They were all adults. If he wanted to stay, there was nothing she could do to stop him. Besides, with Nigel''s strength, he might actuallye in handy.


    It wasn''t long before ck Spider reappeared and this time, he brought a group of men with him.


    "What''s he nning?" Damien muttered, uneasy.


    Nigel''s eyes narrowed, his wariness palpable. There was something off about ck Spider now-his whole demeanor had shifted, a fierce hostility radiating from him. This wasn''t the sly, effeminate Jasper, nor the ck Spider they''d known.


    Calliope squinted, studying him. Yet another new personality? She remembered: he''d only ever had three, and those had been stable for years—aside from Jasper, who''d gradually gained more control. But this... this was something else entirely.


    “ck Spider?” she called.


    A sardonic grin shed across his face. "Sorry, he''s not here right now."


    "You''re not Jasper, either, are you?" she pressed. There was no trace of Jasper''s energy about him.


    “Of course not. He''s asleep too. This is my world now. Wee," he announced, his voice brimming with manic energy.


    Calliope stared at him in disbelief. "When did youe out?" This one felt even stronger than Jasper; and because she knew nothing about him, he was that much more dangerous.


    He tilted his head in mock thought. “Didn''t I just show up?" Then he sneered. “But I know you. I''ve known about you for a long time. And you are seriously annoying. I don''t like you at all."


    Calliope''s gaze sharpened. So—he''d been lurking in the background all along,pletely undetected. Not even ck Spider himself seemed to know. Otherwise, he would have said something; maybe even Jasper was in the dark.


    "What''s your name?" she asked sharply.


    He arched an eyebrow, grinning. “Oh? Curious, are you?”


    She didn''t answer, but Nigel and Damien had already tensed up, eyes fixed on this stranger in a familiar body. No one could guess if he was, friend or fee or what he''d do next. The unknown was always the scariest thing. Right now, this man was the most unpredictable person in the room.


    "My name''s Simon," he dered, straightening up. "From here on out, I''m in charge-of this ce, of body. You," he said, sauntering. toward Calliope, "are going to do me a favor take out those other idiots for me."


    He stopped only inches from her, eyes glinting. "Weren''t you nning to kill them?


    Here''s your shot. Kill them all-leave only me."


    Calliope''s expression didn''t waver.


    "If ck Spider dies, you''ll die too," she warned.


    Simon snorted. "Don''t care! Keep me


    alive. Let him go. None of those fools deserve to live anyway." He eyed her up and down. "So. You''re supposed to be a doctor? You don''t look like any doctor I''ve met. You are gorgeous, though. How about it-marry me? You''d be lucky, you know. I''m brilliant, and ridiculously good-looking."


    He struck a mocking, narcissistic pose.


    Calliope stared him down, silent. Great-narcissistic and vtile. Just what they needed.


    “Calliope''s married,” Damien snapped, frowning. “She''s Mrs. Myers. So don''t get any ideas."


    Nigel chimed in, deadpan, “Even if she gets divorced, it wouldn''t be your turn. I''m still ahead of you in line."


    Calliope and Damien both whipped their heads around to re at Nigel, who just grinned.