Текст книги "Deity"

Автор книги: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

CHAPTER 11

I WAS STILL STRUGGLING TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT when Aiden found an empty study room in the back of the library, somewhere near the Books-I’d-Never-Read and the Books-I’ve-Never-Heard-Of section. He left the door cracked open, which relieved and disappointed me in the same breath.

Sitting down, I dropped my bag on the table. “That’s really cool that Deacon is studying and all.”

Aiden took the seat beside me, turning so that his knee pressed against mine and he was facing me. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.” I pulled out the massive book and placed it between us.

“Do I look stupid?”

My hand froze over the edge of the book. “Uh, is this a trick question?”

He arched a brow.

“No. You don’t look stupid.”

“I didn’t think so.” He reached over, taking the book away from me. His hand brushed mine as he did so, sending little shivers through my fingers. “They were doing the same amount of studying that we’re doing.”

I wasn’t sure how to proceed with this. So I said nothing.

Aiden stared at the book, brows lowered. “I know what my brother is doing, Alex. And you know what? It pisses me off.”

“It does?”

“Yes.” He looked up, meeting my gaze. “I can’t believe he thinks I’d care if he was into guys or whatever. I’ve always known he’s been that way.”

“I didn’t.”

“Deacon is good at hiding it. What am I looking at?” he asked. I reached over, opening the book to the section about the Order of Thanatos. Understanding dawned. He turned a couple of the pages before going back to the beginning of the section. “He’s always pretended to be interested in girls, and maybe he is, too. But he never had me fooled.”

“He had me fooled.” I watched a wavy lock of hair fall over Aiden’s forehead. An insane urge to brush it back hit me hard. “So he’s never said anything to you about it?”

Aiden snorted. “No. I think he believes I’d be upset or something. And trust me, I’ve wanted to tell him I don’t care, but I think it makes him uncomfortable. You know, talking about it. So I just pretend like I don’t see it. I guess he’ll talk to me about it eventually.”

“He will.” I bit my lip. “But… it’s Luke.”

A muscle popped in his jaw. “I don’t like the fact that he may be… involved with a half, but I trust that he won’t do anything—” He broke off, laughing. “Yeah, well, I’m not the person to be lecturing on the whole pure and half business.”

A flush crept over me. Aiden looked up, and our eyes locked. He opened his mouth, but shut it quickly. He turned back to the book, clearing his throat. “So, the Order of Thanatos? Not exactly fun reading material.”

Finding safe ground, I nodded. “Telly had this symbol tattooed on his arm.” I pointed at the torch, careful not to touch him. “And so does Romvi—who, by the way, still hates my guts, in case you’re wondering. And I remembered in the section that talked about the Apollyon, it mentioned that Thanatos killed Solaris and the First. Maybe this Order business is still going on and they have something to do with what… what happened in the Catskills.”

The hand beside the book curled into a fist, but Aiden didn’t look up. “As far as I know the Order doesn’t exist anymore, but you never know.”

“Maybe this can tell us something? But I can’t read it.”

He smiled briefly. “Give me a few minutes. Reading this isn’t exactly easy.”

“Okay.” Beyond the crack in the door, the library was dark and silent. There was no way I was going out there. I pulled out a notebook and pen. “I’ll… pretend to study or something.”

Aiden chuckled. “You do that.”

I smiled as I started doodling on a blank page of notebook paper. It was hard, because his knee was still touching mine, and it may have been my imagination, but we seemed to be getting closer. His entire lower leg was against mine.

While Aiden read, I sketched a really bad version of the Apollo and Daphne statue outside. Several times, Aiden glanced over and made comments about the drawing. He offered to pay for art classes at one point. I punched him in the arm for that.

Giving up on my masterpiece, I checked to see what page he was on. As I stared at the symbol on each page, I felt a tightening in my throat. Instead of thinking about Telly or Romvi, I thought of the pure I’d killed in the Catskills. Leaning back in the chair, I rubbed my hands over my thighs. The feel of shoving a blade into a pure was much different than shoving one into a daimon, even a half daimon.

There were always choices, and once again, I’d made the wrong decision. Actually, I’d made a string of bad decisions over a short period of time, but that one kind of took the cake. I could’ve disarmed the pure-blood Guard. I could’ve done something other than what I had done. I’d killed him and still didn’t even know his name.

“Hey,” Aiden said softly. “Are you okay?”

“Yep.” I lifted my head, forcing a smile. “Find anything out yet?”

He was watching me intently. I could feel it, even after I returned to staring at my hands. “Just why the Order was established,” he said. “It appears that they were created by us—the pure-bloods—as an organization to keep the old ways alive and to protect the gods. And it looks like even a few chosen half-bloods were initiated into the Order.”

“Great.” I smoothed my hands over the table. “Do the gods need protection?”

“It doesn’t seem to be in the way you’d think, but more like protecting their existence from mortals and those who might be a threat to the gods.” Aiden turned back to the book, flipping several chapters ahead. “It does say the members are marked, which would explain the tattoo if they do belong to the Order. But there is something else.”

“What?” I glanced at him. “What is it?”

He took a deep breath and slid the book toward me. “We’ve all misread it. Understandable since it’s how it’s phrased. Look at this.”

Aiden was pointing at the section on the Apollyon. “‘ The reaction from the gods, particularly the Order of Thanatos, was swift and righteous. Both Apollyons were executed without trial‘.”

I sat back, understanding sinking in. “It wasn’t Thanatos who killed them, but the Order of Thanatos.”

Aiden nodded as he turned back to the section on the Order. “That’s what it looks like.”

“But how? Both Solaris and the First would had been fully Awakened. The way Seth talks, once that happens we become indestructible.”

He shook his head. “The Order is very mystical, or at least, that’s how it reads in this section.” He tapped his finger on something that looked like chicken scratch to me. “The Order is said to be ‘ the eyes and the hand of Thanatos.‘ There’s something here about the Order being gifted with ‘daggers dipped in the blood of the Titans.’”

“Daggers dipped in the blood of the Titans? Like, literally? Is the Apollyon somehow allergic to Titan blood?” I shook my head. “What I don’t get is, if the gods and the Apollyon can both use akasha, then why would the gods—Thanatos—need anyone else to kill the Apollyon? They could just use akasha.”

“I don’t know,” he said, looking at me. His eyes were gunmetal gray. “And I have a hard time believing that Seth wouldn’t know, either. Didn’t he tell you that, once you Awaken, the knowledge of the previous Apollyons will pass on to you?”

“Yeah, he did. Seth would have to know.” An uncomfortable feeling clawed for my attention as I rested my chin on my palm. If Seth knew everything that the previous Apollyons knew, then wouldn’t one of them, in all these years, have figured out that they were a product of a union between a pure and a half? And wouldn’t one of the Apollyons have to know about the Order, especially if the lives of Solaris and the First had passed to Seth during his Awakening?

“What is it?” Aiden asked quietly.

Anger stirred, poking at the cord. “I don’t think Seth is being completely honest with me.”

Aiden didn’t respond.

I drew in a deep breath. “I don’t understand why he would lie about this. Maybe… maybe he just never put two and two together.” That sounded lame even to me, but my brain had a hard time accepting that Seth could be hiding something like this. Why would he?

A few moments passed before Aiden spoke. “Alex, if the Order does exist today, then they could be behind the attacks in the Catskills. And if they are the eyes and hand of Thanatos, they’ve pegged you as a threat.”

I thought about what the furie had said before she’d tried to rip my head off—that I was a threat and it wasn’t anything personal. But trying to kill me was very personal. “Do you think the furies were there because of the daimon attack, or because… of me?”

“They didn’t react until the daimon attack.”

Rubbing my temples, I closed my eyes. This was all giving me a headache. “There are just so many things that don’t add up—the Order, the furies, Seth. Why did they go after me instead of him?”

Aiden closed the book. “I need to tell Marcus about this. If the Order is still alive and well, then this is serious. And if Telly is a member, then we need to be careful.”

I nodded, prying my eyes open. I could feel his gaze on me again. “Okay.”

“And I don’t want you going to Romvi’s class anymore,” he continued. “I’ll talk to Marcus and I’m sure he’ll agree with that.”

“That shouldn’t be hard. Tomorrow is the last day of classes before break, so I’ll skip.” I shivered. “Do you think the ‘eyes of Thanatos’ part is something literal? And daggers actually dipped in real honest-to-gods Titan blood?”

“Knowing the gods, I’d go with ayes.” There was a pause, and Aiden reached over, capturing my chin with the tips of his fingers. He slowly turned my head toward him. “What are you not telling me, Alex?”

A frisson of heat shot through me. “Nothing,” I whispered, and tried to turn my head, but he kept me still.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? And I know there is something you’re keeping from me.”

Seth’s warning to keep the Apollyon marks quiet was overwhelmed by the desire to tell someone what was happening. And who better to tell than Aiden? He was the one person in this world that I trusted, especially considering how much he’d risked to keep me safe. Seth wouldn’t be happy if he knew, but then again, I wasn’t particularly happy with Seth at the moment.

“It’s happening,” I said finally.

Aiden’s eyes searched mine. “What’s happening?”

“This—the freaky stuff.” I lifted my hands, palms up. His gaze dropped without releasing my chin, and when his eyes met mine again, they were questioning. “I’ve started getting the marks of the Apollyon. You can’t see them, but they’re there, on both of my palms. And there’s one on my stomach.”

He seemed taken aback by this, releasing my chin but not moving away. “When did this start happening?”

I looked away. “The first happened while we were in the Catskills. Seth and I were training one day and I got mad. Somehow, I blew up a rock and then the next thing I know there was this cord coming from Seth and I got a rune.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, we really weren’t getting along then and you were busy. And Seth asked me not to say anything until we knew what was going on.” Sighing, I told him about the rest of the times and how I’d seen my own cord. Displeasure rolled off Aiden by the time I finished telling him. “It happens when we’re… touching sometimes. Seth thinks that, if I get the fourth mark on the back of my neck, then I’ll Awaken. Maybe ahead of schedule, and he’s all thrilled by that prospect.”

“Alex,” he breathed unsteadily.

“Yeah, I know. I’m a huge freak even by Apollyon standards.” I laughed. “I don’t want the fourth mark. You know, I’d kind of like to ride out the rest of being seventeen and not be the Apollyon. But Seth is all like, ‘this would be the best thing ever’.”

“Best thing for who?” he asked quietly. “You or Seth?”

I laughed again, but my weird humor dried up when I recalled how I suspected Seth of doing the rune things on purpose.

“Alex?”

“Seth says it would be best for me because I’d be stronger, but I think he’s… I think he’s jonesing for a power boost. Reminds me of Super Mario Brothers power up or something, because I can feel it—akasha—going from me to…” My mouth dropped open. “Son of a bitch.”

“What?” Aiden frowned.

My stomach rolled. “The second time I got a mark, I was exhausted for days.” I sat up straighter, staring at Aiden as it clicked into place. “Remember the night we all met in Marcus’ office? Another rune had appeared right before then and that time had been different than any other time.” I felt heat crawl over my cheeks as I remembered how much I’d been down with the whole thing while it was happening. “Anyway, I was really tired and just off after that for days.”

Aiden nodded. “I remember. You were pretty crabby.”

My crabbiness had led to the sensory deprivation room… and Aiden’s whispered fear. “Well, you didn’t get it as bad as Seth. I threw a sub at him.”

He was trying to fight a smile, but his eyes lightened. “He probably deserved it.”

“He did, but gods, is that what’s going to happen when I Awaken?” Dread traced icy fingers over my skin. “He’s going to drain me. I don’t even think he realizes that.”

Anger flared in his eyes, dispelling the softness that had gathered in them. His hands curled into fists. “Whatever it is that… you two are doing that’s causing those runes to show up, you need to stop.”

I looked at him blandly. “I’ve already decided that, but that isn’t going to stop it from happening eventually. And you know what the really messed up thing is? My mom warned me that the First would drain me. I just thought she was being all daimon crazy.”

Aiden reclaimed the little distance I’d been able to put between us. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Alex. That goes for Seth, too.”

Whoa. My heart did a crazy thing there. And he really sounded like he believed he could. “Aiden, you can’t stop this. No one can.”

“We can’t stop you from Awakening, but the power transfer will only happen if you touch after you turn eighteen, right? Then you don’t touch.”

I couldn’t possibly imagine Seth being down with the whole “not-touching” part, but he’d understand once he knew what it could possibly do. “He’ll understand,” I said. “I’ll talk to him when he gets back. This is probably something better to discuss face to face.”

Aiden didn’t look convinced. “I don’t like this.”

“You don’t like him,” I pointed out gently.

“You’re right. I don’t like Seth, but there’s something more to this.”

“Isn’t there always?” I moved slightly and felt his breath over my lips. If I moved an inch, our lips would touch. And Aiden was suddenly staring at my mouth.

“I’ll talk to Marcus,” Aiden said, voice gruff.

“You already said that.”

“I did?” His head angled slightly. “We should head back.”

I swallowed. Aiden wasn’t moving and every muscle in my body demanded that I cross that tiny space between us. But I pushed back the chair, making a horrible scratching noise. I stood. There didn’t seem to be enough air in the little room with faded, pea-green walls. I started toward the door, but stopped when I realized I’d left my bag on the table. I turned around.

Aiden stood in front of me. I hadn’t heard him rise or move toward me. He had my bag in hand, book already tucked inside. And he was standing so close that the tips of his shoes brushed mine. My heart was racing and it felt like a dozen butterflies had exploded in my stomach. I was half-afraid to breathe, to feel what I knew I wasn’t allowed.

He placed the strap of my bag over my shoulder and then he tucked my hair back behind my ear. I thought that maybe he was going to hug me—or shake me, because that was always a possibility. But then his hand slid over my cheek and his thumb smoothed over my lower lip, careful with the faint scar over the center, even though the pain had long since ceased.

I sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes were liquid silver. My pulse pounded through me. I knew he wanted to kiss me, maybe do other stuff. My skin was tingling with excitement, anticipation, and so much want. And I think he was feeling what I was. I didn’t need a stupid cord to tell me that.

But Aiden wouldn’t act on it. He had the kind of self-control that rivaled those of the virgin priestesses who’d served in Artemis’ temples. And there were all the other reasons why he shouldn’t—why I shouldn’t.

Aiden closed his eyes and exhaled roughly. When his eyes reopened, he dropped his hand and shot me a quick smile. “Ready?” he asked.

Missing his touch already, all I could do was nod. We walked back to my dorm in silence. I kept stealing glances at him, and he didn’t look angry just lost in his own thoughts and perhaps a little sad.

Aiden walked me straight to my door as if some crazy Order member or a furie was going to jump out of a supply closet. The hall was nearly empty since I shared the first floor with a lot of pures. Their parents had pulled them from class on Monday, getting an earlier start on winter break. He nodded curtly and waited until I closed and locked the door.

Dropping my bag by the couch, I sat and pulled out the cell phone Seth had given me. There was only one contact saved in the address book: Cuddle Bunny.

I couldn’t help but laugh. There always seemed to be two sides to Seth—the funny and charming side, the one who could be patient and gentle. And then there was a whole different side—the Seth I didn’t really know, the one who seemed to only tell half-truths and was the physical embodiment of everything I feared.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed on the name and heard the phone ring once, twice, and then kick over to a standard voicemail greeting.

Seth didn’t answer. Nor did he call back that entire evening.

CHAPTER 12

I HAD NO CLUE WHAT SETH COULD BE DOING THAT HE was unable to return a call. It wasn’t like I was worried about his safety. Seth could take care of himself. But I did wonder if he was still mad at me. Funny thing was, if he wasn’t, he was going to be after I got done talking to him. Pushing Seth out of my mind was surprisingly easy as I entered Technical Truths and Legends.

Deacon glanced up, grinning as I sat beside him. I was surprised to see him on the last day of classes. I figured that, out of everyone, he would have wiggled his way out of class. “How did your library visit go? Get any studying done?”

I peeked at the front of the classroom. Luke was talking to Elena, but he was watching us—Deacon—out of the corner of his eye. “ Mylibrary visit?” I focused on Deacon. “How was yours?”

“Good. Got a lot of studying done.” Deacon didn’t even miss a beat.

“Wow.” I lowered my voice. “Amazing, considering neither of you had any books to study.”

Deacon opened his mouth, but shut it.

I winked.

The tips of his ears turned bright red. He tapped his fingers on the top of the desk. “Well, then.”

Part of me wanted to tell Deacon that Aiden knew and he had nothing to worry about, but that was so not my place. But maybe I could give it a gentle push in the right direction. “It’s not a big deal,” I whispered. “Honestly, no one here, pure or half, cares about that.”

“It’s not like that,” he whispered back.

I raised a brow. “It’s not?”

“No.” Deacon sighed. “I like girls, too, but…” His gaze found Luke. “He’s different.”

Well, at least I hadn’t been completely off-base when it came to Deacon’s preferences. “Yeah, Luke sure is different.”

Deacon cracked a smile. “It’s not what you think. We haven’t… done anything.”

“Whatever.” I grinned.

He leaned over the gap between our desks. “He’s a half, Alex. Of all people, I think you know just how dangerous that is.”

I jerked back and stared at him.

Deacon winked as a sly grin crossed his face. “But the question is: worth breaking the number one rule or not?”

Before I could even open my mouth to respond to that—and honestly, I had no idea what to say—two Council Guards stepped into the class, silencing the entire room. I shifted back in my seat as my unease blossomed, almost wishing I could slide under the table.

The one with cropped brown hair scanned the room, his lips pressed into a hard line. His gaze landed on me. The blood froze in my veins. Lucian wasn’t here, and I didn’t recognize the two Guards.

“Miss Andros?” His voice was soft, yet full of authority. “You need to come with us.”

Every damn kid in the class turned and stared. Grabbing my bag, I met Deacon’s wide eyes. I headed toward the front of the class, forcing a “whateva” smile on my face. But my knees were shaking.

Council Guards calling someone out of class was never a good thing.

There was a low murmur radiating from where Cody and Jackson sat. I ignored them and followed the Guards out. No one spoke as we walked through the halls and up the ridiculous number of steps. Dread continued to weave its way through me. Marcus wouldn’t have sent Council Guards to retrieve me. He’d have sent Linard, or Leon, even Aiden.

Covenant Guards opened the door to Marcus’ office, and I was ushered in. My gaze traveled over the room, quickly seeking out the occupant.

My step faltered.

Head Minister Telly stood in front of Marcus’ desk, hands clasped behind him. Those pale eyes sharpened the moment our gazes locked. The gray seemed to have spread from his temples since the last time I’d seen him, now peppering his hair. Instead of the lavish robes he’d donned during the Council, he wore a simple white tunic and linen pants.

The door shut with a soft click behind me. I spun around. There were no Guards, no Marcus. I was completely alone with Head Minster Douchebag. Great.

“Will you sit, Miss Andros?”

I turned around slowly, forcing myself to take a deep breath. “I prefer to stand.”

“But I prefer that you sit,” he replied evenly. “Take a seat.”

A direct order from the Head Minister was something I couldn’t refuse. But it didn’t mean I was just going to bend right over for him. I made my way to the chair as slowly as possible, smiling on the inside when I saw the muscle in his jaw begin to tick.

“What can I do for you, Head Minister?” I asked after I made a show of placing my bag by my feet, smoothing out my sweater, and getting comfortable.

Disgust filled his gaze. “I have some questions for you about the night you left the Council.”

Acid was eating its way through my stomach. “Shouldn’t Marcus be here? And don’t you have to wait till my legal guardian is present? Lucian is in New York, where you should be.”

“I see no reason to include them in this… unseemly business.” He turned his attention to the aquarium, watching the fish for a few moments while I grew more uncomfortable. “After all, both of us know the truth.”

That he was a giant asshat? Everyone knew that, but I doubted that was what he was getting at. “What truth?”

Telly laughed as he turned around. “I want to chat with you about the night the daimons and furies attacked the Council, about the real reason you fled.”

My heart stuttered, but I kept my face blank. “I thought you knew. The daimons were after me. So were the furies. See, I was terribly popular by the end of the night.”

“That is what you say.” He leaned against the desk and picked up a small statue of Zeus. “However there was a dead pure-blood Guard found. Do you have anything to add to that?”

A bitter taste formed in the back of my mouth. “Well… there were a lot of dead pures and halfs. And a lot of dead servants that no one gave two shits about. They would’ve been saved if someone had helped them.”

He arched a brow. “The loss of a half-blood is hardly a concern of mine.”

Anger was a different taste in my mouth. It tasted like blood. “Dozens and dozens of them died.”

“As I said, how would that be a concern of mine?”

He was goading me. I knew it. And I still wanted to punch him.

“But I am here about the death of one of my Guards,” he continued. “I want to know how he died.”

I feigned boredom. “I’d say it probably had to do with the daimons that were swarming the building. They do tend to kill people. And the furies were ripping through people.”

The smirk on his face faded. “He was killed with a Covenant dagger.”

“Okay.” I sat back in the chair, cocking my head to the side. “Did you know that halfs can be turned now?”

The Head Minister’s eyes narrowed.

I slowed my speech down. “Well, some of those halfs were trained as Sentinels and Guards. They carry daggers. And I think they know how to use those daggers, too.” Eyes wide, I nodded. “It was probably one of them.”

Surprisingly, Telly laughed. It wasn’t a nice laugh—more like a Dr. Evil laugh. “What a mouth you have on you. Tell me, is it because you think you’re so safe? That being the Apollyon makes you untouchable? Or is it just blind stupidity?”

I pretended to think about that. “Sometimes I do some pretty dumb things. This could be one of them.”

He smiled tightly. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

Odd. That was the second time I’d been asked a version of that question within the last twenty-four hours. I gave the same answer. “Is that a trick question?”

“Why do you think I’ve waited until now to question you, Alexandria? See, I know about your little bond with the First. And I know that this kind of distance negates that bond.” His smile became real as my hands clenched the arms of the chair. “So, right now, you’re nothing but a half-blood. Do you understand me?”

“Do you think I need Seth to defend me?”

The hollows of his cheeks started to turn pink. “Tell me what happened that night, Alexandria.”

“There was this giant daimon attack that I tried to warn you guys about, but you ignored me. You said it was a ridiculous notion that daimons could pull off such a stunt.” I paused, letting that jab sink in. “I fought. Killed some daimons and brought down a furie or two.”

“Ah, yes. You fought magnificently from what I hear.” He paused, tapped his chin. “And then a plot was discovered. The daimons were after the Apollyon.”

“Exactly.”

“I find that strange,” he replied. “Considering that they were trying to kill you in plain sight of Guards and Sentinels. Who, by the way, are loyal to the Council.”

I yawned loudly, doing everything to show I wasn’t afraid while I was shaking inside. If he saw that, then he’d know he was onto something. “I have no idea what goes on inside the mind of a daimon. I can’t explain that.”

Telly pushed off the desk, coming to stand in front of me. “I know you killed the pure-blood Guard, Alexandria. And I also know that another pure-blood covered it up for you.”

My brain sort of emptied as I stared up at him. Terror, so potent and so strong, knocked the air out of my lungs. How had he known? Had Aiden’s compulsion worn off? No. Because I’d be in front of the Council, handcuffed, and Aiden… oh gods, Aiden would be dead.

“You have nothing to say to that?” Telly asked, clearly enjoying this moment.

Pull it together. Pull it together. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little shocked.”

“And why would you be shocked?”

“Because that’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long time. And have you seen the people I know? That’s saying something.”

His lips thinned. “You’re lying. And you’re not a very good liar.”

My pulse pounded. “Actually, I’m a great liar.”

He was losing his patience quickly. “Tell me the truth, Alexandria.”

“I am telling you the truth.” I forced my fingers to relax around the chair arms. “I know better than to attack a pure, let alone kill one.”

“You attacked a Master at the Council.”

Crap. “I didn’t actually attack him—I stopped him from attacking someone else. And well, I learned my lesson after that.”

“I beg to differ. Who helped you cover it up?”

I leaned forward in the chair. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You are testing my patience,” he said. “You don’t want to see what will happen when I lose it.”

“It kind of sounds like you havelost it.” I looked around the room, forcing my heart to return to normal. “I have no idea why you’re asking me these questions. And I’m missing the last day of class before winter break. Are you going to give me an excuse or something?”

“Do you think you’re clever?”

I smirked.

Telly’s hand snaked out so quickly I didn’t even have a chance to deflect the blow. The back of his hand connected with my cheek with enough force to snap my head to the side. Disbelief and rage mixed, rushing through me. My brain flat-out refused to accept the fact that he had just hit me—actually dared to hit me. And my body was already demanding that I hit him back, lay him out on his back. My fist practically itched to connect with his jaw.

I gripped the edges of the chair, facing him. That’s what Telly wanted. He wanted me to strike him back. Then he’d have my ass on a golden platter.

Telly smiled.

I returned the gesture, ignoring the stinging in my cheek. “Thank you.”

Anger flared deep in his eyes. “You think you’re tough, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “I guess you could say that.”

“There are ways of breaking you, dear girl.” His smile increased, but it never reached his eyes. “I know you killed a pure-blood. And I know someone—another pure or the First—covered for you.”

A shiver ran down my spine, like icy fingers of panic and terror. I shoved it down, sure to revisit it later… if there was a later. I arched a brow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve already told you what happened.”

“And what you’ve told me is a lie!” He shot forward, gripping the arms of the chair. His fingers were inches from mine, lips pulled back, face red with fury. “Now tell me the truth or so help me…”

I refused to pull away like I wanted to. “I havetold you.”

A vein popped on his temple. “You are treading on dangerous ground, dear.”

“You must not have any proof,” I said softly, meeting his enraged stare. “If you did, I’d already be dead. Then again, if I were just a half-blood you wouldn’t need much proof. But to take me out, you need the Council’s permission. You know, being the precious Apollyonand all.”

Telly pushed back from the chair, turning his back to me.

I knew I needed to shut up. Taunting him was probably the stupidest thing I could do, but I couldn’t stop. Anger and fear were never a good mix for me. “What I don’t understand is how you’re so certain that I killed a pure-blood. There were obviously no witnesses to his death. No one is pointing a finger at me.” I paused, enjoying the way the muscles in his back tensed under the thin tunic. “Why would you…?”