Page 11 of Taurus's Quest
“She likely needed to locate someone who would listen. As to the latter part of Olivia’s prediction, most likely she spoke of a mission still to come.”
Possible. She was still just a kid. “So I’m to take Circe back to Athens?”
“Yes. As soon as possible.”
“You’re not going to wipe her memories?” Taurus questioned.
Aries shook his head. “I want everything intact in case we’re not done with her.”
“What if she tells people about us and Tower?”
“Tell people I met oversized men claiming they’re Zodiac gladiators protecting the world using magic?” Circe snorted. “Not likely. Although it might make for an interesting science fiction story if I had the time or inclination to write it.”
“Don’t,” Aries flatly stated. He stood with the baby. “I’ll speak with Aquarius about what we’ve learned. Get him to see what he can find out about this asteroid.”
“Sounds good, boss. Anything else?”
“Once you return her to Athens, hang tight until I find out more.”
“You got it, boss.” He turned to Circe and pointed to the door. “Time to get you home, honey.”
Circe, however, hesitated. “Go? But I don’t yet know how to get the computer data to reflect my discovery. People won’t take this asteroid seriously until I do.”
“No longer your problem. We’ll handle it from here,” Aries stated.
End of conversation, or it should have been.
The lady in green huffed. “You don’t get to tell me what to do in my own dream.”
“Guess again,” Taurus muttered, and then, rather than argue, he swept Circe off her feet and carried her out of Aries’ office.
“What are you doing? Put me down.” She futilely pounded at his chest. He’d had more vigorous massages.
“I thought you wanted to go home.”
“I do.” She paused before adding, “When I wake up, will it be morning?”
“Maybe. Portal is weird about time zones and shit. Technically, we’re only one hour ahead of Athens, but from the sounds of it, you left at night, and meanwhile, we’re only mid-afternoon.”
“This dream is so strange, especially since I never watch science fiction,” she muttered.
“Seriously? Isn’t that like a prerequisite for being interested in space?” He and the other Zodiacs devoured all things science fiction and fantasy. They thought of it as research for the job.
“Why would I waste my time with fiction?” She snorted. “I’ve studied the solar system enough to know what’s out there and what isn’t. There are no aliens, no possessed constellations inhabiting people on Earth, no magic.”
“You keep thinking that, honey,” Taurus retorted.
“Much as you keep trying to convince me this is real, I know better,” she huffed in reply.
“Does this feel real to you?” His lips pressed against hers, a quick embrace, over as quick as it started. He couldn’t have said what possessed him or why a jolt went through him at the touch, but at least it shut her up.
She remained quiet for the remainder of the jog down the steps, the jostling leading her to cling tight to his neck. Tower didn’t bother making the descent faster, but he’d done the climb up and down enough that, even with her added weight, he arrived on the main level without breathing hard. He strode into the portal room with its many arches, which led to her eyes rounding.
“Those look just like the ones in the store basement,” she exclaimed.
“Told you we had a couple. Now let’s see. Athens is…” He mumbled aloud as he sought to remember which one he needed. He didn’t use the portals often, preferring to do the math that allowed him to beam directly to where he wanted.
But in this case, quicker was better. With Circe still in his arms, he stepped through—hopefully—the correct arch, not bothered by the sudden intense cold or the jarring sensation as he took flight, a disembodied stream of tiny particles that shot from one doorway to the next.
