Page 69 of Reaper’s Wrath

“Hell yes, you are. Like the fucking Grim Reaper over here.” Kairos claps, equally as pleased that we might actually get fresh fish for dinner.

I raise a brow smugly. “I did cheat death with the scar to prove it.”

Kairos smirks. “Alright. Reaper it is.”

I chuckle as I retrieve my catch.

I wouldn’t mind if it were true and I were death himself. People would fear me, and I’d have all the power for a change. Stavros would train me to be deadly if he thought he could trust me.

It might be time I consider that an allegiance to the Greek might not be so terrible. With enough power and control, I could get myself back to the city.

And do what? Go to trade school after possibly years at sea?

No way I’m sitting in a classroom after this. My survival can come from lessons I learn out here. And when my training is done, no one will dare cross the Reaper.

CHAPTER 36

ISA

“It’s absolutely none of my business, so if you don’t want to talk about it, I totally understand.” Evie pauses, her expressive eyes wide with sincerity. “But we haven’t had a chance to talk alone since Tessa was here. You and Elio? Are you okay with that?”

A dry chuckle bubbles up from my chest. “I don’t even know what’s going on, let alone how I feel about it.”

“I see. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Not where Elio is concerned. And it’s not bad, per se. I just don’t understand it.”

She angles her head, encouraging me to elaborate. I figure I have nothing to lose by talking it through with someone else, and since Elio is in the city today, now is as good a time as any.

“The thing is, I grew up around Elio and his twin. They were close with my older brother. I’m not sure how much you know about his past, but Elio was kidnapped as a teenager. We thought he was dead. I don’t know what all he went through, but he seems to have created this elaborate past between us in his head. He thinks we were a couple back before we were taken.”

“Oh my,” Evie breathes, her shoulders sagging.

“It’s super sweet, in a way. And I can’t deny I’m developing feelings for him. The last two days together have been some of the happiest I’ve had in a long time.” I smile at the memory of lunch on the top deck yesterday when the sun was out and watching a movie together in bed before falling asleep. Neither of us has pushed heavy topics. We’ve simply … hung out.

It’s been incredibly refreshing, and every day I spend with him makes it harder to imagine leaving.

“Aside from you missing your family, is there a problem with all this?” she asks.

I search her eyes for answers. “I don’t know. Should I be worried about a man who invented an alternate reality that he genuinely believes is real?”

She chews her cheek as her gaze drifts out the window. “That’s hard to say. In all honesty, we don’t know him that well, either. Delusional individuals can react violently when their reality is challenged, but delusions are different from altered memories. Trauma can definitely cause a person to rewrite historical events to help them cope. I wouldn’t call that person delusional.”

“I’m not sure what to do with that answer.” I laugh as I speak, the bizarreness of it all becoming comical.

Evie gives me a sad smile. “I know. How about this—what does your gut tell you? Do you feel safe with him?”

“Yes,” I answer simply. No hesitation.

She covers my hand with hers. “Then that’s your answer.”

I suck in a lungful of air, then release a long exhale.

Evie giggles. “Are you going to get to come with us tomorrow to my birthday dinner?”

“I don’t know, but I can ask. He’s been much more agreeable since that first day or two.”

“They always are when they get what they want.” She cuts a sly look my way. “And that man has it bad for you.”