Callie smiled as she joined them, heading for the door. Mars did not come with them.
“Mars?” Athena called out.
He looked up as if he’d been awakened from a dream.
“Yeah, yeah, sorry I uh... wasn’t paying attention.” His demeanor seemed off.
Something had happened, and he was not being forthcoming about it, but Athena only suspected it was because of their present company.
She’d get to the bottom of it later. Right now, they needed to leave.
Brian held the door for them once more as Callie said their goodbyes. And when Athena exited the gallery, she noticed her dizziness had stopped, but she still felt that undeniable tether, tying her to the man beside her.
The silver strings that wound them together were undoubtedly the strings of fate. Warmth and satisfaction burned throughput her entire being as she realized the diviner had shown her the truth.
Briony Leehan was her soulmate.
Though the truth presented a myriad of new problems for her, she knew as Brian squeezed her hand that no matter what those problems were, they would face them together.
Calliope hugged her goodbye, and Mars did as well. Though when her brother did so, it frightened her a bit, as she’d only received a handful of hugs from the man in her life. The God and Goddess of War were not the hugging type.
“Thank you,” he said in her ear, if only for the two of the to hear.
“I don’t know why you’re thanking me, this was a bust.”
“No, it wasn’t,” he said as he tightened his grip around her.
“I found the answer,” he whispered.
Athena squeezed him.
“How... I—”
“The redhead. Lorelai. The minute she walked in, I saw it. The string. It led straight to her,” he breathed, his voice shaking.
“You know her?” Athena held him at a distance.
“We met once. The other night, when you found me at the Den... It wasn’t my first stop.”
Athena pursed her lips.
“I showed up to the DeLux Cafe. I’d heard the rumors about the place, and I knew Aphrodite worked there, so I thought... maybe I’d get lucky, you know? Then I met this woman, who was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, or known...” Mars closed his eyes as he let the rest of the truth out of its cage.
“She wasn’t even there for herself. She came to pick up a friend, wanted nothing to do with everything there,” he chuckled. “Or me. It made me question everything in my life. What my life even is... and that’s why I went to fate. Because I wanted the chance to be someone else. Someone worthy ofmorethan the things we take for granted.”
Athena wanted to be angry, wanted to shout from the rooftops.
Of course it was for a girl! It’s always for a girl!”
But she knew, as she watched the corners of Mars’s eyes fall with guilt and pain, that these words were the truest he’d spoken in a long time.
“That still doesn’t cure you, though...”
“My answer lies in her. I know it does.”
“You have days, Mars. Or you will—”
“I’m not yours to save, Athena.” His words were solid, unwavering and dredged up all the storms she wished stayed buried.
