What the hell? Olivia sat up straighter.
Mrs. Kateris stepped back, smoothing her hands over the front of her skirt.
The Guards bowed in her direction, the custom when addressing pures of status, which in our world was pretty much every pure. We apologize for interrupting your class, Mrs. Kateris, said the first Guard. I almost didnt recognize him. He was the Guard from the bridge, the one whod followed me around the islandCrede Linard. Well, he mustve been promoted.
Mrs. Kateris gave him an uneasy smiled. No need to apologize. How can we help you?
Dean Andros wishes the presence of the half-bloods. We are here to escort them.
The halfs in the class glanced around the room, confusion and wariness on our faces. Had there been another attack?
Stepping back, Mrs. Kateris clasped her hands. Guard Linard faced the class, expression impressively blank. Please follow us.
Olivia snapped the textbook closed as her face lost its color. Whats going on?
I grabbed my backpack off the floor, thinking of the furies. Everyone had been talking about them this morning, thinking they looked pretty cool. No one seemed to get what a big deal they were. I dont know.
Several halfs started asking questions as we filed out of the class-room, but Guard Linard frowned at them. No talking.
The same thing was happening in the other classes. Doors opened as Guards led halfs in a single file down the corridor. Upstairs, the sound of herded footsteps followed our group. I glanced behind us, spotting Caleb and Luke.
Turning back around, I drew in a shallow breath. This was something serious, and we all recognized it. Tension rippled through the air, itching at our skin as we continued to the first floor. Getting down the stairwell took a ridiculous amount of time. Once again, I felt the desire to mention the fact we needed elevators.
We ended up being ushered through the lobby of the school, past the administrative offices, then into the middle of the Covenantto the indoor coliseum. It was the only place big enough to hold all of us.
Once inside the room we students referred to simply as the gymnasium, we were ordered to take our seats and to stay with our classes. Olivia and I ended up in the third row. Caleb and Luke were at least in the eleventh, which sucked. Id rather be sitting near Caleb when they dropped whatever bomb they were about to drop on us, and I knew Olivia felt that way, too.
I bounced my knee, scowling. The seats in here had been made out of some kind of sandstone, and they were the most uncomfortable things to sit on.
Olivia squirmed. Do you
From the gymnasium floor below us, Guard Linard whipped around. No talking.
Olivias brows flew up, and I wondered if Linard would stroke out if I asked who was guarding the bridge. I exhaled loudly as I scanned the sea of half-bloods in green training clothes. A bunch of blue-uniformed Guards stood watch. But I didnt see many people in the black uniforms of the Sentinels, the hunters of daimons.
Then my gaze settled on a tall blond leaning against the wall, and I recognized the well-muscled arms and narrow hips. He had one long leg bent at the
knee, his booted foot planted on a mosaic of a seminude Zeus.
Seth.
His hair was pulled back in a leather tie, but like always, shorter strands slipped free and curled around his chin. He had this golden complexion uniquely his own and a face perfectly pieced together, with those odd amber eyes holding an exotic curve. Sometimes I wondered if the gods had specially crafted those cheekbones and smug-looking lips, if theyd put the faint cleft in his chin and carved his jaw out of granite. No one else quite looked like him.
He was, after all, the First Apollyon of our generation. According to my stepfather, Seth and I were fated to be together in some weird, energy transfer way. According to me, Seth was a pain in my
Seth inclined his head in my direction and winked. I leaned back and focused on the Guards below. Seth and I werent getting along at the moment. In our last training session, hed accidentally hit me with a blast of pure energy and Id accidentally thrown a rock at his head.
Perhaps I did have a problem with throwing things.
After what seemed like forever, Marcus entered the gymnasium, and the entire student assembly shifted forward. Around two hundred of us sat together, ranging from seven to eighteen years old. The wee ones sat on the floor, knee to knee. They probably had no clue what was going on.
Marcus wasnt alone. Council Guards dressed in all white followed behind him. The Council resembled the Olympian Court, eight pures and two Ministersone male and one female. Only the Covenant locations held a Councilhere in North Carolina, upstate New York, South Dakota, and the wilds of Tennessee. The Council acted as our ruling government, establishing laws and carrying out punishments. The Ministers were the only ones who communicated with the gods, but if what Lucian had said during the summer was true, the gods hadnt spoken to the Ministers in ages.