Page 131 of Half Dead

The woman’s eyes widened in recognition. “Wait. You’re Melinoe. I saw you at the cocktail party, but we didn’t get a chance to meet. I was so bummed to miss you.”

I glanced at the badge attached to her lanyard. Aine. I knew that name—Celtic goddess of youth, beauty, love, and summer, among other things. Well, the youth and beauty were clearly in evidence.

“I shouldn’t be here. There’s been a mistake.” At the very least, I should’ve been given a chance to set my affairs in order.

Aine’s mouth formed a sympathetic pout. “The gods don’t make mistakes.”

Her statement was so out of line, I fought the urge to bruise her beautiful face. “I need to find Posy Martell. Can you take me to her?”

She tapped her chin, thinking. “The name doesn’t ring a bell. Does she work in accounting? I never remember anybody in the finance division. Just the idea of numbers makes me sleepy.”

“She’s a recruiter. A siren.”

“A siren?” Her pale eyebrows inched up. “How unusual to use a lesser being to entice others to join us. She must be very good at her job.” Aine drank me in. “Well, she managed where many others have failed, so I suppose she is.”

I wasn’t interested in their petty politics. “I need to find her. Now. Her office is at the western end of the complex.”

She produced a blue lanyard from thin air. “You’ll need to wear this to indicate you’re a visitor or security might accidentally identify you as an intruder and smite you. We wouldn’t want that.”

“Certainly not.” I dutifully slipped the lanyard over my head.

“This way, please.”

I followed her outside to the curb. Aine whistled, and a golf cart trundled toward us. “I’ll need to escort you to her office. Visitors aren’t permitted to wander the complex unsupervised. I’m surprised you were able to access the lobby on your own.”

“I was… somewhere else, and then I ended up here.”

“In Paradise,” Aine said with a vacant smile.

I didn’t respond.

The golf cart came to a halt, and I climbed inside. Aine sat beside me, checking her emerald-encrusted watch. “I’ll be late for a meeting, but I suppose this takes priority.”

The golf cart started to move. “I’m more than happy to find her on my own now that I know where to go.”

“I wish I could allow it.” She angled her head to regard me. “How did you arrive here unaccompanied? You said you were elsewhere.”

I couldn’t bring myself to talk about the nightmares I’d left behind. “I used a special card that Posy gave me, and a door opened.” A special trap, more like, but I knew what I was doing, and I’d do it again if it meant saving Kane. I only wished I’d known I’d be sent here immediately. I thought I’d have time to put my affairs in order. Say goodbye to my friends and loved ones. Thoughts of the demon swarmed my mind. I clenched my hands into fists, tamping down the worry I felt. He’d be fine; he had to be.

“I should probably take you straight to HR,” Aine said, more to herself. “If you appeared beyond security on your own, that must mean you’re officially on the roster. There will be paperwork to complete.”

No doubt. I cranked up the saccharine charm. “I really need to see Posy first, just to thank her for everything she’s done to get me here. It wouldn’t have happened without her.”

Aine smiled. “That’s so kind of you. Are you sure you’re a goddess?” Her laughter tinkled in response to her own joke.

“I’m not a typical one, that’s for sure.”

Her face grew solemn as she leaned over to ask in a conspiratorial whisper, “Is it true you were reborn in human form?”

“Yes. My parents were avatars of Hades and Persephone.”

She returned to an upright position. “A miracle child. Such a blessing. I can see why The Corporation has taken such an interest in you.”

“I’m more of an obsession, really. It’s embarrassing for them.”

“I bet the siren earns herself a corner office,” Aine mused. The golf cart rolled to a stop in front of a white stucco building. “Here we are.”

We exited the cart and walked toward the entrance. There was no sign of security in this area.

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