I bit down on my lip. Yes, I was warming up.

"Alex?"

"Yeah?" I wiggled uncomfortably and stopped when Seth's hand tightened on my hip.

"What were you doing in the maze tonight with half your clothes off?"

"What?" I squeaked.

"You... don't remember?" Seth slipped his hand under the hem of my shirt. "Your stomach is ice cold."

And his hand was really warm. I told myself that was the reason why I didn't break his arm. "N-no, I don't k-know what you're talking about."

"Okay. Do you remember talking to me after dinner?"

What a stupid question. "Yes."

"Did you go to the training rooms?"

"Yeah."

"What happened after that, Alex?"

"I worked with the dummy for a little while and then..." I frowned. Then what? I remembered walking over the corner and putting on my hoodie. "The lights went out."

"In the training room?"

I nodded, still concentrating. My memories floated just out of reach, like a word lost on the tip of my tongue. "I don't know."

Seth stiffened. "You don't remember anything else?"

There was a huge blank spot where nothing existed. I rolled onto my back, only making out his eyes in the darkness. "Can you fill me in on what happened?"

"I was kind of hoping you'd be able to do that, Alex. We don't know what happened. Leon found your shoes and sweater at the beginning of the labyrinth. Obviously, that concerned him greatly. He found you in there, half-frozen."

"What? I didn't do that." I reached down and placed a hand on his creeping one. It was moving a little too far north. "Well, I don't remember doing that, and that sounds really stupid."

Seth's fingers curled beneath my ribs. "Do you remember talking to any pures?"

"No. I don't remember anything after the lights going out." I paused, feeling slightly nauseous as I picked up on Seth's suspicions. "Do... do you think a pure used compulsion on me?"

He didn't answer immediately. "Yes."

"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would a pure compel me to walk the maze? Of all the things they could compel me to do and they..." I closed my mouth. I had no idea what the pure had compelled me to do. Walking through the maze could have been just one part of it. Anything could've happened. I had no idea and that made me sick. Compulsion was a violation, pure and simple. It stripped a person's free will, and their ability to say no.

It was straight out mind-rape.

But why couldn't I remember what'd happened? I'd only been compelled once, and that had been when Aiden made me sleep the night they'd found me in the warehouse. I remembered everything about that.

"Alex?" Seth moved his hand out from underneath the blankets and cupped my face. My stomach kind of missed his hand. "Are you remembering something?"

"Do you think I was compelled to forget the compulsion? Is that even possible?"

"It is possible. A compulsion is limitless."

I swallowed. "I had clothes on, right? Just my shoes and sweater were missing?"

"Yes," His voice sounded strained. "I think it's best that you don't go anywhere without someone being with you, Alex. I know you hate that idea-"

"They sent me out to freeze to death," I said, stunned by the realization. "I would've died if Leon hadn't found me."

"Like I said, I think it's best that you don't go anywhere without someone with you."

I wanted to punch someone. I also wanted to cry. I didn't like this helpless feeling, this not knowing. I drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I want to know who did this."

"We'll find out. Trust me on that. But you need to get some rest now."

Sleep didn't seem like an option, but Seth rolled onto his back, bringing me along for the ride. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to protest his possessiveness. My head rested against his chest as I stared into the darkness.

Quiet as he was, I knew Seth didn't sleep that night either.

A few hours into light practice a day later, Council Guards arrived and stated that Minister Telly wanted to see me. Clearly only my presence had been requested, but Seth refused to leave my side.

The Council session had paused for lunch, and we were led to an elaborate office inside the Council building. I'd never seen so many gold-plated things in my life. What was left of my family was present: Marcus and Lucian. They were seated on luxurious leather chairs. I decided to stand, which meant Seth stood directly behind me.

Telly gazed out a circular window, a glass of dark wine in his hand. He turned around, his pale gaze flickering past me, narrowing on Seth. "Miss Andros, I apologize for interrupting your training, but I wanted to express my sincere relief to see that you were not permanently injured due to such a misfortunate event."

He didn't sound sincere. "Someone used a compulsion on me," I said. "I wouldn't consider that a misfortunate event."

"I would have to agree," Lucian said. "My stepdaughter is not given to flights of fancy."

Telly pushed away from the window, his eyes settling on my stepfather. "I would hope not, but I can assure you there is no one here who would be so audacious to use a compulsion against a guest of mine."

"Then what are you suggesting, Minister?" asked Marcus. Today he was dressed in a navy blue suit. I'd kill to see the man in jeans.

"I am as curious as you to find out how Miss Andros ended up in that predicament," Telly said. "I have my best Guards investigating the matter. Perhaps they will discover what truly happened."

"You say it like I'm somehow responsible for what happened," I said, which earned me a bland look from Telly.

"I know we are rather lax around here in regards to drinking." Telly took a leisurely sip of his wine. "Did you have anything to drink with your dinner?"

My mouth dropped open. "I wasn't drunk!"

"Alexandria," Marcus's head snapped in my direction. Turning back to the Minister, he smiled politely. "I can attest that Alexandria didn't drink at dinner."

"Hmm? What about afterwards?" asked Telly.

"I spoke with her afterwards and she went straight to the training arena." Seth's annoyance with the whole thing radiated from him.

Telly's brows rose. "You'd cover for her, would you not? Since she is yours and your fates are so intricately tied together?"

"I'm not-"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Seth cut me off, his annoyance flipping right into fury.

Lucian stood, smoothing his robes. "Minister Telly, I trust you are taking this event seriously. If not, I cannot agree to keeping Alexandria here."

"She must give her statement at Council."

"She also must be kept safe and that is the priority," replied Lucian. "Not her statement."

Telly took another drink, his pale gaze falling back to Seth and me. "Of course I take her safety very seriously. After all, she is such a rarity, and we would not want anything to happen to the Council's precious Apollyon."

"The Council's precious Apollyon," I spat, swinging out harder than I probably should. They hadn't been Seth's words, but he was the only target I had. He barely dodged me. "This 'precious Apollyon' is going to shove her foot so far up his-"

Seth caught my fist. "Alex, if you don't take it down a notch we're going to stop. I don't know why I agreed to spar with you when you're in this kind of mood."

Stepping back, I wiped my forearm across my forehead. "I loathe the way he speaks, the way he looks at us like he wished he could zap us into oblivion."

"And you shouldn't be practicing this hard," Seth continued as if he hadn't heard me. "You were an ice cube not too long ago. You need to take it easy."

"Stop babying me. I feel great." That wasn't a lie, even though the chilly air whipping through the clearing made me feel a little icky.

Seth sighed. He was getting really good at the sighing thing. This one said I don't know what to do you with sometimes.

"And he hates half-bloods. Did you know that?" I continued, lashing out with a fierce back kick. Seth deflected that. "Aiden told me so. Did you also know that he'd like to see all half-bloods enslaved? Even Lucian thinks he'd like to see things go back to the old way. Jerk-off, stupid mother-"

Seth caught my shoulders, giving me a little shake. "Okay. I get it. You hate Telly. Guess what, everyone does, but he controls the entire Council, Alex."

I was breathing heavily, sucking in cold air. "I know that!"

He smiled. "With him controlling the Council, nothing will change. The Breed Order will remain the same. If anything, the lives of half-bloods will get worse."

"Oh, well, that makes me feel so much better. Thanks."

"But-but listen to me, Alex." A look of eagerness crept over his face. "When you Awaken, we can change the Council. We have supporters, Alex. People who would surprise you." He brushed a strand of hair off my check.

I swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me. I don't need any more never-fading-magical-runes to appear."

Seth dropped his hands, grinning. "Still hasn't faded?"

I shoved my hand in his face. "Still there?"

"Yep."

"You don't have to sound so happy about it." I dipped around him, stopping. We had company.

Cross, Will, and Boobs stood at the edge of the field. Will held a small cooler in his hand. "We thought you guys could use some drinks since you missed the party."

Seth fell into an easy banter with them while I fiddled with the string on my pants. "Drinks" consisted of cheap wine coolers that Caleb would've laughed at, but I was so thirsty I wasn't complaining. Once Seth shut up long enough to allow someone else to talk, Will began drilling me about the daimon battles I'd taken part in. Cross watched on with this sort of hero-worship look on his face, which was so different from the ones sent my way in North Carolina. None of them here knew the whole story surrounding my rise to fame-or the crash and burn I'd taken on my way down. I wanted to keep it that way. I relaxed on the rock eventually, sipping my drink while I answered their questions.

"So how many times were you tagged?" asked Cross, two wine coolers in hand.

Will turned to his friend slowly. "Dude, that's not a question you ask someone. You fail."

I froze. Unintentionally, I had exposed my neck by flipping my hair back. Flushing, I tipped my head so my hair fell forward in a heavy curtain. Seth, who'd been in a deep conversation with Boobs-probably about himself-pulled his head out of gods know where, and twisted around to us.

Cross grimaced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... offend you. It's just that I think it's awesome that you fought daimons and survived. Not that you were tagged, of course. That's not awesome. That's pretty messed up."

Will rolled his eyes, groaning. "Just shut up, Cross."

"No. It's okay." I cleared my throat, deciding if I didn't make a big deal about it then none of them would. "I don't know how many times. A couple, I guess."

Cross looked relieved, but then Seth stood, and Cross shifted further back. I watched him stride between us and stop, blocking both Cross and Will as he faced me. I had no idea what he was doing, but what came out of his mouth wasn't even on the possibility list.

"Dance with me."

I stared up at him. "What?"

Seth bowed gracefully, extending one arm to me. "Dance with me, please?"

"Why do you want to dance in the middle of a field, Seth?"

"Why not?" He wiggled his fingers. "Dance with me, pretty please."

"With sugar on top," Will added, chuckling.

Seth's grin grew to epic proportions. "Dance with me, Alexandria."

Over his shoulder, I spotted Boobs eyeing the whole thing with a pouty, displeased look. I don't know if that made me take Seth's hand or the fact he was embarrassing the hell out of me. Seth yanked me to my feet, keeping my one arm outstretched while placing my other around his back.

Then he started waltzing around the field-with no music.

It was so ridiculous that I had laugh. We rounded a boulder, tripping over the uneven ground. Seth knew how to dance-really dance-like the kind people did in ballrooms. With one arm, he spun me out from him.

I giggled. "Did you pick this up from watching Dancing with the Stars?"

"You mock me." Seth spun me so my back was against his chest. "You wound my sensibilities when I'm trying to help you."

"Help me with what?"

Seth twirled me around. "You need to know how to dance without a pole if you're going to the ball."

I smacked him on the chest. "I don't dance like a stripper and I'm not going to that stupid ball."

He didn't respond. Grinning, he slipped his hand up my back and dipped me over his arm. I laughed and let my head fall back. I could see Boobs on her rock. Very slowly, when she was sure she had Seth's attention in that nanosecond he had me bent backward, she licked her lips.

Seth dropped me.