Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (39 page)

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I looked at her in confusion.

“Ah, Vi, you must have noticed that pretty much every guy in

here, except for Marcus of course, is drooling over you.”

I looked around the room. She had been exaggerating, but there

was a good handful of guys watching me. I blushed red hot but

couldn’t stop the smile.

A breeze drifted in from the open door. Then I felt it. The taste of apple, the humming energy, birds flying maniacally. All the

senses flowed through me, but unlike before I had embraced, now I had control. I could move them around, bring them forward, focus on them— and also push them back and silence them. And most

importantly, I knew who it was. I was pretty sure it wasn’t normal for Grigori to be able to sense exactly
who
the exile was, but I was beginning to accept I wasn’t ordinary.

“Phoenix is here,” I said.

“Where?” Steph looked around.

“Close. I can feel him.”

“You can
feel
him?” She was wide- eyed in disbelief.

I turned around and Phoenix was standing there. He looked

worried. I smiled and his face relaxed. He raised a hand to the side of my face. As soon as he touched me, my body leaned into his and I folded into him, yielded to him.

“I’ve missed you,” he said.

“Me too,” was all I could manage.

His eyes drifted down, taking in my new look. He bled his desire for me and I knew he was doing it on purpose. His eyes settled

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on my wrists where the bracelets glittered. He didn’t say anything.

Finally, he looked away from me and over to Steph. It didn’t take long for him to process the look of awe plastered over her face.

“Ahh,” he exhaled. “I suppose it’s no surprise she told you.”

Steph stood, almost hypnotized, staring at Phoenix.

“Steph.” I elbowed her. She jumped to attention.

“Sorry, it’s just, now that I know, it seems so weird to be standing here in a club with an
angel
.”

Phoenix gave a slight smile. “Trust me, it’s not that interesting.” Marcus returned with more drinks and that stopped all the

angel talk. I could tell Phoenix was relieved.

By about ten o’clock, Steph and Marcus both looked as if

they had crossed the line of one drink too many. I cringed for

them, as they started embarrassing themselves on the dance floor.

Eighties flashback dresses were one thing; flashback dance moves another altogether.

Phoenix and I settled onto a couch in the corner and eased back into being around each other. We avoided Grigori and angel talk as much as possible. He told me about the time he had “climbed” Mount Everest in 1901. It would have only taken him a few seconds had he not lingered at the top to enjoy the quiet and the view. I tried to take it all in stride, but it’s hard to stop your jaw from gaping when someone is telling you he climbed the damn thing

over fifty years before the first humans ever did. And, oh yeah…he was clearly well over a hundred years old!

Phoenix moved over so he was sitting right beside me. He let his 330

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fingers trail up my thigh. “I was thinking…” he said suggestively.

My body tingled. With every touch, I felt more and more certain that my future
wasn’t
with Lincoln and that forgiveness was not a possibility. I was reminded of just how much Phoenix could affect me, take me away. My breath caught and then raced. The thought

of escaping into his bliss was definitely exciting. But as I felt myself leaning toward him, I was strangely reminded of being caught up in Onyx’s and Joel’s powers. My senses sharpened.

“I need to learn how to block you when I want to,” I said,

breaking the mood abruptly.

He stiffened. “Why?”

“I need to learn how to use my powers. Apparently, I have some

kind of kink in them.”

I saw him hesitate and wondered why he didn’t seem keen to

help. Just as I was about to question him, he smiled dangerously.

“We might have to leave to
fully
test out the theory.”

I smiled and laughed. “I was thinking more along the lines of

a kiss,” I said, sounding more nervous than I would’ve liked. “For now,” I added, so he knew I wasn’t saying an outright no. I was worried I’d hurt him if I told him I wasn’t sure we should rush into the whole sex thing again.

Phoenix moved closer and looked me over. It was odd; he didn’t

seem to be able to hold my eyes.

“Are you okay? If you don’t want to…” I left the words hanging, whatever bravado I had mustered quickly fading.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I’d do anything to have you as

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mine.” Then his eyes managed to fix on mine and he pushed the

hair back from one side of my face, cupping his hand along my

jawline, his fingers stretching into my hair. I could feel in that moment what I was to him, and then he confirmed it in words.

“You’re a goddess.”

He kissed me. Humming energy coursed through me, and he

opened the channels to his emotions and released a torrent of lust.

I reached within myself to find my power and built a wall around me, pushing back the surging energy that exploded through my

whole body. I didn’t know if what I was doing was right; I just followed my instincts.

Gradually, the lust subsided. Phoenix must have felt the resis-

tance from me because he pushed harder. This time I was inun-

dated with desire, total and utter desire. All the right parts— or
wrong
parts— responded to it, my body ruling my mind.

My hands traveled over him as I got lost in the moment, and he

pulled me in. I again retreated into my core strength and began to build walls of protection. As I did, the lust and desire receded and I began to feel myself breaking through.

Along with gaining self- control, I was able to see
within
my power. Morning and evening flashed before me, and in them I

saw the fibers of my core, my soul. Something that wasn’t me was wrapped around them, strangling me.

I realized I was searching for a part of myself that had been

locked away. I was trying to break free of something. Just as I drew on my power again to help me, Phoenix pulled away from me,

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breaking my concentration and snapping me back to reality. I

stared at him, a little startled. His hand went instantly to my face, as it did so often, and calm floated over me, dulling everything else.

“You pushed me out. No one has done that before.” He was

searching my face, assessing my reactions. It made me a little

uncomfortable.

“Phoenix…” But I never got a chance to finish. As I opened my

mouth to speak, apple flooded it. Everything in my being screamed danger. “Exiles.”

Phoenix froze. “There can’t be, I can’t sense…” Then, reconsid-

ering, he asked, “How many?”

I focused, trying to work it out. I hadn’t done this before. “I’m not sure.” But as I drew on my angelic powers, I felt a shift— it was something new, as if somehow I was able to push the senses out and search. I managed to do it for just a few seconds, just long enough to get a glimpse. “A lot…Eight…Maybe more.”

A series of words that I had not heard come from Phoenix’s

mouth before rolled out forcefully and then he gritted his teeth. “I still can’t sense them. How close are they?”

That much I could tell. “Still outside, but not for long.”

He stood. “Wait here. DON’T MOVE!” he ordered.

And then he was gone.

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chapter
thirty- three

“There are two great days in a person’s life— the day we are born
and the day we discover why.”

wiLLiaM BarcLay

I reached for my phone. Before I had time to think, my fi nger had pressed speed dial one.

“Violet? What’s wrong?”

“Th ey’re here, Linc. Exiles, lots of them.”

“Where are you?” he said quickly. I could hear the sound of his front door slamming and his feet bounding down the steps.

“Hades.”

“Don’t move. Don’t do anything. I’m on my way.” He hung

up. He only lived a few blocks away; it wouldn’t take him long at full speed.

I looked over and saw Steph hanging off Marcus on the dance

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out. I gave a shake of my head. She tried again, but after a forced smile and a second shake of my head, she gave up on me.

I could feel them getting closer. They were outside the front

door. I could
see
them somehow, could almost pinpoint them exactly, like some kind of infrared vision.

I concentrated, trying to figure out exactly how many there

were. I realized that there were ten, and two were very powerful, surrounded by what I could only describe as golden auras. Chills, the stabbing kind, ran through my body when I focused on them.

When I tried to use my power to find Phoenix, all I got was a

sinking feeling in my gut. I couldn’t sense him at all. I didn’t know how I could sense the other exiles and not him; it was as if he had the power to block me. But the others…They were inside now. I

was sure of it.

I spotted a green exit sign to my right, but I refused to run. For the first time, I realized it wasn’t because I wouldn’t allow myself to, but because I didn’t
want
to. The place was full of humans, unaware and defenseless, just like Claudia had been. I was a Grigori now and that meant I was their only protection. I looked toward the entrance, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

How
in
the
hell
are
they
inside?

I stood up to get a better view and focused my power on
feeling
them rather than looking for them. Awareness crept through me.

They were moving into the room, steadily and all together.

A purple mist, like millions of tiny amethyst crystals, streamed over the room, searching. It was me, my mist, but not multi colored 335

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like everyone else’s; it was…violet. The mist frosted the room, revealing the truth, stripping away the glamour.

They were there, at least ten of them, moving through the

middle of the room. They walked toward me as they had in my

dream, and I knew they brought with them the three
D
s: Death.

Doom. Destruction.

I blinked, again seeing what everyone else did. It was as if they weren’t there. It was like the space they existed within wasn’t real.

My eyes darted to Steph, still dancing, none the wiser. At least it seemed she was safe, though I wasn’t sure for how long. The two exiles at the front were the ones with all the power. The others, though strong, didn’t bother me. Even in their numbers, I had them.

Not
that
it
will
do
you
any
good, Vi
.

Because the two at the front had me sweating buckets.

My wrists pulsed with cool heat, reminding me of my purpose.

Two things flew through my mind: I wished I hadn’t thrown my

dagger into my bedside drawer instead of trying to find a way to squeeze it into my skinny jeans, and maybe I should have gone

with more sensible heels.

I cleared my head, giving me back the
real
view of the room.

They were closing the distance, eyes fixed in my direction. I recognized Onyx; he was relaxed in his stride, confidence radiating from him as he swung his sword with every step like a walking stick. The other exile walking beside him was more controlled in his movements, calculated, precise. They were like the positive and negative of a battery. They didn’t belong together at all. Although he looked 336

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different from in my dream— no wings spreading from his sides, no blue, blazing fire— I knew the other was Joel. He also carried a sword, but held it tightly under his arm, like a soldier with a swagger stick.

Onyx stopped a few feet away and the other angels spanned