The Power
Page 29
His gaze was unwavering. “I know exactly what you are, Seth.”
“Not really,” I replied.
He smiled this time. Like he didn’t have a boot pressing down on his throat. “I do. Whether you want to believe it or not, I do.”
I glared at him. Did he realize how easy it would be for me to end his existence? Halfs were hard to kill, but not impossible. Doubted he’d survive a fall from this wall. I would. And I sure as hell knew he wouldn’t take another breath ever again if I came down on his throat.
I pressed down, and his eyes widened. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. It would be extremely wise to remember that.”
“Duly noted,” he gasped.
I held him down for a moment longer. Total dick move on my part, but wanted him to get the message. He did, and then I lifted my foot. Stepping back, I let up on the air element. He sprung to his feet, rising fluidly as he eyed me warily. “Good thing we’re now on the same page.”
“It’s a good thing I sort of like you,” he returned.
Pivoting around and facing the side, I lifted my hand and flipped him off. Then I leapt off the twenty-foot wall. Using the element of air, I slowed the descent. Hitting the ground in a crouch, inside the campus, I landed right next to two Sentinels about to walk out the gate.
“Gods.” One of them jumped into the other.
I smirked as I rose and then started off toward the buildings. It was early, and I was restless. Normally I’d have my hands—
Cutting that thought off, I closed my hands into fists. Even thinking about her made me want to go face-punch the statue of Hades, who would thoroughly enjoy that display.
What I’d done to her made me sick to my stomach. It couldn’t be forgiven, and I should be as far away from here as possible, but I wasn’t. Nope. There were obstacles preventing that. Namely, I was Apollo’s bitch, and until he told me to go somewhere, I was here. Then there was the whole Titan problem and the . . .
Shit.
Who was I fooling? If I really wanted to get the hell out of here, I’d leave. Fuck Apollo and any consequences. Yeah, he was the puppeteer to my Pinocchio, but that hadn’t stopped me from roaming off before. If I really wanted to, I could leave right now and head for the Cyclades. I was still here because of Josie. I couldn’t be with her, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t protect her.
But who will protect her from you?
The whispered words stopped me dead in my tracks. They were too real. Spoken out loud and yet inside my head. Turning around, I scanned the grounds with narrowed eyes.
Leaning against the golden statue of Apollo, arms crossed and one leg cocked, was that damn nymph. It winked at me.
“What the fuck, man?” I demanded.
Moonlight reflected off the shimmery skin as one bare shoulder rose. “I was just saying what you were thinking.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“I’m special like that,” the nymph replied. “So special that I’m going to point out something very important to you.”
“Oh, lucky me.” My gaze narrowed on him. “Why are you here?”
He raised his chin and smiled. “Does that matter?”
“Hell, yes, that matters. You came to our aid before, when we were outside these walls, but that doesn’t mean I trust you or your intentions, whatever they may be.” Suspicion bloomed inside me. “What is your deal?”
The nymph blinked out and reappeared directly in front of me. Impressive. Even I couldn’t track its movement. “You’re making a huge mistake.”
Gods. Some nights just couldn’t get any worse. “My entire existence is a mistake, so you’re going to have to get a little more detailed about what exact mistake you’re talking about.”
The nymph’s all-white eyes crackled little bolts of light. “Staying away from her won’t save her.”
Well, I was immediately proven wrong. Tonight was officially getting worse.
“And it won’t save you either,” the nymph added.
I barked out a harsh laugh. “There is no saving me. I know what the end game is.”
“There is no such thing as finality,” he replied, leaning in so when he spoke next, his cool breath moved over my jaw. “All prophecies are designed to be rewritten. No fate, no matter what is sacrificed or bargained, is final.” He paused. “All the pieces are never shared.”
Stiffening, I resisted the urge to draw back from the weird nymph. “You don’t exactly believe in personal space, do you?”
He laughed, and got closer, which I didn’t exactly believe was possible until that very moment. It was. His chest brushed mine. “I don’t exactly believe you’re understanding what I’m saying to you, Apollyon. You had a chance to rewrite a prophecy before, but you failed.”
Everything in me stilled, right down to my heartbeat. I knew exactly what prophecy he was talking about. The one that ended in Alex’s mortal death.
“You forged your own path. You listened to no one and thought you knew best. In the end, your hands were covered in the blood of the one you were entrusted to protect.” The nymph’s icy breath was as cold as his words. “You continue on this path, history will repeat itself, and there will be no salvation for you. There will only be an eternity of retribution and vengeance.”
The nymph disappeared without sound or movement, leaving me standing there. Turning slowly, I looked around and there was no sign that the nymph had ever been there in the first place.
“Not really,” I replied.
He smiled this time. Like he didn’t have a boot pressing down on his throat. “I do. Whether you want to believe it or not, I do.”
I glared at him. Did he realize how easy it would be for me to end his existence? Halfs were hard to kill, but not impossible. Doubted he’d survive a fall from this wall. I would. And I sure as hell knew he wouldn’t take another breath ever again if I came down on his throat.
I pressed down, and his eyes widened. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. It would be extremely wise to remember that.”
“Duly noted,” he gasped.
I held him down for a moment longer. Total dick move on my part, but wanted him to get the message. He did, and then I lifted my foot. Stepping back, I let up on the air element. He sprung to his feet, rising fluidly as he eyed me warily. “Good thing we’re now on the same page.”
“It’s a good thing I sort of like you,” he returned.
Pivoting around and facing the side, I lifted my hand and flipped him off. Then I leapt off the twenty-foot wall. Using the element of air, I slowed the descent. Hitting the ground in a crouch, inside the campus, I landed right next to two Sentinels about to walk out the gate.
“Gods.” One of them jumped into the other.
I smirked as I rose and then started off toward the buildings. It was early, and I was restless. Normally I’d have my hands—
Cutting that thought off, I closed my hands into fists. Even thinking about her made me want to go face-punch the statue of Hades, who would thoroughly enjoy that display.
What I’d done to her made me sick to my stomach. It couldn’t be forgiven, and I should be as far away from here as possible, but I wasn’t. Nope. There were obstacles preventing that. Namely, I was Apollo’s bitch, and until he told me to go somewhere, I was here. Then there was the whole Titan problem and the . . .
Shit.
Who was I fooling? If I really wanted to get the hell out of here, I’d leave. Fuck Apollo and any consequences. Yeah, he was the puppeteer to my Pinocchio, but that hadn’t stopped me from roaming off before. If I really wanted to, I could leave right now and head for the Cyclades. I was still here because of Josie. I couldn’t be with her, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t protect her.
But who will protect her from you?
The whispered words stopped me dead in my tracks. They were too real. Spoken out loud and yet inside my head. Turning around, I scanned the grounds with narrowed eyes.
Leaning against the golden statue of Apollo, arms crossed and one leg cocked, was that damn nymph. It winked at me.
“What the fuck, man?” I demanded.
Moonlight reflected off the shimmery skin as one bare shoulder rose. “I was just saying what you were thinking.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“I’m special like that,” the nymph replied. “So special that I’m going to point out something very important to you.”
“Oh, lucky me.” My gaze narrowed on him. “Why are you here?”
He raised his chin and smiled. “Does that matter?”
“Hell, yes, that matters. You came to our aid before, when we were outside these walls, but that doesn’t mean I trust you or your intentions, whatever they may be.” Suspicion bloomed inside me. “What is your deal?”
The nymph blinked out and reappeared directly in front of me. Impressive. Even I couldn’t track its movement. “You’re making a huge mistake.”
Gods. Some nights just couldn’t get any worse. “My entire existence is a mistake, so you’re going to have to get a little more detailed about what exact mistake you’re talking about.”
The nymph’s all-white eyes crackled little bolts of light. “Staying away from her won’t save her.”
Well, I was immediately proven wrong. Tonight was officially getting worse.
“And it won’t save you either,” the nymph added.
I barked out a harsh laugh. “There is no saving me. I know what the end game is.”
“There is no such thing as finality,” he replied, leaning in so when he spoke next, his cool breath moved over my jaw. “All prophecies are designed to be rewritten. No fate, no matter what is sacrificed or bargained, is final.” He paused. “All the pieces are never shared.”
Stiffening, I resisted the urge to draw back from the weird nymph. “You don’t exactly believe in personal space, do you?”
He laughed, and got closer, which I didn’t exactly believe was possible until that very moment. It was. His chest brushed mine. “I don’t exactly believe you’re understanding what I’m saying to you, Apollyon. You had a chance to rewrite a prophecy before, but you failed.”
Everything in me stilled, right down to my heartbeat. I knew exactly what prophecy he was talking about. The one that ended in Alex’s mortal death.
“You forged your own path. You listened to no one and thought you knew best. In the end, your hands were covered in the blood of the one you were entrusted to protect.” The nymph’s icy breath was as cold as his words. “You continue on this path, history will repeat itself, and there will be no salvation for you. There will only be an eternity of retribution and vengeance.”
The nymph disappeared without sound or movement, leaving me standing there. Turning slowly, I looked around and there was no sign that the nymph had ever been there in the first place.
