Page 39 of The Cursed Chalice

Tears run down his face. “Man, please don’t drop me.”

“Answer me!” I shake him, and I can hear one of his vertebrae pop. His knees buckle.

“Drop him and then save him just in time.”

“Be silent, Aric.”

The man dangles like a rag doll. His breath is short and panicked.

“I don’t know?—”

I let him go, watching him fall through the clouds.

“We need to find out who he is working for, Ares.”

My skin burns as Aric tries to force his way out.

“Fine.” I teleport and reappear beside the falling man, catching him by the ankle. The air howls around us as, shoot up past the building going higher into the sky. He is wailing as I raise his ankle.

“Who are you working for?”

Tears come down his cheeks and into his eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Lies fall faster than the truth.”

The man trembles. “E-Elias Thorne. The fiancé of your nanny. I sent him a picture of her, and he told me to follow.”

“Fiancée?!”

“Where did you get the picture?” Dangling him, I know his leg must hurt since his body weight would be pulling him down.

“Please, just put me down.”

I pretend to drop him, and he screeches. “In Gina’s Diner. I was eating at Gina’s Diner, and I saw her and followed her.”

“We need to check out this Elias Thorne.”

“Agreed. What about him?”

“What about him?” I let go of his leg. Not sticking around for his death.

I reappear in the mall just in time to see the girls walking and drinking boba. Soraya stops at a store, and her finger lightlytouches what looks like a music box. The salesclerk comes and asks her a question. Soraya shakes her head and leaves.

“Why didn’t she buy it? She bought things for Nisa. Little for herself.”

“I noticed.”

“They are safe now.”

“Are they?” I lean behind a column, watching them talk and sip. Nisa has become animated, skipping as she tells Soraya something.

Soraya looks happy and comfortable. I want to go over there and take away her cap and sunglasses.

Maybe I should do some shopping of my own. What did Nisa want again? A Labubu?

SORAYA

I look in the rearview mirror, smiling. Nisa was knocked out. We had a full day. I drive out of the city, heading back into the countryside.