taking side roads instead of being on the highway.
“Who were they?” Lucy asked quietly.
Dira fought to keep her face a smooth mask devoid of emotion. “I’ll answer that when we’re in the air,” she said, closing the subject for now.
***
Something in her tone made Lucy hesitant to prod anymore, so the rest of the drive passed in silence. Almost an hour after they left campus, Dira pulled into the Beverly Regional Airport, punching in a code to open the large wrought iron gate that blocked their entry.
On the tarmac, an elegant black private jet gleamed in the early afternoon sun. Dira parked beside it.
“Woah,” Lucy breathed.
Dira’s stiffness eased a little, and she gave a small smile. “Come on.” She got out of the car, turning to the plane as the hatch opened and steps slowly descended. Lucy didn’t mean to stare, but the woman that stepped out of the plane and bounced down the steps was absolutely stunning.
Her long, thick braids were piled onto her head, gold clasps glinting. Her sleeveless neon pink crop top revealed smooth dark skin, and her smile was blinding. Suddenly Lucy felt extremely dull. The woman’s loose teal joggers were as bright as her smile.
“You must be Lucy! I’m Jay. Nice to meet you!” Her voice was light and filled with excitement. Unlike Dira’s accent, Jay’s was softer, less pronounced. But Lucy was able to discern that the slight drawl of certain sounds was the same.
“Jay, did you scrub the videos as I asked?” Dira asked, opening the trunk and pulling out a black duffel bag. She nodded to Lucy to come and get her own things. Lucy tried her hardest not to scramble toward the car.
Jay grinned. “Sure did. Oh, Lucy, this is Kreager and Ridder.”
Lucy had to bite back a groan. Who the hell were these people? And why in God’s name did they all have to be so beautiful? Both men were large, with broad shoulders, and stupidly handsome.
The tawny eyes of the first man had her blood warming. His black hair was tied into a knot at the back of his head, a few strands escaping around his temples and accentuating his sun-kissed skin. This man was perfect, in a relaxed and carefree way. A light gray Henley shirt stretched across his broad chest and thick muscular arms. He gave her a gentle, easy smile that she found herself returning almost instantly before her eyes trailed to the second man.
Her smile dimmed.
The world stopped.
Ridder looked like he had just stepped off the runway in Madrid with his dark gray tailored pants and black button-down open at the collar. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing muscled forearms peppered with seemingly random tattoos. He was a careless sort of handsome, like he had found the perfect balance between putting in enough effort but not too much. His swarthy looks were something even extremely popular male models would envy, with short-cropped mahogany hair and perfectly smooth olive skin. And his dark eyes were hard, critical, as he stared at her, barely containing his disdain. Something in Lucy’s stomach dropped, and she glanced away, not wanting to be scrutinized anymore.
A jab to her side had Lucy snapping out of her trance, flushing brightly as Dira gave her a look. Now she grabbed her backpack, shifting it up onto her shoulders, and her tote, and the ridiculous bag of snacks she now desperately wanted to hide, and reached for her duffel.
A large hand reached past her, grabbing the handle and pulling the duffel bag up with hardly any effort. Lucy looked up and found Kreager beside her, smiling softly.
“Nice to meet you,” he murmured. “Ignore Ridder. He’s a bit dramatic at times.” His voice was low, a deep rumbling tenor. Lucy tried her best to tamp down the nerves that swirled in her stomach. Her eyes flicked to Ridder, who stood beside Dira, staring off to the side. It took everything in her not to frown at the spear of disappointment that shot down her spine. The man’s frosty exterior didn’t diminish his good looks for a moment. Lucy blushed and looked down at her shoes as Kreager moved away with her bag.
“Alright, Ridder, I need you to grab McCain from the back,” Dira ordered. “I’ve left the keys in the car. Someone will come get it after we’ve left.”
Lucy watched in fascination as Ridder obeyed without argument.
Jay snickered as she climbed back into the jet. “Run into some trouble, Dira?”
Dira rolled her eyes, and Jeger laughed as she slid easily into the plane. Dira entered close behind, and Lucy followed them, sparing the two men only a single nervous glance as she ducked out of sight.
Lucy tried not to gape. The inside of the jet was by far the most luxurious thing she had ever seen. The dark lacquered credenza along the far windows had a screen hanging above it, a digital map displayed across it to show their flight path.
Four cream leather armchairs sat across from each other with a table in the middle, a small crystal vase of flowers in its own cup holder adding a cheerful pop of color.
Behind the four armchairs were two more chairs, with a couch off to the side. Dira took the plastic bag and Lucy’s backpack from her and headed toward the back of the plane. Jeger motioned toward the seat beside her, and, numb and stiff, Lucy slid into it.
***
Outside, the brothers worked in silence, each deep in thought about the situation that lay before them. Kreager stopped at the top of the stairs and pinned Ridder with a look.
“Be nice. She’s an innocent in all of this.”
Ridder rolled his eyes, dragging the unconscious man up the stairs with a huff, annoyance twisting his already clenched gut. Ever since he began to see Lucy Sheridan in his visions, he’d known she would turn their world upside down. Seeing her in person only solidified that. However, it wasn’t just the visions that made him uneasy.
It was the fact that she awoke feelings in Ridder that confused him. And he did not like that one bit.
Hoisting the drugged professor up, he clenched his jaw and cut his eyes away from his brother’s knowing gaze. “Whatever you say, big brother.”
Kreager barely restrained himself from slapping the back of Ridder’s head as he passed by on his way inside the plane. Once everyone was inside, he closed the hatch door and gave two sharp raps on the cockpit door.
Lucy clutched her tote to her chest as Ridder passed by with McCain, who was incoherently grumbling under his breath. Ridder dropped Clint unceremoniously onto the couch at the back of the plane. He watched the man slump, his head rolling to the side before he gave a low snore.
Ridder made his way back to the front of the cabin and took the chair across from Jay. He scowled a little at Lucy, and Jay kicked him in the shin. Maybe he deserved that. But he still didn’t trust the girl. Jay gave him a look, and he gave her a look back, and they had a silent conversation ultimately ending with Ridder sighing in annoyance and looking out the window at the darkening world outside.
Lucy was gawking at all the shining surfaces and luxurious materials. No doubt this plane cost three times the house she’d grown up in. As Dira, sat her long legs nudged Lucy, snapping her out of it. She glanced sheepishly around at the others and buckled herself in. She was breathing strangely, and Ridder thought he saw her hands shake as she put the tote she’d been clutching down on the floor. Slowly, she seemed to settle.
Until, that is, the jet lurched forward, and she inhaled sharply. Ridder’s eyes flashed to her in alarm. She smiled sheepishly and sank down in her chair.
“Are you alright?” asked Dira.
“Um, yeah. It just caught me by surprise.”
“Lucy, what was in that plastic bag that you brought with you?” Jay asked, trying to ease the tension in the way she usually did. The flush on Lucy’s cheeks darkened.
“I... Well, I didn’t know how long we would be traveling, and when I was younger my mom would always pack snacks for us during long car rides or things like that,” she babbled, “so it was instinct to do the same.”
Jay blinked, then grinned. “That’s too cute. Dira, she’s adorable!”
Ridder scoffed and returned to glaring out the window, arms crossed over his chest. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lucy frown, and bite her lip nervously.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“Ignore him,” Dira said. “We usually do.”
Ridder stiffened at the tone of her voice, looking at his older sister sullenly. The threat in her eyes did not go unnoticed. He realized he needed to rein in his muddled emotions.
“It’s alright,” Lucy said softly, as the plane accelerated across the runway.
The confusion he was feeling did nothing to ease his growing temper. But when he took a good look at her, guilt washed everything else away. His eyes raked over her pale face and scared gray eyes. She looked impossibly small in the seat, shoulders slumped in on themselves. And despite his shitty attitude, she’d been gentle. Soft-spoken.
She’s dangerous, he mused uneasily as the plane lifted into the air. And not in the way I thought.
“I apologize,” Ridder said, pulling his lips into a half-smile in an attempt to smooth things over. “Traveling has made me ill-tempered.”
“It’s alright. Maybe we can start over, I’m Lucy Sheridan.” She stuck out her hand for him to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He tried not to stare at the silver cuffs on her forearms as he reached across the table to take her hand, clasping it firmly. The moment their hands touched he knew something wasn’t right. A pulse, like hot electricity, shot through his palm, up his arm, and down his spine.
She was going to turn their world upside down.
He just knew it.
Chapter Eight
The cabin of the plane descended into silence, save for the loud clink of Lucy’s hand hitting the table. Her face paled even more, turning a ghostly white. The hand in his shook violently as a symbol appeared on the otherwise plain cuffs, illuminated by gleaming pale blue light. Her pupils dilated, blown wide as the black consumed gray, and Ridder recoiled, dropping her hand as if he had touched a burning iron. The shaking ceased, and the only sound now was the low rumbling of the engines as the plane leveled out, and Lucy’s labored breathing.
Her eyes were back to normal, now. Had he imagined that?
Lucy gave a quiet moan, blinking rapidly and pressing a hand to her forehead.
“What did you see?” Dira demanded, leaning forward in her seat to study Lucy closely. She was still pale and shaky, her eyes fluttering as she swallowed thickly.
“I...” She shuddered. “I saw...” She scrambled up and lunged toward the bathroom, slamming into the door with a sharp crack.
