“Tanks. I guess I’ve seen enough.” I pack up my stuff, shoving it in my backpack. My battle hammer sings when I touch it, it makes me smile. “Shh, little brudder!” I say to it before closing the bag. “I know what will make you happy, Deck. We could stop and get those paczki you like in Poletown.”
“Da ones wi’ da butter cream?” he asks.
“Uh-huh and coffee.” Now that Declan eats real food, we have so much more in common.
“’Tis on da way ta one of me errands.”
“Oh,” I ask, “what do you have to do?” We walk through the dilapidated building to the windows on the other side. We jump five stories to the ground, landing on our feet.
“I have ta pick up me lucky shirt from da cleaners.”
I wrinkle my nose. “That’s why we have to leave.”
“Genevieve, I have a date.”
“Shut. Yer. Gob!” I get into his nineteen-seventies black Cadillac. The white leather of the seat squeaks as I slide over and close the door. I open the window because it’s grown hot in the sun. It’s been a warm spring. “Who is she? He?”
“She. And ye do na know her.”
“When do I get to meet her?”
“I will let ye know.”
“Please do!” I smile. I catch Declan smiling, too.
He drives through town to the dry cleaner. I get out with him and say, “I’ll meet you at the paczki place. I’ll get a dozen of the kind you like.”
“Get two. Eion will eat a dozen by himself.” I nod and walk in the direction of the bakery. I cross the street and jog down the sidewalk. I’m almost to the corner when someone grabs me by the throat and drags me into the alley.
Bruno lifts me off the ground and bashes me into the side of the building. I wince as pieces of the brick wall crumbles to the pavement. “Who are ye?” he snarls. He has one of his Gancanagh crew with him. The thug is rummaging through my bag.
“You don’t want to do that,” I mutter to the undead faerie with the eyebrow piercings holding my bag.
“Whah have we here?” piercings asks with avarice in his tone.
“That’s little brudder, and he hates it when undead faeries mess with him.”
Something stirs in my belly. It feels like butterflies. My eyes widen. Bruno punches me hard in the stomach. The air in my lungs is forced from me. I gasp. Without speaking, I give my hammer a command, Fly to me, little brudder. My weapon is in my hand in less than an instant. Swinging it at Bruno’s head, I crack his skull and knock him sideways. I gaze down at him sprawled on the ground, holding his head. “If you would just listen to me for a moment, I will explain why I’m here and why you want me here. I have a proposition for—” Before I can finish, there’s a blur of charcoal-colored wings. Bruno and his piercing associate are nearly torn in half and their bodies thrown into a dumpster at the end of the alley. Reed drops a lighter into it. It ignites into flames.
Reed is in front of me in an instant, cupping my cheek. “Are you hurt?” he asks. He checks me for wounds. “Did they hurt you?” His angelic face frowns in concentration. I’m speechless, unable to move. All I can do is shake my head no. He picks up my bag from the ground and hands it to me. I hold it for about a second, and then drop it. Reed frowns. “I know I’m technically not supposed to kill your clients unless they show definite intent to murder you, but he hit you, so to me that’s intent.”
I find my voice. “What are you doing here?” I don’t sound like me.
“What do you mean?” he frowns. “I’m guarding you.”
I blink. “Why?”
“It’s my job.”
“You’re job?”
“You don’t know?” he stares at me, his face becoming hopeful all of a sudden.
I shake my head. “Know what?”
“You don’t know that I’m your guardian angel?” he asks. Little brudder drops from my hand, falling with a clank on the concrete.
My eyes fill up with tears. “Did Xavier die?” I try to hold back my sob.
Reed puts his hands on my shoulders and says softly, “No. He’s alive. He has been reassigned. I won the position.”
“You won it?”
“I had to fight for it, but in the end, the job was awarded to me. Nobody told you?” he asks.
“No,” I whisper.
“So that’s why you haven’t come to see me?” His beautiful lips begin to turn up in the corners
“Come to see you? How long have you been here?” I choke.
“Months, Evie. I’ve been here months, just like you.”
“Who knew?” Anger flourishes inside me.
“Atwater.”
“Why wouldn’t he tell me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why didn’t you come see me?”
“There are new rules for being your guardian angel, Evie. I’m not allowed to interfere with your life unless you seek me out or you are threatened. You didn’t seek me out.”
“I didn’t know you were here.”
“So…you still love mm—” I lean forward, covering his lips with mine. I meant it to be gentle, but he reacts almost violently, threading his fingers in my hair and kissing me as if there will never be enough of me for him. He holds me to him, dragging me with him midway down the alley. He pushes in a locked steel door as if it were made of paper. Kissing me as he guides me inside, I vaguely realize it’s some kind of bike repair shop by the old tires hanging on hooks on the wall. Judging by the dust in here, I don’t think anyone has gotten her bike fixed in awhile.
Reed pushes me against a large workbench. Our lips remain together as he lifts me up on the edge of it while I strip away my jacket. The intensity of desire his hands elicit when he touches my skin is agony and ecstasy. I shudder with need for him, as his kisses tease me with paradise. He peels my shirt from me. I lift his over his head.
My feathers dust the workbench when they unleash from my back. He groans as his hand cups my jaw. He covers my parted lips with his. Trailing kisses down my neck, he pauses when his lips come to my heart. It no longer has his mark on it. He rubs his thumb over the place where it had been. “I grieve that I no longer carry your wings on me,” Reed says. His eyes reflect hollowness. “But not seeing mine on you is agony to me.” My heart responds to his words, bludgeoning the walls of my chest trying to get to him. “You’re mine, no matter if you have my symbol on your skin or not,” he growls, possessively. The primitive way in which my body quivers is telling. There is no need for words between us now. He shows me how fiercely he missed me with every feverish touch of his body against mine.
Reed brings my shirt to me. Reaching out to take it, I pause when his other hand touches my necklace. Reed’s warm fingers lift it from my skin. Dangling like charms from it are his ring, the boatswain, and Xavier’s ring.
“You have my ring.”
I unlock the clasp and take his ring from the chain. “I kept it safe for you, hoping that one day I could give it back to you.” He slips it on his finger while I close the clasp of my necklace. I retract my wings before slipping my shirt down over the key to Sheol to hide it from sight.
“You have Xavier’s ring as well,” Reed says. “Do you hope to one day give it back to him?”
The tension in his voice makes me look at him. “I don’t know,” I say breathlessly. “I only know that I couldn’t leave it in Sheol.”
Reed twists his ring as if he’s lost in thought. “Do you want to come over to my house? I want to show you something.”
“You have a house?”
“It’s not actually mine. It’s more of a headquarters at the moment.”
“Where?”
“I’ll show you.”
“Oh, so it’s a surprise?” I ask.
“It is.”
His talk of home makes me remember my home and the fact that I was supposed to be there over an hour ago! “I have to go, Reed!” I say with my eyes growing wide. “They’ll be worried about me. I’m usually never late. Oh no! Declan!
I forgot about Declan!” I try to pull my jacket on, but the sleeves are inside out. I shake my arm until I can get it into the sleeve. Rushing over to Reed, I go up on tiptoes and kiss him quickly on the lips. “Do you know where I live?”
“Of course,” he answers, beginning to frown.
“Pick me up there in an hour.” I hurry to the door.
“Evie, wait!”
I press my back against the door, opening it. “I have to tell them that I’m okay. They’re very protective of me.”
“I’ll take you there.” Reed follows me.
“I have to talk to him alone, Reed.” I reply. “He won’t understand.”
“Brennus?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll make him understand.” The threat in his tone is implicit.
“That’s exactly what I don’t want.”
I enter the alley. Declan is leaning against the brick wall, holding my bag in one hand and my battle hammer in the other. He straightens; he’s been waiting for me. I cringe, knowing what he must have heard. He gives me my things with a stoic look. “I tink ye dropped dese.”
“Thank you,” I mutter, accepting my bag from him. I place my battle hammer in it and close it.
Declan glances at Reed. “Aingeal, I did na know ye were back.”
“That seems to be a theme here,” Reed replies with irritation.
Declan’s attention shifts to me. “I guarantee Brennus did na know either, Genevieve.”
“I’m going to find out exactly who knew what and when.” I move down the alley. Declan matches my stride. “I’ll see you later, Reed.”
“One hour, Evie,” Reed replies.
I stop and look over my shoulder at him. “I’ll be waiting.”
Declan leads me to his car. We get in and he wheels it around and drives in the direction of our home. “I’m sorry if I scared you, Declan. I never made it to the shop.”
“I found Bruno in da dumpster. I take it he’s a ‘no’ for redemption.” He raises his eyebrow.
“Reed’s my guardian angel,” I blurt out.
Declan looks straight ahead at the road. “Dat’s a little awkward.”
“Atwater knew.”
“Atwater always knows. He’s older dan dirt—older dan da sky by two.”
“I’m sorry that I messed up your date.”
He smiles like it’s the least of his worries. “I’m beginning ta tink dat me lucky shirt is na so lucky,” he says and despite everything, I laugh. “I can reschedule it. Maybe ’tis insane of me ta want ta go on a date a tall.”
“No, it’s not insane. It’s necessary. What’s the point of having a life if you don’t live.”
“Ye’re a wise queen.” He pulls up to the walkway that leads into the part of the estate where I reside.
I go inside. The first fella I see is Eion. He’s chewing a piece of apple while he sits in the den cleaning weapons. He’s constantly eating since his return from Sheol. “Do you know where Brennus is?” I ask, watching him swab the barrel of a gun. He swallows, and then blows into the barrel, expelling lint out of the bottom of it.
“He’s in his office wi’ Atwater. They’ve been arguing for hours. Ye do na want ta go in there.”
“That’s exactly where I want to go,” I reply. I walk in the direction of Brennus’ office.
“Call me if ye need me,” Eion shouts. “I’ve sworn ta protect ye, na dem.”
Finn is leaning against the doorframe to Brennus’ office with his arms crossed. He frowns when he sees me, as if the situation just got worse. “Ye do na want ta go in there, Genevieve.”
“Yes I do,” I reply with relative calm. I open the door. It’s dark inside the room. The curtains have been drawn and the lights are low. Atwater is leaning against the windowsill with his arms crossed. I look for Brennus behind his desk, but the chair is empty. Instead, I find him in the far corner of the room. He’s in a black leather chair sitting beneath the dim glow of a floor lamp. In his hand is a glass filled with an amber liquid.
“Yer aingeal has returned, mo chroí,” Brennus announces. Ice rattles in his glass as he takes a sip.
“You didn’t know?” I ask.
Brennus laughs scornfully. “No. How could I know when Heaven is so good at keepin’ secrets?”
“You knew, though,” I say, looking at Atwater. His lionlike features are more pronounced in shadow.
He turns his diamond-shaped irises to look at me. “I did.”
“And you didn’t think that it was important to tell me that my aspire has returned to me as my guardian angel?”
Atwater shrugs. “He’s no longer your aspire.”
I take exception to that. “He is. He’s branded on my heart and I can feel him there, even if you cannot see his mark. Why would you do that to me? Why would you keep him from me?”
“It was important that you be here without any distractions. You needed to become a unit—to bond with one another. You were doing that.” He gestures to Brennus and me.
“You’re against this. You’re against Reed returning as my guardian angel.” I ask Atwater.
His blue wings flutter. “It’s a setback.”
“A setback?” I ask incredulously.
“You have a destiny, Evie.”
“And I’m fulfilling it. It’s my life. You don’t get to dictate all of the aspects of it.”
“You cannot see the big picture.”
“You’re keeping something from me. What is it?” They both remain silent. I put up my hands. “Fine. I’m moving out. I’m going to live with my aspire.”
“Please take some time to consider—”
Turning, I leave the room. I go to my bedroom and pack some things in my bag. Brennus joins me. He watches me move about the room, collecting items that I’ll need. His silence is awful. I have to break it. “I love him.”
He sighs wearily. “Ye love him, ye love me, ye love dem—ye love us all.”
I rub my forehead in frustration. “Reed started all of this. He’s the reason we’re here now.”
“He’s na da reason we’re here now. Ye have no idea where ye come from, do ye?”
“I have a pretty good idea. I have a rather long memory now.”
“I’m talking about da time before yer memories began—before a Russell or a Xavier ever existed.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, fear erupting in the core of my being.
“One day I’ll be able ta show ye whah I’m talkin’ about. One day ye’ll need no tellin’.”
“I have to go.”
“Den ye have ta go. But ye come back. Ye live here wi’ us when he’s away. We protect ye as da Keeper of Da Key of Sheol and our queen.”
“Okay.” I try to move past him.
He puts out his hand and holds my elbow. “Ye still have a job ta do.”
“And I’ll do it,” I assure him. “We’re a team, you, me, and the fellas. I will hold up my end of it.”
“And I’ll hold up moin, mo chroí. I promise ye.”
Reed is waiting for me in a shiny red SUV when I emerge from the old church portion of the seminary. Getting out of the driver’s seat, he opens my door for me when I reach the end of the walkway. “Hello,” he says, leaning down and kissing me. It’s more than a quick peck.
“Hi,” I say breathlessly, my heart beating faster just because I’m near him. He takes the bag in my hand from me. I climb into the seat. He closes my door. He’s in his seat in a millisecond, starting the car.
“Do you have everything you need?” he asks.
As he pulls away from the curb, he studies the rearview mirror. “We’re being followed,” he says softly. At least three cars of fellas trail us.
“I’m sorry,” I sigh the words. “You expected that though, right?’
“I did.”
“I’m their queen, Reed. They’ve sworn to protect me.”
“I know. I will try to be okay with it.”
“Thank you. So where are we going?”
&
nbsp; “Tau gave me his home to stay in for as long as we need it.” I know the place he’s talking about. It’s one of the biggest mansions in Grosse Pointe on Lake Shore Drive, right on the water.
“Is he there?” I ask.
“No. He’s currently in Paradise with your mother.”
“Is he happy?”
“He is.”
I’m silent for the rest of the ride, thinking about my father. I wish things could have been different, but maybe, when I see him again, they will be. Reed drives through an open wrought-iron gateway into a circular drive. He parks in front of the graceful French Normandy style façade I know fairly well from hanging out with Xavier in high school. The house is built from limestone and the roof is covered with slate. The copper accents have a verdigris patina that compliments the limestone.
Reed turns off the car. He gets out and comes around to open my door for me. Taking his hand, he leads me into the house through the stone-carved frame surrounding the front door. We walk beneath the enormous chandelier in the foyer, crossing the room to the impressive formal living room that overlooks Lake St. Clair. The room has exquisite glass windows on one wall. The other walls are paneled in the finest carved wood, housing recessed bookshelves. The furniture is impeccable. He takes both of my hands in his and looks into my eyes.
“Evie, I know that our hasty binding ceremony was not what you ever expected would happen when you risked everything to find me in Dominion. I have thought since then that we should renew our commitment under less dire circumstances. Now that we are no longer bound to one another, we have the unique opportunity to do everything exactly the way you’d like to do them. I love you. I will always love you. Will you commit to me again? Will you bind your life with mine?
My eyes cloud with tears. “Yes, of course I’ll bind to you, Reed.” He exhales deeply. Picking me up off of my feet, he swings me around before setting me down. He kisses me with heart-stopping sweetness, teasing my lips and making me hunger for more.
I have something I need to show you,” he says. He puts his hand to his neck, tugging a chain from beneath his collar. Attached to the chain there is a golden charm in the form of a boatswain. I recognize it at once. It’s the whistle Emil wore in Sheol. “Just as you’re the keeper of the key of Sheol, Evie, I protect the one to Paradise.”
Iniquity (The Premonition Series Book 5) Page 32
