Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (127 page)

“Me and my big mouth,” I muttered to myself. “Stupid, stupid,

stupid.” There he was, in the middle of his dreaded nightmare, and I was telling him I loved him.

Leaning my back against one of the small barrier walls, I

slid down to the ground. Once there, I realized just how tired

I was. I cried and cried even though I knew I should go to my

room. We were expected up early in the morning to start our

investigations. But all of my strength had faded and now my

anger too.

As I drifted off to sleep on the hard concrete of the rooftop, a cool breeze carrying musk and jasmine swept my hair across my

face. Something was telling me to do something, ringing some

muted alarm bell, but I felt numb and ignored it, soon deep

in slumber.

————

The ground was uneven and something was digging into my back.

I started to open my eyes, then I felt him. He had obviously been here for some time. The senses were well- established within me, not like when first sparking.

How
did
I
sleep
through
that?

I tried to stop my body from tensing and suppressed my instinct to leap up, on the offensive. If he had come to kill me, he could’ve done the job by now, easily.

My hair was covering my face, so I took the chance to open my

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eyes. He was sitting on the barrier, feet up, back against one of the higher pillars. The sun was in its first soft moments of rising and provided the perfect backdrop lighting.

He was looking out at the horizon but I could see his eyes.

Tired, lonely…lost.

“I know you’re awake,” Phoenix said.

I wasn’t surprised. He didn’t move or say anything else, so I sat up, stretching out the kinks in my body as I did.

I stood and found myself moving toward him, marveling at how

comfortable I felt around him at times, despite knowing how much he hated me and that eventually, he would kill me. Perhaps there was some kind of peace in that. Maybe he felt it too, knowing I would take him with me if I could.

“I told you that dress would look ravishing.”

Then he did the strangest thing. He reached behind his back

and revealed a to- go cup, passing it to me. The coffee aroma wafted over me.

I took it, staring at the cup, completely dumbfounded.

“Drink it. I don’t need poison to kill you,” he said plainly.

Sadly
true.

It was hot and yet I knew he’d been here for a while. Had he

come and gone? Known I was stirring and left to get it? I took a sip and almost choked.

“Our definition of poison is a little different,” I said, holding it back out to him.

“Drink it.”

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I resisted the urge to spit. “What is this and how much sugar is in there?”

“Coffee and ginseng, and a lot. Drink. You need it.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”

“Because the Keeper fed off you last night.” He glanced at me

briefly. “And he fed well.”

“How do you know?” I asked, wrapping an arm around myself,

remembering the uncomfortable feeling of Irin’s eyes on me.

“Just the look of you tells me enough, but…I also can’t feel you the way I normally can.”

That was interesting. “And you care why?” He didn’t answer. I

half laughed. “Just like Jordan,” I said, as much to myself as to him.

“You need me. Jesus, you’re just fattening me up for the slaughter!” But I took another sip anyway. If it was going to help bring back my strength, I wasn’t about to refuse it.

He smiled, but the smile disappeared quickly.

“So you figured out the Scriptures.”

Our hopes of a few days’ lead on him were now over.

“Naturally.”

I looked around, wondering how he’d managed to get through a

hotel full of Grigori. “Did you fly here?” I asked, sure I would have heard the distinctive shriek if that stairwell door had opened.

“No. I was traveling across rooftops. It was a leap to this one—

but when I’m moving that fast, momentum carries me.”

“Huh. Makes sense.” Nothing could stop Phoenix when he

became the wind. A thought that made me shiver.

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We stood and looked out toward the horizon and the volcano.

I knew he must be there for a reason, which couldn’t be good. But he was with me, where I could see him, not attacking my friends or sneaking up from behind, and in a way, that made it easier.

He looked me up and down again and shook his head. “No

wonder the Keeper hasn’t requested our payment yet.”

I couldn’t contain the small lift at the corners of my mouth.

“I’m sure he’ll love you.”

For the Keeper to have someone like Phoenix, who could feed

him emotion, would probably be his ultimate pleasure.

Phoenix shrugged. “Which is why he’ll never see me.”

“Why not?” It seemed like a no- brainer.

He smiled a smile I had not seen since before…everything changed.

“I’m like emotion on a drip for his kind. And after the feed he’s just had, he’s very strong. He’d try to never let me go.”

“Good to know,” I said.

His smile broadened and he jumped off the wall to stand

uncomfortably close. “Try,” he emphasized.

I wasn’t sure if we were about to fight, or if more of his exiles were soon to arrive. In the same way that Phoenix’s awareness of me was off, I was sure I wasn’t operating at a hundred percent either.

Regardless, I found myself increasingly relaxed. I wondered briefly if he was making me feel that way.

“I know you healed me. Back in Jordan, when you saw Magda

coming for you. You healed me in case she returned you.”

He wiped a hand over his face as if tired, hiding his eyes. “I

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needed to be at full strength. Wouldn’t have made any difference to you if she’d gotten to me, anyway,” he said, downplaying his admission to healing me.

He was partly right too. If she had killed him, I’d be dead.

“Why do you hate me so much?”

Phoenix shot a dangerous look in my direction. “I had a life

before you. It wasn’t perfect but I had it in hand. You made me want things, want to belong. Now I won’t stop until I do.”

“Do you really think bringing her back will give you a place in this world?”

He smiled again. Not warm anymore. I’d gone too far; the tone

of our conversation had changed.

“She will take the world for her own— and I will be the son who made it all possible.”

“Yes, you will. Can you live with that? Because I know that the person who was once my friend would never have been okay with

bringing that kind of evil into the world.”

He leapt back up onto the wall. “I was never your friend.

And anyway, that person is gone. All that’s left is the exile. I have arrangements to tend to but I’ll return. Meet me up here tonight at midnight.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I’m not inclined to take your life yet, but some of your friends are more expendable. I don’t just have exiles here, lover.

There are still a number at home, watching over your father.”

My hand flew to my mouth.

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“He’s safe, don’t worry. I know you won’t let him down.” With

that, he leapt off the roof, his last words only just reaching me.

“Only you, Violet.”

He
called
me
by
my
name.

I couldn’t keep sight of him, he was so fast— only the wind

remained. I realized that he hadn’t tried to use his power on me, hadn’t pushed those feelings of lust or seduction into me, which made me even more nervous.

Phoenix was right. The exile was the one in charge now. The

human in him seemed almost fully extinguished.

And the games were over.

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chapter
twenty- six

“And to every man has been assigned a good and an evil angel;
one assisting him and the other annoying him, from his cradle to
his coffin.”

VOLTaIre

By the time I made it back to my room, Steph had already gone,

leaving a note on my bed:

Call me ASAP otherwise am raising alarm. And if you are okay, expect
lengthy explanations ahead!

Steph xx

I sent her a text:

All okay. Back in room. Catch up after shower. Vi xx

Th ree seconds later, she replied:

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God Squad meeting downstairs 2hrs. In Dapper’s room if looking

for me. S xx

I tried not to think as I showered, but it was impossible. Phoenix had given me an ultimatum, and no matter which way I looked at

it, I couldn’t see a way out.

After getting dressed in a pair of shorts and a yellow tank top, I collapsed on my bed, staying there until I heard a knock at my door.

I wondered if it was Lincoln but quickly discarded that theory. I’d be able to feel him.

I opened the door to Spence, who, in his uniform of faded loose jeans and a T- shirt— green today— looked altogether too happy to see me.

“You alone?”

“Yes…” I said suspiciously.

“Up for a little bit of information gathering?”

“No. I’m up for a little bit of sleep gathering, actually.” I

motioned for him to move back so I could close the door.

“You’ve lost your spirit, Eden!”

When I didn’t respond to the challenge, he added, “Josephine’s

having a meeting with the Assembly at the moment, and your

partner was invited. They’ve been in there all morning, since

Lincoln hauled in some guy.”

“What guy?”

“No idea, but Lincoln seemed pretty determined to keep him

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him as Grigori, though…He didn’t seem too happy about being

here.” Spence raised his eyebrows and looked down the hall eagerly.

“Aren’t you interested to know why you weren’t told about it?”

He was good, I’d give him that. Spence knew exactly how to

spike my interest. I contemplated for a moment before pulling

my hair into a ponytail, grabbing my room key, and heading out

with him.

“So what’s the deal?” I asked.

“They’re planning something, but we’re just the foot soldiers.

That’s the thing with the Academy. They aren’t like Griffin; they operate on a need- to- know basis and even then…”

“We
don’t
need to know?”

“Well, I definitely don’t. I’m on their shit list for all eternity, but you? I’d say they’re keeping you out of the loop on purpose.”

I heard the implication but threw it out there anyway.

“And so is Lincoln?”

Spence shrugged. “He’s sharing my room. I’ve only seen him

once, but he’s…busy and not in a talking mood. Then this guy

turned up. Something’s going on.”

“Okay, where are they?”

“I followed one of Josephine’s crew until he went into the bar.

I’d say that’s where they are now.”

I nodded. “There are two entries to that room,” I said, remem-

bering the scene in there after we’d returned from seeing Irin.

“Which one did he go through?”

“The one near the elevators.”

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“Okay, we’ll go to the other one then— hopefully they won’t be

watching it as closely.”

“Nice to be working with you again, Eden. You missed a great

night last night, by the way. Got Zoe so drunk we almost talked her into doing a naked knock- and- run on Josephine’s door.”

I smiled when I saw the twinkle in his eye. “Sorry I’ve been so moody lately.”

“It’s okay. You’re a chick. I get it,” he said, laughing. I swiped him playfully on the shoulder. “Still can’t keep your hands off me, I see!”

“Yes. I don’t know how I make it through the days.” I fake swooned.

We bantered that way, letting off some steam, all the way down-

stairs. I realized how much I’d been missing hanging out with

Spence. Apart from Steph, he was one of the only people who

offered no added complications to my life. Just a friend.

Who
might
get
me
into
a
little
trouble
every
now
and
then…