Sentinel

CHAPTER 7

There were no sirens, and I knew there’d be none. Seth was too cool for that.

“Alex, hold up.” Aiden grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop just outside the Council building. Marcus was behind him, as was Val. “What are you doing? You just left in the middle of your speech.”

“He’s here. I know he is. I can feel him.” Seth wasn’t talking to me, but I could feel him in every cell. The cord was buzzing along happily, in a way it only did when he was near. “Tell Val to make sure everyone is safe, but I have to go.”

“Something is happening at the gate,” Val said, placing his hand over an earpiece. “I can’t get a definite response from them, but something’s going on.”

“You don’t have to go.” Aiden’s eyes turned a thunderous shade of gray. “We need to take a minute—”

“And what? Give him more time? No.”

“He’s right.” Marcus stood at our shoulders. “What is our plan? Go out there and shake Seth’s hand?”

My eyes narrowed on my uncle. “Actually, my plan was more to stab him in the eyeball and then decide what to do.”

Marcus’s jaw locked down. “I think you’re missing the point. If he transfers your power or gains control over you, it is all over. We must think about this.”

“He can’t get control over me.” My eyes flicked to Aiden’s, and I willed him to understand what I didn’t even really understand myself. I didn’t want to face Seth, but I had to see him. I had to know that my instincts were right, that he was here and I wasn’t going crazy. “We are so beyond that phase.”

Aiden shook his head. “There have been no sirens, and Val can’t get the Guards at the gate to respond. Think about that. We could be walking into a trap. You could be walking into a trap.”

Seth could keep dozens of Guards quiet with a compulsion. That fact didn’t change anything. I pulled my arm free, done with this conversation. Spinning around, I cut through the campus, heading for the gates. I didn’t even look to see if Val was doing anything. Each step made the cord tighten. My skin felt stretched to the point of ripping by the time I passed the courtyard and inhaled the sweet scent of peonies.

“I swear to the gods, Alex, I will pick you up and throw you over my shoulder. You cannot go out there. Think for a second.” Aiden was right by my side, head down low and his voice a low warning. “Remember what we talked about last night. If you’re—”

“I remember,” I shot back, picking up my pace. “And that has nothing to do with this.”

“That has everything to do with this!”

I blinked, sort of stunned that he would yell at me, but how could I be surprised? Aiden would do anything to keep me—and the baby, if there was one—safe, but if Seth was here, there was no hiding. Nothing was safe.

Marcus appeared on my other side. “What did you two talk about last night? And yes, I know this isn’t the appropriate moment for this discussion, but you two really need to find separate beds so there aren’t any ‘late night’ chats.”

I almost laughed, because wow, if only he knew how late in the game that advice was. “This isn’t the right time for that talk. Trust me.”

“That I don’t find reassuring.” Marcus thrust a hand through his wind-tossed brown hair, his bright green eyes narrowed. “Alexandria, please listen to us. This isn’t safe or smart. We have to think about this.”

Aiden stepped in front of me, forcing me to skid to a stop. His hands landed on my shoulders. “You’re starting to scare me. Okay?” His cupped my cheeks gently, forcing my eyes to his. “You’re not ready for this—ready for him.”

Alex?

I sucked in a sharp breath as I pulled away. Aiden’s fingers trailed off my cheeks. The cord coiled tightly, straining inside me, and then expanded, yearning for its other half at the sound of Seth’s voice. He came right through the shields. Was it because he was so close? Or was I truly unprepared because this was the first time that we had been near each other since I’d Awakened?

My gaze shifted beyond Aiden to the walls in the distance. Seth?

There was a pause, and then the cord snapped inside me. We need to talk.

I don’t know what it was about those four words that set me off, but rage poured into me, so potent and so quick that I almost screamed in fury. “We need to talk.” That, after everything, was what he had to say? I wanted to drop-kick that question into his face.

I took off, my boots digging into the loose dirt. Aiden shouted, and I heard him coming after me, but I was fast when I wanted to be, faster than him. I flew past the last of the statues and almost ran into a pack of Guards crowding the entrance to the wall. They didn’t move, didn’t speak.

They were enthralled.

“Move,” I shouted, shouldering the Guards aside. “Get out—” The words died on my lips. I came to a complete standstill, but it felt like the ground was moving under my feet. “Oh my gods…”

He stood a foot away from the closed gates, separated from me by iron and titanium. His hair was longer than it had been when he’d come back from the Catskills, falling over his forehead in a mess of blond waves. He was dressed as a Sentinel; all the black was a contrast against his golden skin. His impossibly perfect features were devoid of the typical, ever-present smirk, but the inky black marks of the Apollyon glided across his skin, and his iridescent amber eyes were fixed on mine.

Seth was beautiful. It was like the gods themselves had pieced him together, and in a way, they had. There’d always been a lack of humanity in his beauty, the whole time I’d known him. As I stared at him now, seeing him for the first time in months, there was something brimming in his eyes and etched into his features that had never been there before.

It made me uneasy in my own skin.

Movement behind him drew my attention. Luke stepped forward as if in a daze. He didn’t even blink as he unlocked the gate. Hinges groaned, and then the heavy gate swung open. It was just Luke with Seth, but I knew there were others. Every instinct in my body told me an army waited over the crest, just waiting for the signal to attack us.

Seth stepped forward, his eyes only leaving mine to take in my altered appearance. That emotion strengthened in his eyes and face, and I refused to believe what I was seeing. In that moment, I wanted to kill him and I wanted to touch him. Weird, but I figured it had something to do with what we were.

“Alex,” he spoke out loud, shattering the trance.

The very thought of him made my skin crawl. I wanted to find a wool brush and scrub all the memories of him out of my head. I hated him for what he’d become, for what he’d allowed, and I hated him for the fact that a part of me still loved him, because he was a part of me—a part that had turned on me like a venomous pet snake.

Aiden skidded to a stop beside me, breathing raggedly. He was talking, but I wasn’t hearing him or my uncle shouting at the immobile Guards.

My brain clicked off—never a good thing for me and definitely not a good thing for Seth. I shot forward, sidestepping Aiden who tried to get between us as I drew my Glock.

“Make one move I don’t like, and I’ll put a bullet right between your eyes.” My hand didn’t shake. Whatever fear lived inside me was vanquished by the growing, nearly out-of-control rage. “I know it won’t kill you, but I sure as hell know it will hurt.”

Emotion flashed in Seth’s eyes. It wasn’t surprise. More like a lick of pain or regret, but then again, I was probably giving the douchebag more credit than he deserved. He slowly lifted his hands.

“Release them from their compulsion,” I ordered, my finger steady on the trigger. “Now.”

His amber gaze shifted to where Luke stood motionless with the Guards. He didn’t say anything, but I felt the ripple of power brush over my skin like a smooth caress.

“What the…?” Luke stumbled back a step, placing his hands on the sides of his head. He looked up, saw who was standing there, and sucked in a breath. “Holy shit.”

Seth’s stare swung back to meet mine. The tension in the air increased as the others came out of their compulsion and, for the first time in their lives, saw two Apollyons together. “We need to talk,” he said again.

My head cocked to the side. I hadn’t forgotten the musical lilt of his voice, but hearing it in person was nothing like the voice that came through our whacked-out connection. The cord hummed along, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden moving around to Seth’s back, leveling his own gun on the First. I knew that, if Seth took one step toward me, Aiden would pull the trigger.

And I also knew Seth could disarm us both before either of us blinked.

“There’s nothing you could possibly say that I want to hear.” I took a breath, forcing myself not to pull the trigger for the fun of seeing him go splat. “And if you think you’re going to be able to convince me to side with you after what Ares did, you can go screw yourself.”

“That’s not why I’m here.”

“Bullshit.”

His head tilted to the side, a near mirror image of what I had done. Again, his stunning amber gaze traveled over my face. He shook his head, and then he dropped onto his knees and closed his eyes.

Okay. Sure wasn’t expecting that.

I opened my mouth, but there were no words. Glancing at Aiden, I saw he looked as dumbfounded as I felt. A keen wariness kept me from lowering my gun. Seth could be a tricky little devil, but this? I didn’t know.

Seth’s arms fell to his sides. He didn’t speak out loud. You’re right. This won’t kill me, but I deserve it. So do it.

So stunned by what he said, I spoke out loud. “What?”

Do it. A breath shuddered from his body. If it wipes out the memory of what Ares did to you, then do it. Do it!

Taken aback, I stared down at him. You felt everything, right? Everything that he did to me?

Seth’s eyes fluttered open, and I didn’t want to believe what I saw in them. Regret was too late for both of us. “Everything,” he said out loud, voice hoarse.

“What’s he talking about?” Aiden demanded.

I shook my head as my stomach plummeted. You know how I felt? What I wanted?

He squeezed his eyes shut. Yes.

And you want me to take those memories from you? You really think a bullet will do that? Fuck that. I lowered the gun, hand shaking. Violent anger rushed to the surface. I can’t get rid of those memories, so neither can you. “Fuck you.”

On guard, Aiden shifted behind Seth. “Come on, Alex, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I never meant for any of this to happen,” Seth said before I could answer. His eyes were open again, and there was no denying the pain in them. And there were only two things that waited behind that kind of sharp-edged hurt: anger and the truth. “I would never be okay with what happened. I didn’t know he was going to do that to you.”

“Is he talking about Ares?” A misleading, deadly calmness entered Aiden’s voice as he stepped forward, the muzzle of his gun coming awfully close to the back of Seth’s head. “That he didn’t know what Ares was going to do?”

Seth turned his head to the side, looking over his shoulder. “I know it doesn’t change anything or make it right, but I didn’t know, and I would never be okay with anyone hurting Alex.”

“You hurt Alex, you son of a bitch.” Adangerous glint filled his gray eyes.

The First bit down on his lower lip as his lashes lowered. “Well, you have a good point there, Saint Delphi, but I love her—”

“Don’t shoot him!” I warned Aiden, catching how Aiden’s finger spasmed on the trigger. “Whatever you do, don’t shoot him.”

A muscle popped in Aiden’s jaw. “I can’t make any promises.”

A weak, barely-there smirk appeared on Seth’s lips.

“Don’t,” I said, slipping my gun into its holster, unwilling to take my eyes off Seth. Shock rippled through me. “Other than trying to piss you off, he’s not trying to trick us.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. “How can you be so sure?”

How could I be? It was something I just knew. “Seth wouldn’t bow to anyone unless…” I couldn’t even finish, because Seth turned back to me and our eyes met again.

I’m so sorry, he said, and although it wasn’t out loud, the apology rocked me to my core. Seth never apologized. That wasn’t his thing. I’m so, so sorry.

Blood drained from my face, and then quickly returned, spreading along my cheeks. “He’s not trying to trick us.”

Aiden stared. “Alex—”

“He’s not. I…I just know.” My hands suddenly felt weak. “Why are you here, Seth? You know we can’t trust you. And you can’t be near me.” Even now, the cord stretched tight between us, drawing me to him like a moth to an Olympus-made bug zapper. Part of me yearned to get closer to him in spite of whatever common sense said, how I felt about him, and about a dozen other things.

“I know you won’t take my word or hear me out. You don’t have any reason to. That’s why I brought you something.”

My stomach roiled, because the last time he brought me a gift, it had been an obliterated Head Minister Telly. “You brought me something? You bring me some bat-shit crazy stuff, Seth.”

“You’re going to love this.” A little bit of his dark humor crept into his glowing eyes, but it quickly dulled. “Can I stand since you’re not going to shoot me?”

“Like I said, I’m not making any promises,” Aiden replied, his lips tipping up grimly.

Seth’s chest rose. “I wasn’t asking you.”

“And I’m the one with a gun still pointed at the back of your head.”

“Well, then,” Seth murmured.

I sighed. Even though I didn’t believe Seth was trying to trick us, I didn’t fully trust him. And when he said I would love something, I would rather spin-kick myself in the face than see what he had up his sleeve. “Stand very slowly.”

Seth rose to his feet fluidly, keeping his hands raised at his sides. Daggers and a Glock hung from his waist and thighs. I caught Marcus’ eye, and while I’d prefer someone else but him get closer to Seth, he nodded. He moved forward quickly, removing the visible weapons, and it was clear Seth allowed him to. We couldn’t do anything about his deadliest weapons—the control of the elements and akasha.

“What, Seth?” I asked.

He tilted his head back to the gate. “Give them a second.”

“There’s movement outside the gates—Sentinels.” A Guard gripped the handle of his gun. He took a step forward, held tilting to the side. “There’s a Minister with them.”

“What?” My gaze darted back to Seth. “Who is it, Seth?”

His gaze locked with mine. “The one person you want to see dead more than me.”

I held his stare. “Let them in, but be ready for a Trojan Horse.”

Seth gave a little grin as he turned his gaze to the gate. Aiden kept his eyes trained on him, and I was sure if baby Apollo walked through that gate and shook his baby butt, he wouldn’t look.

My heart pounded as the first Sentinel came through the gates, followed by another. They exchanged wary stares with the Sentinels on our side as they stepped aside, revealing who stood between them.

“Holy crap on a cracker,” I whispered.

Between the two Sentinels stood a completely out-of-it Lucian—my stepfather and the pure-blood responsible for Seth turning on the Council. I did hate that man more than I hated Seth. He’d used Seth’s need for a family, for acceptance, against him, twisting it into some kind of sick familial bond. Lucian had never been a fan of mine, not since he’d married my mother, and one of the few reasons he’d paid any attention to me was because I was the second Apollyon. As long as he controlled Seth, I could give him what he wanted—absolute power.

His long, dark hair looked oily and unkempt, and those obsidian-colored eyes were glazed. He was definitely under a compulsion, but that didn’t explain why he was here. I took a step to the side, my fingers hovering over the handle on my gun. “What is this?”

“He knew,” Seth said simply.

My head jerked toward him.

He knew, he repeated, taking our conversation private. We were at the Catskills, and I knew…I knew that Ares had left, but I didn’t know that he’d gone for you. He didn’t tell me that. He promised that you would never be hurt in any of this and…so did Lucian. I believed them. I completely believed them.

I started to feel like I was going to hurl. I didn’t want to hear any of this, but I had to.

But then I connected to you, and I knew something was happening. You were in so much…. Seth trailed off, his eyes drifting shut. His face tensed. I went to Lucian, and I told him what I’d felt on your end. I told him how bad it was and how I hadn’t agreed to this and never would. That I couldn’t be okay with what Ares had done, and Lucian, he knew. He knew why Ares had left. He knew what Ares would do if you didn’t submit.

My gaze shifted to my stepfather. He stared back at me blankly. I didn’t know what to feel as Seth continued, or maybe I was feeling too much. This man may’ve loathed the ground I walked on, as I was a constant reminder of my mother’s only true love, but to know what Ares planned to do and be okay with it? Had he not felt even a sliver of compassion for me? Nothing?

You need to be broken. Lucian had said that to me once before. Well, if he agreed with what Ares had done, he had succeeded. I had been broken.

Lucian laughed. Seth’s voice twisted up my insides. He laughed, and in that moment, I couldn’t do this any longer. When Ares returned, I told him I was going to find you and transfer your power to me. That you’d be weak enough for it to work, and that I was bringing Lucian to talk to those who were here and sway them to our side. Ares believed me. Seth laughed out loud, the sound as dry and shattered as broken twigs. “I’m a lot like him.”

“Ares?” I whispered, aware that everyone who had cognitive control was staring at us.

He gave a curt nod. “I get my…blinding arrogance from him. He wouldn’t dare think that I’d disobey him. Well, he will soon, very soon. I doubt he’ll be happy.”

“Wait,” Marcus said, stepping forward. “You two need to stop with the covert conversations. What the hell is going on?”

Seth ignored him and took a step toward me. He didn’t make it very far before Aiden’s gun pressed against the back of his head. “One more step,” Aiden warned, eyes flashing. “And we’ll find out how an Apollyon survives a head wound.”

“You have no idea how badly I want to find that out myself,” Seth replied, one side of his lips curling up. “Did I tell you about the time I slept—”

“Seth,” I snapped, drawing his attention back to me. “Can you take Lucian out of the compulsion, or did you fry his brain?”

“I didn’t fry him.” His eyes met mine again. “I figured I’d leave that to you.”

I didn’t need to ask Seth to release Lucian, because a second later, Lucian stumbled forward, dragging in air as if he’d been underwater. His dark eyes cleared as his gaze took in his surroundings.

“What is going on?” he demanded, pulling himself away from the two Sentinels. His hands pressed into his chest. “Seth?”

“How many Sentinels do you have with you?” I asked Seth, staring at my stepfather.

“Hundreds,” he replied, his voice weary. “An army of them, all loyal to me.”

Lucian’s head swung toward Seth. “What? Yours? Seth, what are you doing?”

“And he laughed?” Tears filled my eyes, but they did not fall. The hurt inside me twisted into something ugly and violent.

“Yes,” came Seth’s reply.

There was always a chance Seth was playing me, but I had no doubt in my mind that what he had said about Lucian was true. My stepfather had known what Ares was going to do. And he had laughed. To me, there was nothing more evil than that. Seth wasn’t a completely innocent bystander. He’d made his own decisions, but Lucian had aided that process. He’d led Seth down that road. Maybe he hadn’t held his hand, but who knew where all of us would be if Lucian hadn’t had friends in higher places and hadn’t used Seth the way he did.

I didn’t feel calm, but there was an acceptance that slipped into my bones, mixing with the coldness inside of me. The only thing that was warm as I stared at my stepfather was the cord connecting me to the First.

In my head there were two outcomes. Being the bigger person was one. Revenge was the other. Two options, and that cold voice inside me told me there really wasn’t any choice between the two.

Aiden shifted warily. “Alex, what’s going on?”

Moving lightning-fast, I drew the Glock and fired one round.

Lucian didn’t make a sound.

Falling over backward, he landed in a motionless heap—his black eyes fixed sightlessly on the cloudless sky and his dark hair spilling out around him like an inky puddle of blood—with one small, titanium-laced bullet hole in his forehead.

Grandma Piperi had said I’d kill the ones I love. She’d been right and wrong in this case. I did kill Lucian, but I’d never loved him. I would’ve, maybe at one point in my life, if he hadn’t treated me like the antichrist or, later on, an object.

Aiden swore under his breath, but he kept his gun leveled on Seth.

“Gods.” Marcus exhaled hard as he stared at the Minister. “Alexandria…?”

I stepped back, legs shaking. “That takes care of one problem, doesn’t it?”

My uncle shook his head slowly, and in those deep, forest-green eyes, there was fear. I couldn’t bring myself to be that affected by it.

Seth stared at me, almost like he hadn’t really believed I’d do what I did. I don’t know what he thought I would do. Pat Lucian on the head? Smack him, and have that be all? But that tortured tautness to Seth’s expression deepened until I felt stronger stirrings of unease.

“Alex,” Seth whispered, and that single word was heavy and sad.

Had I done the wrong thing?

It was a little too late now to be questioning that, I supposed.

The gun was still hot in my hand as I slipped it back into the holster. I turned to Seth. “I still don’t completely trust you.”

“I didn’t think you would.” The glyphs seeped into his skin, disappearing. “So what do we do now?”

Aiden snapped forward, cracking the butt of the pistol off the back of Seth’s head with enough force to kill a mortal. Seth slumped over. Apollyon or not, that was going to take him out for a couple of hours. Aiden met my wide eyes. “I’m not taking any chances, either.”