Аполлион

My family isn’t linked to yours in any way. Besides, your lineage is to Apollo.

And who is yours?There was no answer, only a wealth of arrogant silence. Why do you keep that from me?

Seth sighed. I will tell you when we’re together. I’ll show you everything, Angel. And all the questions you have, you’ll have your answers.

CHAPTER 4

After lunch was served the following day, I roamed my cell alone. Something was going on upstairs—doors opening and slamming shut, pounding feet, and happy shouts.

Curious, I went to the bars and strained to hear more. The conversation was too muffled to make heads or tails of who it was, but someone had arrived. And it wasn’t a god. I would know it if it were. Their essence was strong, something I could feel insideme.

Touching the bars, I measured the response. The blue shimmer wasfading. Take that, Seth. Did that mean the mark above would also fade without a booster? Good gods, I hoped so. I searched for the cord, wanting to tell him about the new development. Seth was there but not talkative. He was with Lucian, at least that much I got. Whatever was being discussed was muted to me.

Immediate dislike rose in response to Lucian’s presence. I’d obviously have to get over it, but it was going to be difficult. I would never be a fan of my stepfather.

Unhooking from the connection, I wondered what Aiden was doing. He usually spent a great part of his day sitting in that folding chair, brooding at me.

You’ve given me the hope I need.

Hope for what? A “happily ever after” for us?

I found myself in the tiny white bathroom, staring into the sucky plastic mirror above the sink. The thing was practically cemented into the wall, lightweight plastic so I couldn’t fashion it into some kind of weapon.

Leaning against the sink, I all but plastered my face against the mirror. My reflection was wavy, distorted by the cheap quality, but it was my eyes I was staring at.

They were amber, just like all the other Apollyons after they’d Awakened. It was kind of strange seeing my eyes like that, but it also felt right. Like I’d come into something I was destined to become. Which, duh, I had.

I cocked my head to the side. What would my Seth think when he finally saw me—really saw me—all Apollyoned-out? He would be pleased, so unlike Aiden, who hated my eyes…

A sudden sharp feeling speared my chest. Holy crap…I was lightheaded as I gripped the sink. This wasn’t a physical pain, more like the kind when the world drops out from underneath my feet. Or when there’s really, sucktastic bad news.

It was the sensation of a heart being annihilated with no possibility of repair.

The breath I sucked in was shrill. The feeling didn’t make sense. My heart wasn’t broken. It was whole and it belonged to my Seth. And he loved me in return. He’d never told me that he did, but he had to. We were destined for each other, and once together, we would be perfect. We would rule over both Olympus andthe mortal world.

“We will be gods,” I whispered.

“Oh, Alex, even I’m amazed by how inflated your ego has become. Gods, if I was fully corporeal, I’d so kick your ass right now.”

I whirled around, fully expecting to find Caleb standing in the bathroom, because that was hisvoice. But no one was there. Heart racing, I peeked into the cell. Empty.

“Caleb?”

No response.

I inched into the cell, willing Caleb to appear if he was really here. Silence stretched out, and just when I was about to admit that I might’ve lost my damn mind, warmth passed through me.

Did Caleb just… walk throughme?

“Uh…”

There was a light chuckle from behind me. Whipping around, I just… I could only stare.

Caleb stood there, dark blond brows arched in such a painfully familiar way. He was wearing a tunic-style shirt and white, linen pants. It was Caleb, but… not.

I could totally see the bars through him. Freaky. “Caleb?”

He glanced down at himself. “Yeah, it’s me, in shade form for your viewing pleasure.”

“Are you really here, or have I lost my mind?”

A slow, easy grin pulled at pale lips. “I’m here. Well, as here as I can be.”

I drew in a breath, but it got stuck. “Can I touch you?” My legs were moving me forward in jerky motions. No graceful Apollyon here. “Can I hug you?”

His brows lowered. “No, Alex, you can’t. You’d go right through me.” He grinned. “Though you seemed to enjoy it the first time around.”

I laughed, stopping short of touching. “Gods, I want to hug you so badly.”

“I know.” His grin faded. “But we don’t have a lot of time.”

We never did. I rocked back on my heels, smiling. “You’re here to break me out, aren’t you?”

“Ah, no, I’m not here to break you out.”

My smile slipped off my face. “Why? I don’t understand. I need to get out of here. My Seth needs—”