Soraya's POV
The car rolled to a stop beside us, gravel crunching under its tires. The window slid down, and Ares leaned out, his usual crooked smile in place.
"Well, seems like you need a ride," he said lightly. "I can help."
I didn't slow my steps. "I'm fine," I replied, my voice flat.
I'd learned enough about Ethan's family to know that nothing good ever came from their kind of kindness. Trouble always followed them—loud, golden, and smiling.
Thorne matched my pace a few steps behind, silent as ever, his presence steady.
Ares's car rolled forward again, then stopped right beside me. "You know," he said, that teasing tone still there, "it's a really long walk back to the palace. I could save you that stress, Soraya."
I stopped this time, turning my gaze ahead. The woods stretched endlessly. The path twisted on and on, the palace nowhere in sight. My legs ached, and the thought of walking another mile through that silence made me sigh.