There was a sharp inhale, and the silence stretched out so long I eventually had to look, and when I did, I almost wished I hadn’t.

Tears streaked down Olivia’s cheeks, running over the fingers now pressed to her lips. An answering emotion rose in my throat and I bit down on my lip. Los Angeles must’ve meant something really important. I wished I were on the other side of these bars, not to escape, but to hug her. But I needed to be on the other side of these bars, and I needed to escape. There was no more time.

“Olivia,” I said, and my voice was different, even to my own ears—softer, lyrical. Power hummed.

She stiffened, and then her hands left her mouth as her eyes locked onto mine. Tears clung to her thick lashes, but they weren’t what made her eyes glossy now. It was the compulsion in my voice, an ability that had become innate upon Awakening. Part of me abhorred what I was doing. Olivia was my friend. Using a compulsion on her was wrong, but there was no other way. I had to get to my Seth. She would understand eventually.

“Do you know where the keys are, Olivia?”

She nodded slowly.

“Good. That’s really good.” I reached through the bars, motioning her toward me. When she placed her cool hand in mine, I squeezed gently. “Where are they?”

“With Aiden.” Her words were slow.

Dammit. That wasn’t good. “And where is Aiden?”

“He’s with your uncle and Laadan.” A soft sigh leaked from her lips.

Crap. There was no way she could get the keys. My gaze slipped to the cage door and an idea took hold. Letting go of her hand, I gripped the bars and watched the flare of light. It was weak and didn’t reach the Titan mark on the ceiling.

“Olivia, will you help me?” I threw as much power as I had into my voice, and her eyes widened. “You’ll help me, right?”

“Yes.”

“Great.” I smiled as I hurried to the door. The weakest point was where the lock was; if both of us worked it at the same time, it might just be enough. “I need you to pull on this door, Olivia, as hard as you can.”

She walked to the door in a daze, obediently placing her hands on the handle.

“Put everything into it,” I urged softly. “Pull. Pull hard.”

And she did. Half-bloods were unbelievably strong, and metal ground as the bars rattled. Olivia bent at the waist, digging in with her boots. I stepped back, wishing I had some shoes, because this was seriously going to hurt.

“Keep pulling,” I ordered, and then I took a deep breath.

Turning halfway, I spun and planted my heel into the bars around the lock. Pain splintered into my foot as shimmery blue light flared and faded quickly. An inch-wide gap appeared between the door and the bars.

“Pull really hard, Olivia.”

She grunted, bearing down.

Caleb was going to haunt me for this.

Leaning back, I hit the door again. Another gap appeared. With my foot going numb, I gave it one more kick. Metal groaned and gave way. The sudden force sent Olivia to the floor and the door… it was open.

Not wasting time, I bolted through the gap, half-expecting to be cut down by some unknown defense, but then I was on the other side of the bars.

I wanted to do a victory dance and shout, but I dropped down and clasped Olivia’s cheeks. She stared into my eyes, completely under my control. “Stay here, okay? Stay here until someone comes and gets you.”

Olivia nodded.

I started to let go, but paused. “You won’t blame yourself for this. You will blame me.”

“Okay,” came the soft, sleepy reply.

I let go and started for the stairs. A bitter taste was in the back of my mouth as I glanced over my shoulder. Olivia remained on the floor, her eyes fixed on the spot where I’d stood.

“Thank you,” I said, not that it mattered. She didn’t hear me or understand. She wouldn’t do anything until someone came down here, and then it would be like waking from a dream.

I’d see her again. Once my Seth and I changed things, I’d see her again and I’d apologize.

Reassured by that, I slipped up the narrow stairs, pausing at the door. There were no voices on the other side. Taking a second, I tested the bond for Seth. He wasn’t there, and I didn’t have time to wait around for him to show up. As soon as I was outside and knew where I was, I’d call for him.

Inching the door open, I checked out the hallway. Empty. It was narrow, and paintings hung on the walls. It split two ways. Toward the right, natural light streamed in through a small window, beckoning me. I slid through the door, closing it behind me quietly as I took in my surroundings. I’d been on the Elixir the last time I’d been upstairs—the only time, actually—and I vaguely remembered that this hall led to the kitchen and a living room of sorts. Off the kitchen was the sunroom, which led outside. A strange feeling unfurled inside me, and there was a flash of Aiden and me in that sunroom.

I pushed it out of my head and crept down the hallway. I seriously wished someone had left a dagger or something lying around. No such luck. Come to think of it, I should’ve asked Olivia where we were. I rolled my eyes. God, I sucked sometimes, but I’d been so concerned with getting free.

As I neared one of the closed doors, I thought I heard Deacon laughing, and then Luke. Biting down on my lip, I slipped around the staircase that led upstairs—

The door swung open and I came face to face with Lea. Crap.

Mouth dropping open, Lea blinked and took a step back, bouncing into the wall.

“Don’t—”

Her high-pitched, shrill battle-roar cut me off, and then she swung at me. She actually freaking swung at me. Gods. With no time for a compulsion, I deflected her blow with a brutal swipe that sent her spinning. She caught herself on the wall and grunted. Before she could regain her balance, I swiped her feet out from under her just as Deacon’s shocked face appeared in the doorway.

“Oh crap,” Deacon said, and he backed up quickly as Luke shot forward.

Luke grabbed for me, but I was quick. “Alex, you don’t want to do anything—”

Down the hall, the last door flew up, slamming into the drywall. I caught sight of black pants. Sentinel. Without thinking twice, I threw up my arm and the closest one to me took the brunt of the air element.

Luke flew backwards, his eyes wide and stunned. He crashed into Lea, who had moved in front of Deacon as if to protect him. There were several grunts, a yelp of pain, and then someone yelled my name.

Spinning around, I took off for the kitchen. My bare feet slapped off the floor as I skirted the table and entered the sunroom. I reached the door in seconds, tugging then realizing it was locked. Cussing under my breath, I unlocked the damn thing and threw the door open.

Aiden barreled into the kitchen. “Alex! No!”

He was too late. I was out. I was free.

CHAPTER 6

The moment sunlight touched my skin, I faltered a step. It felt like years had passed since I had felt the warmth of natural light. My senses came alive. Grass was cold under my feet, and damp. Thick, tall elms blurred as I darted across a small dirt driveway, around a Hummer, and into the heavy woods surrounding the cabin.

Legs and arms pumping, I kept running. My hair streamed out behind me, and I pushed hard, paying attention, looking for any sign of where I was. There was nothing.

A seedling of panic took root. I hurdled a fallen tree, my feet skidding over sharp pine needles. How was I supposed to tell my Seth where I was when I had nothing but freaking trees—

“Alex! Stop!”

My breath hitched and I dared a look back.

It was him—Aiden.

“Crap,” I spat, picking up speed.

Up ahead, there was a creek— thecreek. I remembered that. Thousands of years of Apollyons and their abilities rushed through me. Tapping into that ability was so easy, like slipping into well-worn jeans, which was irritating considering the heinous training I’d gone through in preparation of Awakening, and of course, my Seth would have known that. Punk.