Daughter of Zeus ✔

13.2

Dinner at the Moretz residence was as awkward as it had been on the first serving. No, Ada thought the experience worse the second time. Everyone kept asking if she was alright. Before sitting down at the main table, Moretz had left briefly, returning in a new outfit.

He played the part of gracious host, offering to refill Ada's glass, and get Darcy more bread. Ada declined the offer of anything but water. She wished to keep herself sharp.

Chancelin didn't show, and Moretz claimed she had a migraine to sleep off. The glare Darcy blasted at Ada said, you're the source of the migraine, stupid.

Her non-brother Phennell was far kinder than Darcy and more welcoming than Chancelin's empty chair. Throughout the meal of venison and vegetables, he asked Ada questions, acting as if he was really interested in her answers. When he asked about the scrape on her face, Ada smiled and lied, just as she'd been instructed to. Some of the other questions he had already asked during their lunch meetings. He either had a terrible memory or he wanted everyone to know what he knew.

A lock had un-clicked for her ever since Kressick revealed her and Phennell didn't share biological ties. He must have known the truth before she did, having grown up with his real father years back. The way he stared at Ada...definitely not brotherly.

Romantic entanglements were low on her list. She refused to allow anything to hinder the end goal of revenge, thought that same nausea returned when she considered hurting her father.

After the meal was over, Ada and Kressick rose to leave. Moretz insisted Ada see a physician. She lied, stating she would. He then asked her to return in a week's time for another family dinner. On the words "family dinner," she turned away to roll her eyes. Kressick promised they would be back. Ada was glad he had answered for them both, because if she had been forced to speak again, it wouldn't have been good. She never wanted to return to the Congressman's house again. Both times had been hell.

Moretz instructed Darcy to see the guests to the sub-garage. On the way, Ada wondered why the Moretz family didn't have servants. No one to show guests around. No servants brought dinner, even if composite venison and vegetables took mere moments to prepare. During the first dinner, no servants had been around either. Chancelin had gone back and forth from the kitchen with each course.

The large property appeared well-maintained. Though Chancelin seemed a capable woman and unemployed, Ada doubted she did all the housework. She put her query to Darcy as they walked down to the sub-garage with Kressick strolling behind.

"Daddy likes his privacy," Darcy said. "Three times a week, a housekeeper comes by for a couple of hours."

Likes his privacy. I bet he does.

He probably wanted to limit the number of people exposed to his ability. Ada could relate. She listened to Darcy while the young girl continued with chit-chat about their different housekeepers and how Phennell harassed them all. Ada wasn't really listening. Her mind whirled. Did Darcy know about her father? Did the whole family know? They must.

Before long, they were in the sub-garage and walking past Moretz's showcase of glittering vehicles. There were six different cars, none of them electric, all of them expensive. As there were only four eligible drivers in the household, Ada couldn't imagine who the other two were for. At any point in her life, there was never more than one car per household.

Destroying them could be fun. As they passed each vehicle, she connected to them, bringing  them roaring to life. The headlights glared as brightly as searchlights.

Darcy covered her eyes.

"What the hell?" she yelled to be heard over the gunning of six car engines.

Kressick give Ada a nudge, but she wasn't done. Only when the engines burned out seconds later did she relinquish her control. The engines died a slow death, gray smoke escaping from under the hoods. In the aftermath, she shrugged at Darcy.

Long moments ticked by, and Ada held her breath for a concrete response.

"That was weird," Darcy said.

She assumed Darcy wasn't her biggest fan, and might not be inclined to share her abilities. Pretending not to notice Ada's powers was a great way to avoid speaking about her own. She brushed by Darcy, who caught her lightly by the arm.

"You shouldn't get too close to my brother."

The warning was unexpected, and tilted her expectations of Darcy.

Slowly, she shied away from her sister's touch. "Why?"

"'Cause he's a lot like my father."

In that case, I'll stay far away.

She was lying to herself already. Thoughts of Phennell were deeply embedded in her brain and not for good reasons. Ada already planned when she would next meet with him, and what they might do. Ada saw a renewed path to ruining Moretz.

By this time, Kressick had gotten into the car and started it, a signal he was ready to leave. After Ada had climbed in, he asked,

"How are you feeling?"

"Like myself again."