Deity

“Alex?”

Sucking in breath, I shook my head.

“I did not call this session to discuss those things,” Lucian began. “Today is a day of discoveries, my fellow Councilmen. Our world is on the brink of great change. A change that is needed, but feared by some. Today, those who fear change, those who have worked in the shadows to stop it, will be unmasked and prosecuted.”

My breath caught. Telly. But I didn’t see him anywhere.

“What are you speaking of, Lucian?” asked a Minister. Her voice was clear but strained. “What fear and change is so great that we were called back early, away from our families and our vacations?”

I almost rolled my eyes at the last part.

Lucian remained staring straight ahead. It was then when I realized at least half of the twelve were smiling. They knew—they supported Lucian. This did not bode well.

But the others had no idea.

“We have been taught to fear the possibility of two Apollyons,” Lucian said. “Taught to see them as a threat against our very livelihood and the gods, but I am here to tell you that, instead of fear, we should feel joy. Yes! Joy that we will have the God Killer to protect us in just a few days.”

“Protect them against what?” I muttered. “Crazy-ass Ministers?”

“Shh.” Seth glared at me.

My jaw ached from clenching my teeth so hard.

“But first, we must deal with something that is both unsavory and,” he clapped his hand over his chest, “close to my heart. Guards!”

The door on the other side opened, and in an ironic twist of fate, Guards led Head Minister Telly out to the center of the dais. I couldn’t help but remember when Kelia Lothos, the half who’d loved pure-blooded Hector, had been brought before him, half-naked and shackled.

Karma was a bitch.

That didn’t make what was happening right, though. I itched to run out there and warn all of them what was about to happen, what I could feel building under my skin.

There was a collective gasp from the audience and half of the Council when Telly was forced to kneel. He lifted his head, but his glazed-over eyes didn’t focus on any one thing in particular.

“This man has plotted against the Council’s own decision and against my stepdaughter.” Lucian’s voice hardened as his lips pulled back. “And I have evidence.”

“What evidence do you have?” Dawn spoke up, her eyes darting from Lucian to the silent Head Minister.

Seth’s breath danced along the back of my neck. I tried to step away, but he pulled me back. My temper, my nerves—everything was stretching too thin.

“During the November Council session, my stepdaughter was unfairly targeted. She’d been asked to attend to give her testimony based on the unfortunate events in Gatlinburg. However, Head Minister Telly proved to have nefarious motives.”

No one on the Council looked too concerned. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel angry or sad about that.

Lucian turned to Telly. A real smile—a satisfied one—appeared on Lucian’s face. “My stepdaughter was a victim of several attacks. Some of you,” he glanced over his shoulder at the Council, “may find this of no concern. But she is notjust a half-blood; she will be the next Apollyon.”

“What attacks?” asked an elderly male minister. The cane he clutched in his left hand was just as weathered as his face.

“She was placed under an unlawful compulsion and left in the cold to die. When that failed, he attempted to coax the Council of Twelve to have her placed on the elixir and enslaved,” Lucian a

“Oh gods,” I muttered, feeling my cheeks burn.

“Alexandria was unaware of this,” Lucian continued, now appealing to the females on the Council. “It is believed that she was set up to be found in a… compromising position with a pure-blood.”

“Son of a bitch,” I whispered. The bastard was pulling the family card.

“Not very nice,” Seth murmured.

I ignored him.

Dawn looked pale as she watched Lucian. “That… that is most revolting.”

“And that is not all.” Lucian turned back to the audience. “When all of these things failed, Head Minister Telly ordered a pure-blood Guard to kill her after the daimon attack. If it wasn’t for Aiden St. Delphi, who used a compulsion on two pure-bloods, the Head Minister would’ve succeeded.”

My heart slammed against my ribs as my mouth dropped open. I so got what Lucian had just done. He’d let out the cat out of the bag, making it sound like Aiden was some kind of hero to him while knowing what it meant for Aiden.

A Minister eyed Aiden with open disgust. “That is an act of treason against our kind and must be dealt with immediately. Guards!”

No. No. No.

Several people turned toward where I knew Aiden stood. Guards rushed forward, as if Aiden now was the greatest threat. They surrounded Aiden within seconds, daggers out and ready to be used.

Aiden stood remarkably still. There wasn’t a flicker of emotion in his face or eyes as the Guards closed in on him.

There was no way I was letting this happen. I started forward, but Seth stopped me. “Don’t, Alex.”

“How could you? They’ll execute Aiden for this.” Raw panic tasted like metal in my throat. “He’s turned the entiresociety against him with those words, Seth.”

Seth said nothing.

“Wait.” Lucian’s voice traveled, stopping everyone. “The pure is not a concern at this moment. The Head Minister’s attempts in the Catskills failed numerous times, but he did not cease in his actions. He sought her out, leaving the New York Covenant in a state of disarray to continue to threaten her with servitude.”

“What happened to the Guard who supposedly attacked her?” asked the female Minister who’d spoken first.

“He has been dealt with,” Lucian responded, pushing on before that could be further examined. “Head Minister Telly went against the Council’s wishes and still tried to force her into servitude. She was even attacked here, stabbed by a half-blood Guard ordered to do so by him.”

“And the proof?” the elderly Minister asked. “Where is the proof?”

Lucian turned back to Telly. “The proof is in his own words. Isn’t it, Head Minister?”

Telly lifted his head. “It is true. I went against the majority vote and ordered the assassination of Alexandria Andros.”

There were a few stu

An argument broke out among the Ministers for several minutes. Some immediately wanted Telly impeached. Those were the ones who’d smiled earlier. Others, those who I doubted knew what Lucian was up to, didn’t see how what he’d done to me was a crime. There were very few laws protecting halfs.

“There will be no impeachment,” Lucian’s voice silenced the arguing. “Head Minister Telly will be dealt with today.”

“What?” Several of the Ministers demanded at once.

“It has come to my attention that the Head Minister is involved in the Order of Thanatos and several of those members are en route to free him.” There was another pause. Lucian knew how to shock and awe. “There is no time for anything else. Alexandria’s safety is of the upmost importance.”

And now I understood Seth’s nervousness—all the Guards this morning. Lucian couldn’t have the Order ruining his plans. He’d strike first. And my safety? It wasn’t about my safety. Lucian was worried that I’d misbehave before he went out on the dais because Seth didn’t have full control of me … yet.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen now, was it?” I whispered.

Seth said nothing.

My mouth was dry. “You all wanted to wait until after I Awakened, but you’re doing this because of the Order.”