“Of course you do,” muttered Deacon. “I mean, when wouldn’t you agree with him?”
Aiden snorted. “Uh, like all the damn time?”
She narrowed her eyes at Aiden and then turned to me. “I know you have seen a . . . a different side to Seth. I get that, but you don’t know what he’s capable of—”
“And you do?” I fired back without really thinking about it, because of course she knew what he was capable of.
“Yes,” she replied quietly, confirming what I already knew. “We all know what he’s capable of. You don’t. And I’m not trying to be a douche canoe by pointing that out, but it’s the truth. Seth can be and is incredibly dangerous, even when he’s chill, but now that he’s a God Killer most likely jonesing for aether? You have no idea how bad it is.”
Irritation prickled along the back of my skull, and the rustling of papers on the desk broke the silence. “He’s not the same person you knew.”
Alex opened her mouth.
“No. He’s not, Alex. He’s not the Apollyon who was tricked by Lucian and Ares. He’s not the same person who got all those people killed. He’s not the man who was willing to play second best to another.” The room went silent. Crickets could be heard. Alex flinched, but I kept going, my words razor-sharp and clear. “I’m not saying he’s all forgiven or that he’s perfect. He’s not. I know that. But he’s Seth. He’s not just the sum of only half of what he’s done. He’s whole and he’s not going to be referred to from here on out as the God Killer. That is not who he is. And he needs help, and because I love him—because I’m in love with him—I’m going to help him instead of giving up on him.” I looked between her and Aiden. “I’m pretty sure that’s something you two are familiar with, right? You two didn’t give up on each other. Not once.”
“Mic drop,” murmured Deacon.
Aiden shook his head as he stepped forward, unfolding his arms. “It’s not the same thing, Josie.”
“It is the same thing,” his brother challenged, silver eyes brightening. He threw his hands up. “You didn’t give up on Alex, and she was legit trying to kill us. None of us did. So why would we give up on Seth?”
Alex pursed her lips as she walked over to where Aiden stood. They stood side by side, a formidable sight. “We’re not asking you to give up on him.”
“You’re not? Because I’m pretty sure you all are totally on board with Herc capturing him. And why would you all want to capture and cage him?” The papers stirred again, and I forced myself to calm down. “If my father or any of the gods truly think he’s a threat, they’re going to amp up on finding how to . . .” A knot formed in the base of my throat. “They’re going to find a way to destroy him. And that’s why he would be caged—held until they find a way. That’s not just giving up on him, but that’s helping them murder him.”
“I don’t want that,” Alex argued, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “I know it’s hard to believe, but I care about Seth too.”
Heat poured into my chest. I was woman enough to admit I still didn’t like hearing that. Nope. Nope. Nope.
“I will always care about him,” she added, meeting and holding my gaze. “But we have Titans running around gaining strength, and if they enter Olympus, it’s over for all of us. We need to focus on finding the other demigods.”
“We need Seth to help defeat them.” I was seconds away from stomping my feet. “And you know where Demeter’s daughter is. You two can go with Herc and get her. Deacon and Luke can help with finding the other demigods.” Stepping back, I fisted my hands until my knuckles ached. “Honestly, I don’t care what you end up doing. I don’t need your blessing or permission,” I told the two demigods. “And if you’re smart, you’re not going to try to stop me. So either you’re going to help me or you’re going to stay out of my way.”
Luke let out a low whistle and said, “We will do whatever you need us to do. We’re not giving up on him.”
I waited.
Truth was, Alex and Aiden were both super-strong. They might not be able to stop me, but I wasn’t sure. I had more aether in me, but they both knew how to use their physical strength a hell of a lot more than I did. I needed them on my side. I needed them to not run to Herc or my father and tell them where Seth might be, but if I couldn’t get them . . .
“I will do anything to protect Seth,” I warned, my voice low. Both of them looked over at me sharply. Understanding flared in their features. “Anything.”
Aiden lifted his chin. “And what if he is where you think he is and you find him, and he’s not . . . not the same, Josie?”
Cold air drilled into my chest, reminding me so very much of Hyperion’s touch. I shuddered. Right now, I couldn’t let myself think of that and I wouldn’t let myself think of the possibility of Seth being unreachable. I refused to even consider the idea, because I could get to him. I could help him. “That’s not what’s going to happen, Aiden.”
He looked away, a muscle feathering along his jaw. Silence stretched out between us, feeling like an eternity. My shoulders tensed. I fully expected them to argue with me more.
“Okay,” Alex said, reaching down and wrapping her hand around Aiden’s. He squeezed her hand, and my chest clenched. “We’re in.”
Deacon smiled.
Beside him, Luke lifted his chin quietly.
Aiden nodded and then lowered his head to Alex’s, brushing his lips across her cheek. “You’re right,” he said after a moment, lifting his silvery gaze to mine. “We owe Seth. We owe him big.”
And I exhaled roughly, caught up in a mixture of triumph and exhaustion. I didn’t have time for either, because I needed every ounce of strength and determination I had in me. Because I was going after Seth, and I wouldn’t rest or give up until he was where he belonged.
Standing beside me.
Acknowledgements
A huge thank you to the following people for making the book possible: Kevan Lyon, my agent of awesome; Kate Kaynak for acquiring the Covenant Series all those years ago, which made the Titan Series possible; Rich Storrs for editing through the mess that was my first draft and having the patience to do so; and a huge thank you to the team at Spencer Hill Press. Thank you to K.P Simmons, and to my assistant/BFF Stacey Morgan. A special thank you to Drew Leighty for letting us plaster his face and other parts all over the covers, and for bringing Seth to life. None of this would be possible with you, the reader. Because of you, this book happened. There aren’t enough thank yous in the world.
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