He followed me around the edge of the bed. “I’ve been told my lips can make a girl forget just about anything. You should try it out.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Anyway, why were you with Lucian instead of at practice?”

“Alex, that’s none of your business.”

Somehow I’d cornered myself between the wall and the bed. “He’s my stepfather. It’s my business.”

“What crazy logic you have.”

My hands curled into fists. “Look, you can leave now. You apologized. Bye.”

His smile increased as he looked around my room. “I think I’ll stay. I kind of like it here.”

“What?” I sputtered. “You can’t stay. It’s against the rules.”

Seth laughed deeply. “Since when do you care about rules?”

“I’m a changed person.”

“When did you change? Just right now? ‘Cuz I heard about your smackdown in the cafeteria yesterday.” A mischievous grin played across his lips. “By the way, that was made of awesome.”

“Really? No one else thinks it was awesome. They said I was being… irrational.” I pushed away from the wall and dropped on the bed. “Do you think I’m irrational?”

Seth sat down beside me, his left leg pressing against mine. “Is that a trick question?”

I scooted to the top of the bed. “So I’m irrational?”

He twisted at the waist and stretched out on his side. “You’re a bit crazy. You throw apples in people’s faces when you’re angry. You go off half-cocked half the time. It entertains me to no end. So if you are irrational, I hope you stay that way. I love it.”

I frowned. “All of that sounds really good. Thanks.”

“Rational is mundane and uninteresting. Why would you want to be that?” He reached out, tugging lightly on the hem of my PJ bottoms. “You don’t even have it in you.”

“Have what in me?” I pushed his hand away. Of course Seth would be drawn to the unstable part of my personality. He was a bit crazy himself. I wasn’t sure if it was all the aether in him that made him that way, or if he was just plain old crazy.

“You’re too wild to be balanced and normal. Or logical,” he added as an afterthought.

“I’m completely logical—totally. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He sent me a knowing look before rolling onto his back. “I think I’ll stay here tonight.”

“What?” I shot to my knees. “Absolutely not, Seth. You aren’t staying here.”

He chuckled, resting his hands on his flat stomach. “I haven’t been sleeping well. Have you?”

“I’ve been sleeping great.” I pushed at his shoulders, but he didn’t budge. “Seth, you’re not staying here, so don’t change the subject.”

He rolled slightly, catching my hands with his. “Look, we didn’t have training tonight. I’m owed an hour of your time.”

I tried to pull my arms free. “That’s ridiculous.”

Seth sat up in one clean motion. “And it starts now.”

“What?” My fingers curled helplessly. “It’s late. I have class tomorrow.”

He grinned, letting go of my arms. “You’d still be up even if I wasn’t here.”

Scooting back once more, I kicked him in the thigh. “You’re a pain in my—”

“I think we’ll work on how to control your anger.”

I moved to kick him again, but he caught my calf. “Let go.”

Seth leaned over, voice low. “Don’t kick me again.”

Our eyes locked. “Let. Go.”

Slowly, he released his grip and sat back. “I want all of your attention for a moment.” He paused, brows lowering. “That is, if you’re capable.”

“Whatever.”

“What do you think about the daimon attack?”

I glanced at him. Everything about him had changed in an instant. “Honestly? I think it’s just the beginning. I mean, for all we know, this could have been going on long before.”

Seth swiveled around and sat beside me. Once situated, he nodded approvingly. “There’s something you don’t know, but I don’t think it would hurt if you did.”

I shot forward. “What?”

“The Council has been tracking incidents that look like daimon half attacks. They’ve been picking up over the last three weeks, discovering two to three attacks a week. And it’s happening all over.”

“But… they haven’t said anything.” Mainly, Aiden hadn’t said anything, and I’d thought he told me everything. “How do you know about this?”

“I have my ways. The Ministers don’t want the pures or halfs knowing right now. They’re afraid it would cause a panic.”

“So that’s why you were with Lucian? He’s feeding you this information?”

Seth just raised his brows.

I fell back against the headboard, sighing. “But not knowing is stupid. People need to know what’s happening. Look at what my mother told me. It’s happening.”

“I know.” He tipped his chin toward me, but his heavy lashes concealed his eyes. “I don’t think the Council wants to believe that.”

“That’s so stupid, Seth. They need to focus on that instead of trying to control us.”

“I agree. These rules are wrong.” He lifted his eyes, meeting mine. “But you won’t have to submit to them.”

“Uh… it doesn’t sound like I have a choice.”

“The half-bloods won’t have a choice, but you’re different.”

I stared at him in amazement. “I’m not any different, Seth.”

He held my stare. “Yes, you are. You will become an Apollyon, which makes you very different from the other half-bloods. You won’t submit to those exams.”

“Is that what you and Lucian were arguing about after the assembly?”

His stare was intense, calculating. “Among other things, but it’s not anything for you to worry about.”

“It’s not? That’s pretty ballsy of you to argue with the Minister, Seth.”

The look on his face faded, replaced once again with the smug amusement. “Lucian has promised me that you… will not be searched.”

I slouched to the side, eyeing him suspiciously. “I didn’t know you had the kind of influence to make Lucian promise anything.”

“You don’t need to worry about the exams. So don’t.”

“What about the other halfs? They shouldn’t have to go through that.”

He looked away, letting out a soft breath. “Can I ask you a question— a serious question?”

“Sure.” I stared down at my scuffed hands. I doubted Lucian cared enough to honor that promise.

“Why do you want to become a Sentinel? Is it a sense of obligation or…?”

That question took me a few moments to respond to. “It’s not about protecting pures, if that’s what you’re getting at. That’s what the Guards are for.”

“Of course you wouldn’t settle on being a Guard,” Seth said mostly to himself.

“Daimons kill for no reason—even mortals. What kind of creature just kills for the fun of it? Anyway, I’d rather do something about it than sit around and wait for them to attack.”

“What if you had a different choice?”

“Servitude?” I stared at him. “Are you serious?”

He rolled his eyes. “I mean, what if you had other choices not given to half-bloods? To live a normal life?”

“I already did that,” I reminded him, “for three years.”

“Would you do it again?”

Why he was asking this? “Would you?”

Seth snorted. “I wouldn’t give up being a Sentinel for the world. Or being the Apollyon. I rock.”

Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “Wow. You’re so humble.”

“Why should I be humble? I’m great.”

I didn’t even bother responding, because I felt confident he was being serious. We sat in silence for a little while. I knew he caught I hadn’t answered his question, but in not-so-typical Seth fashion, he didn’t push it. “Did you see the furies in the lobby?”

He nodded.

“Aiden said they’re here because the gods feel the Council isn’t doing an adequate job.” I toyed with the hem of my shirt. “Do you think… we need to be worried about them?”

“Ah… if they get loose, then it could be a… potential problem.”

“Oh.” I don’t know what made me say the next thing that came out of mouth. “I yelled at Aiden in training.”

Seth nudged my arm with his shoulder. “I’m afraid to ask.”