Текст книги "Apollyon"

Автор книги: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

CHAPTER 6

The moment sunlight touched my skin, I faltered a step. It felt like years had passed since I had felt the warmth of natural light. My senses came alive. Grass was cold under my feet, and damp. Thick, tall elms blurred as I darted across a small dirt driveway, around a Hummer, and into the heavy woods surrounding the cabin.

Legs and arms pumping, I kept running. My hair streamed out behind me, and I pushed hard, paying attention, looking for any sign of where I was. There was nothing.

A seedling of panic took root. I hurdled a fallen tree, my feet skidding over sharp pine needles. How was I supposed to tell my Seth where I was when I had nothing but freaking trees—

“Alex! Stop!”

My breath hitched and I dared a look back.

It was him—Aiden.

“Crap,” I spat, picking up speed.

Up ahead, there was a creek– thecreek. I remembered that. Thousands of years of Apollyons and their abilities rushed through me. Tapping into that ability was so easy, like slipping into well-worn jeans, which was irritating considering the heinous training I’d gone through in preparation of Awakening, and of course, my Seth would have known that. Punk.

Extending one arm, I summoned the water, willing it to respond to me.

Water stirred, and then a stream jetted into the air, arcing high above me. The wall of water kept coming, draining the shallow creek within seconds. It spun into a funnel, slamming into the earth behind me. A curse was drowned out. That should’ve bought me some time.

Racing over the creek bed, mud splattered my feet and jeans. Low-hanging branches tore at my hair, snagging strands and my shirt. Cloth ripped, but I kept going. Sunlight peeked through the thick branches as I headed deeper into the forest, away from the cabin… away from him.

Without warning, the bond snapped alive. Alex?

I’m out. I leapt off a boulder over a small gulley and landed in a crouch. Springing up, I took off. I don’t know where I’m at, but I’m out. Seth, I’m—

I could hear Aiden. He was close and fast, powered by something stronger than aether and I knew, even as fast as I was, I wouldn’t have been able to outrun him this long if a wall of water hadn’t stopped him. I’d have to fight. But I wouldn’t be alone. My Seth was here.

Skidding to a stop, I turned. Wind blew my hair back as I dragged in fresh, mountain air. Aiden cleared the small gulley, landing in a nimble crouch several feet away from me. Water streamed from the dark waves plastered to his head, and his black shirt clung to the hard muscles of his chest and stomach. Under the thin, soaked material, his shoulders tensed.

Our eyes locked.

He rose gracefully, hands open at his sides.

“You don’t want to do this,” I warned. “Turn away.”

Aiden came forward. “I’m not going to leave you. I’ll never do that.”

There was a flutter in my chest that didn’t belong there. I took a step back, feeling heat radiating from my fingers.

My Seth’s voice hummed through the bond and I knew what he wanted me to do, therefore I understood why I had to do this.

I took a shallow breath and raised my chin. “Then it’s your funeral.”

“So be it.”

I launched myself at Aiden.

He was prepared for it. He darted to the left, avoiding my attack. He was fast and also very skilled. I knew, because he had trained me, but I was better than him. I was something else.

Moving lightning-fast, I dipped and went for his legs. Aiden jumped, and I shot up, slamming my fist into his stomach. He stumbled back a step, but quickly regained his footing. My next punch was deflected. The third one caught him in thejaw, snapping his head back.

Sunlight reflected off the daggers attached to his thighs, and I went for them.

Aiden spun to the left at the last second, and my fingers only grasped the handle of one. He took a hold of my wrist, twisting only enough that I yelped and let go. My head jerked up at the surprise burst of pain, and it reflected in his gunmetal gray eyes. For some reason, I hadn’t expected him to hurt me. I guess… I didn’t know what I thought.

He pushed me back and as if he could read my thoughts, he said, “I don’t want to.”

Fury blasted through me like a rocket. “You can’thurt me.”

Aiden jerked out of the way as I shot forward. I whirled, delivering a spin kick to the kidneys. I moved to deliver another, but Aiden caught my leg and tossed me back. I hit the ground and popped up, throwing my head back.

Energy slammed into me. Akasha simmered beneath the surface, waiting to be called upon, demanding it.

I flew at Aiden and we went at it—brutally. Mostly on my end, because Aiden was more about the defensive instead of the offensive, but bruises were traded, one after another.

Memories of training together surfaced. I wasn’t sure if that was a benefit to either of us, because we anticipated each other’s moves and neither of us could gain the upper hand. I dropped and he’d be there to deflect. He moved for a submission hold and I escaped before he could lock me down. Blow for blow we went, and in the back of my head, I knew I could’ve called upon the elements, but I didn’t. Maybe it was all the pent-up rage from being caged for so long, and I needed the physicality of fighting. Maybe it was something else.

Blood trickled from Aiden’s lip. A red mark bloomed across his jaw. His shirt was torn along the midsection, exposing a row of taut abs, but he didn’t show any signs of slowing down.

Frustrated, I pushed off the tree, gained some air and twisted, realizing my mistake an instant after it was too late. As I spun, Aiden stepped into it, catching me around the waist and spinning me around. In training, I’d never been able to get past him this way. I should’ve known better.

I tipped my weight forward and we both went down on our knees. I tasted blood, but Aiden hadn’t hit me. Not once. But my face had connected with his more than a few times.

“Give up,” I growled, throwing my head back.

His arms tightened around me. “You should know by now I’m not going to give up on you. You’re not that stupid.”

“Can’t say the same thing about you.” I spread my thighs and gathered my strength. “You can’t win.”

His breath danced over my check. “You want to bet on that?”

I ground my teeth. “You can’t have me. I’m not—”

“You’re not his, Alex. You don’t belong to anyone but yourself!”

He was wrong, so wrong. I belonged to my Seth. I was created for him, only him, and Aiden was in the way.

Rocking forward, I put enough space between us and powered to my feet, breaking his hold. Throwing my arm back, I caught him across the cheek with a closed fist. The impact bruised my knuckles.

Aiden went down on one knee and spat out a mouthful of blood. “ Gods.”

Spinning around, I started running, ignoring the sharp pebbles digging into the soles of my feet.

I made it about five feet before I was tackled from behind.

Aiden pulled me up so that my back was pinned to his chest. “Leaving so quick? When the fun is just getting started?”

“I hate you!” I struggled wildly, trying to dig into the ground. Loose dirt kicked up as I thrashed, becoming more like an animal caught in a net. Hours of training slipped away. “I hate you!”

“You can hate me all you want, but it doesn’t change a thing.” He made it to his feet and started dragging me backward, and I knew he’d drag me all the way back to the cabin, to the cage. “I’m not going to let you do this to yourself.”

I wiggled and threw myself side to side, but we were back to the cluster of trees within seconds. “You can’t stop me! You can’t do this!”

“You don’t understand, Alex. You can’t be out here.”

I elbowed him.

He grunted but didn’t let go. “They’ll kill you. Do you understand?” He shook me. “They’ll come to kill you!”

“I don’t care!” I screamed myself hoarse. “I need to go. I need to be with him.”

Aiden sucked in a sharp breath and his grip loosened a fraction.

Using my core, I pulled my legs up and the combined effort toppled us over. Aiden hit the ground first and rolled before I could break free, shoving his hands into my back, forcing me down. I got a mouthful of mud and grass.

“Stop it!” he hissed in my ear. “This isn’t going to work, Alex. You may not care about dying, but I care enough for you.”

“I don’t care! All that matters is Seth. If I can’t be with him, then I’d rather be dead.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” His hands pressed into my shoulders. “You’d rather die than not be with him? Do you know how weak that is? The Alex I know would never feel something like that!”

What he said reached deep and broke somethinginside me. Enraged, I planted my hands in the rich soil and felt the earth tremble. A great roar started below, and the ground buckled under us, rolling like stormy seas. We were thrown apart. I smacked into a tree and hit the ground on my hands and knees.

Lightning pierced the sky, blinding me for an instant. Clouds rolled in, blocking the sun, and darkness fell. The skies opened and a torrential downpour pounded us.

I didn’t know if it was me or something else. I was beyond caring. A giant ball of messy emotion settled in my stomach, unraveling with dizzying speeds. Anger. Frustration. Fear. All of it rushed me.

Air whipped under me and I rose off the ground. Static charged. Sparks flew. The world was colored in amber tones. I wasn’t me. I wasn’t anything anymore.

Aiden stood a few feet away, his silvery eyes fixed on me. A look of horror and awe marked his striking features.

I was a god, like Seth had said. We were gods.

Do it. Seth’s whisper penetrated my blood. It’s time.

My feet touched the ground and I took a step forward—one, and then another. And Aiden didn’t move. He waited. It was in those eyes of his, the finality of this. He wouldn’t win, he couldn’t and he knew it. Aiden accepted it.

As I reached him, the rain stopped and the clouds parted. The sun followed my footsteps.

“Alex.” Aiden’s voice was broken.

Like a cobra striking, I took Aiden’s legs out from under him and he was on his back before another breath could be taken. Straddling him, I placed my hands on his shoulders. The marks of the Apollyon glowed a vibrant blue and raced over my skin.

I leaned in, placing my lips above his, and the words that came out of my mouth were mine… but weren’t. “All moments end, St. Delphi. And now yours has.” I pressed my lips to the corner of his and he flinched. “You are weak because you love.”

Aiden stared up at me, unblinking. “To love is not weak. Love is the strongest thing there is.”

My lips curved into a smile. Idiot.

Akasha raced to the surface. My skin was on fire, Iwas on fire. Bright blue light formed over my right arm, circling it as it climbed down to my fingers. Light flared, intense and beautiful as it was destructive.

Sunlight fell over us, and I reared back. Akasha covered my right hand. When I let it go, it would snuff out the life of everything in its path. There was death in that beauty. And Aiden made no move to defend his life.

His eyes fixed on mine and he reached up slowly. The tips of his fingers, calloused over from years of training and fighting, grazed my cheek tenderly. “I love you, Alex. I always will.”

I blinked. My heart stuttered. I couldn’t wrap my head around how he could say that, touch meso… so lovingly, seconds from death.

Do it, Alex, and then we can be together. We’ll free the halfs—your father. We’ll change the world. You and me, Angel, we’ll be together always.

My gaze fell between us. The rose necklace had slipped out, exposed by the torn collar of my shirt. A ray of light caught the deep-red crystal edges of the rose in bloom—such a delicate thing, crafted by the hands of a true warrior.

Air left my lungs and my arm started to shake.

We’re in this together, Alex, to the end. Those words weren’t Seth’s, but this wasthe end. My eyes burned like it was raining acid, but the skies were clear. I was seconds from freedom… but so much, so many memories started flipping through my head.

I couldn’t stop staring at the rose.

Images of the first time I’d seen Aiden while I’d been training with Caleb, then again when he’d come through the wall of fire and saved me—saved my life. Memories of his patience, his support, even his frustration with me.

Seth called to me, but I swatted him away. These memories were important. They meant something—everything—to me, right? There hadn’t been any feelings attached to them before, but now they were soaked in emotion. I focused on them, remembering how he’d cared for me after Gatlinburg, how he’d been there for me when I broke down after Mom… my mom. The first time he’d held me—kissed me. There was never any judgment in Aiden’s eyes, like I was his equal.

I’d always been Aiden’s equal.

My chest rose sharply. The day at the zoo washed over me, and then Valentine’s Day. The love we had shared. It had to mean something.

I couldn’t breathe.

I’d give it all up for you.

Seth called for me again, but I was breaking apart. Shattering. Everything was coming undone. Pieces of who I used to be were repelled by what I’d become. The past and the present couldn’t coexist with the future.

I was torn in two.

Seth yelled now, his voice roaring in my head, and there was no escaping him. He was everywhere, in every cell and thought, pulling at me. But I couldn’t breathe and under me, hewas under me, and I couldn’t think straight. There were so many voices again. So many different ones, some were my own… and I couldn’t think.

I focused on the mental shields Seth had taught me. I needed a moment, just a second of silence to think this through, to understand why hewasn’t defending himself and how hecould love me.

Seth was furious. Pain sliced through my skull as if someone had taken an ice pick and started slamming it into my head, and I knew he hated this, but I needed time. He screamed for me, but I pictured those walls. They were neon-pink, bedazzled walls, and they went up, stacked higher and higher. I made them thick and full of titanium, topped them off with barbed wire and threw a nice little electrical fence over them, and all of that was backed by the power of the gods. A film of shimmery blue light draped over the walls.

The cord snapped inside me, recoiling like whiplash, and then it was gone.

Except for a low hum, there was silence, and it was just me now, alone with everything I had done.

Tipping my head back, I screamed.

Unlocked from the depths of my soul, it kept coming and coming. I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t comprehend what I’d become—the things I had done. And when I stopped, it was only because my throat was raw.

I scrambled off of Aiden, unable to look at him, because I… the things… Body trembling, I crawled over the muddy ground and tucked into a ball against a tree. Pressing my face to my knees, I dragged in breaths, but my chest ached and the pressure kept building.

“Alex?” Aiden called out, his voice hoarse and ragged.

I shied away, wanting him to leave. He needed to leave me, to run away as fast as he could.

Strong hands landed on my shoulders and then slid over my arms, gently wrapping around my wrists. He pried my hands away, and even though I couldn’t bear to look at him, my eyes opened.

It was like seeing Aiden after months of separation. He was clear to me. The curve of his broad cheekbones, the hint of dimples, and the strong line of his jaw—features I’d committed to memory eons ago. Dark waves curled over his naturally tan skin… skin marred by bruises and streaks of crimson. Bruises I’d given him, but he still held that masculine beauty that always undid me.

Aiden shuddered, and then clasped my cheeks. His silver eyes searched mine. They were covered in a fine sheen—like tears, but Aiden never cried. “Alex… oh, gods, Alex, are you here?”

I burst into tears.

CHAPTER 7

Yeah, I wasn’t going to stop crying anytime soon. These were the big, body-shaking, embarrassing kind of sobs. The ones I really couldn’t think or see around—Hell, even breathe around.

Aiden held me through it, his arms a strange and grounding contact. He murmured words in ancient Greek. I picked up agapi mouseveral times, and the rest made as much sense as the words I tried to speak around the sobs. I knew that I’d be able to understand them now if I weren’t choking on my tears, but I could barely understand English at the moment.

I soaked Aiden’s shirt.

And he still held me against his chest as he leaned against the tree, smoothing back my hair, pressing his cheek against the top of my head. He rocked us. We both needed it, I think.

There were footsteps and voices at some point and I stiffened in his arms. I didn’t know who came, but I felt Aiden shake his head, and then the footsteps retreated.

Gods, I could think—really think—after what felt like forever. But every thought was overshadowed by the pain inside me. The sharp spearing I’d felt in the bathroom—I understood it now. My heart and my soul had been screaming out, trying to reach me. That pain was everywhere now, clamping down on me from all sides.

I couldn’t escape all the things I said and done since I’d Awakened. From the moment I’d connected with Seth, I’d turned into a living, breathing embodiment of my worst fear and I hadn’t even realized it. Seth and what he wanted had consumed me until there had been nothing left, and I’d thought I was stronger than that.

Oh gods, the things I’d said to Aiden horrified and sickened me. The things Seth had said he wanted to do to me—that I’d wanted him to do, back when we’d been connected… Now I wanted to crawl out of my skin, to shower for years, and I didn’t think I’d ever feel the same again even then.

How Aiden could still hold me was beyond my comprehension. I clearly remembered threatening to kill Deacon about twenty times. My behavior had forced him to do the unthinkable—place me on the Elixir. I knew that had to have killed a part of him.

I remembered all the little things. My Seth?Oh, yuck. I wanted to scrub out my brain with detergent. And those things I’d yelled when I fought Aiden—actually fought Aiden?Scrub my brain? Add mouth and soul to that laundry list.

“Shh,” Aiden murmured, smoothing a hand along my back. “It’s okay. Everything is okay, agapi mou. You’re here now and I have you.”

I gripped the collar of his torn shirt with my aching hands. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, Aiden. I’m sorry.”

“Stop.” He leaned back, but I followed him, keeping my face pressed to his chest. “Alex.”

I shook my head, my breath catching on another sob.

“Look at me.”

Tears streamed down my face, and he carefully cradled my cheeks, forcing me to look up. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut, but I also needed to see him, even if it was just his blurry face right now.

“How can you look at me?” I asked. “How can you stand to touch me?”

His brows furrowed and he became very serious. “How could I not, Alex? I don’t blame you for what happened. The things you did and said weren’t you. I know that. I’ve always known that.”

“But it wasme.”

“No.” His voice was firm, eyes pure silver. “It was a shell of you, Alex. You were there, in the background, but it wasn’t you. It wasn’t the Alex I love, but you’re here now and that’s all that matters. That’s it. Nothing else does.”

His blind faith in me, his acceptance and forgiveness, brought forth another round of waterworks. I cried so much that I don’t think I could ever cry again, and when it was finally over, I couldn’t lift my head from his chest.

The sun was starting to set, and the temperature was dropping when Aiden pressed his lips against the top of my head. “Are you ready?”

No, I wanted to say, because I wasn’t sure I’d ever be ready to face everyone. Besides turning into Evil Alex, I’d also been dopey, hiding-in-closets Alex.

But I drew in a breath and it felt okay, good even. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he repeated, and he stood, keeping me nestled close to his chest, my cheek resting on his shoulder.

Aiden took one step, and a fissure of unnatural energy rolled down my spine—godly energy. The marks of the Apollyon roared to life, whipping over my skin. His arms stiffened around me as he turned, lifting his head to the sky. Gods could shield their presence if they wanted to—Apollo had for months—but we both felt the ripple of power.

“This isn’t good,” I said, stirring in his arms.

He placed me on my feet, his hands on my hips. One look into his stormy eyes and I knew he was thinking the same thing.

Before he could open his mouth, a high-pitched wail rattled the branches overhead. Air around us stilled, and then the sound of wings beating pulled the breath from my lungs in a painful rush.

Aiden shoved me behind him—actually shoved mebehind him. “Go back to the house now, Alex. The wards will keep them out.”

What? And leave him? He was insane. Heart leaping into my throat, I shook my head. “No. No—”

Another shriek turned my blood ice-cold. Then a great howl barreled through the trees, blowing my hair back from my face.

The furies arrived, darting down to earth like heat-seeking missiles with “Alex” written all over them. Each hit the ground in a crouch, knocking up plumes of dirt and small pebbles.

They were beautiful—the two furies. All pale and shimmering skin and long, flowing blonde curls as they rose simultaneously, their bodies moving sinuously as one stepped forward, her bare feet sinking deep into the soil.

Thunder cracked the air and a flash of blinding light exploded. Throwing up my arm, I stumbled back and reached out for Aiden. Pulse pounding, my fingers wrapped around his thick forearm.

When the light receded, a god stood between the two furies, and my heart felt like it stopped right then and there. I’d seen him before. Oh, gods, I’d seen him.

Honey-colored hair brushed his shoulders, framing a square, defiant chin and features that were angelic and pure—peaceful, even.

Thanatos.

Electricity sparked from his all-white eyes. “I may not be able to kill you, Apollyon, but I can make sure you cannot reach the First.”

“Wait!” Aiden yelled, one hand curling around the hilt of the dagger. “She’s broken—”

The furies flew forward, luminous skin shedding away to reveal ghastly gray complexions that resembled corpses that had been floating in the water waaay too long. Long, glowing hair shriveled up and turned into tight coils that snapped at the air with vicious fangs around their skeletal faces. Claws formed—talons that could rip through bone and tissue like they were paper.

They came right at us.

Aiden lurched to the side and twisted toward me. “Alex!” He threw one of the daggers.

Leaping up, I caught the dagger as the first fury reached Aiden, its razor-sharp nails aimed right for his throat. He spun around, whipping out a sickle blade. In one smooth, elegant motion he brought the sharp edge of the blade down, severing the arm of the fury.

It keened a mixture of a baby’s scream and a hyena’s as it arched up, clutching its bloody stump.

Damn.

With absolutely no time to run over to Aiden and give him a high-five, I pivoted and dipped as the second fury made a grab for my hair. Shooting up at the same moment the fury dive-bombed me, I shoved the blade deep into its sunken stomach.

Its distorted face inches from mine, the fury opened its mouth, revealing a row of serrated teeth, and laughed.

I bit back a gag. “Gods, your breath is kicking.” I pulled the blade free, revolted by the sucking sound. “For real.”

Cocking its head to the side, it blinked. “Kicking?”

“Yeah.” Spinning around, I planted my left foot and kicked out, catching the fury in the stomach. It flew back, smacking into the tree. “See? Kicking.”

The other fury was going at Aiden with its one good arm, backing him up while avoiding the dangerous sickle. He glanced over at me and that tiny moment cost him.

She knocked the sickle out of his hand with cackle. “Pretty pure-blood…”

Forgetting about the god and the other fury, forgetting about everything other than Aiden, I raced forward, ignoring the ache building in my legs.

Aiden dipped under the fury’s sweeping arm, popping up behind her, but she turned wicked fast and swung out, hitting Aiden along the chest with the broad side of her arm.

He went down on one knee, staggered by the blow.

Swiping the sickle off the ground, I yelled his name and repaid the favor by tossing the sickle to him. Aiden snapped it out of the air and rolled, narrowly missing the fury. It flew up and flipped over him, reaching down, grabbing a handful of his hair. She yanked his head back.

“No!” My heart stopped—my world stopped.

Akasha surged under my skin and the marks brightened. Each and every one of them burned and tingled with the power of the fifth element.

Something snapped inside me; my vision dimmed, and then brightened. I heard nothing but my own thundering heart and the hum in the back of my head.

Throwing my arm out, a bolt of intense blue light flared from my open palm and arced. My aim was off since I was going for the bitch’s head, but the bolt of energy clipped the fury’s wing, whirling her around.

Absolute insanity broke out.

Thanatos roared his rage. The fury shot into the air, but sputtered out with one wing and came spinning back down. Aiden darted to the side, but not fast enough. Weary from fighting me just like I was exhausted from our battle, she crashed into him and they rolled in a tangle of arms, blades, and deadly-sharp claws.

Out of the corner of my eye, forms crested the valley—Solos and Marcus bearing sickle blades. Marcus?What the…?

I shot toward the wrestling forms before me.

Thanatos whipped around and extended an arm. He didn’t physically touch Solos, but boy did he fly like he’d been smacked with a cannonball. The half-blood Sentinel hit the tree with a loud grunt and dropped to his knees.

The god turned his creeptastic eyes on my uncle and raised another hand. “Stand down, pure-blood, or you shall meet an untimely fate.”

Marcus lowered his chin. “Sorry, but that’s my niece, so that’s not going to happen.”

Something with sharp claws and rank breath caught hold of my hair and pulled hard. I hit the ground and in a heartbeat, air punched from my lungs. Scrambling to my knees, a second passed and the fury’s bare foot connected with my chin, snapping my head back.

A metallic taste flooded my mouth. The dagger flew from my hands as pain radiated down my spine, exploding out over my nerves.

Panic dug in—raw, unbridled panic.

All around me the sounds of fighting escalated. There were grunts and yelps of pain. The fury that had kicked me into next week reared up, her fingers splaying. I stared, numb and unflinching as death…

Death? It struck me then. They couldn’t kill me. Yeah, they could put a serious hurting on me, but kill me? No. I was the Apollyon. I wielded control over the four elements and the fifth and the most powerful—akasha. I fueled the God Killer. I was his power-up—the ace up his sleeve. I was the beginning and he was the end. And together… there was no together.

There was just me.

My eyes locked with the fury’s and I smiled.

She hesitated.

I snapped to my feet. “Bitch, please.”

The fury’s mouth gaped open, and I summoned the air element, letting it go. The hurricane-force winds smacked into the fury and sent her flying back through the trees as if she was connected to a rope and Zeus himself had given a good old pull.

“One down,” I said, turning around. “Who’s ne—?”

Thanatos tossed Marcus to the ground, deflected Solos’ attack, and turned on me in a nanosecond. It was pretty epic.

A bolt of white light flew from Thanatos’ hand and there wasn’t a single thing in this world that could move fast enough to avoid it. Not even Seth, I was betting.

It hit me just below the chest, and my legs collapsed from underneath me. Red-hot, searing pain sliced through my skin and my face smacked off the ground. I didn’t even feel it. There was nothing but the razing pain locking up my muscles.

God bolts sucked.

Aiden yelled my name, and then I thought I heard my name called again, but it was inside my head, loud, and so very angry… and it sounded like Seth.

Without any warning, the ground trembled under my twitching body. A flash of golden light cascaded through the clearing. Warmth stole over my body. Weakly, I lifted my head.

Two leather-clad legs stood before me.

“That is enough, Thanatos.” Apollo’s voice was calm, but it was that creepy, deadly calm I never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

“N-n-nice of y-you to s-show up,” I gasped.

“Shut up, Alex.” Apollo strode forward. A ray of light followed his steps.

Thanatos held his ground. “She must be neutralized if we cannot kill her. Let me take care of this, Apollo. We must do something to prevent war.”

“She broke the bond, you idiot.”

The other god huffed. “Like that matters. Time will pass and she will connect with him again.”

“It does matter!” Apollo roared. “If she is not connected with the First we are not to harm her! You—” Apollo growled at the increasingly close sound of hissing. “Call your two furies off or they will join their sister. I promise you.”

“We must—”

Too weak to hold my head up, I rested my forehead against the ground, but I didn’t need to see what happened to know that Apollo had lost his patience. Wind picked up and the ground shook. The two gods collided with a crack.

I closed my eyes and hoped that Apollo had won this round, because there was no way I was fighting anymore. No way at all.

Someone was body-slammed into the ground, followed by a quick succession of pops. The air crackled with electricity, and then silence, blissful silence.

Strong hands gripped my arms and gently rolled me onto my back. I stared up into silver eyes. “Alex?”

“I’m okay. Just… just a little twitchy. You?”

Aiden had seen better days. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. A bruise shadowed his jaw and the front of his shirt was torn, but he was alive and he was okay.

His gaze scanned over me and then he lifted me up, not even bothering to put me on my feet. Holding me close, he turned and I surveyed the damage.

Solos and Marcus stood near Apollo, who held one of the Covenant daggers in his hand. Blood dripped from the edge, making me stare.

Apollo glanced down at it and shrugged. “He’ll get over it.”