Текст книги "Sunburst"

Автор книги: Rachel Higginson

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

Chapter Six

My body was on fire. And I was surrounded in darkness. This had to be Hell. It had to be.

I felt my mouth work, trying to let lose a scream of suffering, but my throat was too rough and sore to allow that to happen. Instead, I heard the pathetic whimper that fell from my lips and into the void of pain beyond me.

That’s all I felt– all I knew. Pain. And more pain.

It felt infinite. It consumed me. There wasn’t a part of my body that remained quiet; every molecule, blood vessel, bone and organ screamed with misery. Tears followed the agonizing pain– tracking down my face, leaving wet trails that pooled in my neck and shoulders.

And then nothing. I sank back into the black void of no feeling, no pain, and no thoughts. Just….. nothing.

–

The next time I found consciousness again, I was able to open my eyes and realize I wasn’t in Hell after all. I was in my bedroom, in my bed and under my own covers.

My eyelids felt too heavy to open, but I forced them up so I could see for myself that I was home. I didn’t know how I got here, or how I did not die, but I didn’t care at this point.

I started crying again, but this time it wasn’t from pain. It was from relief, relief that I wasn’t dead, relief that I wasn’t still in that unnamed desert with an enemy sword at my throat, relief that I wasn’t burning in Hell.

I was home.

“Hey, hey,” Seth whispered softly when the first tear dropped to my cheek. “Are you still in a lot of pain?”

I shook my head, drinking him and his perfection in. Although he didn’t look very perfect right now, he was to me. He couldn’t have been more perfect. His hair was a mess, tussled and wild like he had been pulling his hands through it for days– and maybe he had been. His jaw had a solid day’s growth of facial hair. It wasn’t as thick as I imagined it would be one day when he was a full-grown man, but it was just scruffy enough to highlight his sharp jawline and high cheekbones. His clothes were wrinkled and stretched out. His hands were trembling, actually shaking as he observed me from the end of my bed.

“You’re here,” I whispered through the still falling tears.

“I’m here,” he promised.

He stood up and moved down so that he was sitting near my hip. He carefully, and gently lowered his body so not to jostle the mattress. He reached forward like he would take my hand, and thought better of it, pulling his hand back and running it through his messy hair again. His eyes were so golden, so deep with emotion that they appeared like separate living entities that just happened to be attached to him.

I took the initiative and grabbed his hand with my now healed, formerly broken one, as soon as his dropped down from his head. He looked down where our fingers tangled together and cleared his throat. I imagined the emotion clogging it.

“Your hand is alright?” he asked carefully.

I wiggled around in bed and found that not just my hand, but my hips, my legs, my severed spine, my broken neck, my split-open head…. everything was fine…. everything was healed. I was still stiff and sore, but I would be fine by tomorrow.

“Not just my hand, most of me is alright, I think.” My voice was course sand paper; but I didn’t know if that was from the unconsciousness or because it was still healing.

Palpable relief washed over Seth and he dropped his head back, looking up at the ceiling. His hand squeezed mine tighter and trembled harder, as if he were having trouble composing himself.

“That was scary, Stella,” he finally admitted when his amber eyes met mine again.

“I know.”

“If I hadn’t gotten there when I did…”

“I know,” I cut him off before he could say the words that would make everything way too real. “But you did get there. You saved me.”

Seth leaned forward so that our foreheads just barely pressed together and closed his eyes. He inhaled through his nose and whispered something in a language I didn’t understand– in the language of Heaven. I forgot he could speak it.

“What was that? What did you say?”

Instead of answering me, he let his nose trail down my temple and then he placed a sweet kiss on my cheek, lingering as he tasted my skin and tears. My heart hammered in my beaten chest, and even though I didn’t know exactly what he said, I felt his words; I felt his secret words all the way to my soul.

The door opened and my parents walked in, both looking worse for wear. My dad appeared haggard and my mother looked sickly. As Seth moved out of the way, they immediately surrounded me. My mom pulled me into her arms and I felt her shake with relief as she held me tightly to her.

My dad enveloped us both in his massive strength.

My parents were capable Warriors. At one time they led legions of Angels to protect planets. They would never have allowed themselves to be caught off guard like I did; they never would have been taken by surprise.

I felt so inadequate, so unprepared for this task I expected to take. How could I become the Protector of Earth when I couldn’t even protect myself? It had taken nothing for Seven to confront me and even less for Saul to practically take my head. I wasn’t up for this.

I wanted to believe it was because I was still so young, still without most of my powers.

But look at Seth– he overcame Saul in three seconds flat.

“Tell us what happened,” my mom commanded gently. She pulled away so she could look in my eyes, but kept her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes were glossy and her face puffy from crying, I guessed.

Jupiter walked quietly in the door, followed by Serena and Nate, the temporary Protector and her Warrior. They all found seats on the floor or at my desk.

I was embarrassed to “host” this meeting in my bedroom, and sure that I looked like a monster who had been out for who knew how long.

That was actually my first question. I had to find out before I could relive my nightmare.

“How long was I unconscious?” I asked, my voice still gravelly.

“Three days,” my dad answered in a whisper. “You were in and out some, but mostly unconscious. It’s Sunday.”

“Three days,” I repeated in a stunned whisper. “But I’m alright? No missing important parts?” Soccer practice had been on Thursday.

“Everything seems to be there,” my mother answered with the faintest hint of a smile. “Does everything feel alright?”

“I think so,” I nodded slowly, testing my neck and head. “I’m still pretty sore, but I haven’t found something I can’t move yet.”

“That’s good, Sweat Pea,” my dad smiled at me, genuinely this time.

The whole atmosphere began to relax as I seemed more and more Ok to everyone.

Well, except for Seth….. he seemed to get more and more wound up, the wider awake I became. I knew he was blaming himself, but he didn’t need to feel any guilt and I couldn’t wait to explain that to him.

“So, tell us what happened, Stel,” Jupiter demanded in the most polite voice I’d ever heard him use. Also… he’d never called me by a nickname before either. It was freaking me out almost more than my near life or death situation.

I struggled to sit up straighter and meet all of the concerned stares. But eventually my eyes fell on Seth, who was the most emotional of us all. His golden gaze bore through me, hot and desperate for…. something.

“I was at soccer. Coach sent me to the equipment shed for practice jerseys and when I opened the shed probably a hundred Shadows flew out of it. They didn’t attack me, they just kind of…. cornered me. I didn’t have any weapons and there were so many people around the corner that I didn’t think I should…”

“Stella, no one blames you for what happened. You don’t have to defend your actions. We just want to understand the chain of events.” My dad’s voice was gentle, but firm. The rich, melodic sound soothed my frayed nerves.

“Alright,” I agreed. I swallowed against the scratchy dryness of my throat and pushed on. “So, they ended up on the roof of the shed and then Seven appeared.” My eyes darted to Seth’s and I watched his face become a mask of obscurity; he wasn’t going to let me read him. He was hiding whatever he felt from me, and that stung. I knew he cared and would be as honest with me as he could, but I saw that he had secrets, things he wouldn’t share with me no matter how close we got. “She wasn’t alone. Saul and another one of the Fallen were there. I guess they were her backup? But maybe, now that I look back, they might have also been her babysitters too. Because she, I don’t know, she seemed…. off. Even for her.”

Jupiter chuckled at that and then mumbled something in a different language. I couldn’t speak Jupiter-ese but it sounded like a string of curses. However, he could have been reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for all I knew.

I continued, “She threatened me; we had words. I was preparing to fight her. I don’t know why I hadn’t yet. I think I thought she would reveal something? She seemed so unstable, I just kept waiting for her to fall apart. She slapped me, but that was it. And then Aliah showed up.

I can’t tell you if the whole thing was planned or not. I don’t know if Aliah sent Seven or if he came to collect her; it could have easily been either scenario. He took Seven back, though, and then gave Saul and the other guy a kill order. That’s when I took off. I tried to get away, or at least as far away from humans as possible. And Saul met me in the air. When we landed it was just him and me. I don’t know what happened to Aliah, Seven or that other guy. The last thing I remember is Seth, Seth saving me.”

Silence fell around us and tension filled the room. There were so many unanswered questions floating around. I didn’t think anyone knew where to begin or how to start.

“Did Seven seem scared?” asked Seth.

And along with my hurting muscles, my chest pain increased tenfold after his careful question. His voice was broken and hollow; he wasn’t even trying to hide his pain anymore.

“Yes,” I whispered. “And confused. But then she would switch, and she would be completely Fallen. The only time she seemed at all consistent was when Aliah was there, but it wasn’t a good kind of consistent. She was so… fragile around him. He has her mind so twisted up, Seth, I’m not sure she knows up from down– not really.”

Seth ran two hands roughly over his face and turned to stare out the window. He hated his sister, but at the same time he loved her. How could he not?

Sure, she was a deranged psychopath, but she was still his sister.

And Aliah was basically his uncle.

Ugh. Seth. My heart just continued to splinter for him and all this frustrating trauma.

“Aliah wanted you dead?” Jupiter changed the subject. “It was a direct order?”

“Yes,” I nodded. I forced my fear and panic to shut down and focused on answering the questions. I became clinical. I had to. If I didn’t shut off my emotions, this hysteria would swallow me. Never before had I felt so helpless. “He wanted me dead. I’m actually kind of amazed he hasn’t come after me sooner.”

“Well, he’s been busy,” Nate sighed. He sounded tired.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s causing problems everywhere, Stella,” Serena explained. She ran a hand through her fiery orange hair and looked up at me from the floor. She was ethereal, even as she stretched out in a mess of my dirty clothes and school papers. Her long limbs were elegant and willowy, and her warrior’s frame seemed too big for my small room. She continued, “We’ve almost called in reinforcements several times. He’s hitting us everywhere. They have more forces here than they’ve ever had.”

“But how?” My eyes darted back between Serena, Jupiter and my parents. How could they have kept this from me?

“Earth is the last living planet,” Serena shrugged. “They don’t have to spread out their armies anymore. They can send them all here.”

“But how are they getting through?” I demanded. “We don’t have to spread out our army either. They shouldn’t be able to get on the planet!” I was adamant and exhausted. This fight would never end. I knew that, but why did it have to start so early? Why couldn’t they have waited until I was better prepared?

Although, obviously I knew why they hadn’t waited.

“We’re not exactly sure,” Jupiter said carefully but I read the text that wasn’t spoken aloud.

“The Council?” I demanded to know. “Do you think it’s the traitor in the Council?”

There was a heavy silence as my blunt question was digested. Stars and Angels didn’t just talk about the Council of Elders this way. They were treated with absolute respect and their authority was basically unquestioned law. To suspect there was a traitor in their midst was the most serious allegation one could bring, and to talk about it flippantly was not acceptable. If an accusation was made and turned out to be false, the accuser would be stripped of his title and job, and returned to the lowest level of Heaven for the rest of his days. Not exactly the worst punishment in the world, except if you were a born fighter. You could easily go crazy by being taken out of the field, or worse, become Fallen.

“Yes, we think so,” Nate admitted quietly.

“So what are you going to do? How are you going to approach the Council, if the traitor is already apart of them?”

“We’re not,” Serena answered quietly. “At least not yet. We’re going to focus on destroying Aliah. And then we will decide from there. Right now he’s our biggest threat. And chances are the name of the traitor has not been uttered outside of Aliah’s head. A conspiracy this big would take an incredible amount of silence. If we could take out Aliah, then all we would have to do is wait. The defector will make a move at some point. We wait for him to out himself and then we trap him. But Aliah comes first.”

“And with him, Seven,” Seth announced. I couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question and apparently nobody else could either, because nobody answered him.

“So you’re hunting Aliah?” I asked in an effort to change the subject.

“Yes,” Serena confirmed. “Now, more than ever.”

“And as soon as you’re ready we will use you and Seth as backup. The more we have on our side the better,” Nate explained.

“Good,” I agreed.

“And we’re not going to leave you alone at practices or games anymore. Someone will always be with you,” my dad informed me. “We won’t let that happen again.” Seth started to say something but my dad cut him off. “Son, it’s not your fault. There is something going on, something that keeps us from hearing or feeling each other. So we’re going to take away the risk of being caught alone.”

I hated the idea of being followed around by anyone other than Seth. But I understood the need, especially after almost losing my head thing.

“What did you tell the school?” I asked out of pure curiosity. I knew my parents would only lie in an extreme case, but this kind of seemed like an extreme case to me. And it wasn’t like they could exactly tell the truth about why I had suddenly disappeared.

“We said you got suddenly sick, and called your dad to pick you up,” my mom admitted. “You’ve been absent the last two days because you’re not over it.”

“Your coach was really worried about you,” my dad took over. “She called after you didn’t return to practice and your mom came up with the story then.”

“Did you know something was wrong?” I asked in a small voice.

“Seth did,” my dad confirmed, turning to look at Seth with as much pride as he was capable. “From what it sounds like, he knew right away. The bond is very strong between you two.”

“I didn’t know until you were airborne,” Seth corrected him. “I didn’t feel the danger until right before I saw you.”

“Is that going to be a problem?” I asked quickly. “I was burning pretty bright.”

“It might be,” Jupiter answered. His dull red eyes seemed dimmer today, more so than usual. He ran a hand over his gray hair and leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. “The government might stop by to check things out. Although the phenomenon in the New Mexico desert will have them over there too.”

“Is that where we landed?”

“Yep.”

“How did you find us there?” I turned my attention back to Seth.

“I felt you. I followed you. They won’t ever take you from me.”

My breath caught in my throat and my bones felt gooey. I believed him. He was the reason I was still alive, the reason I was still able to walk and move. I knew without a doubt that he would never let this happen again.

He would always take care of me.

“Thank you,” I said with watery eyes. I couldn’t see straight through the tears clouding my vision. Seth was just a big, blurry figure in my line of sight. I blinked once and two tears fell from both eyes. He came into focus then. His jaw had hardened tightly with tension but his eyes had softened into infinite emotion.

“Always, Stella,” Seth promised.

My mom patted my knee and stood up. My father followed her and then everybody else.

“We should probably let her rest some more,” my mom suggested, but it definitely felt more like a command.

“Feel better, Stella,” Nate tapped my toe and then took Serena’s hand. She gave me a small, encouraging smile and then they disappeared with Jupiter on their heels.

“Come on, Seth,” my dad called from the doorway. “You’ve seen she’s alright, now let her sleep.”

Seth walked over to me, ignoring my dad, a gesture that seemed very brave to me. He stopped by my side and bent down to place another sweet kiss on my cheek. With his lips lingering on my skin he promised, “I’ll be back later.”

And then he followed after my parents, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I had been filled with fear and paranoia lately. And after everything I went through I should probably be feeling it even more. But I didn’t.

Not with Seth nearby.

If anything, I felt more protected than ever. A feeling of safety and security unlike I’d ever known filled me, and I knew it was all because of Seth– all because of what he would risk to keep me alive.

And it was then that I felt myself fall just a little bit deeper in love with him.

Chapter Seven

“So you’re not coming to school again?” Piper whined into the phone. It was currently not even seven in the morning yet, and Piper had finally gotten ahold of me after more than three days of radio silence.

“Nope,” I tried my best to sound sick, although it wasn’t too hard since my voice was still scratchy from getting punted in the throat. “I’m still quarantined.”

“This is the worst week of my life,” Piper groaned. “First you miss couple’s night, then you miss the big party. I didn’t see you all weekend! And now you’re staying home again. You’re ruining my life!”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “If it makes you feel any better, I’m not doing it on purpose.” I let out a weak cough, just for good measure, but I hated lying to Piper.

“I don’t ever remember you being this sick before, Stella,” she pointed out. And I cringed and waited for it. “In fact, I don’t ever remember you being sick, ever! You’re like some freak of healthy nature. You don’t even get colds.”

“Yes, I do!” I defended myself, even though she was right. “And maybe I’m so sick because I’ve never been sick before. It’s all caught up with me or something. I feel like I almost died.”

Not a lie.

A strong arm reached up and pulled me into him. I had a serious feeling of déjà vu with a boy in my bed and Piper on the phone, but I ignored it. This boy was allowed to be here.

And he hadn’t touched me all night.

He had been annoyingly chivalrous. He slept on top of the covers, and I slept underneath. He held my hand for a while, but otherwise I remained untouched. He was partly afraid of hurting me again.

And I had a feeling he was trying to respect my parents, even though he had snuck into my room through my window and they didn’t know he was here…. Still, I admired his integrity.

Kind of.

Ok, not really. I mostly found it obnoxious. But at least, I wasn’t suffering from conflicting feelings at the moment.

Ahem.

“Whatever,” Piper continued her complaining. “I’m stopping by later. I’ll bring you soup or something.”

“Bring me my homework too, please,” I asked sweetly. Seth tucked me in closer to him and mumbled something into my neck.

“You’re such a nerd,” she giggled. “Feel better soon. And I mean that. Tristan has been a little biotch without you here to balance out his testosterone with your magic female ways. Hurry back to me!”

“Play nice, Pi,” I giggled. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Bye, babe.”

I tapped to end the call and then tossed my phone on my nightstand. I snuggled back into Seth and lay like that for a few minutes. He was so perfectly comfortable and I had wanted to do this all night.

This was probably becoming a bad habit between us, but that was fine with me.

“Mmm, Stella, I’m going to miss this,” he whispered with hot breath against my back.

Apparently, Seth thought this was becoming a bad habit too.

“But it’s so nice,” I pouted, not wanting him to give this up.

“You like this?” he sounded surprised and sleepy– it was my new favorite sound.

“I do like this,” I confirmed. “I like you, Seth.”

“I know you like me,” he turned me so that I was laying on my back looking up at him. He had one arm under my neck and one holding my waist across my stomach. He was looking down at me with full lips and slightly puffy eyes and I felt myself fall just a little bit more in love with him. And then he said, “I want you to more than like me.”

“I want to, too,” I heard myself say.

His beautiful mouth broke out into an adorable grin and he nuzzled his nose along my jawline. “Don’t give up on me, Stella. You need to know that my feelings for you are running my life right now. I know you need time to come to terms with your feelings for me, but I did that the moment I met you. You’re everything to me.”

His voice was rumbling and deep, rough gravel. I knew what he was saying was true because I saw it in his eyes, felt it in his touch, and heard it in the delicious sound of his voice. He was confessing all this to me and it felt like there was a purpose to it, but I couldn’t figure out what it was exactly.

“I won’t give up on you, Seth,” I promised. I reached up and held his jaw, loving the scruffy feeling of his morning growth in my hands. I let my nails scratch over the short hairs, worshipping the spiky feel on the pads of my fingers.

“Promise me, Stella,” he demanded firmly.

“I promise.” My voice was only a whisper because it was weighed down with true emotion. There was something so intense in his eyes, something so infinite. He was asking me something simple, but it felt endlessly more complex. And there was this puzzle he was setting out for me, but I couldn’t piece it together. My thoughts were still foggy and slow this morning and the answer was just out of my reach.

“I also promise that I’m going to do this again, soon. And properly.” He smiled down at me but I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. I scrunched my eyebrows at him and frowned, but he just shook his head at me. “You’re so beautiful, Stella. And if I do this right, we can do this,” he waved a finger back and forth between us, “for the rest of our lives.”

His words set my heart thudding loudly in my chest. My stomach erupted in heated tingles and I could barely comprehend his words. The one thing I did know though was that for the first time, when Seth talked about our entwined future, it didn’t terrify me.

He leaned down and I sucked in a breath and held it, too afraid to move or do anything that would stop him from what he was about to do. My eyes fluttered closed instinctively, and I felt Seth’s lips brush across mine. Once, twice, and then he pressed his mouth against mine and held me there in a lingering kiss. He kept the kiss sweet and innocent, making me melt under the drugging sensation of his consuming affection.

Seth had been my first kiss. And while this was technically only my second, it felt so much more like an epiphany. Like instead of a kiss, this was a brand. Instead of an innocent gesture, he was claiming me for himself.

My feelings for Seth were real. And if I’d let them breathe every once in a while instead of burying them deep in the earth where they were likely to suffocate and die, I could feel just how happy this man would make me.

He pulled back and I regretted the space between us immediately. His eyes were warm, thick honey and his skin had a beautiful glow to it. He kissed my cheek and then said again, “You’re not going to give up on me.”

“I’m not going to give up on you,” I echoed, meaning it fully.

His expression darkened immediately and he pushed up into sitting. He stared at me for what seemed like an eternity of something secret, something I wasn’t allowed to feel yet and then he said, “I hate to leave you.”

“Then don’t,” I shrugged. “Play hooky with me and we’ll watch movies all day. My parents won’t care. And we already know how Jupiter feels about school.”

“Rain check?” he asked instead of agreeing to my awesome plan.

“Fine,” I groaned. “But I’m way better than high school.”

He chuckled and nodded his head, “That is very true.”

“So you’ll stay?” I asked hopefully.

“You know it kills me to leave you when you’re so anxious to spend time with me,” his smile turned sad. “But I have to go this time.”

“Fine,” I sighed. “Go, leave, betray me.”

“It’s nice to have your permission,” he teased, but there was something dark in his tone that caught my attention. “I’ll see you soon, alright?”

“Alright,” I agreed.

“Bye, Stella,” he whispered when he was standing near the window.

“Bye, Seth,” I matched his desolate tone and waved at him.

I watched him leave and close my window behind him. I stared at the window for a long time after he was gone. I wasn’t really sore anymore; my body had done a great job of healing itself, but I couldn’t bring myself to get up and walk to the window or even leave the bed. A heavy depression had settled over me and I felt inexplicably sad that Seth had left. I wanted to blame it on my intensifying feelings for him, but it was something more than that– something I couldn’t even explain yet.

I allowed fatigue to settle over me again, and because I didn’t have anything else to do, I went back to sleep.

I had weird dreams. Well, I’d been having annoying nightmares ever since the attack, but this time, in my place, the nightmare centered on Seth. He took my place, and I stood in a weird limbo watching it happen in front of me, unable to intervene or stop him from getting hurt.

I saw him near the equipment shed in deep conversation with his sister. But he didn’t look right. His skin was ghostly white, and his eyes were black and blue with fatigue. He was gaunt and sickly, a shadow of himself. I watched as Seven whispered lie after lie into his bleeding ears. And even though I couldn’t make out what she was telling him, I knew it was bad; I knew it would change him forever.

Then Aliah showed up, and didn’t just bring two henchmen with him, but thousands and thousands of Fallen. They surrounded him until I couldn’t see him anymore, until all I could do was listen for the strangled call of my name– pleading for help. But it never came. He was swallowed up by all that evil, into the depths of Hell and he seemed to go…. willingly.

And then we were back in that desert. Only instead of me propped up into sitting, waiting for the blow of the sword, it was Seth. And while he looked as calm and laid-back as ever, I was scrambling to find a weapon to protect him. But when I’d finally located a suitable blade it was too heavy for me to pick up. I tried dragging it over so I could stop Saul from swinging his sword, but I couldn’t make it budge. Finally, I gave up and attacked Saul with my bare hands. I clawed and scratched at his face; I bit his shoulder like a savage cannibal and I ripped his skin and muscles from his bones. Finally Saul fell to his knees, and then to his face as he bled out all over the dry, cracked desert floor. I kicked him, so that he rolled over, suddenly feeling like something was very wrong.

Instead of Saul’s intimidating features, it was Seth’s hollow eyes that looked back at me, dead, lifeless, vacant.

I woke up screaming in bed, ripping the blankets off me, desperate to get the blood off my hands.

My parents came running into the room, panicked and slightly afraid of my hysteria.

I eventually calmed down and focused on my breathing evenly, but it was too late.

The realization settled over me as the panic ebbed away. I was too late. The knowledge was so concrete and right inside me that my soul felt sick with awareness. He was my other half, my Counterpart. I could feel his emotions when we were together, I could find him anywhere on Earth if I needed to. If he wanted me to. But he didn’t.

Our connection was severed– completely.

Seth was gone.

And not just for the day.

Seth had left me for Seven.

For Aliah.

–

“I’ve looked everywhere for him,” I walked back in the kitchen door and slunk down into a chair around the table. “He’s gone. I feel that he’s gone.”

Serena and Nate were still out canvasing the sky for him while Jupiter sat at the table with his face buried in his hands. My revelation that Seth had disappeared was first met with disbelief and denial. But at my prompting, we all split up to find him.

And, no surprise to me, he was nowhere to be found.

A note had been left for Jupiter on their refrigerator but all it said was, “Trust me.”

Jupiter apparently did not trust Seth because he pretty much lost his mind after the first few hours when Seth couldn’t be found. The school had called and asked where Seth was, and Jupiter had given them the sick excuse.

This would get messy now that Seth was enrolled in school.

If Seth was truly gone, we would have to go through the steps of filing a police report for a missing kid, or make up some story about why he would just suddenly disappear.

And that was on top of trying to process the idea that Seth would leave us– leave me. I couldn’t comprehend why or what he thought he could accomplish.

If Seth was hunting Aliah himself, they would kill him. As strong as Seth was, he was no match for all of Aliah’s men.

And if he wasn’t trying to kill Aliah…. then what was he doing? Joining them?

That thought was inconceivable to me. It was an entire idea I could not wrap my head around.