“Does that matter?”
“I guess not. I just didn’t want anyone to worry.”
“I get that. I’m sure he does too, but there are some things you shouldn’t keep from those who love you.” Olivia turned, opening her door. “Talk to him.”
Not like I had a choice when it came to talking to him. “Thanks.”
She nodded and then slipped into her room. Letting out a loud and largely obnoxious sigh, I went into my room. My gaze immediately went to the full-size bed and I groaned.
“Shower first. Epic bitch-out session second, sincere apology third, and then sleep.”
Freshly showered, I was thrilled to find someone had dug up a pair of jeans and a clean shirt that fit me. Most likely Aiden had done so while I was hogging all the hot water. It was so like him, even when he was mad at me. Alone for a few moments, I sat on the bed and crossed my legs. The bedroom walls were a nice shade of buttercup, while the door and window frames were trimmed with titanium, as were the headboard and the small end table. On the far wall, a picture of Artemis hunting with her bow and arrows was framed in titanium as well.
It was like these people expected daimons to pop out from under their beds.
But studying the décor wasn’t the whole point of me sitting on the bed like a Buddha knock-off. Ever since Seth’s appearance after Lea’s death, he had been oddly quiet. As if he was gone, actually. The cord was still there, but his unmistakable presence was absent. Like before I’d Awakened, when my head and body had been my own.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the cord. It was there, humming softly and barely discernible.
But there was no Seth.
I screwed my face up in concentration. This wacky long-distance internal phone call crap should be able to work both ways. Maybe I was crazy to be the one initiating contact, but a quiet Seth made for a really nervous Alex. It wasn’t like him. He was up to something. He had to be.
Seth? I called his name again… and again. At some point, I heard the low hiss of the shower and then it turned off. The muted sound of a door closing followed minutes later. That was how long I sat there, looking like an epic fail at meditation.
The door to the living area opened, and Aiden came in carrying a plate of fruit and roasted turkey slices. “I bring gifts in the form of food—what are you doing?”
“Nothing.” I flushed as I patted the spot beside me. “I’m starving. Thank you.” And I was also surprised that he was bringing me food.
Aiden sat beside me, placing the plate between us. He smelled of clean soap and spice. Moving a few slices out of the way, he found a thick piece of dark meat.
“Aiden—”
“Eat first.”
I frowned at him, but he held the turkey way too close and my mouth watered. Taking it from him, we spent the next several minutes gorging on the meat and fruit. As I chased a ripe strawberry across the bowl, he leaned over and tucked a damp strand of hair back behind my ear. I looked up and our eyes locked. All the air fled my lungs. Aiden was probably ready to throttle me, but that look in his silvery eyes…wow, simply wow.
Aiden leaned back, observing me, studying the blush I knew was spreading like a fever across my cheeks. “Before this goes any further, what you did with the automatons was nothing short of amazing. I haven’t had a chance to tell you, but I wanted you to know.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Yes. That kind of power—it was epic and graceful. It was pretty amazing.”
My gaze fell to the empty plate. “If I hadn’t worn myself out, I could’ve saved Lea.”
His fingers found my chin, tipping it up. “Don’t blame yourself for what happened to her. Her death was not your fault. And if you hadn’t used your power, all of us would’ve died.”
I nodded. Those words weren’t as easy to swallow as they were to say.
“Done?” Aiden gestured at the plate and bowl. He placed them on the table when I nodded again. There was a stretch of silence where he just looked at me until I squirmed. He sighed. “How could you not tell me, Alex?”
“I didn’t want you to worry,” I said lamely.
His eyes narrowed. “That’s bullshit, Alex.”
I jumped, eyes going wide.
“We’re in this… this screwed-up situation together, right? Both of us would do anything for each other, am I correct?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer. He was really on a roll. “We love each other. And call me stupid or old-fashioned, but I think all of that means we don’t keep secrets from one another, especially potentially dangerous secrets that the other party really should know about.”
My cheeks were burning for a whole different reason now. Everything he said was true. Keeping him in the dark had sprouted from the best of intentions, but he was right.
“I’m sorry and I mean it. I should’ve told you when I figured it out.”
His brows lowered. “When did you figure it out? Wait. While we were in the Underworld, right? You were different when we came back.”
Damn. He was good. “It was when I was talking with Solaris. Things sort of clicked, and then I confronted Apollo. He confirmed that the gods wanted me to become the God Killer so that I could stop the god responsible.”
Aiden cursed under his breath. “Sometimes I want to hit that bastard.”
“Join the club.”
He was silent for a couple of moments. “They expect you to fight Seth and have the power transferred to you. Then they expect you to fight this god?”
I nodded.
“I don’t like this—I don’t want you to do this.” Anger burned in his gaze. “This is too dangerous—every part of it. Besides the fact that Seth could transfer the power from you, no god is going to go down easy. It’s insane.”
It was, but when had anything in my life been completely sane? I wiggled closer to him. “But it has to be done, Aiden. Even if we manage to stop Lucian and Seth, this god will try something again. Look at all the people who have died.”
“I don’t—” He cut himself off.
“You don’t what?”
He looked up, features rigid. “I was going to say that I don’t care. Not when you could die doing this. I don’t care.”
I had no idea what to say to that, and I knew that it took a lot for Aiden to admit that. Hell, it would take a lot for anyone to admit that. But it was the truth, and sometimes the truth wasn’t pretty or ethical or fair. It just was.
Aiden tipped his head back and sighed. “What if I asked you not to do this?”
My mouth opened in surprise, but no words came out.
He shook his head. “I know I can’t ask you that. I know it’s incredibly selfish. Don’t answer it, okay?”
Tears moved up the back of my throat so quickly I didn’t think I’d be able to hold them back. By some miracle I did. I knew I needed to tell him that there was a good chance I wouldn’t survive this in the end. It wasn’t like I was giving up, because Deacon had sort of given me the kick in the rear that I needed, but it didn’t change the possibility.
Aiden made a sound in the back of his throat and he reached for me. I went, climbing into his lap. As his arms circled me, squeezing me so tight against him that I could feel his heartbeat, I couldn’t tell him that now. I didn’t think I could ever tell him.
And that was the thing about truths and secrets. Sometimes the truth didn’t need to be known. The lie was healthier than the truth and, while some secrets could set people free, other secrets could destroy them.
I didn’t feel good about it as I closed my eyes. Guilt settled in my stomach like a handful of sharp stones, but this secret wasn’t meant to be shared.
Finally, Aiden’s grip loosened and his hands moved from my shoulders. He held me back, his gaze searching my face. “Have you been having any headaches recently?”
Grateful for the change in topic, I shook my head. “Not since… Lea died. Seth was there afterward, but he’s gone. I mean, I can still feel the cord, but it’s weird.
It’s like he’s taken a vacation.”
Aiden arched a brow. “He’s up to something.”
A small grin pulled my lips. “Exactly what I was thinking.”
“Great minds think alike.” With one hand, he smoothed his thumb over my lower lip. “You have to be exhausted.”
I shrugged. “So do you.”
“We should get some rest.” His hand fell back to my shoulder.
“Marcus isn’t going to be happy with you sleeping in here.”
“I know.” He leaned back against the headboard, his eyes hooded. “We’re probably going to have to cut the whole sleeping together thing back.”
I pouted.
Aiden chuckled. “I said sleeping together, Alex. What I have in mind doesn’t involve sleeping.”
“Oh.” Warmth spread through me like I was back in the steaming shower. “Oh.”
A slow grin tugged at his lips as his hands spread down my arms to my hips. That dizzying warmth stole into the marrow of my bones. “Little slow on the uptake, huh?”
I laughed and it felt… okay to laugh. Bending forward, I pressed my forehead to his. “Sorry. My mind isn’t in the gutter, like some people I could name.”
“So you say.” His hands tightened. “We’ll just have to see about that.”
Aiden moved so quickly that one second I was in his lap, and the next I was on my back and he was hovering above me. He lowered his head so that his lips brushed mine softly. That one all-too-quick touch nearly undid me.
“I love you,” he said, and those were the last words spoken for quite some time.
CHAPTER 36
Aiden hadn’t left the bed, so I guess cutting back on the whole sleeping arrangement thing wasn’t going to start today. Not that I was complaining. After… well, not sleeping and then sleeping for several hours, and some more of the “not sleeping” thing, we were summoned by a knock on the door.
We exchanged a quick look. “Uh, should I be answering the door, since this is my room?”
Aiden nodded and I started to rise, but he caught my arm. “You might want to put some clothes on first.”
“Oh. Ha.” I giggled as I started searching for my clothes. “Good call.”
“Uh-huh.”
Hopping around the room, I shoved my legs into thejeans. “Be right there!”
I was sure Aiden got an entertaining eyeful, and my face was blood-red by the time I reached the door. Opening it wide enough for me to slip through, I saw Dominic.
“Hey,” I said, hoping I didn’t have a mad case of naughty-in-bed hair.
His expression remained bland. “I’m sorry that I’ve woken you, but we have new arrivals. One of them, I do believe, was an Instructor at Deity Island.”
“Really? Wow. Where are they?”
“Currently with the Dean,” he replied. “Your uncle is already aware. I stopped by Sentinel St. Delphi’s room, but…”
“Oh. Yeah, um…” I was pretty sure I matched a fire truck. “He’s a heavy sleeper.”
“I’m sure he is.” Dominic stepped back. “If you wish to join your uncle, I’ll be waiting outside. You should have time to get ready. Your uncle is a… heavy sleeper, also.”
Whaaaa… and then it hit me. Ew. Ew. Ew.
Hurrying back into the room, I closed the door, and then leaned on it. “Dear gods, that was awkward. You heard?”
Aiden stood beside the bed, buttoning his pants. My eyes got hung up on his fingers and then that stomach. “Yes. He didn’t say who it was?”
I wasn’t thirsty, but my mouth sure was dry. “No. Just that it was an Instructor. Do you think we should check it out?”
“Sure.” Muscles popped as he reached over his head, pulling a shirt on. “I think it’ll be good to see a familiar face.”
I thought it would be good for him to take off that shirt, but what did I know? After running a brush through my mass of hair, I grabbed a slender dagger, slipped it into my back pocket, and tugged my shirt down over the handle.
Daggers. Never leave home without them.
It was late evening and the air seemed unseasonably chilly when we joined Dominic and my uncle. Then again, we were pretty high up in the mountains, but I was pretty positive it was the beginning of May and made a mental note to find a calendar pronto.
“I wonder who it is,” I said, feeling a little high-strung. A bad case of the hyperactivity disorder was probably about to occur.
“I do not know,” Marcus said.
I increased my step to stay in line with the long-legged freaks. “Do you know of any Instructors who had escaped?”
“Many were not at the campus when Poseidon attacked.”
“That’s right. They were away on break.” I shoved my hands into my jean pockets. “So it really could be anyone.”
Marcus glanced down at me, a single brow arched. “It really could be.”
I pulled my hands out of my pockets. “Why didn’t Diana come?”
My uncle shot me a look and I grinned.
“Anyway, I hope it’s someone I know.” I started to shove my hands back into my pockets, but Aiden grabbed my wrist.
He frowned. “What is your deal?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re acting like a little spaz right now.”
I pulled my hand free. “I don’t know. I’m just hyper.”
“Oh, great,” Marcus muttered.
Shooting him a look, I tried to keep my jittery movements to a minimum. It wasn’t hyperactivity. More like nervousness, but I didn’t have any reason to be nervous. Well, besides the obvious, but this was different. The marks of the Apollyon were bleeding though my skin, moving sluggishly into glyphs.
The stairs weren’t as killer this time around. As always, two Guards were posted at the end of the hall, outside the Dean’s doors. They stepped aside as they opened the door and in we went. Curiosity had begun to outweigh the edginess somewhere on the stairs.
My gaze drifted over the room, finding Dean Elders first, and then to the far side of the room, to the oval-shaped window and the figure who stood in the light, his back to us.
Aiden and I hung back as Marcus strode to the desk. I wasn’t sure if Dean Elders really wanted us here.
“Dean Andros,” Dean Elders said, bowing slightly. “Thank you for joining us. Our newest arrival was most pleased to hear that some of his colleagues from the Deity Island Covenant had reached our campus.”
The man by the window turned slowly, and I recognized the thinning dark hair, olive skin tone, and near obsidian-colored eyes. My mouth dropped all the way to the floor.
“You have got to be freaking kidding me,” I said.
Instructor Romvi smiled tightly. “I am happy to see you too, Miss Andros.”
Well, I guess I knew my suspicious about some Order members escaping Seth and the Sentinels. One of them was now standing in front of me.
Aiden and Marcus both moved toward me, withdrawing daggers. The poor Dean of the University looked like he was about to have a coronary.
“Guards!” he yelled, moving behind his desk as if that could somehow protect him in case the poo was about to hit the fan.
The doors behind us flew open and the two stepped in, eyes darting around the room. Dominic held his dagger out too. “What the hell is going on?”
All of this wasn’t necessary. I was no longer the student in class. I was the Apollyon and fully charged. Let Romvi try something. I’d seriously look forward to throwing his monkey ass out the window.
“He is a member of the Order of Thanatos, which tried to kill Alex.” Fury rolled off Aiden, and I expected something to catch fire. “He is not what we’d consider a friendly acquaintance.”
Instructor Romvi clasped his hands in front of him. “As I remember, I was not the one who carried out the deed, which was successful, might I add.”
Oh, that was the wrong thing to say.
Aiden’s stance said he was about to break all kinds of bad. “That is correct, but you
are a member of the Order and you—”
“Have the ability to kill the Apollyon?” interrupted Romvi. “Yes. I do. But I am many things. Stupid is not one of them. It appears Miss Andros has many gods on her side, and the Order’s only real mission is to serve the gods.”
“And that meant killing me?” I said, folding my arms.
His eyes met mine. “It did at the time.”
“And not anymore? We’re supposed to believe that?”
Romvi cocked his head to the side. “We are on the same side, Miss Andros.”
That nervous, too-much-caffeine feeling was back, tying my stomach up in knots. The runes were really going crazy now. “And what side is that, Romvi?”
“The only side there is to stand on,” he replied. “In war, there is only one side to truly stand on, and that is on the side that wins. And make no mistake, Miss Andros, we are at war.”
“You never seemed like the philosophical type,” Aiden said.
Romvi’s smile didn’t slip. “I’m sure I didn’t seem like much to you, St. Delphi.”
Aiden replied, but I wasn’t listening. I was getting a weird feeling again, the one I had had while standing in the War Room in Hade’s palace. That odd, nagging feeling, like there was something I should remember, that I should see. It was much stronger now.
“In times like these, we must let go of mutual dislike.” Romvi still hadn’t moved closer, but I felt… choked by his presence. “We must work together.”
“We are always at war,” I murmured, feeling very, very odd.
Romvi arched a cool brow. “You remember my teachings. That pleases me.”
I thought of the strangest thing then. When Romvi and I had sparred once, what had he told me? I should cut my hair. Something to do with vanity, but I recalled that War Room all too easily and what Persephone had said.
He likes to cut the hair of those he’s conquered and then strings them up for all to see.
I slowly unfolded my arms. My heart sped up. Romvi was watching me curiously, as if he was waiting for something. Memories of what Persephone had said pieced themselves together rapidly. To him, everything is about war and its spoils… What had she said about him? Without war, there was nothing.
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