Page 127 of Love, Nemesis
“What?” Ana straightened. “Is something wrong? Now that I’ve decided that this is something that needs to be done, you’re both hesitating? What is it?”
Lethe looked back out into the hallway.
Diane stopped fidgeting with the combination. “I’m sorry. We should have told you from the start.” She ran her sleeve across her temple, wiping away traces of sweat.
Ana kept searching through the things in the drawers, piling them on top of each other on the desk. “You were doing what you thought was right, and you’re right. If you’d told me earlier, I’m pretty sure I would have completely disagreed. I’m stubborn and don’t change my opinions easily. I can admit that. I was afraid too. I just hope I get to explain the same things to Jasper before all of this is over.”
She straightened, running her hands through her hair with an exasperated sigh. Before she could say another word, Calshouted and stumbled up and away from the box. It flipped out of his lap and rolled onto the floor, a large, heavy key falling out.
They all stared.
“Cal,” Ana said, weaving through the furniture to pick up the key. She ran her fingers over it. “You found it.”
“I was just playing around,” Cal replied, hands lifted as if he were guilty.
“Wildcard,” Lethe muttered from the door.
“Diane,” Ana addressed her, “what’s going on now with the Mystics? Shouldn’t they be here by now?”
“Yes,” Diane said, walking up to the window. “Ares went into the Mystics’ camp a few nights ago to plan the next stage of the attack, but ever since, it’s like everything’s come to a stalemate. Last I heard, they were delaying the attack.”
“Until when?” Ana asked.
Diane turned away from the window, looking over her shoulder with a view of the horizon on her back. “Today,” she said. “They should be coming over those hills any second. Not sure what the delays were about.”
“So, they were supposed to get here sooner? Maybe Ares was doing us a favor,” Ana said. “Can you deliver news to the army that Hailey is dead?”
“Chances are that they know already.”
“Can you guarantee it?” Ana asked.
Diane hesitated and then nodded. “All right, I get it. Cal, you’re coming with me.”
“You? Why?” Cal asked, getting to his feet.
“Because I said so,” Diane said, leaving the office.
Lethe looked at Cal and nodded after Diane. Cal skirted past Ana before whispering something to Lethe.
Lethe’s eyes narrowed, and Cal’s concerned expression caught Ana’s attention as he rushed off.
“What did he say?” Ana said. Lethe unfolded his arms. He looked past her, and Ana turned to see Hailey’s calendar hanging on the wall.
“The combination,” Lethe said pensively. “It was today’s date.”
“What?” She looked back at Lethe. “That’s not possible.”
“Maybe it was a coincidence,” Lethe said sarcastically.
“What does that even mean?” Ana asked, and then looked around as if for some sign that today’s date was relevant in any other way. It wasn’t.
He signed. “I don’t know. Nothing good, if anything at all. You ready to go?”
Ana sat for a moment. Had Hailey, somehow, known he was going to die? Had he known, despite delays, the Mystic army would somehow show up today.
“Not unless he could look into the future. Unlikely,” Lethe said, with such clear relevance to her thoughts as if he’d just read them.
Ana opened her mouth questioningly and he raised his eyebrows.
