“Timely,” I agree. “So, nice party.”
“It’s retro, right?” she asks me, looking around at the medieval walls of the city. “Straight out of the Dark Ages. I love it!”
“It’s straight out of something,” I reply, smiling as she hands me a pierogi wrapped in paper.
“I wanted to do fireworks, but we’re trying to keep it quiet, so we thought less is more—like you’ve been teaching us—minivans not Ferraris,” she says.
“I think that any secret you had is out in Torun. After the night of fighting, I doubt if any of the humans will be in the dark about the existence of angels,” I reply, before taking a bite of the pierogi she gave me.
“It’s all taken care of,” Buns says nonchalantly. “Everything within the city is probably back to normal by now.”
“What?” I ask. “The whole town is a mess. Dead angels everywhere, trashed buildings, bullet holes, mortar in the streets…blood…smashed cars…” I trail off, watching her shaking her head.
“They sent in the Cherubim,” she says with an easy smile.
“I thought those angels keep track of sins,” I counter, watching her smile grow bigger.
“Some do and some, well, some clean up the sinners. I’ll bet the Virtues are helping, too,” she adds. I glance at Phaedrus who nods his head.
“The tavern we were in was destroyed—” I start to say, but I stop as she shakes her head no. “Reed’s house—” she continues to shake her head.
“They probably look the same now as they did the moment before you arrived here,” she replies.
“How?” I wonder aloud.
“Divine design,” she replies.
Frustrated by her explanation, I turn to Brownie. “How did you get here?” I ask.
“I hitched a ride with Preben,” Brownie says, pointing her thumb at the tall, silver-haired Power I remember from Dominion’s chateau. He once helped me when I was on trial there for my life.
“Preben!” I exclaim. His tall frame is covered by white, protective armor, but his light-brown wings are unadorned.
“Are you responsible for this?” he asks with mock sternness.
“Uh, that all depends,” I reply.
“Does it? On what?” he asks with a look of intrigue.
“Have my rights changed at all?” I ask. I cross my arms, remembering that when I was at Dominion he had told me that the only right I had was to “pray for death.”
“Considerably changed—we touch you and Tau will have our wings,” he says.
“And your heads,” Brownie adds, reaching out and patting his cheek lightly.
“Heads will roll!” Buns chimes in with glee. The Powers standing around her all seem amused rather than offended by her.
Seeing the way that Preben is looking at Brownie, like she’s edible, I straighten up, glancing at Buns. Buns’s eyebrow rises as she nods her head to my question.
“Brownie, how did you happen to find Preben?” I ask while Brownie’s fingertips gently lift from Preben’s cheek.
“Uh, hmm, well, he kinda found my safe house,” she says, her face turning red.
“He did?” I ask, while she plays with the ends of her platinum-blond hair.
“She mentioned something to me once, when we were in China together—after the Gancanagh had taken you. She said she wanted to find you and then she wanted to rest for a while. She said she had a little place in Austria, in the Alps…” he trails off, when Brownie smiles.
“So, you looked for it?” I ask. “I’m surprised you didn’t follow Reed here when he came through his portal after Brownie.”
“I was distracted at that moment,” Preben says, a small smile on his lips as Brownie’s blush deepens. “I wasn’t expecting him to be there. After Reed freed you from Brennus’ lair in Ireland, we had lost contact with all of you,” he replies ruefully, his light gray eyes falling on me.
“We went to the island,” I mutter, knowing he was purposefully not told our location.
“Yes, I know,” he replies. “You wanted to protect Russell from us—from Dominion.”
“He has an aspire now, a Throne, so you can’t have him,” I respond quickly, making sure that Preben knows that Russell will never be their pawn.
“WHAT!” Both Brownie and Buns ask in unison.
Preben’s brow rises in surprise as he says, “I did not see that coming.”
“Get in line!” Buns and Brownie say together, their eyes wide.
“Aspire aside, it is no longer up to us—what happens to him or to you,” he says.
“Is Dominion backing down?” I ask, relieved that we won’t have to scuffle over Russell.
“We are outranked,” he replies. “The Seraphim have arrived.”
“Ah,” I say, my face filling with heat. “There’s a new sheriff in town.”
“There is indeed,” he says, his eyes lifting from me to the space behind me.
Feeling cold wind, goose bumps rise on my arms as all the angels stand up just a little straighter. Buns leans toward my ear, saying teasingly, “Sweetie, your dad is smokin’ hot!”
“Shut up, Buns,” I mutter, and her eyes dance with laughter at my comment.
“Who’s that with him? Do you know them, sweetie?” she asks, forcing me to glance behind me at the Seraphim who just landed amid the Powers on the parapet. Tau, standing a few yards away, is staring at me. He hasn’t changed since the battle; blood is crisscrossing his white, full-body armor.
My eyes glide over the dark-haired angel standing next to Tau. I’m surprised to find that I do recognize him. He also attended my high school. “That one is Tau’s best friend, Cole Martin. They did everything together in school.” My eyes shift from Cole to the other Seraphim next to Cole and I forget to breathe. My face flushes hot as I stare into Xavier Reece’s eyes.
Xavier is tall and as built as Tau with golden-blond hair, but it’s his eyes that are shocking; one iris is blue and the other is green. Mr. Freidmen, our high school biology teacher, told us in class that it’s a genetic anomaly called heterochromia iridium that causes one iris to have a different amount of melanin in it, making it a different color. Kenny called Xavier a genetic sideshow freak and told us he once saw a dog with two different colored eyes, too…Kenny transferred to a private school after that.
“What’s wrong, sweetie? Do you know that one, too,” Buns whispers to me, watching my visceral reaction to Xavier.
I stiffen. “Uhh…Xavier Reece,” I murmur.
Buns looks from me to Xavier and then back to me again. “Was he your boyfriend or something?” she asks.
“Or something,” I manage to say.
“Ex-boyfriend?” she guesses again.
“That’s more like it,” I mutter.
“How ex are we talking?” she asks.
“The kind where you have to take everything that he ever gave you and bury it in the backyard so there will be nothing to remind you of how much you loved him,” I murmur, feeling almost as bad as I did on the night when I had dug that hole.
“Cheesy Claremont, how you’ve grown,” Cole Martin says as his wings retract behind him in a sedate, regal way. The snow still clings to his black hair that is a little longer than he wore it in high school.
Taking a deep breath, I turn around to face them. “Cold Misery, you’re looking fresh. Is that brain matter in your hair?” I ask him, seeing his hazel eyes soften in the corners in humor. I lean casually against an ancient stone wall behind me, crossing my legs negligently. Buns’s brows pull together as she looks at them in confusion.
“I always loved that nickname,” Cole replies, a smile touching his seductive lips. “Did you come up with it?”
“Yes, but I can’t take all the credit—you earned it all on your own,” I reply, crossing my arms in front of me while trying to keep my features blank.
“We had to be tough on you,” he says, coming to stand by my side. “We had to prepare you for the challenges you faced—thicken your skin. I bet it�
��s easier to take being called ‘half-breed’ after surviving high school as ‘cheesy.’”
“Was that your reasoning?” I ask Cole in a bored tone.
“We also had to keep the hormonal humans away,” Xavier adds.
“Bravo then. Mission accomplished,” I reply with no emotion.
“Not really,” Xavier replies. “We had to get creative with a few of the males in school, right, Tau?” he asks rhetorically. Tau nods. Xavier continues, “Greg Landon wanted to do more than watch the movie... but he was more of a lover than a fighter.”
“Why would you care who I dated? You were the one who decided that we weren’t right for each other,” I say to Xavier. “Wait...was that an act? Were you just pretending to like me?” My heart constricts with betrayal. “Were you just there to spy on me?” I ask Xavier, not letting my voice change or show irritation. I can’t let them get to me.
“I was protecting you,” he states.
“By lying to me,” I counter.
“I wasn’t allowed to tell you anything,” he frowns.
“You’re an angel,” I accuse him as he comes to stand next to me.
“So are you,” he replies with a small smile.
“No. I’m not,” I say without emotion. “You should’ve told me.”
“You’ve adapted well since we last saw you,” Cole says, flanking my other side and taking in all of my attributes. “Look at her lack of emotion, Xavier,” he adds, like he’s proud of my demeanor. “Who taught you to act like a Seraph?”
“A fallen angel named Casimir,” I reply, watching the smile instantly leave Cole’s face. They probably knew Casimir. He was Seraphim like them and may have even been their friend before the Fall. “He tried to take me to Sheol when I was with the Gancanagh.”
“When you were Brennus’ queen,” Tau states, his mouth turning down in disdain. “We have been apprised of that incident.” Approaching me, Tau’s features become more unreadable than mine. “Reed killed Casimir, is that correct?” he asks.
“Yes, my aspire,” I say and Xavier growls at my words, causing my eyes to narrow at him.
“Why do you have an aspire?” he asks, sounding angry.
“Why do you care?” I counter, frowning at him like he’s boring me.
“I care for many, many reasons,” Xavier replies, leaning nearer to me and invading my personal space.
I pretend to ignore him, but my wings react anyway. My coat falls off me as my wings spread out, pushing him back. Speaking in Angel, Xavier reaches out to gently stroke my wing. I straighten, feeling confused.
Turning to Buns, her mouth is falling open a little. “What did he just say?” I ask.
“He thinks your wings are adorable,” she says before a smile spreads over her face. Then, she whispers, “I think he likes you.”
Meeting Xavier’s mismatched eyes, I frown. “No, he doesn’t and he never really did,” I reply, inching closer to Buns. “Well, thanks for coming today…Tau. I appreciate the help—killing the Fallen—good job. I guess I’ll see you all at the ten-year class reunion. Keep in touch.”
Standing up straighter, I hitch my arm in Buns’s and try to move past them. They instantly create a wall in front of me so that we can’t get to the door that leads down the tower.
Phaedrus says something to Tau in Angel.
“What did Phaedrus say?” I ask Buns.
She’s just as startled as I am, probably because she’s not used to coming up against Seraphim. “Basically, he just told them to relax—not to push you. He told them that they’re being too aggressive,” she whispers.
Tau replies to Phaedrus and I look to Buns to translate.
“Sweetie, uh…he wants to know how to tell you that he’s assuming the protection of you without appearing too aggressive.”
My eyes narrow. “How do you say ‘get stuffed’ in Angel, Buns?” I counter, before seeing Phaedrus cringe.
“You don’t,” Tau warns in a soft tone, his wings spreading out, making him look huge and frankly, terrifying.
Letting go of Buns, my wings spread out, too, mimicking Tau’s aggressive posture.
While Tau frowns at me, Xavier grins saying, “Evie, you can’t do that. I’ve been waiting for you to grow up. I have so much to teach you.”
“Not interested,” I reply.
Xavier’s grin is gone, replaced by a frown. “Get interested,” he says in a stern tone.
“Why? I already have mentors and protectors,” I reply.
Xavier’s eyebrow rises cunningly over his blue eye. “And you didn’t need us at all today?” he asks calmly.
“Thanks for the hand today, but where were you when everything was falling apart? Where was he when this all started?” I ask, flicking my hand towards Tau. “When I began evolving into a TOTAL FREAK? You were nowhere—you’re a little late and you’re unreliable,” I say as Xavier’s eyelids hood over his mismatched eyes.
“We were called back!” Xavier responds in a harsh tone. “None of us wanted to leave you—and you’re not a freak!”
“Easy, Xavier,” Tau says as I struggle to keep the cool mask in place, but it’s slipping and I’m trying not to cry.
A breeze touches my face and then Reed is next to me, taking me in his arms and holding me close to him. “We won, love,” he breathes softly in my ear. “Now take a deep breath and we’ll handle this together.” He kisses me, causing crazy things to happen in my stomach and my knees to feel weak.
Xavier growls behind us. Reed grins, his green eyes showing humor. “Another admirer, love?” he asks me in a sexy, teasing tone. “You’re really going to have to start telling them about me.”
“Why tell them when I can show them?” I ask. My arms snake behind his neck and I brush my lips lightly over his, while pressing my body to him.
Hearing another low growl from Xavier, I break off our kiss, glancing at him. His crimson wings are stretched wide, and Tau has his hand on Xavier’s arm, holding him firmly.
Reed gently nudges me back from him, before spreading his charcoal-colored wings wide and growling back at Xavier. Reed looks fierce with his brows drawn together and his jaw clenching. They look like they’re about to pounce on each other, causing fear to creep up my spine.
Phaedrus steps between us all, facing Tau. He speaks rapidly to the Seraphim, looking like he’s reasoning with them.
Then, Tau speaks to Xavier; his voice, although musical, has an authoritative tone to it that even I can recognize. Xavier, still frowning, slowly retracts his wings while his jaw tenses even more.
Next, Tau speaks to Reed in the same tone. Reed’s charcoal-colored wings retract slowly, too, and come to rest elegantly behind him.
To me, Tau says, “I’m going to give my orders to the Powers. We will leave within the hour.” He turns and strides toward the door to the tower with Cole next to him. Xavier stares at me for a moment before he reluctantly follows Tau into the Bridge Gate.
“Take Tau’s number off speed-dial, Reed,” I mutter.
“Listen, love…Tau is used to being in command. He has your best interest at heart, I’m certain, and I think you should give him a chance,” Reed says, taking my hand. “We should consider going with him.”
“Where is he going?” I ask, squeezing his hand tight in mine.
“There’s a ship in the Baltic Sea waiting for us,” he explains, looking up at the sky.
“Are Cole and Xavier coming, too?” I ask, hoping for a negative answer. I have too much history with Xavier. He had had a starring role in every daydream I had in high school...and then he broke my heart.
“It’s their boat,” he replies, watching my eyes close briefly.
“How are we getting there?” I ask.
“We’re going to fly,” he says, not looking happy about it.
“You mean…with our wings?” I ask with a sinking feeling. Reed nods. Half in denial about what’s happening, I ask, “Where’s the boat going to take us?”
“We can discuss
that when we get there,” Reed replies, his voice silky before he caresses his lips against mine. Somehow I know he’s stalling me on the location.
“That bad, huh?” I ask, feeling uneasy. “We can’t leave without Russell. Is he here?” Fear is threading through me.
“He’s right behind me. We had to stop and get medical attention,” Zephyr answers next to Buns. She turns and hugs him to her, letting her hands rove over him to make sure he’s not hurt. “I caught the last part. Xavier will be an interesting challenge,” he says, looking at Reed significantly.
“I look forward to it,” Reed replies easily.
My eyes fall on Russell, seeing how exhausted he is. “Are you okay, Russell?” I ask. He’s holding Anya’s hand and they both have been bandaged in a few places.
“Yeah, I could use some food—a bed—ESPN,” he replies with weariness in his tone.
“The army is pulling out to a new position,” Reed says, watching Russell’s reaction. “We’re flying—with wings.”
“Y’all are evil,” Russell states tiredly.
Zephyr seems to agree with Russell. “How long do we allow this to go on?” Zephyr asks Reed in a serious tone. “The Seraphim believe that they are in charge of Evie.”
“We need answers and they have them,” Reed replies, “and Tau is Evie’s father, so we attempt to compromise—”
Zephyr cuts in, “They are Seraphim, no offense Evie, but Seraphim are not known for their ability to compromise.”
“None taken. I’m only half Seraphim,” I reply, shrugging.
“They have information that Evie needs. I’m willing to cooperate to see some of those questions answered. Are we all in agreement that we play along for now?” Reed asks all of us, like we all have equal say.
“I’m in, sweetie,” Buns says, smiling at me. “I like boats.”
“Me, too,” Brownie chimes in immediately, letting her copper butterfly wings spread out of her back. Preben’s eyes follow their delicate lines.
“You will need me, so I will come,” Zephyr says with the hubris that accompanies a few billion years of life experience.
My eyes drift to Russell’s and he says, “It goes without sayin’ that I’m goin’ wherever you are, Red.” I nod, expecting nothing less from him.
Incendiary (The Premonition Series (Volume 4)) Page 19
