Page 240 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

Belatedly, I note that the wounds on his neck are not healing. If anything, they continue bleeding.

“Do not make me repeat myself, Thea. Leave. Now,” he adds with a sigh as he scrubs a hand over his face. Moving lower, he realizes his wound is still bleeding, but instead of panicking, he merely rolls his eyes. He brings his hand to his lips and licks the blood off his fingers.

“I am taking her with me,” she declares as she grabs my hand and heads for the door. But as she tries to open it, the door doesn’t budge.

“Cer?” Thea taps her foot against the floor impatiently.

“I am afraid I cannot let you take her. As I told you, I am working.”

“I don’t care. You are not allowed to work here. If you have anything to resolve with this female, you can do so officially, at the interrogation office, not at a party. Unless you have something to hide?” She watches him with narrowed eyes.

His jaw tenses and they engage in a battle of wills as they stare at one another.

“Is there something more untoward happening here?” Thea asks.

“Untoward?” I blink, finally finding my voice. “No, no, he?—”

“I am talking to him.” She shuts me down with a harsh stare. Maybe I don’t like her that much after all. I don’t know who she is and what her relationship to Cerenios is, but it is clear they have some history. If I could, I would leave and let them solve their issues alone. But as it stands, now I’m trapped between two belligerent deities and seeing how Cerenios’ wound is still not healing, this Thea might be a strong opponent too.

By the Source. I could barely face Cerenios alone as it was before. Now I have to contend with another one?

“You brought a female to a closed room. Do you realize the optics of that?”

“Thea, please cease your histrionics. Nothing untoward was happening. I do not have a taste for…” he trails off as his eyes find me and his nose wrinkles in distaste. “This type of female.”

“This type?” I blink. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, not knowing whether I should feel offended or not at his words.

“Yes, Cer, what type? And how dare you call me hysterical?”

His jaw is locked tight. “The lying type,” he states tersely.

My face falls. “That’s not true?—”

“What?” Thea blurts out.

“I do not care for liars and for rule breakers. Minerva is both. And she must be punished.”

A series of emotions crosses Thea’s face before she schools her features. A tremor runs through her body.

“So you are not only consorting with alyingfemale, but you’re also trying to punish her?” she asks suspiciously. “At a house party?”

“Yes, that is exactly what I am doing.”

“Is this some kinky thing I didn’t know about?” she suddenly asks. “Are you…” Her voice goes down a notch. “Is that why you were choking her?”

“Thea.” He takes a deep breath. “You have an overactive imagination. Where would you have even heard the wordkinky?” he demands sharply.

“It’s what humans use for this sort of thing,” she replies flippantly.

“This sort of thing?”

“You know, choking and stuff. Youwerechoking her.”

“And when did you see humans choke each other?”

“We are talking aboutyouhere, Cer. Not me.”

“You will answer me, Thea. Where did you witness humans engaging inkinkybehavior?”

---