Indebted: The Premonition Series (11 page)

As my image walks in silence towards the conference room, I hear the heated debate ahead as Reed’s beautiful voice speaks in Angel. I follow the sound of it, knowing that Phaedrus must be somewhere nearby. Entering the room, there are several intakes of breath, mainly coming from the side of the table where the Undines are seated. Ignoring them, I continue moving my clone beyond each one on my way to the end of the table.

Nearing Phaedrus, I almost make it to him when Reed steps right in front of me, trying to block my way. My clone passes right through him like a dream, approaching Phaedrus to whisper to him, “You have five seconds. Be ready.”

Phaedrus rises out of his chair, exhaling in relief. He has been in torment over knowing that his targets, Russell and Brownie, need his help and not being able to find them on his own.

Even through my clone’s dim senses, I know that the entire room has heard me because they erupt in chaos. I don’t pay any attention. I know that this may be the last thing that Russell will hear from me. Adrenaline flashes into my system at that thought. With my heartbeat drumming in my ears, I reach deep within myself, pushing every ounce of love and devotion that I feel for Russell out of me and into my clone. As I do it, my senses within her heighten until the room around her begins to glow from the light she emits. Then, like a bolt of lightening, she streams out of the room in a flash, and I lose the connection to her.

I find myself back in my room, seated on my bed. I quickly reach deep within myself again, tapping into all the rage and anger that I feel for the creature who has taken my soul mate. The room spins again as I formulate my message to the Ifrit. My messenger bolts from the room with my last thought:
Mercy for them or there will be no mercy for you.

CHAPTER 7

Water And Fire

Feeling like the room is still spinning, I reach my hand up to my face, wiping my nose. A smear of blood transfers to my hand, letting me know that my nose is bleeding. Dabbing at it with the back of my hand, I walk towards the bathroom to get a tissue. Before I make it halfway there, Reed is standing in front of me looking like an avenging angel who has come to smite me for my sins. His charcoal-gray wings are arching out so that I can’t see around him and he is glowering at me as his hands are clenched in fists at his sides.

Knowing I’m in serious trouble with Reed and possibly every other angel in China, I back away from him while holding out my hands in front of me. I’m disturbed to realize that my hands are shaking a little. “You can’t be mad at me because
you
shut
me
out first!” I say, trying to go on the offensive, while looking for a better defensive position within the room, but there is no place to hide in here.

“There were two,” Reed says with deathly calm as he holds up two fingers, matching me step-for-step, not letting me gain any distance from him. “I assume the first clone that Phaedrus followed was intended for Russell. Please tell me that the second one was sent to Brownie.”

My nervousness increases, knowing that he is not going to like the truth. “I had to make sure it knows that I exist so that it stops trying to wring the information from Russell and Brownie,” I say as an explanation to his question.

“Genevieve,” Reed says icily and I pale. “What did you say to the Ifrit?” he asks, struggling for control.

“Well…I don’t want to tell you that part,” I say in honesty.

“Why not?” he snaps back.

“Because it might make you mad,” I reply shakily.

“I’m already angry,” he snarls.

“True, but you’re not going to like this,” I warn him. When I hear him growl I quickly say, “I told it, ‘Mercy for them or there will be no mercy for you.’”

Slowly, his wings retract as his face loses its scowl. He cocks his head to the side asking, “You said that to the Ifrit?” I nod, watching him shake his head tiredly. “The Ifrit will come for you now. He won’t be able to resist such an enticing challenge issued from such an incredibly beautiful being.” He turns then, striding towards the door.

Moving faster than him, I manage to get in front of him before he leaves the room. “Wait! Where are you going?” I ask, panicking because he looks grim.

“I have to negotiate with the Undines. They have to see reason and protect you from the Ifrit, now that you have provoked it,” he says in a stern tone.

“You have to do that right now?” I ask him, wringing my hands. “Can I come with you?” I ask him hopefully. I don’t want to stay here alone. What I just did is now beginning to register in my mind and fear is making my hands tremble.

“No,” Reed answers evenly, “get some sleep. You look exhausted.” He steps around me then, telling the angels who have been guarding me not to let me out of my room.

“Reed! You’ll tell me if you hear from Phaedrus?” I call from the doorway of our room. He ignores me and continues walking. I turn away from him, feeling miserable. I have managed to anger everyone that is here to help me, but I can’t pretend that I would do anything differently because I wouldn’t. Walking listlessly to the bed, I lay down on it, pulling Reed’s pillow to me and hugging it for comfort. Shivering with dread, I close my eyes, feeling the need for sleep burning me. I begin to drift off and I try to fight it. I want to stay awake in case they hear from Phaedrus. If he loses the clone, I plan to send another one that may pass him, allowing him to pick up the trail again. Jerking my eyes open once or twice, I soon lose the battle against fatigue, falling asleep.

Warm air filters in the open windows, stirring the hair that has fallen in wisps from the sticks holding it in a knot at my nape. “
I cannot give you his soul, Alya, but I can give you his heart.
I will cut it out for you…” a voice whispers to me like a caress, making my heart pound in my chest and panic grip me. “That is the only mercy that you will have from me…unless, you give me what I desire.”

“What do you want?” I ask sluggishly, feeling weighed down and listless. “You give me Russell and Brownie, and I’ll give you what you want.”

“You are wise, Alya,” he says with a raspy resonance. “We may both get what we want, in the end. Tell me where you are now.”

“China…I’m in China. Where are you now? I’ll come to you…” I insist.

Drops of water raining on my face and body cause my eyes to flutter open right before the drops become a deluge, soaking me. “Wake up!” a twinkling voice says from near me as rain continues to fall on my head.

Dripping wet I open my eyes to see Safira standing over me with her arms crossed in front of her. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asks me, tapping her foot and frowning at me from the dry side of the bed. She looks like some kind of beautiful mermaid who has been transformed to walk on terra firma. I think I can even see something on her neck that looks like gills just behind her ears.

Shivering from being doused with cold water, I clench my teeth and reply, “I was sleeping! Do you mind?”

“Don’t lie to me! I can smell magic all over this room. You were
speaking
to the
Ifrit
!” she accuses, flicking her hand and dispelling the rain like she is turning off a tap.

“I was…” I pause, thinking about what just happened—the whispering voice—the smell of molten heat in the room. “How did it find me?” I ask her with a shudder.

“
You
gave it a connection to you when you sent it your spirit or image or whatever you are calling it” she replies, pointing her webbed fingers at me. “Were you bargaining with it?” she asks as her skin sparkles a little, like she is covered with a light coating of crystallized brine.

Rubbing my eyes, I sit up in the bed. I duck my head and admit, “Yeah, I think I was bargaining with it.”

“I
knew
it! I
knew
you were an evil creature,” she says, running her hand through her golden hair that sways like it’s floating in a current. “I told them that you would betray us, but no one would listen to me after they heard the message you sent to the Ifrit. Threatening it with no mercy has won over all of the Powers; they will follow you into the abyss if you asked it of them. But, the first chance you get, you bargain with it,” she sneers at me, exposing her wickedly sharp, pointed teeth.

“Do you know what ‘Alya’ means?” I ask her, ignoring her rant and trying to remember every word the Ifrit spoke.

“Why? Did he say it? It’s a name…old…Arabic, it means ‘heaven,’” she replies, and my heart skips a beat.

“Listen to me,” I say, sitting up with supernatural speed and reaching for her. I grasp her upper arms before she can evade me, startling her with my strength and speed. Staring into her sapphire eyes, I continue, “If that thing comes here, I want you to do something for me,” I say quietly, watching her eyes narrow. “I know that you care about Reed. I want you to make sure that nothing happens to him. I don’t care how you do it—freeze him in a block of ice until the Ifrit is gone if you have to, just do it, okay?” I ask in desperation.

“You
are
evil!” she says, struggling to pull away from me. “He is a Power. No one protects a Power. They will slay you if you try.”

“But, you love him…” I counter, trying to understand why she wouldn’t want to save Reed.

“Yes, and I have loved him longer than you, long enough to know that he will never love me or forgive me if I try to protect him from danger,” she retorts. “You do not know him at all, do you?” she accuses me. “Have you seen him fight? I doubt the Ifrit has a chance against him even with all of its magic. I’m much less worried about Reed fighting an Ifrit than I am at seeing him with you!”

“Why?” I ask her in shock.

“Because he will die for you,” she glowers at me, causing me to feel the ferocious, stabbing fear that the image of Reed being hurt elicits.

“That’s exactly what I’m trying
really
hard to prevent,” I glower back. “So you find a way to help Reed because if something happens to him I’ll find you.”

“Are you threatening me?” she ask incredulously, blinking, and I notice a second set of eyelid-like film that covers her eyes momentarily before it retracts back beneath her normal eyelid.

“Yes!” I retort, going nose to nose with her.

Elan and Sorin step into the room then, grinning like they’ve been enjoying themselves. “I think that Preben will replace us if we do not step in now, although, my money is on the Seraph,” Elan says to Sorin, as they casually flank us while we continue to glare at each other.

Safira’s head snaps up at the insult and Elan is quick to sidestep the spout of water that she hurls at him. “Marlowe, Kendall—you must be losing your appeal. I wasn’t finished speaking to the half-breed,” Safira says insultingly.

Sorin’s chin motions towards the door. “Don’t blame them, they were highly entertaining, but it just didn’t compare to what was going on in here,” Sorin replies, watching the two lovely Undines who show themselves just outside the doorway to my room, looking vicious with their bared, sharp teeth. “And do not even consider freezing me in a block of ice or I will slay you,” he continues with a cheeky grin.

“Is nothing private around here?” I ask them with irritation in my voice, letting go of Safira’s arms and stepping back from her.

Elan’s bright-white smile flashes at me, showing his perfect teeth. “You were hardly being discreet. You were shouting at each other,” he says.

“Urr, you are all in love with this half-breed,” Safira accuses them, storming towards the door. “Trouble will follow her wherever she goes. She is a tsunami and you are dancing around in a small boat.”

“Yes, she is very dangerous—what could be wrong with that?” Sorin asks Elan with a perplexed expression, and then he sidesteps a funnel of water that comes spinning at him through the doorway as the Undines leave. It crashes into the far wall, causing a large puddle to splash onto the floor. It looks like monsoon season has begun early.

Still dripping wet from being rained on, I turn to my bodyguards, saying, “Do either of you know any magic that will clean up this water?”

“Towels,” Sorin replies, running his hand through his sunny-blond hair.

“That’s weak,” I say, exhaling as I walk to the bathroom and gather a few towels to clean up the mess in the bedroom. I am surprised when Elan and Sorin both help me mop up the water. When we finish, I drape the wet towels and sheets over the porch railings and then go back in alone to clean myself up.

Stepping into the bathroom, I eye the bathtub, thinking how nice it would be to soak in it for a while. Then, thoughts of being trapped in it by Safira surface in my mind. I ignore the tub and turn on the shower. I don’t know if I can really call it a shower though, it’s more like a very large, marble-tiled glass enclosure with several large shower jets positioned around it. Stripping off the red silk dress, I pull the sticks from my hair, allowing it to spill down my back.

Once in the shower, I close my eyes as the warm water runs over my face and hair. Bowing my head, the water runs down my back and wings as I concentrate on the conversation I had with the Ifrit in my dream.
He had been about to tell me where he is. He had shown me something…a grassy field with a cluster of little wooden windmills with thatched roofs. They are not the type that I had seen in pictures of Holland, but much smaller, set on small pedestals of fieldstones with Queen Anne’s lace growing around them. They are more like grain mills because there are lines attached to the sails so that they can be turned by hand if necessary. I had drifted past the windmills that had turned silently in perpetual motion and by a low, earthy house with whitewashed walls and a thatched roof. Beyond the modest white house there was
…I shudder.

“Are you cold?” Reed asks from behind me and I jump, spinning around just as his arms embrace me, pulling me to him. Water spills onto his chest and neck, running in rivets over his bare skin. He reaches over and bumps the hot water nozzle a little, making the water steamy. I must have been really concentrating because I hadn’t even felt the butterflies in my stomach that should’ve warned me of Reed’s presence.