Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1)(139)

She didn’t want to hear whatever was coming and quickly pushed another topic. “That…thing that seizes me had a weird reaction to the jaguar. Almost as though they didn’t want to fight each other.”

Justin wisely followed her lead, though he looked reluctant. “Competing gods, maybe. I want to know what the police get on her. I want to know who sent her.”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? The group behind the murders.”

“I don’t know…jaguars and obsidian. That’s not their style. Why didn’t she use a silver dagger on you?”

“Maybe they only save them for special occasions.”

He gave her a long, level look. “You do realize now that this is all tied together? You, the victims, your goddess. You’re connected, no matter what Leo’s tests say.”

Mae started to protest when she noticed Tessa coming toward them. The girl caught the tail end. “Are you talking about goddesses?”

“SCI talk,” Justin said quickly.

Tessa looked skeptical, but she put that aside as concern seized her. “Are you guys okay? I saw what happened from the roof…in the park….” She looked more surprised than appalled, probably because of the common nature of Panamanian shootings. “I heard a policeman saying that woman attacked Justin.”

“Kind of,” said Mae. “It’s a long story.” Suddenly, she remembered the beginning of her earlier conversation with Tessa. “What happened to you? And being accosted?”

Justin’s head jerked up. “Accosted?”

“Bad word choice,” said Tessa. No one was nearby, but she still looked around nervously. “I think we should go upstairs. I’ve got something kind of important to show you.”





[page]CHAPTER 32





DESPERATE TIMES AND ALL THAT





“Something important” was kind of an understatement.

Justin never would’ve believed Mae’s genetic past and subsequent fight with a shape-shifting woman could be trumped by anything. Apparently, it was one of the rare times he was wrong. Equally incredible was listening to Tessa put together facts in the interview with the old man. Justin had known she was smart, but even he was amazed at her ability to ask the right questions. She’d had no idea how it all worked together, but her gut had told her to just keep gathering information.

Even prodigies needed sleep, however, and in the middle of her video’s third viewing, he saw that Tessa was exhausted. He sent her off to bed while he and Mae held a war council in his room, both of them pointedly not sitting on the bed. Exerzol had given Justin a second wind, though he was so wired by the flood of data tonight that he couldn’t have slept anyway. Mae, although not technically tired, had a weary look on her face, the expression of someone who was mentally drained.

Justin paced the room. “It’s here, Mae. There’s always a pattern, and we’ve almost got it.”

“I feel like we just kind of have a mess.”

“That too. But look. There are genetically superior patricians being engineered—magically or otherwise—with the assistance of some religious group. Said group sacrifices a plebeian to do it and demands a hefty price tag, as well as devotion from the designer baby.” He thought back to his conversation with Callista and how she’d mused that a god might like “perfect” followers, though she hadn’t understood why that god would kill said creations off. Now he knew. “But if they aren’t loyal, they’re sacrificed too and ‘returned’ to their goddess. Ilias Sandberg openly refused. None of the other victims mentioned being approached, but they were all antireligion, which suggests they weren’t on board with some war or death goddess—hence they had to be dealt with.”

“The video is real, then,” she said. He could tell it took her a lot of effort to admit that. “We were seeing some supernatural assassin.”

“It would appear so. Mae…” For a few moments, he couldn’t go forward. Studying her and all those lovely features, he desperately wished he didn’t have to bring up a subject that would only worsen their troubled relationship. But too much was on the line. “Please hear me out. Let me finish what I’m about to say.”

The wary look on her face said she knew what was coming. “Okay.”

“We know now that you were engineered too. You’re the right age and have the right score. You have some ‘dark’ goddess following and possessing you, one that usually shows up when you’re fighting. I’m not exactly saying that’s a direct link to war and death, but it’s pretty close. You have to see that.”

To his relief, she didn’t blow up at him. She simply clung to her safety blanket. “I’m not a match.”

“I know, but is there anything else you can tell me about this goddess that seizes you? The ravens only get impressions off her. They aren’t all-knowing, no matter how much they like to put on airs. You’re the most direct connection we have. Please. Is there any other attribute you can think of to help us find these people before the next murder?”

Part of him wanted to go back and interrogate Astrid Koskinen. She had to know more about this cult than she’d let on. And yet…she’d been so convincing when she denied any knowledge.