Deity (Covenant #3)(43)

“I beg to differ. Who helped you cover it up?”

I leaned forward in the chair. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You are testing my patience,” he said. “You don’t want to see what will happen when I lose it.”

“It kind of sounds like you have lost it.” I looked around the room, forcing my heart to return to normal. “I have no idea why you’re asking me these questions. And I’m missing the last day of class before winter break. Are you going to give me an excuse or something?”

“Do you think you’re clever?”

I smirked.

Telly’s hand snaked out so quickly I didn’t even have a chance to deflect the blow. The back of his hand connected with my cheek with enough force to snap my head to the side. Disbelief and rage mixed, rushing through me. My brain flat-out refused to accept the fact that he had just hit me—actually dared to hit me. And my body was already demanding that I hit him back, lay him out on his back. My fist practically itched to connect with his jaw.

I gripped the edges of the chair, facing him. That’s what Telly wanted. He wanted me to strike him back. Then he’d have my ass on a golden platter.

Telly smiled.

I returned the gesture, ignoring the stinging in my cheek. “Thank you.”

Anger flared deep in his eyes. “You think you’re tough, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “I guess you could say that.”

“There are ways of breaking you, dear girl.” His smile increased, but it never reached his eyes. “I know you killed a pure-blood. And I know someone—another pure or the First—covered for you.”

A shiver ran down my spine, like icy fingers of panic and terror. I shoved it down, sure to revisit it later… if there was a later. I arched a brow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve already told you what happened.”

“And what you’ve told me is a lie!” He shot forward, gripping the arms of the chair. His fingers were inches from mine, lips pulled back, face red with fury. “Now tell me the truth or so help me…”

I refused to pull away like I wanted to. “I have told you.”

A vein popped on his temple. “You are treading on dangerous ground, dear.”

“You must not have any proof,” I said softly, meeting his enraged stare. “If you did, I’d already be dead. Then again, if I were just a half-blood you wouldn’t need much proof. But to take me out, you need the Council’s permission. You know, being the precious Apollyon and all.”

Telly pushed back from the chair, turning his back to me.

I knew I needed to shut up. Taunting him was probably the stupidest thing I could do, but I couldn’t stop. Anger and fear were never a good mix for me. “What I don’t understand is how you’re so certain that I killed a pure-blood. There were obviously no witnesses to his death. No one is pointing a finger at me.” I paused, enjoying the way the muscles in his back tensed under the thin tunic. “Why would you…?”

He turned around, face impressively blank. “Why would I what, Alexandria?”

My stomach churned as realization set in. My suspicions had been correct. I stared at his elegant hands. “How can you be so certain unless you ordered someone—a Guard—to attack me? Then I guess you’d be fairly certain if that Guard did turn up dead, but you wouldn’t have done that. Because I’m sure the Council would be pretty pissed. You might even lose your position.”

So busy gloating, I didn’t even see him move.

His hand caught the same cheek. The burst of red-hot pain stunned me. It was no pansy hit. The chair went up on two legs before settling back down. Tears stung my eyes.

“You… you can’t do this,” I said, voice hoarse.

Telly grasped my wrist. “I can do as I please.” Telly hauled me to my feet, his fingers bruising my arms as he dragged me across my uncle’s office. He shoved me toward the window overlooking the quad. “Tell me, what do you see out there?”

I blinked back tears, biting down on the fury threatening to boil over. Statues and sand, and beyond that, the ocean rolled and tumbled with rough waves. People were scattered across the campus.

“What do you see, Alexandra?” His grip tightened.

I winced, hating my moment of weakness. “I don’t know. I see people and freaking sand. And the ocean. I see lots of water.”

“See the servants?” He gestured toward the atrium, where a cluster of them stood waiting for orders from their Master. “I own them. I own all of them.”

The muscles in my body locked up. I couldn’t pull my gaze from them.

Telly leaned in, his breath hot in my ear. “Let me tell you a little secret about the true nature of your other half’s trip to the Catskills. He’s been brought in to deal with any servant who is off the elixir and is refusing to submit. Did you know that?”

“Deal with them?”

“Take some of that cleverness from your mouth and apply it. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

I could figure it out, but I couldn’t believe it. There was a difference between those two things. Because I understood that Telly was claiming that Seth would take down any half-blood who was causing problems, but Seth wouldn’t actually agree to something like that. And I also knew that Telly was telling me this to rattle me.