Page 42 of The Cursed Chalice

Phobos and Deimos look at Ares.

“No. If you want to cook, you can do that,” he replies softly, then turns and leaves.

Phobos sighs. “Follow me. We can go into the kitchen to see what there is. If not, we can run to the store.”

We leave Nisa playing in her room and head to the kitchen.

ARES

The last time a woman cooked for me, she died some weeks later. Phobos and Deimos both knew that. I don’t have people cooking for me other than Mrs. Grady. I don’t have women in my home sleeping under my roof. Now I have two. What the hell am I doing? I close the door of my office and move to the large windows. My eyes rest on the maze that Demeter created for me. The emerald-green hedges are perfectly symmetrical. The maze is alive with beauty. There are clusters of crimson red roses spilling over the edges, and red oleander blooms in red blossoms. Maybe I should take Soraya for a walk there after dinner. She may like the gold marigolds or the fountain. Maybe we can sit and talk. My mind shifts to an image of her on my lap, with a skirt bunched around her waist. I hold on to her ass tightly as I spear into her. Her nails dig into my shirt. Her head is thrown back.

Fuck. I can feel myself hardening.

“It smells amazing in here. By the fates, is that rosemary?” Hecate appears sitting on my office chair.

“There goes our erection.”

I scoff. “Why are you here again, Hecate?”

Hecate sinks down deeper into my chair. “This is so comfy. Speaking of comfy. I guess you’re getting comfortable with your guests.”

“I couldn’t just throw them out in the street, now, could I?” I look back at the garden.

The chair creaks. “Of course you could have thrown them out. You have free will.”

I roll my eyes. “Hecate?”

“I brought a gift for the girls.” She raises a small black bag.

Before I could answer, the door knocks.

“Come in.”

The scent of baby powder and vanilla surrounds me. Nisa enters the room.

“Oh, Aunty Hecate!” She shouts and runs up to Hecate.

I raise my eyebrow, looking at Hecate. If you know Hecate, ‘Aunty’ was never a word associated with her…until now.

“Look at my Labubu.” Nisa shows Hecate the ugly-ass doll.

“Wow, how did you get this?” Hecate takes the doll out of her hands and examines it.

“Oh, Mr. Monster got me a hundred of them.”

Hecate passes the doll back to Nisa. “You don’t say.”

“Uh, huh. He got me limited edition ones too.” Nisa beams up at Hecate. She steps back and reads her black T-shirt.

“If karma does hit you, I gladly will.” Nisa reads.

Hecate looks down at her T-shirt. “It’s my current mood.”

“What did you want, Nisa?” I ask to try to stop her from fangirling over Hecate.

“Oh, Soraya said wash up; dinner will be ready in ten.” Nisa spins back to Hecate. “Are you staying for dinner?”

Hecate pushes her hair behind her ear. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”