The Struggle(79)
My brows flew up. “What?”
Those creepy-ass eyes met mine. “Leaving her was the right choice at the time. You showed a level of . . . restraint I never believed you were capable of.”
Was Apollo complimenting me?
“You left to protect her. There is no fault in that.”
I had no words.
None.
Apollo stepped back, his gaze traveling to the altar on the raised dais. “I will go to Hades. I will make sure he assists us one way or another.” His gaze settled on me again.
If he was waiting for me to thank him, he was going to be waiting for an eternity to hear that. But there was something I wanted to ask him. “Did you know? Did you always know what I would become?”
He sighed heavily. “I am the God of Prophecy.”
“That’s not really an answer.”
Apollo was quiet for a moment and then said, “A prophecy is never guaranteed to play out like it has been seen. Not every aspect of fate is written in stone. I had foreseen the rise of the Appointed One. I have foreseen what is to come, but it still can change.”
“You know, a heads-up about this whole god thing would’ve been great.”
He smirked. “What would it have changed?”
“If I had known what I was to become and what I could control, I wouldn’t have left Josie.”
“And do you plan to keep feeding off your priestesses without her knowing?” He volleyed back, proving that he’d been keeping an eye on this. “Or will you feed off her?”
Fury punched me straight in the chest, and I stepped up to Apollo, going eye to eye. “Or maybe I will take up residence in Olympus and not have to worry about feeding. I’m thinking the place could use a little redecorating.”
Apollo’s eyes flipped all white. “Is that a threat?”
I smiled tightly. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out, won’t we?”
His expression locked down, his features impassive as he started to fade out. “We just might.”
~
Josie
I was dreaming again.
Part of me could recognize that—a very distant part of me knew that I wasn’t really standing at the University. I was at Seth’s home. I knew that, but I could feel the warm breeze on my arms and stirring my loose hair. I could see the tall, marble statues that lined the courtyard as the stranger with blond hair and bright blue eyes stepped forward, taking my hands in his.
“Hi there,” he said.
I could hear someone crying behind me as he turned my hands over so they were palms up. “It’s time, don’t you think?”
“Time for what?” I asked, confused.
The stranger smiled boyishly.
Jolting awake, I sat straight up. The soft blanket slipped down and pooled at my waist as I glanced around the room. My head pounded like someone had taken up residence inside my skull and started banging on a set of drums.
“Hey, you’re awake.”
I jerked around, spying Alex at the entryway to the living room. She was holding a mug in her hand. “Yeah, I . . . I am.”
She came into the room, her long ponytail bouncing with each step. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay.” Pushing the blanket aside, I dropped my bare feet to the floor. “Actually, I have one hell of a headache.”
“Can I get you something for it, Kyría?” Basil announced without warning. He’d suddenly appeared in the doorway.
My eyes widened, as did Alex’s. I hadn’t even heard him come into the room. “Um, thanks. That would be great.”
Basil bowed and quickly disappeared. I looked at Alex. “Is he like a ninja ghost or something?”
She giggled. “I think so.”
“Where is everyone?”
“Aiden is making a few phone calls.” She dropped into a nearby chair. “We might have a lead on where you were held.”
“Really?”
She nodded as she sipped what smelled like coffee. “There is a community of pures that have reported what seems like shade attacks. They’re outside Baton Rouge. Aiden will . . . he will be heading there tomorrow morning. Seth’s going to poof him there. He’ll try to catch one of them and get it to talk.”
“He’s going by himself?”
“Yep. I am not too happy about it.” Alex leaned to the side, placing the mug on the table beside her. “Not that I don’t think he can’t take care of himself, but it’s . . .”
“I get it,” I told her. “It’s dangerous. Why aren’t you going with him?”
She raised a brow. “For me to go, well, Seth would have to poof me there, too, and that would mean you’d be by yourself.”
My brows lifted. “I can be by myself.”