Knock it off, right now!
She broke my nose again! Lea dropped her hands from her face. You cant let her get away with this!
Oh, shut up. The docs will fix it. Half your face is plastic anyway. I struggled against the Guard until he twisted my arm back so far that any movement caused my shoulder to scream.
She wanted to get at my aether. Lea pointed a bloodstained hand at me. Her mother killed my parents, and now she wants to kill me!
I laughed. Oh, for the love
Shut up, the Guard hissed in my ear. Shut up before I make you shut up.
Threats made by half-blood Guards werent meant to be taken lightly. I quieted down while the other Guard grabbed ahold of Lea. Blood pounded in my ears and my chest still heaved with fury, but I realized that I mayve overreacted a tiny bit.
And I was going to be in so much trouble.
Half-bloods fighting amongst themselves wasnt a big deal. The aggression and controlled violence sometimes rolled out of the training rooms into places like the cafeteria. Whenever halfs did get in trouble for fighting, they ended up with one of the Instructors who handled disciplinary issues.
Each dorm
floor had one assigned. My floor had Instructor Gaia Telis, a pretty cool chick who wasnt overly strict or annoying. But I didnt end up with Instructor Telis. Five minutes after breaking Leas nose for the second time, I ended up in Dean Andross office.
This was only one of many drawbacks of my uncle being the Dean.
I stared at the vibrant fish zooming across the aquarium and fidgeted with the string on my pants while I waited for Marcus. Sometimes I felt like one of those fishtrapped by invisible walls.
The doors swinging open behind me made me cringe. This was going to suck daimon butt.
If you discover anything else, notify me immediately. That is all. Marcuss deep voice filled the room. The Guards adorned the outside of his office doors like Greek warrior statues. Then he slammed the door shut.
I jumped.
Marcus stalked across the room, dressed like hed spent the majority of the day on a golf course. I expected him to sit behind his desk like a dean should, so when he ended up directly in front of me, grasping the arms of my chair, I was a bit shocked.
I am sure youre aware of what has happened today. The tone of Marcuss voice was both cold and distinctively cultured. Most pures sounded that wayclassy, refined. A pure-blood was attacked at some point last night.
I strained back as far as I could go, focusing on the aquarium. Yeah
Do not look away from me, Alexandria.
Sucking in my lower lip, I faced him. His eyes were the same as my mothers had been before shed turned into a daimona vibrant shade of green, like glittering emeralds. Yes, I heard.
Then you understand what Im dealing with right now. Marcus lowered his head so we were at eye level. I have a daimon half-blood on my campus, hunting my students.
So its a half whos been turned?
I think you already know that, Alexandria. You are a lot of thingsimpulsive, irresponsible, and ill-manneredbut stupid is not one of them.
I wanted to hear more about this daimon half than my character flaws. Who was the half? Youve caught him, right?
Marcus ignored my question. Now, Im pulled out of an investigation that will make or break my career here, all because my half-blood niece broke a girls nose in the cafeteria with an apple, of all things.
She accused me of being a daimon!
So your natural response is to throw an apple at her face hard enough to break a bone? His voice dropped, deceptively soft. Marcus was Chuck Norris in an off-pink polo shirt. Id learned not to underestimate him.
She said I was the reason her parents were killed.
Ill ask you one more time: So you decided to throw an apple hard enough to break a bone?
I wiggled uncomfortably. Yeah, I guess so.
He exhaled slowly. Is that all you have to say?
I glanced around the room, my brain emptying out. I said the first thing that came to mind, I didnt think the apple would break her nose.
Pushing off the chair, he towered over me. I expect more from you. Not because youre my niece, Alexandria. Not even because you have more experience with daimons than any other student here.
I rubbed my forehead.
Everyone will be watching youeveryone of importance. You will give Seth unprecedented power. We cannot afford any misguided behavior from you, Alexandria. Neither can Seth.
Irritation flared deep inside me. At eighteen, something called palingenesis would hit me like some kind of instant supernatural puberty. Id Awaken and my power would shift to Seth. What power, I had no clue, but hed become the God Killer. Everyone cared about Seth, but me? They didnt seem so concerned with what would happen to me.
People expect more from you. They will watch you because of what you will become, Alexandria.
I disagreed. They watched because they feared history would repeat itself. The only time thered ever been two Apollyons in the same generation, the First had turned on the Council. Both Apollyons had been executed. Two Apollyons at one time was considered dangerous by the Council and the gods. It was why Mom had taken me from the Covenant three years ago. Shed thought she could keep me safe, hide me among the mortals.