Deity (Covenant #3)(78)

Was Apollo giving me relationship advice? This was officially the weirdest moment of my life, and that was saying something. Thankfully Aiden and Deacon returned then, and I was saved from dying of humiliation.

Deacon shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m just going to go busy myself with… something. Yeah.” Spinning around, he closed the door on his way out.

There was something really weird about Deacon’s reaction to Apollo. For his sake, I seriously hoped he hadn’t done anything with Apollo. He might end up a flower or a tree stump.

Aiden strolled into the living room and bowed. “Is there news?” he asked upon straightening.

“He knows about us,” I said.

A second later, Aiden hauled me to my feet and shoved me behind him. In both of his hands were Covenant daggers.

Apollo arched a golden eyebrow. “And what did I say about the whole overprotective bit?”

Well, he did call it. Cheeks flaming, I grabbed Aiden’s arm. “He doesn’t seem to care, apparently.”

Aiden’s muscles tensed under my hand. “And why should I believe that? He’s a god.”

I swallowed. “Well, probably because he could’ve killed me already if he was going to have a problem with it.”

“That is true.” Apollo stretched his legs out, crossing them at the ankle. “Aiden, you cannot actually be shocked that I know. Do I need to remind you of our special hunt in Raleigh? Why else would a man hunt down someone like that unless it was for love? And trust me, I know the crazy lengths people will go to for love.”

The tips of Aiden’s cheeks flushed as he relaxed by a fraction. “I’m sorry for… pulling these on you, but—”

“I understand.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Have a seat, cop a squat, whatever. We need to talk, and I do not have long.”

Taking a deep breath, I sat where I’d been before. Aiden took the arm of the couch behind me, remaining close. “So what’s going on?” I asked.

“I was just with Marcus,” Apollo answered. “He’s gotten Solos on board.”

“On board for what?” I glanced at Aiden. He looked away. Equal parts curious and angry, because I knew that meant he was keeping something from me, I elbowed his leg. “On board for what, Aiden?”

“You have not told her, have you?” Apollo scooted further away. “Don’t hit me.”

“What? I don’t just hit people.” Both stared at me knowingly. I folded my arms to keep from hitting them. “Fine. Whatever. What’s going on?”

Apollo sighed. “Solos is a half-blood Sentinel.”

“Gee. I’ve figured that part out.” Aiden pushed me in the back with his knee. I shot him a death glare. “What does he have to do with any of this?”

“Well, I am trying to tell you.” Apollo rose to his feet fluidly. “Solos’ father is a Minister in Nashville. He’s actually the only son of the Minister; he has been doted on and raised with a lot of knowledge of the politics of the Council.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. Pures caring for their half-blood children wasn’t unheard of. Rare, yes, but I was an example of that.

“Not everyone on the Council is a fan of Telly, Alex. Some would even like to see him removed from his position,” Aiden explained.

“And if I remember correctly, he was outvoted when it came to placing you into servitude.” Apollo glided over to the window. “Word of what he’s involved in will not sit well with those members of the Council, including Solos’ father, who, by the way, is a softie when it comes to the treatment of half-bloods. Having them on our side can only help.”

“What do you mean, his father is a softie?”

Apollo faced me. “He is one of those who do not believe that half-bloods should be forced into servitude if they do not fit the mold of a Sentinel or Guard.”

“Well, you have no one to blame for that rule but yourself.” Anger sparked inside of me. “You’re responsible for the way we’ve been treated.”

Apollo frowned. “We have had nothing to do with that.”

“What?” Surprise colored Aiden’s voice.

“We are not responsible for the subjugation of half-bloods,” Apollo said. “That was all the pure-bloods. They decreed the separation of the two breeds into castes centuries and centuries ago. All we asked was that pures and halfs not mix.”

Those words pulled the world out from underneath my feet. Everything I’d been taught to believe was no longer true. Since I was a small child, I’d been told that the gods saw us as lesser and our society acted on that belief. “Then why… why haven’t you guys done anything?”

“It was not our problem,” Apollo responded blithely.

Rage whipped through me like a red-hot bullet and I shot to my feet. “It wasn’t your problem? The pure-bloods are your children! Just like we are. You all could’ve done something years ago.”

Aiden caught my arm. “Alex.”

“What did you expect us to do, Alexandria?” Apollo said. “The lives of half-bloods are literally a step—a small step—above those of mortals. We cannot interfere in such trivial things.”

The slavery of thousands and thousands of halfs was a trivial thing?