Daughter of Zeus ✔

17.4

Chancelin and Phennell were in the interactive game room when they heard another voice in the house. Their servant had gone home hours ago, and Moretz told them he was going to be gone for a few days, and Darcy was going with him. Chancelin hardly cared what he was really doing, as long as he brought their daughter back.

"Game pause," Phennell told the wall panel.

"Game paused," a voice confirmed.

The virtual display around them showed a sunny tennis court, a green ball in mid-play. Chancelin hated physical exertion, even the virtually simulated kind. However, when she was anxious, as she was about Darcy being anywhere near Ada, she welcomed distractions. She had been playing tennis often the past few weeks. She wasn't near Phennell's expert level, but he tolerated her lax strokes and penchant for ignoring the rules. He too missed Darcy, his usual tennis mate.

"Phennell!"

This time, the voice was louder, clearer. Moretz. Chancelin and Phennell left the room to find Moretz stalking the hallways. He spotted them and hurried to their side.

"Come on, we have to go." Moretz grabbed Phennell, dragging him to the entrance of the house.

Dragging Phennell couldn't have been easy, given his weight and stature, but adrenaline seemed on Moretz's side.

"What the hell, Dad?" Phennell wrenched away.

"Brontes, what's happened? Where's Darcy?" Chancelin's anxiety flared. She searched behind her husband, sure her beloved daughter waited nearby.

He appeared to have been abused by Sammies. She knew the look, because it had occurred twice in the past. Recently, the threats stopped. She hadn't wanted to know what sort of deal her husband struck to make that possible. She knew the depth and lack of Moretz from the beginning.

"Phennell and I, we need to go and get Darcy. Darcy and Ada," he corrected himself. "We need to get Darcy and Ada." Moretz looked unsure as he said this.

"But I thought—" Phennell began.

"I know what I said before. That's over. What matters now is getting your sisters."

"I still don't understand." Phennell rubbed the arm Moretz had clutched.

Chancelin appraised Moretz, as she would one of her expensive antiques. What she saw in him made her take a step backward. "What's wrong with you?"

He took hold of her shoulders, shaking her slightly. "For the remainder of my days, I'm going to be an honorable man. If you have a problem with that, then leave." He deferred to Phennell. "Same to you, Phennell."

Both of them stood speechless. Moretz was never forthcoming. When he chose to be clear with them, he laced his words with threats. His newest speech sounded more like an ultimatum, fueled by--- morality? She was unable to absorb it. One more look at him, and she knew the man she married was gone. Could she trust what this version of him had to say?

He took her hand, an act usually reserved for photo ops. The gesture pierced her, and she gave his hand a squeeze.

"Let's go, Dad."

The two men rushed to the sub-garage, leaving Chancelin standing in the foyer, Moretz's tight grip still burning her arms. His claim to an honorable life meant nothing to her. If he didn't bring her daughter back, she'd kill him.

~*~