“Stop.” I pushed him away. “I do not want to hear about my father, nor about his little uprising or his plan to throw over the Heavenly armies. He’s pure evil, he broke too many rules, he caused Hell to reign on earth, and for that I’ll never forgive him.”
“You think I’d defend him for what he did?” Icarus’s face twisted into rage. “I hate him for his actions, but you have to realize something, Athena. If you win… what’s in it for you? Do you honestly think anything will change? That you’ll actually see Paradise or be anything more than what you already are? You’re a Seeker. You have the blood of angel and human coursing through your veins.” He let out a curse and kicked some snow. “At the end of the day, Thena, you’re still an abomination, and you always will be.”
My stomach dropped. He was right. Of course he was right. The pain in his eyes spoke volumes, for all of us had experienced the loss and pain of being orphaned, fitting neither in the heavenly world nor the human one.
“We don’t belong anywhere,” he said, almost as if he could read my thoughts. “Just remember that when you start picking sides, Thena. Remember the pain that comes with not belonging. The Titans feel it still, only they remember what it was like to be in a brotherhood, whereas we’re just what’s left over from their sins.”
A loud thud jolted me from his painful speech. Adonis threw off his pack and rushed to my side. “Are you hurt? Anything broken? I could kill you right now for scaring me like that!”
“Yes,” I said sarcastically. “That was my plan. Scare Adonis and nearly kill myself in the process. However did you know?”
Seth let out a cheerful laugh. “Icarus! Haven’t seen you in forever, man!” He gave him a high five and a man-hug before grabbing at the extra down jacket Icarus held in his hand. “So, any news?”
Recognition passed across Icarus’s features before he shook his head. “Nothing exciting. Both sides are still waiting to attack. Time’s running out though, if you really want the Titans to fight on your side.”
“If they fight on our side, there won’t be a fight,” I interrupted.
“Right…” Icarus looked away. “Well, it looks like I’m going to be your tour guide. Try not to fall off the mountain. We have a long hike ahead of us.”
“Hikes, plane rides, demons… yup. Sounds about right.” I slapped Adonis on the back. Instead of laughing, he grabbed my hand and clenched it in his.
“Please try to be more careful, Thena, I’m too young to have heart failure.”
“Ugh, you’re over six thousand—”
He slapped his hand over my mouth, his eyes smoldering. Blood pumped through my veins at his touch.
His lips quickly brushed where his hand had been, leaving mine wanting more. “Just be careful.”
Chapter Fourteen
We walked for three hours. Seth and Icarus talked like they were long lost lovers, and Adonis literally grabbed me each time I tripped on a rock or the snow. I was ready to fight him just to keep him from freaking out on me anymore, but then again last time we fought, I almost lost. Wow. That was a hard pill to swallow.
The only good news during the long walk was that I didn’t have any more odd visions or singing… which made me wonder all the more why it had been affecting me so much before and not as much now? Though the haunting melody was familiar to me, I hadn’t heard the siren’s voice since Seattle.
“Thena?” Adonis grabbed my arm again, and that time I let him. I hadn’t realized how high we were getting until then. Did everything have to do with going down and up? I clenched my teeth and leaned on Adonis.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, knowing I sounded super distracted, but I couldn’t help it. Something felt off. The general direction we were traveling was toward the top of the mountain, but the closer we got, the harder it was for me to concentrate on any one thing. It didn’t help that as we got closer, it grew hotter. Not that temperature really bothered me, but it was strange. Shouldn’t it get colder as you get higher?
“You feel it too,” Adonis whispered.
At my nod he tensed. I looked around. Seth and Icarus were still ahead of us. Seth looked somewhat out of sorts. His coloring was paler than usual. Dark shadows were visible beneath his eyes. As if he knew I was staring at him he turned to look at me, and suddenly my steps froze.
Something hit me across the head, and within an instant Seth was breathing down my neck.
“Nobody can hear you scream.” His voice was hoarse as if he had just swallowed fire and couldn’t quite form words. “I want to taste you. Now.”
His tongue moved across my lips, black flashed in his eyes, and he began to suck energy from me. I tried to speak. Suddenly a flash of light appeared in front of us. A fiery sword appeared in Adonis’s hand. The same sword I’d seen for years on the archangels.
“Be gone, demon!” Adonis yelled as he pushed Seth against a tree.