Three new marble statues had been erected in the center of the lobby. The angelic, beautiful women clustered close to one another, their arms folded close to their bodies and their wings arched high above their tilted heads.
Oh, my gods.
There were furies in the Covenant.
Entombed for now, their arrival was a sign from some very unhappy gods. I walked around them slowly, as if theyd break free from their shells and rip me from limb to limb at any moment. I imagined they were waiting, sharpening the claws that would appear in their true form.
Furies were ancient, horrific goddesses once used to capture those who had committed evil but had not been punished. Now they appeared whenever there was a threat to the pures as a whole or to humankind in general.
Something was about to go down, or already had.
Tearing my eyes away from their serene expressions, I pushed open the heavy doors. A hand clamped down on my arm. My gasp of surprise came out as a shriek as I leaned back and brought my leg up to deliver a vicious kick. My eyes flicked up an instant before I made contact.
Crap! I yelped.
Aiden blocked my knee, brows raised. Well, your reflexes are definitely getting better.
Heart racing, I closed my eyes. Oh, my gods, you scared the crap out of me.
I can tell. He dropped my arm, his eyes falling to my pants. So its true.
So whats true? I still couldnt get control over my heart. For crying out loud, Id thought he was a daimon about to chomp down on whats left of my arm.
You got into a fight with Lea Samos and broke her nose.
Oh. I straightened, pursing my lips. She called me a daimon loving
Words, Alex, just words. Aiden tipped his head to the side. Havent we had this conversation before?
You dont know Lea. You dont know how she is.
Does it matter how she is? You cant fight everyone who says something negative about you. If I approached people the way you do, Id be fighting all the time.
I rolled my eyes. People dont talk bad about you, Aiden. Everyone respects you. Youre perfect. They dont think youre a daimon. Anyway, theres a new happy family entombed in the lobby back there.
He frowned.
Therere furies in the lobbystatues of them.
Aiden dragged a hand over his head, sighing. We were afraid that might happen.
Why are they here?
The Covenant has been breached, which is something the Council assured would never happen. It was part of their agreement with the gods ages ago, when the first Covenant was established. The gods see this breach as the Council not able to handle the daimon problem.
My stomach flopped. And what does that mean, exactly?
He grimaced. It means, if the gods believe the pure-bloods have lost control, they will release the furies. Its not something anyone wants. The furies will go after anything they perceive as a threatdaimon, half-blood, or
Apollyon? I whispered. Aiden didnt respond, which confirmed I was correct. I groaned. Awesome. Well, hopefully that doesnt happen.
Agreed.
I shifted uncomfortably, my brain unable to really process the new threat. What are you doing over here, anyway?
Aiden pinned me with a dark look. I was going to see Marcus. What are you doing roaming around by yourself?
Clive was supposed to escort me back to the dorm, but that kind of fell through.
His eyes narrowed and then he sighed. Tipping his head toward the dorms, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark cargos. Come on, Ill walk you back. You shouldnt be out here alone.
I pushed away from the doors. Cuz theres a daimon still on campus? And furies ready to attack?
He glanced down at me, frowning. I know your flippant attitude is an act. Its probably what made you turn an apple into a deadly weapon. You of all people know how serious this is.
My cheeks flushed at his reprimand. Guilt twisted my stomach into raw knots. I stared down at the markings on the pathway. Im sorry.
Im not the person you should be apologizing to.
Well, Im sure as hell not apologizing to Lea. So you can forget that.
Aiden shook his head. I know what Lea said upset you. I can even understand your reaction, but you have
to be careful. People are
Yeah, I know. People are watching me, blah and blah some more. I squinted at the shadows of the patrolling Guards. It was the time between dusk and nightfall, but the lamps hadnt kicked on yet. The largest buildingsthe ones housing the school, training facilities, and dormsslipped dark shadows over the pathway. Anyway, do you guys have any idea where the daimon could be?
No. Weve searched everywhere and are still searching. Right now were focused on keeping the students safe.
We stopped at the bottom of the steps outside my dorm. The porch was empty, a sign of everyones unease. Girls usually hung out here, hoping to get some guy time in. Did Melissa see the daimon? Was she able to give some sort of description?
Aiden ran a hand over his forehead. She barely remembers anything from the attack right now. The doctors well, they think its the trauma. A way of protecting herself, I guess.