Page 76 of For the Gods' Sake

Fear started curling around my midriff. I didn’t know what his methods of keeping me silent were, and his cold confidence was quite honestly terrifying.

I now knew that all the times I’d called Adrian cold—both in my head and out loud—were misplaced. He was settled, calm, steady. And I saw the fire under all of it.

I wasn’t sure there was much of anything under Sebastian’s skin.

“Go on,” I said, praying he couldn’t tell how much my voice was shaking. “Enlighten me.”

Sebastian smiled at me like I amused him. Then he began. “You know, your little boyfriend thinks he’s real special. He’s spent his entire life thinking he was the only one to ever cross the Greek and Roman lines. When I’ve been here the entire time.”

“You’re like two years older than him,” I quipped. Icouldn’t help it.

“The Apollo line.” Sebastian corrected, speaking slightly slower in warning. “No one seemed to question the fact that my line didn’t replicate when the Roman pantheon popped up after the War. They just carried on like all was normal, too concerned with fighting for patrons from their counterparts. And by the time everyone got their shit together, they settled on coexistence.”

“And what’s so wrong with that?”

“Nothing. Especially not for me. My family got to have a seat at both tables. Involved in every discussion, voting in every decision.” Sebastian leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Apollowas the connector. The god everyone relied on to link the two systems. Until your little Adrian came along.”

His continued jabs at Adrian made my temper snap and lash out. “You know, you should really be using honorifics with Adrian, don’t you think?”

Sebastian’s nostrils flared slightly. “Fine. After your dear Lord Jupiter was born, everyone suddenly decided that combining the lines seemed just peachy.”

“I don’t think it was that easy,” I said. “From what I’ve been told, it was quite violent at the beginning.”

Sebastian’s eyes hardened, his jaw setting. “It wasviolentbecause no one was prepared. They had two thousand years to open their eyes and realize that this was coming. To followmebecause I was the first one to do both.Iam the connector. Not Adrian.”

I shook my head incredulously. “So you’re just taking the power then? Because poor little Apollo didn’t get picked over theking of the gods?”

Sebastian was up and out of his chair in a flash,yanking my own chair towards him roughly. He loomed over me and it took every ounce of bravery I had not to shrink under his harsh gaze.

He got close, making sure I understood how serious he was."This plan has been three decades in the making." Oh, I'd remember that piece of information. That meant it nearly out-dated him. “I am taking the power that should have been mine in the first place.Iwas chosen. Adrian is nothing more than a second-rate mistake.”

Before I knew what I was doing, I headbutted him.

I barely saw his head jerk back, my eyes swimming from the force of the collision. Sebastian’s hand clamped down on the top of my head, those tingles I’d felt on my arm shooting through my scalp.

The dizziness faded immediately, my eyes regaining focus.

Then Sebastian eclipsed my vision again. “To be clear, I healed you because I can’t risk you dying. Not yet.” His eyes dropped into that deadly stare. “But if youevertry something like that again, you’ll be dead in seconds and I’ll reorganize my plans while I drop your body off on Adrian’s doorstep.”

I swallowed my fear, keeping my face passive. “What do you want from me?”

Sebastian blinked, like he had to forcefully push through the fog and dispel the rage before calmly sitting back down in his chair. He rolled his neck, working out some kink. “I want you to gather information for me.”

I laughed right in his face.

“While I appreciate your dedication to your boyfriend, is he worth your mother’s life? Your father’s? Your brother’s?”

My breath stilled. “You’re threatening to kill them?”

Sebastian nodded, his grin splitting into a half smile. “Yes. I am. Your cousin has been helpful in orchestrating that one.”

Fucking Renato. I knew he was a weak link. “What did you promise him?”

“Money. Power. The same things everyone wants.” Sebastian paused, laughing to himself quietly. “And he was quite easy to convince.”

“Let me guess,” I seethed. “He gets to take over my father’s businesses if you kill my entire family.”

Sebastian extended a hand towards me, letting me know I was right. “Precisely. It would be quite easy, really, to make it look natural. An accident on your family’s boat, in a car, you name it.”

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