Pandora's Curse

It was lunch time by the driver arrived in the lively city and parked in front of the The Pierre hotel as I remembered. During the day it was different, much less highlighted in color unlike at night where it seemed to be alive with cars and people all around. Right now, midday, the hotel was quiet with few people mingling about and going in and out with families and partners. Thanking the driver, I hopped out of the taxi and strode through the revolving doors inside.

It was quiet again, few working behind the desks speaking in hushed tones. A family walked past with a couple kids holding onto their hands, skipping happily beside them. Remembering from last time, I hurried towards the elevator and making sure no one was around took the next free ride. Once the elevator doors closed I held my thumb out pointing downward at the round, black glassy object in the corner above me.

The cart shifted. I jumped, gripping the edge as the elevator started to travel down several unknown floors before slowing to a smooth stop and the doors opened with a satisfied ding while I shakily hurried off.

I hate those things.

Immediately I was greeted to the beautiful large grand room with the marble grand staircase, designed with flecks of gold and black that rose upwards and split off into two directions. There were few people mingling about in the lobby, looking as though they had slept in their fancy gowns and suits. A large woman, with muscles like giant bands strode past me, her mask still on though awfully skewed, makeup smudged, pins dropping along with her hair down her back, dress rumpled as though she had thrown it on quite hurriedly. Her single eye flickered to me as she walked past and she threw me a wicked smirk and shuffled past, silver stilettos in hand.

Okay then.

Hurrying up the stairs to the grand ballroom and I found myself standing at the half closed and opened doors and found the rather...unique sight.

Oh, Holy Hera. Forgive me for using your name in vain like this but oh dear...It must’ve been quite the party indeed.

The room was dimmed down with barely any light, bathing the room in a soft, dim pinkish-golden hue. The tables and chairs were spaced out, pushed closer to the walls unlike last time because the majority of the room was littered with bodies.

But they weren’t dead or injured. It appeared to be the end, the wrap up of Pan’s extravagant adult parties where the whole crowd got involved. Quite involved indeed. I was merely stunned, though it wasn’t anything new but this was sudden and just amusing. Warren would be covering my eyes like I was child right now.

Or maybe...he’d give them a run for their money-Oh dear sweet lord! What is wrong with me?

Flushing heavily, eyes wide and stunned as I stepped through or over the sleeping crowd. There was a lot of bared flesh for anyone to see, silk sheets and pillows and other comforts laid upon the ground allowing many to sleep and...do other things very comfortably. Tables were pushed aside, cups and jugs filled with alcohol and bowls of fruits around the floor between sleeping pairs, few glasses laid between groups, easy for them to reach. The stage was covered by the crushed, red velvet curtains. The chandelier twinkled faintly in the faint hue and there was a sweet smell, something fruity but not too strong, permeating the air. There was barely anyone really moving, a couple of people shifting around. But it was clear, they were just obviously dead asleep, thanks to alcohol and long, nightly activities.

My cheeks aflame as I tried to avoid looking upon those who laid open for anyone to see, for their sake. I stepped around to the side of the room to try and avoid the majority in the middle of the room which was like a swarm of bodies laid erotically upon each other.

“Oy!”

A voice hissed behind me. I stumble in surprise, almost stepping on someone’s hand who snorts briefly at the distraction. I turn around to see someone sitting up against the wall, rubbing his eyes blearily. Dark stains of dried wine glistened dimly against his bare chest and he grunted softly as he slowly got up to his feet...or well, hooves. For a second I thought it was Pan except the hair was longer and straighter and the lower half of his body was definitely a satyr’s but the hair was a dark grey instead of brown. He feinted to the side, shoulder hitting the wall but he dazedly shook his head, uncaring before throwing me a dazed, smile.

“Why are you dressed chicka? The day is only just starting?”

“I’m not a part of these...parties. I’m just here to look for someone-”

“Blah, blah. Sleep, sleep now.” He reached for my hand pulling me to him, peering at me through cracked eyes. “Come sleep. We keep warm. Need to be naked to keep warm.”

“No, she comes to join me.” Another voice spoke up from the floor, sitting up slowly as he yawned.

“Hush you goat, you took that nymph from me last night. I get this one.” The satyr scowled as the second man stood towering over the both of us. I quickly averted my eyes as he stood, uncaring that he was on full display, gazing despondent over his shoulder. The man had long dark, copper-bronze hair that fell down to the middle of his back in a golden waterfall, skin that looked as though he was carved from pale bronze metal himself. His eyes faded from obvious sleep and intoxication glowered like ambers as he licked his lips at the sight of me. The disgust rose upon me as I stepped back but the satyr was quick to distract him.

“Oy, you lizard! I called dibs!”

“Oh my Hera.” I mutter, slapping a hand over my face as I groan as I start to turn away. “Gentleman, I’m not-”

“Nah, I’m freezing, so she needs to help me.” A third man steps in front of me, grinning wickedly down at me with pale grey-white irises hidden in the whites of his eyes and inky black hair that fell around him that seemed to fade and shift like black smoke. “Come keep me warm, sweet cheeks.” His voice turned low and sultry, making my heart thump.

“Um, no...” Squeezing my eyes, I step back as the three of them stand around me. They weren’t quite trapping me but their expectant, wicked grins showed they were still quite not over last night’s festivities. Made further obvious by obvious shows of attention upon their bodies.

Oh that’s...just wrong.

“Um, I-I’m good,” I kept a hand over my eyes to avoid looking at their bare bodies, gaze averted. “I’m really fine. I just need to find Pan, the satyr,” The other satyr’s face scowled upwards in frustration. “Or Dionysus.” The three males standing before me, either drunk still or hungover, sleepy and judging by the very prominent obvious show of excitement, highly aroused, started laughing hysterically.

“OY! Shut the fuck up, jackass!” Someone snapped from the other side of the room over the chortles of three drunken men.

“Whoever is looking for that drunk God, I’m sure he’s distracted, sweetheart.” The bronze man before me snorted, running a hand through his hair before placing a hand on his hips, standing tall and proud, his eyes glimmering dazedly. “I can pretend to be whoever you desire-”

“Dude! That’s my job.” Smoky hair smacked bronze man over the head as he frowned in response. Smoky hair rolled his eyes. “The desire and imagination thing, duh! That’s my forte, Vlákas.”

“Alright, well,” Bronze man sniffed. “I can keep my ladies warm and satisfied.”

“Unless you accidentally turn them to ash, you over-grown chameleon-”

“You lot are too much for this morning.” The satyr rolled his eyes. He turned to me, grinning innocently. “So, why don’t we leave them be and move on-” He reached for my hand, trying to pull me away from the arguing pair.

“No, thank you. I’m not interested.” I pull my hand away from the satyr who frowns pitifully. “I told you. I’m not here for that. I’m just looking for Pan or Dion-”

“Ssshhhh...” Bronze man flapped his hand at me as, dismissing my words and placed a hand over my mouth, as if hoping to stop me from talking at all. My jaw clenched and my fists tightened, a sting on my palm as my nails dug into my skin. “Shush, no time for talk. Use mouth for better things.”

“I said no.” I snap, pushing his hand away though he barely stumbled in his state. I glower at the three of them. “You must be seriously deaf and blind or this is new for you, but I said no. Now, if you’ll excuse me. Now!” They glanced at each other as if unsure and I released a heavy breath. “I will hurt you.”

Bronze man was more confident and I scowl up at him. He patted his finger against my lips as I try to turn my head away.

“Now, now, hun, we sleep, we go and keep war-aaarrrgghhhh!”

"Yamero!"

“AT LEAST KEEP IT DOWN ALREADY!”

"SHUT IT!"

“Can we please get some sleep, thank you very much, idiote!” Several voices snapped around the room and the room groaned in agreement. The bronze man groaned, whimpering on his knees, head pressed against the floor as he rocked back and forth clutching a hand between his thighs. I glared at the other two who were sniggering at the guy on the floor.

“Atta girl.”

I spun around, tense, readying for a fight if I had to or readying to scream and bring any form of chaos and angry sleep-exhausted, orgy covered room. But a woman moved from the corner of the room she had been standing at, clapping her hands lightly.

“If I had any doubt you were incapable of taking care of yourself,” The woman stood next to me, her smile more wicked than the others as she smirked down at me. “You have absolved me of my concerns.”

“Do I know you?” She didn’t answer, turning to the men standing before us and the bronze man who slowly stood up, still hunched over awkwardly, now covering his modesty. He scowled painfully at me, his copper eyes burning hotly.

“Gentlemen,” The woman hummed and fluttered her hands at them. “Shoo.” She stared at them mockingly. “No one wants you.” The satyr and smoky hair huffed, shuffling past, while Bronze man scowled heavily at us, stomping past me as he hissed in my ear.

Before I could protest or say a word, the woman shot out her arm, grabbed his arm, twisting him around, her other hand fisted on the back of his, handful of his hair in her hand and slammed him nose first on the wall with a loud crack.

“Ah, men.” The woman huffed, stepping over him as he slumped on the floor, cradling his bloody nose as he finished his howls. The room groaned in frustration at the noises and I hurried over him, eager to escape from his grasp incase. “Never let men get in your way. No matter who or what they are, drunk or not. Giving them a good kick in their family jewels works every time. But seriously, this is what happens when you cross a dragon, a satyr and an Incubus together. Devilish fun at first and then a territorial disaster.” She snickered, before she grinned down at me, throwing me a salicious wink. She reached over the tables, grabbing two glasses and filling them up with wine which smelled strong and heady and passed one to me. “I’m impressed, Pandora.”

I held the glass from me, brow quirking as I stared at her stonily.

“Not thirsty?” She questioned, brow quirked as she gazed upon me with a cool gaze and a chill ran down my spine. This woman wasn’t human, that was clear. She just slammed a dragons head into a wall, for Zeus sake. Oh! Oh dear old Zeus! I just kneed a dragon in his crotch! But it wasn’t just that. It was her mere presence itself. Like being face to face with a God, like Dionysus but this was more...primal. Like staring eyes with a predator. A very old, lived through life predator. She wasn’t a goddess, my assumption only. But she was a lion and I was merely a mouse frozen in position.

“Forgive me if I seem rude,” I swallow, trying to keep my voice polite but cool. “I just don’t think I have to trust you if you know my name and yet I do not.” She laughed, then took a large sip of her wine before placing her glass on the table and shrugged.

“Fair enough. At least your honest but I don’t care whether you trust me or not. I don’t mean any harm and of course I know who you are. We’ve met before afterall and I don’t forget a face, unless you’re extremely uninteresting to me.”

Frowning, I stared at her. She was tall, just a little taller than me. Her skin in the dim light, though we stood next to a couple lamps on the wall that were lit up, illuminating her smoothly polished bronze skin. It was more beautiful than that bronze man. More natural, earthy, and had a stunning sheen over it. Her hair ran down her back in ruffled, messy dark bronze curls that seemed to change colour. Some red, some gold, some orange flickering in each strand. Her eyes behind her red and black lace mask glowered a burning amber, gold and orange like flames itself within. And like the rest of the crowd, she obviously been part of the festivities based on her attire, which just consisted of undergarments made of lace and silk but an ankle, length black and silver silk robe wrapped loosely over her. My conscious pricked at me, like I was trying to unlock a vault in the back of my mind.

It was Deja vu. I had definitely seen this woman before. I just couldn’t remember.

“I guess, very long ago for you.”

“Indeed.” I mutter, placing my glass on the table. “And do I get to know your name.” She laughed aloud, shaking her head.

“Nope. That’s too easy. Plus, not the time yet.” She gestured back to the other end of the room. “You’re very lucky. Dionysus and Pan are here still but they are planning on moving on soon.”

“Really?” She didn’t answer, just turned away, stepping easily over the crowd as if there was no one in her way, her silk robe fluttering around her thighs like a breeze.

“So, you seemed a little grumpy if I must say.” She suddenly spoke up and I frown in confusion.

“I just got propositioned by a satyr, which is becoming a recurring theme every time I’m here and something you called an incubus-”

“Demon’s who entice women or men for sex in their dreams to devour souls.”

“Delightful. And a dragon. Which I just kneed between the legs...”

“Oh you’ll be fine. Sven is just a grump who drank too much for his own kind and he’ll be completely fine. Nothing really fazes a dragon afterall. But you seemed grumpy before then. I’m guessing big argument with your boyfriend?”

“What?” I trip over a bowl of fruit, dropping grapes and nuts on someone’s sleeping face who groans sleepily, slapping at the fruit on their face. “I did not...I mean, I don’t-”

“Stop saying what. Stop stammering. Listen to my words and process them.” She grabs my arm pulling me away as the person glares at me through one cracked eye.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.” I scowl at her, swiping her hand off my arm. At her look of disbelief, I continue my protest. “Really, I don’t.”

“Oh honey,” She clasped my face between her hands and held me there as she looked at me sympathetically. “It’s yes you don’t have him as your boyfriend but you really, REALLY want to.”

I stammer mindlessly at her words, shaking my head in her hands.

“Please, hun. We look as forlorn and angry at the same time as you do for two things. A fight with your close friends who you want to throttle or a man you want to punch in the mouth and kiss the hell out of the at the same time.”

“I do not know or understand this conversation.”

“You will. I’m not quite familiar with the War horseman anyway just the slight word of mouth and rumor’s throughout the many, many years.”

“You know I’m with him-”

“Relax. It’s not well known at all. But there is word that the war horseman fought a horde of ogres in one of the troll markets. That’s all. It caused a surprise since War hasn’t really been on anyone’s sight for years.” She looked at me over her shoulder with a strange look, almost impressed. “I was more than surprised finding out War of all people was helping you. I can’t even imagine how that went.” She sniggered, shaking her head.

“You’ve not met him.”

“No, I haven’t. But I’ve heard a lot. He’s not a man to be taken lightly. I can mostly respect him to some regard based on what I’ve heard. And a lot of word comes from women, it’s desires that spread around. War horseman, a woman’s desire to be tamed.”

“That’s ridiculous.” I snapped, storming past the woman with a scowl. “Warren doesn’t need to be tamed.”

“Never said he did. But the right woman can always temper a man. But for him, could the right woman bring out war?” I stopped, my steps faltering, as I slowly face her. She regards me casually, her eyes glowering like embers on coal and her dark lips curled upwards.

Bring war?

“Anyways, Pan and Dionysus would be desiring privacy, so come along before the crowd decides to awaken and then you’ll become acutely familiar with many you didn’t need to be.”

The upstairs balcony was much the same as it was last time I came here with Warren and much like the same below on the ballroom floor. Bodies were strewn about on the more comfortable, carpeted floor in tangled mounds of limbs, flesh and silk dancing around in shadows as the lights flittered delicately over the balcony. The private booths were mostly closed up with the sheer, lace curtains and there was the beginning sensual moans of a couple groups behind those curtains waking each other up.

My mind flickered back to this morning.

A hand buried in my fallen hair splayed around my pillow...fingers dancing over my sensitive flesh, enticing a soft moan from between my parted lips before I was consumed in a fire that would never be quenched-

“You with me, sunshine?” Someone waved a hand before my eyes, brushing away my memories and my cheeks grew flushed as I nod shakily.

“I’m fine.”

“I guess we weren’t the only one’s getting lucky last night, huh?” The woman grinned wickedly at me and I scowl heavily, my cheeks flushed and eyes averting. She only laughs, easily stepping over the limbs and bodies splayed around, with me following close behind her until she stood before the middle booth with the curtains half closed over, leaving a gap in the middle. She turns with a wave of flourish, holding up the sheer lavender curtains, arm swept in gesture. “I bid you goodluck with the future, Pandora. And we’ll see each other soon, I’m sure of it.”

Hesitantly, I ducked under her arm, watching her arm as she smirked at me but there was a strange look in her eyes. Like she was bracing herself. As soon as I stood behind the curtain, she dropped it and faded from view leaving me a familiar private booth with a red, velvet carpeted floor and steps where large, crushed velvet pillows and sheets laid around. But this time, instead of a just a little table with body pillows laid around, sat a round table with a couple chairs on either side of it. On the table were a couple porcelain plates and clear empty glasses with a jug sitting next to a large bowl of fruits and a tray of rolls, cheeses, and hams and other assortments of food.

Dionysus sat on the chair facing the front, the newspaper in his hands as he read in peace. The paper crinkled as he glanced at me over the top of the paper, swallowing the room and me with his gaze and I swallowed heavily.

For I was standing before a God afterall.

“Pandora. Kaló apógevma.” He hummed my name with detached interest, his eyes returning to the paper. “There’s an empty plate and plenty of food. You may sit.”

Not one to dismiss a God’s generous offer, I took the chair across from me and took a piece of bread and some slice of cheese and fruit to appeal to him. Not sure if I should interrupt what he was doing, should he probably destroy me where I sat just because he could but I highly doubted he would care to do such a thing. Yet, disturbing a God, didn’t settle lightly with me, even with pressing matters.

“I can feel the tension before you even left the elevator.” Dionysus sighed, the sigh of slight irritation as if a fly was buzzing incessantly by his ear. He folded the paper up neatly into a rectangle before laying it on the pillow, close enough for him to reach and turned to me. His roiling, olive green eyes regarded me coolly, reading me and he leaned against the chair taking his glass which had some red liquid within.

“I heard there was quite the commotion in a certain troll market underground. Hecate’s Markets, that is.” He swirled his glass slowly, hypnotically to himself as he spoke softly, the intensity of his voice travelling around the room like a boom. “I must say, I was impressed. You obviously came out, reasonably unscathed. I’m assuming the priest and all those in their capture are well and fine.”

“The priest and those who were kidnapped were long dead before we figured anything out.” I swallow, a bite of guilt and anger licking against my conscious. “I had failed them. The ones we found, they turned out to be a hydra.”

The wine stopped before it reached Dionysus’s mouth and his eyes rose to mine sharply. Slowly he lowered his glass, his face dark until he hummed softly, a sympathetic sigh almost.

“I see. That is...greatly unfortunate. Hydra’s are not known to be...merciful with their victims. It’s brutal. Something even I would not wish upon anyone.”

My mind drifted to a brief moment where I heard screams of terror and agony. Squeezing my eyes shut, I barely wanted to imagine the horrors they had gone through. I could claim my own pity and sympathy for what I had endured and done, but I never went through what they did. And I hoped to God, I would never have to.

“But,” Dionysus sighed heavily, face turning upwards to the ceiling, his voice fading to silk as though dismissing such a thing. “No one can say you didn’t try afterall. Be glad, you can have a God vouch for you on that.”

A lick of red fire in my chest, my jaw clenched painfully as I strained to keep my glower away from the God at his callous words, but the fists rested on my knees shook with me.

“Respectfully,” I mutter, bitterness seeping through my lips like honey as I keep my expression lax. “But I don’t appreciate your callous words.”

“Callous maybe. But true. In this world, Pandora, it is as callous as you remember it could be. Nothing will change. Life passes daily within seconds. My opinion on death is as you say, callous.” He shrugged, finger tapping against his fork on the table as though trying to create some melody from within it. “But while I appreciate the catch-up we are having, I highly doubt it is why you are here? And alone.” His brow quirked, a sleek smirk gracing his face, the expression on intrigue as though a shark smelling blood. “Now where is that horse boy-”

“Horseman.”

“Sygnómi?” With a stutter in my chest for such an act, I meet his gaze head on, my face soft and cool matching my gaze as sharply as he meets my own.

“He’s War. The horseman. As he would call you by your name respectfully, you should at least do the same as you do for me.” His eyes narrow slightly at me, unblinking, eerily. The more he continues to stare with unnerving gaze, my body grows squeamish, shifting uncomfortably under his prickling gaze.

“Very well,” He starts, making me jump slightly. He casually clasps his drink in hand takes a delicate sip. “Where is that horseman? And what of that piece of atrocity in the meantime?”

“I needed to talk to you. War doesn’t know I’m here, he had other things to attend to.”

“His teachings, I presume.” Dionysus scoffs, gazing skyward as mocking with another person. “A suffocating profession nowadays. Humanity is nothing more than a secret scapegoat for our underworld inhuman shenanigan’s.”

“I’m here because of the box.”

“What of the box? You have recovered it and now I assume you and War will do what is necessary to hide that thing. I do hope you don’t plan to pawn it off to me. I have no desire’s for such thing nor will Pan-”

“We never got it back. The box was already taken before I was awakened in the first place.” I shift uncomfortably when suddenly the temperature seems to drop and a shiver runs down my arms as I shift closer to the table. Dionysus’s eyes grow chilly and glower brightly like green fire.

“I see.” His voice was a whisper but it sent a chill in the booth I’m certain it turned into a gale outside. Mere simple words and it was someone who could condense an entire speech into two single words and create a chilly response within. “Who took the box then?”

“Aello, Aello has the box.”

It was as if everyone outside knew, because even the slight sounds of an awakening crowd suddenly grew deathly quiet. The lamps on the wall flickered in and out, darkening the room before spluttering back to life but only dimly as if afraid to dare become bright in regards to such news. Dionysus didn’t shift, move or anything but his expression which hadn’t shifted from a mere second somehow became more darker. A glimmer like a green steel reflected within his eyes as he stopped swirling his glass in his hand, stopping the rhythm which kept him going. His face was shadowed darkly and instinct wanted me to run, run from fear for I was about to be crushed under a boot.

His body stiff as he finally, leaning forward to place his glass on the table and leant back, interlocking his fingers together as he stared darkly ahead, just past me.

“Of all of those beasts to have it, it had to be Aello.” His lips barely moved as he muttered to himself. “Even her sister’s would’ve been better. Or even a fool. Regardless of the fact she can’t open it, I would feel more...relieved once that box is out of her hands.”

“As would I and that’s why I’m here. War has not heard of anything but where would a harpy eyrie reside in New York?”

“It wouldn’t. It would be outside the city. Inside the city is too confining even for them and there are thousands of harpies in a nest. These nests, there are very few of them and they often change within time. It is doubtful Aello would find a nest overseas but where one is here, I cannot help you there.” He fixes me with a sharp glare as I start to speak. “I would be more worried about yourselves. Yourself and the horseman than finding the nest at the moment. Father only knows what Aello could learn about with that box until she opens it, though highly unlikely, but she would no doubt, have delight in coming after you and Warren. Especially Warren from what I remember.”

“What do you mean by that?” He glowers at me, though a sardonic smile crosses over his face as he shakes in head in exasperation.

“A person like War, get’s his way with fear and terror. He is not as innocent as he tries to perceive himself as.”

“He never has.” I retort. “Besides you should know very well that Aello is more than capable of opening the box, especially with that stupid key you allowed to be created!” The room grows silent as I take a heavy breath, feeling frustrated and exhausted. Even Dionysus didn’t know anything! Dammit! What do we do now?

“What key?” Dionysus’s voice cuts through my frustration and I growl through my palms at him.

“That key you made to open a box for possession. It wasn’t enough to create a box of chaos and horrors but to create a key-”

“No key was ever made.”

“Of course it was. A little bronze one that came with the box-”

“Pandora!”

My body freeze as if turned to a shock of ice, hands gripping my chair armrests tightly, nails dug in tightly, piercing some of the leather as Dionysus’s voice shuts my voice down like a thunderous wind. The lamp on the wall dims even further as Dionysus gazes at me with look that was unnatural of a God.

A look of baffled horror.

“Pandora, if you can believe my words, myself, my brothers, my sisters, we never did, saw or helped create anything more than that box!”

I stare at Dionysus, barely comprehending his words, my mouth dropping open as though to speak but unable.

“We never saw a key with the box, Pandora. Nor would be as stupid as we already were when we sent a box to you on your wedding day. I swear it on my honor as Dionysus himself!”

The chair shifts as I slump back heavily into my seat, shaken and words thundering through my head.

They didn’t make it.

“Would...would your...would Zeus-”

“No.” Dionysus snaps but immediately his expression falters, which was a first, seeing him so unsure. “I...I do not know.” He blinks slowly, once, twice a third time, his eyes widening slightly as though thinking of something horrific. “I don’t know.”

“Aello has the box and the key and she’s had it for months now, Dionysus. But nothing has happened. Trust me, we would know. Those who use the key are possessed by the inhabitants within the box. Aello could be powerful enough to use it but she hasn’t been seen or heard from except when she showed up at War's incentive and we need to find her as soon as possible!”

Dionysus’s expression remains blank, eyes wide staring into nothing as though contemplating something.

“Dionysus?!” He suddenly raises a hand, cutting me off.

“Aello may be powerful, yes. But, those within the box, too much even for Aello. And power is not so easily controlled...unless you share it.”

“Share it?” My eyes widen in realization. “Her sisters! Aello’s sister’s!”

“Ocypete and Celaeno. Aello’s younger sisters. The first harpies and the more powerful. All powerful, Aello is the first in extreme power. Her sister’s just as powerful. And,” His eyes flicker to me, glowering eerily in the dim room. “They do not live upon this continent. They live separately around the world.”

“She could be reaching out and waiting for them.”

“Yes...but I fear...” His brow furrowed as though he was trying to figure out a puzzle before his very eyes, his eyes suddenly darkened before his face was swallowed up by that cool dangerous mask. “There is something more afoot.”

Before I could say more, the lamps on the wall trembled as a shudder rumbled through the walls, eliciting a few shouts and curses, the glasses on the table rattling. Bits of dust crumbled and fell on my hair as the building tremored from above. The tremors stopped then suddenly resumed and there were a few shouts and cries as the sound of a chandelier on the other side of the curtains swayed ominously.

“And I fear,” I turned to Dionysus who slowly stood up from his chair, doing the buttons of his tux jacket, his movements sly and lethal and the lamp died off with a pitiful splutter, throwing the booth in the dark but his eyes glimmered like green steel. “That something has just found you.”

Another rumble, much heavier, dropping powdered dust and stone all around and shouts and screams of panic filtered outside where distantly, I heard the ding of an elevator.