Seth smiled and the marks returned, gliding over his golden complexion. I knew the moment our marks touched. He lowered his head till a breath separated our lips. My senses went crazy. Electricity jolted across my skin and down.
“You’re so beautiful like this,” he murmured, and pressed his forehead against mine.
What was in me, what lay between us, was ugly. How hadn’t I noticed that before? There had been signs from the beginning. The night I’d discovered what I was and Seth had remained behind, with Lucian. Seth’s need for power and how my response to him seemed out of my control, even when we first stood beside the courtyard months ago and again, several times over. I thought of that fleeting look of satisfaction I’d seen as I stood by the pool and chose to see what happened with him—I’d chosen him. All that time he’d been spending with Lucian…
I’d been so blind.
Seth’s lips pressed against my wildly beating pulse and I shuddered, revolted, angry, terrified, and helpless.
“Don’t,” I begged, before the twisted connection between us spun so tightly that I couldn’t tell where he began and I ended.
“You don’t want this? You can’t deny that a part of you does need me.”
“That part isn’t real.” My body was tingling, throbbing, and yearning for him, but my heart and soul were shriveling up, growing cold. Tears filled my eyes. “Please don’t make me do this, Seth.” My voice broke. “ Please”
Seth froze. Confusion clouded his eyes, the hard glint of amber fire shattering with pain. “I’d… I’d never force you, Alex. I wouldn’t do that.” His voice was curiously fragile, vulnerable, and unsure.
I started crying. I didn’t know if it was the relief from the fear or that deep down the Seth I knew was still in there somewhere. For now.
Seth sat up, running a hand through his hair. “Alex, don’t… don’t cry.”
My hands felt like blocks of cement as I lifted them and wiped under my eyes. I knew not to cry in front of daimons, to show weakness, and Seth… he was no different.
He reached down, but stopped. Several seconds passed before he spoke. “It’ll get easier. I promise.”
“Just leave,” I said hoarsely.
“I can’t.” He eased down beside me, keeping a discreet distance between us. “The moment I leave this room you’ll do something stupid.”
Truth be told, I was too tired to stand, let alone stage a daring escape. I managed to roll onto my side, away from him. Sleep didn’t come easy that night. The only comfort I took was that, when I closed my eyes, I pictured Aiden. And even though the image did him no justice, his love did the one thing I’d asked for. Not to protect me, but to give me strength to figure a way out of this mess.
Seth rarely left my side the next two days, having food brought to the room, and it took those two days for me to regain any real strength. The last rune had taken more from me than the others, and I knew just like Seth had said, that something was different.
He’d only pulled akasha from me once more, when he’d brought Lucian in to witness.
Seth had been right. Lucian had been disappointed that I hadn’t Awakened, but he’d been pleased by the new power Seth gained, even though it had been temporary.
And gods, Seth had beamed like a kid showing his father his prized science fair project. I thought I’d feel sickened by Seth, but during the long afternoons he spent talking to me while I tried to convince him to let me go, I began to feel sorry for him.
There were two sides to him, and the side I had held close to my heart was losing out to the one that craved power like a daimon thirsted for aether. I wanted to fix him somehow, save him.
I also wanted to strangle him, but that was nothing new.
During the evening of the second night, a commotion downstairs roused me from the bed. Recognizing Marcus’ deep booming voice, I stood on weak legs and ambled toward the door.
Seth was beside me in an instant, placing a hand on the door. “You can’t.”
I blinked away the dizziness. “He’s my uncle. I want to see him.”
“Since when?” Seth grinned, and I sucked in a breath, because it reminded me of the other Seth—one who wouldn’t hold me hostage. “You hate him.”
“I… I don’t hate him.” At that moment, I realized I’d been a giant douche to my uncle. Granted, he wasn’t the warmest of people, but he wouldn’t shut me in a room with a potential sociopath. I swore I’d be different…If I ever got to see him again. “Seth, I want—”
“Why would you refuse to let Marcus see his niece? Is something wrong?”
My breath caught in my throat as I pressed my hands against the door, under Seth’s. Aiden’s voice was like a burst of sunlight and warmth. I was thisclose to kicking Seth in the junk just to make him move, and he must’ve anticipated that, because the warning in his eyes told me not to even think it.
“She is resting, but fine. There is no need for concern,” I heard Lucian say and then his voice faded out.
Drawing in a shallow breath, I closed my eyes. Aiden was so close and yet I couldn’t get to him. I knew he had to be worried, assuming the worst. If I could just see him, let him know that I was okay… it would ease some of the aching around my heart.
“You really love him?” Seth asked quietly.
“Yes.” I opened my eyes. His gaze was downcast. Thick lashes fanned his cheeks. “I do.”
He slowly lifted his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I seized the moment. “And I care about you, Seth. I really do. Seeing what you’re doing—what you’re becoming—is killing me. You’re better than this, stronger than Lucian.”
“I am stronger than Lucian.” He leaned against the door, watching through heavy lidded eyes. “I’ll be stronger than a god soon.”
And that was that. Seth didn’t move away from the door, and eventually I went to the window, hoping I could catch a glimpse of my uncle and Aiden. The terracotta roof over the library blocked the view.
We didn’t talk again.
Time was running out and I had to do something.
Seth was antsy the following morning, unable to sit still for longer than a few minutes. His constant pacing and jerky movements were so at odds with his normal otherworldly grace. He had my nerves stretched thin and each time he looked my way, I felt a lump of dread and fear inch up my throat. But he never approached me and he didn’t touch me again. Seth would just turn away and stare out the window silently, waiting.
The morning after Marcus’ visit, I had to see the rune on the back of my neck again. With my energy at normal levels, I found a hand-held mirror and craned my neck, twisting until I caught a glimpse in the bathroom mirror. It was faint blue, shaped like an S that closed at the end. The invincibility rune. I reached back and touched it. The skin on my fingers tingled from the contact.
I lowered the mirror to the counter and turned around. My eyes looked way too wide, scared almost. There were shadows forming under them, dulling the brown irises. Not that my brown eyes were extraordinary in the first place, but geesh.
The skittish look in my eyes hadn’t gone away, even after I’d showered. Weight settled on my shoulders, squeezed my chest. Seth had been trying to Awaken me this entire time, like I’d feared. He’d lied. I pushed my damp hair back. Luckily he hadn’t succeeded, but there was undeniably something different. I could feel it just below the skin.
There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Alex?” Seth called, and knocked again. “What are you doing in there?”
Gathering up my strength, I focused on the neon pink walls and reinforced the mental shields, blocking him out.
His sigh was audible. “You’re just blocking me to tick me off, Alex.”
I gave my reflection a weak smile and then I opened the door. Brushing past him, I tossed my dirtied clothes in the corner.