Page 9

Ares

CHAPTER NINE

NEW ORLEANS

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the show?" I ask, much more to try to understand what is behind Hades coming with me to Louisiana than because I believe for even a second that he might be interested in classical ballet.

I certainly wouldn’t be attending if it wasn’t necessary for me to talk to my ward. My weeks have been so fucking busy, and I couldn't put off my visit to Serenity any longer. Unfortunately for me, it happens to be the day she’s going to perform her first solo as a dancer, according to what Van Lith told me on the phone.

Apparently, even after passing her guardianship over to me—the word guardian really bothers me, since she's not a minor but an adult—he continues to keep an eye on her.

Maybe he’s worried about men harassing her? I have no idea. Either way, it's not happening. The bodyguards I assigned to protect her assured me that she does nothing other than dedicate herself to ballet.

The only people she interacts with are other dancers within the dance school or teachers.

A good girl, it seems, whose life is as interesting as watching grass grow.

"Yes, you'll have to go to your torture session alone," he finally responds. "In fact, why don't you just wait until after the performance to see her? You could meet her tomorrow, even."

I don't have an exact answer for this, other than the fact that something very similar to guilt has been echoing inside me for days.

I should have come earlier. It is my legal duty to look after her wellbeing, and all I have done so far, by assigning men to be her bodyguards, is look after her physical security.

Today, I want to learn a little about the universe my ward is part of. It doesn't matter that Serenity is just business for me—I should have gotten in touch sooner.

“You won't be able to distract me,” I tell him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What are you really doing in New Orleans, Hades? Because I don't buy this story that you were just worried about me. You know perfectly well who is in charge of this city. Christos and Zeus told Beau I was coming. I’m not taking any risks here."

As far as I can tell from conversations with Christos and Odin, right now New Orleans is a melting pot of criminal organizations working behind the scenes. However, there is a king whom all mafias obey without blinking: Beau Carmouche-LeBlanc, Christos's friend, who has an unknown past. Almost a ghost, he appears out of nowhere when necessary.

All four of us Kostanidou pay bodyguards a fortune to protect us, but within New York, our territory, we are a kind of royalty too. Here, we are guests, so Zeus took every precaution to ensure that nothing would happen to us on this visit.

"I like the south of the country," he says.

"You hate anywhere that isn't Manhattan or our island home in Greece, so try again."

"Focus on your own problems, Ares."

"Your problems are mine too. They concern all of us."

One corner of his mouth lifts as he shrugs. "If you believe that, I won't contradict you, but the opposite is not true. I don't want to share the guardianship of a teenage ballerina."

"Adult."

"Only legally, right? Because as far as we know, she knows nothing about life."

"She has been well-behaved since she left boarding school. In fact, I thought the girl would be dazzled by her newfound freedom, but that wasn't the case." The driver parks in front of the theater, and I say goodbye. "I gotta go."

I get out of the car, as the driver we hired will take my brother wherever he wants to go. As soon as I step onto the sidewalk, I'm surrounded by bodyguards. There are a dozen and a half accompanying us, and I don't doubt that, a short distance away, there are some of Beau's men as well.

I'm not heading towards the theater yet. I watch the car drive away with my younger brother inside, sure that Hades is hiding something from me.

For two years, he has lived for his revenge. Distraught, seeking retaliation.

Do not misunderstand me. I'm all for retribution when someone crosses me or meddles in my business. The difference is that I need a single accurate blow. I am objective when my intention is to destroy; my brother, however, seems immersed in a descent of infinite resentment.

And guilt , a voice warns.

Yes, there is a lot of guilt behind his obsession. In Hades' mind, he was the one responsible for the fateful unfolding of those events.

I disagree, but he’s never listened to us, and I don't think he'll start now.

He is trapped in a web of hate, and I doubt that even when he achieves what he wants, he will have peace.

I start walking towards the theater entrance, and I'm vaguely aware that my security guards are attracting attention, but I don't feel uncomfortable. I'm more than used to having them as a barrier.

I don't like people very much. In fact, I despise a large part of the world, and I have no doubt that even if I weren't who I am, I would find a way to always have someone shielding me from unwanted conversations.

I notice the head of my bodyguards come forward and show the tickets, mine and those of the entire team, to the security guard at the door. The man's expression changes instantly, and I know why. I bought an entire box, and my donation to the event is equivalent to the annual income of a large part of the American middle-class population.

In seconds, we are inside the theater. There is no one left, other than a few employees, outside. I'm always punctual, but I was late on purpose to avoid meeting the crowd that’s in attendance.

In a few minutes, I arrive at my box. The lights are off, and the audience is silent, watching the performance on stage.

I settle into the armchair, preparing to see my ward in person for the first time.