The Return

  fate if it hadn’t been for the god who came to her before I was born and told her what I was.”

  “God, that’s just terrible.”

  My hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Then I became her party favor. For years, I only saw her when she wanted to see me—twice a week for dinner and whenever she wanted to tote me around society parties as her special son, the Apollyon. No one called me that then, but everyone who saw me knew what I was. It was my eyes—the color gave me away. I’d been a prop then, the equivalent of a fucking expensive and rare handbag. Stared at. Whispered about. Touched. Stroked. Then stored away until she wanted to impress more of her pure friends, who had lost respect for her the moment she’d gotten pregnant by a half-blood, but probably wanted to gawk at my ass. Needless to say, I grew to hate pures.” I cut myself off, dragging in a deep breath. “Anyway, I wasn’t allowed to address her as ‘mom,’ but by her given name, ‘Callista.’ Mommy Dearest would shit a brick if she knew the truth—that I wasn’t supposed to be the Apollyon. Maybe she had known. Either way, there’d been no friends. The only toys I’d found were ancient things that no kid wanted to play with, and then I went before the Covenant. They’d taken one look at me, knew what I was, and I was taken away from the Cyclades Islands and sent to the Covenant in England where I began my education. From there, I was shipped to the Covenant in Nashville.”

  I paused, caught up in memories. That had never been a good place for me. “I haven’t been back to the Islands since that day, and I was eighteen when a Minister at the Covenant in Nashville informed me that my mother had been found dead.”

  That had sucked.

  Even though she hadn’t been much of a mom, she had been my flesh and blood. She mattered, even if I hadn’t mattered to her.

  In the silence, I could feel Josie watching me, and I couldn’t look at her, because I knew there’d be pity in her gaze. I probably should’ve kept my damn mouth shut.

  “So…so that’s why you have a little bit of an accent?” she asked.

  Relief eased the tension in my shoulders. That…that was cool of her. “Yeah, that’s why.”

  She shifted in the seat again. “So there are that many Sentinels? Is it really that dangerous?”

  “Yeah, Josie, it’s really that dangerous.” I sighed as the Porsche picked up speed. “There are daimons—pures and halfs that had become addicted to the aether that’s in our veins. Aether is what fuels our abilities—gods have the most, second would be demigods and Apollyons, the gods’ various little creature-features and lesser deities, then the pures and finally the halfs. The pures who get addicted to it, it changes their entire chemistry—the way they appear and everything. To mortals, they look normal, but halfs have this weird ability for seeing them for how they really look. Pures don’t. I’m not sure about you, with your abilities being bound.”

  “What do they really look like?”

  “Pale faces with no eyes and a mouth that would make Jaws envious.”

  “Ugh.” She drew back, visibly shuddering. “So, let me guess, they use their teeth to feed?”

  “Yep. It’s not the only way one can drain the aether from someone, but the daimons like to bite because they also like to cause pain.” I frowned as I squinted into the already fading sunlight. Kentucky was a boring-ass state to drive through. “They’ll also go after mortals for the fun of it. Probably where the whole legend of vampires came from. But then there’re also pures who get power hungry without the aether. People break laws in our society, just like they do in the mortal world.”

  She fiddled with the Nook, turning it over and over in her hands for a few moments. “I’m sorry, Seth.”

  My gaze swung to her. “You’re sorry for what?”

  “All of that sounds lonely and just… It sucks, growing up that way. I didn’t have friends, but I had a childhood, you know? I got to be a kid.” Her wide gaze moved to the road, which reminded me that I was driving. “My mom…she told me once when I was little that there had to be a reason why her life ended when mine began.”

  Jesus.

  “But she still loved me,” she added quietly, and when I glanced at her again, she was staring straight ahead, the Nook pressed to her chest. “I know she did. That didn’t make things…easy all the time, but I can say that about her and it doesn’t sound like you can say that about your mom. So, I’m sorry.”

  A weird constriction seized my chest, peeling the scabs off old wounds I’d either forgotten about or had managed to ignore all of these years. Yeah, my childhood sucked ass, but I didn’t deserve sympathy. Not after all the terrible shit I’d done.

  CHAPTER

  12

  WE DIDN’T talk after I told Seth I was sorry for what he’d experienced as a child, or in a way, what he hadn’t experienced. I had difficulty with my mom, but I still had my grandparents, and it sounded like Seth had no one. A huge chunk of me felt bad for Seth. I knew what it felt like to know you weren’t wanted—the sting and burn that existed inside of you every day knowing you were just an accident. You came into this world with your parent wishing they could undo the act that brought you there. That kind of knowledge festered, and it rotten and ruined parts of me even though I knew my mom, underneath it all, loved me.

  The sky outside the Porsche faded from dusk to night. We hadn’t spoken more than a few words to each other when we finally stopped for food. The burger didn’t settle well and another hour went by before he spoke again.

  It was close to nine when his deep, slightly accented voice rolled through the dark interior. “I think we should stop for the evening. Get some rest and hit the road early so we reach your house by the afternoon.”

  My stomach tumbled as I sat up straighter. “I think we can keep going. I still have a key to the house. We can let ourselves in, and we have an extra bedroom you can sleep in. I mean, we’re not too far from St. Louis, and it’s just another four hours or so from there.”

  “I’ve been driving for about nine hours. I’m done.”

  “I can drive.”

  He snorted. “Not going to happen.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Why not? You think I can’t drive? I can so drive. I could drive in NASCAR if I wanted to.”

  His lips twitched as he shook his head. “It’s not that. I’m tired. I need to be alert, and that isn’t going to come from sleeping in the passenger seat while you’re playing NASCAR with a Porsche.” He slid me a long look, and in the dim light, his features were shadowed. “Are you nervous about staying another night with me, Josie?”

  Whoa. He didn’t just hit that nail right on the head. He slammed that nail through the wood.

  His gaze flickered back to the road as he eased the Porsche into the right lane. “Because tonight isn’t going to be the only night. You’re stuck with me, babe, at least until I get you to South Dakota.”

  My mouth opened and then I snapped it shut. Irritation prickled across my scalp like a hundred fire ants had just done a dance through my hair. “I really do not like you.”

  He chuckled darkly. “You don’t need to like me.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “I saw that.”

  “Oh, there is no way you saw that!” I smacked my hands on my legs. “Unless you have, like, cat eyes or something.”

  “I see better in the dark than a mortal does,” he replied. He was grinning that smart-aleck grin when I sent a death glare in his direction. “I think this is a good enough place.”

  Folding my arms as he took the exit, I sat back and resisted the urge to throw a major hissy fit that would make a two-year-old proud. He picked the first lodging we came across.

  “This isn’t even a hotel,” I pointed out as he turned into the gravel parking lot. “It’s a motel, as in the doors are on the outside. The kind of doors that serial killers kick in while you’re sleeping.”

  “It’ll work.” He double-parked the SUV. “It’s not a high traffic area. Looks like only two other people are here, and if a serial killer kicks
in our door, it’ll be the last door they’ll be kicking in.”

  “It looks like the Bates Motel,” I muttered.

  Seth laughed.

  I hated his laugh. Okay, I didn’t hate his laugh. It was a nice, deep sound. He was already out of the Porsche by the time I unlocked my seatbelt. He tapped my window, a look of impatience settling into his features. I rolled my eyes again, and he responded by opening the door for me.

  “Need help?” he offered. “I can pick you up, toss you over my shoulder, and carry you in.” He leaned in, placing one hand on the seat beside my leg. A strand of his hair fell loose, curving toward the corner of his lips. “We could pretend we’re newlyweds.”

  I gaped at him. “No way.”

  “Maybe they have a honeymoon suite. Oh, this sounds like a plan.” He stepped back. “I hope they have a heart-shaped bed.”

  Sliding out of the seat, I gently slammed the door shut behind me and then shouldered past him. Did places really have heart-shaped beds? That was kind of gaudy.

  He caught right up with me with his long-legged strides. “Stick close.”

  I didn’t respond as he opened the door below the neon-pink OPEN sign. It was a small lobby, surprisingly clean and kind of cozy, full of country décor. Lots of baskets and red berries, green vines, and small, wooden ladders covered every square inch. The smell of vanilla and some kind of fruit was pleasant.

  Seth strolled up to the desk and smacked his hand on the bell. A white door opened and an older lady bustled out, folding a magazine. She took one look at him and her mouth dropped open. He propped his hip against the counter, his lips forming into a slow grin that probably even had Granny fanning herself.

  “I need a room for me and my girl,” he said in that voice of his.

  Turning away, I rolled my eyes yet again and started inspecting the nearest basket. There were little toiletries inside. Cute. I moved along the shelf, coming to a set of baskets that appeared empty.

  “Well, Sugah, we do have quite a few rooms tonight, so you’re in luck,” the lady said, and then Seth spoke, his voice low.

  My fingers slipped over something smooth. I picked it up, and my mouth dropped open.

  The baskets were full of condoms.

  Oh my God. What kind of motel had baskets full of condoms in their lobby, in cute little woven baskets? I stared at the wrapper marked extra-large, ribbed-for-her-pleasure. Where were we and what kind of people typically stayed here?

  “Josie.”

  I turned to Seth. His gaze moved from me to my hand as his brows rose and his grin transformed into a heart-stopping smile that reached his eyes, lightening them and warming them up. Seth not smiling or smirking was beautiful, but him smiling? It was…wow. Breath-stealing.

  And I was still holding the condoms.

  Heat blasted my face.

  “They’re on the house, honey,” the lady said behind the counter. “Take as many as you want.” She winked. “I would if I was you.”

  Oh my God.

  As if it was a tiny pit viper, I dropped the condom back in the basket, folded my arms, and refused to touch anything else in this place.

  Seth turned back to the lady and he got a room key. Oddly, I didn’t see him pull out any identification or money before he came to where I waited. “Did you get enough condoms, honey?”

  “Shut up,” I hissed, storming out the door he so gallantly opened for me. “Did you pay her?” I asked once we were both outside.

  He laughed. “No. That’s the cool thing about compulsions. Get a lot of free stuff. Like that sweet Porsche.”

  I tripped over my feet. “That’s so…so wrong.”

  “You’re just jealous you can’t do it yet.”

  Okay. Maybe I was a little jealous. I followed him past several doors, and we ended up at the very last one that was next to a field and a thick grove of trees. I bet he’d made sure he’d gotten this room for some ninja reason. When the door opened, I was relieved to see this wasn’t a honeymoon suite.

  Carrying the same theme from the lobby, it was all kinds of country up in the room. Baskets. Wooden ladders covered in vine and berries. A pumpkin-spice scent greeted us.

  There was one bed.

  Not even a big one.

  Or even a couch.

  I whirled around. “There’s only one bed.”

  “Yeah,” he replied, turning to the door. “There was only one last night and we made it work. Well, you turned me into a full-length body pillow, but it worked.”

  Oh geez. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I reopened them. “This isn’t acceptable. We need two beds.”

  “It’ll be fine. Stay in here. I’m going to get our bags.”

  Then he was gone, and I stomped my foot. Once. And then twice, like a five-year-old, but I didn’t care how stupid it was. I couldn’t sleep in the same bed with him again, because apparently I was a cuddler, and I was so not going to do that a second time.

  My gaze drifted over the cozy room. There was a narrow door to a bathroom that looked nothing like the one from Seth’s hotel room. And there was another with a small window beside a dresser. I walked over to it, peeled back the burgundy curtain, and spied a small deck with privacy walls.

  Hearing the front door open, I twisted back around. Seth came in, dropping his stuffed bag on the floor and the three bags Erin had packed for me on the bed. I waited for him to make some kind of snarky comment, but he didn’t. All he did was turn to his bag and root around until he pulled out a pair of nylon pants. Then he disappeared into the bathroom.

  I resisted the urge to bang my head against the wall and figured finding something to wear would be more productive. I opened the first bag and found a bunch of clothes. Then I moved onto the second bag that was packed full of tank tops, undies, and bras. The third bag was full of more clothes and some shoes, but nothing I could sleep in.

  My heart turned over heavily. I went back to the first bag and double-checked it as my stomach started to sink.

  “You’re looking a little panicked.”

  I jumped at the sound of Seth’s voice. He was standing behind me, and I hadn’t even heard the door open or him come out of the bathroom. “God, how do you move so quietly?”

  His lips tipped up at one corner as he tossed the clothes he’d been wearing onto the carpeted floor. “It’s an acquired skill.”

  I wanted that acquired skill since I felt like I was trotting around like a three-legged mule. My gaze dipped below the neck. He was shirtless. Again. The nylon pants he wore seemed to be held to his narrow hips by some kind of act of God. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was born with awesome genes, or if he had to work for his abs like the rest of mankind.

  “I like your hair down,” I blurted out, and then mentally smacked myself. I like your hair down? Who said that to a guy? But it was true. Not a lot of guys could pull off longer hair, but he did. It added a wildness to him.

  Seth looked at me, head tilted to the side. He didn’t say anything, but seriously, what did one say to that? Feeling like an idiot, I turned back to the bags. My search for nightclothes was hopeless.

  “I’m going to kill Erin,” I said.

  He stepped closer, reaching out and running a finger over the strap of one bag. “I can get behind that, but I gotta ask why you want to kill her when you said you’d forgiven her.”

  My gaze tracked his hand. “She didn’t pack anything for me to sleep in.”

  “You can sleep naked,” he suggested. “I’m not going to complain. And I’ll sleep naked if it makes you feel better.”

  Shoulders slumping, I sent him a dry look. “Thanks for being so accommodating and supportive.”

  He chuckled as he moved to his bag. Reaching down, he pulled out a shirt. “You can sleep in this.” He tossed it to me, and I caught it before it smacked me in the face. “Or naked. Option’s yours.”

  Holding up the shirt, I had to admit that it worked better than anything I had with me. I muttered a “thank you” as
I dug around until I found the tiny make-up bag that had all the essential items in it. I headed into the bathroom, concentrating on getting ready for bed, tugging my hair up in a ponytail, washing my face, and brushing my teeth. I didn’t let my mind wander to anything else.

  When I left the bathroom, Seth had already moved the bags to the floor and one side of the somewhat narrow bed had the covers turned over. I hesitated at the foot of the bed, nibbling nervously on my lower lip.

  Seth straightened, seeming to forget what he was doing as he stared. The shirt was super-long on me, ending a few inches above my knees, virtually shapeless, but his eyes suddenly glowed a tawny color, and I felt like the shirt was skintight.

  “Thanks for, um, the shirt,” I said again. My fingers twisted around the hem as I glanced around the room before settling back on