Fury Rising (Fury Unbound Book 1) by Yasmine Galenorn

misty form was standing beside me. Here, in the heart of the gods, spirits couldn’t hide themselves.
    “ Uh huh. Hi, yourself.” Queet’s voice echoed in the room.
    Ignoring him, I leaned forward, glancing at the screen. “Yeah. She told me to get my ass over here, so I figure it’s important.”
    Coralie tapped my name into a computer and looked at the screen. She turned to me with a broad smile, the kind of smile that says I’ve done this a thousand times today and I’m getting tired of it . “She’s expecting you. I’ll let her know that you’ve arrived. If you’ll take a seat, please.” She gestured toward the waiting area.
    I eased myself into an overstuffed armchair, crossing my legs. Hecate would let me stew as long as she wanted to. I had learned early on that “Hurry up and wait” was a fact of life in service to the gods.
    The office was decked out in gold and pink and ivory, the soft gold carpet plush under my feet. The walls were pale, a muted rose, and the waiting area resembled nothing less than a high-priced salon. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to hear soft wet-dream music playing in the background, but instead there was the soft whir of air-conditioning.
    I leaned my head back against the chair, closing my eyes. I wanted nothing more than to take a nap, but it wouldn’t be seemly to nod off while I was waiting for one of the Elder Gods. Even though I was dreading the upcoming meeting, I relaxed into the cushions. Ten minutes later, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I yawned, about to get myself a drink of water, when Coralie suddenly looked up.
    “Hecate will see you now. You too, Queet. You remember where her office is?”
    I let out a sigh. “I remember. You don’t need to direct me.”
    I slugged back the water, then headed around the corner and down the hall. At the first intersection, I took a right. Her office was at the end of the corridor, next to those of the Fates. She worked with them off and on.
    Hecate was the Goddess of the Crossroads, the Mistress of Dark Magic, the Mother of Phantoms. She ruled in the shadows. She also watched over the oppressed and those on the fringe. Most of us who lived in Darktown fit that category, when I thought about it.
    I stopped at the last door on the left, knocked once, and then entered the room. Queet followed in a swirl of mist.
    Hecate’s office always surprised me. Before I met her, I would have expected to find her office dark and filled with gloom and doom, cobwebs and cauldrons. Instead, the walls were pale ivory, the carpeting dark blue, the leather furniture was antique white, and the desk—a rich, lustrous pecan. A series of pastoral landscapes decorated the walls. Thriving plants filled the room with oxygen, smelling very deep and green and woodsy. Opposite her desk, in a wall case, Hecate displayed her swords and sickles. I admired the blades every time I showed up for a meeting. I loved blades, actually, and in addition to the ones I used in her service, I had a tidy little collection stashed in my apartment.
    Hecate herself was another matter. No gloomy robes for her. Today, her hair was fashioned into an upswept chignon with braids dangling from the center. She was wearing her usual black leather pants. But her bustier was plum with white polka dots, and over the top, she wore a black leather blazer.
    I knelt in front of her, inclining my head to touch the floor. “My Lady of the Dark Moon.”
    “For fuck’s sake, stifle it. Get up. You know I don’t like groveling.” She was sitting on the edge of her desk, staring at me with pursed lips. She didn’t look happy, but at least she didn’t look like she was out for blood.
    “So. First, you did a good job on the Abomination last night. I’m very pleased by how you are faring in that department.” The sudden praise shocked me. Hecate wasn’t given to easy compliments. As if to prove my point, she added, “You look like something the cats dragged in.