Deities & Desires: Death On Line One

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Theo

What just happened?

A bizarre haze clouded my mind and my heart raced as I stared at the now blank phone screen. I’d only called to ask her questions, but then she asked me on a date. I believe. Or perhaps I asked her. In any case, I was expected for a date. At five o’clock. Of that much, I was sure. Whether I’d go—well, I certainly wouldn’t go back on my word. At least, I think I gave her my word . . .

This whole thing was entirely unprecedented and confusing. Confusion didn't suit me. I pocketed the phone and glared at my large picture window overlooking the city. Announcing myself as Death was idiotic, in retrospect. Perhaps a side effect of not dealing with living humans much. If any. That’s how I was known to the dead.

“Hello, brother.”

An all-too-familiar voice appeared behind me and I straightened with a frown. Confusion and now him. Hyde's lazy smile met me as I turned. He stood in the middle of the doorway, arms crossed, and I fought the urge to mimic his stance.

Thankfully, long gone was the time when we were perfect mirrors of each other. Now being twins simply applied to our physical appearance. And since wielding his particular power required little more than closing his eyes, I'd long been the fittest. Even though it wasn’t drastically noticeable to others, it was still a fact which usually gave me a modicum of satisfaction. But it seemed I'd find none of that today.

“How long have you been there?” I grumbled, my steps echoing through the open loft as I strolled toward him. “How would you like it if I popped into your home whenever I felt like it?”

Stifling a yawn, he relaxed against the door frame and smirked. “I'll consider calling next time. And I just arrived.”

“Why are you here?” I winced at my tone and crossed my arms, anyway.

His expression melted, brows pitching. “You know why, surely. The soul call. I thought—considering that it’s—” He shuffled and readjusted his posture.

Oh. A large breath escaped, and I frowned. He wouldn’t be happy about this, but I now had an obligation to Stephanie. A—I gulped—date.

I composed myself and shrugged. “I’ll be doing this one alone. You’ve seemed off the last few times I’ve seen you.”

Shock swept his features as he shoved away from the frame and stepped toward me. “I’m perfectly fine. I get so few, in comparison! You can’t take this!”

I narrowed my eyes, and he swallowed. “I can. Whether they die in their sleep or not, final decision on who takes them is mine.”

His head tilted as he scanned me. Blast. Twin intuition was so incredibly bothersome. I tightened my posture and stared back at him.

“That’s not the real reason.” He grabbed my upper arm, softening his tone. “I’m not sure why you want to delay it, but her time is up. You know the rules.”

I shrugged out of his grip and stepped past him. “I made the rules,” I muttered, yanking open the door. “I've never failed to do my job, nor will I start now. No need to lecture me.” A sneer aimed at the hallway twisted my mouth. “Brother.”

Hyde followed, hot on my heels. We nodded politely to a passing elderly woman, and when we reached the end of the hall, he tilted his head and studied me. “You've never done anything like this before. The call and pretense seem like a massive waste of time. Why?”

So he hadn’t just arrived, the lying snake. Was I more annoyed that I hadn’t noticed? Or that he’d heard?

I glared at the elevator. This infernal machine couldn't arrive fast enough. Why I'd chosen the top floor, I'd never—Well, I did know. The height of self-importance. Ego. At one time those things had mattered. Little did now.

I cast my eyes to the numbers above the door before leveling my gaze at Hyde. “Are you Time's Keeper now?”

He held up his hands. “You know the answer to that. I simply wish to figure this out.”

His very voice grated my ears, and I cracked my neck as I jammed my finger on the elevator button. “Why are you so concerned with me today? Haven't you anything else you could be doing? Things involving slumber, perhaps?”

He shrugged but said nothing, annoying me further. What I wouldn’t give to have his “job.”

Finally, the elevator arrived with a ding, and my shoulders relaxed. Nearly free. I stepped through and turned on my heel to face my brother.

My one-time confidant. My closest living family. The perpetual thorn in my side and the one for whom I'd do anything. My love for him wouldn't ever truly vanish, but tonight my annoyance greatly overshadowed it. And had for some time.

He stared back, his brow creased in a frown. “What makes her different?”

“She isn't.” And that was true. No one was. Death was the one debt everyone paid.

“Correct.” He tilted his chin. “Just don't forget that.”

The doors slid closed, and I was left staring at a dull metal surface.

Despite my best efforts to ignore it, his question smothered me like a blanket woven from the threads of doubt.

What was I doing? In truth, when I’d found out who this particular soul was, I’d felt something akin to hope. She would have the sort of relationship insight it would take me lifetimes to figure out on my own. What other opportunity would there be, if not now, with her? I’d called to seek advice, that was all. She wasn’t different. Amusing, yes. And her voice had a pleasing lilt, a lovely alto tone that stirred me.

I frowned. Maybe I was bored. No, I was definitely bored. Maybe I was lonely. Correction, I absolutely was lonely. I sighed and raked my hand through my hair. Maybe I had no clue what I was doing and was just going with the flow for once.

Whatever the reason, Stephanie Waters wouldn’t die this hour. Maybe not the next. After that . . .

The elevator lurched to a stop on the third floor. When the doors opened, my brows lifted at the spectacle before me.

In a picture of affluence, complete with the smug, holier-than-thou raised chin, stood a woman who didn't look quite sixty, but held on to every bit of her youthful beauty. Draped in a silver fur stole, sporting a flowing white blouse of expensive material—likely silk—and tight black pants over improbably high heels. Most likely leaving the party I’d seen evidence of earlier. This building tended to be a hotbed at times, much to my dismay.

Stepping to the side, I gestured for her to enter. “Madam.”

She gave me an obvious once-over, nodded, lifted her chin again, and sauntered in beside me. A tall beast of a man entered behind her and flanked her other side. Security, no doubt. I briefly wondered if he had titan blood before a quick glance at his eyes revealed nothing but ordinary human. Pity.

“These cast reunions are always so boring, Daran, wouldn’t you agree?” The brute grunted in agreement and she sighed. Before the doors slid closed, she twisted to face me and smiled. “Yes, I am Evangeline Waters. This must be such a thrill for you.”

This was Stephanie's mother? Interesting.

I narrowly avoided chuckling when she batted her eyes at me in an exaggerated move. Instead, I returned her smile. “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Waters. As it turns out, I heard your name just recently.” She preened until I added, “Your daughter runs Aphrodite's, no? Quite a successful business, as I understand it. You must be so proud.”

Soured was the best way to describe her expression. Like she’d sniffed spoiled milk.

“Yes, yes. Of course.” She frowned at her shawl as she plucked invisible lint from the fur. “What mother wouldn't be proud of a daughter destined to die alone and without giving me grandchildren?”

My bones buzzed, and a pit opened in my stomach. What an apt prediction. Still, in the absence of hard truth, which no mortal would ever possess, that was an utterly horrid thing to say.

I bit my tongue. And then I couldn't.

“Pardon my saying so, but—”

She waved away my comment, sending her overly floral perfume toward me. “Obviously she's entitled to live whatever life she wants.” Her exaggerated sigh filled the elevator. “I just wish she'd think about me, about continuing the family line. It seems such a waste for my talented gene pool to simply . . . ” She mimicked explosions with her hands. “Poof.”

Dumbfounded, I watched her fluff the ends of the fur. What kind of parent would speak of her child in such a way? My thoughts strayed to my own mother. Her kind eyes and soul, always so forgiving. I doubted an idea such as that had ever entered her mind.

Ms. Waters shrugged, and I managed to utter a muted, “Indeed,” as the doors slid open again on the ground floor.

My fingers twitched, practiced motions slipping into place from centuries of repetition and before I could stop it, I reached out and touched her elbow. The crystal-clear number appeared in my mind, shrouded in its translucent curl of smoke, and I blinked.

Twelve days. What an awful twist. Fated to die so soon after her daughter. And what a shame for them to part with such animosity.

She dropped a glance to my hand and smiled. “Sorry, handsome, I'm not looking for husband number seven today.” She threw me a wink and sauntered out of sight. The number vanished when she broke contact.

How terribly sad. Stephanie wouldn't be the only one dying alone.

Not that I'd had much experience myself, none in this area in fact, but I did know that six was a rather high number of marriages. Money was usually the driving force in those cases. But, no one wished they’d had another car when they made the final walk.

I barely caught the door and stepped out as well. The tan marble floor vibrated from traffic rumbling past, but it still managed to toss echoes of their footsteps around the massive lobby.

The odd pair walked past the two embroidered, cream silk sofas flanking the entry. He held one of the pristine twin doors open for her and then the passenger door of the waiting black luxury sedan outside.

When they pulled away from the curb, sunlight reflected off the car's window and hit the crystal chandelier above me, sending a waltz of a thousand rainbows around the room. Immediately I was home, all those centuries ago, chasing Hyde, my mother's gentle laughter floating above us as moonlight filtered through the trees. One of my fond memories of times before we grew into our powers and positions.

Before resentment took root and tarnished what once was a priceless relationship.

Surely, Stephanie and her mother shared a similar memory of times before things turned. One they should reflect upon together.

In that moment it was settled. I would learn as much as I could and convince Stephanie to contact her mother after our meeting. Familial reconciliation was certainly a defensible reason to postpone death. At least for a couple of hours.