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 havetold 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 Apollyonand 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.
It was working.
“I have something else I want to tell you,” Telly said. “I do have a favorite of all the servants, you see. One I personally requested many years ago. Did you know I knew your mother and father?”
I closed my eyes.
“What, Alexandria? Has someone already let that little bird out of the cage?” He let go of my wrist, chuckling. “To think your beautiful mother had tainted herself in that way, to mix with a half-blood. Did they really think they’d get away with it? And do you really think Lucian has forgotten the disgrace she placed upon his head?”
Dad. Daddy. Father. All titles which hadn’t really meant anything until I read Laadan’s letter. But now they meant everything.
“I know he must mean nothing to you,” Telly continued. “You’ve never known him, but I do know that whoever covered up what you did must mean a lot to you. And what do they say? Like father, like daughter?”
Desperation washed away any relief I felt. Telly wasn’t going to use my father against me. He was just going to use Aiden.
Telly left me by the window, returning to the center of the room. “This is your last chance. I will leave the day after tomorrow, before dawn, and if you haven’t turned yourself in by then, there will be no more chances. This could end easily.”
I didn’t even feel the throbbing in my face anymore.
Telly smiled, reveling in my silence. “Admit to killing the Guard, and I won’t push on…” his lip curled, “who covered it up. And trust me, I will find out. There are only a few I have noticed who have taken any interest in you, other than the First. What?” He laughed. “Did you think I hadn’t been paying attention?”
Air rushed from my lungs so quickly I felt dizzy.
“Let’s see.” Telly tapped his chin. “There is your uncle, who I think cares for you far more than he lets on. He was in New York. Then there is that one Sentinel—the one who found you that night in the maze. Leon? Then there is the one who graciously offered to train you. I do believe that would be St. Delphi. And then there is Laadan. All of them are suspects, and I will ensure that all of them suffer. As the Head Minister, I can revoke Marcus’ position. I can even remove Lucian. I can file charges against the rest. With all the unrest and recent incidents, it would be all too easy.”
A lump of horror and frustration formed in my throat. Tears built behind my eyes at the same moment I wanted to smash Telly’s head in.
“You’ll go into servitude and you will go on the elixir. If you refuse, well, things will end badly.”
My hands curled into fists. “You’re… revolting.”
Telly started toward me, his hand streaking out to hit me again.
I caught his wrist, my eyes meeting his and holding. “I’ve been hit enough, thank you.”
A commotion from the hallway caught Telly’s attention and he pulled his wrist free. Marcus’ voice rang loud, demanding entry to his office. Telly raised a brow at me. “You have until dawn on Friday.”
The walls closed in.
Telly smirked as Marcus’ demands grew louder. Neither of us spoke during those moments.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked finally.
“I don’t hate you, Alexandria. I hate what you are”
CHAPTER 13
THAT WAS WHAT THIS HAD COME DOWN TO—BECAUSE I was an Apollyon, because I’ll turn Seth into a God Killer. And I knew then, beyond a doubt, that Telly was a member of the Order. In his mind, he was just protecting the gods from a threat, and he saw no wrong in what he did.
The doors swung open as I turned back to the window, struggling for control.
“What is going on in here?” Marcus demanded.
“I had some… unanswered concerns about the night Alexandria left the Council,” Telly replied. “At first she was not very cooperative when it came to the questions, but I do believe we worked out an understanding. After that, she was surprisingly helpful.”