Strange Fates (Nyx Fortuna) by Marlene Perez Read Free Book Online Page A

to the House of Poseidon. They preferred somewhere dark, but near water. They loved dank caves, but would settle for any underground water system, such as a sewer or swamp.
    We loaded the troll onto the steel gurney they’d once used to carry in dead bodies and wheeled him outside.
    “What now?” Jasper asked. Relieved tears slid down his face, but he shook them away.
    “We wait until sunrise,” I said. “Unless you’d like me to leave you and troll boy here to continue with your little arrangement?”
    He shook his head. “God no.” He tried to suppress his sobs, but they bubbled out of him. Finally, he regained his composure enough to say, “He made me do it.”
    “How many?” I asked.
    “Three,” he said. “The first one was…messy.” His throat worked and he suddenly leaned over and heaved out last night’s soup.
    Trolls ate every bit of their victims, bones and all. I imagined the crunch my bones would have made. They also had enormous appetites. It was likely that the number was more like three dozen, but I wasn’t going to argue with Jasper when he was in this condition.
    We stayed there until the first rays of the sun touched the troll’s prone form and he turned to stone.
    “Let’s get some breakfast,” I said. No wonder the kid was so skinny. Being in the thrall of a troll wore you out.
    Jasper approached the stone troll and spit a huge loogie. “He killed my best friend the first night. He would have killed me, too, but he needed me.”
    “To bring him his dinner,” I said.
    Something changed in his face. “You’re him, aren’t you?” Jasper asked.
    “Him, who?”
    “The guy everybody’s looking for,” he said. “Fortuna’s son.”
    It was a shot in the dark. There was no way he could know that.
    “Who is Fortuna’s son?”
    “Dunno,” he replied. “But the Fates want him. Word is he’s supposed to bring about their downfall. They pretty much rule Minneapolis.”
    He had no idea. “I’m a minor magician from the House of Zeus,” I said. I motioned to his trident tattoo. “I don’t even warrant an insignia. Why did you think I might be this guy?”
    “You knew how to kill the troll,” he said. “I didn’t.”
    I shrugged. “I read a lot. It doesn’t take a lot of magic to outwit a troll. But I’m not looking to get noticed, if you know what I mean.”
    “You freed me,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to have the Fates take notice of me. I won’t say anything.”
    I relaxed a fraction. The ring of gratitude in his voice convinced me. “What have you heard about Fortuna’s son?”
    “There’s a bounty on his head,” he said.
    Old news. “Anything else?”
    “The Fates have a new manufacturing venture,” he said. “Right here in Minneapolis.”
    “Why Minneapolis?” I asked.
    “Something about the water being perfect for it,” he said.
    “Perfect for what?”
    “Something in research,” he said importantly.
    “What kind of research?”
    “Something about a new flavor of orange soda. They’re calling it ambrosia.”
    Sounded oddly benign for my aunts, but hey, witches needed to make a living, too. Except that ambrosia was also known as nectar of the gods, something that any mortal would kill for. In theory, ambrosia could extend a mortal’s life, maybe even make him live forever. But it had been banned by all the Houses years ago because it caused madness in mortals, followed by an agonizing death. Even the aunties wouldn’t want to piss off the entire magical community in order to make money. Would they?
    Money was power, and power was the one thing my aunts loved more than trying to kill me. “Where did you hear this?” I asked.
    “Some guy who worked in their labs,” he said. “Alex told me the water was perfect for it.”
    “Alex? Was he one of your marks?”
    “No, Alex was my friend,” Jasper insisted.
    “Where did you meet him?” I asked.
    “Around.”
    I frowned at his answer. “Be more specific. I just saved your