Sentinel

His amber gaze shifted to where Luke stood motionless with the Guards. He didn’t say anything, but I felt the ripple of power brush over my skin like a smooth caress.

“What the…?” Luke stumbled back a step, placing his hands on the sides of his head. He looked up, saw who was standing there, and sucked in a breath. “Holy shit.”

Seth’s stare swung back to meet mine. The tension in the air increased as the others came out of their compulsion and, for the first time in their lives, saw two Apollyons together. “We need to talk,” he said again.

My head cocked to the side. I hadn’t forgotten the musical lilt of his voice, but hearing it in person was nothing like the voice that came through our whacked-out connection. The cord hummed along, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden moving around to Seth’s back, leveling his own gun on the First. I knew that, if Seth took one step toward me, Aiden would pull the trigger.

And I also knew Seth could disarm us both before either of us blinked.

“There’s nothing you could possibly say that I want to hear.” I took a breath, forcing myself not to pull the trigger for the fun of seeing him go splat. “And if you think you’re going to be able to convince me to side with you after what Ares did, you can go screw yourself.”

“That’s not why I’m here.”

“Bullshit.”

His head tilted to the side, a near mirror image of what I had done. Again, his stunning amber gaze traveled over my face. He shook his head, and then he dropped onto his knees and closed his eyes.

Okay. Sure wasn’t expecting that.

I opened my mouth, but there were no words. Glancing at Aiden, I saw he looked as dumbfounded as I felt. A keen wariness kept me from lowering my gun. Seth could be a tricky little devil, but this? I didn’t know.

Seth’s arms fell to his sides. He didn’t speak out loud. You’re right. This won’t kill me, but I deserve it. So do it.

So stunned by what he said, I spoke out loud. “What?”

Do it. A breath shuddered from his body. If it wipes out the memory of what Ares did to you, then do it. Do it!

Taken aback, I stared down at him. You felt everything, right? Everything that he did to me?

Seth’s eyes fluttered open, and I didn’t want to believe what I saw in them. Regret was too late for both of us. “Everything,” he said out loud, voice hoarse.

“What’s he talking about?” Aiden demanded.

I shook my head as my stomach plummeted. You know how I felt? What I wanted?

He squeezed his eyes shut. Yes.

And you want me to take those memories from you? You really think a bullet will do that? Fuck that. I lowered the gun, hand shaking. Violent anger rushed to the surface. I can’t get rid of those memories, so neither can you. “Fuck you.”

On guard, Aiden shifted behind Seth. “Come on, Alex, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I never meant for any of this to happen,” Seth said before I could answer. His eyes were open again, and there was no denying the pain in them. And there were only two things that waited behind that kind of sharp- edged hurt: anger and the truth. “I would never be okay with what happened. I didn’t know he was going to do that to you.”

“Is he talking about Ares?” A misleading, deadly calmness entered Aiden’s voice as he stepped forward, the muzzle of his gun coming awfully close to the back of Seth’s head. “That he didn’t know what Ares was going to do?”

Seth turned his head to the side, looking over his shoulder. “I know it doesn’t change anything or make it right, but I didn’t know, and I would never be okay with anyone hurting Alex.”

“You hurt Alex, you son of a bitch.” Adangerous glint filled his gray eyes.

The First bit down on his lower lip as his lashes lowered. “Well, you have a good point there, Saint Delphi, but I love her—”

“Don’t shoot him!” I warned Aiden, catching how Aiden’s finger spasmed on the trigger. “Whatever you do, don’t shoot him.”

A muscle popped in Aiden’s jaw. “I can’t make any promises.”

A weak, barely-there smirk appeared on Seth’s lips.

“Don’t,” I said, slipping my gun into its holster, unwilling to take my eyes off Seth. Shock rippled through me. “Other than trying to piss you off, he’s not trying to trick us.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. “How can you be so sure?”

How could I be? It was something I just knew. “Seth wouldn’t bow to anyone unless…” I couldn’t even finish, because Seth turned back to me and our eyes met again.

I’m so sorry, he said, and although it wasn’t out loud, the apology rocked me to my core. Seth never apologized. That wasn’t his thing. I’m so, so sorry.

Blood drained from my face, and then quickly returned, spreading along my cheeks. “He’s not trying to trick us.”

Aiden stared. “Alex—”

“He’s not. I…I just know.” My hands suddenly felt weak. “Why are you here, Seth? You know we can’t trust you. And you can’t be near me.” Even now, the cord stretched tight between us, drawing me to him like a moth to an Olympus-made bug zapper. Part of me yearned to get closer to him in spite of whatever common sense said, how I felt about him, and about a dozen other things.

“I know you won’t take my word or hear me out. You don’t have any reason to. That’s why I brought you something.”

My stomach roiled, because the last time he brought me a gift, it had been an obliterated Head Minister Telly. “You brought me something? You bring me some bat-shit crazy stuff, Seth.”

“You’re going to love this.” A little bit of his dark humor crept into his glowing eyes, but it quickly dulled. “Can I stand since you’re not going to shoot me?”

“Like I said, I’m not making any promises,” Aiden replied, his lips tipping up grimly.

Seth’s chest rose. “I wasn’t asking you.”

“And I’m the one with a gun still pointed at the back of your head.”

“Well, then,” Seth murmured.

I sighed. Even though I didn’t believe Seth was trying to trick us, I didn’t fully trust him. And when he said I would love something, I would rather spin-kick myself in the face than see what he had up his sleeve. “Stand very slowly.”

Seth rose to his feet fluidly, keeping his hands raised at his sides. Daggers and a Glock hung from his waist and thighs. I caught Marcus’ eye, and while I’d prefer someone else but him get closer to Seth, he nodded. He moved forward quickly, removing the visible weapons, and it was clear Seth allowed him to. We couldn’t do anything about his deadliest weapons—the control of the elements and akasha.

“What, Seth?” I asked.

He tilted his head back to the gate. “Give them a second.”

“There’s movement outside the gates—Sentinels.” A Guard gripped the handle of his gun. He took a step forward, held tilting to the side. “There’s a Minister with them.”

“What?” My gaze darted back to Seth. “Who is it, Seth?”

His gaze locked with mine. “The one person you want to see dead more than me.”

I held his stare. “Let them in, but be ready for a Trojan Horse.”

Seth gave a little grin as he turned his gaze to the gate. Aiden kept his eyes trained on him, and I was sure if baby Apollo walked through that gate and shook his baby butt, he wouldn’t look.

My heart pounded as the first Sentinel came through the gates, followed by another. They exchanged wary stares with the Sentinels on our side as they stepped aside, revealing who stood between them.

“Holy crap on a cracker,” I whispered.

Between the two Sentinels stood a completely out-of-it Lucian—my stepfather and the pure-blood responsible for Seth turning on the Council. I did hate that man more than I hated Seth.