Half-Blood

At their next training session, Aiden acts as if nothing happened, making Alex uncomfortable. She channels her frustration into training and improves significantly. When she shares her conversation with Seth and asks why Lucian reassigned him, Aiden admits his distrust of Lucian and warns her to be cautious.

Alex finds some comfort in Caleb’s company. Kain joins her training sessions, offering a new dynamic that allows Aiden to observe without direct involvement. Alex realizes he is not distancing himself because of the kiss and apologizes for hitting him. 

Seth joins Alex and her friends during dinner, boasting about his kill count. He is impressed that Alex killed two daimons with no formal training. Another half-blood, Olivia, shares news of a daimon attack at Lake Lure, a small pure-blood community. None of the Guards or Sentinels accompanying the pures have reported back, including Kain. Olivia reveals that Lea’s father and stepmother were among the victims.

Alex finds letters on her dorm door: one from Aiden, canceling practice, and another from Lucian, accompanied by $300. She does not read Lucian’s message. More grim details emerge about Lake Lure—the daimons massacred everyone, including the half-blood servants. Four out of six Guards were found drained, but Kain remains missing. Olivia notes that the victims, especially the half-bloods, bore multiple daimon tags. The Covenant becomes somber.

Later, Aiden tells that the daimons coordinated the attack, and security footage reveals that Rachelle participated. Alex is horrified. Aiden assumes that Rachelle killed people, though he admits that he has no proof. He warns Alex that Rachelle may remember her and be searching for her. Overwhelmed, Alex struggles to process her emotions. Despite hoping her mother is still good, she resolves to kill Rachelle if necessary.

The next day, Seth observes Alex’s training and remarks that Aiden dislikes him. He insensitively brings up Rachelle’s role in Lea’s family’s deaths, and he also admits that Lucian refused to explain why he reassigned him. However, when he realizes that Alex can see Seth’s tattoos moving, he becomes agitated. A thunderstorm erupts because his emotions directly influence the weather. He demands to know why Alex can see the Apollyon marks. Their connection unsettles Alex, who continues to avoid his touch.

Later, Caleb and Alex analyze Grandma Piperi’s words, and Caleb warns that Rachelle may be hunting Alex. As rumors spread, the Covenant students begin ostracizing Alex, believing she helped Rachelle infiltrate their world. When she asks Aidan what he would do if daimons turned his parents, he admits that he would kill them, knowing they would not want to live like that. 

Aiden notices Alex’s training progress and considers introducing weapons training. He acknowledges Alex’s strength but insists that she change her practice attire; her shorts are impractical for weapons training. Alex impulsively hugs him when he mentions weapons training, making him uncomfortable.

At the Lake Lure funeral, the atmosphere remains tense. Aiden still does not move Alex to weapons training, causing friction between him and Seth, who argues that she should already be learning weapons combat. The session ends on a sour note. 

Later, at Zarak’s house, Alex and Caleb encounter hostility from other students, and Cody, a pure-blood, states that her connections to Lucian and Marcus are the only reasons she remains at the Covenant. He accuses her of bringing Rachelle there, implying that she caused the deaths at Lake Lure. Enraged, Alex tries to punch him, but Deacon restrains her.

Seth intervenes, insisting that she stop reacting to others’ opinions. As they argue, he grabs her arm, and a surge of blue energy binds their hands. For a moment, she feels his emotions before everything returns to normal. Seth panics, and his anger manifests in lightning. He insists they confront Lucian immediately.

At Lucian’s house, Seth subdues the guards with the air element. Lucian confesses that the oracle prophesied that Alex will become the second Apollyon. Lucian orchestrated Seth’s proximity to Alex to confirm the prophecy. Once Alex turns 18, her awakening will make Seth’s power limitless. 

Seth fears divine intervention, but Lucian dismisses the gods’ relevance, believing they have abandoned the Hematoi. He intends to use Alex and Seth to reshape the Covenant’s rules. Lucian calls Alex Seth’s “other half,” horrifying her. When Lucian reveals that only he, Marcus, and Rachelle knew about Alex’s fate, Alex realizes her mother may be hunting her for her aether. Disturbed, she leaves, warning Seth to stay away.

Seeking guidance, Alex visits Aiden.

Alex tells Aiden everything. He tells her that Solaris, the last second Apollyon, loved the first Apollyon, which led to her downfall. Alex realizes her mother took her away from the Covenant to protect her. 

Aiden suggests her bond with Seth may not be a curse, but Alex refuses to accept it. They kiss before Leon interrupts, reporting that Kain has been found. Aiden sends Alex back to her dorm while he investigates.

The following day, Alex sneaks into the infirmary. Kain is severely injured and covered in daimon tags. When she asks about Rachelle, he feigns memory loss and blocks her escape. Kain is now a daimon and addresses her as “Lexie.”

Despite his pale appearance, Kain retains his human form, making it impossible to tell that he is a daimon. He reveals that Rachelle turned him and is searching for Alex. They fight, and Aiden arrives. He stabs Kain with a titanium dagger, but it fails to kill him. 

Seth arrives and uses akasha, the fifth element, to destroy Kain. Aiden shields Alex, but the experience leaves her in shock. Seth drags Alex outside, urging her to regain control. Alex lashes out at him, resenting their bond. Seth argues that together, they can fight the daimons. He insists that Alex has control, not him.

Marcus questions Alex, and she recounts everything. Aiden later confirms that Rachelle is actively hunting her. Alex walks back to the dorm. When she crosses paths with Lea, she apologizes, and Lea silently acknowledges it.

Aiden cancels training, and Caleb appears with pizza, offering comfort. He and Alex discuss the growing danger of half-blood daimons and their inevitable fate as warriors. Alex finally admits that her mother is responsible for the Lake Lure massacre.

Later, she receives another letter from Lucian. She keeps the money but discards the message. Haunted by nightmares, she sneaks out before dawn, steals a Sentinel uniform, a titanium gun with bullets, and daggers. She leaves the Covenant, determined to take matters into her own hands.