Half-Blood

CHAPTER 15

JUST BEFORE DAWN, THE FUNERAL FOR THOSE

murdered at Lake Lure began and… wel , it sucked in the way al funerals did. Fol owing ancient Greek tradition, the funeral consisted of three parts. Al of the bodies—the ones recovered—were laid out before the funeral began. I stayed in the back of the funeral home, refusing to go anywhere near the dead. I paid my respects from a healthy distance.

The three bodies of the Dikti family, Lea’s father and stepmother, and the Guards were wrapped in linen and draped in gold. From there, the funeral procession began, and it was long. The bodies were lifted onto pyres and carried through the main street. Al tourist activity had been cut off to Deity Island, and the streets were fil ed with pure-blood and half-blood mourners.

The students who remained at the Covenant stood out from the crowd. We were the ones dressed in black sundresses or party dresses. None of us real y had anything appropriate to wear to a funeral. I had on a black tube dress and flip flops. They were the best I had.

I stayed close to Caleb and Olivia, and I only caught a quick glimpse of Lea and Dawn at the cemetery. The sisters shared the same coppery red hair and impossibly thin bodies, and even with puffy eyes, Dawn was absolutely stunning.

Hematoi didn’t bury the dead. After burning the remains they erected massive marble effigy statues. The artist’s rendering of the one that would honor the Samos family depicted their images set on a pedestal carved with a Greek verse about immortality among the gods. The round pedestal already occupied the site.

The jewels and gold were removed from the bodies and placed on the pedestal. I real y wanted to leave at that point, but it would’ve been the height of disrespect. I turned away as they lit the pyres, but I stil heard the crackling as the fire ate away at their shrouded corpses. I shuddered, hating the finality of it, hating that these were quite possibly my mother’s victims.

Slowly, the mourners broke apart. Some headed back home; others went to smal receptions held in the homes of the families. I trailed behind Caleb and Olivia, going back to the Covenant, away from al the death and despair.

As we passed the pyres, my eyes found Aiden. He stood with Leon, a few feet away from Dawn and Lea. He looked up—almost as if he’d sensed me—and our eyes met. He made no other acknowledgement, but I could tel he approved of my presence. Yesterday, before the talk about hunting loved ones and the shorts incident when he’d said I was pretty, I’d mentioned I was unsure if I should come or not, considering Mom had been one of the daimons.

Aiden had looked at me with that serious frown. “You’d feel more guilty for not going and paying your respects. You deserve to do that. Just as much as anyone else, Alex.”

He was right, of course. I hated funerals, but I would’ve felt bad if I hadn’t come.

Now, he nodded slightly before turning to Dawn. He reached out and touched her arm. A lock of dark hair fel over his forehead as he bent his head, offering his condolences. I turned my attention to the large iron gates separating the town from the plot of meaningless statues.

Seth stood there, dressed in his black uniform. There was no doubt he was watching us. I ignored him as we left the cemetery.

For the rest of the day, I tried to forget that we’d lost so many innocent people.

And that Mom had been responsible.

***

I didn’t get to do anything with the daggers in the next practice. When I pitched a fit about this, Aiden watched on with amused patience.

“Come on.” I pushed the mats off the floor. “How am I supposed to get caught up when I can’t even touch a dagger?”

Aiden nudged me out of the way and took over mat duty.

“I need to make sure you know how to defend yourself—”

“She hasn’t practiced with Covenant blades at al ?”

Seth leaned against the door frame, arms folded across his chest. He watched us with a lazy expression, but his eyes were extraordinarily bright.

Aiden straightened, barely bothering to look at him. “I would swear I shut and locked that door.”

Seth smirked. “I unlocked and opened the door.”

“How’d you do that?” I asked. “The door locks from the inside.”

“Apol yon secrets. Can’t give them away.” He winked at me before turning those amber eyes on Aiden. “How can she be prepared to fight if she doesn’t know how to wield the only weapon she wil have against a daimon?”

Seth gained cool points in my book with that question. I looked at Aiden expectedly. The cold, distasteful expression he wore earned way more cool points.

“I was unaware that you had any say in her training.”

Aiden arched a coal black eyebrow.

“I don’t.” Seth pushed off the wal and sauntered across the training room. He plucked one of the daggers off the wal and faced us. “I’m sure I could convince Marcus or Lucian to let Alex have a few rounds with me. Would you like that, Alex?”

I felt Aiden stiffen beside me and I shook my head. “No.

Not real y.”

A slow smile crept across Seth’s face as he flipped the dagger in his hand. “Real y, I’d let you play… with the grown-up toys.” He stopped in front of me, offering the blade handle first. “Here. Take it.”

My gaze fel to the shiny metal in his hand. The end had been sharpened to a brutal point. Like I was under a powerful compulsion, I reached for it.

Aiden’s hand clamped down on Seth’s, pul ing the dagger and Seth’s hand out of my reach. Startled, I looked up at Aiden. His furious silver eyes met and held Seth’s.

“She wil train with the daggers when I decide so. Not you.

Your presence here is not welcome.”

Seth’s eyes flicked to Aiden’s hand. His smile didn’t falter once. “Awful y control ing, aren’t you? Since when do pures care so much about what a half-blood touches or doesn’t touch?”

“Since when would an Apol yon concern himself with a half-blood girl? One would think he had better things to do.”

“One would think a pure-blood would know better than to fal for—”

“Okay.” I stepped between the two, cutting off only the gods knew what Seth was about to say. “Time to play nice, boys.” Neither of them seemed to hear or see me. Sighing, I grabbed Aiden’s arm. He looked at me then. “Practice is over, right?”

Reluctantly, he let go of Seth’s wrist and backed off. Even he looked surprised by his response, but he watched Seth intently. “For now—yes.”

Seth shrugged and flipped the blade over again, his gaze centered on me once more. “I actual y don’t have anything better to do then concern myself with a half-blood girl. ”

There was something about the way he spoke that gave me the chil s. Or it could have been the skil in which he handled the blade with. “I think I’l pass.”

After that, Aiden and I left the training room, neither of us speaking. I wasn’t sure why Aiden had reacted as strongly as he did or why Seth felt the need to push Aiden like that.

But by the time I met up with Caleb, I pushed it to the furthest corners of my brain to dwel on later.

Caleb decided we needed fun, and fun existed on the main island at Zarak’s weekly movie night. He always got his hands on movies just released in the theater, and since none of us got to go to places like that very often, it was a big deal to watch whatever the mortal world currently obsessed over. I was surprised he was stil holding it after the funerals yesterday, but I assumed everyone needed to let loose a bit, remind themselves they were stil alive.

But as soon as we arrived at his house, I knew things weren’t going to be fun. Everyone stopped talking when we walked down into the basement that’d been converted into a mini-theater. Pures and halfs alike stared at me, and the moment Caleb fol owed Olivia upstairs, people started whispering.

Pretending like I wasn’t at al bothered, I sat down on one of the unoccupied love seats and focused on a spot on the wal . Pride kept me from fleeing the room. After a few minutes, Deacon broke free of the cluster of kids and joined me.

“How’re you doing?”

I slid him a glance. “Great.”

He offered me a drink out of his flask. I took it and swal owed a mouthful, watching him out of the corner of my eye. “Careful,” he chuckled as he pried the flask out of my fingers.

The liquid scorched my throat and made my eyes burn.

“Jeez, what is that stuff?”

Deacon shrugged. “It’s my own special mix.”

“Wel … it’s certainly special.”

Someone from the other side of the room whispered something I couldn’t make out, but Cody busted into laughter. Feeling paranoid, I tried to ignore him.

“They’re talking about you.”

Slowly, I looked at Deacon. “Thanks, buddy.”

“Everyone is.” He shrugged as he flipped the flask over in his hands. “Frankly, I don’t care. Your mom’s a daimon. So what? It’s not like you can help it.”

“It real y doesn’t bother you?” Of al people, I thought it should bother him.

“No. You’re not responsible for what your mother did.”

“Or didn’t do.” I bit my lip, staring at the floor. “No one knows if she did anything.”

Deacon raised his eyebrows as he took a long drink.

“You’re right.”

The group across from us erupted in snickers and sly looks. Zarak shook his head, turning his attention to the remote in his hand.

“I think I hate them,” I muttered, wishing I hadn’t decided to come here.

“They’re just scared.” He gave a pointed look at the knot of people across the room. “They al fear being turned. The daimons have never been this close, Alex. Four hours isn’t that far away, and it could’ve been any of them. It could’ve been their deaths.”

I shivered and yearned for another drink from Deacon’s flask. It was real y warming. “Why aren’t you afraid?”

“We al got to die sometime, right?”

“That’s dark.”

“But my brother would never al ow something like that to happen to me,” he added. “He’d die first… and he’d never let that happen either. Speaking of my brother, how’s he been treating my favorite half-blood?”

“Uh… good, real y good.”

Cody’s loud voice rang out. “The only reason she’s stil here is because her stepfather is the Minister and her uncle is the dean.”

Al week I’d been ignoring the snide whispers and awful stares, but this—this I couldn’t ignore. There’d be no saving face if I did.

I leaned forward in my chair, resting my arms on my knees. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

No one dared to speak as Cody lifted his head toward me. “The only reason you’re stil here is because of who you’re related to. Any other half would’ve been thrown into servitude.”

Taking a deep breath, I searched my memories for something calming. I came up empty. “Why would that happen, Cody?”

Deacon shifted away from me, flask in hand.

“You brought your mother back here. That’s why. Those pures died because your mother’s out there looking for you!

If you weren’t here, they’d stil be alive.”

“Crap.” Zarak stood, clearing his chair from my path. Just in time, too. I flew across the room, stopping in front of Cody.

“You’re going to regret saying that.”

Cody’s lip twisted into a smirk. He wasn’t afraid of me.

“Wow. Threatening a pure wil get you kicked out the Covenant. Maybe that’s what you want? Then you can be reunited with your mother.”

My jaw hit the floor and my fist was about to hit his.

Deacon intervened, wrapping one arm around my waist. He picked me up and set me in the opposite direction.

“Out.” He didn’t give me much of an option with his hand on my back, pushing me toward the glass doors.

Being outside didn’t calm the rage in me. “I’m going to kil him!”

“No, you’re not.” Deacon shoved the flask in my hand.

“Take a drink. It wil help.”

I unscrewed the lid and took a healthy swal ow. The liquid scorched my insides and it only fueled my anger. I tried inching past Deacon, but for someone so slender and untrained, he proved a viable roadblock.

Damn him.

“I’m not letting you go in there. Your uncle may be the Minister, but if you beat up Cody, your ass is a goner.”

He was right, but I smiled. “It’d be worth it.”

“Would it be worth it?” He stepped to the side, blond curls fal ing into his eyes as he blocked me again. “How do you think Aiden would feel?”

The question hit me in the chest. “Huh?”

“If you get kicked out, what would my brother think?”

I unclenched my hands. “I… don’t know.”

Deacon tipped his flask at me. “He’d blame himself.

Think he didn’t train or counsel you wel enough. Do you want that?”

My eyes narrowed. I didn’t like his logical reasoning.

“Just like he counsels you not to be drunk al the time? And yet you are. How do you think that makes him feel?”

He slowly lowered the flask. “Touché.”

A few seconds later, backup arrived. “What the hel happened?” Caleb demanded.

“Some of your friends aren’t playing nice.” Deacon tipped his head back toward the door.

Caleb frowned as he walked to me. “Did one of them do something to you?” Anger flashed across his face when I told him what Cody had said. “Are you kidding me?”

I crossed my arms. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”

“No. Let’s just head back to the other island. Those assholes in there don’t understand.”

“No one understands,” I shot back, anger stil flooding my system. “You can stay here with your friends, but I’m heading back. This was a terrible idea.”

“Hey!” Caleb’s eyebrows shot up. “They’re not my friends. You are! And I do understand, Alex. I know you’re going through a lot.”

I whirled on Caleb. I knew I was being unreasonable, but I couldn’t stop. “You understand? How in the hel could you possibly understand? Your mother doesn’t want to be around you! Your father is stil alive! He isn’t a daimon, Caleb. How in the hel can you understand?”

He held out his hands as if he could somehow physical y stop my words. Pain flickered across his face. “Alex?

Gods.”

Deacon shoved the flask in his pocket, sighing. “Alex, try to calm down. You have an audience.”

He was so right. People had come outside at some point, loitering on the sprawling deck, watching with anticipation. They’d wanted a fight earlier and had been denied it. I took a deep breath and tried to rein in my anger.

I failed. “Every stupid person here thinks I’m the reason why those people died!”

Disbelief shone on Caleb’s face. “That can’t be true.

Look. You’re just stressed out. Let’s go back—”

My restraint broke. Closing the distance between us, I wondered if I would hit my best friend. Quite possibly, but I never got to find out. Out of nowhere, Seth appeared at my side, dressed in black like he always was. Did he never take that uniform off?

His presence not only stunned me into immobility, it also had a quieting effect on everyone around us. He took one long, hard look at me and then spoke in that lyrical, accented voice of his. “That is enough.”

I would’ve told anyone else to screw off, but this wasn’t a normal situation, and Seth wasn’t a normal person. We stared each other down. Clearly, he expected me to heed his warning or else.

With visible effort, I backed off. Caleb took a step toward me, but Deacon grabbed his arm. “Let her go.”

And I went. I made it past several houses before Seth caught up to me. “You let a bunch of pures get you that upset?”

“You’re such a stalker, Seth. How long were you standing there?”

“I am not a stalker, and I was standing there long enough to realize you have no self-control and you’re unstable. I kind of like that about you—mainly because I find it entertaining. But you have to know that you are not responsible for what your mother did. Who cares what a bunch of spoiled pures think?”

“You don’t know if my mom did anything!”

“Are you serious?” His eyes searched my face. He found what he was looking for. “You are! Now I can add stupid to my list of adjectives for describing you.”

I wondered what the other adjectives were. “Whatever.

Just leave me alone.”

Seth cut me off. “She’s a daimon. She kil s— kills innocent people, Alex. That’s what daimons do. There is no reason behind it. That’s what she is doing, but it is not your fault.”

I real y wanted to kick or punch him, but neither of those things would be smart. See, I did have self-control and intel igence. I sidestepped him, but Seth wasn’t having it.

He reached out, his hand closing around my forearm. Flesh against flesh.

The world exploded.

A surge of electricity shot through my body. It was like the feeling I got whenever he was near, but a hundred times stronger. I couldn’t speak, and the longer Seth held on, the more powerful the rush grew. What I was feeling was insane. What I was seeing was insane. Intense, bright blue light wrapped around his hand. It twisted like a cord, crackling and twining itself around my arm, his hand.

Instinctively, I knew it was connecting us—binding us together.

Forever.

“No. No, this isn’t possible!” Seth’s body had gone rigid.

I real y wished he’d let go of my arm, because his fingers dug into my skin and something… something else was happening. I felt it move inside me, twisting and wrapping itself through my core, and with each coil I knew it was linking us together.

Emotions and thoughts that weren’t my own raced at me.

They came in a blinding light, fol owed by vibrant colors spinning and shifting until I was able to comprehend and make sense of some of it.

This isn’t possible.

This is going to get us both killed.

I gasped for air. Seth’s thoughts slithered around mine and his emotions rol ed and tumbled through the both of us.

Abruptly, it al stopped as a door slammed shut in my mind.

The colors receded, and final y, the blue cord shimmered into a faint glow before disappearing.

“Uh… your tattoos are back.”

Seth blinked as he stared down at where his hand was stil around my arm. “This… can’t be happening.”

“What… did happen? Cuz if you know, I’d real y like to be fil ed in on this.”

He looked up, his eyes glowed in the darkness. The bewildered look faded, replaced by anger. “We’re going to die.”

That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “I— what?”

Whatever he knew final y clicked into place for him. His lips thinned, and then he started walking, dragging me along behind him.

“Wait! Where are we going?”

“They knew! They knew this entire time. Now I understand why Lucian ordered me to Council when they found you.”

My feet slipped in the sand as I stumbled to keep up with him. I lost a sandal in the process, then lost the other one a couple of steps later. Dammit, I liked those sandals. “Seth!

You’re going to have slow down and tel me what’s going on.”

He shot me a dangerous look over his shoulder. “Your pretentious stepfather is going to tel us what is going on.”

I didn’t like to admit it, but I was scared, real y freaking scared. Apollyons can be unstable—dangerous even. No joke. Seth picked up the pace, dragging me behind him. I slipped. My knee caught the hem of my cotton dress, ripping it. With an impatient groan, he hauled me to my feet and continued.

Lightning zipped through the sky as he continued to drag me across the island. It struck a docked boat only a few yards away. The light stunned me, but Seth ignored the mess his anger had created.

“Stop!” I dug my feet into the sand. “The boat’s on fire!

We have to do something!”

Seth whirled around, his eyes luminous. He yanked me against him. “It’s of no concern to us.”

Heavy breaths heaved within my chest. “Seth… you’re scaring me.”

His expression remained hard and fierce, but his grip around my arm loosened a bit. “It’s not me you should be scared of. Come on.”

He pul ed me past the burning boat and up the silent coastline.

Seth turned when he spotted Lucian’s house, taking the wide porch steps two at a time. Clearly, he didn’t care if I could keep up with him or not. He let go then and started banging on the door like the police did on television.

Two fearsome-looking Guards opened the door. The first one spared me only a quick glance before fastening narrowed eyes on Seth.

Seth’s chin came up. “We need to see Lucian now.”

The Guard straightened. “The Minister has retired for the evening. You wil have—”

A brutal burst of wind rushed from behind us. For a second, I couldn’t see past the mess of hair blowing in my face, but when I did, my heart stopped. The near hurricane force gust hit the Guard in the chest, slamming him back and pinning him halfway up the wal of my stepfather’s opulent foyer. The wind quieted, but the Guard remained up against the wal .

Seth stepped in through the door and looked at the other Guard. “Go get Lucian. Now.”

The Guard peeled his eyes off his coworker and hurried off to do Seth’s bidding. I fol owed Seth in, my hands shaking so badly I held them together. “Seth? Seth, what are you doing? You need to stop. Like right now. You can’t do this! Busting into Lucian’s house—”

“Be quiet.”

Retreating to the furthest corner of the foyer, I stared at the Guard. The air crackled with tension and power—the Apol yon kind of power. I pressed against the wal as it crawled over my skin and inched its way deep inside me.

A decent amount of commotion and movement at the top of the stairs drew my attention. Lucian came down the winding staircase, clad in pajama bottoms and a loose shirt. Seeing him like that made me giggle, but it came out kind of short and hysterical.

Lucian noted my semi-petrified position in the corner, and then glanced at the Guard suspended up against the wal . Final y, he gave Seth a strangely calm look. “What is this about?”

“I want to know how long you were going to continue this madness before the both of us were slaughtered in our sleep!”

My mouth dropped open.

Lucian’s voice remained level and cool. “Let the Guard down and I wil tel you everything.”

Seth didn’t look like he wanted to, but he dropped the Guard, and not very gently. The poor man crashed to the floor. “I want to know the truth.”

Lucian nodded. “Why don’t we move into the sitting room? Alexandria looks like she could real y sit down.”

Seth glanced over his shoulder with a frown, as if he’d forgotten about me. I must’ve looked pretty pitiful, because he nodded. I half debated making a run for it, but I doubted I’d get very far. Besides, beyond the fear, I was also curious as hel as to what was going on.

We went into a smal room with glass wal s. I practical y col apsed in the white wicker chair. The Guards fol owed us, but Lucian waved them off. “Please notify Dean Andros that Seth and Alexandria are here. He wil understand.” The Guards hesitated but Lucian assured them with a dismissive nod. When they left, he faced Seth. “Sit?”

“I prefer to stand.”

“Um… there’s a boat on fire outside.” My voice sounded tight and too high. “Someone might want to check it out.”

“It wil be taken care of.” Lucian sat in one of the chairs beside me. “Alexandria, I have not been entirely forthcoming with you.”

A tiny scoff huffed out of me. “Real y.”

He leaned forward, resting his hands against his checkered pajama bottoms. “Three years ago, the oracle told your mother that, on your eighteenth birthday, you would become the Apol yon.”

I laughed out loud. “That. Is. Ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Seth turned to face me. He looked like he wanted to shake me.

“Um… yes!” My eyes widened. “There’s only one of you guys… ” My voice trailed off as I remembered what I’d read in the book Aiden had loaned me. Al at once, I felt hot and cold.

“Before Rachel e left, she confided in Marcus. He didn’t agree with her decisions, but she felt she needed to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” As soon as those words left my mouth, I already knew the answer. Protect me from what’d happened to Solaris. I shook my head. “No. This is just too crazy. The oracle didn’t tel Mom that!”

“You are referencing the other part, the one where she said you wil kil the ones you love? That is not the important part. What is important is you wil become another Apol yon.” He turned to Seth, smiling. “Having Seth here was the best way to discover if what the oracle had said was correct.”

Seth paced the length of the sitting room. “It makes perfect sense. Why I… sensed you the first day. No wonder your mother left here. She probably thought she could somehow hide you among the mortals.” He turned and eyed Lucian. “Why would you want to bring us together?

You know what wil happen.”

“We do not know what wil happen.” Lucian returned his gaze. “There have not been two of you in over four hundred years. Things have changed since then. So have the gods.”

My eyes bounced between them. “Guys… I know what you’re saying, but you’re wrong. There’s no way I’m what he is. There’s no way.”

“Then how do you explain what happened outside?” Seth glared at me.

Taking a deep breath, I ignored him. “It’s not possible.”

“What did happen?” Lucian sounded curious.

Lucian’s eyes danced between us as Seth explained about the blue cord and how, for a few seconds, we’d heard each other’s thoughts.

It was clear he wasn’t surprised.

“It is real y nothing to be concerned about. What you experienced was just a way of recognizing one another.

This is the reason I assigned you here, Seth. We had to see if she was the other half. The possibility—it was too great an opportunity to pass up. I just didn’t expect it to take this long for you two to come together.”

“Is it worth the risk?” Seth frowned. “If the gods didn’t know about her before, they wil soon. You could have just let this be. Is her life nothing to you?”

My stepfather leaned forward, his eyes meeting Seth’s.

“Do you understand what this means? Not just for you, but our kind? Two of you wil change everything, Seth. Yes.

You’re powerful now, but when she turns eighteen your power wil become limitless.”

That seemed to perk Seth’s interest. “But the gods—they won’t al ow that to happen.”

Lucian leaned back. “The gods… have not spoken to us in ages, Seth.”

“What?” Seth and I both shouted. That was some serious stuff right there.

Lucian flicked his wrist in a dismissive manner. “They have removed themselves, and the Council does not believe they wil intervene on anything. Besides, if the gods are curious or concerned, they already know about Alexandria. If the oracle has seen it then the gods already know. They have to be aware of her.”

I didn’t believe Lucian. Not for one second. “They weren’t aware of Solaris!”

Both of them looked at me. A line formed between Lucian’s brows. “How do you know of Solaris?”

“I… I read about her. They kil ed both of the Apol yons.”

Lucian shook his head. “You do not know the whole truth behind that. The other Apol yon attacked the Council and Solaris was obligated to stop him. She did not. That is why they were executed.”

I frowned. The book hadn’t said anything like that.

Seth final y sat. “What do you have to gain from this?”

Lucian’s eyes went wide. “With you two, we can eliminate the daimons without risking so many lives. We could change the rules—the laws surrounding half-bloods, the marriage decrees, the Council. Why, anything could be possible.”

I wanted to punch him in the gut. Lucian didn’t care about halfs.

“What rules of the Council do you wish to see changed?”

Seth watched Lucian’s face.

“These are things best discussed later, Seth.” He waved his hand at me, smiling that weird, icky smile again. “She’s fated to be your other half.”

Seth turned and gave me a long look. “Could be worse, I suppose.”

Okay, that creeped me out. “What do you mean by that?”

“You two are like puzzle pieces. You fit together. Your power wil feed his… and vice versa.” Lucian smiled.

“Real y, it is amazing. You are his other half, Alexandria.

You are fated to be with him. You belong to him.”

It felt like something heavy sat on my chest. “Oh. Oh. No.”

Seth frowned at me. “You don’t have to sound so disgusted.”

The other day I’d felt compel ed to touch him, I’d thought it was just because of what he was, but could it be because of what we were? I shuddered. “Disgusted? It’s… revolting!

Do you hear yourselves?”

Seth sighed. “Now you’re just being insulting.”

I ignored that, ignored him. “I… don’t belong to anyone.”

Lucian met my stare, and I was struck by the intensity.

“But you do.”

“This is insane!”

“When she turns eighteen,” Seth pursed his lips, “the power—her power shifts to me.”

“Yes.” Lucian nodded eagerly. “Once she goes through the palingenesis—the Awakening—at eighteen, al you have to do is touch her.”

“Then… ” He didn’t need to say it. We al knew.

Seth would become a God Kil er.

He turned to Lucian. “Who knows about this?”

“Marcus knows, as does Alexandria’s mother.”

My heart dropped.

Seth glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “It explains why she has come so close to the Covenant when most daimons wouldn’t dare, but why? A half can’t be turned.”

“Why else would a daimon want to get their hands on an Apol yon? Even now, the aether in Alexandria could feed them for months.” Lucian gestured at me. “What do you think wil happen if her mother has her after she goes through the palingenesis?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You think she’s here so I can be like some sort of meal plan for her?”

He glanced up. “Why else would she be here, Alexandria? It is why I was against you being in the Covenant, as was Marcus. It had nothing to do with the time you’ve lost or your previous behavior. There was a chance we could not stop Rachel e by the time you would graduate.

The risk was too great that you would come face to face with her and falter in your duty. I cannot al ow a daimon to get their hands on an Apol yon.”

“But now it’s different?” I asked.

“Yes.” Lucian stood, placing his hands on my shoulders.

“With her so close, we wil be able to find her. You wil never have to face her. This is a good thing, Alexandria.”

“A good thing?” I gave a harsh laugh and shrugged off his hands. “This is al twisted and… sick.”

Seth whipped his head in my direction. “Alex, you can’t just ignore this. Ignore what you are. What we are—”

I threw my hand up between us. “Oh, don’t even go there, buddy. We aren’t anything! We wil never be anything!

Okay?”

He rol ed his eyes, clearly bored with my protests.

I started backing out of the room. “I seriously don’t want to hear about any of this again. I’m just going to pretend this conversation didn’t take place.”

“Alex. Stop.” Seth stepped toward me.

I glared at him. “Don’t fol ow me! I mean it, Seth. I don’t care if you can throw me through the air. If you fol ow me, I’l jump off a freaking bridge and take you with me!”

“Let her go.” Lucian gave an elegant wave of his hand.

“She needs time to… come to grips with this.”

Surprisingly, Seth listened. I left then, slamming the front door behind me. My thoughts bounced around my head in a chaotic mess on the way back to the island. I barely noticed the air was no longer thick with smoke. Someone had taken care of the boat fire. The Guards at the bridge looked bored when they waved me through.

Minutes later, I crossed the campus and the section of sandy beach separating the faculty and guest lodging from the rest of campus. Under no circumstance was I—or any student for that matter—al owed to wander around their housing, but I needed to talk to someone—I needed Aiden.

Aiden could make sense out of this. He would know what to do.

Since most of the little houses were empty for the summer, it was easy to figure out which one was his. Only one of the nearly identical cottages had a light on inside. I stopped in front of the door and hesitated. Coming here—

not only would I get in trouble, but so would Aiden. I couldn’t even begin to wonder what they’d do if I were discovered in a pure-blood’s cabin at this time of night. But I needed him, and that was more important than consequences.

Aiden answered after a few seconds, taking seeing me standing at his door remarkably wel . “What’s wrong?”

It wasn’t late, but he stood there dressed as if he’d been in bed. The low-slung pajama bottoms looked better on him than Lucian. So did the tank top. “I need to talk to you.”

His gaze dropped the length of me. “Where are your shoes? Why are you covered in sand? Alex, talk to me now.

What happened?”

I looked down dumbly—my sandals? They were lost somewhere on the main island, never to be seen again.

Sighing, I pushed the tangled strands of hair back. “I know I shouldn’t be here, but I didn’t know who else to go to.”

Aiden reached out and took hold of my arms in a gentle grasp. Without saying a word, he led me into his cottage.