When Elena woke up, the space beside her was empty.
The sheets still held traces of warmth and Ares's cold, sharp scent, but he was gone.
Downstairs, only Caelir and Talieran were there. Mae said Ares left early for urgent military business.
"Good riddance," Talieran muttered. "Elena, let's go shopping today! I haven't seen this capital properly yet!"
Caelir set down his teacup, smiling. "True, Elena hasn't had a chance to go out since returning. The weather's nice today. I'll take you to the central business district, and we can get some things for your Institute’s work."
Elena thought about it and nodded. She needed to understand this world better, and she needed to clear her head.
The capital's central business district was futuristic. Hover car lanes crossed in the
