Empower (46 page)

‘I know how to stop this!’ I said.

‘Even more reason to finish you,’ he hissed. And just as his arm flexed and he made his move, I saw the glint of silver and then Drenson’s eyes cloud over, his arms losing their grip and falling limp along with the rest of his body as he fell to the ground face down. A Grigori dagger was embedded between his shoulderblades.

Spence stood over him.

His fierce, warrior eyes looked up at me sharply. ‘Always got your back, Eden.’

I threw my arms around him and squeezed tightly before letting him go.

He delivered a roguish smile and gestured knowingly to the stairs. ‘Do what you have to do,’ he said, giving me a nod before bending down and reefing his dagger free. ‘Chloe and I will make sure the building is protected.’

I saw her then, running up behind him, out of breath.

I shook my head. ‘Don’t worry about us. Go and help Gray and Carter. They’re a hundred metres up the road and need to get out of there.’

Without another word, Spence grabbed Chloe’s arm and they ran.

And I knew it was time to do exactly what I was put on this earth to do.

I called out for Lincoln
and turned in time to see Griffin and Josephine’s team jump into the fray where Lincoln was still fighting, freeing him to come with me.

‘Where were you?’ he asked as we ran up the stairs.

‘Dealing with Academy politics,’ I replied.

On the low rooftop – and neighbouring rooftops along the river – the nature users continued to fight the storm, calling on their strengths and pushing back with all they had, but the hurricane was just too powerful.

At the front, calling out orders and holding the weight of the wind, stood Phoenix, looking every bit the unearthly creature he was. His black shirt was ripped and flying in the air. Wind encased him and I gasped.

‘He’s channelling the hurricane. Pulling the power to him and trying to send it back out to sea.’

‘It’ll tear him in two!’ Lincoln yelled as we watched Phoenix’s body being brutally lashed by invisible whips of air. Zoe stood beside him, her focus on the rising river. It had already lifted over the levies and was now pouring into the city streets even as she and those beside her worked at creating new currents to send it away.

I looked around frantically. We were heavily outnumbered; there were at least twice as many exiles to our Grigori. My knees weakened at the thought.

Lincoln grabbed my shoulders to steady me.

‘What now?’ he screamed over the wind and rain, over the cries of madness below.

I turned and ran towards
Phoenix, getting as close as I could before the wind pushed me stumbling back. I regained my balance and screamed his name as I felt Lincoln behind me.

Phoenix turned slightly, his shoulders sagging in relief as he kept the winds rippling and swirling around him. He knew where I’d been; that Sammael had been defeated.

‘You need to leave!’ I screamed, pushing closer again.

‘A little busy right now!’ he called back, somehow managing a small smile.

‘Phoenix, look at me!’ I cried.

He glanced over briefly, his strained expression filled with knowing. There was blood running from his ear and down his neck.

Jesus, how much more of this can he take?

‘You always worried you were becoming a new kind of angel, but can you finally see?’ he called out. ‘You were always becoming the best kind of human.’ His eyes met mine, and for a few magical beats all the mayhem around us went away and his calm brown eyes met my hazel ones and understanding passed between us. He knew what I was going to do.

‘This is your destiny!’ he yelled.

Tears fell and I shook my head. ‘There’s still time! You can get away,’ I called out, ignoring Lincoln, who had braced my shoulders from behind as if he knew I might do something crazy.

Phoenix held my gaze and it felt in that moment as if he were holding me together. ‘You are exactly where you are supposed to be and so am I.’ He managed a smile. ‘It’s time for the final act.’

‘No!’ I screamed at him, angry now. ‘You’ll die!’ I couldn’t stand by and let him make this choice. This ultimate sacrifice.

‘Listen to
her, Phoenix,’ Lincoln called out. ‘You don’t have to do this.’

Phoenix’s eyes lingered on me before moving
to Lincoln’s. ‘Promise me!’

Two words that could have meant anything, but which Lincoln and I both knew were solely about me.

Lincoln didn’t hesitate. ‘Always.’

Phoenix nodded once then looked back across the river to the suburbs being ripped apart, the land sinking into the ocean, and then back to me. He knew he was the only one strong enough to hold the wind. But I didn’t care. Right at that moment, I honestly didn’t. I wanted him to be safe. He deserved his chance.

‘Do it!’ he mouthed and then turned his face back to the storm, his arms wide as he gave it everything he had. And the sheer fortitude in his eyes transferred to me and I found myself nodding even as my throat closed in.

My hand went out and Lincoln moved to my side and grasped it. ‘Open everything, Linc. This is going to hurt.’

‘Take whatever you need,’ he replied without faltering, squeezing my hand and opening our soul bond, bringing me new strength beyond anything I’d ever experienced.

I pulled it all within, adding it to what already lay inside me, and then I lifted into my Sight, hovering above my physical form. I concentrated on the scene below, taking one, then ten, a hundred, a thousand, as far as I could push, my Sight travelling with little more than a thought as I cruised first along the river and then the main square of the French Quarter, down Bourbon Street and finally to Canal Street, looping back down to the river and sucking every exile within the circle into my power. It was more than I’d ever tried or contemplated trying to hold before tonight.

All the while, I tried to exclude
Phoenix; tried to keep him free of my power, but in the end it was impossible. The power that had always beckoned me was too strong. Unleashed as it was it consumed me, leading the way.

I knew I had only enough control for one final choice.

I made it.

I tore from each and every one of them what they had given up any right to have. The power coursed through me, my body shaking as I gave the last. My all.

And every single exile under my power fell.

‘Neither shall they say see here or see there, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’

Luke 17:20

W
hen I opened my eyes, I was cradled
in Lincoln’s arms while he shielded me from the wind and torrential rain.

His eyes were fixed on mine.

‘Did it work?’ I gasped.

He nodded in awe. ‘They’re all down.’

‘Phoenix?’ I asked, my voice breaking. But, really, I already knew.

‘Phoenix too,’ Lincoln said.

I stumbled to my feet, despite Lincoln’s attempts to stop me, and faced the storm.

‘Michael!’ I screamed at the top of my lungs. ‘
Michael!
’ My hands fisted at my sides.

‘Over there,’ Lincoln said in my ear, pointing me to the corner of the rooftop.

A lion stood proudly at the edge, his front paws mounted on the surrounding wall – the wind neither a deterrent nor bother. And with one almighty roar that sounded and felt like thunder, the rain stopped
and the hurricane pulled into a gentle tornado and travelled back out to sea.

Cheers sounded out from the rooftop and below, but only tears fell from my eyes as I watched my lion walk over to where Phoenix lay.

My lion – my angel maker, Michael – gently leaned over Phoenix and nudged his face, giving him a small nurturing lick, as a lion would his cub. And with a final look back at me, his eyes as blank as ever, he took off, bounding in great and mighty leaps all the way to the edge of the rooftop and beyond as Grigori watched in wonder.

‘Vi, you’re bleeding,’ Lincoln said, sounding worried.

My hand went to my face and I looked down to see the streaks of blood that my eyes, nose and mouth had left behind. My power was gone. I couldn’t feel it at all. I couldn’t feel the senses. I couldn’t feel the lure of my Sight. The well that sat deep at the base of me was empty. And still, none of it mattered as I staggered over to Phoenix, collapsing at his side.

My hand trembled as it ran over his face.

‘I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry,’ I cried.

Slowly, his dark brown eyes opened and lifted to meet mine. He stared at me for what was probably just seconds but felt like a brief lifetime. And in his eyes I found everything I needed at that moment. Acceptance. Forgiveness. Relief. And … humanity. I had killed him. Not today. Perhaps not for many tomorrows. But immortality was his no more.

No longer a malign angel.

No longer a dark exile.

Phoenix was human.

Just like every other exile in the nearby radius.

And yet, in those final seconds before
the world around me went black, I saw something new in his eyes. Something that looked an awful lot like hope.

It hurt. Everywhere.

I’d moved in and out of consciousness for what seemed like a very long time; opening my eyes, seeing Lincoln, feeling his closeness and then slipping back under all too soon.

I could hear chatter here and there.

‘She might not make it—’

‘Yes, she will.’

‘I’m just saying you should be prepared.’

‘No need … Get this joker out of here.’

And then, later …

‘We should consider moving her.’

‘Is it safe?’

‘We can’t know, but it has to be better than keeping her here.’

‘Get a plane ready.’

And then, moving. Lying in a bed and then being cradled in the arms of the sun. Warm. Loved. Safe. I sunk in.

People came and went. Again I heard them talk. Sometimes I even knew who they were.

Griffin sat with me often. I thought I heard him cry. But then he got on with it, letting me know that he was looking after things. That the clean-up was well in hand. All the exiles in the city of New Orleans had fallen. My range hadn’t been much more than a dozen city
blocks but since they’d all been in that area for the battle, it had worked a charm.

The Grigori had started to detain the now-powerless exiles immediately, with assistance from the navy. A number of the exiles had taken their own lives before they could be stopped and many had fled but were being pursued.

Griffin marvelled at how the events of that night had changed the face of the fight. There were still many exiles out there to fight and the guarantee of more to come, but the playing field had been significantly evened.

All the while Lincoln stayed by my side.

I wanted to open my eyes and tell them I would be okay. But I couldn’t. The darkness held me even while light surrounded me.

Eventually, I became aware of loud noises. Then I heard a familiar voice.

‘Honestly, you’d think they’d give a guy a break. It’s like fricking Fort Knox getting in here.’

‘Yeah, a few of the Rogues have taken it upon themselves to add a little extra security.’

‘A little!’ he scoffed. ‘I almost peed myself.’

I heard Lincoln chuckle. ‘It’s good to see you.’

‘Yeah, well, I got sick of waiting for you to come and visit me.’

‘Sorry, Spence.’

Spence.

‘No sweat. I would’ve been here sooner but Mia and Chloe are worse than the pit bulls guarding this room.’ I heard his voice change, soften. ‘How’s she doing?’

I heard Lincoln sigh. ‘I can’t feel her like I usually do. She’s weak but she’s holding on. I try to help the healing
along but it’s like something is blocking me.’

‘Maybe she just isn’t ready,’ Spence said simply. I felt a hand at my forehead. ‘Is it terrible that there’s a part of me that wishes we’d never figured it all out? That we’d been somewhere on the other side of the world when that war had gone down and the angels had just dealt with it like they were going to.’