‘Are you sure?’ he teased. He looked at me in that I-know-something-you-don’t-know way and a wave of doubt washed through me. He laughed, pleased with my reaction.
‘Is it the angel or the Grigori on his way to save you?’
‘I don’t need anyone to save me.’
He straightened a little, still amused. ‘I admit, you do emit a unique aura. But I can see you have no comprehension of the power you carry. My exiles have been sensing your power all over town. You seem to leave a rather large footprint. It’s fascinating. You’ve become somewhat of a talking point.’ He looked to the exile beside him. ‘Has she not, Joel?’
Joel stepped forward. He was in a tailored black suit with a dark shirt that had a short collar, not unlike a priest’s clerical collar. Strangely, he reminded me of Nox rather than Uri.
‘Do you know your maker?’ he said. I felt an immediate compulsion to answer him, so forceful I would have stepped back had I not been compelled to remain where I was.
‘No, I have no idea,’ I said in a trance. Something was very wrong.
Joel’s lips twitched. ‘Are you of light or dark?’
I couldn’t help myself. ‘I don’t know,’ I answered honestly.
‘What did you see on your trials?’
I took a step towards him, wanting to please him. ‘A desert, my guides, sandstorm, lion, water, death, dagger.’ I tried to stop myself, but the words just tumbled from my mouth.
Onyx and Joel looked at each other. Phoenix had once explained that some exiles retained the ability to speak telepathically after taking human form. I was guessing these were two that could.
While they were silently conversing I searched within myself and found my power. The first thing it told me was that Lincoln was near. I started to put the walls up, trying to protect myself before they tried to mind-rape me again. I needed to be stronger. They turned back to me, watching in curiosity.
Onyx laughed. Surprise, surprise.
‘You should conserve your strength.’
I saw Lincoln from the corner of my eye, circling wide, trying to reach me undetected. Then, finally, I saw Phoenix in the shadows. He put his finger to his lips and I looked away, but not before I saw the golden threads encircling him. Why couldn’t I sense him if he was that close?
Joel pulled out his sword, the same one that he had been holding in my dream. ‘Tell your Grigori friend there is no point circling wolves. He may join you unharmed, for now, if that is where he wishes to stand.’
I looked over to Lincoln and shook my head, telling him not to come forward. He ignored me, marching right through the wall of exiles to stand by my side. He took my hand briefly and power swirled between us. Then he turned to Onyx.
‘Why are you here, Onyx?’ He didn’t sound in the least frightened, despite the fact that last time they had met, Onyx had almost killed him.
‘Lincoln, my friend, you look well…considering.’ He surveyed Lincoln in surprise, then turned to me. ‘Your handiwork?’
‘It’s none of your business.’ I didn’t want to answer any more questions.
He smiled. ‘That’s where you’re wrong, Violet.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Lincoln asked again, ignoring Onyx and gesturing towards the club. ‘Even for you, this is a little public.’
‘Perhaps, but we grow in strength and number. We can create a glamour when we need one,’ Onyx said.
‘It won’t be long before we do not need to hide at all,’ Joel added and then pointed at me. ‘She is the first step to us claiming our rightful power over humans.’
Things just kept getting better.
‘What are you talking about?’ I demanded.
‘You have been created as a weapon for your kind. Destroying you will be a blow to your people and a message to your maker. Your creator sits safely in his realm, leaving you to do his dirty work. It must end…and soon it will. Soon we will know the identity of every Grigori now and into the future.’
‘That’s impossible,’ Lincoln said, almost laughing.
‘Let us see how impossible it is once we have the list.’
Dread sounded in my voice. ‘What list?’
Onyx chuckled. ‘It’s a scripture really. Soon we will have the name and maker of every Grigori, even those who have not yet embraced. It is almost boring to think how easy it will be.’ He looked off, daydreaming.
I had found my reason to embrace. Saving Lincoln’s life had been my choice. Even though I couldn’t seem to help the hatred that welled up in me when I thought of him and all that had happened between us, I now knew my choice had been the right one. I’d had a reason to become Grigori. Now Onyx had just given me a reason to be one.
I stared at Onyx and Joel with disgust. ‘You will never get that list. I promise you.’ As I spoke, I knew I would do whatever it took to stop them from preying on innocents, on defenceless Grigori who didn’t even know what they were. It had been hard enough finding out the way I had – the idea of exiles knowing who they were before they did… No.
Joel spoke. ‘I can see that you believe that. I even admire your conviction, but I’m afraid you won’t be around to prevent it.’
Lincoln moved his shoulder slightly in front of me, assuming a protective stance. I held back the urge to push him away. Even now, I could feel the anger towards him.
‘You came here for her?’ Lincoln asked.
‘Yes,’ Joel said simply. The same energy I had felt in the alley when the clean-up crew arrived thrummed through my core. I grabbed Lincoln’s hand and spoke quickly, as low as I could. ‘Griffin and Magda are here. They’ve brought help.’
‘You can tell that?’ he whispered, surprised. I gave a small nod.
I could feel them on the other side of the circle of exiles.
Lincoln stood tall. ‘You won’t touch her,’ he growled.
Onyx sighed dramatically. ‘I could almost believe you, but half the work is already done. She is tainted,’ he said, as if I had some disease.
‘What the hell are you talking about?’ I said.
He smiled. ‘Allow me to give a demonstration.’ He opened both his arms in a grand sweeping gesture and the room slid into a deep red glow.
Shadows emerged from the walls and ceiling and danced towards me. My breathing quickened and I felt my throat tighten in fear. The dozens of elaborate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling looked like they were melting, dripping fire and liquid glass onto the dancing crowd. The crimson curtains draped around the edges of the room rippled manically, like a raging sea, devouring everything within their reach. The dark floorboards splintered and flew upwards like sharp wooden swords rising from the floor.
People started screaming as they were impaled on the wooden spikes and dripping lava-like glass burned holes in them. I tried to step forward, to run to Steph’s side, but I was paralysed. The faces of the exiles surrounding me had morphed into creatures – animals, gargoyles, ravens and snakes. Some looked like they had fangs coming from their mouths and began biting into the necks of defenceless humans. Others turned into bright illuminations that burned my eyes. I started screaming and even though I knew they were tricking me, using my imagination, fear and panic overwhelmed me.
I was aware of Lincoln grabbing my shoulders, trying to shake me out of it. But it was no use. I tried to draw on my power, to build my walls. But Onyx and Joel, working together, bulldozed through it.
A gust of wind pushed at my back as a hand went to the base of my neck. Sparks of energy, little electric shocks, flickered down my spine. In my ear, Phoenix whispered, ‘Try again.’
I reached within, while exiles tore Steph from the floor where she was cowering and dragged her towards me, laughing and ripping at her clothes. I focused all my strength and pulled it into a ball. I wanted to build it, to grow it within me, control it. I concentrated a little of the energy on my body, willing it to move. Twinges of pins and needles pricked my legs and I knew I was breaking their hold.
I took a
step towards Onyx and Joel and launched my ball of power, letting it sail over them to the other exiles and beyond to the illusions that lay before my eyes. A cloud of my amethyst mist settled over the room like a blanket, evaporating the horrific illusion and bringing me back to myself.
Fully clothed and intact, Steph was still dancing with Marcus, oblivious to everything that was going on.
‘He’s broken it!’ Joel screamed in fury, looking around. I didn’t know what he meant, but I remembered Phoenix standing behind me.
‘Phoenix!’ Onyx yelled through the club. ‘Phoenix!’ he yelled again.
Lincoln turned to me. ‘What’s going on?’
I didn’t respond, but I had an all-bad feeling.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
‘. . . and the truth will set you free.’
John 8:32
Phoenix stepped into the circle. My bad feeling heightened when I saw his face. Shadowed and rigid.
‘You released her, you imbecile! Why? You had the perfect hold. She didn’t even know!’ Joel yelled. His insanity was in full swing.
‘What hold?’ I asked, looking at Phoenix.
‘I didn’t realise it was going to happen. I swear, Violet.’
‘What are you talking about?’ I asked, saying each word slowly, deliberately.
Onyx seemed to find a new reason to smile. He moved towards Phoenix, separating from Joel. My eyes darted to Lincoln, who took a few small steps in Joel’s direction. The last thing we needed was Joel trying something like Malachi had done when Onyx had gone on one of his raves.
‘He has tampered with you, weakened you! And given his heritage, I’d stake that before you embraced you gave yourself to him in the… physical sense.’
I shifted uncomfortably. Did everyone have to know this one detail about me? I tried to keep my cool, but it was flimsy at best. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’
‘Let me guess, you two shared a night of indescribable seduction.’ He waved a hand through the air. ‘The world moved around you and ever since you haven’t been able to tell when he has been tinkering with your emotions – unless, of course, he wanted you to know.’
My mind raced back over all the moments I’d been with Phoenix since that night. Apart from the heavy dose of desire he had intentionally poured into me earlier, I couldn’t remember being aware of him affecting me, bleeding his emotions into me, the way I had been before. I looked at Phoenix. He wouldn’t meet my gaze.
‘The kink in my power?’
‘And the best thing is…’ Onyx continued, ‘what has he been so busy doing to you since he’s had this little advantage? Would you like me to tell you?’ He raised his eyebrows.
Phoenix stepped forward. ‘NO!’
I looked to him again, but he still wouldn’t meet my gaze. ‘Yes,’ I said.
‘Very well. He has given you hate, little rainbow. So much hate that eventually it would have built to the point where it ruined you. He has clouded your judgement and dulled every other emotion with anger, planted it deep within and given it a target.’
I looked at Lincoln, who was standing quietly, but I realised his mind was ticking over as surely as mine, adding everything up. When my eyes fully took him in, it was like I hadn’t seen him in weeks. The urge to throw myself into his arms was almost overwhelming.
I looked back at Phoenix. ‘You made me hate Lincoln.’ My bottom lip shook and a tear slid down my face.
‘I didn’t know the connection would form until after it happened.’ Phoenix’s voice was grave. ‘Even after we… I could feel what you felt for him when you healed him. I couldn’t risk losing you.’
‘And my feelings for you? Did you influence those?’ Even as I asked the question I knew the answer. It wasn’t just because of Onyx’s revelations that my feelings for Phoenix were now dulled. He didn’t answer.
‘I thought you said that was cheating,’ I said, waiting for him to tell me I was wrong. He didn’t.
Onyx started strolling around us, revelling in the results of his malice. ‘Now, now, Phoenix, don’t be coy. It was quite the feat, given her power. She must have relinquished her body to you completely. Dare I guess she gave you a unique sacrifice?’
‘That’s enough,’ Lincoln warned in a threatening growl.
‘Jealous, are we? Or is it just denial? Tell me, Lincoln, will you ever look at her in the same way? Knowing she first surrendered her body to an angel of dark?’
The last of my stomach plummeted to the ground. The bad plummet. The kind you don’t come back from. A hand went over my mouth.
‘Yes, dark! You stupid girl.’ Onyx was grinding his teeth with anticipation. ‘Oh, but Lincoln, you must have wondered yourself. Tell me you didn’t have your own suspicions?’
‘Don’t,’ Lincoln warned again, but it only encouraged Onyx.
‘He is powerful, our Phoenix. With a mother like his, how could he not be?’
My mind was racing. Mother? Angels didn’t have mothers.
‘In your defence, he is actually more difficult than most to sense. Phoenix is one of a kind. Son of the Goddess of the Night and of immortal Man. He mingles well, using his human heritage when it suits his purposes.’
Onyx walked around Phoenix and then meandered his way back towards me again. I tried to keep my eyes on him; I knew Lincoln was watching Joel, and Griffin had the others covered. Phoenix remained still and silent.
‘Phoenix?’ I looked at him, begging him to tell me what I knew now he wouldn’t.
He looked from me to Onyx, anger flaring in his eyes. ‘I never had a choice, Violet. All the rest…’ he tossed his head towards the circle of exiles, ‘. . . they made their choice, but I…I was judged before I even began, stuck in the realm, handing out punishment until it consumed me. When it did, they threw me to earth and left me to rot.’
Onyx had told me this story. All the pieces were falling into place.
‘You have a mother.’ I could barely say the next word. ‘Lilith.’
‘The mother of Dark,’ Onyx whispered in my ear. I flinched, he was standing right behind me. I hadn’t been watching him. As I realised my mistake, he drove his blade into my back, driving it all the way through until I could see its point emerge from my stomach. I screamed in pain – both for Phoenix’s betrayal and Onyx’s blade.
He drew the sword out in a clean movement and I released another blood-curdling scream. I felt the vibration of the blade as it scraped against the bones in my spine. Blood poured from my body, warming my skin and leaving my insides cold.
I heard Lincoln shout my name and looked up to see him in full battle with Joel. They were all fighting. My eyes panned the room as my legs gave way beneath me. The glamour still held. People were laughing and dancing on one side of the room while on our side there was all-out war. Even Phoenix was fighting, though I wasn’t sure whose side he was fighting on.
Onyx stood over me as I writhed on the ground. His smile had changed from amused to ecstatic. The thought of my death brought him pure joy.
‘You know, for one so powerful, you’re not very smart. I really thought I’d given you enough to connect the dots when I first delivered the tale of Lilith.’
He knelt beside me and my thoughts flashed back to the night I had seen the dead bodies that had been ripped apart from the inside. He was rolling up his sleeve. My vision scanned the battle around me. We were losing. I could barely see Lincoln, now buried under at least three exiles.
I thought back to the desert. My virtue will be my devotion to never give up. I was free of the chink in my armour. I was wounded – beyond wounded – but not dead yet. I reached up and grabbed Onyx’s wrist. I felt the power course through me. He looked down at me, smug.
‘I admire your fight, but you have no dagger and those trinkets you wear on your wrists will do me no harm.’
Wincing with pain, I leaned over and pushed back my bracelets, revealing the markings that swirled like a reflective river of mercury around my wrists.
<
br /> Onyx’s eyes widened. ‘You still have no dagger and you cannot leave me only human unless I will it, and I do not.’ But his voice wasn’t so carefree now.
I could feel my power and this time I didn’t reach inside of myself to draw it out. I simply released it. I knew now what it could do. Uri had told me – my will had the power to overcome another’s.
‘No, but I do.’ I held my voice as steady as I could, delivering him my own dramatic smile through lips now dripping with blood. My mist surrounded us like a bubble and I tore Onyx’s angelic powers away from him. He fell beside me. No longer angel or exile, just powerless and human.
‘I would rather be dead than left to become rancid in flesh!’ he cried.
I spat blood. ‘Yeah? Well, welcome to the world of not getting much choice in the matter.’
I turned my attention to Joel, who had Lincoln on the ground and was pummelling him with a fist of iron. I wasn’t close enough to touch him, but I didn’t need to be. I dragged my arm across the floor and pointed it in Joel’s direction. My wrists burned with hot ice and I felt the link form between us. He was locked.
He stopped attacking Lincoln and turned to me savagely – but I already had him. Just as they had controlled my body with illusion, I could control theirs with the power of my will. I could feel it building. I released it, searching the room and clinging onto all the exiles; all except Phoenix. I stopped them, froze them in a way, but I couldn’t drain them all. I could barely hold them for long. Griffin was close to me, working his way towards me.
‘I can’t hold them much longer,’ I spluttered through more blood.
Griffin took in the scene, registering what I was doing with astonished eyes. ‘Return them!’ he yelled to the other Grigori.
One by one, I felt the links drop off as Grigori drove daggers into the exiles, returning them for judgement. I watched as Onyx slowly crawled away, cowering and pathetic. He was the least of our concerns – without his angelic powers, he could do no harm.
When only Joel was left, it was Magda who stepped in front of him and drove her dagger into his side. She smiled as his eyes went wide. ‘I bet when you walked into Hades tonight you didn’t realise you’d never leave.’
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