Endless (2 page)

Christ. I can just picture Dad waking up to see his daughter and dead wife ripping each other apart.

‘Please, just go,’ I said. Things would be better once there were several cities between her and us. ‘You don’t belong here.’

She crossed her arms. But I could tell she was tensed and ready, waiting to see if things were going to get physical.

My eyes narrowed and the temptation to force her hand rose to the surface. But we both knew I couldn’t risk it.

‘Does he know what you are?’ she asked, her shoulders relaxing.

I slumped back onto my heels. ‘No. But he knows something. He’s read your letter and seen my markings. I was planning to tell him today.’

She nodded, taking it all in. ‘Well, then, I arrived at the right time. We’ll tell him together. Everything.’

‘You’re so thoughtful,’ I sniped.

Dad started to stir.

‘Fine,’ I said. ‘But when you start flinging lies in the air, don’t expect me to go along with them. Unlike you, my version of “everything” will actually contain the truth.’

Before she could respond, Dad’s eyes fluttered open.

‘Violet?’ he said, his voice crackly and uncertain.

‘Dad, it’s okay,’ I responded, putting a hand on his shoulder. ‘You’re home and safe.’ I gave Evelyn a warning look then turned my attention back to my father. ‘No one will hurt you again.’

His eyes came into focus and, despite his confusion, he smiled at me. I smiled back. Then he saw Evelyn. He gasped and I had to grab hold of him to keep him steady as he scrambled to sit up.

‘Dad,
breathe. You’re going to have another panic attack,’ I said as soothingly as possible.

His eyes were so wide they were mostly white. ‘Oh, God. I
didn’t
imagine it. Who are you? You … You look … ’ he stammered.

Evelyn took a deep breath and locked her eyes on his. ‘You took me on a carriage ride through Central Park on our first date. You only had enough money for half the trip so we were dumped in the middle of the park and had to walk back. You picked flowers for me along the way. When you said goodbye that night, you kissed me and said, “This is only the beginning.” We met for breakfast the following day and every day after that, for the next six months. The first morning we didn’t have breakfast together was our wedding day.’

Dad was frozen. I think I was frozen too. From one small speech I now knew more about their relationship than Dad had ever told me. And it only made me more livid.

How could she have done this to him?

Time seemed to stand still. Evelyn looking at Dad, imploring him to accept this impossibility, Dad staring back at her with disbelief. My eyes shot between the two of them … My
parents
.

‘Evelyn?’ he breathed the word.

She nodded.

‘Are you …’ he swallowed. ‘Are you a ghost?’

‘No,’ Evelyn said calmly. ‘I’m human. Mostly.’ Her brow furrowed. ‘I think.’

‘Oh,’ Dad said.

I rolled my eyes at her.

Great clarification.

‘ explain. We would like to be able to tell you everything if you’re willing to listen, but we must warn you – once you know, you will become a part of this world …’ She glanced down, a sadness creeping into her voice. ‘And you can never go back.’

I ground my jaw. I hated that she was right. I also hated the way she united us. There was no ‘
we’
. She’d kept her secrets from Dad since the moment they had met. Everything had been a lie. Then, when I was born, she’d accepted an angel’s bargain – probably for a penthouse suite in heaven – and committed me to a life as a Grigori. Sure, I’d had to choose whether to accept it, but I was learning fast: angels are determined beings and what they want, they usually get.

She would have known that, too.

Worse, not only had she handed over my fate the moment I was born, she’d given me to an angel of the Sole, making me the one and only human Grigori to have ever been empowered by the highest-ranking and most mysterious order.

Yeah, I’m high up in the freak department.

‘Violet?’ Dad said, interrupting my thoughts, his face still a picture of shock.

I sighed, drawing my eyes away from Evelyn. ‘It’s her, Dad. I … found her when I was in Greece. Are you sure you’re up to hearing the whole story?’

He shifted position and began rolling up his sleeves, the way he did when he’d set his mind on something. He took my hand, gripping it tight, and cast a wary glance in Evelyn’s direction.

‘I know my daughter. I
knew
my wife. You look incredibly like her, but she died seventeen years ago and you … You look the
way she did the day she died.’ He glanced at her wayward hair. ‘Almost.’

I smiled, proud of Dad for not just falling into her arms.

‘I
will
hear the entire story, nothing spared.’ He gestured to Evelyn. ‘You know things other people wouldn’t, but that doesn’t prove anything as far as I’m concerned.’ He let go of my hand, stretched his arm across the back of the sofa and raised his eyebrows. ‘Start talking.’

It must have taken every ounce of courage not to break down right there, not to grab Evelyn and hold her tight – whether he believed it was really her or not. Dad loved her like he loved no other person in this world and I knew nothing had changed that over the past seventeen years.

Evelyn was staring at him, a thoughtful look on her face. ‘You’ve changed,’ she said finally.

‘Apparently you haven’t. Talk!’ Dad demanded.

Go, Dad!

Evelyn saw the amusement in my eyes and rolled hers in response.

‘I’m human, like you,’ she began, ‘born to two human parents, but when my mother was in late pregnancy she had a placenta rupture. The doctors were able to deliver me, but it was a different time then – they didn’t have the resources they do now. My mother did not survive.’

My heart sank. I had always thought there was nothing worse than knowing my mother had only held me for a few short minutes. But there was, I could see it in her eyes when she told the story. Her mother had never held her at all.

Dad shifted in his seat. ‘Evelyn never told me that,’ he said cautiously.

She
smiled sadly. ‘I was scared to give away too much information. I was always careful – it was the way I was trained.’

Dad maintained a stoic expression. I think it was the only way he could go on.

‘Continue,’ he said.

Evelyn nodded. ‘When a human life is brought into the world, the moments following his or her first breath are vital. Newborns are bathed in the aura of new life. If a child suffers the loss of like-blood, most commonly a parent, within the first twelve days of their life, he or she is also overwhelmed by the aura of new death. When the two opposing forces are so strong, a doorway can be created.’

‘What kind of doorway?’ Dad asked, now cautiously glancing in my direction. He was already connecting the dots.

‘When new life combines with new death it creates a kind of tunnel.’ She took a deep breath. I found myself doing the same. ‘A tunnel that … an angel can use to transfer a piece of its essence to the body. At seventeen, the child is given the choice of whether or not to embrace the gifts and responsibilities that come with having that essence.’ She looked at me.

I’d practically stopped breathing.

‘An … angel?’ Dad repeated slowly.

‘Yes, James. Angels are very real. They aren’t what you probably think they are – they aren’t always kind and they aren’t always cruel but they are definitely always active and a controlling force over our world. If a person who carries an angel essence chooses to embrace, he or she is given – among other things – increased strength, speed, weapons both internal and external, the ability to sense otherworldly beings, a healing capacity,
a partner in arms and … while still susceptible to mortality by harm, a much-extended lifespan, ageing increasingly slower the older we get.’ She looked down. ‘We can live for many hundreds of years.’

I was impressed Dad was still in the room, and upright. He cleared his throat. ‘How old are you?’

Evelyn didn’t even blink. ‘I was 187 years old when I died. Now I’m back, I guess you could say I’ve passed my bicentenary.’

Dad looked at me, wide-eyed. ‘Violet, have you been
listening
to this? Surely, this isn’t what has been going on with you for the past months? This can’t be real.’

‘I wish it wasn’t, Dad.’ I took his hand. It was hot and clammy. ‘But she
is
who she says and what she says. And just as an angel gave his essence to Evelyn … I’m what they call a Grigori. Part human but also, part angel. I have abilities – but you’ve already seen my wrists.’ I bit my lip nervously, remembering his severe reaction at seeing the swirling silver markings before I’d taken off to Santorini.

As he looked at them, they started to move with a magic none of us could comprehend, churning like a river of mercury around my wrists. Delicate feathered tips began to emerge in the patterns, matching the design on Evelyn’s wristbands. Dad glanced between us and I noticed Evelyn staring, mesmerised too.

‘She said you had to choose to do this. Did you
want
this, Violet?’

‘Not at the beginning. I wanted to finish school, become an artist, be … normal. After everything that happened …’ my voice caught at the memory of the attack.

Dad
nodded, not making me say it aloud. Evelyn watched on silently. There was no way I was about to explain it to her – the way that teacher had attacked me at my old school. Dad and I had done everything we could to try and get life back on track after the court case and all the awful questions.

‘What happened?’

I glared at her, and continued speaking to Dad.

‘Grigori all have a partner. A person whose power complements ours the most. Grigori can help to start the healing process in their partners when they are injured. The only problem is, apart from me, Grigori can only heal their own partner. Lincoln’s mine.’

‘What do you mean,
apart
from you?’ Evelyn butted in, impatiently.

‘I’m not here to answer
your
questions!’ I snapped. Again, I turned back to Dad. ‘I have some extra … abilities. Nothing major,’ I said with a shrug. Dad looked at me like I’d just turned green.

‘Lincoln was hurt,’ Evelyn said, putting it together.

I nodded, remembering what it had been like to know he would die without my help. The overwhelming fear of a world that didn’t include him was all I needed to know I’d made the right choice.

‘He was dying,’ I said.

‘You became …’ he couldn’t find the words. ‘This!’ he pointed to my wrists. ‘
This
was for Lincoln?’

His disappointment stung, but I stayed calm to give him time to process. ‘He would’ve died. I don’t regret my choice, Dad. And now I’m Grigori and that means I’m a warrior.’

‘A warrior against what?’ he barked, incredulous.

I
took a deep breath. ‘Angels who exile themselves from their rightful place and take on human form.’

‘Fallen angels?’ he clarified. ‘You
fight
fallen angels?’

‘Yes. They’re strong and powerful and … evil. They can do things that others can’t and they are intent on taking this world for their own.’

‘Sweetheart, there are no fallen angels walking around in this world.’ He shook his head, as if trying to bring himself back to reality.

‘Yes there are. You even know one.’ I braced myself and bit down on the inside of my cheek. ‘Phoenix is an exiled angel.’

‘Phoenix? That guy that you were hanging out with a while back?’

I nodded. Dad had never liked him.

‘You brought Phoenix into your home?’ Evelyn asked, her tone carrying both disbelief and accusation.

I flashed her a quick smile. I didn’t owe her an explanation.

‘But you just said they were all evil,’ Dad continued.

I nodded again, this time with regret. ‘Phoenix has human blood in him, too, and that means he can seem more human than other exiles. He fooled me.’ I dropped my head, feeling the shame of my choices. ‘Lots of people have paid the price, with their lives.’

‘Violet, what are you talking about?’ Dad asked.

I thought of the Grigori who had died fighting Phoenix’s exiles on Santorini. ‘People are dead, Dad. I just got back from trying to stop Phoenix from opening the gates to Hell. He could’ve killed thousands of people but Grigori came in force from all around the world. We fought, we saved Santorini, but … we failed anyway. He used me to bring something out
of Hell that makes nightmares seem like fairy floss. He’s determined to be all-powerful and … he’s the way he is because of me.’

I could see Dad struggling to process my words but there was little point in stopping now, so I ploughed on.

‘Phoenix has gone for now but I don’t think forever and even if it is, there are still more exiles. They’ll keep coming and we’ll keep fighting them. This is the truth that you deserve, Dad. The truth that she–’ I jabbed a finger towards Evelyn, ‘should’ve told you a long time ago – like, before she married you, or before she had a child with you.
Definitely
before she chose to die and leave us.’ My plan to remain calm had come unstuck.

Dad seemed frozen with shock but somehow he managed to reach over and pull a tissue from the coffee table to pass to me. I dabbed at my eyes but otherwise ignored the fact I’d started to leak.

‘Did you really do that?’ Dad asked, now looking at Evelyn. His voice was even and low.

Evelyn closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, they were resolute. ‘A few weeks before Violet was born, I started to have dreams. As Grigori we all have strengths. I’m what they call a dream-walker – I can communicate with others in the dreamscape. That always made it easier for angels to contact me. One angel started to visit me before Violet’s birth. He was
very
powerful. He told me that wars were coming. I was given a choice: exist in a world, knowing my family would ultimately suffer in a reality ruled by exiled angels or give up my life and yes,’ she glanced at me, ‘commit my daughter to a fate where she would become what I am.’ She paused. ‘From what I’ve seen she is a respected warrior.’