ŷ������

“He shot forward, clasping my cheeks. “Say it again.��
“Say what?�� I replied, gripping his wrists. “I said a lot of things. Help me out here.��
"Say that I'm not just the Apollyon," he whispered, his voice harsh.
Tears built in my throat. "You're not just the Apollyon, Seth."
His eyes drifted shut, his face tensed as his fingers splayed across my cheeks. "I don't even know who I am anymore. Or what I ever was."
Oh goodness, that ripped right through my chest. "You're just...you're just Seth."
A tremor moved through his arms. "And you...you're just my salvation.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Guess what?��
“W�󲹳�?��
Meeting his amber-colored eyes, I admitted what probably wasn’t a secret, but what I felt like I needed to put into words. “I like you, Seth.��
He stopped his hand over mine, staying there, as he gave me a lopsided smile. “Guess what?��
“W�󲹳�?�� I whispered.
Seth shifted so that his lips brushed mine as he spoke. “I like you too, Josie.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“Pulling my hand away, he rose, slanting his head to kiss me deeply as he pushed me onto my back, with his weight draped over me. “I’ve never had anything that was my own,�� he said against my mouth. “Nothing that was ever for just me and no one else. I’ve never been anyone’s first.�� He kissed me and then lifted his head. I stared into his eyes. “I’ve never been anyone’s only.��
That made my heart ache for him as I raised my hand, pressing my palm against his cheek. “You’re my first,�� I whispered. “You’re…you’re my only.��
His lips parted. “You can’t say that and not mean it.��
I held his gaze as my chest swelled. “I mean it.��
He smoothed his thumb over my lip. “I really am a lucky son of a bitch.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“You’re a demigod,�� he said hoarsely.
It was the first thing he said.
“Yeah,�� I replied, my voice breathy. “Is that…um, okay with you?��
His gaze flicked up to mine, and he arched a brow. “Do I need to kiss you again?��
My lips twitched. “Maybe.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“Josie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she glanced up the hall. “You ready?��
I nodded and we started down the hall and we made it halfway before I did something totally cheesy. I reached between us, found her hand without looking, and threaded my fingers through her.
She looked up, surprise flickering over her expression, but then she smiled, and yeah, that smile was worth it.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“You’re…you’re mentally unstable.��

“I wish I were. It would make things so much more fun. Sadly, I’m not. At least, not yet.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“Sirens blasted, breaking the silence and spinning me around. The shrill sound was all too familiar, and I snapped into action. Vicious excitement replaced the restlessness, and I knew just how screwed up that was, but right then? Oh yeah, I could use a fight. Yesterday in the quad had been child’s play.

Grabbing the Glock loaded with titanium bullets, I hooked it into the holster and fit it around my thigh. I snatched the daggers off the dresser and headed out the door, not even bothering with grabbing a shirt.

I came to a complete stop as Josie’s door swung open.

What in the holy fuck were Alex and Josie doing together? For just a few seconds, the three of us were literally frozen, staring at each other as the sirens blared overhead.

And then Alex broke the silence.

“Really?�� she said dryly, eyeing me with a smirk. “You’re going to fight with the awesomeness of your six-pack as a weapon?��

I arched a brow. “Yeah, you know, I was going to test out the whole abs of steel theory thing. The gun attached to my thigh and the daggers in my hands are just props. Mainly for show. Don’t want to take away from the gloriousness that is my body, though.��

Her smirk flipped into a grin. “Whatever.�� She started forward. Up ahead, a tall figure stepped out in the hall, and light glinted off the titanium daggers in his hands. Aiden. Of course their room had to be close to mine.

Of. Course.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“Seth tilted his head to the side as he stared at me. “What did you just say?��

Taking another step back, I glanced at the door. Could I make a run for it? Seth could definitely catch me, but right now, he probably didn’t want to.

“J�Dz�����?��

My heart stuttered at the raw quality of his voice. I wanted to deny that I’d uttered those words, but I couldn’t. How could I when it was the truth, and it wasn’t like I could take those words back. I couldn’t.

Lowering my hand, I drew in a shallow breath. “I love you; I’m in love with you.��

Seth jerked like I’d punched him. “You can’t love me.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“Stop.�� He shot in front of me, moving so fast I didn’t see him until we were face to face. “Please just . . . I . . . I don’t know what to say, Josie.��

I winced, feeling what he was saying all the way to the core. “That . . . that says everything, Seth, because if you don’t—�� My voice cracked, right along with what was left of my heart. “If you don’t know what to say, then that’s it.��

“You don’t understand.�� His voice was low.“I don’t understand anything.�� Heart aching, I stepped to the side, but Seth followed.

“Please, just let me go. We can forget we even had—��

He clasped my cheeks in a gentle grasp. “No one has ever told me that before.��

“W�󲹳�?�� I whispered after a moment.

His eyes were wide, slightly dilated. “No one has ever said they loved me or were in love with me, and actually meant it.��

I couldn’t believe that. Not even his mother? Yes, that was a different kind of love, but then I remembered how his mom was and once again I found myself wishing she was alive so I could bitch-slap her into eternity. But to live the years he had, and to never experience any kind of love wasn’t just wrong, it was sad. I wished it wasn’t so.

Seth’s hands slid down my neck, stopping where his thumbs pressed against my pulse. “But you . . .��

I had a choice here. I recognized that. I could save face and let this go. I could pull away and walk out of this room, but I was hurting for myself and despite everything that had gone on between us, I was still hurting for him. Maybe that. “But I love you.��

Seth’s hands shook—his hands. Hands that were always so steady in battle, but they trembled now, touching me. “I don’t deserve that from anyone, but especially from you.�� Voice rough and heavy, he searched my face intently. “That is a precious gift that I . . . that I am not worthy of.��

I sucked in air. Oh gosh, that hurt. Hearing him say that tore me up, ripped me right apart, and it struck me then. I knew why he had backed off. Him pushing me away had nothing to do with Alex or with me. It was because of him, because of how he believed he deserved nothing more than punishment.

That he sincerely believed that the only thing he had was to atone for his past sins.

Tears pricked my eyes as I folded my hands over his wrists. I had to prove what he believed wasn’t true.

Prove that he was the total of everything he’d done and not just the dark things he was ashamed of, and I would do so, because I loved him and accepted him for who he was, for all his faults. That was what love meant.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“How did he do that?�� Alex stumbled to her feet with Aiden’s aid, swaying to one side. Both looked okay. “How did he do that?��

I didn’t answer, because I didn’t know how Seth had tapped into all of us without even touching us.

My gaze finally fell on Solos. “Oh gods,�� I whispered, quickly averting my gaze. What Atlas had whispered in my dream the night before had also been right. Dig a grave.

He was . . . I closed my eyes, biting down on my lower lip until I tasted blood. Pain opened in my chest, overshadowing the physical aches that bit and chewed at me.

Solos was gone.

Him falling had tipped Seth over an edge, a very precarious edge I hadn’t even realized he’d been teetering on this . . . this entire time.

I was numb, sitting between where Seth had fallen and where Solos lay. This scent of death was different than what followed the shades. This . . . this was heavier, more real.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“You must be careful of who you trust, child, of whom you have given your heart to.��

I stiffened.

“Power is the most alluring of all vices. It corrupts and destroys,�� she said, her voice shifting low. “And it is the most hidden of all transgressions.��

A cold chill radiated down my spine. “You’re talking about Seth.��

“He is not what he seems,�� she said, and a snake snapped at the air. “The Apollyon has committed acts of great treachery.��

“I know.�� My hands curled into fists. “I know what he’s capable of. And I know who he used to be and who he is becoming.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“Oh, everything is fun when I’m around.�� Hercules’s knees knocked into the back of my seat as he leaned back. “This one time, when I was ordered by the gods to . . .��

I could only think of three words.

Fuck. My. Life.

“You should drive, because I’m going to end it all. Once we’re on the freeway, I’m going to jump out of this vehicle and throw myself in front of a Mack truck.��

Josie’s laugh cut off her yawn. “That’s a little excessive.��

Adjusting the sunglasses I’d stolen from Aiden yesterday morning, I smirked. “I do not think anything is excessive when it comes to him.��

“But that won’t even kill you.��

I sighed. “Yeah, but I’m pretty sure it’ll knock me unconscious for the time being.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“Are you a stalker or something?��

“I’ve been called that a time or two, oddly enough.��

My jaw unhinged.

“And it’s funny, considering who the last person was to ask me that.�� His arresting features tensed. “A relative of yours. A cousin, I guess.�� His lips pursed thoughtfully. “Or maybe a sister? Honestly, I have no idea how that works out, but it’s about a thousand different kinds of disturbing.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“The twisting motion stopped, because my stomach bottomed out. “South Dakota? I’m not even sure I can point out where South Dakota is on a map.��

The slight curve of his lips appeared again. “It’s between nothing-there-interests-me and land-of-the-great-nothing.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“Of course you do, but today is different.��

Understanding rippled across his features, a slight widening of his eyes and nostrils. A moment of surprise, and seeing that caused pain to flicker through my chest, because he hadn’t expected me to remember.

Seth expected so very little sometimes.

“Happy birthday.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“The nymph blinked out and reappeared directly in front of me. Impressive. Even I couldn’t track its movement. “You’re making a huge mistake.��

Gods. Some nights just couldn’t get any worse. “My entire existence is a mistake, so you’re going to have to get a little more detailed about what exact mistake you’re talking about.��

The nymph’s all-white eyes crackled little bolts of light. “Staying away from her won’t save her.��

Well, I was immediately proven wrong. Tonight was officially getting worse.

“And it won’t save you either,�� the nymph added.

I barked out a harsh laugh. “There is no saving me. I know what the end game is.��

“There is no such thing as finality,�� he replied, leaning in so when he spoke next, his cool breath moved over my jaw. “All prophecies are designed to be rewritten. No fate, no matter what is sacrificed or bargained, is final.�� He paused. “All the pieces are never shared.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“If you don’t answer this door, I will do something drastic.��

I frowned.

“I can use the fire element, which means I can melt the insides of this lock,�� he explained. “And I’m not that great at controlling fire. I’ll probably end up catching the door on fire.��

“Whoa,�� I muttered, swinging my legs off the bed.

“And then the fire will spread to the walls and the next thing you know, the whole dorm is burning down. Roof on fire kind of shit and Marcus will get really pissed��”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“No. No way. I’m not flying. I’m not getting in a tin can that could fall out of the sky at any moment. Screw that. Have you ever thought about how they get planes in the sky and how they stay in the sky? No? I have. It’s a lot of science I don’t understand.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“He chuckled and the sound was deep, masculine, and would’ve been nice if he hadn’t been a stalker. “Okay. We are getting off to another bad start. I have that effect on people.��

“I can imagine.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“I just saw someone get lit on fire, and you’re acting like it’s really not that big of a deal. People just get burned alive all the time around here, apparently. And I saw someone get told to jump out of a window and that person was seriously going to do it! That’s crazy.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“Seth joined the group of very stern-looking men, and they immediately started talking, their voices too low for me to hear, but it didn’t stop me from trying. I learned fairly quickly that I sucked at reading lips. Everything looked like they were saying “tomatoes�� or “I love you�� and I doubted that was what was being said.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“Luke sent me a look, but wisely kept his mouth shut, and he pulled out a slim cellphone. “I’ll text and let him know.��

“Make sure he says who he is and that he comes in peace or some shit, because I left her with one of my daggers and instructions to stab anything that comes through that door.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“I stared at him for a moment, and then I exploded. “You threw a knife at me!��

“I did,�� he replied calmly.

“You hit me with the knife!��

“I did.�� He leaned forward, dropping his foot onto the floor. “As I told Seth, unbinding you myself would not be easy. I wish I hadn’t had to do it that way. The last thing I wanted was to cause you pain. I didn’t enjoy any part of that—well, besides the look on Hyperion’s face—but the only way for me to finish unbinding you was to pass you through a mortal death.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return

“Threading his fingers through my hair, he didn’t answer immediately. “Feels like twenty-one.��

“That’s not exciting.��

He grinned again. “That’s because you’re still twenty and have what? About six months to go before you’re twenty-one.��

“I wanted to get you something, but Amazon doesn’t really deliver out here, so . . .��

I really did want to get him something, but since it wasn’t particularly safe for me to leave, the only option was the campus store, but I doubted Seth wanted a Covenant University mug or hoodie. I couldn’t even make him dinner since I had no access to a kitchen, so I was a lame girlfriend.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“Cake,�� Deacon interjected, springing toward the coffee table. “We got you a cake.��

“I also had nothing to do with the cake,�� Luke announced, and when I looked at him, he shrugged. “I’m pretty much just here to bear witness to your reaction.��

I had no words.

“You have no idea what I had to do to get Libby to make this cake. By the way, Libby is one of our awesome cooks in the cafeteria,�� Deacon explained. “And I think it’s a really awesome cake.��

At that moment, I looked at the cake, really looked at it, and my eyes widened. “Spider-Man?��

Josie dipped her chin, unsuccessfully hiding her grin.

“You seemed like you’d be into Spider-Man.��

I opened my mouth. Yep. No words as I stared at the small, round cake. Libby should go into the cake-making business, I thought, because that was one hell of an accurate representation of Spider-Man, down to the blue tights and webbing.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“After breakfast, I parted ways with Colin even though he was all about us going for a run or something—and who in the hell did he think I was, that I was going to voluntarily do that? Ha. I went to the library, trolled around in there for hours with no luck, and then finally moped back to my dorm.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power

“Slowly, I turned around. There were people on the floor. They were the things that were withering. Things. Insignificant. Moaning. Trying to sit up. Annoying.

I walked toward them, each step purposeful. Something moved to the right of me. I looked. It was big and reaching out to me. Hercules. Gods, I did not like him.

Lifting my hand, I sent him flying backward. My attention zeroed on the dark-haired pure-blood with silvery eyes. He was shielding someone. Blood trickled from his nose.

Oh, yeah, I really did not like him. Couldn’t quite grasp why, but I knew I’d be thoroughly pleased if I made him go splat. I lifted my hand.

“Seth! No,�� a female shouted. The voice was familiar. It did something to me. Distracted me. “Seth!��

A stinging sensation shot across my left forearm, and I spun around, lifting my arm as I summoned akasha. It coiled, rushing down my arm.

“Seth,�� she whispered.

Her voice stopped me, reached in and shook me. The whitish-amber light fizzled out. I looked down and saw blue eyes—Josie. My Josie. And then I saw what she held in her hand. That soft hand trembled, but it was not empty. She clutched the blade. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My legs gave out below me, and Josie dropped the stake. I heard it clang off the floor and then I heard nothing.

There was nothing.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Power