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Okeus shrugged like it was nothing of concern. “Your father believed I was evil incarnate. Besides, Ahone took your father’s soul. Itbelongsto him, thus Ahone controls him. He is not a normal spirit.” His expression darkened. “You would be wise to remember that in any future encounters.”
Would I see Daddy again? How much would this revelation cloud my perception of him?
He paused, turning serious. “Your friend will help you navigate the waters of what to believe and what not.”
I shook my head in disgust. “Let me guess. All the souls will tell her that you’re the good guy and Ahone is bad.”
He laughed again, this time more genuine. “You are a fearless creature, aren’t you? Most beings tremble at my feet.”
“Cut to the part when you tell me that you’d never try to get Claire to dupe me like that.”
His mouth lifted on one side. “The answer to your question about good and bad isn’t so simple, Ellie. There is no perfect good or bad.Youare neither completely pure nor completely evil. Your level of selflessness or self-centeredness varies from day to day. Some days Ahone will want something that is for the good of his creations. Other days he will want something that benefits him and his own needs and desires.” He gestured his hand toward me. “Just like creating and using you.”
As much as I hated to admit it, I knew he was right. I’d been stupid to blindly accept Ahone, but I’d seen no other choice at the time.
“All is not lost, little Elinor Lancaster. Your friend is now your shield of truth. She will be your counsel.” His mouth lifted into a smirk. “And yes, sometimes she will counsel you not to trust me.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
He leaned back his head and gave me a calculated glance. “To prove to you that I have something of worth for you, just as you have something of worth for me.” His eyes narrowed and glowed red. “Do not think for a moment that if I grow weary of waiting, I won’t take what I want when I want it.” His eyes returned to their usual dark brown. “But for now, I will remain patient and wait for you to change your mind.”
“Why do you seem so certain that I will?”
His eyes twinkled. “Because I know something about you. You love deeply, andthatis your greatest weakness.”
Suddenly, I was whisked back into the ocean, Collin’s left arm supporting my dead weight. Our right hands had broken contact. He was still standing in the same place, but we’d gathered a small crowd of curious onlookers.
I looked up into his worried eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked, helping me regain my footing.
I nodded. Three times now I’d joined marks with Collin in the ocean, and three times I’d had some type of vision involving the gods. But each time I’d been completely unaware of my surroundings, leaving me utterly vulnerable. I might have been the daughter of the sea, but I wasn’t sure it made me invincible to drowning, as ironic as that seemed. I couldn’t ignore that Collin had protected me each and every time. Didn’t that constitute a type of trust?
But while I might have been able to trust Collin to protect me when he was with me, there were too many other things I couldn’t count on him for. One constant with Collin was his secrets. “Did Okeus tell you to bring me out here and press our marks together?”
Guilt flickered in his eyes.
I jerked out of his hold. “Why couldn’t you have just been honest with me?”
“Do you really think you would have agreed to come out here if I had?”
“I don’t remember agreeing in the first place!” I shouted.
“Ellie, you’re making a scene.”
The crowd had begun to grow, the families staring at me like I’d grown a second head. I rolled my eyes in disgust. “Leave it to you to turn this around and blame everything on me.” I stomped out of the water, Collin following close behind me. Our connection was even stronger now and I could literally feel his presence. What would it be like if we were together all the time?
I stopped at the blanket and bent over to pick up my flip-flops. I had to get away from him. The draw I felt to him was too strong. I could barely stop myself from turning around and throwing myself into his arms, begging him to take me right there, in front of everyone. But another part of me hated every fiber of his being. He was the reason why my life was utter hell. I couldn’t ignore his betrayal and dishonesty, even if Ahone had tricked him.
He stopped next to me, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. “We’re not done here, Ellie. We have more to talk about.”
I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my hands to myself. “Well,I’mdone.”
“You are such a hypocrite,” he sneered in disgust. “You always accuse me of hiding things, but here I am offering you information and you’re running away.Again.”
“I can’t, Collin.” I looked up into his face, pleading. “Don’t you see? I can’t. I need to think. And I can’t do that around you.”
He shook his head, his irritation palpable. “You can’t run away from this.Thisis our lives now. We’re pawns being manipulated by selfish gods, and that means everyone and everything in our lives is vulnerable to them. Is that fair? Hell no, but there it is nevertheless. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you learn to adapt and roll with whatever these bastards throw your way, the better off you’ll be. I want to help you—I’m begging you to let me help you—but you rebuff me at every turn. Decide right now, Ellie: Do you want my help or not?”
