“You’re wrong.”
The voice wasn’t as strong or sure this time. Reasonable doubt. Ben had it, now he just had to prove what he said was true.
“I’m not,” Ben said. “We spoke with Ozias, the Prince of Hell. He told us a valravyn had cursed our friend and that he couldn’t help us. There are rules about interfering with valravyn magic, but you know that, don’t you? We only want to know what we can do to save your brother.”
“I do not have a brother. You’re lying!”
“Yes, you do. Koios….”
Koios climbed out of the SUV and walked toward Ben. He stopped between Ben and Logan and stared at the cloaked figure.
“You have the same wings,” Ben said softly. “I saw them, under the cloak.”
“What is this madness? It is trickery!”
“It’s not. You know the lore. A bargain is made for the firstborn child. We don’t know what bargain Johnny made for you, but Koios carries his curse. We need to know what bargain he made.”
The knife disappeared, and then the figure raised their hands. Logan tensed, but more weapons did not appear. Instead, the figure gripped the cloak and lowered the hood.
Koios gasped and put a hand over his heart. Ben turned to him, immediately grabbing his wrist to check his pulse. Koios’s heart pounded beneath his fingers.
“I’m…not in cardiac arrest again, Ben. Or having a heart attack. I’m…what the hell is going on?”
The woman standing across from them took a step forward. She was as tall and graceful as Iris but had the exact coloring of both Koios and Nyx. Her wings expanded behind her, spreading to an impressive width, before they returned to their original position and disappeared behind her.
“Cardiac arrest?”
Ben nodded. “His heart stopped yesterday. We were able to save him but we’ve got to figure out what the curse is doing. His wings won’t retract, and it’s putting too much pressure on his body. It’s killing him.”
“My father…he wouldn’t have…he never….”
Ben didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t need DNA to prove this woman was Koios’s sister. They looked exactly alike. She had to see the resemblance.
“Can we speak to your father?” Logan asked.
“No.”
Koios leaned against Ben. She watched each movement, calculating. Ben could see how fast her thoughts raced in dark eyes so familiar to the ones he adored. His hope began to wane when she drew in a breath and continued.
“No, because he’s in the hell realm and has no way to return.”
17
KOIOS
Asister.
Koios leaned heavily against Ben as he took in the woman who looked so much like him and Nyx that he couldn’t doubt Ben’s conclusions.
“What’s your name?” Koios asked.
She took a step closer. “Phoebe.”
Koios chuckled. “Kinda funny, right?”
She didn’t seem amused. “In mythology, we are husband and wife. In reality, we are…twins.”
“That’s my conclusion as well. Your father bargained for the firstborn, as is the way of the valravyn. What I don’t know is what he did to me or how the curse upon me was a bargain for anyone.”
