Page 41 of Love, Nemesis
Her Atlas’s time slapped into place. Lethe’s arm jolted as if sensing the absence of the knife. Ana acted fast, snatching the rope from above his head, hooking it around his free arm and tying up both arms this time.
She leaned back, pressing her weight into his stomach as she drew the ropes hard against the pole, forcing his arms up.
He coughed as the motion stretched his body out. “Time is a cheap trick.”
“Is Evira safe?” Ana asked Jasper.
“Yeah,” Jasper confirmed, standing closer over Lethe.
“You’re human,” Ana said to Lethe. “Why do you heal so fast?”
He hesitated. Ana leaned forward over his chest, pressing his weight into the cannonball in his shoulder.
“I’ll warn you, I have a very high pain tolerance,” he said.
“A mutation.”
They both looked to see a boy with his head poking under the tent flap from the stage.
“Nice time to make an appearance,” Lethe said to the boy, a young Number by the look of his uniform.
“He’s a Rider of Saint East,” the boy continued, pointing to Lethe’s arm exposed by the rope.
Lethe rolled his eyes.
“You know him?” Jasper asked.
“My name’s Cal,” he said, moving out from under the flap. “Sorry, I—um, I thought he was going to ask Evira for something. I didn’t realize—”
“That we have a bit of history,” Evira said, pushing past the tent flap beside him. “Good to see you, Lethe,” she said with a click of her teeth.
“You too,” Lethe said. “Of course, last time I saw you, you were wringing blood out of your skirts.” He had an almost chipper lilt to his voice.
Jasper and Ana both looked at Evira.
“He’s trying to distract you,” Evira said, and they both looked back at Lethe.
“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” Lethe said with a grin.
“It’s getting a little crowded back here,” Ana warned.
Jasper nodded. “Let’s talk back on the stage. Evira, let the audience go outside. The fire and smoke are mostly taken care of.” He removed his Atlas. “I’ll hold him.”
“I’m done,” Lethe said quickly. “Don’t use that thing on me.”
“I imagine it’s pretty humiliating,” Evira chided.
“You weren’t so smug a second ago,” Lethe shot back.
“They need me,” Evira said, gesturing to Jasper and Ana. Cal flinched when she ran a hand over his hair and addressed him. “Just like you mistakenly thought Lethe did.”
“He needed your help to find someone,” Cal defended as he shrank away from her.
“Riders don’t make deals with the likes of us,” Evira said, crossing her arms.
“All right,” Ana announced. “Everyone. On the stage. Now.”
Jasper rounded everyone out, nodding to Ana.
