Apollyon (Covenant #4)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  Cheeks burning, I dropped into stance. Solos launched at me. We went at it, blow for blow. He dipped. I spun. More times than not, he ended up sprawled on the ground, kicking up dirt and loose grass on me. My muscles were a little out-of-use, but I was fast—faster than I ever remembered being. When I’d been fighting Aiden the other day, I hadn’t been aware of what I was really doing, not the mechanics of it. But now? Whoa, I felt like Superwoman.

  Solos picked himself off the ground, exhaling out his nose. We moved on to disarming one another, which usually had been a weak area for me.

  I darted under Solos’ outstretched arm, caught both of his elbows and pulled back, running my hands down to his wrists as I planted a foot in his back. He released the blades and I caught them.

  Waving them in his face, I grinned. “I kind of rock at this.”

  He turned, brows furrowed. “I don’t even know what that move was.”

  I flipped the dagger in my right hand. “It’s called being awesome and it worked.”

  “There’s a difference between skill and speed.” He snatched the dagger out of my other hand. “You won’t always have speed.”

  “But I have the elements,” I reminded him.

  “That you do.” He gave a lopsided grin that didn’t stretch his scar. He was handsome when he smiled like that. Hell, he was handsome even with the scar—kind of like a pirate. “But correct me if I’m wrong—doesn’t using the elements tire you out?”

  “That’s what I hear.” Olivia dropped down on a tree stump and stretched out her long legs slowly. “Well, I heard Seth say that once.”

  With only one dagger left in hand, I pointed it at Solos. “Using the elements can tire us out, but not as much as akasha. That’s why he doesn’t use it all the time. Zaps him—us, I guess.”

  Aiden threaded his fingers and stretched, bowing his back. My gaze followed the movement quite obsessively. Everything he did looked fluid and graceful. “That’s why it’s important not to rely solely on those abilities.”

  As long as I’d known Aiden, I could count on one hand how many times he’d used the fire element. Each pure had an affinity to a certain element, while the Apollyon could wield control over all of them. Aiden liked to fight hand-to-hand.

  Or titanium-to-titanium.

  Lea was leaning against a large oak, her hair a mess as Marcus retrieved the fallen blades they’d been practicing with. My uncle handled them expertly. Sometimes I forgot that he had trained as a Sentinel, once upon a time.

  Our little recess was over, and under the cloudy April skies we continued until the sun began its descent in the west. Only then did we shuffle back into the cabin, and I guessed practicing akasha was on the schedule for tomorrow. The smell of roasted meat teased my taste buds. I was so hungry I could eat a daimon, but a shower came first.

  And as I’d expected earlier, I was all by my lonesome in that endeavor.

  All of us sat at the kitchen table and dug in. Someone thanked Laadan for the meal and Deacon about had a coronary.

  “Who tenderized the meat? Who marinated and watched it dutifully?” His blond brows lowered as he held his fork like Luke held a dagger. “That would be me”

  Laadan nodded. “I peeled potatoes. That was about it.”

  “I didn’t know you could cook,” I said, surprised.

  Freshly showered, Aiden dropped into the seat beside his brother. His dark hair was damp and swept back, revealing his broad cheekbones. He clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Deacon is one hell of a cook.”

  “Hmm.” Olivia grinned as she chased a scalloped potato across her plate. “Learn something new every day, right?”

  Not even trying to hide his proud smile, Deacon glanced at Luke. “I’m full of surprises.”

  I arched a brow, but shoved a piece of succulent meat into my mouth rather than saying anything. For a little while, sitting at that table with everyone, things were, well, they were nice and warm.

  Aiden remained mostly quiet while everyone traded stories, cracking a grin every once in awhile, but still slightly apart from the boisterous group. More than once, our gazes met. Something churned in his gray eyes. I could easily see the sharp slice of sorrow mixing with regret before he looked away.

  After dinner, bellies full, the group split into different sections of the house. Lea disappeared with one of the books Laadan had brought with her. Olivia and the boys set up in the living room with a deck of cards. Solos and Marcus went out to check the perimeter with Aiden. It was getting late, and I was trying to stay up for when they came back, but eventually I said goodnight to the group and dragged myself upstairs.

  I stopped in front of Aiden’s bedroom, suddenly unsure of where I was supposed to be sleeping. There was another bedroom adjoining the bathroom, which was supposed to be mine, but I couldn’t recall ever sleeping in there. Was I supposed to be in that room? And if I made myself at home in Aiden’s, was I overstepping something?

  Shifting my weight wearily, I chewed on my bottom lip. Gods, this shouldn’t be this complicated. Come on, Alex, you’re being stupid. And I did feel stupid.

  Heading to my room, I discovered I was severely lacking in the nightclothes department. Going back through the bathroom, I found a few of Aiden’s longer shirts folded separately from the rest of his clothing, as if they’d been purposefully left aside.

  I changed into one of the thin cotton shirts that reached my thighs, and there was no way I wanted to go back to the cool, untouched room that was supposed to be mine. Slipping under the covers, I snuggled down, inhaling the earthy scent that blanketed the bed.

  It didn’t take long to drift off to sleep. Probably only minutes, and I was floating in a comforting haze, but something made me open my eyes. And when I did, I was staring right into a pair of amber-colored ones.

  CHAPTER 13

  Seth.

  Oh gods, I was staring at Seth. He was here. Impossible, but he was here with me.

  My heart raced in a chaotic rhythm as I pressed away. So afraid, so terrified by his sudden appearance, I couldn’t catch my breath.

  His arms formed a cage around me. I didn’t dare move, for his skin was too close to mine, his lips a fraction of an inch away. His amber eyes glowed under thick, dark-blond eyelashes. Marks of the Apollyon raced over up his neck, spreading over his cheeks in a vibrant wave of blue over his golden complexion. My own marks responded to his proximity, causing my skin to tingle. The cord snapped alive.

  The force of Seth’s presence was everywhere, invading my body and thoughts, but when I finally breathed in, the scent was all wrong. It was earthy with a hint of sea salt. Aiden.

  Seth’s lips curved into a satisfied smile and he placed his mouth near my ear. “I told you, Alex. I’d find you anywhere.”

  My mouth opened, but my scream was strangled by the lump of terror in my throat as I twisted to the side and jerked awake… awake.

  Pulse pounding, I sat up and the bedroom slowly came into focus. My frantic gaze traveled the room, searching out the shadows for any sign of Seth. A sliver of moonlight seeped in under the blinds, spreading across the floor, its fingers brushing over the antique dresser. Under the bathroom door, a slit of yellow gleamed. Other than the tingling marks, there was no sign of him.

  It was just a dream—a nightmare. Nothing more, but the adrenaline kicking around inside me begged to differ.

  The bathroom door opened and Aiden filled the doorway. Lit by the soft glow of the light behind him, he was a study of shadowy contrasts—shirtless and wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips.

  That didn’t help my heart or breathing problem.

  The light behind him flipped off.

  “Alex?” He moved silently to the bed, dipping down beside me. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  I shook my head.

  His head tilted to the side and dark hair fell over his forehead. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” I croaked out, feeling ridiculous now for overreactin
g to a stupid nightmare.

  Aiden reached out, stopping with his hand a hairsbreadth from my cheek. He pulled away, settling onto his back. One arm stretched out, beckoning me. Stretching out beside him, I placed my head on his shoulder, my hand on his chest above his thundering heart. His skin was warm, comforting.

  Several heartbeats passed in silence while his heart slowed down. Why it had been beating so fast, I didn’t know. I snuggled closer, fitting my body to his side, and his arm curled around my waist. I felt his jaw graze the top of my head, and then his lips pressed against my forehead.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to tell him about the dream, but instead, something else came out. “They cut out my father’s tongue, Aiden. He can’t talk. They did that to him.”

  He seemed to hold his breath for a moment.

  “Why would they do something like that?” I asked, and my own voice sounded incredibly small and fragile.

  “I don’t know.” His hand came up, pressing between my shoulders, moving in a soothing circle. “There isn’t any justification for something as horrific as that.” There was a pause. “I’m sorry, Alex.”

  I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut. We needed to do something about the Breed Order, and I knew Aiden would agree, but discussing something so political at two in the morning seemed out of place.

  Stretching up, I placed my lips to Aiden’s, but the kiss turned out more chaste than the hot and steamy action I was going for. His arm tightened, though, and a fine tremor coursed through his body as if he was fighting the pull between us.

  Confused, I ceased my attempt at seducing him, since it really wasn’t working, and settled back down, heart racing again. Why hadn’t he kissed me back? Was he still upset over my bratty display earlier while training with Solos? If so, then geez, there was nothing I could do to fix that. Or was it something else? Like the regret and sadness that flashed in his gray eyes?

  Out of the silence that had fallen in the room once more, Aiden said, “I love you.”

  There was no missing the heavy thread of emotion in his voice. My breath caught. Even with my failed seduction attempt, hearing him say those three little words was something I’d never get tired of. “I love you, too.”

  Very little time later, the steady rise and fall of Aiden’s chest deepened. I stayed in his embrace, staring through the darkness at the empty wall across the bed for what seemed like hours before I carefully disentangled myself from his arms and crept out of the bed.

  Unable to sleep or stay put, I found a pair of sweats in the darkness and drew them on, rolling the cuffs at the bottom. My bare feet padded off the wood floors as I slipped out of the door and headed downstairs.

  The house was tomb-quiet and chilly. Folding my arms, I piddled around in the kitchen, even though I wasn’t hungry or thirsty. Restless and wide awake, with no idea of what to do, I made my way to the sunroom.

  It was colder in there, but in a weird way, surrounded by all the plants and windows with nothing but darkness looming outside, it was peaceful.

  Sitting at the window seat, I tucked my legs against my chest and stared out one of the windows. Too much was running through my head - my father, training again, the Breed Order, Aiden and his sudden resistance, everything that was happening outside these walls, and…

  And I was thinking about Seth, courtesy of the nightmarish visit.

  A sharp slice of panic pierced my belly. What had happened had to have been a nightmare. Which was completely understandable considering Seth was pulling a Doctor Evil right now. It couldn’t be anything else, so I needed to stop freaking over it. But that low buzz in the back of my head—it was still there and it signified that, no matter what I did or how strong I was, I would always be connected to him.

  And that he could possibly still reach me.

  That anxious pang was back, spreading to my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut. Fear was a sour taste on the roof of my mouth. Could that nightmare really have been Seth reaching out to me?

  I checked my mental shields. Almost like running my tongue over my teeth after Jackson had stomped me in the face during class, I poked and prodded at the shield, making sure nothing had been knocked out of place or loose. The shield was sturdy, but the traces of alarm lingered.

  When I’d been connected to Seth after I’d Awakened, I could hear his thoughts as clear as my own.

  I rocked back a little, squeezing my legs until my arms ached.

  Seth had really seemed like he’d been here tonight, leaning over me and whispering his warning. Even my nightmares from what had happened in Gatlinburg hadn’t been that real, and they’d been pretty damn visual.

  Footsteps neared the sunroom and my head snapped up. “Marcus.”

  He was still dressed like he’d been at dinner, jeans and a tailored flannel shirt—a sure sign he hadn’t gone to bed yet. “Up a little late?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

  I gave a lopsided shrug and kept my arms locked around my knees. “I’m not sleepy.”

  “You were dragging all evening. I figured you’d sleep another day away.”

  It wasn’t like I could tell him the truth, so I said nothing.

  Marcus hesitated in the doorway and then strode forward, sure and strong. I watched him wearily as he sat beside me, taking the same spot Laadan had when we’d spoken. Several tense, uncomfortable minutes passed, and although Marcus and I had come a long way, we still had mountains to climb before things weren’t so epically awkward between us.

  He placed his hands in his lap and sighed. “Are you feeling well, Alexandria?”

  So formal… “Yeah, like I said, just not sleepy. How about you?”

  “Was out patrolling and just switched out with Solos.” He cast me a quick sidelong glance. “I’m not sleepy, either.”

  I turned back to the window. “Do you guys think it’s necessary to patrol?”

  “Some of it may just be out of habit, especially for Aiden and Solos, but stranger things have been known to happen.”

  Surprised that he answered honestly, I faced him. With my Apollyon sight, I could make out the lines of his face in the shadows. Another shocker came when I found his expression was open. “And even though the gods might not be gunning for us this very second, that could always change,” he said. “So we watch… and we wait.”

  I didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I hate that.”

  “What?” Curiosity marked his tone.

  My hands curled into themselves, balling next to my thighs. “That people would so willingly give their lives away to protect me. I hate that.”

  Marcus twisted toward me and then leaned his head back against the window. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s not just you that we’re protecting, Alexandria. There’s Lea and Deacon, Olivia and Luke. Three of them are trained to a certain extent, but not against gods or a horde of daimons. Even though a daimon attack out here seems unlikely…”

  Stranger things had happened. I nodded.

  His vibrant eyes slid close. “It’s not always about you.”

  My mouth worked on a refusal. I didn’t think it was always about me, but wait… I kind of sort of did by assuming that everyone was throwing themselves in front of a bus for me. My cheeks burned.

  “I didn’t… I didn’t mean it like that.” I took a breath. “Well, I kind of did, but I know you guys are protecting them, too. And that’s… that’s a good thing.”

  His shoulders relaxed. “And I didn’t mean how that came out.”

  I laughed and the sound surprised me. It wasn’t forced or snarky, just amused. “Yeah, you did, and I get it. I’ve been riding the Alex-Is-Important train for quite some time.”

  One eyebrow arched.

  The urge to laugh came again, but I stopped it and placed my cheek on my knees. “I’ve been… uh, I’ve been a handful. I know that. Most of the time it was on purpose.”

  “I know,” was all he said.

  “You did?”

  Marcus nodded. “
You’re like any child—”

  “I’m not a child.”

  His lips curved up at the corners. “You were like any child who was seeking for a place to fit in. It’s especially hard with you half-bloods. Many of you come from unhappy homes, or no homes at all. The environment you’re raised in is violent and aggressive. I’ve seen so many…” He shook his head slightly. “Anyway, you were different, though.”

  I glanced toward the empty question. “Why?”

  “For starters, you’re my niece.”

  “Wow.” I blinked, loosening my grip on my legs. “I’m surprised that the first thing wasn’t that you knew I was the Apollyon.”

  Marcus’ eyes opened and met mine. “That was never first, second, or third. You are my niece. You are my sister’s daughter. And you are so much like her…” He exhaled through the nose, his jaw locking. “You were so much like her that when you came back to the Covenant… and even now, I have a hard time looking at you without seeing my sister.”

  Something… something came unhinged in my chest. Never had Marcus been this open with me. And it’d seemed more likely for me to waltz around the living room with a daimon before Marcus would talk to me about my mother, but here he was.

  Holy daimon butt, we were climbing that mountain.

  The breath I inhaled was a bit raspy. “You loved my mom a lot.”

  “Rachelle was my little sister and I… I loved her dearly.” His eyes closed again. “Rachelle was full of life—vibrant. We were opposites. She drew people to her in droves, and I pretty much repelled them.”

  My lips quirked at the corners.

  “She was probably the only person who could get me to relax.” He sat up suddenly, dropping his hands on his knees. “When you were really little, she used to bring you over to my home, and if you behaved, which wasn’t always likely, she’d take you for ice cream afterward.” A pensive smile formed. “You were such a tiny thing then, but my gods, I knew immediately you would look just like her. Everything except the eyes…”

  Searching my memories, I found I could recall nothing of him from when I’d been a little girl, only the few visits when I was older, and they had been cold and impersonal. Marcus had been like every other pure.