Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (75 page)

Gun or dagger, it made little difference. I looked over to Spence, who had the upper hand in his fight, but I could see he was getting carried away.

“Spence! Hurry up!” I yelled.

An instant later, Spence grabbed the exile’s arm and twisted

it behind his back. He yelled to the exile to make a choice but didn’t even wait for an answer before securing the exile and

releasing his power. He drove his dagger into the exile’s lower back and sliced upward. Just like that, Spence’s exile disappeared. Simply gone.

270

Entice.indd 270

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

It was now or never.

I released my power and crossed my fingers.

An amethyst mist— not unlike billions of tiny airborne crystals—

lifted from me and dusted the room. Each minuscule crystal

rotated smoothly, searching out all corners and then dissolving the moment it made contact.

I heard Spence gasp. It had to have been him. Lincoln and

Magda had seen my mist before.

I didn’t stop or lose concentration. I just kept pushing it out until I had each exile in my control. My eyes focused on the room and the mist settled, though a small showering of it remained

around me, following my every movement. It was part of me.

The exiles were frozen, paralyzed but aware of what was

happening. I started to take small steps toward Lincoln.

Before any of us could move farther, Magda plunged her dagger

into the exile she was fighting, the one she hadn’t shot. It was the one from the farmhouse, and while I felt no love lost, I still thought he should have been entitled to his choice. Magda hadn’t given him a second glance.

Lincoln looked at me when I took another small step in his

direction, then turned his attention back to Nahilius. One hand in a white- knuckled grip around his dagger, the other hand fisted tightly. Magda screamed out again for Lincoln to kill Nahilius, and when Lincoln glanced at her, I took my chance.

I lunged forward at top speed and my fist went right into

Lincoln’s face.

271

Entice.indd 271

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Jessica shirvington

Normally, a move like this was not advisable. Lincoln is near

unbeatable, and even on a bad day, he’d see it coming. But this wasn’t a bad day— it was his worst. Channeling all my force into that one hit, the impact was enough to throw him off- balance. I didn’t waste the advantage of surprise and swiftly moved in with another hit to his face. I didn’t think— I just did it.

The dagger dropped from his hand and he collapsed to his knees.

One
more, Vi. Make it good.

Lincoln’s eyes, full of surprise, lifted to meet mine as I pivoted around and swung my foot across his face. The impact was full

force again and he went down completely.

“What the hell are you doing?” Magda screamed, but by the time

I looked over to her, Spence was already holding her back. Just.

“Nice gun, Magda,” I said. “You plan on shooting me too?”

Magda looked at me with shock, then down to the hand that

was still holding the gun, now pointed at me. She lowered her arm and tried to shrug Spence off. Bless him, he just kept holding on.

“Lincoln is
my
partner.” My eyes were flitting between her and Lincoln. “Now back up, unless you’re going to use that thing,” I said, looking at her gun again.

She jolted free of Spence’s hold—he let her this time—and

walked a few steps away.

I turned back to Lincoln and knelt beside him. He was coming

round. I didn’t have long.

I called on my power again, hoping I’d be able to keep my hold

on the remaining exiles while also doing this. I focused on the 272

Entice.indd 272

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

healing element and sent it out to Lincoln, feeling the power travel into him. I sent it to his heart. I hoped that, just as his powers had sought out the pain in my heart the other day, my power might be able to do the same and even ease some of the pain in his.

I needed to bring him back to me.

My will worked its way through him, touching his heart and even deeper, to the fiber of his soul. But it was waiting for something. To strip away some of Lincoln’s fear and pain, I also needed to fill the void, send something to take its place. There were so many reasons why I shouldn’t have, good reasons too, but in the end, it was easy.

I sent him love.

I pulled the gun from his waistband and slid it over to Spence, who stopped it with his foot.

Lincoln opened his eyes. I took his dagger in my hand.

“Violet. What’s…What’s going on? You knocked me out,” he

said, sounding perplexed.

I smiled sadly. “Linc, we all have to make choices.” My hand

instinctively went to his face, soothing him. “They’re not always easy. Now you get to make yours.”

I stood, all business now. “But this is how it’s going to work.”

“I don’t understand.”

I walked toward Nahilius, who remained silent. He was watching

what was going on, eyes darting between where Lincoln and I were to Magda and Spence. He could move a little, and talk too, if he wanted to— but he didn’t. I could almost see his mind working,

looking between everyone, searching for the weak link.

273

Entice.indd 273

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Jessica shirvington

“If you want to kill him, you’re going to have to ask me to do

it,” I said, raising my hand to show I was armed with his dagger.

“Violet, you don’t know what you’re doing. Don’t be ridicu-

lous.” He started to get up.

“If you get up off the floor, I’ll kill him,” I said, trying not to flinch at my own words.

“This isn’t your battle,” he snapped at me, but he didn’t get up off the ground.

“I would rather it was me than you.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because, Linc, I need you to make the good decision.”

His green eyes locked on mine. “You healed me, didn’t you?”

His hand went to his heart. “The tightness…the…”

“Pain. I didn’t heal it; I just eased it…and, and you’re an idiot.

You don’t have to carry all of this on your own,” I said, a combination of hurt and anger seeping into my words.

Holding the dagger out, my arm started to tremble. I was

growing weak from keeping the exiles at bay and healing Lincoln.

“Coming from you, that’s— ” he started, but I cut him off.

“I’m not going to let you do this.” I forced the shaking to stop and showed him nothing but resolve.

He let out a small cry. “He’ll kill you!” he crackled through less than a whisper, barely audible. “I can’t survive it.”

I wanted to drop to the ground, crawl over, and cradle him in my arms, tell him everything would be okay. But that would be a lie. I didn’t know if things would ever be okay, for any of us. And somehow, I knew 274

Entice.indd 274

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

trying to explain to him that Nahilius wasn’t the problem wouldn’t help. I bit down hard on the inside of my lip. I bit until I drew blood and felt the sting. I forced the control and stood my ground.

“If you kill him, it will change you. Forever. Trust me…” I stared into the nothingness, that place that I could go. “I know.”

He looked at the ground. “That’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

I shook my head at him, desperation mixed with stubbornness

taking over. “Well, I’m not!”

Lincoln, increasingly confused, looked from Nahilius to me.

He was suffering so badly, the cruel burden of inherent protector weighing him down.

My only chance was to turn things around, give him a way to

save us both.

“You’re not the only one who will pay the price for this decision.

Don’t you get it? Since the trials…since…that day.” I struggled to hold my voice as I fought back the memories trying to invade. “The only time I find myself— me— is in you.”

Truth stung my eyes and I quickly blinked the tears away and

forced fresh ones back.

Now
is
not
the
time
for
leakages.

“If you do this, you’ll be gone and what will happen to me?”

Please, let this work.

“You don’t need me to know who you are,” he said, quietly, not

able to look at me.

“Of course I do. When one soul is lost, how can it ever find itself again if not in its— ”

275

Jessica shirvington

“Counterpart,” he finished, astonished. He was looking at me

now, the cogs turning behind his vivid green eyes.

“Yes,” I confessed, relieved yet terrified I was admitting what I knew.

We were silent, both wondering where to go from here.

Confusion built in Lincoln’s face as he battled an internal war.

“Lincoln,” Magda said smoothly. “Violet is young. She doesn’t

understand. Nahilius won’t stop and you won’t get another shot

at this. Are you really willing to take that chance?” Her voice was honey sweet and more dangerous than any beesting.

Lincoln’s eyes were darting around the room frantically. He

would do what he believed was best. He would protect me at all

costs; I knew that now. Just as I would him.

“I will not hunt you,” Nahilius said, surprising everyone.

He looked like he wanted to say more, but my arm was shaking

badly now. I was out of time. I mustered all the strength I could and turned on Lincoln again. “Decide. If you don’t make up your mind in five seconds, I’ll kill him.”

Please, please, please let this work.

It was the only option. If it had to be one of us, I would rather it was me. I was already broken.

“One…two…three— ”

“Wait!” Lincoln screamed. “No, Violet. Don’t!” He dropped his

head and lowered his voice. “I don’t want this.”

I let out the breath I was holding and relaxed my arm, still

fighting to keep my hold over the other exiles.

He stood. “I’m so sorry.”

276

Entice.indd 276

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

I took a step toward him, my shoulders dropping with relief, but I flinched when from behind me, Nahilius screamed, “No!”

Even spinning around at inhuman speed didn’t get me there in

time to see or stop any of it. All I saw was Magda standing behind Nahilius, the tip of her dagger coming through his chest.

“Bitch!” Nahilius moaned, staring straight at me as he fell to his knees—but before they hit the ground, he was gone.

I was startled by the venom in the one word intended for me

until I realized I had no right to be. I had held him in that immobile state, threatened his life, and then, when I was finished with him, had done nothing but turn my back in time for his end.

I
am
a
bitch.

Spence watched, hands stuck midair, mouth open. He didn’t

know what to do. I couldn’t blame him, nor did I. We’d wanted to stop them from using guns and Lincoln from killing Nahilius for the wrong reasons. We hadn’t considered things beyond that. It’s not like we were planning to send the exiles off at the end with a pat on the back.

It was Lincoln who walked over and stood on the spot Nahilius

no longer inhabited.

“Magda, you had no right.”

But Magda stood tall as she sheathed her dagger. “I had every

right, Lincoln. I helped you do this in your way and let you make the call, but he’s an exile and that’s our job. I’m not sorry for that.” She stormed away toward the stairs. “I’ll be downstairs when you two are done with your reunion.”

277

Entice.indd 277

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Jessica shirvington

Spence chose this moment to walk over to the final exile, who

had been wordlessly recovering on the ground from his gunshot

wound. He glanced at me quickly. He wasn’t asking permission—

Magda was right: this was our job description— he was checking

that I wouldn’t object, which I didn’t.

Spence drove his dagger into the exile heart. It was over quickly.

Lincoln and I watched on silently.

“Um…” Spence said, looking awkward. “I think I’ll go hold

Maggy’s hand. She seems a bit wound up.” He was giving us space.

Lincoln pulled me in for a hug as soon as Spence was out of

sight. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“You haven’t.”

“I guess not. I’m sorry,” he said, his words thick with emotion as he held me close, breathing deeply. I could have sworn he was breathing me in. “I couldn’t let him get to you.”

“I know. It’s over now.”

He pulled back from the embrace. “Hey, you didn’t…You

know…When you healed me…you didn’t have to— ” But he

didn’t get a chance to finish. It’s too hard to talk when someone is kissing you.

It was wrong, totally.

But it was right, completely.

Our souls were connected. I realized when I reached within my

power to help heal Lincoln’s heart that I shouldn’t be able to do it.

Phoenix may be able to have a physical connection with me, even tamper with my emotions, but all of that was related to the senses, 278

Entice.indd 278

12/18/12 4:57 PM

Entice

to external forces. The soul is the only part that is eternal, that transcends the fabric and goes beyond, into the tiniest fibers of our very existence. My soul belonged to Lincoln’s as his belonged to mine. Did that make everything okay? Open the doors to happily

ever after? Of course not. There would never be a guarantee, just a feeling, and that wasn’t enough. Not for the risk.

But I kissed him anyway. I opened my power to him. Not for

healing purposes, but for a brief liberation. I was nervous he’d pull away and I felt him hesitate for a moment, but then just as my