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Aiden was a remarkable listener He didn’t ask any questions, but I knew he caught everything I thren

"So, it can’t be true, right? I th of his living room "Lucian said it hy Mom left The oracle told her that I was the second Apol yon and that she was afraid that the gods would… kil h sounded a little shril

Aiden ran a hand through his hair "I suspected so you back to his house And when you said you’d seen Seth’s s… I can’t believe I’ve been around sohteen, Alex?"

I slid my hands down my sides nervously "March fourth"

Less than a year from now

Aiden rubbed his chin "When you spoke to the oracle, did she say anything like this?"

"No, she only said I would kil the ones I love Nothing about this, but she said soin s she said made sense, but I just didn’t understand"

"How could you understand?" He came around the smal wooden table "Noe knohy yourthe safety of the island She wanted to protect you The story of Solaris is truly tragic, but she stood against the Council and the gods That’s what sealed their fate Not ritten about them in the books"

"Why would Solaris do that? Didn’t she knoould happen?"

"Soainst the Council, she defended him"

"That’s so stupid" I rol ed my eyes "She basical y coave the briefest of ss when they’re in love, Alex Look at what your mother did It’s a different kind of love, but she left everything because she loved you"

"I never understood why she left" My voice sounded young and fragile "Now I know She real y did leave to protect e sat like curdledme away fro so risky and stupid, but she did it to protectyou some sort of peace to knohy, doesn’t it?"

"Peace? I don’t know Al I can think is if I wasn’t soiant freak, she’d stil be alive"

My words caused a flicker of pain to cross his face "You can’t blame yourself for this I wil not al ow it, Alex You’ve co away Aiden could believe whatever he wanted, but if I hadn’t been the second co of the Apol yon then none of this would’ve happened "I hate this I hate not having control"

"But you do have control, Alex What you are gives youto Lucian, I’ Who knows? No one does"

"You’re right No one knows When you turn eighteen--"

"I’l be a giant freak"

"That’s not what I was going to say"

I raised my eyebrows and looked at hi to kil er turned his eyes dark gray "The gods have to be aware of you I know this doesn’t et rid of you, they would have already So when you turn eighteen, anything wil be possible"

"You’re acting like this is a good thing"

"It could be, Alex With two of you--"

"You sound like Lucian!" Ito him, as if I’m some sort of object instead of a person!"

"I’ his hands on ht of his hands "Do you remember what I said about fate?" I shookI had that wonderful subjective memory feature

"Only you have control over your future, Alex Only you have control over what you want"

"You real y think so?"

He nodded "Yes"

I shookat this point, and started to slip away, but Aiden’s hands tightened around atheredthis close to him was possibly the sweetest kind of torture

I needed to break away… move as far away as possible, but his arms circled ainst his chest My hands fel to the curve of his back and I inhaled deeply His scent, a mixture of the sea and soap, fil ed me The steady beat of his heart under ods, it

"I don’t want to be to this Apol yon thing" I closed my eyes "I don’t even like to be in the same country as Seth I don’t want any of this"

Aiden s and scary, but you’re not alone We’l figure this out Everything is going to be okay"

I pressed closer Tiin his ar their way to uidedto worry about, Alex I’ happen to you"

Those forbidden words wrapped aroundinto my soul Our eyes met Silence stretched between us as we stared at each other His eyes shifted to fierce silver and his other arers drifted from my hair and slowly traced the curve of h ertips He moved them down my face and then over my parted lips