Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (91 page)

So I did.

————

I heard the front door. Lincoln, Magda, and Griffin had arrived.

Steph had now had me locked in the spare room for almost two

hours. It surprised me no one had come in. They were probably

giving me space— or themselves.

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This
shouldn’t have been possible.

I stood up. “Steph, I’m okay. We have to go out, otherwise

Lincoln is going to come down here and see you’ve been through

all his mom’s stuff.”

A look of panic flashed across her face, but she held her ground.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I took a deep breath. I
needed
to be okay right now. “Yes.” Steph stood up and opened the door. “Okay, maybe you should

go have that shower now. I brought over a change of clothes for you. I didn’t know if you’d have anything. They’re in the bathroom.”

“Thanks, Steph,” I said, giving her a quick hug.

“It’s okay. I stayed at your place last night anyway.”

“I didn’t mean for the clothes.”

“I know,” she said with a smile as we left the room.

Steph pulled the door shut quietly behind us. I darted across

the hall and hovered just inside the bathroom door. I could hear everyone talking, but I just couldn’t face them yet. I needed a few minutes alone.

Spence had been down to the corner store and Zoe was offering

round glasses of orange juice. Griffin was on the phone, getting back to business. I heard someone start walking my way, so I

quickly closed the bathroom door and turned on the shower. Then I heard another door close. Lincoln’s bedroom.

I stripped, got in the shower, and couldn’t even stand. I just

sat in the corner and leaned against the tiles as the water washed off dried blood and dirt that had remained hidden beneath my

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sweats. I rested the side of my head against the wall, knowing that Lincoln’s room was on the other side.

I listened to the banging.

Drawers being pulled out and slammed back. His closet

door— I’d heard that one slam before. I didn’t know how it was still on its hinges. Then I heard a thud nearby and then a smaller one almost exactly level with my head. It was a thin wall.

I imagined Lincoln there on the other side of the wall, sitting in the corner of his room. I put my hand to the wall and let it slide down the wet tiles.

There would always be a wall.

Even so, I eventually dragged myself out of the shower and

changed into the black jeans and red T- shirt Steph had left for me.

One thing I knew about Lincoln, he had to say it out loud.

————

I knocked on his door and opened it. My heart clenched. He was

sitting on the floor, exactly where I had imagined he’d be. He didn’t even bother getting up.

I sat opposite him on the edge of his bed and looked at my feet.

“How’s Griff ?” I asked, my voice crackly.

“You know Griff. Blames himself.”

I nodded.

“You were amazing back there. The way you healed Spence.

You…You’re amazing,” he said, stopping himself from saying

something else.

“You too. I saw you take down at least three of them and

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then…Thanks by the way. I don’t…um…I don’t think I ever said so.” In all the commotion, I hadn’t even thanked him for saving my life.

“I’m so useless to you when Phoenix hurts you.” He dropped his

head into his hands. “I can’t help, I can’t stop it, and it kills me. The idea of you in pain, hurting so badly— I’d do anything.”

“I know.”

“We’re soul mates, Vi. I know you’ve had your doubts, but I’m

sure of it,” he said, glancing at me for just a moment.

“I know,” I whispered.

“No wonder Rudyard and Nyla wanted us to know everything.”

He slammed a fist into the wall. “I could never do that to you. Risk leaving you like that.”

“I know. Me too.” And even though running my heart through

a shredder would have hurt less, it was true. I couldn’t commit Lincoln to a future like Nyla’s, knowing that Phoenix had a physical hold over me that meant he could kill me at any time. There was no way I’d risk bonding my soul with Lincoln’s and then stealing his away when I died.

He stood and came over to sit beside me. My entire body ached,

craving to reach out and touch him.

“I don’t know how to do this, but I know there’s no other way.”

“We just keep fighting. Like Rudyard says— said— that’s what

Grigori do,” I said, letting the numbness in, wanting it to surround me.

“Yeah,” he agreed, nodding sadly. His hand moved toward me

instinctively before he stopped it and stood up.

He walked toward the door. “I should go check up on everyone.”

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“Wait. Linc, there’s something I need to tell you,” I said, standing too, bracing myself.

But he already had his head out the door, and we could both

hear the raised voices.

“Something’s going on,” he said.

What’s new?

I followed him out of his room and down the hall.

“What’s happened?” Lincoln asked Spence when we reached the

living room.

“Got me. Zoe and Salvatore were over in the corner talking and

then, all of a sudden, Salvatore just lost it. I think he’s frustrated by the communication problem.”

“Oh,” said Lincoln, as if it didn’t matter.

But knowing everything I now knew and watching how

Salvatore, Zoe, and Steph were all whispering hurriedly, I got that feeling. The bad one.

I looked over at Griffin. Magda was speaking, looking like she

was collecting her bag to leave. Steph must have said something Salvatore didn’t like because he was shaking his head, getting more and more upset. Zoe was just looking confused.

“What is going on over there?” Griffin asked, distracted from

his conversation.

Salvatore stepped forward. “I am sorry for these troubles, Mr.

Griffin. I am trying to give explanation. I must tell these things I know.” Griffin nodded, seeing Salvatore’s distress. “Stephanie, would

you mind translating for Salvatore?” Griffin requested.

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Steph looked at me, worried. I gave her a resigned shrug. Lincoln saw and shot me a questioning look.

“I think you’re about to find out,” I mumbled.

Did
everything
have
to
happen
like
this?

“Okay,” Steph said.

Salvatore spoke to Steph in Italian. Nothing he said seemed to

shock her that much. I didn’t take it as a good sign.

When he had finished, she looked back at me nervously, then

licked her lips.

Shit.

“Okay. Salvatore, as you all know, has the strength to detect lies.

Unlike your gift, Griffin…” She swallowed; she was freaking out.

Shit
shit
shit.

“Salvatore’s looks for the threads that interconnect and then lead to more. He says it’s sometimes like looking at a fine strand that is out of place,” Steph continued, talking as much with her flailing hands as with her mouth, “weaving in and out of many larger pieces of fabric, holding them together. When that thread, no matter how small, comes away, it can unravel the rest.”

“Yes, Stephanie, we understand his gift. Could you please get to the point?” Griffin asked, losing patience.

“Yes. Um…Salvatore has a question for Magda.” She swallowed

again, hesitantly.

Magda didn’t say anything. Instead, she just looked around like this was all a waste of valuable time.

“Well, what is it?” Griffin asked.

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“He would like to know…why she lied back at the tomb. He

believes— thinks, really— that when she told Lincoln she tried to kill Phoenix to save Violet’s life, she was lying.”

“Well”—Griffin looked at Salvatore—“I’m sorry, Salvatore,

but that just isn’t possible. Magda wouldn’t lie about something like that. She has no reason to, and anyway I would have seen the absence of truth if she had, and I didn’t.”

Salvatore said something to Steph, who finally seemed to be

getting back some of her Stephness.

“Salvatore says you’re wrong. He believes Magda has a way

of clouding truth. She’s protecting herself and attracting trust in others. He says you’re too close to her to see past it, but he’s been seeing it for some time now and he’s sure.”

“This is ridiculous,” Magda said, looking around the room

convincingly. “I don’t have any protection against my own Grigori partner. Lincoln, surely you don’t believe this?”

Lincoln looked at me and then to Salvatore. “I’m sure you have

your reasons, Salvatore, but it has been an incredibly traumatic time for everyone. We have no reason to doubt Magda…or Griffin’s abilities for that matter.”

Salvatore shook his head, frustrated. Zoe stepped up beside him.

“Listen, I’d be the first to admit he can be backward, but if he says she’s lying, she’s lying.”

Steph took out the piece of paper from her pocket that I had

earlier scrunched up. She smoothed it out, looked to me, and after I nodded, she walked up to Magda and gave it to her.

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Magda snatched the scrap from Steph’s hand, and as she took in

what it was and what it meant, her eyes grew wide. Panic.

“Take off your necklace, Magda,” I said, stepping forward, putting a quick hand on Steph to lead her back to Salvatore and Zoe.

She looked at me like she wanted to rip my throat out. Funny, I felt exactly the same way about her.

“No,” she said, looking to Griffin again. “This is crazy.”

“As you can see, Steph has been
really
busy. She doesn’t like to boast or anything, but she’s a genius. I told her about a conversation I’d had with Onyx. He’d explained how Nahilius was only

a gun for hire. I mean, I thought that meant he was working for Phoenix. In a way, he was, not that Nahilius knew it, though. He actually believed he’d come back here to sell that building and get the money, didn’t he?”

“I have no idea what story you are trying to concoct. Are you

that desperate for attention?” She looked at Griffin. “She has a problem, Griff.”

I took a step toward Magda. “I’m not the one with the problem,

Magda. I’m not the one who gave Phoenix the information about

titanium; I’m not the one who betrayed all Grigori by giving exiles a new defense against us.”

“Violet,” Griffin warned, moving to stand beside Magda.

“Do you know what makes sapphires blue, Griffin?” I asked,

pushing harder. “Titanium,” I answered without waiting. “The

same metal exiles now know can confuse our senses. You discov-

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advantages, and you figured out a way to harness them for your

benefit. It must’ve been years ago when you first hunted down

that necklace.”

Magda started to take a small step back but I was too quick. I

reached out and ripped the chain from her neck, hoping it hurt her.

Magda’s hands went to her throat in shock.

I half laughed, even though none of this was funny. “Kashmir

sapphires are the rarest because they are the richest blue. You know, I Googled them. Only a few have ever been discovered. Some

believe they even attract divine favor and…can weave truth.”

“Violet, stop this,” Griffin said, but I could see the wheels

turning, his mind going into overdrive.

“I’m sorry, Griffin”— and I really was— “but I can’t.”

“Ask her now, Lincoln. Ask her why she tried to return Phoenix,” Steph said.

Lincoln looked from me to Magda to Steph, then Salvatore, and

finally back to me. In the end, he would trust me.

“Why did you do it?” he asked Magda.

“I told you why. I did it to save her.”

Griffin dropped his glass of orange juice. He could see her lies.

“Oh, Magda. You wanted to kill her?” Griffin said.

Lincoln’s mouth was open. He was stunned.

“Actually, she wanted to kill Phoenix and me. Me to get me away from you,” I said to Lincoln. “And Phoenix because after getting rid of Nahilius, she was covering her tracks.”

“I don’t understand,” Lincoln said, probably willing it not to be true.

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“This is crazy. She’s trying to turn everyone against me!” Magda started up again.

“Stop!” Griffin yelled so loud she jumped. “Stop lying. I knew

that damn necklace did something. I knew it. I let you get away with things, covered up for you, hoped you would find your way.

I never thought you were this…evil. Do you have any idea how

many lives you have destroyed? How many you have endangered

by giving over the knowledge of titanium?”

“Steph went through all the boxes of your mom’s company

documents,” I said to Lincoln, who, by his mortified expression, I gathered was quickly starting to piece it all together. “Onyx told me Nahilius was working for someone. I thought it was Phoenix, but it was never
Nahilius
working with Phoenix. Steph found records, the bank transfers from your mom’s company to Nahilius, and