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Tears rushed tofroevent of the day by any od as apparently a Sentinel here had brought me back, and all that jazz But it was the way Aiden was staring at ain, see my smile, or hear e of despair and had been pulled back at the very last second, but was still feeling all those terrible e that he hadn’t lost so--that I was still here

I realized so so important, so powerful then

Aiden could tell ht what lay between us night and day He could speak only in lies from here on out It didn’t matter

I would always, always know differently

Even if space separated us, or a dozen rules were iether, I would always know

And gods, I loved hie There were so ht now, but that I knew Before I could stop it, a single tear escaped, running down my cheek I squeezed my eyes shut

He drew in another breath, this one much sharper, more broken The bed dipped as he ers curled around the strands His lips ar the tear away

I became very still, afraid that any movement would send him away He was like some kind of wild creature about to break

When he spoke, his breath danced over ain I just can’t"

He was so close, still holding htly in his while his other slipped out of my hair and traced an invisible line over my face

"Okay?" he said "Because I can’t lose--" He cut off, looking toward the door The sound of footsteps grew closer His lips pressed into a tight line as he turned back to htened "We’ll talk more, later"

I sat there du spastically, and said theI could "Okay"

The door opened, and Marcus walked through His shirt was half-tucked in and his usually-pressed trousers rinkled Like Aiden, he looked aloudly

I cleared my throat "You’re wrinkled"

"You’re alive"

Aiden stood "That she is I was just filling her in on everything"

"Good That’s good" Marcus stared at uess, after dying and all" I shifted, unco? I don’t know of any gods naod that no one claims?"

Aiden retreated to the corner of the room, a much more appropriate distance for a pure-blood I immediately missed his closeness, but he kept his eyes on me It was like he was afraid I’d disappear "That’s because Leon isn’t his real name," he said

"It’s not?"

Marcus sat in Aiden’s spot He reached out, but stopped and lowered his hand into his lap "Do you want some water?"

"Um, sure" Weirded out a little, I watched him refill my cup and hold it for me to drink The alien in my uncle had obviously taken full control Soon, it would claw its way out of his stoainst the wall "Leon is Apollo"

I choked on the water Wheezing, I clutched my stomach with one hand and waved the other in front of my face

"Alexandria, are you okay?" Marcus set the cup down and glanced over his shoulder at Aiden, as already beside the bed "Go get one of the doctors"

"No!" Eyes watering, I dragged in air "I’ pipe"

"You sure?" Aiden asked, looking torn betanting to drag a doctor in here and taking my word for it

I nodded "Yeah, that just surprised uys sure? Apollo?"

Marcus watched me carefully "Yes He’s definitely Apollo"

"Holy…" There weren’t enough words in the world to do that justice "Did he explain anything?"

"No" Marcus tucked the loose blanket back around ht you back, he said he needed to leave and that he’d be back"

"He kind of popped out of the room" Aiden rubbed his eyes "We haven’t seen him since"

"And that was yesterday," Marcus added

"So I’ve been sleeping for an entire day?" My gaze darted between the two "Have either of you slept this entire time?"

Aiden looked away, but Marcus was the one who answered "A lot has been going on, Alex"

"But you guys--"