Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (112 page)

“Steph, that’s not funny,” I warned.

“Is so!” she said, proceeding into a fit of giggles. Then she saw my face. “Oh, don’t panic. He’s into a different girl every week. It’ll pass— just give him a wide berth for a bit.”

I could definitely do that, now that I was grounded.

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“Did your dad say I was banned from coming over?” Steph

asked, a conspiratorial twinkle in her eye.

“No. Not yet.”

“Well, research it is then. I know I’m close.” She tapped her pen up and down on the desk. “We can go by Dapper’s on the way. I’m sure he’ll let me take that book I was using to your place for the night. I can feel a breakthrough coming on.”

I smiled. What I really wanted to do was train or, even better, beat the crap out of something that really deserved it, but I guess I could make do with my makeshift studio gym and the rest could wait until tomorrow.

“Research,” I agreed. At least it was something.

————

Dad wasn’t happy when I walked into the apartment with Steph

in tow, but he’d always had a soft spot for her and accepted that he hadn’t stipulated that she wasn’t welcome. I think he was just relieved to see that I’d come home at all.

Steph and I had made a speedy stop at Dapper’s on the way. He’d reluctantly agreed to let her borrow a couple of books. It seemed their recent shared battlefield had earned her a little pull, which Steph didn’t have any qualms about cashing in on. So, after making coffee, we closed ourselves in my room as far away from Dad, and his new inquisitive ways, as possible.

One good thing about the situation was that Dad was an amateur

when it came to discipline. He had no idea how to implement a

true grounding. I still had my all- important cell phone, so really he 158

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hadn’t succeeded in cutting off my contact with anyone. And given my recent…stirrings of tight- leashed feelings, there was at least one upside to imprisonment— I didn’t have to face Lincoln yet.

I’d been trying hard to shut it down. The influx of the very

real emotions he had dragged out of me last night had my blood

running hot and out of control. It said a lot that he knew my feelings for him were a key to pulling me out of Phoenix’s thrall.

It’s too cruel.

While Steph buried her head in books, I gave Griffin a call,

followed by Spence, filling them both in on my homebound status.

Griffin was already at Lincoln’s, so I asked him to pass the update on to him. Spence promised to make himself available to train with me tomorrow after I agreed not to tell Griffin that he had been a no- show at school.

Once that was done, I did a short workout in my studio, and

then, after a shower and a change of clothes, got comfy on the

floor next to Steph and started to flip through the copies of the Scripture. Steph had made a number of them, using some to write on and others to be kept clean. Dapper, who seemed to be particularly erudite on all matters ancient, had a set too, along with Griffin and the Academy.

I stared at the first part and a section of writing, or maybe they were symbols.

“What language is it?”

Steph shook her head. “It isn’t
just
a language. It’s like a combination of language and numerical code. It’s amazing
and
frustrating.

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The language is old Hebrew, which is difficult to translate at the best of times, especially since I don’t speak it, so I have to research every word. The numbers, which are basically every second word, correlate to the Hebrew alphabet but”— her eyes lit up— “this is where we have the breakthrough. Every sixth word. It reverses,

changes the flow, and flips the alphabet. So the translation of one, for example, means the first letter of the alphabet for six numerical words but then means the last letter of the alphabet for the next six numerical words. It is actually quite simple but just confusing enough to throw someone off track.”

“So what have you translated using this method?”

Steph licked her lips. “Okay. So, there are two main text works.

From what I can tell, they’re prophecies, kind of like guidelines to follow. So far, I think I have one of them down.”

She handed me a sheet of paper. “Does this mean anything to

you?” she asked, squirming.

If it weren’t all pits- of- Hell information, I’d say Steph was in her element.

I looked at the piece of paper.

Awaken
Tartarus
and
blanket
day, to hide their eyes and Heaven’s
ray. Ash will fall as fire will rain, delivering to one, insufferable pain.

Flames will roar and spear the skies, Igniting the view to the water’s
rise. A swell of death to deliver just one, resurrecting that, pardoned
by none.

“It’s a poem,” I said.

Steph nodded. “Cheery, isn’t it? And rhymey.”

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“Is that weird? I mean, should it rhyme like this if it’s translated from another language?”

She looked at me strangely. “Yes, it’s weird. It’s
all
weird and I’m seriously concerned that this is your first question, but when did any of this stuff really make sense? I think from the way it’s designed, it would translate to some kind of synchronicity and

rhyme in any language. But, personally, I would have started with the ‘Fire will rain’ and ‘insufferable pain’ parts.”

“Is the other one the same?” I asked, the translated words now

churning in my stomach.

“Similar, I think. The code’s slightly different, but I think I have it mostly figured out.”

Steph and I theorized unsuccessfully for hours, stopping only

to make toasted sandwiches for dinner and to occasionally reach over for a scoop of melted mint- chocolate- chip ice cream. I was surprised that, once she showed me how to work out the code, I

wasn’t altogether useless and actually managed to decipher some of the words myself.

By the end of the night, we had translated the first line of the second text.

At
the
southernmost
point, the island hides a gate.

Which could mean a number of things.

After Steph had left, I went to the kitchen to make more

coffee. I wasn’t ready to sleep yet. Dad was in his room, prob-

ably still working, avoiding me. I went to my studio, closed the door, and did another caffeine- charged workout, stopping only to 161

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open the window and push out my senses. There were no exiles

nearby tonight.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t consoling— merely another reminder

that Phoenix already had what he wanted. By not sending exiles

after me, he was sending a smug message. Probably laughing, wherever he was.

My only hope was that it might take him some time to trans-

late the Scripture too and, knowing Phoenix, he wouldn’t trust the content to many, if anyone— so that could help as well.

Yeah, that’s me— finding the bright side.

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chapter
fifteen

“You withered in heart, no peace shall be to you!”

BOOk OF eNOCH 6:5

I didn’t sleep well. I couldn’t get everything out of my head long enough to unwind. Th e few times I had drifted off , I’d woken with a start seemingly moments later. It was Saturday— girls my age were supposed to be at the mall, catching a movie, at worst, studying.

My life would never be like that again.

Maybe…it never really has been.

Despite the early hour, I didn’t expect to fi nd Dad sitting at the breakfast bar. Th at is, until I remembered I seemed to be dealing with a whole new breed of parent, one I couldn’t predict at all.

I could tell by the tie he wore that he was headed for the offi ce.

He probably had meetings planned. Dad didn’t see weekends as

any diff erent from weekdays where work was concerned. I imag-

ined two whole days in every week without work to concentrate on would be comparable to a death sentence for him.

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“Morning,” I said, rubbing my eyes. I was angry with him for

choosing now, of all times, to start pushing into my life. I wanted to tell him to back off, outline that he couldn’t start playing the hands- on dad role after relinquishing the position for the first seventeen years of my life, but…I needed out today. I couldn’t hack another day without proper training.

“Morning, sweetheart,” he said, taking a bite of his burned toast.

I decided to keep the peace. “I…um, I have a workout session

planned today with my friend Spence.” I swallowed my stubborn-

ness and kept my tone free of challenge. “If that’s okay with you?” I could barely look at him as I forced out the words.

Dad’s mouth fell open. Any other time it might have been

comical. But I didn’t smile. I worried. There was a possibility that I was opening a door I might not easily close again.

“Be home by six.”

I nodded, grabbing my bag. I had a lot to get done between now

and then.

“I mean it, Vi. I don’t want to have to review the grounding

restrictions. But I will.”

Hell, he’s really getting the hang of this stuff. He’s already advanced
into threat territory.

————

I jogged toward Lincoln’s place, stopping when my phone rang.

“Hi, Griff,” I said, seeing his name on the caller ID. “It’s early for you. What’s wrong?”

“Where are you?”

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“On my way to meet Spence,” I said, sounding as relieved as I

felt to be out of the Eden Penitentiary. I picked up my pace again to a light jog, wanting to keep moving as well as stay warm.

“Can you stop by the hospital on the way?”

“Sure.” It wasn’t much of a detour. “Why are you there?”

“Checking in on Onyx.”

“Oh, of course. See you there.”

I’d planned on dropping in on Onyx today anyway. I hadn’t seen

him since he was admitted and I knew I couldn’t put if off any longer.

The problem was, I wasn’t sure what I was going to say to him.

I called Spence, who sounded like he’d forgotten we were

training this morning, and put him off for a couple of hours. I could hear him pressing buttons in the background. He’d probably still be on the PlayStation when I got there.

I made it to the hospital quickly, and as I headed for the recovery ward, my anxiety intensified. I didn’t know what to expect when I saw Onyx, how bad he would look or what I would say.

Will
he
remember
what
he
said
to
me? Do I
want
him
to?

Our relationship had changed and I had no idea what type of

Onyx would be on the other side of the door.

I backed up a step and considered waiting for Griffin outside.

But before I had a chance to do an about- face, the door swung

open and Griffin stood there, phone in hand.

“I was just about to call you again.”

I half smiled. “No need.”

Beyond him, I could see Onyx lying in a bed, watching us. The

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unsure look in his eye, as if deliberating whether he wanted me to come in or not, disappeared quickly.

“Oh, superb,” he said sarcastically. “Here she is. It’s supposed to be meals- on- wheels not death- in- a- breath. You could’ve at least given me a chance to recover before you brought her in. Hell knows how many exiles are on her trail today!”

He flung his head back on the pillow and I couldn’t help but

smile. Apparently, some things didn’t change. Not completely,

anyway. I took another step into the room.

“If you insist on coming in, at least have them increase the

morphine— I’ll need it to get through the visit,” he said, lacking his customary bite and his voice catching on the last words as true pain flared.

Onyx looked beaten up, his porcelain skin now antique yellow

and his usually dark eyes faded and rimmed in red instead of

his signature kohl eyeliner. He had bruises covering most of

his face, and from his rigid position, I guessed his torso was

bandaged tightly.

“I’m sorry you were hurt. I…I heard you fought them.” I hadn’t