Ashes

Twenty: Athena

A/N: Guys, this book has gone by so fast?! I don't even know what to do...

I start to notice a lot of things after that night that I never did before. There's a lot more nervous touches, a lot more blushing (according to Echo. I'll believe it when I see it), and honestly, a lot more smiles. It's not too bad. Things could be worse.

And then all hell breaks loose.

Because why wouldn't it, right? Ariadne Thorne has no right to claim happiness. Or peace. Although this might be the first, but not the second.

Callista calls me on a Monday.

The messenger comes into the training arena right after breakfast, as I'm wrapped up in an intense sparring session with Echo.

Her fist flies by my ear, nicking the edge of it and returned with a kick that does little to my stonewall of a sister.

"Ariadne!" someone booms, but I don't bother to turn and look. They're tried this trick before, and we've all easily outgrown it. My sister lunges at me with a growl and I barely manage to duck under her reach before she whirling and aiming for my throat.

"Echo! Please let her talk to me," the voice repeats, and we freeze as both of us slam our arms against our opponent's throat. Fist raised in the air and positioned awfully close to my face.

Titus is standing just outside the ring, watching us apprehensively with his arms folded across his chest. His hair is a little longer than when I saw him last, and he looks disheveled with his stubble-covered face. The scar across his cheekbone that's been there since he got in a fight at school at sixteen is somewhat more hidden beneath the layers of exhaustion across his face. There's exhaustion behind his emerald eyes, and his lips are drawn into a tight, thin line.

Something is wrong.

I launch myself over the edge of the ring and hug him quickly, and my brother lets out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Dad's been trying to reach me all day. He wants to see you and Echo, too. Hayden's given you the green light to leave," he informs us, his voice sounding weary and defeated.

"Something else is wrong," I point out, and he waves me off.

"Thea's birthday. Don't worry about it," he admits, brushing it off like it's nothing. Right.

Part of me wants to wonder if Thea might still be out there somewhere. I mean, last I saw of her, she had been with me in the desert, and next thing I knew, she was gone.

"Titus, can I ask you something crazy?" I question as we start walking towards the exit of the training center.

"Shoot,"

"I want to go look for Thea with you. To get you the closure you deserve," I offer, and he freezes. With a mask of complete and utter horror and confusion on his face he glances over at me and then whirls away to run his fingers through his hair nervously. He shoots out a long and heavy string of curses before turning back to me.

"I knew we were too lucky to hope you hadn't forgotten anything. Ari, Thea's dead," he says, his voice sounding defeated and depressed.

My heart freezes a little bit.

"And you know that without a doubt?" I ask, and he lets out a heavy sigh.

"She was leading part of the crews of the Burning when we were leaving the Refuge. We didn't know what happened to the Burning yet, and when she tried to kill you... I was the one who killed her," he tells me, sounding so incredibly broken that I can do nothing but hold him tightly.