Apollyon

her eyes.

I flinched as my suspicions were confirmed, and I wanted to make him feel better. I’m sure she didn’t hate you. She—

She hated me. His sharp reply was like being doused with ice water. I was a constant reminder of her shame. She’d gotten a taste of the forbidden fruit, and then regretted it. Halfs and pures were forbidden to mingle. Only recently had I discovered this was because the offspring of a male half and female pure made the Apollyon.

When he spoke again, his voice was soft like a down blanket. She was nothing like your mother, Angel. There was no great love affair. She used to tell me the only reason why she’d kept me was because a god had visited her after my birth. The most beautiful man she’d ever seen, or so she said. That god told her that she must protect me at all costs, that I would become a great power one day.

As he talked, I recalled the glimpses of Seth’s past that I’d seen when I’d Awakened. Of Seth as a small child, all golden skin and blond curls, playing by a creek or hunched over a toy in a large room stuffed with uncomfortable looking furniture. He was always alone. Nights when he’d awoken crying from a bad dream and no one would come to comfort him. Days when the only person he saw was a nanny who was just as uncaring as his mother. He’d never met his father. To this day, he didn’t even know his name.

My heart wept for him.

Then at age eight, he was brought before the Council to determine if he would enter the Covenant. His experience was nothing like mine. There was no poking or pinching. He didn’t kick a Minister. They had taken one look at him and seemed to know what he would become.

It was the eyes.

The tawny, amber eyes that held wisdom that belonged to no child—eyes of an Apollyon.

Things got better for him once he was sent to the Covenant in England, and then to the one in Nashville. So odd that we’d been so close to one another for so many years and had never crossed paths.

But something was off. When I’d Awakened, I’d learned all of what the previous Apollyons had discovered during their lifetimes, like being plugged into a computer and booting up. And none of them had been born with the eyes of the Apollyon. All of their eyes had become golden after they’d Awakened.

My Seth had been different.

But right now, that raw hurting in his chest was eating at him. Where were you born? I asked, hoping to take the topic away from his mother. You’ve never told me.

He laughed and I smiled. Happy Seth was a better Seth. You won’t believe this, but you know how Fate loves to mess with people?

Boy, did I ever know that.

I was born on the island of Andros.

A shiver danced down my spine. How… ironic. No large leap of faith to consider that my ancestors had also hailed from that island, since many took the name of where they were born. Or, in some cases, the islands were named after the founding families.

Either way, that was ironic. And something gag-worthy surfaced. Andros was a whopping 147 square miles. You don’t think we’re related?

What? Seth burst into laughter. No.

How can you be so sure? Because if we’re pulling a Luke and Leia, I’m going to barf.

My family isn’t linked to yours in any way. Besides, your lineage is to Apollo.

And who is yours? There was no answer, only a wealth of arrogant silence. Why do you keep that from me?

Seth sighed. I will tell you when we’re together. I’ll show you everything, Angel. And all the questions you have, you’ll have your answers. 

CHAPTER 4

After lunch was served the following day, I roamed my cell alone. Something was going on upstairs—doors opening and slamming shut, pounding feet, and happy shouts.

Curious, I went to the bars and strained to hear more. The conversation was too muffled to make heads or tails of who it was, but someone had arrived. And it wasn’t a god. I would know it if it were. Their essence was strong, something I could feel inside me.

Touching the bars, I measured the response. The blue shimmer was fading. Take that, Seth. Did that mean the mark above would also fade without a booster? Good gods, I hoped so. I searched for the cord, wanting to tell him about the new development. Seth was there but not talkative. He was with Lucian, at least that much I got. Whatever was being discussed was muted to me.

Immediate dislike rose in response to Lucian’s presence. I’d obviously have to get over it, but it was going to be difficult. I would never be a fan of my stepfather.

Unhooking from the connection, I wondered what Aiden was doing. He usually spent a great part of his day sitting in that folding chair, brooding at me.

You’ve given me the hope I need.

Hope for what? A “happily ever after” for us?

I found myself in the tiny white bathroom, staring into the sucky plastic mirror above the sink. The thing was practically cemented into the wall, lightweight plastic so I couldn’t fashion it into some kind of weapon.

Leaning against the sink, I all but plastered my face against the mirror. My reflection was wavy, distorted by the cheap quality, but it was my eyes I was staring at.

They were amber, just like all the other Apollyons after they’d Awakened. It was kind of strange seeing my eyes like that, but it also felt right. Like I’d come into something I was destined to become. Which, duh, I had.

I cocked my head to the side. What would my Seth think when he finally saw me—really saw me—all Apollyoned-out? He would be pleased, so unlike Aiden, who hated my eyes…

A sudden sharp feeling speared my chest. Holy crap… I was lightheaded as I gripped the sink. This wasn’t a physical pain, more like the kind when the world drops out from underneath my feet. Or when there’s really, sucktastic bad news.

It was the sensation of a heart being annihilated with no possibility of repair.

The breath I sucked in was shrill. The feeling didn’t make sense. My heart wasn’t broken. It was whole and it belonged to my Seth. And he loved me in return. He’d never told me that he did, but he had to. We were destined for each other, and once together, we would be perfect. We would rule over both Olympus and the mortal world.

“We will be gods,” I whispered.

“Oh, Alex, even I’m amazed by how inflated your ego has become. Gods, if I was fully corporeal, I’d so kick your ass right now.”

I whirled around, fully expecting to find Caleb standing in the bathroom, because that was his voice. But no one was there. Heart racing, I peeked into the cell. Empty.

“Caleb?”

No response.

I inched into the cell, willing Caleb to appear if he was really here. Silence stretched out, and just when I was about to admit that I might’ve lost my damn mind, warmth passed through me.

Did Caleb just… walk through me?

“Uh…”

There was a light chuckle from behind me. Whipping around, I just… I could only stare.

Caleb stood there, dark blond brows arched in such a painfully familiar way. He was wearing a tunic-style shirt and white, linen pants. It was Caleb, but… not.