Page 132 of Love, Nemesis
Ivan whistled. “Lethe Shepherd.”
Lethe’s expression faltered with shock, but then his eyes scanned the room and apparently a much faster learner than Ana, he spat, “Illusions.”
They threw Lethe against the wall with her. His expression was stoic and dark. His eyes burned with resistance as he pushed his body close to Ana’s. He grabbed her wrist, squeezing hard.
Ana found his hand, returning the gesture to confirm that she was unharmed.
“So, I hear that you killed me. Impressive,” Ivan said, looking between them as he crossed his arms again.
Ana swallowed hard. With Lethe by her side, she had some sense of power, some sense of resistance, as futile as it might seem. Like a reminder of something still worth protecting, his presence beside her grounded her, pulling her reeling mind toward a central point of focus.
Ivan smiled as he watched them, opening his arms again. “Look at the two of you,” he said. “United by a common enemy, the bond—your bond.” He rubbed his hands together. “Reminds me a bit of Emma Shepherd. A strong bond can take quite the long beating…sustains quite profound entertainment.”
Ana glanced back over at Lethe as she noticed him looking at her. In that moment, she felt something, as quiet as a whisper in the dark of her mind.
I can give you three seconds.
An impression, a push in her mind, from Lethe. Strange.
Three seconds,he repeated.
Three seconds at what cost?she thought, but felt she knew the answer.
“Look at me,” Ivan demanded, and they both looked back at him, by impulse or some force of Ivan’s, Ana wasn’t sure.
Ivan’s eyes narrowed as if he spotted something in Lethe. “Lethe Shepherd,” he repeated, lower. He closed the space between them, kneeling. He lifted a hand, palm up, and beckoned with a finger.
Lethe’s arm jerked, torn from Ana’s, but he held back, gritting his teeth.
“You don’t have to be ashamed. Not at all,” Ivan whispered, beckoning a second time.
Lethe’s arm was forced out, extended before Ivan as the rest of him fought to pull back.
Ana reached for Chronos, but with a flinch of Ivan’s other hand, the device was pinned against the opposite wall.
Ivan’s eyes inspected Lethe’s bruised fingers, his own dark hand gently taking Lethe’s wrist and turning it.
“It’s taken to you,” Ivan said, searching his hand as if he could see something in each line of his skin. “More than that. You should be proud,” he repeated with admiration. “It’s just ravenous. Do you feel it? Your blood is so saturated with Snake Bite, but you have to feel it, especially when it’s like this.”
Ivan pulled his hand back, fingers dragging across Lethe’s.
Lethe called out in pain, withdrawing his arm as he threw himself back against the wall and curled up.
“Lethe!” Ana fought to cover him, leaving herself stretched out and exposed with Chronos still bound to the wall behind her. Ivan shook his head, smiling.
“I removed the Snake Bite. Your blood is clean now,” Ivan said. “Wait a few minutes and I think you’ll find that The Eating Ocean isn’t as easy to hate as it used to be.”
Ivan turned toward the other Strike, lifting up his arms, “It looks like the infamous Lethe Shepherd is one of us!” he announced.
A few Strike moved forward, closer to the flames as if to get a better look. They murmured to one another, but there was a heaviness to the mood of the room despite Ivan’s theatrics.
Ivan started to circle the pyre, hands behind his back as if mulling over the news himself. “I’m,” he said, lifting his hand to his chest, “thrilled that Peter’s work finally paid off, but…” He wavered his hand in front of him as if unsure. “Peter was much better at managing new Strike. I can’t help but feel this is all going to be a little bit of a mess.”
Ana saw Lethe’s arm by the light of the fire, the fingers on the left hand blackened. His breathing became quickly erratic.
“We’re all dead,” Ivan said, looking over at all the Strike. “But it’s nice to feel alive after so many years, isn’t it?”
Some of the Strike chuckled, all finding different places across the room. The next time he turned, at last, she saw it. The GreatLight. The single blue shell—the real one, hung around Ivan’s neck.
