Sentinel

CHAPTER 18

By Wednesday, I was sure my entire back was an array of violets and blues. I was, literally, one giant walking-and-talking bruise. Aiden and Seth hadn’t fared any better. Last night, when Aiden and I had gone to bed, we’d been too sore and too tired to take off our pants.

Needless to say, Marcus had given up on the separate bedroom thing. Not that there was any point now. Neither of us could do anything even if our body parts touched.

The Army of Awesome was faring a lot better than us. Numbering near a thousand, they were learning basic tactical maneuvers. It was like the videos of boot camp I remembered seeing on TV. If anything, I think Perses was just trying to harden them instead of teaching them any real skills. He was worse than any Covenant Instructor I’d ever seen.

The Titan was a cesspool of insults.

Later that night, after a long soak in some kind of herbal mixture Laadan had provided, I sat on the bed, too tired to make my way back to the common area for food.

Thankfully, Aiden was possibly the most wonderful man in the whole universe. He brought a plate full of chicken tenders and fries to the room.

“Nice shirt,” he commented, nudging the door shut with his toe.

I glanced down at myself, grinning. “Sorry.”

He laughed as he eased down beside me, placing the tray between us. “As I’ve said a hundred times before, I like seeing you in my clothes.”

A flush covered my cheeks. “I was too tired to put pants on.”

Peering up through his lashes, he grinned. “And I’m not going to complain about that.” He picked up a can of soda, popped the tab, and handed it to me. “I lost the battle of wills with Deacon.”

“Uh-oh.”

Deacon wanted to travel with us to New York. He felt, since he’d christened the name of our army, he was some kind of official mascot or something. Of course, Aiden wasn’t happy with that, and I couldn’t blame him. Deacon was safer here. Who knew what we’d meet on the road, and what we’d find in New York once we got there?

“I’ve told him about a million times that I’d feel better with him staying here.” He picked the breading off his tenders, causing me to smile. “But I’m not winning this battle.”

“He’ll probably just sneak out with us, anyway.” I bit half of my tender off, breaded skin and all. “And he’s worried, you know. Not just about you, but Luke, too.”

“I get that.” He tossed the breading onto the plate. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

I watched him meticulously remove more breading and then took a deep breath. “Speaking of not wanting people to get hurt and the whole keeping them safe thing? We need to talk about that.”

He peeked up, his fingers stilling. “Details?”

Finishing off my tender, I took a drink before I continued. “I’m not asking you to stay behind here, because I want you to go with me. And I know you wouldn’t do that anyway.”

Aiden lowered the chicken piece, his head tilting to the side. “Damn straight.”

“But I need you to know that I can’t face Ares with you by my side.” I rushed on, so that the words that were forming on his tongue couldn’t get out. “I know why you want to be there, and I respect that. Hell, I love you for that. But Ares is going to go after you to just get to me.”

He dropped the tender. “Alex, you’re asking the impossible.”

“No, I’m not.” I met his thundercloud-gray stare. “I love you, Aiden. I love you more than anything. And the fact that you want to be there for me is amazing. But I can’t have you there. Ares knows how much you mean to me, and you’ll be a distraction. I hate to say that, but it’s the truth.”

A muscle began to throb in his jaw. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to feel insulted by that.”

“You’re not!” I resisted the urge to throw a piece of chicken in his face. “Look, I get that the idea of me going in there without you—”

“Makes me freaking sick to my stomach?”

“Well, yeah, that, but you have to understand that, because I love you, I don’t want to have to worry about Ares getting hold of you.”

The muscle was really ticking now. “And because I love you, that’s why asking me to let you do this by yourself is insane.”

Striving for patience, I shoved a handful of fries in my mouth before continuing. “I’m not going to be by myself. Seth will be there.”

“Oh, and that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“Not like I haven’t tried to get him to change his mind too.” My eyes narrowed. “But he’s an Apollyon.”

“And I’m a trained Sentinel who can handle myself,” he shot back. “And besides, you think I’ll be safer with the army?”

“If I could have my way, you wouldn’t be there at all, but I’m not asking you to do that. I’ll feel better knowing that you’re not near Ares.” Wiping my hands off, I folded my arms. “And I know, deep down, you understand that.”

Silent, he picked up the tray and stood, placing it on the small desk. He turned to me and scrubbed both of his hands down his face. A wince creased his features as he lowered his arms. “Alex…”

“It’s the same reason why you don’t want Deacon with us, but I’m hoping—I’m praying—you’ll listen to me.” I tucked my legs under me and pulled down the hem of the shirt. “And seriously? You owe me.”

“I do?” He moved toward the bed.

I nodded. “Yeah. The whole soul and Hades thing? I don’t need you possibly dying next week and ending up as Hades’ henchman for eternity.”

“I’m not going to die, but you do realize being with the army isn’t exactly safe.”

Hope sparked in my chest. “But I know you will get through that. I know you will.” I couldn’t believe anything else. Truth was, being a part of that army was dangerous, but being there against Ares was suicidal.

Aiden eased down on the bed beside me. “I don’t like this.”

“You don’t have to like it. Just like I didn’t like the idea of you giving up your soul to Hades. All you have to do is understand it.”

The moment those words left my mouth, I internally patted myself on the shoulder. There were moments when my maturity surprised me.

He shifted onto his back, resting his hands on his flat stomach. His eyes were closed, and thick lashes brushed the tops of his cheeks. The muscle in his jaw thrummed along like a hummingbird, but as I watched him, it slowed down. Aiden took a deep breath, the ticking stopped, and he finally opened his eyes.

They were the softest shade of gray as they locked with mine. “I don’t agree with this. I hate it, Alex, but I get it. If it were the other way around, I wouldn’t want you near him. Hell, I don’t want you near him, but you have to. So, yeah, I’ll stay with the army.”

Relief eased the tense muscles in my shoulders and neck. I leaned over him, kissing his cheek. “Thank you. I know it wasn’t easy for you, so thank you.”

He rolled into his side, resting his head on his curved elbow. Reaching over, he skimmed his hand up my leg, swerving to miss a nasty bruise. “When are you and Seth going to do the whole transfer of power thing?”

“Good question.” Now that I’d worked this one thing out, it was time to figure out the next problem. “He wants to wait until we’re in the Catskills.”

His dark brows knitted. “Why?”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I really don’t know. He said something earlier about the power being hard to handle, so maybe he thinks I’ll crack and, I don’t know, start zapping everyone in sight.”

Aiden laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah, I don’t know, though. My only other option is to hold him down and do it, and I don’t see that going well.”

He arched a brow. “I have no problem with that idea. I’ll gladly hold him down.”

A grin pulled at my lips. “You’re terrible.”

“Just being helpful.”

I kissed his cheek again and then sat back. “I’m going to try to talk to him again. I think we need to do it soon, before we leave for New York.”

“I agree.” His fingers toyed with the hem of the borrowed shirt.

In the quiet moments that followed, I leaned over again and kissed him for a third time. “For good luck,” I whispered. “We’re going to war.”

His lashes fluttered closed. “We are.”

“Did you ever think you’d be in this position?” I placed my hand on his smooth cheek, and he pressed into it. “I never did. Not in a million years,” I admitted.

“Me, neither.” He pressed his hand over mine, holding it there. “I don’t think any of us would have predicted this.”

I bit down on my lip. In that flash of a second, I felt incredibly… young. I wanted Aiden’s reassurance. “And you think it will get better afterward? Go back to normal?”

“I do.” He kissed my palm again. “Let’s talk about less depressing things. Do you still think there’s something up with Seth?”

I laughed. “Is that really a better conversation for you?”

“Maybe.” He grinned a little, and my heart toppled in my chest. “So?”

I started to respond, but there was a knock on the door. By the time I tugged the quilt over my legs, the door swung open and Deacon popped in, not even waiting for an invite.

The mop of blond curls bounced as he jumped to the foot of the bed. “Hi, guys!”

Aiden sat up slowly. “Hi, Deacon. Are you aware that it’s customary to wait until someone answers the door or says ‘come in?’”

“Not like I was interrupting anything. Both of you still have your clothes on.”

I laughed. “He has a point.”

Aiden shot me a “you’re not being helpful” look. “So, what’s up, Deacon?”

“Marcus is looking for you. He’s in the common room, so I figured it would be better if I was the one who checked in on you two, just in case you were naked.” He winked, and I smothered another giggle. “You’re welcome.”

Groaning, Aiden sat up. “Okay. You do have a point.”

“Thought so.” As his brother stood, Deacon dive-bombed the bed, causing me to bounce. He flicked my hand lightly. “Marcus wants to talk about the Council or some boring shit like that. His ladylove wants to talk plans about re-building. Then again, I sort of zoned out for half of the conversation.”

My brows rose. There was an open seat on the Council that had belonged to Aiden’s father. Since Aiden had never taken the seat, it was left open, something that had ticked away at Aiden. He knew that his father would’ve wanted him to follow in his footsteps rather than become a Sentinel.

Aiden ran a hand through his hair. “All right. Well, this should be interesting.”

His brother snorted. “I’ll stay here and keep Alex company.”

“You do that.” Aiden moved around the edge of the bed, swooped down, and kissed my cheek. “I’ll be back in a few.”

I waved him goodbye and watched him leave. Then I glanced at Deacon. My brows rose as his fingers flew over his cell phone. “Whatcha doing?” I asked.

“Just wait.” No more than a few seconds later, the door opened again and Luke and Olivia poked their hands in. Deacon tipped his head back, grinning up at me. “Slumber party?”

I laughed as I waved them in. “Sounds like a great idea.”

Olivia scooted in next to me, while Luke stretched out across the head of the bed. She reached over, grabbing the remote control. “We may be leaving for a few days to fight in a war, but that doesn’t mean we’re too old for a slumber party.”

“So very true.” I took the pillow Luke handed me and snuggled down.

The four of us watched a bad movie well into the night. It was one of the most relaxing moments I’d had in a long time. When they got up to leave, I sat up, holding the pillow to my chest.

“Let’s make a promise,” I said.

Three sets of eyes settled on me. “What?” Olivia asked.

I felt kind of corny about what I was about to say, but oh, what the hell. “After all of this is done and over with, let’s promise to do this at least once a week. No matter what we’re doing or where we are.”

A wide smile spread across Olivia’s face. “That’s a promise I’ll love to make.”

“Same here,” agreed Luke, dropping his arm over Deacon’s shoulders.

Feeling good about making plans to do something normal, I dozed off and didn’t wake up until I felt Aiden sliding into bed behind me. I tipped my head back toward him as he slipped an arm around my waist. “How was everything with Marcus?”

“Okay.” He kissed my cheek and tugged me back against him. “He wants me to take my Council seat once everything is…settled.”

I’d figured as much. “What do you think?”

Aiden was silent for a long time. “There are things that I could do on the Council, things that I could help make right, especially when the Elixir stops working for the rest of the half-bloods. It’s just…”

He didn’t finish. The Council seat was a lot of things to Aiden—more than just responsibility. I turned so I was facing him and cuddled up close, wiggling so that my head was under his. “You don’t have to make a decision now. You have time.”

“You’re right.” His hand slid up my spine and settled there. “We have time.”

After another grueling training session on Friday, I found myself limping into the dean’s office. Our AOA was leaving in the late morning on the following day. There was a lot to be discussed, and I had scored an invite. So did Seth. The only other times we’d been called to the dean’s office in the past was because I’d done something I was about to get in trouble for, and those meetings usually ended in insults being slung back and forth.

Like when I’d threatened to cut Seth with one of Marcus’ daggers.

I had to smile at that memory.

Easing down into an empty chair, I glanced around the room. Marcus was behind the desk, because where else would he be, with Diana alongside him. Aiden and Solos hovered by the desk like two hawks, both wearing intense expressions that told me this was going to be a serious conversation. Even Apollo was there. He’d been hanging around a lot, watching over the training. Right now, he was holding a Newton’s Cradle like he’d never seen one before, his hand hovering over one of the small, silver balls. I looked around again, frowning.

Looking for Perses? Seth glanced at me from where he was leaning against the wall. Last I saw him, he was heading into an empty room with two pure girls.

“What?” I screeched out loud before I could stop myself.

Several sets of eyes landed on me, and Seth smirked. Aiden’s gaze narrowed between the two, and I began to suspect that we were about to have a repeat performance of threatening Seth.

Apollo let go of the silver ball and it swung sideways, knocking into the next ball and creating a chain reaction. A wide smile broke out across his face.

“Did no one ever tell you two that it is not nice to communicate telepathically with one another while others are present?” Marcus said, folding his hands on the desk.

I pursed my lips. “No, actually, no one has said that.”

He smiled tightly. “Well, I am.”

Busted, Seth said.

Gripping the edges of the chair, I stared straight ahead. I hate you. “So, what’s up?”

Other than the fact Perses is getting some instead of being here?

Apollo picked up a silver ball from the other side and let that one go.

Oh my gods…

Marcus’ look turned suspicious as his gaze bounced between Seth and me. “Solos was talking battle strategy with Perses. We figured, since you two play an intricate role in this, it would be smart to bring you in on these meetings.”

Seth strolled forward and dropped down in the seat beside me. “What’s to discuss? From what I understand, it’s fairly simple. The army will attack the front gate while Alex and I sneak in with Perses.”

Perses had discussed his plan with us the previous day between rounds of kicking our butts. Aiden was still taking part in the additional trainings even though he’d agreed to remain with the larger group once we launched our attack against Ares.

Propping his hip against the desk, Solos pointed down at a map of the New York Covenant, a much better map than the one Athena had created. “It’s really not that simple. We have to find a way to sneak you in. I’m sure you remember how well-guarded the Catskills is. Getting past the preliminary fences will be no problem. The wall is another story.”

An insolent smile twisted Seth’s lips. “There was a breach in the east wall. I’ve already told Perses. It’s not a huge hole, but it is large enough for a person to slip through. Unless Ares is interested in masonry work, I doubt it has been repaired.”

“It’s unlikely that Ares would leave the breach unguarded,” Aiden said, his eyes a steely gray. “You won’t just walk in there.”

That smirk on Seth’s face grew. “I wasn’t planning to just walk in there.”

“Okay,” I sighed, interrupting before a battle of wills erupted. “So we will have to scout the wall first. We can—Apollo!”

The god looked up. In his hands, the Newton balls knocked off of each other once more. “What?” he asked.

“What?” I shot him annoyed look. “Seriously. Have you’ve never seen a Newton’s Cradle before? Every time you move the first ball, it’s going to move the rest of the balls.”

“No.” His gaze dipped to the cradle. “Gravity is cool.”

“Oh my gods,” I moaned, slumping in my seat. “My brain hurts.”

Apollo let go of the silver ball once more and then placed the cradle on the edge of Marcus’ desk. “I imagine you’re leaving with the army on Saturday?” he said to Solos. When the half-blood nodded, he glanced at Aiden. “And you will travel with Alex?”

“Do you need to even ask that question?” Aiden replied, placing his hands on the desk and leaning in.

Apollo shrugged.

“I will leave with the army, as well,” Marcus announced, sitting back in the chair.

Diana cleared her throat delicately. “If I may make a suggestion?” My uncle nodded, and she smiled. “I think you are needed here more, Marcus.”

His eyes immediately sharpened into green crystals. “I’m needed in the Catskills.”

“I know you feel that way,” she started again, patiently and understandingly. “You are a Sentinel at heart, Marcus, but there is so much we have to do. More than just fighting.”

“She’s correct,” Apollo said, apparently ready to contribute to the conversation. “Rebuilding is just as important as war, and that process starts long before the war is over.”

Marcus’ jaw tightened. “You are here, Diana, plus other surviving members of the Council.”

“The Council is in ruins, Marcus. We need you here, and we need you alive to help rebuild after all this is said and done,” Diana argued, and I couldn’t but wonder if something deeper drove her conviction. If so, I didn’t blame her. I would cut off my left arm to convince Aiden to remain behind. “We need you here.”

Several agreed, and Marcus stiffened in his chair. “I’m a trained Sentinel. I have assets that will be of—”

“We know that.” It was Aiden who spoke. “But I have to agree with Diana. We have this covered.”

“We do,” Solos confirmed. “Defeating Ares means nothing if we can’t deal with the chaos afterward. And there will be chaos. We have Covenants that are destroyed or heavily damaged, and entire Councils have been wiped out. And we will have half-bloods coming off the Elixir and out of servitude. We will need leadership—strong leadership.”

A proud grin crossed my lips. Marcus would make a great leader. He already was. And I could easily see him taking the role of Head Minister. Marcus might act like he had a stick shoved in a very unmentionable place half the time, but he’d be righteous and fair. Strict, but he would always do the right thing by pures and halfs.

Our eyes met, and I don’t know what he saw in my expression, or if my smile had anything to do with what he did next, but I like to think it did.

Marcus rubbed a hand across his brow, sighing heavily. “I want to be there, but…you’re right. I need to stay here.”

“Well, now that’s settled, I think I’m going to find something soft to lie on.” Seth popped up from his chair, his movements not nearly as fluid as normal. He glanced at me, and a mischievous glint filled his amber eyes. “Want to join me?”

I rolled my eyes.

Annoyance flashed into Aiden’s eyes, turning their hue into a stormy gray as he pushed off the desk and straightened. “Very amusing.”

Seth winked as he backed away. “Hey, just being gentlemanly.”

“Go somewhere else, then,” Aiden replied.

Chuckling, Seth dipped out the door as I shook my head. While Seth and I had been more than friends at one point and our feelings for one another did run deep, I was a hundred percent certain that Seth was just trying to cause Aiden to stroke out.

Once Seth exited, the conversation moved back to the Council, and my interest also exited. Pushing up for the chair, I limped out of the office after telling them I was heading back to my room. I foresaw another herbal bath in my future. I had two more training sessions with Perses, and while each of us was getting better, none of us had taken him down.

Yet.

One of us had to take him down before we left for the Catskills.

I’d made it halfway down the stairs before Apollo poofed in front of me, startling me. I jerked to the side and lost my balance. Teetering on the edge of the step, visions of bones crunching rang in my head. He caught my arm, stopping my fall.

“Gods,” I gasped, grasping the handrail with my free hand. “Is it necessary to do that?”

“You’re okay.” He dropped my arm. “We need to talk.”

I leaned against the railing, eyeing him wryly. “What? You got bored with the Newton’s Cradle?”

His lips tipped up at the corners. “Why haven’t you transferred the power from Seth yet?”

“He wants to wait until we get to the Catskills.” I paused as his eyes narrowed. “Look, I’m going to try to get him to do it before we leave, but—”

“Seth doesn’t want to do it, and I bet it’s because he’s not sure he can let you do it.” Apollo cursed, and unease blossomed deep in my belly. “This could be a potential problem.”

The unease gave way to irritation. It pricked at my skin and poked holes in my insides. “You know, I love how you just pop in and out whenever you want to and offer little to no answers. Nothing really helpful either, but boy oh boy, there may be a problem!”

Apollo’s expression slipped into a scowl, but I was on a roll. No stopping me now. “You know, all of this is bullshit. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, Ares is your problem. He’s the gods’ problem.” His mouth opened, but I kept on going. “And don’t you dare say it’s Seth’s problem! Ares created this mess ages ago when he started this crap with Solaris and the First. But you guys didn’t really do anything then, did you? You sent the Order in to kill them instead of getting to the bottom of what was happening.”

“Alex—”

“And now it’s happening again. We are going to war for you—for the gods. People will die. My friends and the people I love could die! I could die!” My voice cracked, and I took a step down. My throat felt like it was on fire. “I haven’t forgotten that, Apollo. I know I could die in the end.”

He clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “I promise you, Alex, that no matter what happens, I’ll take care of you. I told you that, and I always keep my promises.”

A knot in my throat made it difficult to speak. The probability of my inevitable death at the hands of those who needed my help wasn’t something I’d forgotten about. In reality, it was just something I couldn’t fixate on. Since the hellboy twins had been exorcised from me, I had refused to dwell on it, and the reason why descended in startling clarity in that moment. In the end, no matter what Apollo wanted, he would not disobey the other Olympians. Doing so would further split them, and it could become disastrous.

Blinking back tears, I looked away, working my throat until I was sure that, when I opened my mouth, it wasn’t a sob. “I don’t want to die.”

“I know,” Apollo said, and his voice was surprisingly gentle. “I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen. I haven’t let you down yet, have I?”

My gaze crawled over the gray cement walls, finally settling on his. Had he? He’d skirted the truth and divulged information only when he felt like it, but had he let me down? I didn’t answer the question. “The gods should be fighting. You know that, Apollo. They should be a part of this.”

Seconds passed. “You’re right.”

Wow. I was stunned into silence. Next thing I’d knew, Aiden and Seth would start to make out and profess their undying love for one another. “I’m right?”

“You are. They do need to be involved. They need to fight.”

It took me a couple of moments to remember how to use my tongue. Hope kindled in my chest like a fledging, delicate fire. If the gods would fight, then the losses on our side would be less. “And you can make this happen?”

Apollo lowered his chin. “I will do everything I can to get them involved.”

“You should. This is their fight.”

“This is everyone’s fight,” he corrected. “Because it’s everyone’s future.”