“What?” I said, when he didn’t answer.
“You’ve given me the hope I need.”
My Seth wasn’t mad that I’d blabbed. I hadn’t even tried to hide it from him. As soon as we connected, I told him what I’d done. If anything, he seemed to have expected it. And that I didn’t understand, but either way, he didn’t want to talk about it.
Telling me about his childhood, he was a different Seth—a side of him I’d rarely seen. When he started to talk about his mom, vulnerability seeped through the bond, as if speaking about his mother unnerved him.
What was her name? I asked.
Callista.
Pretty.
She was very beautiful. Tall and blond, regal like a goddess. His words drifted off for a moment. Considering the past tense reference, I assumed she’d died. But she wasn’t kind, Angel. She was cold and unapproachable, and most of all, when she looked upon me, there was always hate in her eyes.
I flinched as my suspicions were confirmed, and I wanted to make him feel better. I’m sure she didn’t hate you. She—
She hated me. His sharp reply was like being doused with ice water. I was a constant reminder of her shame. She’d gotten a taste of the forbidden fruit, and then regretted it. Halfs and pures were forbidden to mingle. Only recently had I discovered this was because the offspring of a male half and female pure made the Apollyon.
When he spoke again, his voice was soft like a down blanket. She was nothing like your mother, Angel. There was no great love affair. She used to tell me the only reason why she’d kept me was because a god had visited her after my birth. The most beautiful man she’d ever seen, or so she said. That god told her that she must protect me at all costs, that I would become a great power one day.
As he talked, I recalled the glimpses of Seth’s past that I’d seen when I’d Awakened. Of Seth as a small child, all golden skin and blond curls, playing by a creek or hunched over a toy in a large room stuffed with uncomfortable looking furniture. He was always alone. Nights when he’d awoken crying from a bad dream and no one would come to comfort him. Days when the only person he saw was a nanny who was just as uncaring as his mother. He’d never met his father. To this day, he didn’t even know his name.
My heart wept for him.
Then at age eight, he was brought before the Council to determine if he would enter the Covenant. His experience was nothing like mine. There was no poking or pinching. He didn’t kick a Minister. They had taken one look at him and seemed to know what he would become.
It was the eyes.
The tawny, amber eyes that held wisdom that belonged to no child—eyes of an Apollyon.
Things got better for him once he was sent to the Covenant in England, and then to the one in Nashville. So odd that we’d been so close to one another for so many years and had never crossed paths.
But something was off. When I’d Awakened, I’d learned all of what the previous Apollyons had discovered during their lifetimes, like being plugged into a computer and booting up. And none of them had been born with the eyes of the Apollyon. All of their eyes had become golden after they’d Awakened.
My Seth had been different.
But right now, that raw hurting in his chest was eating at him. Where were you born? I asked, hoping to take the topic away from his mother. You’ve never told me.
He laughed and I smiled. Happy Seth was a better Seth. You won’t believe this, but you know how Fate loves to mess with people?
Boy, did I ever know that.
I was born on the island of Andros.
A shiver danced down my spine. How… ironic. No large leap of faith to consider that my ancestors had also hailed from that island, since many took the name of where they were born. Or, in some cases, the islands were named after the founding families.
Either way, that was ironic. And something gag-worthy surfaced. Andros was a whopping 147 square miles. You don’t think we’re related?
What? Seth burst into laughter. No.
How can you be so sure? Because if we’re pulling a Luke and Leia, I’m going to barf.
My family isn’t linked to yours in any way. Besides, your lineage is to Apollo.
And who is yours? There was no answer, only a wealth of arrogant silence. Why do you keep that from me?
Seth sighed. I will tell you when we’re together. I’ll show you everything, Angel. And all the questions you have, you’ll have your answers.
CHAPTER 4
After lunch was served the following day, I roamed my cell alone. Something was going on upstairs—doors opening and slamming shut, pounding feet, and happy shouts.
Curious, I went to the bars and strained to hear more. The conversation was too muffled to make heads or tails of who it was, but someone had arrived. And it wasn’t a god. I would know it if it were. Their essence was strong, something I could feel inside me.
Touching the bars, I measured the response. The blue shimmer was fading. Take that, Seth. Did that mean the mark above would also fade without a booster? Good gods, I hoped so. I searched for the cord, wanting to tell him about the new development. Seth was there but not talkative. He was with Lucian, at least that much I got. Whatever was being discussed was muted to me.
Immediate dislike rose in response to Lucian’s presence. I’d obviously have to get over it, but it was going to be difficult. I would never be a fan of my stepfather.
Unhooking from the connection, I wondered what Aiden was doing. He usually spent a great part of his day sitting in that folding chair, brooding at me.
You’ve given me the hope I need.
Hope for what? A “happily ever after” for us?
I found myself in the tiny white bathroom, staring into the sucky plastic mirror above the sink. The thing was practically cemented into the wall, lightweight plastic so I couldn’t fashion it into some kind of weapon.
Leaning against the sink, I all but plastered my face against the mirror. My reflection was wavy, distorted by the cheap quality, but it was my eyes I was staring at.
They were amber, just like all the other Apollyons after they’d Awakened. It was kind of strange seeing my eyes like that, but it also felt right. Like I’d come into something I was destined to become. Which, duh, I had.
I cocked my head to the side. What would my Seth think when he finally saw me—really saw me—all Apollyoned-out? He would be pleased, so unlike Aiden, who hated my eyes…
A sudden sharp feeling speared my chest. Holy crap… I was lightheaded as I gripped the sink. This wasn’t a physical pain, more like the kind when the world drops out from underneath my feet. Or when there’s really, sucktastic bad news.
It was the sensation of a heart being annihilated with no possibility of repair.
The breath I sucked in was shrill. The feeling didn’t make sense. My heart wasn’t broken. It was whole and it belonged to my Seth. And he loved me in return. He’d never told me that he did, but he had to. We were destined for each other, and once together, we would be perfect. We would rule over both Olympus and the mortal world.
“We will be gods,” I whispered.
“Oh, Alex, even I’m amazed by how inflated your ego has become. Gods, if I was fully corporeal, I’d so kick your ass right now.”
I whirled around, fully expecting to find Caleb standing in the bathroom, because that was his voice. But no one was there. Heart racing, I peeked into the cell. Empty.
“Caleb?”
No response.
I inched into the cell, willing Caleb to appear if he was really here. Silence stretched out, and just when I was about to admit that I might’ve lost my damn mind, warmth passed through me.
Did Caleb just… walk through me?
“Uh…”
There was a light chuckle from behind me. Whipping around, I just… I could only stare.
Caleb stood there, dark blond brows arched in such a painfully familiar way. He was wearing a tunic-style shirt and white, linen pants. It was Caleb, but… not.<
br />
I could totally see the bars through him. Freaky. “Caleb?”
He glanced down at himself. “Yeah, it’s me, in shade form for your viewing pleasure.”
“Are you really here, or have I lost my mind?”
A slow, easy grin pulled at pale lips. “I’m here. Well, as here as I can be.”
I drew in a breath, but it got stuck. “Can I touch you?” My legs were moving me forward in jerky motions. No graceful Apollyon here. “Can I hug you?”
His brows lowered. “No, Alex, you can’t. You’d go right through me.” He grinned. “Though you seemed to enjoy it the first time around.”
I laughed, stopping short of touching. “Gods, I want to hug you so badly.”
“I know.” His grin faded. “But we don’t have a lot of time.”
We never did. I rocked back on my heels, smiling. “You’re here to break me out, aren’t you?”
“Ah, no, I’m not here to break you out.”
My smile slipped off my face. “Why? I don’t understand. I need to get out of here. My Seth needs—”
“I’m here as a last-ditch effort, Alex.” He reached out as if to touch me, but stopped. “Apollo sent me.”
I folded my arms and scowled. “What does he have to do with this?”
“He hopes that I can reach you, Alex.”
“Do you know he hit me with a god bolt?”
Caleb winced. “Yeah, I heard. Everyone in the Underworld sort of heard, but Alex, you kind of had it coming.” When I opened my mouth, he silenced me. “Apollo would be here if he could.”
“And why can’t he?” I turned away, trying to push down my anger, which was like screwing a lid on a box—it wasn’t working. “He’s afraid of me, isn’t he? He should be. Apollo is totally on my shit list.”
“Do you hear yourself? A god afraid of you?” He sounded dumbfounded. “Apollo’s not here because Aiden, the love of your life, banned him from here.”
I spun around, eyes narrowing. “He’s not the love of my life.”
Caleb shook his head. “He has always been yours, Alex. And you’ve always been his.”
My mouth puckered as if I had tasted something sour. “Is this why you came from the great beyond? To talk about my love life?”
“Well, the love of your life banned Apollo from entering this house because Aiden’s afraid Apollo will harm you.” Oh, yeah, Caleb got an eyeful of my shock. “And Apollo had one of his nymphs come down to the Underworld, pulled me right out from underneath Hades’ nose to help you. Both of them—Aiden and Apollo—are doing crazy things to save you.”
“But… I don’t need anyone to save me.”
“Exactly!” Caleb threw his arms up in the air. “That’s what I said!”
Okay, I wasn’t following this conversation. “Then why aren’t you helping me escape? You could go shade yourself right up to wherever the keys are. I’m sure Aiden has them.”
He rolled his eyes and they disappeared for an instant. Yikes. “You can save yourself. Only you, and you need to get a-crackin’ on it.”
My lips pressed together. Here Caleb was, my best friend—my dead best friend, but whatever—I hadn’t seen in what felt like forever, and we were arguing. I didn’t want to argue with him.
“What are you doing, Alex? This isn’t you. None of this is what you ever wanted.”
I took a deep breath. “It’s what I want now.”
Caleb growled low in his throat. He looked like he wanted to strangle me. “What you’re doing is going to get you and Seth killed. Yeah, that’s right—you aren’t invincible. Neither of you are! And there’s a war brewing in Olympus and it’s going to rain all kinds of holy hell down on Earth. Do you want to be responsible for that?”
Squeezing my hands into fists, I glared up at him. “We want to change things, Caleb! You of all people have to understand that! Together, Seth and I can free the servants—my father! We can overthrow the Council. We can—”
He barked a mad sort of laugh. One that usually meant he was close to pushing me into a corner. “Do you really think that’s what’s going to happen once you succeed in wiping out all the Councils? That Lucian is going to free the halfs and everyone is going to love one another?”
I opened my mouth, but he kept going. “And let’s pretend that’s not absurd and we’ll all be high on happy pills. The gods are never going to allow it. They will risk exposing themselves to the whole mortal world to stop you. Innocent people will die. You will die.”
My heart tripped up a little. “So I should do nothing?”
“No. Don’t you know? The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
“And whoever came up with that was a complete and utter idiot. To win the war, the enemy must be stripped down to their bare bones and destroyed.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re an idiot.”
My lips twitched. “Shut up.”
Caleb drifted over to me. “Alex, you have to break the bond with Seth. Break it and you will understand everything.”
“No.” I backed up, running my hands along my hips. “You told me to not give up on Seth. And now you want me to?”
“I don’t want you to give up on him,” he said, voice taking on a pleading edge. “There’s still hope for him, but only if you can truly reach him. And being the head of Seth’s fan club isn’t going to do it.”
I laughed then. “That was so you when you were… you know, around. You totally had a boy crush on him.”
“And I still do. He’s pretty awesome, but right now he’s high on power. Like a meth-head. No. Better yet. A crack-head and a meth-head rolled into one. He’s out of control. Good gods, he’s working with daimons! And if you get out of here and connect with him—transfer your power to him? It’s all over, Alex. He will drain you dry without even meaning to.”
I gasped. “He would never do that.”
“He wouldn’t mean to, Alex. But he would. And once he has, he’ll become the God Killer and no one needs you.” He shook his head sadly. “That’s if you even make it to him. Apollo will stop you. Every god will come down here to stop you.”
Shaking my head, I refused to believe this. My Seth would never drain me. He needed me, like I needed him. And together, we would be unstoppable. We could change things. As the Apollyon, I wouldn’t lose people like I’d lost Caleb and my mom.
I shook my head.
“Alex,” he pleaded softly.
“No. No! Because I’m powerful enough now that no one I love will ever die again!”
“Alex—”
Stupid, weak tears burned my eyes. “If I had been the Apollyon when we were attacked, I could’ve saved you!”
His form flickered. “No, Alex, you couldn’t have.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.” My chest was too tight. He faded a little. “What’s happening?”
“I have to go.” Caleb looked stricken. “Break the connection, Alex. It’s the only way to save you both.”
I shook my head so fast my hair slapped my cheeks. Before I could utter a word, he flickered out and was gone. I stood there for minutes, maybe hours, staring at the spot where he’d stood, fighting tears and everything he’d said. I didn’t—couldn’t believe what he’d said.
Caleb didn’t get it. He’d never lost people like I had—people like him. While he was in the Underworld playing Mario Go Kart, I was up here, knee-deep in the pain and anguish of losing him and my mom. I was dealing with the fact that my father was a damn servant.
He didn’t get it!
Being connected with my Seth was the only way to save us. By the time my Seth and I were done, there would be no more pain.
CHAPTER 5
I had the distinct impression that Caleb had failed somehow after he’d left, and I hoped he wasn’t going to get punished. I didn’t think Apollo would do anything to him, but then again, what did I know?
Caleb’s visit left me tattered. Keyed up and with no way to expel the nervous
energy, I paced the cell. Part of me wanted to rage and scream. A whole other side of me wanted to sit down and cry like a little baby. Seeing Caleb was like a gift, but all we’d done was argue. It left a stone in my stomach that just kept pulling me down, down.
When Aiden appeared with a bag of takeout food, I almost threw it back at him, but I was starving. And I… had the strangest urge to tell him about Caleb.
“Who’s here?” I asked between mouthfuls of mystery meat and soggy buns.
He didn’t answer.
I rolled my eyes, finishing off the burger. Rummaging around in the bag, I pulled out an extra-large order of fries. With all the exercise I was getting, my escape would involve me rolling out of here. “I know someone has shown up.”
A handful of fries went into my mouth, and then another. Salt and grease coated my fingertips. Yum. “Are you not going to talk? Just sit there and stare at me like a creeper?”
Aiden cracked a half smile. “You called me that once before.”
“Yeah, because you are a creeper.” I frowned at my almost-empty carton. There were never enough fries.
“Actually, I’d been watching to make sure you didn’t sneak off the island.”
I remembered. It had been the night of Zarak’s house party, back when things had at least seemed simpler. Zarak… I wondered what had happened to Zarak. I didn’t think he’d been on the island when Poseidon had pitched a fit, but I didn’t know.
Finished with the fries, I licked the salt off my finger as I lifted my gaze.
Aiden’s eyes flared silver, and something warm unfurled in my stomach. I put my other finger to my lips—
Holy baby daimons everywhere, what the hell was I doing? I grabbed a napkin, wiping furiously at my fingers. Across from me, heat roared off Aiden.
By the time I finally looked at Aiden again, he was all kinds of coolness—the master of impassivity. He even arched his brow at me. Good for him. Whatever. He’d totally checkmated me, but now I knew who was upstairs—Laadan and Olivia. I remembered then that while I’d been on the Elixir, Deacon had told Aiden they were coming. Then I’d hid in the closet because Aiden had raised his voice.
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