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The Guards ilaring off the still waters At first I was surprised, but then I remembered whose Guards they were--Lucian’s

Aiden moved uneasily His hands opened and closed at his sides

Seth feigned a look of sympathy "Don’t look too happy about this, Aiden"

I kicked Seth in the shin

"Ouch," he hissed, blasting onizing people isn’t nice," I shot back

Aiden sighed "You have twentydown the steps, Seth bowed at Aiden and then pivoted around Wind caught and tossed his hair around Soive Apollo a run for his money Both of them had this type of cold beauty that didn’t seem real, because it was flawless both far away and up close

I fell into step beside hi my hands into the center pocket ofyou back so soon"

Seth arched a golden eyebrow "Really? I’m not surprised by that"

My cheeks flushed There was no way he could’ve knohat had happened between Aiden anda deep breath, I womaned up "Seth, I have to--"

"I already know, Alex"

"What?" I stopped, pushing my hair out of my face "You knohat?"

He facedhis face mere inches froeable… as long as he didn’t touch "

"Everything" could ainst the harsh glare "What exactly do you know?"

His lips tipped into a sestured to the St Delphi house, "back there I knew that was going to happen"

I went hot and cold all at once "Seth, I’m really sorry I don’t want to hurt you"

He stared at hed "Hurt me? Alex, I’ve always kno you’ve felt about hiht I’d seen vulnerability in Seth before SillyBut even for the cocky, annoying version of Seth, he was taking this surprisingly well--too well My suspicions skyrocketed "Why are you so okay with this?"

"Am I supposed to be upset? Is that what you want?" He tipped his head to the side, brows slanted "Do you want me to be jealous? Is that what it takes?"

"No!" I felt ain "I just didn’t expect you to be so… okay with it"

"Well, I wouldn’t say I’m okay with it It is what it is"

I stared at hi to turn him in, are you?"

Seth slowly shook his head "Hoould that benefit me? You’d be in servitude and on the elixir"

And I wouldn’t Awaken, which it always seeh person to ad I wondered what bothered Sethnot happening I looked away, biting one"

"So did I," he responded evenly

That was cryptic "You had to know about the Order and how an Apollyon is e "Why is that?"

Frustration flared "You once said that when you Awakened, you knew everything from the previous Apollyons One of them would’ve known about the Order, and about how they were born Why didn’t you tell hed "Alex, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t see a point"

"How could you not see a point after everything that happened to me in New York? If you’d told me about the Order, I could’ve been better prepared"

He looked away, lips pursing

"And I asked you while ere there if you knehat that syer and so much disappointment swamped me I didn’t even try to shield my emotions from him "You said you didn’t know When I asked if you knew about a half and a pure uessed your father had to be a half You knew the truth What I don’t get is why you didn’t tell me"

"I was told not to"

"What?" Seth started walking, and I hurried to catch up with him "Who told you not to tell me?"

He stared up the beach "Does it matter?"

"Yes!" I practically shrieked "It doesIf I don’t trust you?"

His brows shot up "What do we have exactly, Alex? I do re you that you had a choice I didn’t ask for labels or expectations"

I reo Part of me missed that playful Seth

"And you made your choice," Seth continued softly "You made your choice even when you said you chose , satisfied look when I had said that I’d chosen hi to say "Seth, I--"