Kyra

Chapter Twenty-Two

From his office window, Ares watched his favourite Amazon storm across the courtyard, a blazing trail of fire following in her wake. He could still taste her kiss upon his tongue. He still felt her skin beneath his hands, the warmth continuing to vibrate through him. After today, sense said he wouldn't be getting much more of that.

She's going to hate me.

But this hatred would be short lived. It'd die down soon. She'd just need a few days to get over it.

He turned from the window, double checking the lock on his safe.

Kyra wouldn't be getting inside of it anytime soon. Her ridiculous weapons and her handmade clothing were locked away on the other side. Really, he should've burnt it all, roasting the seeds of rebellion with it. Only Ares didn't have the heart to destroy anything made by Kyra's hands. He hated himself for such sentimentality—he just couldn't do it.

He'd steel himself against Kyra. No matter how convincing she was, no matter how much she hated him for it, she couldn't have any of this stuff back.

The door to his office flew open, slamming so hard against the wall he thought it'd come off the hinges.

Kyra paid the damage no mind. With the same violence, she slammed it shut. The plaster around the wall didn't seem to be holding up so great.

The first step into his office had her pointing a finger at him. The second had her levelling him with a glare so venomous he worried over an antidote. The third one was a look of pure, unadulterated hatred.

"You bastard."

He hid his wince when she came charging over. He'd never seen her so angry.

"Mind who you're speaking to."

Regardless of what she was feeling, he wouldn't accept such blatant disrespect.

"You think you have the right to kiss me in one moment and fuck me over in the next?"

He steepled his fingers through his hair, groaning. "No one's fucked anyone over, least of all you."

"We had a deal." She slammed both hands down on his desk, uncaring for what she knocked for the ground. He bit his tongue when a bottle of ink spilt all over his papers. "I made your stupid wish. I held up my end of the bargain, fuck how trivial it was. You said that shit was mystically binding. You can't just go back and change your mind fuckface."

"I never changed my mind about anything." He rose from his chair, lording his size over her. As ever, the fact that she was outpowered didn't frighten Kyra. If anything, she stood straighter, prouder. "I promised to grant your wish, supplying you with materials. That's exactly what I did. I never said anything about taking that away. Really you should've been more specific."

"More specific?" He struggled to hold his ground with the new look she gave him. It was like she didn't know him. Like he'd revealed a different side of himself to her. A side Kyra didn't like. "I trusted you, fucker! I told you so then and there. I trusted you. I didn't think I'd need to cover every fucking angle 'cause I didn't think you—you of all people—would screw me over."

"That's royal, don't you think? You're the Queen of betrayals."

"The Queen of betrayals," She repeated, scoffing. "I stood by my morals. You knew from word go I was going to do that. And I told you what I was fighting for. This—this is a new low."

"A new low? You betrayed me on the fucking battlefield. You nearly cost me my alliance—my place in the fucking war."

"You and your stupid fucking war." She belittled his worries so easily, like he'd been preparing for nothing. "Do you realise you've built your entire life, everything you stand for, on blood?"