See, the thing was, I wasn’t a mortal. But since we were keeping that on the down low and no one seemed to sense my demigod goodness, it was my ace up the sleeve.

“If the Apollyon isn’t around, then maybe you should get Deacon or Luke,” he offered. “You’ve been hanging around them a lot.”

Okay. This dude was kind of observant. Then again, everyone did think I was a mortal, so they were probably aware of who I hung out with. “His name is Seth, and like I said, I’m okay.”

“All right,” he said after a moment. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”

I smiled tightly. “Good night.” Pivoting around, I walked a couple of feet and realized he was right behind me. I looked over my shoulder. “You’re seriously going to follow me, aren’t you?”

His grin was sheepish. “I was just heading to the cafeteria myself when I saw you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So, I figured we could walk together.” When I didn’t respond and started walking again, he easily caught up to me, keeping an arm’s length distance between us. “By the way, my name is—”

“Colin,” I answered, grinning when surprise flickered across his face. “I heard Solos call you that yesterday.”

“Cool.” There was a beat of silence. “I’m training to be a—”

“Sentinel?” This time I laughed when he frowned at me. “I just figured that was what you’re doing.”

He glanced at me. “The Apolly—I mean, Seth has been training you?”

I nodded.

Colin didn’t respond immediately. “It’s kind of odd that anyone, especially the—um, Seth would be training a mortal or that a mortal would even know about us.”

A fine shiver of unease danced across my skin. “I’m sure I’m not the only mortal who knows about you all.”

“True, but . . .”

“It’s a long story,” I said after a moment, and then I hoped he’d drop it.

Colin sort of did. “Since you’re being trained is probably why you’re not worried about being out here, but you’ve got to know that, no matter how well he trains you, you’re no match for a pure or a half when it comes down to it.”

Another laugh escaped me. “Is that so?”

His frown deepened and he didn’t say anything as we started around the corner of a building. “And I know none of this is my business.”

“But making sure I get some French fries safely is?”

He chuckled. “Well—”

A flash of reddish light lit up the quad, shooting out from the shadows. With incredible speed, Colin jumped back as the ball of light—no, fire—smacked into the building, extinguishing on contact. The smell of burnt ozone filled the air.

What the what?

“Oh, you missed.” A tall guy stepped forward. “You need to work on your aim.”