The Power
Page 33
Because I had to have done something.
That was the only thing that made sense. I just had a hard time figuring out what it was. Could he have just gotten so frustrated with me, because I wasn’t getting the hang of using the elements, that he started thinking I was weak? I knew Seth valued strength. Without having ever met Alex, I knew that was what had drawn him to her, besides the freaking Apollyon connection thing. Or was it because the relationship sometimes felt . . . one-sided. Like what had happened on Friday, after training. It had been all about him giving me pleasure and nothing for him. Should I’ve been more aggressive in my attempts to please him? I didn’t know. I’d never been in a relationship before. What did I know? Seth could’ve just grown bored.
Or maybe he’d found someone else.
A slice of pain lit up my chest. God, it was possible. There were so many beautiful girls here—willowy and flawless, stunning pures and halfs. Seth probably had a damn fan club on this campus and there was no shortage of willing partners.
He could be with someone else now.
He could’ve already been with someone. Someone stronger, more experienced and who didn’t lurch around like Big Foot after six beers—
Cutting off those thoughts before I ended up wailing like an angry baby, I forced my thoughts to other things. Before I headed back to my room, I needed to swing by the library and do my daily stalking—
Something snagged my attention, and I looked to my right, seeing nothing at first. I wasn’t even sure what I—there! Leaning forward, I squinted as I stared through the thick leaves, swearing I saw something . . . shimmer? Glitter maybe? What the . . . ? I scooted forward on the bench. A handful of seconds later, I saw it again. I had no idea what I was seeing. The leafy vines climbing up the statues and spreading from one to another were thick and tall—taller than me, but something was behind them. I was sure of it. Whatever it was, it was flesh-colored. Bronzed and it—
“What are you doing?”
Jerking back in surprise, I straightened as I lifted my gaze. So focused on what I was seeing, I hadn’t heard someone approaching me. I hadn’t expected anyone, to be honest. No one seemed to ever come into the garden, but now I was staring at Colin.
“Nothing.” I glanced back at the vines. No movement. No glimmer. Whatever was there, it was gone now. My gaze shot back to the half. I hadn’t seen him since the night with the two pure guys. “What are you doing? Following me around again?”
His brows rose. “Um. No. Not really. I actually come in here once a week. It’s a good place to chill and clear the mind after training.”
“Oh.” Warmth poured into my cheeks. This was awkward. “I . . . uh, haven’t seen you in here before.”
“It’s a pretty big garden. You could roam around here and never run into anyone, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t in here.” Colin lifted a hand and ran it through his black hair. He lowered his arm as he glanced around. “Do you come in here a lot?”
Holding my hoodie in my lap, I shrugged. “Sometimes.”
There was a beat of silence. “Like I said, it’s a good place to think.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. Goodness, I was a stellar conversationalist. It was kind of embarrassing, but I was just so . . . so drained—physically, mentally, and definitely emotionally. I mustered up some energy though. “So, you come in here . . . to think?”
Colin nodded and his brows knitted as the balmy breeze stirred the leaves. “I started coming in here a while ago, after Ares first came here.” He paused, glancing at the bench. “May I?”
I nodded.
He sat down beside me, resting his arms on his thighs. “My uncle on the pure side of the family used to be the Dean here. Pretty cool guy. Didn’t go along with all the bullshit politics, and my older brother was one of his personal Guards.” Clapping his hands together, he tilted his head to the side, gaze trained forward. “Ares got into the University disguised as another Covenant Instructor. He killed my uncle and brother in seconds. Literally ended their lives in seconds.”
“Oh my God, I’m sorry.” I blinked as I swallowed hard. “I know it doesn’t change anything, but I really am sorry to hear that.”
“It’s okay.” His lips kicked up in a faint, sad smile. “Sorry works, because you mean it. Anyway,” he said after a moment. “My uncle loved these gardens. Walked every evening in them. Coming in here is like . . . like being close to him, you know?”
“Makes sense,” I whispered. If I was still around anything that reminded me of my grandparents, I’d be there every day.
He straightened as he stared down at his hands. “I never did thank you for that night.”
“Thank me for what?” Genuinely curious, I looked over at him.
Colin grinned again. “You stepped in, stopping things before they could get really ugly. Those pures could’ve done some damage and I would’ve been forced to defend myself. Even though the laws have changed, the mentality that pures can do whatever they want is still there and that they are better than us—that their lives matter more.”
“That’s stupid,” I stated. “And I don’t think Marcus would’ve allowed them to do whatever they want.”
“He might not, but there’s a lot of people here that would’ve protected their asses and hung me out to dry if I’d done something to them. But you scared them off. Had them running.” He laughed. “You scared me a little bit. Wasn’t expecting that.”
That was the only thing that made sense. I just had a hard time figuring out what it was. Could he have just gotten so frustrated with me, because I wasn’t getting the hang of using the elements, that he started thinking I was weak? I knew Seth valued strength. Without having ever met Alex, I knew that was what had drawn him to her, besides the freaking Apollyon connection thing. Or was it because the relationship sometimes felt . . . one-sided. Like what had happened on Friday, after training. It had been all about him giving me pleasure and nothing for him. Should I’ve been more aggressive in my attempts to please him? I didn’t know. I’d never been in a relationship before. What did I know? Seth could’ve just grown bored.
Or maybe he’d found someone else.
A slice of pain lit up my chest. God, it was possible. There were so many beautiful girls here—willowy and flawless, stunning pures and halfs. Seth probably had a damn fan club on this campus and there was no shortage of willing partners.
He could be with someone else now.
He could’ve already been with someone. Someone stronger, more experienced and who didn’t lurch around like Big Foot after six beers—
Cutting off those thoughts before I ended up wailing like an angry baby, I forced my thoughts to other things. Before I headed back to my room, I needed to swing by the library and do my daily stalking—
Something snagged my attention, and I looked to my right, seeing nothing at first. I wasn’t even sure what I—there! Leaning forward, I squinted as I stared through the thick leaves, swearing I saw something . . . shimmer? Glitter maybe? What the . . . ? I scooted forward on the bench. A handful of seconds later, I saw it again. I had no idea what I was seeing. The leafy vines climbing up the statues and spreading from one to another were thick and tall—taller than me, but something was behind them. I was sure of it. Whatever it was, it was flesh-colored. Bronzed and it—
“What are you doing?”
Jerking back in surprise, I straightened as I lifted my gaze. So focused on what I was seeing, I hadn’t heard someone approaching me. I hadn’t expected anyone, to be honest. No one seemed to ever come into the garden, but now I was staring at Colin.
“Nothing.” I glanced back at the vines. No movement. No glimmer. Whatever was there, it was gone now. My gaze shot back to the half. I hadn’t seen him since the night with the two pure guys. “What are you doing? Following me around again?”
His brows rose. “Um. No. Not really. I actually come in here once a week. It’s a good place to chill and clear the mind after training.”
“Oh.” Warmth poured into my cheeks. This was awkward. “I . . . uh, haven’t seen you in here before.”
“It’s a pretty big garden. You could roam around here and never run into anyone, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t in here.” Colin lifted a hand and ran it through his black hair. He lowered his arm as he glanced around. “Do you come in here a lot?”
Holding my hoodie in my lap, I shrugged. “Sometimes.”
There was a beat of silence. “Like I said, it’s a good place to think.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. Goodness, I was a stellar conversationalist. It was kind of embarrassing, but I was just so . . . so drained—physically, mentally, and definitely emotionally. I mustered up some energy though. “So, you come in here . . . to think?”
Colin nodded and his brows knitted as the balmy breeze stirred the leaves. “I started coming in here a while ago, after Ares first came here.” He paused, glancing at the bench. “May I?”
I nodded.
He sat down beside me, resting his arms on his thighs. “My uncle on the pure side of the family used to be the Dean here. Pretty cool guy. Didn’t go along with all the bullshit politics, and my older brother was one of his personal Guards.” Clapping his hands together, he tilted his head to the side, gaze trained forward. “Ares got into the University disguised as another Covenant Instructor. He killed my uncle and brother in seconds. Literally ended their lives in seconds.”
“Oh my God, I’m sorry.” I blinked as I swallowed hard. “I know it doesn’t change anything, but I really am sorry to hear that.”
“It’s okay.” His lips kicked up in a faint, sad smile. “Sorry works, because you mean it. Anyway,” he said after a moment. “My uncle loved these gardens. Walked every evening in them. Coming in here is like . . . like being close to him, you know?”
“Makes sense,” I whispered. If I was still around anything that reminded me of my grandparents, I’d be there every day.
He straightened as he stared down at his hands. “I never did thank you for that night.”
“Thank me for what?” Genuinely curious, I looked over at him.
Colin grinned again. “You stepped in, stopping things before they could get really ugly. Those pures could’ve done some damage and I would’ve been forced to defend myself. Even though the laws have changed, the mentality that pures can do whatever they want is still there and that they are better than us—that their lives matter more.”
“That’s stupid,” I stated. “And I don’t think Marcus would’ve allowed them to do whatever they want.”
“He might not, but there’s a lot of people here that would’ve protected their asses and hung me out to dry if I’d done something to them. But you scared them off. Had them running.” He laughed. “You scared me a little bit. Wasn’t expecting that.”
