The Power
Page 25
Stomach twisted in knots, I entered the main building, passing the intricate designs etched into the floor and the walls—designs that appeared to be embellished in gold. Like, real gold. Goodness. I didn’t walk down the center of the lobby, like the first time I’d been in the building on the night Seth and I arrived at the University. I knew that the Dean would most likely be in his office, and that was up the ridiculous staircase. I climbed that thing like a champ, and at the very top, all the way at the end of the wide hall, I saw the Guards dressed in white, standing in front of titanium double doors.
One of them, a short-haired blonde, eyed me as I approached them. I stopped, breathing heavily. “I need to see the Dean.”
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, blue eyes icy and voice just as chilled.
I shook my head. “I don’t even know how to make an appointment with him, but I need to see him.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied, her voice level. “But he’s busy.”
Of course he was. “Well, then I’ll just sit out here until he’s not busy.”
The male Guard’s dark brows knitted. “That won’t be necessary. You can leave your name and we will—”
“I’m not leaving my name, or leaving in general.” With each word I spoke, my voice got louder and that current of wind hit the hall, lifting the hairs around the blonde Guard’s face. “So, I’m just going to plop my ass down here, right against the wall and I don’t care if you have a problem with that—”
The heavy doors behind the two white-garbed guards suddenly swung open, and the Dean of the Covenant appeared, standing in the middle. He was a tall man, the definition of sophistication. Dark brown hair groomed back from a handsome face. I could never peg down his age. He only had a few lines at the corners of his eyes and faintly graying hair at the temples.
Right now, his expression was carefully blank. “You may come in, Josie.”
As I walked forward, I shot the blonde Guard a look that I would probably feel bad about later, because she was just doing her job. Marcus stepped aside, and the moment I entered the large room, my already-racing heart jumped into my throat.
Seth was sitting in the chair in front of the large desk, his back to the door. His shoulders were stiff and as straight as a board, and he didn’t turn around—didn’t look in my direction even though he knew I was there. The knots in my stomach tightened painfully.
“I don’t think you’re looking for me,” Marcus said, closing the door behind him. He walked past me and took a seat behind the desk.
I shook my head. “I want—”
“Don’t,” Seth said.
Blinking, I stared at the back of his golden head. “Excuse me?”
“I know why you’re here,” he added, his voice exceptionally level. Scarily so. It was as if he could care less about what he was saying. “It’s about training, and there’s nothing to be discussed. It’s done and decided.”
My mouth moved, but there were no words as heat crept into my cheeks. Marcus—the freaking dean of the University—was watching us, watching me, and possibly searching Seth down to this room had not been a good idea. “I . . . I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Seth didn’t turn around, and I stared at him, totally unbelieving of what was happening. A hole opened up in my chest, split wide open, because I knew—oh God, I knew deep down—this wasn’t just about training. Seth wasn’t just pulling back on that.
He was pulling back on us.
“Solos is going to take over with Luke’s help,” Marcus stated, folding his hands on the desk. “He is an amazing Sentinel, and his experience will be invaluable.”
I bet Solos was a badass ninja. I mean, he knew how to use nunchucks, so he had to be awesome, but he wasn’t Seth. And before, Seth hadn’t wanted Solos training me. What had changed?
“He will be . . . perfect for you,” Seth said in the same flat voice.
I inhaled, but the air got stuck in my lungs and my chest seized. “Why?” I whispered.
Seth continued to stare face forward. “It’s just for the best. That’s all you need to know.”
All I needed to know?
“Laadan will be able to help you with the elements. She cannot control all of them, but it’s the best we have right now,” Marcus continued. “At least until Apollo returns. If he comes through with what Seth has informed me, then another demigod can surely help you.”
“But we don’t know when Apollo is returning or who he’s bringing,” I argued. “Am I supposed to not work on akasha until then?”
“Yes,” Seth replied coolly. “That would be it.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It makes perfect sense to—”
“How about you actually look at me when you talk to me?” I snapped as anger shot through my system like an out of control arrow. Papers on Marcus’s desk rattled. “I don’t like talking to the back of a head.”
“Well,” Seth said, drawing the word out as he slowly twisted sideways in his chair. Cool amber eyes met mine. “I also don’t like talking to the wall.”
My eyes narrowed as I stepped forward. “I can totally sympathize with that, especially right now.”
“This,” Marcus said quietly, almost to himself. “This is so entirely familiar to me.”
One of them, a short-haired blonde, eyed me as I approached them. I stopped, breathing heavily. “I need to see the Dean.”
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, blue eyes icy and voice just as chilled.
I shook my head. “I don’t even know how to make an appointment with him, but I need to see him.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied, her voice level. “But he’s busy.”
Of course he was. “Well, then I’ll just sit out here until he’s not busy.”
The male Guard’s dark brows knitted. “That won’t be necessary. You can leave your name and we will—”
“I’m not leaving my name, or leaving in general.” With each word I spoke, my voice got louder and that current of wind hit the hall, lifting the hairs around the blonde Guard’s face. “So, I’m just going to plop my ass down here, right against the wall and I don’t care if you have a problem with that—”
The heavy doors behind the two white-garbed guards suddenly swung open, and the Dean of the Covenant appeared, standing in the middle. He was a tall man, the definition of sophistication. Dark brown hair groomed back from a handsome face. I could never peg down his age. He only had a few lines at the corners of his eyes and faintly graying hair at the temples.
Right now, his expression was carefully blank. “You may come in, Josie.”
As I walked forward, I shot the blonde Guard a look that I would probably feel bad about later, because she was just doing her job. Marcus stepped aside, and the moment I entered the large room, my already-racing heart jumped into my throat.
Seth was sitting in the chair in front of the large desk, his back to the door. His shoulders were stiff and as straight as a board, and he didn’t turn around—didn’t look in my direction even though he knew I was there. The knots in my stomach tightened painfully.
“I don’t think you’re looking for me,” Marcus said, closing the door behind him. He walked past me and took a seat behind the desk.
I shook my head. “I want—”
“Don’t,” Seth said.
Blinking, I stared at the back of his golden head. “Excuse me?”
“I know why you’re here,” he added, his voice exceptionally level. Scarily so. It was as if he could care less about what he was saying. “It’s about training, and there’s nothing to be discussed. It’s done and decided.”
My mouth moved, but there were no words as heat crept into my cheeks. Marcus—the freaking dean of the University—was watching us, watching me, and possibly searching Seth down to this room had not been a good idea. “I . . . I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Seth didn’t turn around, and I stared at him, totally unbelieving of what was happening. A hole opened up in my chest, split wide open, because I knew—oh God, I knew deep down—this wasn’t just about training. Seth wasn’t just pulling back on that.
He was pulling back on us.
“Solos is going to take over with Luke’s help,” Marcus stated, folding his hands on the desk. “He is an amazing Sentinel, and his experience will be invaluable.”
I bet Solos was a badass ninja. I mean, he knew how to use nunchucks, so he had to be awesome, but he wasn’t Seth. And before, Seth hadn’t wanted Solos training me. What had changed?
“He will be . . . perfect for you,” Seth said in the same flat voice.
I inhaled, but the air got stuck in my lungs and my chest seized. “Why?” I whispered.
Seth continued to stare face forward. “It’s just for the best. That’s all you need to know.”
All I needed to know?
“Laadan will be able to help you with the elements. She cannot control all of them, but it’s the best we have right now,” Marcus continued. “At least until Apollo returns. If he comes through with what Seth has informed me, then another demigod can surely help you.”
“But we don’t know when Apollo is returning or who he’s bringing,” I argued. “Am I supposed to not work on akasha until then?”
“Yes,” Seth replied coolly. “That would be it.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It makes perfect sense to—”
“How about you actually look at me when you talk to me?” I snapped as anger shot through my system like an out of control arrow. Papers on Marcus’s desk rattled. “I don’t like talking to the back of a head.”
“Well,” Seth said, drawing the word out as he slowly twisted sideways in his chair. Cool amber eyes met mine. “I also don’t like talking to the wall.”
My eyes narrowed as I stepped forward. “I can totally sympathize with that, especially right now.”
“This,” Marcus said quietly, almost to himself. “This is so entirely familiar to me.”
