Jennifer Armentrout: Apollyon

My fingers tightened in my hair.

“He’s in there now, isn’t he?” Anger deepened Aiden’s voice. The bars shook again. At the rate he was going, his knuckles were going to be mush. Just like my brain. “Don’t listen to him, Alex.”

Seth’s laugh was like chips of ice. Is he coming in there? Lay him out, Angel. Then make a run/or it. No one will be able to stop you .

I pulled my hair until tiny needles stabbed at my scalp.

“Alex, look at me.” The desperate edge in Aiden’s voice reached a part of me I wasn’t entirely familiar with. My eyes opened and latched onto his. They were silvery, like moonlight. Beautiful eyes. “Together we can break the bond between you and Seth.”

Tell him you don’t want to break the bond .

Amazing … and creepy how much my Seth could see and hear when we were connected. It was like having another person living inside me.

“Alex,” Aiden said. “Even if you make it to him, he’ll drain you just like a daimon would. Maybe he won’t mean to, but he will.”

My heart tripped up. I’d been warned before—by my mother, months ago. It was one of the reasons she’d wanted to change me into a daimon. A messed-up reason full of fail logic, but still…

I’d never do that to you, Alex. All I want is to keep you safe, to make you happy. Freeing your father is what you want, isn’t it? Together we can do that, but only together .

“I’m not going to give up,” Aiden said. Blessed silence stretched out for a few heartbeats. “Do you hear that, Seth? It’s not going to ever happen.”

He’s annoying .

You’re both annoying . Then I said out loud, “There’s nothing to give up on, Aiden.”

His eyes narrowed. “There is everything.”

Those words struck me as odd. “Everything” was a ghost of what was and never could be. Everything had changed the moment I’d connected with my Seth. It was hard to explain. Months ago, when I’d had trouble sleeping, and the connection between us had eased my body and mind? Well, this was like that, times a hundred.

There was no me in this. Sort of like there’d been no Seth in this before I’d Awakened. I understood that now. How much he’d struggled being around me, fighting to not get sucked into what I had going on. Now there was just us—a single being existing in two separate bodies. One soul split apart. Solaris and the First—

Sharp pain exploded behind my eyes.

Don’t . His whisper carried in my veins. Don’t think about them .

I frowned.

And then my Seth kept chatting. So did Aiden. But he wasn’t stupid enough to come into the cell. Even tired and held back by the wards on the walls, I was sure I could take him. Minutes went by, maybe hours, while the two of them slaughtered my brain cells.

When it was all over, I sagged against the mattress. One hell of a headache thumped. Aiden only left because someone—my uncle?—had opened the door from above, which usually meant something was going on. I rolled onto my side, slowly stretching out.

Finally , Seth sighed.

I unfurled my fingers. The joints ached. He won’t stay gone for long .

We don’t need forever, Angel. We just need to figure out where you are. And then we’ll be together .

A faint smile curved my lips up. If I concentrated hard enough, I could feel my Seth at the end of the buzzing cord that was always present. Sometimes he hid himself from me, but not now.

My memory pulled together his image. His golden complexion and slightly arched brows formed in my thoughts. The strong curve of his jaw demanded to be touched, and the smug grin on his full lips spread. Gods, his face was unearthly beautiful—cold and hard as the marble statues that used to line the Covenant building.

But there… there were no more statues on Deity Island. There was nothing. Poseidon had ripped it all apart and pulled it back into the ocean. Buildings, statues, sand, and people—all of it gone.

I lost the image of my Seth.

Unease formed in the pit of my stomach. Aiden had been right earlier—sort of. Something about that whole situation bothered me, made me feel helpless, and I wasn’t helpless.

I was the Apollyon.

Go back to thinking about how good I look. I liked that .

Some things never changed. My Seth’s ego was as big as ever.

But my Seth’s image blossomed before me. His hair was curly around his temples and the color of spun gold. He reminded me of the paintings of Adonis. But Adonis wasn’t blond. Through the knowledge of the previous Apollyons, I knew his hair had been brown.

Where are you? I asked.

Heading up north, Angel. Are you in the north?

I sighed. I don’t know where I am. There are woods around me. A creek .

Not helpful . There was a pause, and I imagined the feel of his hand on my cheek, tracing the curve of the bone. I shivered. I miss you, Angel. Those weeks when you were hidden from me drove me crazy .

I didn’t respond. I hadn’t missed my Seth. While I’d been under the influence of the Elixir, I hadn’t even known he existed.

Seth chuckled. You do wonders for my self-esteem. You’re supposed to say you missed me, too .

Rolling onto my back, I tried to work out the kink in my leg. What will it be like when I transfer my power to you?

There was a pause and I started to get nervous. It won’t hurt , his voice whispered. It will be like when we touched before, when the runes appeared. You liked that .

I had.

There are a few words spoken, nothing huge, and then I will take your power. I won’t drain you, Alex. I’d never do that .

And I believed him, so I relaxed. What is the plan, Seth?

You know what the plan is .

He wanted to take out the Olympian Twelve before they found a way to take us out. Legend said we were only vulnerable to another Apollyon, but neither of us was secure in that belief. Loopholes and lesser-known myths were something all the Apollyons had sought to discover. But once the gods were out of the picture, we would rule. Or Lucian would rule. I didn’t know or care. All I wanted was to be near my Seth. I was having a mad case of separation anxiety.

No. What’s the plan so we can be together?

Seth’s approval washed over me like I’d just stepped out into the summer sun. I basked in it, like a good little puppy with a full tummy. Eventually, they will show a weakness. They always do. Especially St. Delphi. You are his weakness .

I squirmed. I am .

And when you are presented with a chance to escape, take it. Don’t hold back, Angel. You’re the Apollyon. Once free, they can’t stop you. Trust that. And the moment you get an idea of where you are, I’ll be there .

I trusted my Seth.

There was that pleasant and heady fog again, invading me. Have you seen Apollo or any other god recently?

No . Not since I’d come out of the Elixir high, and that was odd. Apollo had been up my butt from the moment I’d Awakened, but I hadn’t felt or seen him—or any god.

I opened my eyes and stared at the bars. Would Hephaestus need to reinforce the bars soon? Gods, I hoped so. If they weakened, then so would the wards. Then I could get out.

Seth said something that caused my toes to curl so I would pay attention to him again. Where did you go?

I showed him the bars and my thoughts. He was doubtful. Hephaestus’ work rarely weakened, but I was hopeful… for a hot second. This… this bond wasn’t the real deal. Even though my Seth was inside me, he really wasn’t here. I was alone—alone in a cell.