Free Dark Siren by Katerina Martinez Page A

woman by the name of Helena Metaxas. She had a soft face with eyes as green as a field in spring, and was holding a tablet and taking notes.
    “If you’ll follow me please,” Isaac said in his silky British accent, and he gestured Helena through a tall arch. Her high heels made a clacking sound wherever she walked, and she gave Isaac a sly wink as she went through the doors.
    The exhibit, a grand white and gold hall dotted with tall marble columns, had been recently built to accommodate the museum’s steadily growing Greek collection. The institution had collected many items from medieval England and China, and some of those artifacts sat in Isaac’s office right now. But Isaac felt the museum should be true to its name and collect items from all Empires—Roman, Chinese, Greek, Japanese. Yes, these were more expensive and harder to find, but Isaac had a knack for acquisition.
    “I think you’ll find we’ve built a beautiful little home for your mirror,” Isaac said as they sailed past display cases filled with pottery, trinkets, weapons, and models of old Greek buildings.
    “Yes,” Helena said, “This is a most impressive exhibit, considering it was built so quickly.” Her English was heavily accented, but her practiced vocabulary made up for it. This was a woman used to dealing with foreigners to her land, specifically foreigners who spoke only English. Isaac, incidentally, spoke English, Spanish, Greek, Italian, French, Latin, Portuguese, and Romanian with varying degrees of fluency, but English was the language of business here.
    “I must admit I wasn’t expecting to acquire a piece such as Hermes’ Mirror for the exhibit. I was quite surprised to receive your phone call.”
    “The owner had heard of your tireless efforts to bring Greek culture to this wonderful city and felt it would be disrespectful not to approach you.”
    “And the owner, he’s Greek?”
    “Yes, and speaks only Greek. This is why he hired me.”
    “I must admit I’m a little surprised he hasn’t come to see me personally—I do speak Greek.”
    “My employer is somewhat reclusive, but he is a kind man with a love for the arts.”
    “I hope he can make the unveiling tomorrow.”
    “Perhaps. I have yet to confirm it with him. If he is, he will be flying in from Boston in the morning.”
    “And you? I trust you’ll be staying for the unveiling?”
    “Of course. I do not fly back to Boston until Sunday.”
    She turned to look at Isaac when she said this last part, her eyes, flashing a suggestion for him to catch and return, or ignore.
    “That’s plenty of time,” he said. “Perhaps I can show you some of my favorite parts of the city before you leave. Ashwood really is quite beautiful once you get to know her; it would be a shame for you to not have a taste before your return.”
    Her eyebrow cocked and she smiled while Isaac examined her form. She looked sharp—intellectually sharp—was curvy in all the right places, and had a set of eyes which said “I like to get smacked on the ass.” Message received loud and clear.
    At the far end of the exhibit, illuminated perfectly by a ray of moonlight streaking in from a high window, like the star at the center of the stage, was the mirror. Isaac approached. The display was warded off by a square of velvet ropes spread far enough to give the display a wide berth from anyone who had an inclination to get too close, since Isaac didn’t want the mirror to be placed behind a pane of glass. The mirror was gorgeous. Standing taller than a human, the frame was forged of strangely tough silver encrusted with black gems, and the glass was as reflective as the day it was made.
    Isaac didn’t want even a single percentage point of its beauty to be hidden from onlookers.
    “Here we are,” he said, smiling. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
    Helena approached and stood close to him. “It is,” she said, and he felt a pair of fingers caress his outer thigh. “I look forward to seeing it