Entice

by Jessica Shirvington

  I took the mug gratefully. The situation must have been bad for Steph to have tackled the espresso machine. I sat up and took a sip.

  “Rough night. What time is it?” I didn’t know how much sleep I’d had. The only way I knew there had actually been a period of real sleep was the dream.

  It had been vivid, almost real. When I’d first opened my eyes, I could still almost reach out and touch it, almost bring it back to me, but with every waking moment, it drifted farther away. I couldn’t remember the dream at all now, not one detail, other than that I was sure I needed to and that I had an odd feeling of…loss.

  “Ten. I would’ve left you to sleep, but we’re supposed to be taking that stuff to Onyx and I figured we should get that done before you’re due at class.”

  I gave a tired sigh, remembering that I’d agreed to do classes with Nyla and Rudyard on the weekends at midday.

  “What happened, anyway?” Steph asked, taking in the state of my still dirty and bloodied legs.

  “I fell over.”

  She half laughed. “Am I supposed to believe that?”

  “It’s true. I was being tormented by two exiles who specialize in the fear department when it happened, but I did fall.”

  “Bad?” Steph added, unsure how much to ask.

  I stood up and quickly grabbed the edge of the couch for support as I handed her the mug with my other hand. “Bad. I’ll go have that shower.”

  • • •

  When I came back into the living room, Steph had tidied up a bit. I didn’t say anything, didn’t thank her. I knew she wouldn’t want that. Instead, I found myself standing at the door to the balcony in the softest, baggiest sweats I could dig up, the ones I usually save for veg-out days. I parted the curtains and slid the door open. Unlocked. Again.

  I let a morning breeze filter in through the open door and closed my eyes, letting the breeze glide over my face, lifting loose strands of hair. I soaked in the promise of a new day and let it deceive me for a selfish moment before I closed the door and accepted that it was unlikely today would be any different.

  • • •

  We took a taxi to Hades. I had insisted on walking, even though my legs were hurting more than I would admit. After the first block, Steph had made a ridiculous huffing noise and hailed a taxi.

  During the day, Hades is pretty low-key, with a much older clientele in the restaurant having business lunches. Dapper must have been a good businessman to be able to attract such a range of customers. Surprisingly, it also didn’t look too seedy, the way lots of nighttime hangouts do during the day, when the lights are up. The scarlet velvet curtains were pulled back, which helped to brighten the place and give a golden glow to the chandeliers that twinkled in the light. Combined with the whitest of white tablecloths and crisp shirts of the waiters, the overall effect was very fresh.

  Steph and I looked around for Dapper and were directed to the cellar. We went through the staff-only door and down the stairs.

  “Get out!” Dapper called as we approached.

  “Okay,” I said, suddenly nervous we had done the wrong thing. We quickly turned and started heading back up.

  “Hang on, hang on. That you, Violet?” Dapper asked, sounding closer.

  I stopped halfway up the stairs, my legs on fire, and called back. “Yes. Sorry, the bar guy told us we could come down.”

  “Yeah, yeah, come back. I thought you were Onyx. He’s always trying to slip down here and pilfer stock.”

  “Sounds like something he’d do,” Steph said to me, making her way back down the stairs. I didn’t follow.

  “What are you two doing here, anyway?” Dapper asked, as he opened a case of wine and started loading the bottles onto the floor-to-ceiling racks.

  “We have Onyx’s shirts and shaver,” I said, still annoyed that I had to pay him for his information.

  “Well, you won’t find him down here. Check upstairs.”

  “Actually…” I started.

  Dapper put down the bottle in his hand and took a good look at me. “Let me guess: you want me to play delivery boy?”

  “Come on, Dapper. Look at her. She barely got down these stairs. Are you really going to send her on a search mission?” Steph asked, sticking up for me as always.

  Dapper glanced down at my legs as if he could see the injuries despite my loose sweats. “You find more trouble, did you?”

  “A bit.”

  “Where’s your knight in shining armor?”

  “Huh?”

  Dapper shook his head at me. “Lincoln? Your fella who can ‘hocus-pocus’ you, fix you all good as new.”

  “Oh.” Thanks for the reminder. “I don’t know. Look, are you going to take this stuff or not?” I asked, fed up with constantly having to explain myself to everyone.

  Dapper put a hand out. “Give it here.”

  Steph handed over the shopping bag.

  I was already on my way back up the stairs by that time. I just didn’t have the energy today. She caught up with me and called out a thank-you to Dapper. She didn’t say anything else. She knew I couldn’t talk it out right now.

  • • •

  Everyone was at Lincoln’s by the time we arrived. A feeling of disappointment overwhelmed me. It was great having everyone around, and I had never had so many friends, but at the same time, I wasn’t used to such a constant invasion. It felt like everywhere I turned, someone else was there. I barely had any time on my own anymore. It was all too much.

  I went through the motions, involving myself in conversations when necessary. Mostly, the talk revolved around the night before, recapping the story or asking questions. Luckily for me, it seemed no one had gone into the role I had played in too much depth.

  I was aware of Lincoln sitting at the dining table with Magda close beside him. At one point, I’d made a hesitant move toward him, but he’d seen me coming and turned away, so I, pathetically, kept on walking past them to the espresso machine. Spence was rummaging through the fridge, clearly unhappy with its contents.

  “Any milk?” I asked, grabbing a mug.

  “Milk, yes. Snacks, no,” he said, emerging with the milk and nothing else. He passed the carton to me and must have noticed the tears welling in my eyes.

  “Hey, you okay?” He put a hand on my shoulder, but something caught his attention and he dropped it again. “Oh man, I’m gonna…” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder and walked away.

  I turned around to see Lincoln, arms crossed as he watched Spence move to the sofa. He didn’t even look at me.

  I took up a spot on my own near my wall, wishing I could slip behind the drop cloth and disappear. Every time I looked over to Lincoln, Magda was whispering something in his ear, then breaking into sly grins I was sure were meant only for me. She was so smug, sitting there, looking perfect in white jeans and a caramel-colored sweater. Her clothes were always immaculate, and she wore the kind of labels only Steph could rival.

  Everyone chatted away as we waited for Griffin to arrive, the last person due. I talked to Nyla for a while but had the feeling she was formulating too many opinions of me, so I moved away when I could. My legs were throbbing badly and I felt blood seeping through my pants. I hoped the fabric wasn’t sticking to the wounds as the blood dried.

  When Griffin finally arrived, he greeted Nyla and Rudyard and then headed straight over to where Magda and Lincoln were huddled. Magda stood, gave him a brief embrace, and talked quietly with him. I inched closer but couldn’t hear much, other than that she was leaving and it was something she couldn’t get out of—though she hadn’t seemed keen to go anywhere just a minute ago. She was brusque with Griffin and within moments landed a quick—and annoying—kiss on Lincoln’s cheek before she basically flew out the door. I was guessing her abrupt departure was the reason she didn’t have the chance to say good-bye to me.

&n
bsp; Yeah right.

  “Is everyone here, then?” Griffin called out, returning his attention to the room.

  We all nodded. He was about to convene a meeting. With the information we gathered last night, it was now more important than ever to find those Scriptures. I knew they would have been working on strategies all morning. He was about to lay it out for us—what was going to happen, how it was going to happen. The problem was, Griffin didn’t have all the info.

  “Right, come and sit down,” he went on, readying to start the spiel of a leader. I was glad we had him. The burden he must carry was huge. I was exhausted from just a week of having to deal with these people. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for him at times.

  Everyone dutifully moved in around the couches, squeezing together. Steph looked cozy tucked in with Salvatore. I smiled at her, noticing as I did that she was looking back at me with a worried expression. Lincoln moved closer too but kept a slight distance from everyone else, choosing to remain standing at the end of the kitchen bench. It could have just been because there was no room left on the sofas, but I was certain it was more than that.

  More to do with staying away from me!

  Griffin made himself comfortable in the main armchair, and because there was no room left for me, I just sat on the floor, which suited me anyway. My legs were on fire and at least there, laying them out straight didn’t draw any extra attention.

  “Okay, I know you were all planning on training today, but instead, we need to work out how we are going to deal with the new information we have,” Griffin began.

  Showtime.

  I half raised my hand. “Actually, before you do that, I need to tell you something,” I confessed, taking a deep breath.

  “What do you mean, Violet?” Griffin asked.

  “I mean, there’s more. I…I know who’s after the Scriptures.”

  I saw Lincoln take a tiny step toward me and then move back to his place as if he wasn’t sure what to do—or what he wanted to do.

  I bit down on my lip.

  Stay strong.

  “Phoenix is back.”

  “What?!” Lincoln snapped. His eyes narrowed and zeroed in on me.

  I knew it was big news, but it still shocked me to see him look at me like that.

  “He was at Hades the other night. When we got there—” I shook my head, angry that I had allowed this much to happen. “I could sense an exile and I checked him out, but he wasn’t causing any trouble and Dapper reminded me that we’d promised not to fight in his place. The exile from the farmhouse last night, the one who got away, was also at Hades, working for Phoenix.”

  “Are you sure? How do you know?” Griffin asked, urgently.

  “He used his abilities on me…and Spence.” I looked down. “He…”

  “He made you kiss Spence,” Lincoln answered for me. I looked up and could see the anger drain away as understanding dawned on his face. “Violet, Phoenix did that?”

  “Did you really think I’d just throw myself at her so easily?” Spence jumped in, feigning offense, trying to lighten a moment that couldn’t be.

  Zoe punched him in the arm.

  Lincoln’s gaze didn’t shift. His green eyes glistened as he continued to stare at me from the other side of the room. I could see the agony in them. And the fear. But now was not the time.

  I’ve got more to tell.

  “He wanted to show me that even though our emotional bond was broken, he was still strong enough to influence me and other Grigori. He was giving a display of how powerful he really is. When I confronted him, he showed me something else as well.”

  “You spoke to him?” Lincoln asked, now taking that tentative step in my direction.

  I braced myself to say it. “He still has some kind of hold over me.”

  “Do you want me to explain?” Spence offered, sensing the tension in the room.

  Lincoln shot Spence a look from beneath a furrowed brow. Spence actually seemed to shrink in size.

  “No. Even you don’t know everything,” I replied, keeping my focus on Griffin. It was easier that way. “When Phoenix healed me, he bonded our life forces. The other night, he…he took the healing away. It was as if Onyx had just stabbed me again.”

  “He reproduced old wounds?” Nyla asked.

  Lincoln didn’t say anything, and when I chanced a quick glance, I couldn’t work out if he looked more livid or petrified.

  “This is very serious, Violet.”

  “I don’t need you to tell me that, Griffin,” I snapped.

  Griffin nodded. “You’re right. But Phoenix has capabilities we are not fully aware of yet.” He turned to everyone else. “For the benefit of those who do not know, Phoenix is something of an anomaly. He is the son of an ancient dark exile, Lilith, and also”—he looked down, worried—“he is the son of man.”

  “Doesn’t that make him like a Nephilim?” Zoe asked. Nephilim are the result of exile and human breeding. Often they just produce a normal human. Sometimes they produce something more, but their offspring are not as powerful as exiles and generally not as destructive. They weren’t common or usually viewed as a major threat.

  Griffin rubbed his eyes. “No. Phoenix was conceived prior to original sin, before mortality. When he was made, man was of similar power to angel. Angels acknowledged Phoenix as one of their own and he existed in the realm of angels before he was cast out. So Phoenix can blend like a human, can almost completely shut off the senses, and has a very capable handle on his ability to influence and control emotion.” Griffin looked at me sternly. “You should’ve told me the moment he resurfaced.”

  I nodded and hated that I’d let him down.

  “It was pretty bad. Blood everywhere. I can confidently say we all thought she was going to…you know…right there on the floor,” Zoe confirmed. She sounded so blasé, but she couldn’t hide the heavy gulp that followed. Nyla gave her a look that stopped any further contribution.

  “When he left, I healed…but…Phoenix is tied to me, physically. If we return him…” I sucked in another breath, struggling to deliver the finale. “If his physical form dies…”

  “It will kill you too,” Lincoln said, the blankest expression on his pale face.

  “Yes.”

  The room was soundless. Everyone had a question, something to say, but no one dared. All eyes darted between Lincoln and me. They could feel the energy leaping between the two of us.

  Finally, I said, “I think I know where he is—where they all are.”

  “Where?” Griffin and Nyla asked simultaneously.

  “The airport.” I shifted my leg and a shooting pain flew up my thigh. I tried to hide the gasp and wondered if there was some glass left in the wound. “Don’t ask me how; I just know.”

  “Was that what you were trying to sense last night?” Rudyard asked.

  “And why you then lied about it,” Griffin concluded, less impressed.

  I just nodded to both. “Kind of. I sensed something at the airport the other day that I can’t explain—I just knew it wasn’t right. Then, when we arrived at the farmhouse, I recognized the exile that we later…questioned.” I tried and failed not to gulp at the memory. “He was at Hades the other night, just before Phoenix. He must’ve told Phoenix I was there. Anyway, after seeing him at the farmhouse, I knew it was too convenient that they were so close to the airport. Phoenix must’ve had them hiding out there. I think that was also why they targeted me.”

  “What do you mean ‘targeted’ you?” Lincoln asked, increasingly upset by his lack of knowledge.

  I felt a bit defensive and was about to say something when Griffin jumped in.

  “I tried to call you last night to explain, Linc, but you didn’t answer.” Griffin didn’t wait for his response and instead turned back to me, absorbing everything I was telling them. “It m
akes sense, since you’re someone he’s fixated on. He would have told them to try and play on your fears. Violet, do we need to know what they showed you? Is this all somehow tied into a fear you have?”

  I thought about the question. Though it made me want to curl into a ball, it was fair enough. Everything else seemed to be connected.

  But how could they know my innermost fear when even I didn’t fully acknowledge it until the moment it was revealed?

  “No. It was just a game. It wasn’t about the actual fear,” I said, confident I was right.

  “Get out!” Lincoln said loudly, bordering on crazy, startling the whole room. He ran his hands through his hair angrily, as everyone looked at him, frozen.

  “Leave!” He marched up to the door and aggressively pulled it open. “This is my home. I’m happy to have you all here, using it for your needs, but right now…Get out!”

  Griffin and I, who knew Lincoln the best, stood. Griffin motioned for everyone else to do the same. One by one, people removed themselves from their seats and made for the door. Griffin paused when he passed Lincoln.

  “Take the time you need, Linc. But we need to strategize. We need you on board. We’ll continue this meeting at six tonight at Hades. Come and join us when you’re ready.”

  I started walking toward the door after Griffin left.

  “Not you!” Lincoln snapped, and when I flinched he quickly apologized. “Sorry. I’m sorry,” he said, softening his tone, his hand wavering in midair, as if he wanted to reach out to me. “I didn’t mean to…We need to talk.”

  I nodded. I was way too tired to argue, so I collapsed onto the sofa and put my aching legs up to rest. If he wanted to yell at me, I was at least going to be comfortable.

  Lincoln closed the door after I’d given Steph a reassuring nod, and went straight to the kitchen. I didn’t bother getting up.

  He returned a few minutes later with a bowl of water and some cloths, which he placed on the ground, and handed me a glass of water.

  “Thanks,” I said, unsure what else to say.

  I sat up a little, and as I did, he slipped a couple of pillows under my head to hold me up.