Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (26 page)

wrenching it behind his back at such an awkward angle, I heard a 215

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 215

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Jessica shirvington

snap. Malachi’s eyes went wide and he unclenched his hand from

my neck, dropping me to the ground where I gasped like a fish out of water.

When I looked up, Malachi and Griffin were locked together in

combat. A mist surrounded them, a spectrum of glistening colors.

Griffin had Malachi in a death grip, holding him in some kind

of immobilized state. “Make your choice, if you have one, and

make it fast!” he ordered.

Malachi fought against the invisible force holding him. Griffin pulled a long dagger out of a sheath hanging from his pants that I hadn’t noticed before. “Choose humanity or I’ll return you!”

he yelled.

“I would rather be a rodent in the pits than will humanity

upon myself,” Malachi said with disgust.

“Have it your way.” Griffin drove the dagger into Malachi, just under his ribs, pointing it toward his heart with unwavering force.

He had clearly done this before. A lot. There was no poof, no bang, no melting flesh; Malachi was simply gone. As if he had never existed.

I stood, holding a hand around my neck. It was burning, but

there would be time for whining later. I snuck a quick glance at Lincoln, who looked like he was taking shallow breaths. Alive.

Phoenix was still standing, unmoved, expression unchanged. Nice to know he cared.

Onyx had also remained still throughout the struggle. The exiles standing behind him had moved closer but seemed more tentative

now, eyes fixed on Griffin.

216

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 216

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Embrace

Onyx cleared his throat and made a
tsk
-
tsk
sound. “Too often they forget, Griffin. You do look so…lacking. It is a cunning mask.

It will not help you in the long run, of course, but for today, as I said, your freedom for my story.”

“No stories.” Phoenix spoke softly. “We all know that once you

start, no one can shut you up.” A shiver ran up my spine. His voice held more than just words.

“Why don’t we let our little rainbow decide?” He looked at me

and gave a dramatic bow. I gathered I had somehow acquired a

new nickname.

Just
what
every
girl
wants.

“You’ll let them go—
both
of them— and your lackeys won’t try anything either?” I said.

Onyx looked amused at my words. I realized I had made a faux

pas by calling
all
of the exiles his lackeys. The already buzzing tension in the room increased.

“Yes, I will even try to keep it short.”

Yeah,
but I was betting it wouldn’t be sweet. I looked to Griffin.

He didn’t seem to have a better suggestion and gave a small shrug.

It was up to me.

“Tell your story,” I said.

“Humans are so predictable, aren’t they, Phoenix?”

The silence from Phoenix made me nervous, but he was still

behind me and I was too afraid to turn my back on Onyx. Griffin remained quiet. I could see him focused on Magda and looking

around for any other trouble.

217

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 217

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Jessica shirvington

Onyx sauntered around the room and then began to talk theatri-

cally. “Many, many years ago, this earth and man were created.

There are many opinions as to who or what created them, but that is not today’s story. Man— we can call him
Adam
, if you like— was given a garden in which to frolic. For a time, it was perfect. Do you know the garden I speak of?”

“Eden. The Garden of Eden. You said a story, not question

and answer.” With my surname, this was a story I had heard more than once.

He pulled on his tie, straightening it. “I did. My apologies. Well, you see, I’m sure you understand that if man were to have free will, then he must have the presence of choice and opposition. Angels, being entrusted with this responsibility, used their powers to create one of their own— a rare angel, for it was a woman. In all ways the opposite to Adam, except that they were both immortal.” He

looked at me and raised his eyebrows.

“Eve,” I said, frustrated. “I’ve heard this story before.”

He smiled at Phoenix. “Has she
really
? I think not. Not Eve, little rainbow; she was created later, during the cleanup. Before her, there was another. Oh, now I can’t seem to remember her name…What

was it, Phoenix?” His smile widened. He was clearly enjoying

himself. I was almost surprised he wasn’t handing out popcorn.

“Lilith.” Phoenix barely spoke, but again my body shivered like someone had just walked over my grave.

“Yes! Lilith, how could I forget? Well, Lilith was created to

bring balance to this unbalanced world. You see, she represented 218

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 218

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Embrace

everything opposite to the untainted man, and brought with her

all of my favorite things: temptation, lust, seduction, deceit, anger, fear, persuasion, you get the drift. Anyway, Adam was enraged

with Lilith when, after a while, she refused to lie beneath him.” He swept closer to me and whispered like he had a naughty secret to share. “Being created as equal opposites did cause a few marital problems. Let’s just say, they bickered— and of course their fights were magnificent. Adam had not yet tasted that pesky apple, so he was just as strong, powerful, and immortal as
our
Lilith.” He took a deep breath, feigning reminiscence. “Finally, Lilith abandoned Adam and the garden, choosing instead to be absorbed into her

own darkness. Three angels were sent to return her to Eden. They threatened her, she threatened them— you know, the usual. But she refused to go back.”

Why this psycho was getting kicks out of telling me a story

about some whacked- out angel was beyond me.

“Are you finished with your story?” I said curtly. I tried to

keep focused on Onyx so as not to give him the satisfaction of

knowing how worried I was about Lincoln. At the same time, I

could feel Lincoln growing weaker. It was torment, knowing that every minute this deranged angel kept talking was another minute I couldn’t help Lincoln.

“Almost, almost. Where was I? Our Lilith went on to bear many

children of dark, all of whom perished in payment for her sins. All but one. Lilith’s
first
child, the only child conceived with Adam, survived and was an angel…of sorts. The child was taken from her 219

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 219

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Jessica shirvington

and returned to the angel realm, where a ranking was issued, just like all other angels. Of course, the angel took after its mother and chose the dark. Became a Throne, a dealer of punishment, and was very…efficient.”

My eyes darted over to Lincoln again. He was all I could think

about. He still wasn’t moving. When I looked back at Onyx, he was right beside me.

“Perhaps, on reflection, it was not the best placement. The child enjoyed it a little too much, and eventually the Seraphim imposed banishment from the angel realm, claiming absence of purity,

branding the angel as one of the abyss. They sent the angel to its place of creation.” He slowly pointed a finger to his feet.

“Earth,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.

“Yes, earth. I wonder, do you think the child of Lilith walks

among us now?” Onyx gazed around the room, looking happy

with himself. “It is a quandary, isn’t it? The possible product of man in his most powerful form and the
first
of the dark exiles. It would be a frightening force, wouldn’t it? Violet?” He turned his attention back to me, a Cheshire grin on his face so wide it must have hurt. I glanced at Lincoln again. We had no more time for this.

“Lucky it’s just a story.” I tried to hold his gaze as if I’d been paying attention to his stupid tale, not wanting to let him get the better of me.

“Of course.” He threw his arms wide. “Aren’t they all?”

He looked back at Phoenix and started to walk toward him.

I was finally able to see them both. Like at the warehouse with 220

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 220

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Embrace

Griffin, I noticed that there was some movement around Phoenix’s body, a wave of shadowing and something else that looked like tiny threads of gold.

“Things are not as they once were,” Onyx said to him. And then, he just walked out the door, closely followed by the other exiles.

I turned to Phoenix, a million questions in my head. But one

thing was clear: Onyx feared Phoenix. Somehow, him being there

had saved us, and right now that was all that mattered.

“Will he come back?” I asked Phoenix.

“No,” he said, showing no emotion.

Griffin was already with Magda. I ran to Lincoln. He was

breathing, but there was blood pouring from his side and he still wasn’t moving. I tried to stop the bleeding with my hands, but they quickly became slippery and I knew I wasn’t helping.

“I…I can’t…the blood, I can’t stop it. No, no…I need help.” I

was rambling and crying to myself.

A hand reached down holding a bundle of cloth. I looked up.

Phoenix had taken off his shirt. I balled it up and put pressure on the wound.

“Linc, can you hear me?” My voice was so crackly I could barely hear myself. I forced an internal check. I needed to be strong right now. I gently shook his shoulders. “Linc!” I cried. He moved a little and his eyes flickered open.

“Hey,” he whispered, “little rainbow.” I tried to smile but

couldn’t. He was delirious. Why was everyone calling me
rainbow
?

Griffin came over, supporting Magda under his arm.

221

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 221

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Jessica shirvington

“You’re okay?” I said, surprised to see her walking.

“Griff healed me.”

Oh, great, no one told me Griffin could do that
.

“Well,” I almost screamed, “heal Linc, it looks like he’s been

stabbed or something.”

Griffin leaned over and put a hand on my shoulder. “I wish I

could, but as Grigori, we only have the power to heal our partners.

I can’t heal Lincoln.”

“Well then, who the hell can?” I snapped. But the answer was

already ringing in my mind.

“You,” Magda offered, while kneeling on the other side of

Lincoln. She was assessing his wounds with much more skill than I had.

“But I’m not a Grigori. I can’t.” I shook my head.

“You
can
if you embrace. He’s been stabbed by his own dagger.” She picked it up off the floor. It was covered in blood. Lincoln’s blood. Lincoln’s
blood
.

“It can’t be healed with modern medicine. There’s only one way

to heal him and you’re it.” She looked at me, shaking her head, as if sure I would fail him. Perfect.

Griffin scanned the room. “We need to move. We don’t know

how many more might be out there. Let’s go.”

222

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 222

11/30/11 4:32 PM

chapter
twenty- two

“Sacrifice still exists everywhere, and everywhere the elect of each
generation suffers for the salvation of the rest.”

henri frÉdÉric aMieL

I stood, utterly immobilized in Lincoln’s kitchen. My shirt was now sleeveless. I vaguely remembered Magda ripping off the sleeves to use them as blood mops. What was left of my top was soaked

anyway. My hands were stained red and disturbingly sticky as blood congealed between my fi ngers.

Phoenix had insisted we come back in a taxi. He wasn’t sure

how Lincoln’s injuries would cope moving at his speed. After carrying Lincoln to his room, Phoenix and Griffi n headed straight back out to get medical supplies. I knew Phoenix was uncomfortable and it wasn’t just because Griffi n and Magda looked at him like he carried the plague and made it painstakingly clear they didn’t want him around.

Something had happened back at the pier that had him uncharacteristically on edge— but for now, all I could think about was Lincoln.

Embrace_FinalINT.indd 223

11/30/11 4:32 PM

Jessica shirvington

Magda had thrown me out of his room, ordering me to clean up

and change. She said there was more blood on me than left in him and I wasn’t helping. She was right. I was no help at all. My hands shook as I swallowed some aspirin with a quivering glass of water.

The next rational step was to take a shower, but I just stood,

frozen. I couldn’t ignore the voice in my head singing, taunting, teasing,
He’s going to die, Violet
. We all knew it. Even Lincoln, when he came around briefly in the taxi, had it in his eyes. He knew. They knew. I knew. I knew…what I had to do. Hope and