Deity (Covenant #3)(88)

“What you are offering is certain death for anyone who goes along with this.”

“Not necessarily, my dear. We have supporters in the most… unlikely of places—a very powerful supporter.”

My door opened before I could respond. A Guard waited for me to exit, carefully watching me as if he expected me to sprint away, which was what I’d considered but knew I’d never get away with it. I was led into the house quickly and then left in the opulent foyer with my stepfather.

“It’s a shame that you have to make this so difficult, Alexandria.”

“Sorry to rain on your crazy parade, but I’m not going to go along with this. No one else will, either.”

“Is that so? Do you doubt my impassioned words?” His gaze settled on his half-blood guards. “I want to see a better life for the half-bloods.”

“Bull,” I whispered, and my gaze moved to the Guards. The condemnation that filled their expressions when they looked at me said that they did believe Lucian. And the real question was how many halfs were behind Lucian? The numbers could be astronomical.

Lucian laughed. It was a cold, grating sound. “You really have no control over this.”

“We’ll see about that.” I reached for the doorknob, but froze when it turned and locked in my hand. I loathed the air element with all my heart. Slowly, I faced him. “You can’t keep me in here. Let me out.”

Lucian laughed again. “I’m afraid you will not be allowed any visitors until your Awakening. And do not hope that Apollo will arrive, either. He will not be able to enter my house.”

I frowned. “You can’t stop a god.”

Lucian looked pleased as he stepped aside. My gaze fell behind him and up the wall that Seth had once pinned a Guard to. There was a mark there—a crudely drawn symbol of a man with a snake’s body.

“Apollo cannot enter any home that bears the mark of the Python of Delphi. It was created so long ago as a punishment for breaching the rules of Olympus. Funny, I never knew that until recently.”

I swallowed. The drawing looked like it had been done in blood. “How… how did you figure that out?”

“I have many friends… of great power and consequence.” Lucian gazed at the drawing, a slight smile on his angular face. “I have many friends that would surprise you, my dear.”

I felt the walls closing in, squeezing the breath out of my lungs. I was trapped here until my Awakening. My breath hitched. I should’ve listened to Aiden and never left his house. “You can’t do this.”

“Why can’t I?” He drifted toward me. “I am your legal guardian. I can do with you as I please.”

My temper stretched and snapped. “Really? When has that worked out for you in the past?”

“In the past I did not have Seth, nor were we so close to the Awakening.” He caught my chin, digging his bony fingers in. “You can fight me on this all you want, but in a few days, you’ll Awaken. First, you will connect with Seth, and what he desires, you will desire. And then your power will transfer to him. You can’t stop that.”

I blanched. “I’m stronger than that.”

“You think so? Think about that, my dear. Think about what that means and whether or not there is even a point in fighting what’s about to happen.”

Unease crept over me, but I kept my expression blank. “If you don’t release me, I will break your arm.”

“You would, wouldn’t you?” His breath was warm against my cheek. Bile rose in my throat. “There was only one thing that Telly and I ever agreed on.”

“What was that?”

“You need to be broken down.” He released me, the same damn smile plastered across his face. “Except he went about it all the wrong way. I will not make the same mistake that I made with your mother. I allowed her too much freedom. As of now, you’re mine. Just like Seth is. And you would do very well to remember that.”

I recoiled from him. “You’re a bastard.”

“That may be the truth, but in a few days, I’ll control both of the Apollyons. Then we’ll be unstoppable.”

Chapter 26

DINNER WAS AWKWARD FOR SEVERAL REASONS. THERE were only three of us clustered at the end of the long rectangular table, eating by candlelight as if we’d been thrust into medieval times. Seth alternated between chumming it up with make-believe-daddy Lucian and glaring at me. I refused any attempt Lucian made at luring me into conversation. And I couldn’t even bring myself to eat the mouthwatering steak, which really sucked.

This was going to be my last dinner.

I knew it. What I was planning as I watched the two would surely end up with me being killed, but it was either go out this way or be part of something as heinous as destroying those who did not agree with Lucian and enslaving mankind. Because that’s what they planned—or at least, Lucian planned. Lucian needed the Apollyons—at least, the God Killer—to achieve this. It made sense. The Apollyons had been originally created to keep the pures in line, but if he controlled the Apollyons then he had nothing to fear. Once I Awakened, Seth could take down any god that went after Lucian, making Lucian practically invincible. It was a brilliant plan. One that I knew Lucian probably had worked on from the moment he became aware that there were two Apollyons in one generation.