Page 58 of The Cursed Chalice
Phobos walks in. “What girls?”
“Raya and Nisa.”
Phobos, whose face is normally devoid of expression, grimaces. “Where did they go?”
“I don’t know?”
Deimos sits up. “How the fuck do you not know where your nanny and ward ran off to?”
“I said I don’t know, Deimos,” I mutter low with a warning.
“Give me a sec.” Phobos disappears out of the office.
Deimos shifts his gaze to the chalice still sitting on the side table and then back to me.
“Shouldn’t that be in a glass case or something?” He flicks his head in the chalice’s direction.
I look back at the chalice and then at Deimos. “I have to find her, Deimos.”
Phobos reappears. “She took the Audi. I tracked it to Buster’s.”
Both Deimos and I have blank expressions on our faces.
“Pray tell, brother, what’s a ‘Buster’s’?” Deimos shifts his legs off the arm of the chair.
Phobos’s face remains flat with no expression. “It’s a grocery store. Anyway, after some questions, I fear they are not there. They were kidnapped.”
The air feels cold. “Are you sure?”
Phobos nods. “I moved through Buster’s and found the security booth. I saw it all.”
Deimos cringes. “And you just left?”
“No, I took care of the camera and tapes.”
The scar pulses, and my skin feels like it’s about to burst. I inhale and feel like I am being submerged in hot lava. I throw my head back and stretch, allowing Ares to take over.
“Oh no, the ugly part of Father has arrived,” Deimos comments.
“You’ve never had a pretty side, Deimos.” I look over to Phobos. “Where is Hecate?”
Phobos shrugs. “I don’t know.”
My muscles tighten, my breathing shortens, and the vein in my forehead pulses. I close my eyes and inhale and kneel.
“Is he kneeling?” Deimos says. “This is Ares, right, not Aric?”
“Shut up, brother.”
I bend my head; my palms are upward, resting on my knees. “Ánassa Hekáte triples hodoû kyría. Pyr nyktós kaí klês skiôn. Áres s’ epikaleîtai; élthois, déspoina, hos symmachos polémou.”
(Queen Hecate, mistress of the triple road. Fire of night and key of shadows. Ares calls upon you. Come, Lady, as an ally in war.)
Cold air rushes through the room. The lights flicker, and I open my eyes, seeing the pointed part of her black stilettos.
“I can get used to this.”
I get off my knees. “Where have you been?”
