We passed two Guards posted at the entrance. Ever since the attack here that had taken Caleb’s life, and the subsequent one in the Catskills, security had gone through the roof. Back in the day I would’ve bitched about this because it made sneaking around so much more difficult. But now, after everything, I was relieved to see the increased numbers.
Toasty air greeted us as we entered. Silently, I followed Aiden down the hall toward the library. Several Instructors still lingered in their offices, and we passed a few students heading out.
Aiden stepped forward and opened the door to the library, forever the gentleman. Smiling my thanks, I stepped inside and came to a complete standstill.
Luke and Deacon were emerging from one of the tall stacks, shoulder to shoulder. When they saw us, I’d swear they jumped at least three feet apart.
“Deacon?” Aiden sounded shocked. “You’re in the library?”
“Yeah.” Deacon brushed the mop of curls off his forehead. “We were studying for trig.”
Neither of them had a single book in their hands. I looked at Luke expectantly. He looked away, but his lips twitched.
Aiden eyes widened. “Wow. I’m sort of proud of you. Studying?”
I clamped my mouth shut.
“Turning over a new leaf and all.” Deacon bumped into his older brother. “Taking my education seriously.”
My tongue was literally burning to say something.
Aiden nodded at Luke. “Keep him out of trouble, Luke.”
Oh jeez. By the way Deacon was shifting back and forth on his feet and the size of Luke’s grin, I figured Aiden had no idea what kind of “trouble” those two were probably getting into. Same-sex relationships in our world didn’t even have a place on the list of taboo things to do. It was the fact that Deacon was a pure and Luke was a half.
And of all the half-bloods in the world, I knew just how stupid and dangerous whatever it was that they were doing was. I glanced at Aiden. He caught my eyes and smiled. My belly flopped. Stupid and dangerous, but it didn’t change how I felt.
CHAPTER 11
I WAS STILL STRUGGLING TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT when Aiden found an empty study room in the back of the library, somewhere near the Books-I’d-Never-Read and the Books-I’ve-Never-Heard-Of section. He left the door cracked open, which relieved and disappointed me in the same breath.
Sitting down, I dropped my bag on the table. “That’s really cool that Deacon is studying and all.”
Aiden took the seat beside me, turning so that his knee pressed against mine and he was facing me. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” I pulled out the massive book and placed it between us.
“Do I look stupid?”
My hand froze over the edge of the book. “Uh, is this a trick question?”
He arched a brow.
“No. You don’t look stupid.”
“I didn’t think so.” He reached over, taking the book away from me. His hand brushed mine as he did so, sending little shivers through my fingers. “They were doing the same amount of studying that we’re doing.”
I wasn’t sure how to proceed with this. So I said nothing.
Aiden stared at the book, brows lowered. “I know what my brother is doing, Alex. And you know what? It pisses me off.”
“It does?”
“Yes.” He looked up, meeting my gaze. “I can’t believe he thinks I’d care if he was into guys or whatever. I’ve always known he’s been that way.”
“I didn’t.”
“Deacon is good at hiding it. What am I looking at?” he asked. I reached over, opening the book to the section about the Order of Thanatos. Understanding dawned. He turned a couple of the pages before going back to the beginning of the section. “He’s always pretended to be interested in girls, and maybe he is, too. But he never had me fooled.”
“He had me fooled.” I watched a wavy lock of hair fall over Aiden’s forehead. An insane urge to brush it back hit me hard. “So he’s never said anything to you about it?”
Aiden snorted. “No. I think he believes I’d be upset or something. And trust me, I’ve wanted to tell him I don’t care, but I think it makes him uncomfortable. You know, talking about it. So I just pretend like I don’t see it. I guess he’ll talk to me about it eventually.”
“He will.” I bit my lip. “But… it’s Luke.”
A muscle popped in his jaw. “I don’t like the fact that he may be… involved with a half, but I trust that he won’t do anything—” He broke off, laughing. “Yeah, well, I’m not the person to be lecturing on the whole pure and half business.”
A flush crept over me. Aiden looked up, and our eyes locked. He opened his mouth, but shut it quickly. He turned back to the book, clearing his throat. “So, the Order of Thanatos? Not exactly fun reading material.”
Finding safe ground, I nodded. “Telly had this symbol tattooed on his arm.” I pointed at the torch, careful not to touch him. “And so does Romvi—who, by the way, still hates my guts, in case you’re wondering. And I remembered in the section that talked about the Apollyon, it mentioned that Thanatos killed Solaris and the First. Maybe this Order business is still going on and they have something to do with what… what happened in the Catskills.”
The hand beside the book curled into a fist, but Aiden didn’t look up. “As far as I know the Order doesn’t exist anymore, but you never know.”
“Maybe this can tell us something? But I can’t read it.”
He smiled briefly. “Give me a few minutes. Reading this isn’t exactly easy.”
“Okay.” Beyond the crack in the door, the library was dark and silent. There was no way I was going out there. I pulled out a notebook and pen. “I’ll… pretend to study or something.”
Aiden chuckled. “You do that.”
I smiled as I started doodling on a blank page of notebook paper. It was hard, because his knee was still touching mine, and it may have been my imagination, but we seemed to be getting closer. His entire lower leg was against mine.
While Aiden read, I sketched a really bad version of the Apollo and Daphne statue outside. Several times, Aiden glanced over and made comments about the drawing. He offered to pay for art classes at one point. I punched him in the arm for that.
Giving up on my masterpiece, I checked to see what page he was on. As I stared at the symbol on each page, I felt a tightening in my throat. Instead of thinking about Telly or Romvi, I thought of the pure I’d killed in the Catskills. Leaning back in the chair, I rubbed my hands over my thighs. The feel of shoving a blade into a pure was much different than shoving one into a daimon, even a half daimon.
There were always choices, and once again, I’d made the wrong decision. Actually, I’d made a string of bad decisions over a short period of time, but that one kind of took the cake. I could’ve disarmed the pure-blood Guard. I could’ve done something other than what I had done. I’d killed him and still didn’t even know his name.
“Hey,” Aiden said softly. “Are you okay?”
“Yep.” I lifted my head, forcing a smile. “Find anything out yet?”
He was watching me intently. I could feel it, even after I returned to staring at my hands. “Just why the Order was established,” he said. “It appears that they were created by us—the pure-bloods—as an organization to keep the old ways alive and to protect the gods. And it looks like even a few chosen half-bloods were initiated into the Order.”
“Great.” I smoothed my hands over the table. “Do the gods need protection?”
“It doesn’t seem to be in the way you’d think, but more like protecting their existence from mortals and those who might be a threat to the gods.” Aiden turned back to the book, flipping several chapters ahead. “It does say the members are marked, which would explain the tattoo if they do belong to the Order. But there is something else.”