They were the eyes of the gods.
I jerked straight up in bed, a fine sheen of sweat covering my body as my heart continued to try to come out of my chest. Several moments passed before my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I recognized the bare walls of my dorm room.
What the hell? I ran the back of my hand over my damp and warm forehead. I squeezed my watery eyes shut.
Hmm? murmured a half-awake Seth.
I sneezed in response, once, and then twice.
Thats hot. He blindly reached for the box of tissues. I cant believe youre still sick. Here.
Sighing, I took the tissues from him and cradled the box to my chest as I pulled a few free. Its your fault achoo ! It was your stupid idea to go swimming in achoo! forty-degree weather, jerk-face.
Im not sick.
I wiped my nose, waiting a few more seconds to make sure I was done sneezing my brains out, and then dropped the box on the floor. Colds sucked daimon butt. In my seventeen years of life, Id never gotten a cold until now. I hadnt even known I could get one. Arent you just so damn special?
You know it, was his muffled response.
Twisting at the waist, I glared at the back of Seths head. He almost looked normal with his face planted into a pillow my pillow. Not like someone whod become a God Killer in less than four months. To our world, Seth was sort of like any mythical creature: beautiful, but usually downright deadly. I had a weird dream.
Seth rolled onto his side. Come on. Go back to sleep.
Since wed returned from the Catskills a week ago, hed been up my butt like never before. It wasnt like I didnt understand why, with the whole furie business and me killing a pure. He probably was never going to let me out of his sight again. You really need to start sleeping in your own bed.
He turned his head slightly. A sleepy smile spread across his face. I prefer your bed.
I prefer that we actually celebrate Christmas around here, and then Id get some Christmas presents and get to sing Christmas songs, but I dont get what I want.
Seth tugged me down, his arm a heavy weight that pinned me on my back. Alex, I always get what I want.
Afine shiver coursed over my skin.
screwed.
You think so? I whispered.
Yes. Seths breath was warm against my temple. Go to sleep, Alex.
Letting the soothing sensation of his thumb against the rune lull me away, I drifted back to sleep, momentarily forgetting all the mistakes and decisions Id made in the past seven months. My last conscious thought was of my biggest mistakenot the boy beside me, but the one I could never have.
On a good, normal day I hated trig class. The whole subject seemed pointless to me. Who cared about Pythagorean Identities when I was attending the Covenant to learn how to kill things? But today my hatred of the class had hit an all-time high.
Almost everyone had their eyes on me, even Mrs. Kateris. I sank low in my seat, shoving my nose into the book I wouldnt read if Apollo came down and demanded that I do so. Only one set of eyes really affected me. The rest could suck it.
Olivias stare was heavy, condemning.
Why, oh why, couldnt we change seats? After everything thatd happened, sitting next to her was the worst kind of torture.
My cheeks burned. She hated me, blamed me for Calebs death. But I hadnt killed Caleba half-blood daimon had. Id just been the one whod gotten him to sneak out on a campus thatd been under curfew for whatd turned out to be a really good reason.
So in a way, it was my fault. I knew that, and gods, Id do anything to change that night.
Olivias outburst at Calebs funeral was probably why everyone else kept sneaking peeks at me. If I remembered correctly, I think shed yelled something like, Youre the Apollyon as I stared at her.
Back at the New York Covenant in the Catskills, the half-blood kids had thought I was pretty damn cool, but here not so much. When I met their gazes, they didnt look away fast enough to hide their unease.
At the end of class, I shoved my book in my backpack and hurried out the door, wondering if Deacon would talk to me next period. Deacon and Aiden were poles apart on almost everything, but both Aiden and his younger brother seemed to view halfs as their equalsa rare thing among the pure-blood race.
Whispers followed me down the hall. Ignoring them was harder than Id imagined. Every cell in my body demanded that I confront them. And do what? Jump on them like a crazy spider monkey and take them all out? Yeah, not going to win me any fans.
Alex! Wait up!
My heart sank at the sound of Olivias voice. I picked up my pace, practically barreling through a few younger half-bloods who stared at me with wide, frightened eyes. Why were they afraid of me? I wasnt the one who was going to go all God Killer soon. But oh no, they stared at Seth like he was a god. Just a few more doors and I could hide in Technical Truths and Legends.
Alex!
I recognized Olivias tone. It was the same one she used to get whenever she and Caleb were about to have one of their quarrelsdetermined and stubborn as hell.