“When you do what you can, you do what you must.” ~ Greek Proverb
“Where do you want to start, Xen?” Adam threw the question out when they were all assembled in the living room. The library remained a pile of wood and books from Xen’s earlier outburst.
Xen lifted his chin in acknowledgement to Jones when he walked through to the living area. The young lykos returned the gesture. Most of the men stood, save for Kane and Adam who were stretched out on the couch. Time to get on with business.
“I need some of the Phi at the airport. As I said earlier, Hal plans to move Carissa to Greece where he will sacrifice her and my child.”
“Wait, did you just say child?” Jones inquired.
“Yes.”
“How?” Jones asked.
Xen let out a long breath. Time to spill the rest about his bride, not something he liked to do. “For those of you who don’t know, Carissa is a demi-god and the daughter of Ares.”
Silence followed. All the sound in the room had been sucked out and with it all the air. They all stood in what appeared to be a vacuum. And then Xen spoke and blew air and sound back into the room.
“She has powers, but they have been bound by Ares. With them, she could probably defend herself; without them ...” A grim darkness settled into his bones. “... I fear the worst.”
“Then why are we wasting valuable time?” Jones challenged.
“The lykoi will need rest. That includes you, Jones. I can’t expect you all to keep going around the clock. The rest of the Phi will move out with Paris.” He looked over to see if his soldier was clear. “Anything that moves in or out of the public and private airports, I want to know. Give me a complete list of flights to Greece. Get our technical eyes onto every network. Notify me when you have the men in place.”
“I will report as soon as we are in position.” Paris confirmed. The men filed out of the lounge, leaving Kane and Jones behind.
“Jones, we need your inside intelligence,” Xen said.
“I’m onto it. I’ve just texted two detective vamp boys to make their way to Charleston International. Better to have them scouting the passengers at close range.”
“Fast thinking, pup,” Kane remarked from where he sat.
Jones let out a little growl. Xen understood that Kane’s jibes always got the young lykos aggravated. “If that’s all.” He was already moving through the door.
“So where in Greece do you think this vermin will do the deed?”
“The only place an Ancient Greek sacrifice can bear any significance whatsoever is in a naos. Everything leads me to believe he is headed to the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion.”
“What do you think he will gain out of this?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, because sacrifice in Ancient Greece had always been about appeasing the gods. The question is, why does he need to satisfy any of the Olympian gods with Carissa’s life?”
Xen walked over to a tray with scotch and glasses. A small bar fridge sat under the side table. He pulled it open and dug out some ice. “Drink?” he asked.
“I’d say we need one.”
The amber liquid splashed over the ice. He placed both glasses on a tray that contained an oval dish then walked over to Kane and handed him his glass.
Kane lifted one eyebrow as he eyed the volume in the glass. “Now you’re thinking along my lines when it comes to drinking.”
Xen took his glass in hand and placed the oval bowl on the coffee table. Then dropped his weight on the couch opposite Kane. They held out their glasses over the oval dish.
“Stous theous—to the gods,” they said, then poured some of the scotch into the oval dish as libation to the gods.
“What now?” Kane queried as he pulled the glass from his lips.
“Now we prepare for Greece on the assumption that they’ve slipped through our fingers. The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion is our first stop. See if we can get the Phi and lykoi in Greece to start surveillance.”
“Are you sure that’s where he’ll be?”
“Poseidon’s son can only gain more attention and power if he sacrifices on the altar of his father’s temple.”
“Then we have to make sure he doesn’t make that flight,” Kane added.
“That’s what I’m aiming for.” Xen’s jaw clenched. Hal would die by his sword, this he promised himself.
His phone beeped with an incoming text message. He set his glass on the coffee table and stood. His fingers tugged at the phone in his back pocket, pulling it out. The message was from Paris.
Paris: Men in position at all locations. Hacking into their security system as we speak. Will update you when I have something.
“Paris and his men are in place,” he advised Kane, then leaned over, grabbed his scotch, and threw it back in one go.
The amber liquid slid down his throat in a quick burn. It wasn’t enough. Even if he downed the whole bottle, it would not burn enough to stay the guilt that coursed through him. He’d let Carissa down, and he’d also let down the little life growing inside her—his unborn child.
He stood and paced back and forth while Kane watched him from his seat on the couch.
“We’ll get them, Xen. Stop worrying. You know he can’t travel via portal to Greece. Once there, it’s a different story, but it’s a no-go from here. The only way he can get there is by plane.”
“Any news on the witch Kirke?”
“Nothing. No one has seen or heard from her in months. You know what witches are like, if they don’t want to be found, they stay invisible.”
“Not this one. She likes to live on the edge.”
“I’ll chase the boys in the morning. See if they can trace any communication.”
“I think you should rest for a few hours.”
“I might take you up on that offer. Wake me if anything urgent comes through.” Kane stood and headed to the door.
Best that his lykos friend sleep. Tomorrow, he was betting, things would definitely escalate to unimaginable proportions. They’d have to fight more demons. Hal had an endless supply and the only way they could plug the portals would be with magic.
“Kane,” he said as the lykos reached the door.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“You’d do the same for me.”
“Of that, there is no question.” He stopped pacing and dropped to the couch.
What would Hal gain by sacrificing Carissa to the gods? Human sacrifices were a rare thing. Animals were customarily used in sacrifice in Ancient Greece. He should know because he’d lived it. His life and home stemmed from there before his immortality. He pulled his phone out of his pocket again. His fingers flew over the buttons.
Xen: Lox. Any news?
Lox: It’s complicated at my end, but you should know portals are being opened with the aid of a witch.
Xen: I’ve discovered this already. Any idea on their current location and where they might have popped out?
Lox: Negative. Trying some other sources.
Xen: Grateful.
Why was it so hard to track down one demi-god? He stared down at his phone, raised his arm, and threw it across the room. It splintered against the plaster on the wall.