The Power
Page 93
“The only thing that could take out a Titan would be the same thing that could take out one of the Olympians.” Alex’s face paled. “That would be the God Killer.”
Air punched out of my lungs. What had Medusa said? “But that’s not possible. You were the God Killer before—well, before you ended up in the Underworld. He’s not the God Killer.”
Her gaze met mine. “He shouldn’t be, but what he just did was the same thing I did to Ares.”
“But you’re not connected to him, are you?” I reasoned, refusing to believe where everyone was heading with this, refusing to believe that I hadn’t heeded a warning given to me.
“Nope.” She lifted her hands. “I am not Team Seth right now.”
I frowned.
“Something hardcore just went down,” she continued, gesturing at Seth. “But if he has somehow become the God Killer, tripped up some sort of celestial rule, then all the Olympians would be here, right? They showed up immediately after I killed Ares. They wasted no time.”
“That’s because they knew you were on their side. They knew you were aware of what most likely would happen. They didn’t think you were insane. They fully believe Seth is insane.” Hercules took a step back. “If he’s the God Killer, they aren’t coming anywhere near him. Who would? He could take them out.”
“Damn,” spat Aiden.
“And why are we even here? He can take us out with the snap of his finger,” the demigod continued. “Fuck this. We need to blow this joint and—”
“He’s not going to take us out.” My hands formed fists. “Stop overreacting.”
“You don’t know that,” Hercules replied icily. “None of us do. I say we take one of these nifty daggers and shove in through his—”
“You do that and it will be the last thing you do without being tied up by your own intestines,” I warned, a hundred percent serious. “You are not going to harm him.”
Herc blinked. “Hell. That’s excessive.”
“Stabbing him isn’t?” I shot back.
Alex stopped several feet from Seth and didn’t go any closer. “Dammit. They were . . . they were concerned for a reason.”
“What?” I asked, not following.
“Hades warned us before we came up. The Olympians were worried about Seth’s . . . his stability. He’d done something before we left Tartarus that had them flipping out,” Alex explained, and she winced when she looked over at me. “We didn’t say anything, because the Olympians sometimes freak out when someone sneezes too loudly. They wanted us to keep an eye on him.”
“That’s . . .” I shook my head. “That’s wrong.”
Alex looked at me and didn’t respond, but her expression said it all. It was a cross between pity and understanding.
I opened my mouth to tell them that they should’ve said something, but then I realized what Seth could’ve done that had them freaking out. “He fed off me.”
That got everyone’s attention.
“It was an accident,” I explained, my gaze falling once again to where Solos lay. “Things got out of control and he fed on me, stopping before I even knew what was happening. It was right before you guys came here. I didn’t know until . . . an hour ago.” Had it only been an hour? Felt like days. “It wasn’t on purpose.” I felt the need to reiterate that. “Doesn’t change what he did, but I think . . . I know he’s been struggling.”
“Damn,” Aiden muttered. It looked like he wanted to say more, but changed his mind. “Right now we need to do something with Seth.” Aiden was moving to Seth’s head. “Before he wakes up.”
“I have . . . there’s a panic room in the basement.” Gable had returned with the boys. I hadn’t even heard them. “It’s not a hundred percent ready, but it’s got walls and a reinforced steel door that will lock.”
“That’ll work for now.” Aiden turned to Hercules. “Grab his feet.”
“What about Solos?” Deacon’s red-rimmed eyes flicked over to the blanket-shrouded figure. “We need to bury him.”
“We will.” Luke wrapped an arm around his neck. “But we’ve got to secure Seth first.”
I stepped forward. “Wait. This doesn’t feel right.”
“I get that it doesn’t, especially to you, but we have to do this.” Alex looked me straight in the eye. “We really don’t know what we’re going to be facing when he wakes up, and I hope—no, I pray—that he’s fine, but we can’t take that risk.”
I didn’t like it.
But I did understand it. Pressing my lips together, I nodded curtly. Everything that happened over that next hour was surreal. I felt oddly detached from it all.
Gable led us down to a semi-finished basement. He’d walked to what appeared to be a normal wall, but hit his hand on the center. A section of the wall separated, swinging open, revealing a room . . . with another room inside of it.
“My mom’s husband put a mattress in here to see if it will fit,” Gable explained as Seth was carried over and placed on a thin mattress. “I guess they plan on doing this room up also. Bathroom isn’t finished, though and . . . none of that matters.”
A hand folded around mine, startling me. Luke held my hand. “Come with me.”
Air punched out of my lungs. What had Medusa said? “But that’s not possible. You were the God Killer before—well, before you ended up in the Underworld. He’s not the God Killer.”
Her gaze met mine. “He shouldn’t be, but what he just did was the same thing I did to Ares.”
“But you’re not connected to him, are you?” I reasoned, refusing to believe where everyone was heading with this, refusing to believe that I hadn’t heeded a warning given to me.
“Nope.” She lifted her hands. “I am not Team Seth right now.”
I frowned.
“Something hardcore just went down,” she continued, gesturing at Seth. “But if he has somehow become the God Killer, tripped up some sort of celestial rule, then all the Olympians would be here, right? They showed up immediately after I killed Ares. They wasted no time.”
“That’s because they knew you were on their side. They knew you were aware of what most likely would happen. They didn’t think you were insane. They fully believe Seth is insane.” Hercules took a step back. “If he’s the God Killer, they aren’t coming anywhere near him. Who would? He could take them out.”
“Damn,” spat Aiden.
“And why are we even here? He can take us out with the snap of his finger,” the demigod continued. “Fuck this. We need to blow this joint and—”
“He’s not going to take us out.” My hands formed fists. “Stop overreacting.”
“You don’t know that,” Hercules replied icily. “None of us do. I say we take one of these nifty daggers and shove in through his—”
“You do that and it will be the last thing you do without being tied up by your own intestines,” I warned, a hundred percent serious. “You are not going to harm him.”
Herc blinked. “Hell. That’s excessive.”
“Stabbing him isn’t?” I shot back.
Alex stopped several feet from Seth and didn’t go any closer. “Dammit. They were . . . they were concerned for a reason.”
“What?” I asked, not following.
“Hades warned us before we came up. The Olympians were worried about Seth’s . . . his stability. He’d done something before we left Tartarus that had them flipping out,” Alex explained, and she winced when she looked over at me. “We didn’t say anything, because the Olympians sometimes freak out when someone sneezes too loudly. They wanted us to keep an eye on him.”
“That’s . . .” I shook my head. “That’s wrong.”
Alex looked at me and didn’t respond, but her expression said it all. It was a cross between pity and understanding.
I opened my mouth to tell them that they should’ve said something, but then I realized what Seth could’ve done that had them freaking out. “He fed off me.”
That got everyone’s attention.
“It was an accident,” I explained, my gaze falling once again to where Solos lay. “Things got out of control and he fed on me, stopping before I even knew what was happening. It was right before you guys came here. I didn’t know until . . . an hour ago.” Had it only been an hour? Felt like days. “It wasn’t on purpose.” I felt the need to reiterate that. “Doesn’t change what he did, but I think . . . I know he’s been struggling.”
“Damn,” Aiden muttered. It looked like he wanted to say more, but changed his mind. “Right now we need to do something with Seth.” Aiden was moving to Seth’s head. “Before he wakes up.”
“I have . . . there’s a panic room in the basement.” Gable had returned with the boys. I hadn’t even heard them. “It’s not a hundred percent ready, but it’s got walls and a reinforced steel door that will lock.”
“That’ll work for now.” Aiden turned to Hercules. “Grab his feet.”
“What about Solos?” Deacon’s red-rimmed eyes flicked over to the blanket-shrouded figure. “We need to bury him.”
“We will.” Luke wrapped an arm around his neck. “But we’ve got to secure Seth first.”
I stepped forward. “Wait. This doesn’t feel right.”
“I get that it doesn’t, especially to you, but we have to do this.” Alex looked me straight in the eye. “We really don’t know what we’re going to be facing when he wakes up, and I hope—no, I pray—that he’s fine, but we can’t take that risk.”
I didn’t like it.
But I did understand it. Pressing my lips together, I nodded curtly. Everything that happened over that next hour was surreal. I felt oddly detached from it all.
Gable led us down to a semi-finished basement. He’d walked to what appeared to be a normal wall, but hit his hand on the center. A section of the wall separated, swinging open, revealing a room . . . with another room inside of it.
“My mom’s husband put a mattress in here to see if it will fit,” Gable explained as Seth was carried over and placed on a thin mattress. “I guess they plan on doing this room up also. Bathroom isn’t finished, though and . . . none of that matters.”
A hand folded around mine, startling me. Luke held my hand. “Come with me.”
