Deity

The Guards in front of the dais turned and froze. Then they scattered like roaches.

Apollo moved up the aisle. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“I will find you! We’re co

“I will fight you in any form, you little punk-ass brat.”

Seth laughed. “You can’t kill me.”

“But I canbeat the living snot out of you.”

That was all I heard. We were out of the courthouse, into the sunlight. Pures and halfs streamed out behind us. We kept ru

Indignation swept through me. I loathed the idea of being carried, but I was more of a hindrance on my feet. Only then did I realize that my runes were still burning, the skin throbbing. My stomach started to roll violently.

“I’m going to be sick,” I gasped out.

Marcus stopped immediately, placing me on my feet. I hit my knees, and the contents of my stomach emptied on the sidewalk outside a coffee shop. It was quick and powerful, over as soon as it started, leaving my insides aching.

“Alex!” Aiden tracked back to us.

“She’s okay.” Marcus helped me to my feet. “She’s all right. Aiden, go ahead. Make sure your brother is there and get those kids to safety.”

Aiden hovered. “I’m not leav—”

“I’m fine. Go.”

Obviously reluctant to do so, it took Aiden a few more seconds before he spun around and took off.

“Are you okay?” Marcus asked. “Alexandria?”

I nodded slowly. My hands trembled. “Sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Marcus’ eyes softened, possibly for the first time since I’d known him. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me. It was a brief hug, but tight and everything it should’ve been. And oddly, I discovered it was something I’d been yearning for.

“Good gods, girl,” he choked out, releasing me. “Do you think you can run? It’s not very far. We have to get back to the St. Delphi’s.”

Tears clawed at my throat as I nodded. It wasn’t far, but the poor man would die carrying me the whole distance. Hoping my stomach didn’t decide to jump out of me again, I started ru

The run ended up nearly killing me. When we finally reached the sand, and were ru

He met us halfway, thrusting a bottle of water in my hands as I slowed down. “Drink slowly.”

I sipped the water as Aiden clasped my shoulders. I wanted to tell him that I was okay, that I wasn’t who he should be worried about, but we were moving again.

Deacon was pacing at the rear of the Hummer. “Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” He followed us past the first car. “Lea is hysterical. Luke won’t talk. What the hell happened?”

“Did you get the bags in the cars?” Aiden asked, taking the bottle from me before I forgot about the sipping rule. “All of them, like I said?”

“Yes.” Deacon ran his hands through his curls, eyes wide and intense. “What happened?”

Solos jogged up to us. “It’ll take about eight hours to get where we’re going. We should have at least half of that time in before we stop for gas.”

“Agreed,” Aiden said. He took hold of my limp arm in a gentle grasp, taking on most of my weight. I hadn’t realized I’d leaned against the Hummer. His worried gaze kept falling back to me.

“Tell me what happened!” Deacon yelled.

“Seth… Seth attacked the Council.” I winced at the words.

Deacon stared incredulously. “Oh my gods.”

I broke free of Aiden and looked inside the Hummer. Piled in the back were suitcases. They’d had it all pla

They were finalizing plans, and I was still staring at the suitcases. Obviously they’d hoped to grab me at the Council somehow, not knowing the kind of chaos that was going to erupt. What would they have risked to get me out of there? Life and limb, most likely.

The wind picked up.

Aiden headed back to me, all determination and purpose. “We have to leave now.”

Solos called out to Marcus. “You ready for this?”

“Let’s get out of here,” Marcus replied, casting a long look at me. “You holding up?”

“Yeah,” I croaked, and then cleared my throat.

“This is crazy.” Deacon opened the back door and started to climb in. “Everything is going bat—”

“No!” Aiden pushed Deacon toward the Hummer being driven by Solos. “We’re the ones they will target. Go with Marcus. Luke, stay with him.”

All business, Luke nodded and gathered a still-sobbing Lea close to him. I wanted to go to her. She’d lost everything… and each time had had something to do with me. First my mother had taken her parents, and now Seth had taken her sister. Razor-sharp guilt dug in.

Deacon stalled. “No. I want—”

Aiden grabbed his younger brother in a fierce hug. Words were whispered between them, but I couldn’t hear anything over the wind. Pushing my hair out of my face, I turned back toward the Covenant-controlled part of the island.

Something was happening. I could feel it. Electricity filled the air, raising the tiny hairs on my arms.

Deacon stumbled back from his brother and turned away. Tears had gathered in his eyes. He feared for his brother’s life and he should. When Seth came for us, which he would, he wouldn’t pay them any attention. Seth would come for Aiden and me, and even as strong as he was, it was doubtful Aiden would walk away from that confrontation.

My heart sank. I couldn’t do this to them. “Aiden, you can’t go with me. You can’t do this.”

“Don’t start,” Aiden growled as he grabbed my arm. “Get in the—”

Lightning erupted from the sky, streaking above us and down, slamming just off the coast of the Covenant. Despite our distance from the impact point, the flash of light still blinded me.

Solos stopped, halfway behind the driver’s seat. “What the…?”

The wind just stopped. It was u

“What’s happening?” Lea whispered. “Is it him? Is he coming?”

“No,” I said, feeling it in my core. “This isn’t Seth.”

“We need to go now.” Aiden started pulling me toward the passenger side of the car.

In a flurry of activity, everyone jumped into their respective cars. Behind us, people were gathering on the decks of their homes. Guards were scattering across the beach. All were staring across the stretch of ocean that separated the two islands.

I had a really bad feeling about this.

Aiden slammed his door shut and threw the Hummer into drive. He grabbed my hand. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Famous last words.

A bone-shaking boom blasted around us, rattling the car. A stream of water jetted into the air on the other side of the island, taller than the highest Covenant building, thicker than two of the dorms. The wall of water stilled, reminding me of how Seth had played with the water in the pool.

This wasn’t going to be good.

Another stream burst into the sky and then another… and another until over a dozen walls of water dotted the landscape. Power rippled through the air, sliding over my skin, curling around the cord inside me.

And in the center of each of the streams, I could make out a form of a man.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered.

Aiden slammed on the gas and the Hummer lurched forward. “Poseidon.”

I twisted around in the seat, watching the ocean from the back window. Beyond the formidable Covenant buildings, the walls started spi