3. SETH
SETH
“I’m a little insulted that you feel you need to ask.”
I’d just told Jed I had a favour to ask of him if I ended up having to go to the Underworld, and I was shocked by his response. I’d expected he’d need a lot of persuasion before he’d agree to even consider my request.
“You should already know I’ll take care of Zara as if she were my own Kaderi. She’ll come to no harm on my watch, I give you my word.” Ah. Wrong favour.
“No insult was intended. I’m well aware I have no need to ask in that respect.
Any more than you’d have to if our roles were reversed.
But that’s not the favour I need. I want you to take over as Guardian for me while I’m gone.
” I’d probably have laughed at the look of horror on his face if the situation wasn’t so serious.
“That’s a huge ask, cousin.”
I didn’t bother trying to deny it. There was no point when we both knew it was true.
“Yes. But there’s no one I’d trust more with my team and my duties than you.”
“I told you before that I didn’t see myself returning to the fold anytime soon.” He sighed. “But I suppose these are exceptional circumstances, so I can’t blame you for asking. Have you discussed it with your team?”
“No. I wanted to broach it with you first. If it’s going to be a hard no, then there’s no point.
But I would imagine they’ll be happy to work with you, rather than having a guardian they barely know jumping in and taking over the show.
Especially when that guardian will likely resent the hell out of having to take on the extra territory.
” That was exactly what Evie and I had been forced to do when Jed had walked away from being a guardian, and I saw a flash of guilt cross his face as that comment hit home.
“What about the magical community in general? They’ve always known you as their guardian.
I’m an unknown quantity who hasn’t earned their respect.
Very few, if any, of them will remember that I was once a guardian, and those who were around back then will know I abandoned my duty, and the rest of you had to pick up the pieces. Why would they support me returning?”
I wondered if that was what had been holding him back from considering a return before.
“With my support, and Zeus’s approval, I really don’t see it being a problem.
If anyone starts causing trouble we’ll tell them you never stopped being a guardian, that it was just a cover story, and you were on a secret mission for the gods.
And now you’re back you’re covering for me while I’m taking some time out to spend with my Kaderi.
I know, I know,” I said as he started to protest, “that’s unheard of, but so was any of us finding our Kaderi until very recently.
And if people don’t believe it, they’ll probably assume it’s another cover story and that I’m on some secret mission myself and can’t say so.
Which you will let them continue to believe. ”
“You’ve got it all thought out, haven’t you?
” He fell silent while he turned it over in his head and I waited patiently for him to reach a decision.
“I suppose it might fly,” he finally acknowledged.
“This isn’t something I can decide on my own though.
It’s not just me who’ll be affected if I accept.
Phoebe’s very happy living in Avalon, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to expect her to return to this realm just so I can start a new job. ”
“It’s really not as full on now as you remember it being,” I said.
“You wouldn’t need to move here. Back when you were still a guardian, every single thing that needed dealing with fell to us.
Now we have a huge network who deal with any day-to-day issues.
I only get involved if something gets escalated up the chain of command as far as me, which is rare.
Most of my job now is reading reports and checking that everything is running smoothly.
I spend more of my time running GSS with Eli, but he’s already agreed he can do that on his own while I’m gone. ”
“I might be willing to step in for the short-term,” he conceded, “if Phoebe agrees. But not if you ruling the Underworld is going to be a permanent move.”
“Gods no. Rest assured I’ve about as much interest in ruling the Underworld as I have in turning into a frog and living out the rest of my days on a lily pad. This is just a contingency plan. So is that a tentative yes?”
“It’s an ‘I’ll think about it’. That’s the best I can give you right now.” I grinned. He might think he hadn’t made up his mind yet, but I knew him better than that. If I needed him to step up, he would. “When do you need my answer?”
“Today.” We both leapt up from our seats as Gabriel appeared. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” His smirk said otherwise.
“No special effects this time?” I said irritably, then wished I hadn’t when he winked, and a golden glow surrounded him.
“Better? I usually save it for the ladies, they’re easier to impress.”
“Why are you back so soon?” I growled, barely resisting the urge to chance throwing a punch at his smug face.
“To let you know the date of your coronation of course. It will take place a week on Friday. Luci’s ecstatic, by the way. He can’t wait to finally welcome his son and heir to his realm.”
“Well I’m afraid he’s going to be disappointed. I have no intention of being crowned king, and I won’t be visiting the Underworld either.”
He gave me the kind of long-suffering look my mother used to give me, back before she gave up all hope of getting me to do anything I didn’t want to do.
“I’ve already explained this to you, Seth,” he said with exaggerated patience, “you accepted your role in the Prophecy. You can’t just change your mind. If I have to take you to the Underworld against your will, then so be it.”
“You could possibly force me to go there,” I conceded, “but you can’t make me actually do anything once I get there.
You can’t force me to rule. You need someone there to guard this gateway and stop demons from passing through it?
I won’t be that person. Let them leave. Not my problem.
” I almost laughed at the look of shock on his face.
“But you’re sworn to protect the mortals. You can’t just sit back and let the mortal realm be overrun by demons.”
“I’m sworn to protect them in the mortal realm.
But I won’t be in the mortal realm, will I?
So it won’t be my problem. If your brother wants to discuss the terms of the Prophecy with me, he knows where to find me.
Tell him he’ll need to make an appointment with my PA.
” I tossed a business card at him, and he caught it by reflex then scowled at me.
“You don’t seem to understand that it’s no longer your decision to make. You already agreed to the terms of the Prophecy, so there’s nothing further to discuss. Michael is going to be furious and—”
“I couldn’t give a shit how furious Michael or anyone else in your fucked up family is going to be. And you can forget about any arrangements you were planning on making for my ascension to the throne. This conversation is over.”
“Would you really just sit back and let this realm be invaded?” Jed asked after Gabriel had disappeared, looking thoroughly pissed off and with the words “It’s a long way from over...” floating on the air behind him.
“Without more information, I really don’t know,” I admitted ruefully. “It would certainly go against the grain. But hopefully they won’t be willing to bet on that. I have a feeling I’ll be getting a visit from either Lucien or Michael very soon. Or maybe Raquel will beat them both to it.”
“Why Raquel? It seems to me that her part in all of this is over now that she’s manipulated us all into doing her bidding.”
“You’d think so,” I agreed, “but that didn’t stop her from paying Zara a visit just before you got here. She seems to be having a crisis of conscience.” I told him what she’d said to Zara about not letting them crown me.
“So there’s a chance,” I concluded, “that the Prophecy isn’t quite as iron clad as they’re all making it out to be. Granted, we spoke the words, and we sealed them with blood, but what if it takes a final step, in this case the coronation, to make it binding?”
“A formal transfer of power? That’s possible, I suppose. It would certainly explain Gabriel’s urgency to get you crowned. In which case, we need to do everything we can to keep you away from the Underworld, at least until we know what Raquel was going to tell Zara.”
“And if I do get dragged off there, I intend to do absolutely nothing,” I agreed.
“Like I told Gabriel, they can’t force me to rule.
And I’m betting they won’t leave the gateway unguarded if I convince them I’m not going to do it.
First, though, I need to go to Olympus. It’s high time for my mother to tell me what she knows about my father. ”