Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (61 page)

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not feeling violated or anything. You kiss like a maniac. No guy in his right mind would be disappointed

after that— I mean— ”

“
Spence!
” I cut him off.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. What I was saying was, it’s all good. We’re

friends. The fact that we’ve shared one particularly hot kiss isn’t going to change that, make it all weird. Okay?”

I nodded, relieved that at least one of my concerns wasn’t going to develop into a major crisis.

Steph pulled out a chair and sat down on the other side of

Spence. “Hi,” she said to Spence. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey!” I jumped in. “How come she can see you?”

“It’s a pick- and- choose thing. Right now I’m only providing

glamour to those who don’t already know me. As far as they’re

concerned, a very inconspicuous, but seriously smokin’, girl is sitting down beside you in a school uniform having lunch.”

146

Entice.indd 146

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

“Smokin’?” Steph repeated.

“Hey, some things just happen naturally.” Spence opened his

arms. “It’s hard for me to cover up innate hotness, no matter what form I’m in.”

Steph made a gagging motion. “You do realize this is a co- ed

school. You could have stayed male,” she said.

Spence took a huge bite of his sandwich. “True, but then it

wouldn’t have been so easy to stop by the girls’ locker room on the way here.” He shrugged.

I started picking at pieces of my bread roll, throwing them at

him. Steph picked up her salad bowl and dumped its contents over his head.

————

It had been good to clear the air with Spence, and by the end of the day, I started to get myself together and built up toward my next task: Lincoln.

After school, Steph and I detoured via the bank so I could withdraw some money from my dad’s Amex account. He’d set it up

with joint cards for us both years ago. I paid most of the household bills and did the majority of any shopping, so it was just easier if I had access to cash. Dad had told me it was okay to use it to buy a few things here and there, but on the whole I didn’t bother. I didn’t know how much two Armani shirts and an electric shaver

would cost, so when Steph suggested I take out a thousand dollars, I almost fell over.

“What do you mean a thousand dollars? Are you crazy?” I only

147

Entice.indd 147

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Jessica shirvington

really withdrew cash for lunch money and groceries. Coffee and

milk don’t cost much.

“Listen, sweetie, when it comes to matters of designer clothing, I’m as reliable as they come. You’re just lucky that there are sales on— otherwise, we’d need more.”

I blew out a breath. If she was telling me it was so, it was so.

Still, I couldn’t help the aggravation at handing over money so Onyx could get his reward for telling me I might die.

“Are you going to be okay? Do you know what size to get?”

Steph gave me a full- blown eye roll. “Honestly, Vi, I could shop with my eyes closed. Anyway”— she pulled out a cocktail napkin

from her pocket— “Mr. Reminisce- on- the- dark- days gave me all his measurements. I really dislike that guy.”

“Try hate with a vengeance.”

Steph gave me a pitying look. “Are you sure you want me to go?

I can stay with you, come over to Lincoln’s, just in case…?”

But this was something I had to do on my own. There was no

point arriving with reinforcements; my best chance was to just go myself, try and be completely honest.

“No. You go. We need this stuff. I’ll have to deliver it to Onyx by tomorrow or he’ll start causing more problems. Why don’t you ask Salvatore if he wants to go with you?”

Steph planted a good- bye kiss on my cheek. “Already done. I’m

meeting him at the mall. Um…Vi?” she started, uncharacteristi-

cally unsure.

“Yeah?”

148

Entice.indd 148

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

“Do you mind if I stay at yours again tonight? Dad’s still away and well…Mom’s…entertaining.” She looked past me, suddenly

distracted by something in the shop window. It was almost believable…if we weren’t standing outside a bank.

“Sure, Steph.” Then, deciding that wasn’t enough, I added, “I

was going to ask you the same thing. I really don’t feel like being alone at the moment, so maybe you could just come and stay till Dad gets back? If that’s okay with you?” I didn’t know what was going on in Steph’s home life, but her discomfort said enough.

Steph shifted her weight from one foot to the other and shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. I could do that.” She finally looked up briefly, pushed the hair back from her forehead, and checked her watch.

“Time to fly.” As she walked past, unable to look at me again, she grabbed hold of my hand and we both gave a quick squeeze before letting each other go.

————

When I walked down Lincoln’s street, I couldn’t see his four- wheel-drive parked anywhere on the road. The warehouse door was open, which was no surprise as everyone was using it as a drop- in center lately. I wondered if that was bothering him— if he was feeling put out by everyone else.

Especially
since
last
night.

Griffin was at the dining table, watching as Spence and Zoe

practiced tactical maneuvers. The boring stuff— no combat, just exercises. I smiled when I caught the frustrated looks on both of their faces.

149

Entice.indd 149

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Jessica shirvington

Rudyard was overseeing, calling out whenever they made a bad

decision and instructing them to go back and start again.

I felt quite smug until I noticed Griffin watching me.

“You’re up next,” he said.

I gave him a smart- ass smile.

“Where’s Lincoln?”

Griffin’s expression tightened. I thought I could see a little frustration in his eyes too.

“Not here. He and Magda had something to do that couldn’t wait.” And there again, I heard a change in his voice. A hint of sarcasm.

“Do you know what’s going on?”

“No idea.” Griffin’s uneasy expression softened when he took in my obvious unhappiness. “Look, we all have things to do at times that are…private. That doesn’t mean we want to hurt the people

around us or push them away. Sometimes we are just trying to

protect them.”

“Griffin?” I began, pulling out a chair and plonking myself

beside him. “Nyla and Rudyard told Linc and me how they’re

soul mates, how being together made them stronger. Did you ever consider being with— ”

“Magda?”

I nodded.

“You have seen her, haven’t you? Of course I considered it. Who wouldn’t?” Then quickly, he added, “I…ah, well. What I meant to say was— she’s very beautiful, but that’s not everything. Magda and I were never in love. More like brother and sister or best friends at 150

Entice.indd 150

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

first, and now…Well…” But he didn’t elaborate. I got the feeling that their partnership had not always been smooth sailing.

“Would you have tried, if you’d loved her? Would you, you

know, have risked your powers?”

He leaned back in his chair. “That’s a big question you’re asking.” He frowned. “The answer is: probably not. I believe in being

Grigori, the role I play. It’s been hard for me at times, to be from a Seraph when so few are, the responsibility and expectation that comes with being a leader. I’m not always the one I wish I could be, that I should be, but nonetheless, it is my place. If I were to ever show a commitment to something other than my leadership,

which could jeopardize the function I have, I would be risking too many lives. I couldn’t live with that.”

I nodded. I understood what he was saying, but at the same

time, I couldn’t help but think the only reason he admitted it so easily was because what existed between him and Magda never

pushed him beyond reason, enticed him beyond the rational.

“Griffin, is Magda from the Seraphim too?” I asked, realizing

that I didn’t really know that much about her.

Other
than
that
I
hate
her!

“No. No, she’s of an Angel.”

“What do you mean? Aren’t we all?”

“Yes, but one of the orders is referred to as simply Angel.

Technically, it is the tenth order. You didn’t pay much attention to that hierarchy chart I drew up for you, did you?”

“Sorry,” I said, suddenly guilty.

151

Entice.indd 151

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Jessica shirvington

He let it slide. “Her strength is that she can speak telepathically.”

“Wow. So you’re from the highest order and she’s from the

lowest? That must have been hard for her.”

“Well, the order isn’t always a reflection of importance, Violet, but yes, at times it has been a challenge for her.”

“I guess speaking telepathically is cool, though. Can she speak to anyone?”

Griffin looked around the room. I could tell this conversation

was not one he was enjoying. He pushed his chair up to stand.

“No. She can only speak to others who have the same gift.”

“Oh,” I said, as he gestured to Zoe and Spence and moved closer to observe their game of cat and mouse.

I stayed sitting at the table and watched. My mind was racing

with everything Griffin had told me. The only others I knew of

who could speak telepathically were exiles. Questions kept forming in my mind, and I realized that I was just creating more problems and not solving any.

Rudyard stood up. “That’s enough for you two today,” he called

out, stopping the grateful- looking Spence and Zoe. Rudyard

walked toward the door and started putting on a long trench coat, which looked awkward on him. Like Griffin, he was the type of

person who was destined to grow old. Though he pulled it off

better than Griffin and managed an up- to- date wardrobe, he was one of those people you know will look their best in midlife. I wondered how many more hundreds of years it would take for

him to hit middle age.

152

Entice.indd 152

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

Rudyard opened the front door and stood aside, just as Nyla

walked in. He knew she was coming. That was pretty creepy. I was jealous as hell.

“What’s up?” Griffin asked, joining them as I got up too.

“Magda just called me,” Nyla said, smoothing down her wind-

blown hair. “She said her source told her where a couple of exiles are holing up. She thinks they’re connected to the Scripture.

Apparently, her source heard them bragging about how they would soon have the key to destroying all Grigori.”

“Sounds like the Scripture,” Griffin agreed.

“Are we hunting?” Rudyard asked.

Griffin grabbed his coat. “You bet. This is the first good lead we’ve had. Why didn’t Magda call me?”

“She said she tried to, but couldn’t get through,” Nyla said.

“Makes sense. I’ve been on and off the phone all day,” Griffin

said, but he didn’t sound convinced. I wondered if he knew something I didn’t about Magda. And Lincoln, for that matter.

“I’m coming,” I said.

“No, you shouldn’t be going out without Lincoln. It’s not safe,” Griffin said.

“You’re going out without Magda, and Lincoln and Magda

are both out without us. I think I’m entitled. Plus, this Scripture is…Well, I want in.”

“Okay,” said Griffin. I smiled, loving that he was that sort of guy. The kind that respected guts and people who fought for what they believed in. “But you’d better get changed. Hurry up!”

153

Entice.indd 153

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Jessica shirvington

I looked down at my school uniform and then ran to the bath-

room to put on the spare clothes I had in my bag.

When I emerged in shorts and a T- shirt, I heard raised voices

from down the hallway. Spence was yelling.

“It’s not fair. You just told Violet she can go and her partner’s not here!” he complained.

“Yes, but her partner is not far away. If she is hurt, we can get her to him. Spence, it’s Griffin’s call what happens with Violet, but you are under our care, and we have to abide by Academy regulation,” Rudyard said.

“You’re kidding! I have all the other abilities of strength and speed that everyone else does. I’m not going to get hurt! You can’t do this, hold me back forever!”

Before I made it out to the living room, I heard the front door slam. Spence had taken off.

Nyla had a hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “Go get him, Zoe. He needs

a friend. You’re the closest thing he has to a partner at the moment.

Help him.”

“Oh perfect! Just what I need. Another imbecile to baby-sit. So I suppose that means I don’t get to go on the hunt either?”

“Please, Zoe,” Nyla pleaded, looking worriedly toward the door.

“Whatever.”

And just as Spence had stormed out, Zoe yanked the door

back open and stubbornly followed. Before the door slammed

for a second time, a rush of dried leaves blew through into the living room.

154

Entice.indd 154

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

Nyla, Rudyard, and Griffin were brushing themselves down as

I joined them.

“Zoe?” I asked, assessing the leaf attack.

“Hmm,” Rudyard said, completely unimpressed. “Using nature

as a weapon against us is not a good use of her strengths.”

No. But I could see why she had and was just glad I’d been out

of range when she let rip.

155

Entice.indd 155

12/18/12 4:57 PM