There still had to be hope for Seth. Sure, what he was taking part in was crazy, but not epicallycrazy. Technically, Seth hadn’t done anything yet. Like Caleb had said, there was still hope. Whatever Lucian had on Seth, however he was pulling his strings, had to be broken before history repeated itself.
I pushed open the doors of the Courthouse and came face to face with the root of all my problems.
Lucian was flanked by several Council Guards, all dressed in those ridiculous white robes. The smile that spread across his face never quite reached his eyes. “I thought I’d find you here, Alexandria.”
Before I knew what was happening, his Guards surrounded me. Oddly, the Guards were all pure-bloods. Smart move, I’d give him that. “What’s going on, Lucian?”
“When will you call me ‘Father’?” He came up the final step, stopping in front of me. Wind blew his robes, giving an appearance that he was floating.
“Um, how about next to never?”
His pleasant smile remained. “One day that will change. We will be one big happy family, the three of us.”
Now that was disturbing. “You mean Seth? He’s as much a part of you as lam.”
Lucian tsked softly. “You will return to my house, Alexandria. There is no need to stay at the St. Delphi residence any longer.”
My mouth opened to argue that, but I clamped it shut. There was no way of knowing if Lucian was aware of my feelings for Aiden, or if Seth had told him anything. Putting up a fight would only arouse his suspicions. There was nothing I could do to stop this. Lucian was my legal guardian. Swallowing down my anger and distaste, I stepped forward. “I just need to get my stuff.”
Lucian stepped aside, motioning for me to follow. “That will not be necessary. Your belongings will be retrieved by Seth.”
Damn him. I stiffened as Seth came out the door. He didn’t spare me a glance as he brushed past me.
Lucian clapped Seth on his shoulder. “Meet us back at our house.”
Seth nodded and went down the steps. On the sidewalk, he looked up and gave me a sardonic grin before heading off toward one of the Hummers parked along the curb.
“Now, my dear, you will come with me,” Lucian said.
Fuming, but unable to do a damn thing about it, I followed Lucian into the other Hummer. Gods forbid that Lucian actually walk to his house. Once he climbed in the back seat with me, I was crawling out of my skin to get out of the car.
Lucian smiled. “Why is it that you’re so uncomfortable around me?”
I turned away from the window. “There is just something about you.”
He arched a brow. “And that would be?”
“Well, you’re like a snake, but slimy.”
He leaned back against the seat as the Hummer moved. “Cute.”
I smiled tightly. “Let’s cut the bull, Lucian. I know about Telly. Why would you do something that even I think is reckless and stupid?”
“The time for change is upon us. Our world needs better leadership.”
My laugh escaped before I could stop it. “Are you high?”
“For too long we’ve been expected to live by the old laws, existing beside mortals as if we are no better than them.” Disgust dripped from his words. “They should take the place of half-bloods, serving our every need or whim. And when they do, we—the new gods—will rule this earth.”
“My gods, you are insane.” There was nothing else I could say. And worse of all, Grandma Piperi had been right, but like always, I hadn’t understood. History was on repeat, but in the worst possible way. And evil had hidden in the shadows, acting like a puppet master pulling strings. Grandma Piperi had been referencing Seth and Lucian. I felt sick. If I’d only figured this out earlier, I could’ve prevented it from going this far.
“I don’t expect you to understand, but Seth does. That’s all I need.”
“How did you get Seth to go along with this?”
He studied his fingernails. “The boy never had a father. His pure-blood mother wanted very little to do with him. I suppose she regretted her relations with the half, but had been unable to get rid of him while he was still in her womb.”
I flinched.
“It’s safe to assume that she wasn’t a very kind mother,” Lucian continued. “But that boy still managed to impress the Council and gain entrance into the Covenant. He had a tough childhood, always alone. I suppose all Seth has ever wanted is to be loved.” He looked at me. “Could you do that? Give him the one thing he’s always wanted?”
Suddenly, I knew beyond a doubt, Seth hadn’t told Lucian about Aiden. But why? Removing Aiden from the equation would only benefit Seth. Could it be that Seth hadn’t because he knew it would hurt me? If that was the case, then Seth was still thinking. He wasn’t a lost cause, after all.
“I do hope so. Seth is a good boy.”
My eyes widened. “You sound… sincere.”
Lucian sighed. “I’ve never had a child of my own, Alexandria.”
Shock rippled through me. Lucian actually cared for Seth. And Seth saw him as a father. But it didn’t change what Lucian was doing. “You’re using him.”
The Hummer rolled to a stop behind Lucian’s house. “I’m offering him the world. The same thing I’m offering you.”
“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.”