chapter 5
THE NEXT MORNING, APOLLO, MARCUS, AND I STOOD IN the small sunroom that overflowed with plants and flowers. The sweet tangy scent reminded me of Alex. Hell, everything reminded me of Alex.
She was right about one thing last night. I was obsessed.
Apollo cut to the chase. “Have you agreed?”
I glanced at Marcus, knowing that he’d finally made up his mind sometime last night. So had I. Weary and bone-tired, I scrubbed my hand over my rough cheek. Man, I needed to shave.
“Aiden,” Marcus said.
Exhaling roughly, my eyes narrowed. They didn’t know that Alex had snapped out of it for a few seconds last night. The tiny glimpse of her was something I held close to my heart, but in the harsh glare of the sunlight, I wasn’t sure if it had really happened, or if it had been wishful thinking.
I cleared my suddenly dry throat. The words were hard to get my tongue to form. “Give her the Elixir.”
And that was it—all it took.
What sounded like a series of champagne corks shattered the silence. The air was sucked out of the room as I spun toward the crackling sound. A shimmery blue dust formed in the rays of sunlight. Each particle shined like a sapphire. They came together quickly, as if drawn to become whole. Within seconds, a woman stood before us.
Swathed in blue silk robes that clung to her curves, the goddess tipped her golden head back. Long, thick curls fell to her waist as she drifted toward Apollo with a twitch in her hips.
Marcus sucked in a breath, obviously affected by the goddess’ beauty, and I felt nothing but chilled numbness as we both bowed.
There was something seriously wrong with me.
Or perhaps I was just too focused on what she held in her delicate-looking hands—an ancient-looking porcelain pitcher engraved with a hateful symbol. A circle with a slash through it—the mark of servitude.
“Ananke,” Apollo said, bowing before the older goddess.
My brows shot up. That was quick. It was eerie seeing how in-the-know the gods could be when they wanted. Immediately I disliked her, but I forced my expression blank.
She handed Apollo the pitcher and then turned toward me, her lip tipping up at one corner before facing Apollo again. “You will only need to use a… shot of this. You will need to finish with the compulsion.”
Hands clenching, I started to turn but stopped. I’d heard the compulsion time and time again over the years. Already it was flowing through my thoughts. My stomach rolled.
The goddess moved away from Apollo, returning to the center of the room. “It will take a few minutes to take effect. It will shut down all of her Apollyon powers, therefore breaking the bond. She will be… different.”
Not liking the sound of this, I asked, “What do you mean by ‘different’?”
Her lip tipped up again. “She will be more pliable to deal with—compliant in nature. The… girl will know who she is on the most basic level, but no more.”
“What?” I glanced at Apollo. “I didn’t agree to that.”
Apollo shot me a look that said shut the hell up and then some. Taking in a deep breath, I clasped my hands behind my back. “I apologize.”
The goddess arched a brow and nodded. “I have added Ma-Huang, which affects the memory. Her memories link her to the First. Without them, he simply does not exist. It is not perfect, but the best we can do given the situation.”
A chill crept up my spine. If Seth didn’t exist, then neither did anyone she cared about or trusted. Neither did I.
“She will tire easily,” Ananke continued. “And will be very easy to handle while we search for a more permanent fix.”
The permanent fix was in the room—Apollo—but thankfully the bulk of the gods didn’t know that he could take her out.
“How long will it last?” Apollo asked.
Ananke shook her head. “There is no telling. Maybe a few days if you’re lucky, but you will know when it’s wearing off. She will grow restless, may start to remember things. When this happens, she will need a new dose.”
“Will this harm her in any way?” Concern colored Marcus’ voice.
“No.” She started to shimmer out, but her voice still carried with its cold indifference. “But I would not give her more than six doses. The effects may become permanent at that point.”
And then she was gone, leaving all of us open-mouthed. Marcus exhaled loudly. “Nice of her to throw that in.”
“It could become permanent?” I raised a brow, daring Apollo to look away. “Did you know this?”
His eyes narrowed. “I know the same amount as you do. At least we know not to exceed six doses. If it lasts at least four days, then that gives us nearly a month.”
“If it lasts four days each time,” I pointed out.
Apollo glanced down at the pitcher. “Well, we’re about to find out.”
I went down the stairs, detached as I could be. Knowing what I was about to take part in darkened my soul. Something like that might sound dramatic, and before, I really didn’t think it was possible, but now I understood.
“It’s for the best,” Apollo said.
Glaring at him, I slid past him and stopped in front of the cell. Alex was sitting on the mattress, back against the wall and knees tucked close to her chest. She stared behind me, to where I knew Apollo waited in the shadows. For some reason, Alex reacted like a crazed hydra when Apollo went near her.
“Did you finally come to your senses and decide to let me out?” A smirk twisted her once beautiful lips. They were now chapped from lack of water. The bottle sat untouched by the wall.
I unlocked the door. “You know the answer to that.”
Alex rose to her feet, swaying as she stepped off the mattress. Her face was as pale as the walls surrounding her. “I should’ve known none of you would be smart enough.”
We slipped into the cell, locking it behind us. I watched Alex wearily. She was growing weaker by the day, but the girl was a fighter to her core. Marcus moved back, letting me deal with her as we’d planned.
It seemed fitting that I’d be the one who did this.
Her eerie amber gaze slid past me to what Marcus held in his hands. The liquid inside the glass was deep blue and thick. Recognition flared, and she took a step back. I moved to her side, holding my breath.
As expected, she went wild.
Shooting forward, I wrapped my arms around her, clamping her arms to her sides. Using my weight, I brought her to the floor as carefully as I could, but she thrashed and struggled. From behind her, I got my legs around her waist and locked them down over hers.
Alex was trapped.
“No! No!” she screamed over and over, each word a punch straight to my heart. “No! No!”
Pressing my cheek against hers, I forced her head back. “I’m sorry, Alex, I’m so sorry.”
“You can’t do this to me!” She tried to wiggle her head down but failed. Her voice was laced with hatred and power, an edge that didn’t belong to her. “You’ll regret this. All of you, it will be the last thing you do. I promise you.”
“Do it,” I urged, wanting this over with. Over Marcus’ shoulder, my eyes met Apollo’s. He stood just outside the cell now. Even the god looked disgusted with what we were doing.
With a pained expression, Marcus crouched in front of us and grabbed Alex’s chin. His hand shook as he lifted the glass of Elixir, and he squared his shoulders. “Sorry, Alexandria. It’ll be over in seconds.”
Like a switch being thrown, the voice that came out of the trembling girl was one I recognized and feared. “Please don’t do this,” she begged. Seconds later, my cheeks were wet from her tears. “Please, Marcus, please don’t do this to me.”
Marcus hesitated. “Alex?”
Her body shuddered against mine. “I’ll behave. I promise. I’ll do whatever you ask, but please don’t give me the Elixir.”
I drew in a shallow breath. “What color are her eyes?”
“Gold,” he grunted.
Moving both of her slender wrists to one hand, I knocked Marcus’ hand away and grasped her chin. “It’s not her, not really. Do it. Gods dammit, just do it!”
Alex wailed, and a part of me turned cold—forever. I forced her mouth open, bruising her jaw as her struggles renewed. Energy hummed through me, shocking me every couple of seconds. Marcus tipped the glass to her lips, and the sickeningly sweet aroma of the Elixir filled the cell.
Even after the contents of the glass were gone, Alex still fought. Screaming, rolling her hips, throwing her head back and forth until I felt her breaths turning deeper, slower.
Marcus moved back, setting the glass aside. He wiped his hands along his pants as if he could somehow wipe away what he’d just done to his niece, but it had left a mark on my soul.
I’d never be able to wipe it away, no matter how hard I tried.
I watched Marcus and Apollo as her muscles loosened and her body relaxed against mine. Her head fell back against my shoulder and to the side as she drew in a deep, long breath that sounded like a sigh.
Gazing down at her, I saw the marks again. Intricate designs bled through her skin, swirling over her cheeks and down her neck. Inked in blue, they brightened until the whole room was awash in sapphire, and then they faded out. Alex stilled.
“You have to finish this,” Apollo said.
One of these days I was going to hit Apollo again. I probably wouldn’t survive, but it was going to happen. Turning Alex in my arms, I cradled her against my chest and cupped her cheek. “Alexandria, open your eyes.”
Her lashes fluttered against her pale cheeks, and then finally, they lifted. I sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes were shattered—dull brown with gold shredded through them. The connection had been broken, but it wasn’t Alex staring back at me blankly. It wasn’t Seth either.
She was a stranger—a young, scared girl who didn’t recognize me, an empty slate perfect for compulsion.
I clamped down on the anger rising in my throat and kept my eyes locked with hers. “To óνομά σας είναι Alexandria.”
Your name is Alexandria.
She blinked slowly.
Pain sliced through my chest. “To óνομά μου εέναι Aiden…” I choked as the back of my throat burned. Wetness gathered in my eyes, clouding Alex’s face. I can’t do this. I have to do this. The words burst out of me. “To óνομά μου είναι Aiden και είμαι ο Δάσκαλóς σας.”
My name is Aiden, and I am your Master.
“Θα υπακούσει μου κάθε επιθυμία, την επιθυμία,. και την εντολή σε θάνατο.”
You will obey my every wish, desire, and command to death.
Or until the Elixir wore off.
She breathed in the words, relaxed a little more, and became them. And I watched the shattered eyes dull even more. I let go of her hands and they fell to her lap.
“What is your name?” I asked, voice hoarse.
“Alexandria,” she repeated in a soft voice I’d never heard Alex use in real life.
“And who am I?”
“Aiden.” She smiled, and I flinched. “You are my Master.”