RIKA
She looked broken. Finally.
I grabbed the candles from where they'd rolled when I set them down. Red ones. White ones. Black ones. I selected a thick red candle. Lit it with the lighter and watched the wax begin to melt.
"Good," I said, holding the candle up so she could see it clearly. "Now we can have a real conversation."
I moved closer to the bed again. "Where is my mother's body?"
Athena froze. Her whole body went rigid.
"I know she wasn't buried before the attack happened," I continued. "Before everything went to hell. So I want to know what happened after. I want to know where her body is buried. Where can I find her."
"I don't know," Athena whispered.
"Wrong answer." I tilted the candle. Let hot wax drip onto her wounded arm. She screamed.
"I swear!" She cried. "I swe
