Ares's POV
The ballroom still buzzed with music and chatter, but I barely noticed. My eyes were on the side corridor, where Jasmine and I had overheard the whispers. Someone inside our ranks was betraying us, and I was not going to wait for them to strike again.
I signaled Jasmine to stay close, and we slipped back into the crowd. She followed silently, her hand brushing mine as we moved. That brief touch was grounding, a tether to someone I trusted in the midst of chaos. The air smelled faintly of roses and whiskey, and I could hear the subtle hum of the ventilation above. Every detail mattered. Every sound, every movement… it could tell me more than words ever would.
"Keep calm." I murmured, glancing at her. "We don't know who it is yet."
Her grip tightened on my arm. "I feel it, Ares. They're close."
