I stood near the heavy oak doors of the main hall, leaning against a stone pillar as I waited for Athena. She had dashed off to coordinate with the guards who would be escorting us into town, leaving me alone with my thoughts for the first time since the bond had snapped into place.
The weight of the morning was still heavy on me—the heat of the training pits, the taste of Demetrius on my lips, and the strange, steady hum of our connection in the back of my mind. It was a lot to process. I adjusted the strap of my bag, feeling a bit out of place in my borrowed training gear, though Adam’s words about me "glowing" still made me smile.
But the silence was broken by the sound of hushed, sharp voices coming from the recessed alcove just around the corner. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop—honestl
