Half-Blood

His words were a wel -placed smack in the face.



Stopping, I faced him. “Seth, what do you want?”



He tipped his head back. A dark cloud rol ed in overhead, casting a gray gloom over the quad. It was going to storm. “I wanted to see how you were doing. Is that so wrong?”



I thought about that. “Yes. You don’t know me. Why would you care?”



He looked down, meeting my eyes. “Okay. I don’t real y care. But you’re the reason I’m stuck in this hil bil y rathole, babysitting a self-righteous prick.”



My eyes widened. The lilt of his voice made those words sound classy. It was almost funny. “You know, I real y don’t care about that right now.” I stopped as several halfs passed us. They looked at us—looked at me. I did my best to ignore their stares.



“Of course you don’t. Your mother murdered a classmate’s family. My mind would be elsewhere, too.”



“Gods!” I gaped. “Real y, that was great.” I walked off ahead.



Seth fol owed. “That wasn’t… very nice of me. I’ve been told I’m painful y blunt. Perhaps I should work on that.”



“Yeah, perhaps you should go do it right now.” I tossed the words over my shoulder.



Undaunted, he caught up with me. “I asked Lucian, you know. I asked why I was here.”



I gritted my teeth and kept walking. The ominous looking clouds continued to rol in. The sky looked like it was going to split open any moment.



“Do you know how he responded? He asked what I thought about you.”



I was only half curious to hear his response.



“He was eager to hear what I had to say.” Lightning shot across the sky, striking off the coast. A fraction of a second later, thunder silenced the conversation. I picked up my pace as the girls’ dorm came into view. “Don’t you want to know?”



“No.”



Another flash of lightning lit the sky. This time it struck inland, somewhere beyond the marshes. It was close, too close. “You lie.”



I spun around. My smartass response died before it ful y took form. Inky marks broke the golden tone of his skin on every piece of exposed flesh. They twisted into designs, held for a few seconds, and then moved into another form.



What were they?



I tore my eyes from his arms, but the tattoos stretched across his otherwise flawless cheek, etching toward the corners of his eyes. An urge to touch them slammed into me.



“You see them again, don’t you?”



There was no point in lying. “Yeah.”



Anger and confusion flared deep in his eyes. Lightning shrieked across the sky. “That’s impossible.”



Thunder sounded so loud I flinched. It clicked into place.



“The storm… you’re doing it.”



“It happens when I get moody. I’m pretty irritable right now.” Seth took a step forward, towering over me. “I wouldn’t be so temperamental if I knew what was going on.



I need to know how you can see the marks of the Apol yon.”



I forced myself to meet his eyes. That was a mistake—a huge, stupid mistake.



Power surged, raw and intense. I felt it crawl over my skin and slither down my spine.



And at once, my head emptied of everything except the need to find the source of the crazy power. I need to get away as fast as possible. Instead, in sort of a daze, I stepped forward. It had to be what he was. The energy coursing through him had this kind of pul ing effect, one that gripped pures, halfs… even daimons.



I was feeling those effects now. The wildness that lingered in me reared its head and urged me forward. It urged me to touch him, because I was pretty sure whatever was happening would somehow be exposed the moment our skin touched.



Seth didn’t move as I gazed up at him. He looked as if he was working to put together a puzzle and I was one of the pieces. The lazy smile faded and his lips parted. He inhaled sharply and reached out with one hand.



It took a lot, but I ducked away. Seth didn’t fol ow. As soon as I stepped inside the dorm, the sky ripped open, and another flash of blinding light cut across the dark sky.



Somewhere, not too far away, it struck once again.



Somewhere, not too far away, it struck once again.



***



Later that night, I confided in Caleb as we stood together in the back of the packed rec room. The rain had driven everyone inside and our privacy wasn’t guaranteed for long.



“Do you remember what Grandma Piperi said?”



His brows rose. “Not real y. She said a lot of crazy stuff.



Why?”



I played with my hair, twirling it around my finger.



“Sometimes I think she isn’t so crazy.”



“Wait. What? You’re the person who said she was crazy.”



“Wel , that was before my mom turned al dark side and started kil ing people.”



Caleb glanced around the room. “Alex.”



No one was listening, although people looked over every once in a while and whispered. “It’s true. What did Piperi say? ‘You’l kil the ones you love?’ I thought it sounded crazy, but that was before I knew Mom was a daimon.



We’re training to kil daimons. Seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?”



“Look. Alex, there is no way you’d ever be put in that situation.”



“She’s about four hours from here. Why do you think she ended up in North Carolina?”



“I don’t know, but the Sentinels wil get her before you… ”



He trailed off at the look on my face. “You won’t have to deal with it. You’re in the Covenant for the next year, Alex.”



In other words, a Sentinel would kil her before I graduated, eliminating the chance of our paths ever crossing. I real y didn’t know what to think about that.



“Alex, are you doing okay?” He tipped his head, watching me closely. “I mean… real y doing okay?”



I shrugged off his concern. “Aiden said they couldn’t be sure Mom was actual y a part of the attack. She was on the camera, but… ”



“Alex.” Understanding and sadness grew on his face.



“She’s a daimon, Alex. I know you want to think she’s not. I understand that, but don’t forget what she’s become.”



“I haven’t!” Several kids by the pool table looked up. I lowered my voice. “Look. Al I’m saying is there could be a chance, a smal chance she is—”



“That she’s what? Not a daimon?” He grabbed my arm, pul ing me around one of the arcade games. “Alex, she was with the group of daimons who kil ed Lea’s family.”



I pul ed my arm free. “Caleb, she came to North Carolina.



Why else would she come here if she didn’t remember me, want to see me?”



“She could want to kil you, Alex. That’s for starters. She’s already kil ed.”



“You don’t know! No one does.”



His chin came up. “What if she did?”



My anger faded into determination. “Then I’l find her and kil her myself. But I know Mom. She would fight what she has become.”



Caleb ran a hand through his hair and clasped the back of his neck. “Alex, I think you… oh.”



I frowned. “You think what?”



His expression took on the awed look he got whenever he saw Seth.



Twisting around confirmed my suspicions. Seth stalked through the doors, immediately surrounded by his groupies.



“You know, you keep getting that look on your face whenever he comes around, people are gonna start to talk.”



“Whatever.”



I changed the subject. “By the way, what’s up between you and Olivia? Did you talk to her about Myrtle?”



“No, I didn’t. Nothing’s up between me and her.” Caleb faced me, his expression curious now. “What’s up with you and Seth? Wait, let me rephrase that: What’s up with you when it comes to Seth?”



I rol ed my eyes. “I just don’t… like him. And don’t change the subject.”



He made a face. “How can you not like him? He’s the Apol yon. As half-bloods, we’re obligated to like him. He’s the only one who can control the elements.”



“Whatever.”



“Alex. Look at him.” He tried to turn me around, but I held my ground. “Oh, wait. He’s looking over here.”



I pushed him back further. “He’s not coming over here, is he?”



He grinned. “Yes— No. Wait. Elena cut him off. “



“Oh, thank the gods.”



Caleb’s brows furrowed. “What’s your deal?”



“He’s weird and… ”



He leaned closer. “And what? Come on. Tel me. You have to tel me. I’m your best friend. Tel me why you hate him.” His eyes narrowed. “Is it because you’re undeniably attracted to him?”



I giggled. “Gods. No. You’l think the real reason is even crazier.”



“Try me.”



So I told him about Seth’s suspicions considering why he’d been ordered here and about the tattoos being real, but I left out that part about me wanting to touch him. That was too embarrassing for me to even speak out loud. He looked utterly mystified… and excited.



He practical y bounced. “The tattoos are real? Only you can see them?”



“Apparently.” I sighed, glancing over my shoulder. Elena stood awful close to Seth. “I have no idea what it al means, but Seth isn’t too happy about it. The storm earlier? The rain? That was him.”



“What? I’ve heard of some of the pures being able to control the weather, but I’ve never seen it.” He sneaked a glimpse at him. “Wow. That’s amazing.”



“Would you get the awestruck look off your face for two seconds? It’s creeping me out.”



He chucked me in the arm. “Okay. I need to focus.” It took visible effort for him not to look at Seth. It wasn’t because Caleb was attracted to him. Honestly, Seth was just chock-ful of aether. None of us could help it. “Why would Lucian’s order have something to do with you?”



“Good question.” Then it hit me. “Maybe Lucian fears I’m a risk. You know, because of Mom? Maybe he brought Seth here just in case I’d do something.”



“Do what? Let her in here? Hold a welcoming party for your mom?” Disbelief fil ed his voice. “You wouldn’t do that, and I don’t even think Lucian would consider that.”



I nodded, but my new idea carried a lot of weight. It would explain why Lucian didn’t want me returning to the Covenant. At his house, I’d be under constant surveil ance, but here I pretty much roamed around freely. The only flaw in that idea: did Lucian real y think I’d do something that terrible?



“It’s probably nothing.” Caleb chewed on his lower lip. “I mean, what could it be? It can’t mean anything.”



“It has to mean something. I have to figure it out.”



Caleb stared at me. “Do you think… you’re focusing on this because of… everything that’s happened?”



Wel , of course I was, but that wasn’t the point. “No.”