Deity (Covenant #3)(15)

“Yeah,” I breathed, slowly lifting my head. Everyone was staring at me. Aiden had stepped forward, eyes wide. My cheeks burst with heat. “I’m fine. Seriously. I’m just a little tired.”

Seth knelt beside me, taking my hand. He squeezed gently as he glanced over his shoulder. “She’s had a cold all week.”

“She’s had a cold?” Lucian curled his lip. “How… very mortal.”

I shot him a hateful look.

“But we… halfs do not get sick,” Marcus said, eyes narrowing on me.

“Well, you can tell that to the box of Kleenex I’ve been living with.” I dragged my fingers through my hair. “Seriously, I’m fine now.”

Marcus suddenly stood. “I think we are done for the evening. We all can agree that nothing needs to be decided at this moment.”

Lucian, who had grown quiet and docile, nodded.

The discussion ended and I got a momentary reprieve. I wouldn’t be leaving the Covenant now, but I couldn’t shake the dread gnawing at my stomach that, eventually, the decision wouldn’t be mine to make.

Chapter 5

I OVERSLEPT THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND MISSED my first two classes. It kind of worked out, since I didn’t have to face Olivia after trying to choke her the day before, but the exhaustion from the previous night continued to drag at me. I spent the break before my afternoon classes arguing with Seth.

“What is your deal?” He pushed his chair back.

“I’ve already told you.” I glanced around the sparsely populated common room. It was better than eating in the cafeteria where everyone stared at us. “I know you knew about Lucian’s plan to put me in the Apollyon Relocation Program.”

Seth groaned. “Okay. Fine. He may have mentioned it. So what? It’s a smart idea.”

“It’s not a smart idea, Seth. I need to graduate, not go into hiding.” I looked down at my barely touched cold-cut sub. My stomach turned over. “I’m not going to run.”

He leaned back in the chair, lacing his hands behind his head. “Lucian does have your best interests in mind.”

“Oh, gods. Do not start with the Lucian crap. You don’t know him like I do.”

“People change, Alex. He may have been a giant douche before, but he’s changed.”

I leveled a look at him, and suddenly, I didn’t even know why I was arguing. My shoulders slumped. “What is the point, anyway?”

Seth frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” I toyed with my straw.

He leaned forward, nudging my plate. “You should eat more.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I snapped.

He held up his hands, sitting back. “Simmer down, cuddle-bunny.”

“All of this is your fault, anyway.”

Seth snorted. “How is this my fault?”


I scowled. “No one wants to kill you, but you’re the one who’ll have the potential to wipe out the entire Olympian Court. But everyone is like, ‘Let’s kill the one who isn’t doing anything!’ And you canjust skip off into the sunset while I’m dead.”

His lips twitched again. “I wouldn’t skip off if you were dead. I’d be sad.”

“You’d be sad because you wouldn’t be the God Killer.” I picked up my sub, turning it over slowly. “Olivia hates me.”

“Alex…”

“What?” I looked up. “She does, because I let Caleb die.”

His eyes narrowed. “You didn’t let Caleb die, Alex.”

I sighed, suddenly wanting to cry. It was official: I was certifiably whacked out today. “I know. I miss her.”

“Have you tried talking to her?” His eyes widened at my look. He motioned at the sub. “Eat.”

Grudgingly, I took a huge, sloppy bite.

Seth arched a brow as he watched me. “Hungry?”

I swallowed. The food formed a heavy lump in my stomach. “No.”

We didn’t talk for a few minutes. Without wanting to, I turned over my left hand and looked at where the staple-shaped rune glowed softly. “Did… did you do this on purpose?”

“What? The rune?” He took my hand, holding it so my palm faced up. “No, I didn’t do it on purpose. I’ve already told you that.”

“I don’t know. You looked like you were concentrating really hard when it happened.”

“I was concentrating on your emotions.” Seth ran his thumb around the glyph, coming close to touching it. “You don’t like this, do you?”

“No,” I whispered. Another mark meant one more step toward becoming someone—something else.

“It’s natural, Alex.”

“It doesn’t feel natural.” My eyes flicked to his. “What does this one mean?”

“Strength of the gods,” he answered, surprising me. “The other one means courage of the soul.”

“Courage of the soul?” I laughed. “That doesn’t make sense.”

His hand slid to my wrist, resting his thumb over my pulse. “They are the first marks the Apollyons receive.”

My wrist seemed so small in his hand, fragile even. “Did yours come early?”

“No.”