Incendiary (The Premonition Series (Volume 4)) (108 page)

I stiffen and look up to see Russell
’s brown eyes
assessing me from head to toe. My hair is
tousled
, hanging loose down my back. I self-consciously drag my fingers through it to try to smooth it.

“Don’t
, Red,” Russell
says as if readi
ng my mind. “Y
ou’d win the sexy bed-head contest
the way it is
.”

“Thanks,”
I
reply as my cheeks redd
en. “We’re making dinner
. You in?”

“I
n,” he says
without reservation “You okay?”

“I’m...” I falter, “alive.”

“
That’s half the battle...stayin’
alive,” he says, watching for my reaction.

“What’s the other half,” I ask sadly.

He shrugs.
“Kickin’ som
e ass,” he replies, trying his hardest to lessen the weight of everything that’s happened
.

“Thanks for taking care of the first part for me,”
I try to smile while winding my finger in the air,
but I know it’s not reaching my eyes.

“
I couldn’t let you
off
that easil
y. I s
till need you,” he admits, lower
ing his chin.

I shake my head
. “You don’t need me. You’re as strong as I am...stronger.”

“I do need
you
,” he murmurs. “Y
ou’re my best friend...and Zee gives the worst relationship advice
ever
. Anya still isn’t talkin’ to me.”

A reluctant smile forms on my lips. “She’ll come around. How could she not?” I ask
, meaning every word
.

Russell rubs the stubble on his chin t
h
oughtfully. But, his eyes
narrow in concentration when Zephyr
says
to Reed, “
Brennus
lives?
”

They’d been staring at each other, assessing each other’s state of being. Reed’s expression of calm doesn’t change as he says, “For the moment.”

“
I thought I would have to hunt you,” Zephyr says in a
quiet
tone. “I do not
think I could
have
kill
ed
you
.”

“If it ever comes to that, I would be grateful it was you,” Reed replies.

“And
,
I, you,” Zephyr agree
s.

Reed shrugs off his shirt, allowing his wings to unfold from his back. As they spread wide, I watch Zephyr do the same, tugging off his
t-
shirt and expanding his light brown wings. Reed reaches out and pulls a feather off of Zephyr’s wing. Zephyr
mimics
the same action, pulling off a feather of Reed’s wing. Reed tucks Zephyr’s feather in his
wing where his other has gone missing. Zeph
yr does the same
.

“What was that?” Russell asks
, looking from Reed to Zephyr
.

“A promise,” Zephyr says, and then adds, “to my brother.”

Brownie and Buns breeze into the kitchen with Anya.

“Something smells wonderful,” Buns says. “I’ll set the table. Brownie, get the glasses.” As Buns passes on her way to the mahogan
y cabinets, her hand touches my
shoulder, squeezing it light
ly.

Her attempt to be normal is
n’t lost o
n me. I straighten my shoulders. I feel Reed’s fingertips touch my inner elbow, they slide down my arm, causing my whole body
to
attune to him. His fingers cross my palm and thread with mine. He gives my hand a gentle squeeze.
I let go of him and say, “I’ll check the oven. It should be almost ready.”

“Are you hungry, Anya,” Russell asks Anya as she hovers in the doorway, looking unsure. He walks to the table and holds out a chair for her by the snapping fire in the fireplace.
Anya nods,
walking
further
into the kitchen
to the table, allowing Russell to seat her.

Gathering the food, Bun
s
, Brownie, and I bring it to the table while Reed and Zephyr open a couple bottles of wine
and fill our glasses
. We each take a seat
except for Reed. Reed
remains standing and says something in Angel.
I gather that it is their v
ersion of a prayer by the devout
expressions on the faces of the angels. Reed switches to English as he lifts his wineglass, “To my family, no matter what the future holds for us, may we always find ou
r way back to each other.”

“To family,” each of us says
in turn before drinking.
Reed takes his seat next to mine
and find
s my hand beneath the table. His simple touch relaxes me
and I settle back
to
enjoy
thi
s
respite with my family, this moment of grace.

Glossary

A
ingeal – angel (Gaelic
/Irish
)

A
spire – angel significant other, similar to a human husband or wife (Angel)

A
-tkel-el-ini – troublemaker (Navajo)

Banjax – destroy
(Gaelic
/Irish
)

B
e-al-doh-tso-lani al-tah-je-jay – many big guns (Navajo)

C
ogadh – war (Gaelic
/Irish
)

D
a-de-yah – depart (Navajo)

Dún do chlab
– shut your gob (mouth) (Gaelic
/Irish
)

Gdzie poszedł – where did he go (Polish)

Go hIfreann leat
– Go to hell (Gaelic
/Irish
)

G
rá mo chroí
– love of my heart
(Gaelic
/Irish
)

Ifrit – shapeshifting demon who hunts divine angels (Angel)

Iniqui – demons who reside in the
corpse
s
of other beings, especially humans
(Faerie)

Ji-din-nes-chanh – retreat (Navajo)

K
hac-da – ambush (Navajo)

Leh-chi lit – red smoke (Navajo)

Lei-cha-ih-yil-knee-ih il-day – army arrive (Navajo)

M
áistir – master (Gaelic
/Irish
)

M
o chroí –my heart (Gaelic
/Irish
)

M
o shíorghrá
– my eternal love (Gaelic
/Irish
)

Na-dzah – return (Navajo)

N
a-ne-klah – difficult (Navajo)

Ne-ol – storm (Navajo)

Nevarache
-
lizard-like creature wi
th black scales, yellow eyes, and long talon-like claws
(Faerie
)

Nil-ta – stubborn (Navajo)

O-zhi – miss (Navajo)

Pocałuj mnie w dupe
– kiss my ass (Polish)

P
óg mo thóin – kiss my ass (Gaelic
/Irish
)

R
econnoître
– black-winged nocturnal demon from Sheol who scouts and hunts prey – a messenger (Faerie)

Riser – demon from Sheol that resembles an enormous greyhound dog until it consumes blood,
and
then it changes by rising into a vicious beast (Angel)

S
clábhaí
– slave (Gaelic
/Irish
)

S
íorghrá
- eternal love (Gaelic
/Irish
)

Sláinte
– cheers
(Gaelic
/Irish
)

Táim i ngrá leat
– I’m in love with you (Gaelic
/Irish
)

Tkin – ice (Navajo)

Tkoh – water (Navajo)

T
o-altseh-hogan – temporary camp (Navajo)

Toh-bah-ha-zsid –
afraid (Navajo)

T
o-ho-ne – suffer (Navajo)

Tristitiae – sorrow (Latin)

T
so – big (Navajo)

Tuigim – I understand (Gaelic
/Irish
)

Twoja matka to bajki – Your mother is a faerie (Polish)

Wans – human women (Gaelic
/Irish
)

Werree – demons who steal body parts of other creatures to wear over their own shadowy figures (Faerie)

Y
ah-a-da-hal-yon-ih – take care of (Navajo)

Thank you, God, for the many
blessings You have given
me.

Thank you to
my mother, Gloria Lutz, for all of
her
hard work and dedication
copyediting
the entire Premonition series
.

To my husband, Tom, thank you for putting up with my writer’s uniform and the general disarray! I love you.

To Max & Jack, you’re my loves.
Always.

To Aprille, I love you, sis.

T
o all of you
who continue to read my stories,
I’m extremely grateful for your love and support.
Thank you!

To my Indie Hellcats: Georgia Cates, Shelly Crane, Rachel Higginson, Angeline Kace, Michelle Leighton,
Samantha Young,
and Quinn Loftis, thank you for helping me
navigate
the publishing world and for being a bevy of information on all things called life. You all have such style and grace. I’m fortunate to walk among you.

To the amazing Celeste Harrington
of The Book Hookup
who gave me my first interview
ever
. I’m really grateful and honored by you! And to all of the sublime women who gave me my first podcast review at The Book Hookup: Celeste
Harrington
, Christina
Gaillard
, Ana
Hayes
, Jag, and Amy
Conner
! I love you guys! Thank you (flail
y arms for Christina).
And for Ana, maybe the only person on Team Russell, you make me smile with every single one of your tweets
.

SupaGurl. You. Are. Awesome.
It was a perfect day when you came into my life. I hope you stay forever.

To Janet Wallace, for allowing me to be a part of UtopYa Con 2012. It brought the best people into my life. Thank you for your brilliance.

To Volatastic Phil, Ben has nothing on you. You’re a poet.

To Rob Guthrie, thank you for your friendship.

To all of the amazing book bloggers who take a chance on
a
uthors every day,
I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You
r
love of books is awe-inspiring. I’
m truly grateful to you.

Coming Soon

Iniquity

The
Premonition
Series Volume 5

CHAPTER 1

My Heart Without
Y
ou

Evie

Soft whispering touches cascade against my cheek, so light that they’re almost a shadow aga
inst my eyelashes. I stir in
bed, stretching my arm to Reed, searching for
my angel even in my half-conscio
us state. My arms come u
p empty as my fingertips touch damp earth
. I open my eyes to the hazy sense
of
wrongness. My fingers
trip over the silky softness
of
my
feathers.
The acrid smell of smoke is all around me as my head lies against the grassy ground. Above me, angels are flying, moving
chaotically
across the sky.

Fire rains across
the dusky
skyline, turning what is
l
eft of the blue filament
to
red and orange as giant
rockets burst and
riot. The e
xplosions make the ground tremble beneath me.
There is a pain in my belly; fear twists it. A shrill roar causes all the hairs on my body to stand
up at once. I’ve never heard it
s like and
I dread seeing what is capable of making such a sound.