Iniquity (The Premonition Series Book 5) (24 page)

“I’m sorry, Russell—”

“You should be!” he retorts.

“Did Phaedrus locate you?” Reed asks, holding me at his side.

“Yeah,” Russell replies, “he told me he saw you. He said Tau wants peace with you. Is that true?”

“Peace is a subjective term. He wanted me to kill Atwater and retrieve the boatswain we discussed…peacefully.”

“Did you do it?” Russell asks, looking troubled.

“No. I didn’t kill Atwater. He slipped into a portal.” Reed leaves out the part about us having the whistle that opens Sheol. I shoot Reed a sidelong look. He acknowledges my question, answering me with a squeeze to my upper arm that says ‘don’t tell him’. I know that Atwater told me not to tell anyone except Reed about us having the boatswain, but this is Russell—my soul mate. I trust him with everything. Still, I don’t speak of it. Russell doesn’t seem to notice our omission.

“Good,” he says with a look of relief, “I’m glad you didn’t kill him. Anya told me Atwater is my guardian angel. I have to find him. He has a
ton
of explaining to do.” I search my mind and I know it’s true. Atwater is Russell’s guardian angel, but he hasn’t always been. Russell used to be guarded by a Cherub name Tulie, but Byzantyne stabbed her to death only a few lifetimes ago. Russell wasn’t the same after losing Tulie. He loved her. My soul mate doesn’t notice my complete shock as he continues on. “Okay, what I’m ‘bout to say is gonna sound really stupid comin’ from me, especially given our history with the Gancanagh, but I need y’all to hear me out—”

Reed holds up his hand, palm out. “We need to parley with Brennus because he has a Faerie weapon that will annihilate Evie’s inescapable’s soul. Without that weapon, we can’t kill Emil.”

Russell’s clone blinks—his image straightens up to a taller height. “That’s freaky, Reed. You’re freaking me out.”

“Russell may not know him as Emil, Reed,” I explain. “They never met in Simone’s lifetime. Russell, Emil is Ronan…Ionia…Tasha…Zanzibar—”

“Djet,” Russell whispers our enemy’s name. “You remember.”

“I do, Iah.” For a few moments, my lifetimes with my soul mate spread out in a tapestry before me. I am nearly crushed by the weight of it. In human form, Russell was always the one I wanted. Nothing and no one came between us. When I died and my soul detached from my human form, things were different. I remember everything—I was in love with my angel in Heaven, Xavier. I would do anything for my Seraph guardian, even forget him over and over and die for my angel a thousand times, and then a hundred thousand more, just for a few moments together with him in Paradise when it was allowed—when Russell still lived on Earth and I was in Heaven. I shake my head.
There are so many broken pieces of me.

Russell’s clone comes closer to me, his light falling on my face. “I have a dagger that Brennus gave me. If I cut myself with it, it will bring Brennus to me. I can’t use it though. I won’t use it. I can’t allow the Gancanagh to get close to Anya or the Reapers again. We need to meet up. You have to go with me to talk to Brennus. He’ll listen to you. He’ll do anythin’ for you.”

“Of course he will. I’m his queen.” Both Reed and Russell frown. “I
am
his queen. I have to lead his army into battle against Emil. Brennus will give me whatever I ask for, but even if he doesn’t, I could take it from him just as easily.”

“How?” Russell asks.

“Russell, we’re the most powerful beings on Earth. We don’t even need a reason to take what we want.”

“Ah, so now you remember that you’re an ass kicker?”

“I can’t believe I ever forgot. You don’t have to come, you know? I can deal with the Gancanagh on my own.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Evie,” Russell replies.

“Okay, where are you now? I will find out where the Gancanagh have set up their new lair, and then I’ll meet you and we’ll go there together.”

Russell’s clone smiles. “I’ll come here. It’s not terribly far from where I am now. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Russell looks at Reed. “You’re in, right?’

“I’m in.” Reed nods. “Tell Zephyr to keep our Reapers away from Crestwood.”

“Why?”

“Before he slipped away from me, Atwater told me the hole Emil created between our worlds has ruptured. Evil souls and demons are escaping through it into Crestwood. Sheol’s souls will possess any humans who will let them. The demons will rampage. It will be a thousand fold worse than the angels in the 7-Eleven ever were. Reapers will be drawn there, feeling the need to reap souls. The sheer numbers of the evil dead will overwhelm them. They’ll be slaughtered. Tell them to get the word out to other Reapers.”

“We have to close that door,” Russell says urgently.

“We do. We need our armies in place first, or we don’t stand a chance. It’s a trap, Russell. Emil set it. He most likely has his angel army just on the other side of the gate, waiting for us to come to close it. When we do, he plans to meet us and butcher anyone who gets between him and Evie.”

Russell’s clone shivers. “He told me he wants to kill her last. He wants her to watch us all die first.”

“Yes, he wants to kill us, for sure, but he wants more than that.”

“What do you mean?”

“His mentor, Byzantyne, is obsessed with possessing Evie. To him, she is the wildest, most beautiful butterfly that he’s never quite gotten for his own. She makes Emil look like a moth in comparison. Emil doesn’t like being anyone’s moth. Her inescapable arranged a deal wherein Byzantyne never gets Evie’s soul, but that won’t be quite enough for him.”

“How do you know that?’ Russell asks.

“I know it because he would’ve killed me right away the first moment we met at Crestwood. His plan was to kill me first, but he found he couldn’t because of this.” Reed holds up his ring that I gave him. “It ruined his plan and allowed us to escape. He followed Evie and me, but I was taken to Dominion and Evie escaped once more with Xavier. Emil went back for you, Russell, but the Gancanagh saved you. Now his plan is to draw out our reapers as bait. He’ll try to capture or kill them. He wants us to return to Crestwood—back to him. It’s a simple plan, really.”

“So what does Emil do with Evie if he gets her?”

“He exacts revenge upon her and Byzantyne. It’s a good plan.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I remember him. I hunted Byzantyne and I watched them both linger around Simone. It was obsession.”

“Obsession. Are you talkin’ about them, or ‘bout you?” Russell asks.

Reed’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “I was referring to all of us.”

“Wait. You mean, you knew Evie when she was Simone?”

“I was there when she died. I will explain it all to you when I see you.”

“Russell, Reed and I aren’t safe here. Xavier will know I used his portal. He knows it leads here. You have to meet us somewhere else. We need to leave here as soon as possible. He’s probably on his way here now.”

“Where will y’all be?”

“Go to Detroit. I’ll think of a place in the city where we can meet, and then I’ll contact you. Hurry, Russell, Sheol is open and there isn’t much time.”

“Hurry, she says,” Russell’s clone mutters sarcastically, “like I didn’t just catch her making out with her aspire in the middle of a situation.” His clone disappears into the air.

“I need to find Brennus.”

Reed nods. “You may want your clothes for that.”

“I think that’s wise.” I pick up my clothes from the floor and put them on. Reed shrugs into his shirt. “It’s best if we leave now. We can find somewhere private for you to track Brennus.”

He’s right. Xavier’s mountain fortress is far away, but not if Xavier finds a portal in the vicinity of this house. He can be here at anytime. “We need to move.”

“What kind of car did Xavier drive?” Reed asks with a grin.

“C’mon, I’ll show you his garage.”

I take Reed to the underground stable of chrome and steel horses. When I turn on the light, I see what I now know is part of an angel arsenal—endless rows of motorcycles, cars, and SUVs polished to a high shine. “Which one do you like?” Reed asks. I walk down the row of SUVs. “The white one.”

Reed chuckles at my total disregard for the makes and models of the luxury vehicles. “The white one it is.” He opens the passenger door for me. I climb in. He’s sitting in the driver’s seat in a fraction of a second. I smile at him. He shows me a chip in the palm of his hand. “What is that?” I ask.

He closes his hand and crushes the chip. Dust falls from it when he opens it again.

“I disabled the tracking device and anti-theft protocols.” The keyless fob is in the console. Reed opens the fob and disables more components. He starts the car, glancing over at me. “I’ll find us a safe place to meet Russell while you find Gancanagh.”

I exhale and close my eyes. As Reed uses the car elevator to take the SUV from the basement to the driveway, I concentrate on creating a clone. Reed drives the car onto the street. My shimmering image floats through the roof of the SUV, up through the leafless branches of oak trees and into the night sky.

I
close da
door ta me room. Having jus left Finn ta manage da fallout of whah we learned from our parley wi’ da trolls, I rub me face wearily. I despise da weakness associated wi’ needing ta sleep. Da only consolation I have in it is dat I can search for Genevieve in me dreams. I miss her more dan I care ta admit, even ta meself. I need her more dan I need anyting in dis miserable world.

I’ve had ta abandon her dis long because circumstances dictated it. Dere’s unrest everywhere. Craiturs are mobilizing. We have a very small window of opportunity ta persuade dem ta our side—ta join me queen’s army. I could’ve used Declan on dis front. He was adept at finding da angle dat gains compliance. I miss da counsel of me captain o’ da guard. Beside Finn, he was like a brudder ta me.

I go ta me bedside table. Tugging da small vial from da chain I wear around me neck, I lift it over me head. I set da vial of Genevieve’s blood down next ta da lamp. Dere is na much left in da small bottle. I will need ta ration it until I can get more or until she sees reason and joins me in dis fight. She is so stubborn. It’s da Seraphim in her.

I lie down on me bed, propping me head on a couple of white pillows. I reach over, intent on unstopping da vial of Genevieve’s blood when I pause. A commotion stirs from da hall beneath me room. Electricity surges tru me body as a radiant image of Genevieve enters me room. I set da vial back on da table, watching as she moves gracefully ta da edge of me bed. She hovers near da footboard before she climbs up on da mattress and crawls seductively ta me side. She lies down, looking up at da ceilin’.

For a moment I tink dat I’m already dreamin’, but den she turns her head and faces me, saying, “So, dis is a crap room ye’re livin’ in.”

A bark of laughter peels from me as da bed shakes wi’ me mirth at her attempt ta sound like a fella. “’Tis, Genevieve. Now do ye see da lengths I will go ta in order ta protect ye?”

“Is that why you chose this place?” She gazes around. Her eyes linger on da vial of her blood on da bedside table.

Me voice is gentle as I say, “It’s where ye’re from, is it na?”

“It is, but as it turns out, I’m from a lot of places.”

“Yer guardian angel was right about dis place. ’Tis a foin city in which ta hide from angels. Dey do na seem ta like it here.”

Her tragic sadness dat so attracts me ta her is in her eyes when she turns ta look at me. I suck in me breath, wanting ta be da one ta save her from her sorrow. “I’m coming to pay you a visit. I should be here in a few hours.”

“Is dat so?”

“’Tis,” she replies, trying to hide her sorrow in humor.

“Ta whah do I owe da honor?” I have ta catch me breath and resist da impulse ta try ta reach for her across da bed. She’s in phantom form.

“We need to parley. You have something I need.”

“Whah have I dat ye need?”

“I’ll tell you when I arrive.”

“A hint, perhaps?” I wheedle.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why na?”

“You always want something in return. You rarely give me anything I really want without my having to bargain for it.”

“Dat’s jus good business.”

“This is more than business.”

“I know. ’Tis flesh, bone, and soul. Ye’re welcome ta whahever I have ta give. I’ve information ta impart ta ye as well.”

She looks skeptical. “A little hint?” she asks. Her eyes are so dangerous. Dey make me want ta open me veins ta her—ta bleed for her.

“Sheol is a rising tide dat is flooding our shores wi’ unwanted guests. Evil souls are inhabiting da earth in unprecedented numbers. Da less dan divine craiturs of dis world are choosing deir sides. We’re negotiating wi’ da trolls. Dey can be swayed ta our side.”

“We have to rise above the flood soon, Brenn. What are you doing to manage the tide?”

“Me magic is na holding against Sheol—even wi’ Finn and da other fellas’ help. Da ground dere shakes wi’ fury. All is at stake now. I need me queen by me side when worlds collide.”

“Fate calls,” she murmurs.

“Dere is someting else.”

“What?”

“Da fact dat ye saw Atwater troubles me. He can na be trusted. Whahever deal ye make wi’ him, he’ll fail ye.”

“He wants me to join your army—to lead it by your side. He acts as if he has made a promise to you—that he owes you something. He believes we cannot prevail without the Gancanagh in this fight.”

I blink. I was na expecting dat. “He leads well wi’ little lies. Like a blind man, I have followed him before. I would na have ye make da same mistakes as me.”

“Maybe he’s been playing a larger game than either of us realizes, Brennus.”

“Dat’s da problem wi’ Heaven. Ta dem, dis is all a game, Genevieve.”

“It’s a fragile thing—this life.”

“’Tis even more precarious in undeath,” I say wi’ a quirk of me eyebrow.

“Get some sleep, Brenn. You look tired.” She reaches a glowing hand out ta me, touching me cheek. I feel da heat of her soul in da hollowness of me body. It eases da ache in me for a moment. “I will see you soon.”

Her clone rises from me bed and travels tru da wall, out onta da city street. Shadows creep in on me wi’out her light ta keep dem at bay, and I’m forced to obey whahever spell ’twas dat she placed upon me. I close me eyes and I drift off ta sleep, dreaming of her.