Indebted

by Amy A. Bartol

  “Disloyal?” Reed repeats the word like he doesn’t know what it means.

  “An act of betrayal,” I admit, biting my lip as I see confusion in his eyes.

  “Whom will you be betraying?” he asks in a low tone.

  I twist my hands. “The family…”

  “They are not your family,” he counters.

  “I know,” I reply lamely. “He thinks they are my family.”

  “What do you think?” Reed asks, cocking his head to the side and reading every detail of my body language.

  “I think I’m going to pay for my sedition when he gets me back,” I say the words like I can’t help myself, like I can’t keep them in even if I wanted to.

  “Sedition?” he asks, “that means to rebel against a government…”

  “Or a king,” I reply with a sad tone. “Brennus is the king.”

  “Their king, but not yours,” Reed replies, “and he is not getting you back.”

  “You’re right, he’s not getting me back,” I agree, swallowing my tears and squaring my shoulders, but my throat feels raw anyway, like I’ve been crying for hours.

  I can see that Reed wants to interrogate me regarding all the secrets I’m still holding back from him. I want to tell him—need to—but I can’t. Guilt and shame won’t let me. He doesn’t know that a part of me, a very small part, loves Brennus and is grateful to him. Brennus destroyed Alfred for me. He had Alfred viciously torn apart like an animal on the floor of my prison. He made Alfred suffer—scream in agony, just like Alfred made my Uncle Jim scream in agony. I can still feel within me some of the darkness I felt after Brennus bit me, but I can’t tell Reed that either—too much honesty can be unkind.

  “When you are ready to tell me everything that happened, I am ready to listen,” Reed says. “I know that he has gotten inside your head. He made you suffer, and then he gave you something very powerful. He avenged your Uncle Jim. That doesn’t excuse him for what he did to you—for torturing you.”

  When I don’t speak Reed sighs and says, “We need to speak to Preben now. Are you up for it?”

  I nod and take his hand, following him quietly into the central pagoda. We walk down a narrow hallway to a dining room that is equipped with several low, black wooden tables. Large mat-like cushions are arranged around the tables and several of the maps that Reed and Zephyr have been studying are draped over them, covering much of their long expanses. Zephyr is listening to Preben describe a few of the holdings in Houghton and Marquette owned by the Gancanagh. Preben has brought with him a few of his lieutenants, but the majority of the angels are not present.

  Joining them at a table, I listen, discovering that Dominion uncovered some small apartments owned by several Gancanagh. The apartments are fronts so that the fellas could appear to be normal students attending the technical school. Their apartments didn’t lead to much. Dominion did manage to locate a cargo ship used to import the women that the Gancanagh fed upon.

  Hearing this makes my stomach ache. They have to be stopped, no matter what, I tell myself, thinking of all the women they have harmed. Molly’s face enters my mind. She’s one of them now. Will they kill her, too, along with the others?

  “Can a Gancanagh be saved?” I ask abruptly, interrupting Preben’s intel.

  Preben doesn’t look irritated by my interruption. He has been watching me since I entered the room, as if he is speaking to me instead of to Zephyr and Reed. He pauses, his silvery-blond eyebrows drawing together in question. “Do you mean, can they ever be restored to their previous state, before they were changed?” Preben asks. When I nod, he answers, “No.”

  “What if they changed their behavior? Would that make them less objectionable?” I probe again, not looking at anyone in particular.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Preben replies.

  “I was just wondering, what if a Gancanagh chose not to feed on humans, but got her blood from a different source, animal blood or donated human blood—like from a blood bank or something?” I ask. “If she changed her nature, would you still hunt her?”

  “Yes,” Preben replies without taking a breath.

  I close my eyes. “Why?”

  “Because they are evil,” Preben answers without hesitation.

  My nose wrinkles. “I’m sketchy on the whole good evil thing, Preben. I thought that deeds are good or evil, but that beings have the ability to choose their own paths, so they have the ability to be good as well as evil,” I say, feeling hostile.

  “There is inherent evil, Seraph,” Preben replies. “Evil by its very nature. They have no use for anything they can’t abuse. They destroy all that they touch.”

  “That sounds very black and white to me, Power,” I reply. “It must be nice to have been created to the right ascendancy.”

  “It is,” he states, “very nice, wouldn’t you agree? You are Seraphim and you have a soul. I would say your ascendancy is nearly absolute.”

  “If I am so powerful, then why do I need bodyguards from Dominion?” I counter.

  “Your existence has its drawbacks,” he replies and he has the audacity to smile at me. “You are at a serious disadvantage right now. You don’t possess our strength yet. You have no knowledge of Paradise except for human hearsay. You cannot speak our language. I can say anything I want to right in front of you and you won’t know if I’m ordering dinner or plotting your death. When you speak of evil, I can see that you don’t really know what you are talking about. Don’t get me wrong, I know you have seen evil deeds, murder, mayhem, but true evil like what dwells in Sheol? I don’t think so or you wouldn’t be debating the Gancanagh with me. You would be focusing on how we can eradicate them.”

  “Did you just call me weak and ignorant?” I ask Preben in a calm voice, feeling a blush creeping into my cheeks.

  “No, not weak and I would never call you ignorant. I called you young and half human with a pure heart. You came to us. Remember? You asked for our help,” he says.

  “You had something I wanted,” I reply, looking at Reed.

  “Yes, but something has changed. You were willing to tell us about the Gancanagh before, but now you ask if they can be saved,” he probes.

  “They’ve taken a friend of mine—a human friend. They changed her. I want to know what can be done to save her,” I say, dropping my animosity in order to gain the information I need to save Molly.

  “If your friend gave up her soul, we cannot save her,” he replies without even pausing, like she asked for what happened to her.

  “No, she didn’t give up her soul, they took it. She was drugged by their touch, unable to make a fair decision,” I retort.

  “Did you just say ‘fair?’” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “You don’t expect the Gancanagh to be fair, do you? They are evil killers who never do anything without it being entirely to their advantage. There is no fairness in them. I would have thought you would have learned that during your time with them. Did they ask you if you wanted to be Gancanagh?” he asks me pointedly. I look down, shaking my head. “No, they tried to force you into becoming one of them. The fact that you aren’t one of them speaks volumes for you—it is probably why you are alive now. No one could successfully argue that you are evil after seeing what you endured at their hands and still managed to hold on to your soul. Your friend was given a choice…”

  “You mean she could have chosen death, that was her only other option,” I say quietly.

  “Yes, but in death, she would have been given Paradise. We cannot understand why she would not choose it,” Preben replies.

  “No, you can’t, can you?” I say in a bitter tone. “You have no idea what it is to be human—to doubt—to not have seen all that you have seen. It’s easy to judge us from your lofty heights, angel. It’s a little harder to see through the bolt hole.”

  “Right, love, I think you should go see what Buns is up to,” Reed says, stepping in front of me quickly. “I will fill Preben in on what we know.” I look into Ree
d’s eyes to see concern in their green depths. He is worried about me. He wants to protect me from all of this, but that is impossible since I’m at the center of it.

  I feel brittle, like I’m made of glass and all of my cracks are beginning to show. I nod slowly to Reed because I would like nothing more than to get away from all of this and just sit and talk with Buns for a while. “Okay,” I exhale the word. Pausing, I look at Preben and say, “I am grateful that you have come to help me.” Preben nods to me once in acknowledgment of my words. He looks like he wants to say something else, but he holds back.

  I turn back to Reed as he says, “I’ll walk you over to Buns and then I’ll come and get you when we are finished here.”

  “Sure,” I reply, taking his hand that he offers me.

  Reed looks past me over my shoulder and his brows draw together. In an instant, he pulls me behind him, trying to shield me from what he is seeing. Peering over his shoulder, I see Russell moving towards us at the speed of a bullet. I brace myself for impact as Russell runs into Reed, but Reed doesn’t fall down because Russell passes right through him like a ghost. Russell’s image hits me full force and I absorb his ghostly light into me as he evaporates from sight. Then, pain like I have never felt before tears through me and I scream in agony.

  Russell

  CHAPTER 4

  Torture

  “Tell me where she is…where is my Alya?” he asks, pullin’ a sharp pointed implement from among the many he has already used.

  “Not Alya, her name is Red—never yers…” I whisper, closin’ my eyes and thinkin’ of Evie’s beautiful face.

  The perfect curve of her neck—the way it sweeps cunningly to her shoulders. The incredible scent of her hair—I can still smell her on me.

  Thump, bright light. Searin’ pain.

  Groan.

  Her bare shoulders—the delicate line of her clavicle under her supple skin.

  Crunch, dizzyin’ nausea.

  Heave.

  Her eyes…gray and blue with small flecks of violet near the center of the irises.

  Slice. Dark spots.

  Shakin’.

  The sensual contours of her silhouette, the shape of a goddess, as I run my hands over the silk of her skin. The way her body rises to meet mine.

  Rip. Choke.

  Driftin’…floatin’…fallin’

  Red…I love ya…I’m gonna go home now…

  Blackness.

  Evie

  CHAPTER 5

  Echoes

  As my eyes flutter open, I feel ice-cold and nauseous. I gaze at the ceiling from my position stretched out on top of one of the low tables in the gathering room. In the next instant, I lean over the side of the table and heave repeatedly. Reed, sitting at my side, holds my hair back from my face as I retch. After a few minutes, I moan and lay back on the table, closing my eyes. Most of the angels in the room are conversing, all speaking at once, except for Reed and me who are silent. I cannot speak because all of the fortress walls that I have been trying to build around me are tumbling down as my entire body shakes. It’s as if I have experienced the most gruesome torture first hand and not just an impression of it carried on the wind by my soul mate’s spirit.

  “Russell,” I whisper and all of the voices around me cease. Pushing myself up on my elbows, I manage to sit up a little before Reed gently pushes me back down.

  “Evie, wait,” Reed says.

  “I can’t. I have to…go’” I reply, sitting up again.

  “What did Russell send you?” Reed asks.

  “You didn’t feel it?” I ask him as the terror of what I just experienced comes back to me full force, crushing me with echoes of pain and leaving the taste of desperation in my mouth. Reed shakes his head, so I say, “Someone is torturing him. He needs help…”

  “He was asking for help?” Reed asks, trying to piece together what I’m saying.

  “No…he was…” I stop, covering my mouth. I struggle to get to my feet, but Reed isn’t letting me get up.

  “What?” he asks me with a grim look.

  “He was trying to warn me…they know about me…he can’t hide me from them…too much pain…”

  Reed’s hands grip my shoulders. “Who are they? The Gancanagh?” Reed asks in an urgent tone.

  “No…I don’t know…no…” I choke. This is not really happening, my mind tries to reason with my heart, but my heart knows better. Balance, the thought flitters through my mind like an accusation, you chose Reed…you can’t have both. Here is the flip side to your happiness…choke on it.

  “Evie, focus…” Reed is saying, holding my chin in his hand and looking into my eyes. “What else did you feel? Is Brownie still with him?”

  “I don’t know…” I say. “This isn’t Brennus’ style—I don’t think. He would be much more poetic, much less…brutal.” I grasp my head to block out images of flesh being shredded from Russell.

  Reed’s eyebrows come together in a scowl. “Did he tell you anything else?” Reed asks me in a grave tone.

  Breathing heavy, I push against Reed’s chest so that I can run. I have to leave now. Russell needs me; he can’t withstand what’s happening to him. If I don’t find him, he will be lying under different stars—his soul will leave. “He said ‘goodbye,’” I choke. “How do I find him, Reed? I have to find him,” I beg, putting my forehead against Reed’s chest as his arms pull me to him.

  “Zee, find out their last known position. Track the cells. Try to get in touch with Brownie. When you target the area, find out whom we have there to investigate. Take Preben and Phaedrus with you, keep them updated on whatever you discover,” Reed says, while scooping me up in his arms, carrying me to the door. “You four, follow me,” Reed orders the Powers who are standing just outside the room. Nodding they fall in behind us.

  “Wait, we can start towards the Ukraine, to wherever they were last and Zee can call us and let us know where they are, while we’re on the way. We can keep in touch,” I say, trying to use logic to overcome the panic that is making it hard for me to breathe.

  “No,” Reed replies in a firm tone, continuing to carry me in the direction of our room.

  “No?” I ask because he can’t be serious. My best friend is being tortured. There is no way I’m staying here while that is happening.

  “We will find Russell. I will send angels to look for him. We will get Dominion involved because we have no choice. They are the logical choice. Powers are created to track and annihilate the Fallen.”

  “Dominion will keep him if they find him. They will use him like they want to use me,” I say, grasping his arm.

  “I think he will prefer Dominion over the Fallen,” Reed says with grim conviction.

  “You think that the Fallen have him?” I ask, feeling fear stab me.

  “It would make sense. Someone is torturing him, but they haven’t killed him. They want answers—about a being that is exactly like him that they have been looking for, a female—that was his warning to you. He can’t keep you from them, he will have to tell them about you because of the pain,” he replies with regret. “Every type of demon is looking for you—the Gancanagh haven’t been discreet in their inquiries. The fallen Seraphim already knew about you—they had Alfred watching you, but he failed to report back. They have begun their search for you in earnest.”

  “And now someone has Russell, but you think what they really want is me?” I ask, feeling sick.

  “I’m sure they won’t kill him until they get you,” he says. “The fact that they don’t have you yet is what will keep him alive.”

  “Why do they want me?” I ask weakly.

  “Evie, there are so many, many reason to want you, I don’t know where to begin,” he says as we arrive at our pagoda. He lays me gently on the huge bed, saying, “You will need to stay here for now while I take care of some things. I will send Buns to keep you company.” He doesn’t wait for my reaction, but turns towards the door again.

  “What! No, Ree
d, I have to…” I say, scrambling off the bed to follow him back out.

  Reed turns back around abruptly. “You have to stay here, Evie. If you leave and stumble into whoever took Russell, then he is dead. Do you understand? You are the key to keeping him alive. They need him to get to you.”

  Zephyr enters our pagoda just then with Buns slung over his shoulder.

  Buns is saying something in Angel that sounds really lovely, but by the look on her face, I can tell she is really telling him off. Zephyr seems to be ignoring her and waiting for her to stop speaking.

  When Buns pauses, Zephyr asks her, “What will you do if I put you down?”

  “I’m going to look for Brownie and Russell, Zee—this is so shady—you can’t stop me! I know tons of Reapers who can kick Fallen ass. If one of those evil half-wits is torturing them, then I’m in,” Buns says flailing her feet, trying to get free. Zephyr looks like he can hold her all day with his one hand. She is not moving him an inch.

  “You are not designed to fight Fallen, Buns,” Zephyr says in a patient tone. “And neither are your friends.”

  “Ha! Like you guys are the only ones able to go toe-to-toe with them,” Buns says with sarcasm. “Just because we’re Reapers doesn’t mean we can’t fight this war alongside you. It just means we have to be a little craftier than Powers. They’ve got my family, Zee.”

  “You are going to tear them apart, are you?” Zephyr asks with skepticism.

  “No! I’m going to light ‘em up,” Buns retorts, “after I get Brownie and Russell out of wherever they are. I can find them. I have contacts. Reaper contacts!” she says significantly.

  “Good. Find them. That will be very helpful. You can work the phones, get your people involved, but you are staying here and your people are not to engage the enemy. They are to report their findings to us. Do you understand?” he asks Buns in a grave tone.