Kyra

Chapter Seventeen

In one of many cabin 32A shared bathrooms, Kyra stood in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection. She wasn't seeing herself, not really. She stared long and hard, picturing what her amber eyes would look like with a mask of paint surrounding them. What her red hair would look like with those untamed braids floating around her mane. What her body would look like encased in such a wildly different uniform.

She tugged at the loose fitting, unsightly one she wore now and trailed her fingers across her lips.

"Kyra? Are you nearly done in there?"

She turned from the mirror, the connection lost.

"Yeah. I'll be right out."

A future like that wouldn't just come to Kyra. No. She needed to grab it with both hands and hold on.

Ares trimmed the thorns off the stem of a rose as he idled through cabin 32A. Just like he did every morning, he slipped into the room of his precious Amazon, paying little attention to the darkness of the room.

He placed the rose upon her bedside table then turned for her pillow.

No Kyra.

Fuck.

Her bed was empty. Neatly made. Her curtains were open.

She's not here.

But where could she have found a portal jumper? He'd moved them all from his room. The remainder were well hidden. Fuck. Where would she even go? Back to Romania? God, he hoped not.

He dug his fingers through his hair, stressing as he considered his options.

How do I find her?

He had no tracking abilities. No tracking allies. No nothing.

What if someone else finds her first?

No, no, no. This was bad.

Something outside the window caught his attention. He crossed her room, peering outside at the rising sun.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

Panic averted. Kyra hadn't left these lands. She was outside, dressed and ready, running laps of the compound. Her hair was tied back, the muscles in her legs pumping and flexing as she ran through a light rain.

He watched her for a moment, jaw clenched.

He didn't understand what she was trying to do. And with Kyra, any form of uncertainty was cause to be worried. First the training till she couldn't stand, now running laps in the morning till she'd make herself sick. What's your game, little Amazon? The sooner he figured it out, the sooner he could put an end to it.

He made towards the cabin exit, stopping when he spotted an older Amazon hanging around the kitchen. She blended into her environment well—just not well enough to escape Ares' notice.

"What are you doing in here? Wake up doesn't start for at least another hour yet."

"You're here," Erika acknowledged, eyes wide as if she didn't expect it. As if she'd seen a ghost.

Ares stared in suspicion. Erika wasn't assigned to this group today. Which meant she'd gone completely out of her way to come here.

"Sorry," She apologised sheepishly. "Just one of the girls said they see you come and go in the mornings. I had to see it for myself." So there're rumours. People were noticing the extra attention he gave to Kyra. His morning visitations weren't going unnoticed. "You're coming from..."