Page 10 of Dead End

“Ah, yes. The infamous grandfather. Pops. That’s what you called him, isn’t it?”

I didn’t like the sneer that overtook his lips. “Does it matter?” I lobbed back at him, prompting a low chuckle from Fuchi.

“Try all you like,” Skanda said, “but you won’t wheedle their names out of any of us. The board’s identity is confidential.”

“I’ve seenThe Wizard of Oz. It’s rarely a good sign when leaders hide their identities behind a great and powerful persona.”

“It makes decision-making easier when they can work without the interference of corporate politics,” Epona said.

“It makes it easier to dodge accountability, too.”

Skanda’s fingers tightened around the handle of his mug.

Fuchi’s gaze turned wistful. “You are such a perfect blend of your parents. It’s uncanny.”

“You knew my parents?” I hated the eagerness I heard in my voice, the deep desire for any breadcrumbs of my parents, no matter how miniscule.

Her gaze flicked to Skanda, as if seeking his approval to say more. “I’m not sure my interactions with them would be of interest to you.”

“I don’t care if you fought over the last slice of cheesecake in the cafeteria. I want to hear about them.”

A smile ghosted Fuchi’s lips. “Your father was gritty. Determined. A natural with a throwing knife, not so much with a sword. That skill took time.”

“I thought Kottavei trained them.”

“Ah, I see you’ve been digging. Yes, Kottavei trained them, albeit separately. At the time, I was the director of the avatar program.”

“Which I’m guessing earned you this spot on the Executive Committee.”

Her smile was smug. “It didn’t hurt. Your mother surprised me. I expected her to be some demure young woman who was more interested in flowers than fighting, but she proved herself to be a veritable badass.”

Her words warmed me from the inside out. “Why were they trained to fight?”

“All avatars received such training until recently,” Fuchi said.

Her comment caught my attention. “Why? What happened recently?”

Skanda cast a silencing glance at her. “Let’s get down to business, shall we? We would like you to accept your aunt Hestia’s invitation to rule your underworld.”

That wasn’t what I expected to hear. “I thought you wanted me to stay here and assimilate.”

“After a round of meetings, we’ve opted for a different course of action,” Skanda said.

“And why, pray tell, would I do that?”

“Because you have no choice,” Epona said. “This isn’t a request.”

“You can send me, but you won’t be able to keep me there.”

“You’ll receive an update to your collar that will account for the change in location,” Skanda said, “but it will keep you from escaping to any other realms. You will, however, have access to your powers once you arrive.”

“How generous of you.”

“We view it as a necessity,” Fuchi said. “You can’t rule as queen of the underworld if your subjects know you’re powerless.”

“I also can’t rule as queen if I’m taking orders from you when it comes to my own realm.”

“Your subjects will have no reason to suspect that you answer to anyone else,” Esege Malan said. “You are the rightful heir to the throne.”

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