Test read of Children of the Legacy Project: Chapter 6

Just a ring to kiss ...

New York City, New York,

The door to the black SUV opened to the chill wind strolling down the alleyway of the Lyric Theatre, where men in suits stood staring at Helena coming out of the back. One of them fixed his tie, watching her long foot wrapped in a stylish Roman sandal and the golden rings around her ankle touch the ground. She let the long, flowing white dress fall to the tips of her foot, turning to see her younger brother Oeneus come out behind her. He stood there twice her size with a long face some people would call dumb, but he was kind and good at keeping Helena on time with her appointments. He wasn’t born on the Moon back home in Olympus, but she had made sure to take good care of him.

She taught him the ways of the Titans and what it meant to be one. They were going to rule the world one day. They were created to save humanity from themselves.

They were gods and goddesses among men.

She turned to Oeneus, fixing his colorful tie as he frowned a little at her, but she padded him on the shoulder with a wink.

One of the Secret Service agents opened the back door to the playhouse as Helena headed for the warmth of the building.

“My queen,” the agent whispered to her.

“It’s good to see Joss,” she said, kissing him on the cheek and making him smile. “How is the wife?”

“She’s good,” Joss said.

“Exactly,” Helena said, walking into the private stairway to the only opera box the steps would lead to. It was a private box meant for the most important guest, and no one below would be any the wiser about it. The men at the bottom of the stairs nodded at Helena and Oeneus, not stopping them.

“We are running a little late,” Oeneus said, “the show has started.”

“That’s a shame,” she said, climbing the stairs, “Romeo and Juliet always get the heart pumping for me.”

“He is expecting his mistress,” Oeneus said softly, “we’ve made sure Annie is not coming tonight.”

“Hopefully,” Helena said, looking down the hall as all the men in suits with hidden guns glancing at her and then away, “she’s not hurt.”

“No, ma’am,” Oeneus said, following her to the only door at the end of the hall, “as you requested.”

“She’s such a young thing,” Helena said, smiling back at Oeneus, “seventeen is too young to be damaged in this world. Stay here; I’ll be right out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, nodding, “we have another meeting.”

“We’ll be late for that as well,” Helena said, opening the door with Congressman Nathan Sail about to jump to his feet with excitement.

“Annie?”

“Sorry, Nathan,” Helena said, shutting the door softly with dread and disgust washing over his face. She walked over to the wine glasses between the two chairs, picked up the one meant for Annie, and smiled at the old man. “She won’t be making it, you know; it is a school night, and I’m sure she’s got a lot of homework to do.”

“So, you’re the White Queen of New York?” he asked, glancing back at the door, hoping one of his men would come up, but they knew better, and they all stood their ground as if Helena wasn’t sitting down next to the Congressman.

“Aw, is that what they are calling me these days,” she said, drinking the wine. “How sweet.”

“Did you hurt, Annie?”

“Would you care if we did?” Helena asked. “A man with a family and a wife shouldn’t be running around with a seventeen-year-old, should he? I mean, I guess the apples don’t fall far from the tree with good ol’ Jason liking, well, younger boys, but the less you know, right?”

Shock flashed on his face even in the dark of the theater.

“Is she alive?”

“I hope so,” Helena said, watching the play down below for a moment. She started playing with one of the many rings on her fingers and held the wine glass with the other. “I ordered no harm to come to her.”

“How much do you want?”

Helena turned her gaze to the man, almost wounded at the question. She drank a bit more of the wine, shaking her head.

“You people think so small,” she said, “I don’t want your money.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Your devotion,” she said, still playing with the ring and smiling over at him, “and the access to the Relic Core tech.”

“Are you crazy?”

“No, I am not, Nathan,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “Let’s not act like I can’t bury you with a phone call and merely have you killed just as easily.”

He gulps, saying nothing for a second, and then she smiles at him.
“I’m in bed with some nasty people.”

“Those people are falling line to kiss my ring,” she said softly, “or are meeting a very, very bloody end as we speak.”

He stared at her as she glanced back at the stage. There was no lying in her tone. She had teams across the city and the world taking out anyone in the mob's families who wouldn’t follow her orders. Nathan had been getting updates about it all day, but he wasn’t sure who was carrying out the attacks until now, with Helena sitting across from him.

The rumors had made their way to DC; now, he knew they were true. There was a new queen in the underworld, one like no one had ever seen before, and Helena was such a person.

“I don’t want you to meet the same end, Nathan.” She said, “I want you to carry on as if nothing has changed, and you’ll be paid just as such, but, uh, you’ll do as I asked when I asked, and the only ring you’ll have to kiss is mine.”

She held out her free hand, waiting for him to take it. He took a moment before softly grabbing her hand, leaning in, and kissing the biggest ring she was wearing. He sat back, dropping his head and shoulders down in defeat. He didn’t have much of a backbone when it came to the mob, and Helena was a whole different kind of monster to face.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked, looking at the play in the first act.

“What?”

“The tragedy of it all.”