After The Apocalypse (Book 2): Church of Chaos Read Free

in your dreams?” I couldn't quite believe what he was telling me.
    “I've seen you do a lot of things in my dreams, Pilar.”
    “Because you dream about me.”
    “I've been dreaming about you since I was a kid,” Seth said. “You already know that.”
    “Vera has mentioned it a few dozen times,” I acknowledged. Vera was Seth's younger sister. She made it no secret that she thought I was a waste of valuable oxygen. I was more than slightly intimidated by her.
    “Ignore Vera. She's jealous.” Seth pulled a small pocket knife out of his pocket and began playing with the blade. He flicked it in and out of the handle using his thumb and his forefinger. It made a dull clicking sound every time it was retracted.
    “She has nothing to be jealous of. She's taller than me, prettier than me and she has much better hair.” I attempted to run my hands through my snarled curls and then stopped. The curls were a lost cause. My hair always looked like pure hell.
    “Vera isn't a part of any of the prophecies. She's pretty pissed off that you're-.” Seth stopped mid-sentence.
    “That I'm what?” I pressed him.
    Seth shook his head, sending too long dark hair into his eyes. He brushed it back casually. “You don't need to worry about the prophecies right now. We can spend the rest of our lives debating the value of them after we rescue your parents from the cannibals in Ra-Shet.”
    “Not that rescuing my parents isn't absolutely the most important thing I can think of, but you can't just tell me I'm part of a prophecy and then not tell me the prophecy.”
    “What makes you think I even know the prophecy?” Seth countered.
    “You're the high priest of the Church of Chaos. There are at least twenty people downstairs who think there is a slim chance that you might actually be a god. If there is a prophesy, my guess is that it's your prophecy.”
    Seth snorted. “It was Jeremiah's prophecy. He was the psychic. Not me.”
    “But you have psychic dreams?”
    Seth stopped playing with the knife. “Fine. You caught me. I have visions sometimes. I suck at interpreting them. I normally lie and claim I don't have them. I hate the whole 'god' thing.”
    “What prophecy am I a part of, Seth?” I crossed my arms over my chest and focused what I hoped was a strong, intimidating glare on his good eye. The iris was the palest, coldest blue I'd ever seen. “I want to know.”
    “You're a part of all the prophecies, Pilar. It would take me years to explain.” Seth sat back up on the bed, all feigned casualness fading away. He was all tense muscles, tight angles and raw strength now. A deeply intelligent and terribly dangerous boy who I had been forced to rely on against my better judgment.
    “All of them?” I repeated with disbelief.
    “Pretty much,” Seth confirmed.
    I took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “And you were going to tell me this?”
    “After I save your parents' lives,” Seth said. “I figure you'll be feeling extremely grateful by then.”
    We sat and stared at one another in the moonlit darkness. “You want something from me, don't you?”
    Seth laughed. “In a matter of speaking. But now isn't the time.”
    “Now is the time.” I put a little more distance between us. “You know I don't like secrets, Seth. I definitely don't like being used or taken advantage of. Whatever it is you want from me, spit it out now.”
    Seth glanced around the bedroom. “Really not the right time to be worrying about what I want, Pi.”
    “Tell me or I won't go with you tomorrow,” I snapped.
    “You can't go to the city by yourself. You'd be killed in a matter of hours.” Seth yawned. “Find a better threat.”
    “I shouldn't have to threaten you. If you have an ulterior motive for helping me rescue my parents then I deserve to know what I'm dealing with.” I was so furious with him that I was on the verge of tears.
    “I'll tell you when the time is right.”
    “Like hell you will. I didn't just go through