Ares is sitting behind a desk in the far corner, a pile of envelopes in front of him.
He glances up when we enter, surprise on his face, which quickly morphs into anger.
“There you guys are! It’s been days without a single word!” He stands, seven entire feet full of rippling muscles and malevolent energy. “We have hundreds of cases lined up, so get your asses over here for a debriefing.”
“Remember. We need to be subtle,” Zaid whispers.
But fuck subtlety.
“What the hell did you do to Thea?” I demand, the words a guttural growl.
Ares stares at us in shock. “Who?”
“The reaper,” Krystian interjects angrily. “Blonde hair. Perfect body. Perfect face. Perfect everything.”
“Awww,” Thea coos from where she has moved to stand off to the side, watching the exchange.
“Thea?” Ares’s brows draw tight together, and then a look of realization dawns on his face. His cheeks drain of color, and he stumbles backwards. “Do you mean…Winnifred?”
“Winnifred?” Thea pops her hip to the side, aghast. “What type of name is that? Was my name seriouslyWinnifredonce upon a time?”
Krystian turns towards her, seemingly forgetting she’s supposed to be invisible to Ares. “Thea isn’t your real name?”
“Of course not.” She throws her hands up in the air. “I didn’t have a name, so I gave myself one. Thea was one of the first souls I reaped, so I stole the name for myself. I thought it was pretty.”
“Winnifred…” I murmur, and flashes of images barrage me.
They occur too quickly for me to analyze them, but I see a flash of golden hair and plump pink lips.
Winnie.
“You know, maybe it’s good you have no memories of me from before. If one of you mumbled Winnifred in your sleep or during sex, I probably would’ve murdered you,” Thea says seriously.
“Even now that we know it’s you?” Krystian asks, amused.
“What can I say? I’m a jealous, petty bitch, even of myself.”
He snorts and looks away, but I can tell he’s charmed by her. We all fucking are.
Fortunately, Ares is too lost in his own thoughts to realize Krystian is having a conversation with someone who isn’t there.
“It’s impossible,” Ares whispers, dropping his face into his hands. “She’s dead. Winnie’s dead.”
“What the fuck do you mean by that?” Everett demands, stalking closer. “What the fuck did you do, Ares?”
“I didn’t hurt her!” Ares insists, whipping his head up. “I wouldneverhurt her. I loved her.”
Stunned silence settles over us all. Thea is staring at Ares in shock, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted.
Did we…? Did we get it all wrong?
Was Thea in a relationship with Ares, not us? There’s no way she was with all five of us. Ares doesn’t share.
“Krystian, drop the glamour,” Thea instructs, her voice unexpectedly hard.
Krystian shakes his head wordlessly, his eyes not leaving Ares’s forlorn, devastated face.
“Krystian…” Thea warns.
