Текст книги "Pure"

Автор книги: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Текущая страница: 15 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

CHAPTER 18

I JERKED MY HAND BACK AND IT FOLLOWED ME, AN AMBER LINE arching through the space between us. I needed to get up—get away, and put as much distance between us as possible, because this was weird as hell. “I—”

The amber cord vanished, as did the blue light. Seth fell back to the ground, letting out a ragged sigh.

“Seth? Are you okay?” I clutched my throbbing hand to my chest. Seth wasn’t moving, wasn’t talking. Fear blossomed in my chest. What if I’d killed Seth? I knew I’d said I wanted to kill him—I’d said it a lot—but I hadn’t meant it. Not really. “Seth, please say something.”

An eternity passed before his eyes opened. “That… felt wonderful.”

A sudden wave of dizziness crashed over me and my stomach dropped.

Seth’s head lolled to the side, his smile lazy and faint. “I’m pretty sure I could stop a truck with my hand right now.”

“Okay…” I took a shallow breath. “That tells me nothing. And I really want to know what happened when I touched your marks—”

Seth twisted up, rolling me onto my back in one fluid motion. Hovering above me, he used one arm to support himself. Only our legs touched, but it still felt like… well, like every part of us was still touching. “Angel, that’s like Apollyon foreplay right there.”

“For real?”

“For real.” He reached out and brushed a strand of hair off my cheek.

I swallowed. “I didn’t know that. My bad, but that’s kind of weird. Usually takes more with most guys.” I had no idea why I just said that.

Seth’s fingers trailed over my cheek, down to my chin. “Does it, Angel? Well, what does it take?”

This was probably a conversation not to have with Seth, especially when he was practically lying on top of me. “I think you of all people would know.”

His hand slipped to my neck. “I have a secret to tell you. It’s not Apollyon foreplay; I’m just messing with you. I have no clue what that was.”

“Gods, I hate you.” Flushed with embarrassment, I knocked his hand away.

Seth caught my hand and sat up, pulling me along with him. “How do you feel?”

“Fine. I’m just a little dizzy.”

He nodded. “I’ll tell you what, my skin still tingles. Man—that was one hell of a rush. I’ve never felt anything like it.” He turned my hand over, palm up. “We should try it– what the hell?” His fingers slid over my palm as he studied it, then his eyes widened. “Oh. Wow.”

“What?”

He held my hand up between us. “Look.”

I squinted at my hand. “I don’t see anything.” Sighing, he flipped my hand over, and my jaw hit the ground. A faint blue line marked the center of my palm with a smaller line through it. It would’ve looked like a cross, except the horizontal line was slanted.

“Oh. My. Gods.” I jerked my hand away, scrambling back. “I have a rune on my hand. It’s an Apollyon rune, isn’t it?”

Seth rested his hands on his knees. “I think so. I have one like that.”

“But why is it still there? Why is it there at all?” I flipped my palm over several times, shook it, but the faint blue tattoo was still there. “You can see it, right? Like right now, you can see it?”

“Yes. It hasn’t faded.” Seth leaned forward, catching my hand. “Stop shaking it like it’s a damn Etch-A-Sketch. That doesn’t make them disappear.”

I met his eyes with my own wide ones. “What makes them go away? Yours go away. They’re not there all the time. I haven’t Awakened, have I? Wait—what if I have? Need or want something, and I’ll see if I want it, too. Go ahead. Try it.”

His brows flew up. “Whoa. Alex, calm down. Take a deep breath. I mean it. Take a nice, long and deep breath.”

I inhaled and let it out slowly. “That didn’t help.”

He looked like he wanted to laugh. “Alex, stop freaking out. You haven’t Awakened. I would know, and while I do feel a somewhat different—”

“How do you feel different?”

“I feel… more charged, but you haven’t Awakened.”

I exhaled roughly. “Then what happened?”

Seth’s face softened and all traces of smugness and coldness vanished, revealing a youthful, earnest quality I’d never seen before. “I think… it’s just another product of the connection between us. Minutes before, you used the earth element—earth, Alex. That’s one of the most powerful elements. And I don’t know how you did that, but I think you were probably feeding off me. That makes sense.”

“It does?”

He nodded. “I think so. I also think that’s what happened when you touched me—by the way, why did you touch me?”

I glanced down at my mark, blushing. “I… don’t know.”

“You really don’t know why?”

I scowled. “No.”

“Whatever.” Seth didn’t sound like he believed me. “All right, this is nothing to freak out about, right?”

“Right.”

“Nothing has changed, really, and everything is okay. You following me? Everything is okay. We’re in this together.”

In that instant, he reminded me of Aiden—when I’d found out about being an Apollyon and Aiden had coached me through it. I climbed to my feet. My legs felt like rubber. “Are we done with practice?”

He stayed on his knees, lifting his head. “Yes.”

I nodded and turned away, but Seth called out to me. “Alex, I don’t think we should tell anyone about this, all right?”

“Okay.” I could agree with that. I started back to the main house, mind reeling. I looked down at my hand. I had a mark of the Apollyon already.

One that didn’t seem to fade.

During dinner, I excused myself after the first course. They did the four-course meal thing and I usually stuck around for dessert, but tonight was different. My mind was on my tingling palm.

Aiden eyed me curiously, but didn’t remark on my lack of appetite. However, I felt Seth stand and follow me out of the dining hall.

“Are you feeling okay?” asked Seth.

My gaze flicked up to his eyes. They looked abnormally bright tonight, like two mini suns burning. “Yeah, I’m just not hungry.”

He gave me a knowing look as he reached down and picked up my right hand. He turned it over. “It’s still there.”

I nodded. “I tried to wash it off earlier.”

Seth gave a startled laugh. “Oh, Alex, you can’t wash it off.”

My cheeks flushed. “Yeah, I know that now.”

He ran his thumb over the rune’s straight line, eliciting a sharp gasp from me. I felt the butterfly touch all the way to the small bones in my fingers. I yanked my hand free and backed up.

His eyes narrowed on me. “What did you feel?”

I curled my hand, covering the rune. “It just felt weird.”

Seth reached for my hand again, but I dodged him. He shot me an annoyed look. “What are you planning to do now?”

I debated on telling him it was none of his business. “I’m feeling a little keyed up. I think I’m going to work it off or something.”

He smiled. “Want me to go with you?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I need some time alone.”

Surprisingly, Seth dropped it and went back into the dining hall. I rushed upstairs and grabbed my hoodie, then took off for the training arena.

It didn’t take much for me to get worked up, swinging and kicking a dummy. Seth didn’t prefer to work with them. He was into the whole contact thing.

Go figure.

I don’t know how much time had passed as I beat the crap out of the dummy, but when I stopped, I was panting and covered in sweat. I rested my hands on my knees. The dummy swayed in front of me. Fighting had done nothing to get rid of the overall frustration of… everything.

I straightened and turned over my right hand.

The blue rune was faint but there. I stalked over to where I’d dropped my hoodie and pulled it on.

A fine shiver crept over me. Turning around, I scanned the empty training room. It was the same feeling I’d gotten the night I’d left Marcus’s office. Like a warning, telling me I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t going to ignore it.

The overhead lights flickered once and then went out, plunging the room into darkness. I wished I had super-vision or something, because I couldn’t see crap. Not even where the door was, and I really wanted to get out of this room. All my senses were screaming at me to go. Something was wrong, something wasn’t—

Air stirred behind me, lifting the damp hair at the base of my neck, caressing the skin with a lover’s touch. I whipped around, striking out into nothing but air.

My breath came out harsh, my voice pitched high. “Who’s there?”

Nothing… and then I heard, “Alexandria, listen to me.”

The words—oh, gods, the words smoothed over my skin like the richest silk. My arms fell to my sides as my eyes drifted shut. A small part of my brain that was still working recognized the compulsion, but that thought flickered out.

I felt the air stir again. A hand slipped around the nape of my neck, a soft voice

whispered in my ear. My thoughts flashed in and out until they were devoid of any meaning. Then they were filled with instructions the conscious part of me couldn’t recognize, but I would follow nonetheless.

“Okay,” I heard myself say in this dreamlike voice.

Vaguely, I was aware of the air stilling around me and the lights coming back on. I floated out of the training room. Outside, in the near frigid temperatures, maybe I’d just float right up into the night sky.

I think I’d like that.

I found myself standing at the mouth of the dark labyrinth. I was supposed to be here. My body knew that. I bent down slowly and untied my shoelaces. My fingers slipped over the knots a few times, but I finally got them and my socks off. I placed them side-by-side on the frozen ground. I pulled off my sweatshirt and folded it neatly. I placed that atop my shoes.

Then I entered the labyrinth, smiling as the cool air washed over my bare arms, still slick with sweat. I roamed aimlessly, having no clear purpose other than to keep walking until I was too tired to walk. That was what I was supposed to do—place one foot in front of the other.

It started snowing.

Beautiful, large flakes fell from the sky, landing on my arms. Each piece felt like it belonged there—like I belonged here. The grass crunched under my toes as I continued further into the maze. Snow encased my hair, sticking to my cold skin. My breath puffed out in pockets of steam, eventually slowing.

Hours must have passed, because each step became more difficult than the one before. I stumbled, hitting the hard ground on my knees and the palms of my hand. My skin looked strange beside the snow-covered ground. Blue? Not entirely blue, but like the veins under my skin were leaking, tinting my flesh with a faint violet hue.

It was so pretty.

I pushed to my feet and swayed off balance. I was tired, but I could make it a little further. I kept walking. Well, tripping really. I couldn’t feel my toes, and my skin felt pleasantly numb. Stumbling again, this time into an ice-cold statue, I slid down the marble, feeling the rougher edges pull at my skin. It should have hurt, but as I sat there, I realized I didn’t feel anything.

Somehow, I was on my back, staring up at the winged statue. He looked down upon me, arm outstretched, palm open. I willed my arm to move but it wouldn’t lift. My gaze drifted beyond the statue as I drew in a shallow breath that didn’t seem to fill my lungs. The sky was dotted with small flakes that eventually made their way down to me. My lids grew too heavy to stay open, and it was only seconds before the snow caked my lashes. I thought I heard a desolate cry in a beautiful language, but then there was nothing.

CHAPTER 19

“WHAT WAS SHE DOING OUT THERE?”

“I don’t know. I find it hard to believe she somehow mistook it for summer! Why hasn’t she woken up yet?”

The voices sounded familiar to me. My right palm burned. Everything burned actually—really freaking burned.

Someone moved something warm and heavy over me. It made my skin scream.

“She’ll be fine,” a woman said. “She just needs rest.”

“Needs rest?” That sounded like Seth, but he didn’t sound right to me. His musical voice was pitched wrong. “She was bluewhen Leon brought her in.”

Leon brought me in? From where? Why had I been blue? Blue didn’t sound good.

“The girl is lucky. A few more minutes and she would have lost a finger or four, but she is fine,” the woman said again, irritation lacing her words. “There is nothing more to be done.”

Wait? What the hell? Lose fingers?

I heard a door shut, and then the bed dipped beside me. Someone brushed my hair back off my face. Seth. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt annoyingly heavy.

“Where did she say she was going when she left dinner?”

My heart sped up, recognizing Aiden’s voice. Why couldn’t I open my eyes? And why was I so damn tired?

“She said she was going to practice,” answered Seth.

“And you let her go by herself?” That was my uncle speaking. Only he could sound so coldly displeased and yet cultured.

“I’m not her babysitter,” snapped Seth. “She didn’t want me to go with her.”

“Alex shouldn’t be roaming around here alone.” Aiden’s anger filled his voice. “Dammit, she knows better than this.”

Seth snorted.

“Even though Alex is prone to idiotic behavior, I seriously doubt she’s responsible for this one,” said Aiden.

Gee, thanks, I thought sleepily. I kind of wished they’d all shut up so I could go back to sleep. My skin didn’t burn when I slept.

“She wouldn’t go skipping through a maze dressed like it’s summer and almost die from hypothermia,” Aiden continued. “Someone did this to her.”

“You’re suggesting a compulsion?” Seth’s voice lowered. “You know pures are forbidden from using compulsions on halfs who aren’t indentured. Would one dare?”

“What do you think?” asked Aiden.

“I think I’m going to kill someone,” Seth replied casually.

Marcus sighed. “I’ll speak with Minister Telly first thing in the morning. He assured me there would be no trouble here.”

They continued on for a few moments, their voices drifting further away as I fell back into the blissful oblivion where my skin felt normal. I awoke a little while later, shivering uncontrollably. The room was quiet and dark when I opened my eyes.

I wanted to get up and grab a thermal, but my muscles didn’t want to cooperate. Whimpering, I fell back to the hard mattress and willed a nice heavy blanket to appear out of the thin air. Too bad I didn’t have any powers like that.

Suddenly, the bed shifted and a dark shadow leaned over me. If it weren’t for the bright yellow eyes, I would’ve screamed. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m c-cold,” I gasped out.

“They brought in extra blankets. You’re still cold?”

“Uh-huh.” My teeth chattered. I heard Seth sigh, and then I felt his hands sliding underneath me, rolling me onto my side. “W-what are you doing?”

“Getting you warm, since we already have every blanket known to mankind on this craptastic bed.” He pulled me back against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. “Wow, you are cold. Like a little popsicle.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “I wasn’t s-suggesting this.”

He rested his chin against the top of my head. “Do you have any better suggestions?”

“Yeah, g-go get more blankets?”

“That wouldn’t be nearly as fun as this.”

I didn’t respond to that, because truthfully, Seth was really hot. Hot in a totally platonic, body-warming way. Then his leg slipped in between mine and my eyes snapped open. “S-Seth!”

“Just making sure you are warming up. Is it working?” Seth shifted his arms under the blanket, one hand finding the curve of my hip.

I bit down on my lip. Yes, I was warming up.

“Alex?”

“Yeah?” I wiggled uncomfortably and stopped when Seth’s hand tightened on my hip.

“What were you doing in the maze tonight with half your clothes off?”

“What?” I squeaked.

“You… don’t remember?” Seth slipped his hand under the hem of my shirt. “Your stomach is ice cold.”

And his hand was really warm. I told myself that was the reason why I didn’t break his arm. “N-no, I don’t k-know what you’re talking about.”

“Okay. Do you remember talking to me after dinner?”

What a stupid question. “Yes.”

“Did you go to the training rooms?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened after that, Alex?”

“I worked with the dummy for a little while and then…” I frowned. Then what? I remembered walking over the corner and putting on my hoodie. “The lights went out.”

“In the training room?”

I nodded, still concentrating. My memories floated just out of reach, like a word lost on the tip of my tongue. “I don’t know.”

Seth stiffened. “You don’t remember anything else?”

There was a huge blank spot where nothing existed. I rolled onto my back, only making out his eyes in the darkness. “Can you fill me in on what happened?”

“I was kind of hoping you’d be able to do that, Alex. We don’t know what happened. Leon found your shoes and sweater at the beginning of the labyrinth. Obviously, that concerned him greatly. He found you in there, half-frozen.”

“What? I didn’t do that.” I reached down and placed a hand on his creeping one. It was moving a little too far north. “Well, I don’t remember doing that, and that sounds really stupid.”

Seth’s fingers curled beneath my ribs. “Do you remember talking to any pures?”

“No. I don’t remember anything after the lights going out.” I paused, feeling slightly nauseous as I picked up on Seth’s suspicions. “Do… do you think a pure used compulsion on me?”

He didn’t answer immediately. “Yes.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would a pure compel me to walk the maze? Of all the things they could compel me to do and they…” I closed my mouth. I had no idea what the pure had compelled me to do. Walking through the maze could have been just one part of it. Anything could’ve happened. I had no idea and that made me sick. Compulsion was a violation, pure and simple. It stripped a person’s free will, and their ability to say no.

It was straight out mind-rape.

But why couldn’t I remember what’d happened? I’d only been compelled once, and that had been when Aiden made me sleep the night they’d found me in the warehouse. I remembered everything about that.

“Alex?” Seth moved his hand out from underneath the blankets and cupped my face. My stomach kind of missed his hand. “Are you remembering something?”

“Do you think I was compelled to forget the compulsion? Is that even possible?”

“It is possible. A compulsion is limitless.”

I swallowed. “I had clothes on, right? Just my shoes and sweater were missing?”

“Yes,” His voice sounded strained. “I think it’s best that you don’t go anywhere without someone being with you, Alex. I know you hate that idea—”

“They sent me out to freeze to death,” I said, stunned by the realization. “I would’ve died if Leon hadn’t found me.”

“Like I said, I think it’s best that you don’t go anywhere without someone with you.”

I wanted to punch someone. I also wanted to cry. I didn’t like this helpless feeling, this not knowing. I drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “I want to know who did this.”

“We’ll find out. Trust me on that. But you need to get some rest now.”

Sleep didn’t seem like an option, but Seth rolled onto his back, bringing me along for the ride. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to protest his possessiveness. My head rested against his chest as I stared into the darkness.

Quiet as he was, I knew Seth didn’t sleep that night either.

A few hours into light practice a day later, Council Guards arrived and stated that Minister Telly wanted to see me. Clearly only my presence had been requested, but Seth refused to leave my side.

The Council session had paused for lunch, and we were led to an elaborate office inside the Council building. I’d never seen so many gold-plated things in my life. What was left of my family was present: Marcus and Lucian. They were seated on luxurious leather chairs. I decided to stand, which meant Seth stood directly behind me.

Telly gazed out a circular window, a glass of dark wine in his hand. He turned around, his pale gaze flickering past me, narrowing on Seth. “Miss Andros, I apologize for interrupting your training, but I wanted to express my sincere relief to see that you were not permanently injured due to such a misfortunate event.”

He didn’t sound sincere. “Someone used a compulsion on me,” I said. “I wouldn’t consider that a misfortunate event.”

“I would have to agree,” Lucian said. “My stepdaughter is not given to flights of fancy.”

Telly pushed away from the window, his eyes settling on my stepfather. “I would hope not, but I can assure you there is no one here who would be so audacious to use a compulsion against a guest of mine.”

“Then what are you suggesting, Minister?” asked Marcus. Today he was dressed in a navy blue suit. I’d kill to see the man in jeans.

“I am as curious as you to find out how Miss Andros ended up in that predicament,” Telly said. “I have my best Guards investigating the matter. Perhaps they will discover what truly happened.”

“You say it like I’m somehow responsible for what happened,” I said, which earned me a bland look from Telly.

“I know we are rather lax around here in regards to drinking.” Telly took a leisurely sip of his wine. “Did you have anything to drink with your dinner?”

My mouth dropped open. “I wasn’t drunk!”

“Alexandria,” Marcus’s head snapped in my direction. Turning back to the Minister, he smiled politely. “I can attest that Alexandria didn’t drink at dinner.”

“Hmm? What about afterwards?” asked Telly.

“I spoke with her afterwards and she went straight to the training arena.” Seth’s annoyance with the whole thing radiated from him.

Telly’s brows rose. “You’d cover for her, would you not? Since she is yours and your fates are so intricately tied together?”

“I’m not—”

“Are you calling me a liar?” Seth cut me off, his annoyance flipping right into fury.

Lucian stood, smoothing his robes. “Minister Telly, I trust you are taking this event seriously. If not, I cannot agree to keeping Alexandria here.”

“She must give her statement at Council.”

“She also must be kept safe and that is the priority,” replied Lucian. “Not her statement.”

Telly took another drink, his pale gaze falling back to Seth and me. “Of course I take her safety very seriously. After all, she is such a rarity, and we would not want anything to happen to the Council’s precious Apollyon.”

“ The Council’s precious Apollyon,” I spat, swinging out harder than I probably should. They hadn’t been Seth’s words, but he was the only target I had. He barely dodged me. “This ‘precious Apollyon’ is going to shove her foot so far up his—”

Seth caught my fist. “Alex, if you don’t take it down a notch we’re going to stop. I don’t know why I agreed to spar with you when you’re in this kind of mood.”

Stepping back, I wiped my forearm across my forehead. “I loathe the way he speaks, the way he looks at us like he wished he could zap us into oblivion.”

“And you shouldn’t be practicing this hard,” Seth continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “You were an ice cube not too long ago. You need to take it easy.”

“Stop babying me. I feel great.” That wasn’t a lie, even though the chilly air whipping through the clearing made me feel a little icky.

Seth sighed. He was getting really good at the sighing thing. This one said I don’t know what to do you with sometimes.

“And he hates half-bloods. Did you know that?” I continued, lashing out with a fierce back kick. Seth deflected that. “Aiden told me so. Did you also know that he’d like to see all half-bloods enslaved? Even Lucian thinks he’d like to see things go back to the old way. Jerk-off, stupid mother—”

Seth caught my shoulders, giving me a little shake. “Okay. I get it. You hate Telly. Guess what, everyone does, but he controls the entire Council, Alex.”

I was breathing heavily, sucking in cold air. “I know that!”

He smiled. “With him controlling the Council, nothing will change. The Breed Order will remain the same. If anything, the lives of half-bloods will get worse.”

“Oh, well, that makes me feel so much better. Thanks.”

“But—but listen to me, Alex.” A look of eagerness crept over his face. “When you Awaken, we can change the Council. We have supporters, Alex. People who would surprise you.” He brushed a strand of hair off my check.

I swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch me. I don’t need any more never-fading-magical-runes to appear.”

Seth dropped his hands, grinning. “Still hasn’t faded?”

I shoved my hand in his face. “Still there?”

“Yep.”

“You don’t have to sound so happy about it.” I dipped around him, stopping. We had company.

Cross, Will, and Boobs stood at the edge of the field. Will held a small cooler in his hand. “We thought you guys could use some drinks since you missed the party.”

Seth fell into an easy banter with them while I fiddled with the string on my pants. “Drinks” consisted of cheap wine coolers that Caleb would’ve laughed at, but I was so thirsty I wasn’t complaining. Once Seth shut up long enough to allow someone else to talk, Will began drilling me about the daimon battles I’d taken part in. Cross watched on with this sort of hero-worship look on his face, which was so different from the ones sent my way in North Carolina. None of them here knew the whole story surrounding my rise to fame—or the crash and burn I’d taken on my way down. I wanted to keep it that way. I relaxed on the rock eventually, sipping my drink while I answered their questions.

“So how many times were you tagged?” asked Cross, two wine coolers in hand.

Will turned to his friend slowly. “Dude, that’s not a question you ask someone. You fail.”

I froze. Unintentionally, I had exposed my neck by flipping my hair back. Flushing, I tipped my head so my hair fell forward in a heavy curtain. Seth, who’d been in a deep conversation with Boobs—probably about himself—pulled his head out of gods know where, and twisted around to us.

Cross grimaced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… offend you. It’s just that I think it’s awesome that you fought daimons and survived. Not that you were tagged, of course. That’s not awesome. That’s pretty messed up.”

Will rolled his eyes, groaning. “Just shut up, Cross.”

“No. It’s okay.” I cleared my throat, deciding if I didn’t make a big deal about it then none of them would. “I don’t know how many times. A couple, I guess.”

Cross looked relieved, but then Seth stood, and Cross shifted further back. I watched him stride between us and stop, blocking both Cross and Will as he faced me. I had no idea what he was doing, but what came out of his mouth wasn’t even on the possibility list.

“Dance with me.”

I stared up at him. “What?”

Seth bowed gracefully, extending one arm to me. “Dance with me, please?”

“Why do you want to dance in the middle of a field, Seth?”

“Why not?” He wiggled his fingers. “Dance with me, pretty please.”

“With sugar on top,” Will added, chuckling.

Seth’s grin grew to epic proportions. “Dance with me, Alexandria.”

Over his shoulder, I spotted Boobs eyeing the whole thing with a pouty, displeased look. I don’t know if that made me take Seth’s hand or the fact he was embarrassing the hell out of me. Seth yanked me to my feet, keeping my one arm outstretched while placing my other around his back.

Then he started waltzing around the field—with no music.

It was so ridiculous that I had laugh. We rounded a boulder, tripping over the uneven ground. Seth knew how to dance—really dance—like the kind people did in ballrooms. With one arm, he spun me out from him.

I giggled. “Did you pick this up from watching Dancing with the Stars?”

“You mock me.” Seth spun me so my back was against his chest. “You wound my sensibilities when I’m trying to help you.”

“Help me with what?”

Seth twirled me around. “You need to know how to dance without a pole if you’re going to the ball.”

I smacked him on the chest. “I don’t dance like a stripper and I’m not going to that stupid ball.”

He didn’t respond. Grinning, he slipped his hand up my back and dipped me over his arm. I laughed and let my head fall back. I could see Boobs on her rock. Very

slowly, when she was sure she had Seth’s attention in that nanosecond he had me bent backward, she licked her lips.

Seth dropped me.

Much later, after the sun had fallen and we were covered in mud, Seth and I slipped past the dining hall. Trying not to bring attention to ourselves, we moved as quietly as possible.

I rubbed my aching rear and caught Seth watching me. “Your fault,” I whispered.

“You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

“You dropped me on my butt.”

He tipped his head back, laughing softly. “I blame the wine coolers.”

“I blame Boobs.”

Grinning madly, Seth grabbed my hand and hurried me down the hall. We passed several quiet rooms, and then we heard Marcus, loud and clear. “I have no idea if Lucian is planning anything!”

We stopped and looked at each other.

“Are you not close with him?” I heard Telly ask.

“Lucian keeps a lot secret, just like every one of you does,” Marcus responded angrily.

Seth pulled me under the stoop beside the room Marcus and Telly occupied, pressing me against the wall. He didn’t have to get thatclose. “Come on, Seth. Back—”

“Shh.” He tipped his head toward mine, strands of his hair swept against my cheeks. “This feels naughty.”

I shot him a dirty look.

“I know he’s up to something!” said Telly. “He thinks he can control him, but he is foolish for believing so.”

Seth straightened an inch, a slight frown pulling at his lips.

“Even Lucian is not that foolish,” Marcus responded.

Telly made a disgusted sound. “It is my job as a Minister to protect them—my duty! If you know something—”

“I know nothing of the sort!” Marcus slapped something down. “You are being paranoid, Minister.”

“You call it being paranoid, and I call it planning for the future. There are certain precautions we could take—just in case. Ways to ensure that they are never threatened.”

I wondered what they were talking about. Seth also had a puzzled look on his face, which almost made me giggle. Maybe the wine coolers were still in my system. He must’ve felt the laugh bubbling up in me, because he looked down at me and smiled.

“What are you suggesting, Minister?”

“There are ways of eliminating the threat—ways in which no one is harmed. Some of the Council members agree that it may be best to do so.”

When Marcus spoke next, his words were cold and flat. “Has the Council already acted on this?”

Telly scoffed. “What are you insinuating, Marcus?”

There was a stretch of silence. “And how would you eliminate the threat, pray tell?”

The tension that followed Marcus’s question was so thick I could feel it. “We already have one here,” replied Telly. “Why not keep them both here?”