Endless (9 page)

We must’ve been noisy because the apartment door swung open.

‘James!’ Evelyn said, looking between us. ‘Oh, God, you heard.’

I stared at my feet – unable to look at either one of them – and felt tears welling.

Not now, not now. Don’t cry.

‘Violet?’ At the sound of Griffin’s voice I glanced up.

A slap barely tickles Grigori. Griffin had given me my own fair share of playful punches along the way to toughen me up. But what Dad had done, the emotion and intent that came with it … hit me in so many painful ways. Griffin must have seen it all in my eyes. And, worse, I saw the sympathy in his.

Suck it up, Vi.

I stood up straight, blinking back the tears, and cleared my throat. I wouldn’t be weak.

‘Griff, can you wait a minute before leaving? I’m coming with you.’

As I was zipping up my bag, Evelyn let herself into my bedroom.

‘Don’t,’ I said putting a hand up to stop whatever she was about to say. ‘Just … don’t.’ I slung my duffle bag over my shoulder and grabbed my other bag, not pausing to look at her
again as I headed to the front door, where Griffin and Dad were talking.

Dad had recovered and found his voice. ‘I’m going to New York, too,’ he stated.

Griffin was trying to settle him down. ‘I understand how you feel, but they won’t allow it, James. The Academy do not admit non-Grigori.’

‘I don’t care. I’m going with her,’ Dad said adamantly.

I knew the ‘her’ he was referring to was not me.

I joined them. ‘It’s fine, Griff. We’ll find a way.’ I glanced at Dad, my expression blank. ‘You’ll be able to go with her, I’ll make sure of it.’ Then I turned back to Griffin with a nod, signalling I was ready to leave.

‘Violet, wait!’ Dad said.

I paused, head down.

‘I … I’m so sorry. I lost my mind. I don’t know what’s going on – I just snapped. The idea of her being in … All this time. Please forgive me.’

But I couldn’t. Because I didn’t know what was going on either but my response hadn’t been to blame him. So I shook my head, ignored my welling eyes, and headed for the lift.

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘No man chooses evil because it is evil … he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.’

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

T
he
car trip was silent – Griffin leaving me to my thoughts as I stared out the window, wondering how things had come to this.

He cleared his throat, bringing me out of my thoughts as we pulled up outside Lincoln’s warehouse. ‘Are you going to be okay?’

I clutched my bags. ‘Sure. Tell the Academy I won’t go unless Dad is allowed to escort her.’

‘They might not agree.’

I shrugged. ‘Then I won’t go. Tell them those are my terms for full cooperation.’

He nodded. ‘Okay. I’ll do that.’

I looked out the window and Griffin began to tap his hand on the steering wheel. It was starting to rain and steam was rising from the road.

‘Violet, he didn’t mean it.’

I wasn’t so sure. Dad had been tested in so many ways and his loyalty to Evelyn had shone through above all else. I swallowed. ‘Has she really been in Hell?’

‘Yes,’
he said, with the kind of certainty only Griffin, a seeker of truth, could deliver.

‘Why did she do it?’

‘She’s a warrior. She knew what was at stake. I think she thought doing things this way would give you the best chance.’ He gestured a hand towards Lincoln’s front door, which was already open. Lincoln had obviously sensed my arrival. ‘Is this the best place for you?’

Yes. No. Maybe.

Lost for an answer, I opened the car door.

Griffin grabbed my arm before I stepped out, his eyes full of promise. ‘Thank you, Violet. I know you’re only going to the Academy because I asked. I want you to know that you won’t be alone. You’re one of mine, and my Grigori stand together.’

I knew it was true. One thing about my friends: not a coward among them.

‘Thanks, Griff,’ I said, honoured but keen to change the subject. ‘So, do you think Dapper will be able to find all the ingredients?’

By the time we’d left Dapper’s place he’d found – among the hundreds he had hidden in his concealed library – the book he believed would point us in the right direction. He had, however, remained tight-lipped on his theory about the poisonous thirteenth ingredient, insisting he needed to consult with his brothers before sharing.

‘If anyone can, it’s Dapper.’ Griffin sighed. He was exhausted. ‘Let’s meet with him in the morning and make a plan.’

I nodded. ‘Breakfast at Hades?’

‘Yes. And just us for this one,’ he said, letting me know I wouldn’t have to see Evelyn.

Lincoln
stood by the door as I walked up the stairs, his eyes on my bags.

I threw my shoulders back. ‘I’m moving in,’ I said simply. ‘For tonight, anyway.’ But as I walked past him, with all my false bravado that he saw right through, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a hug – into which I sank helplessly. He knew me too well.

‘Dad slapped me,’ I said into his chest, tears now flowing.

Lincoln tensed, the way he did when he was trying to control his anger.

‘And apparently Evelyn’s been stuck in Hell for the past seventeen years,’ I added.

He pulled me tighter and I was struck by the realisation that he’d already figured it out.

Was I the only one who hadn’t?

And then came the sickening thought … Deep down, had I known, too?

‘Can I stay?’ I asked, my nerves now breaking through. Lincoln’s hand stroked my hair. ‘I’ve already told you, you’ll always have a home here.’

With that he relieved me of my bags, pointed me towards the espresso machine, and took my things straight to his room. ‘Where’s Spence?’ I asked when he came back.

‘Staying at Zoe and Salvatore’s,’ he answered. ‘You hungry?’ I smiled sheepishly. ‘Starving.’

It was almost two in the morning and it had been a long night, but Lincoln made pizza and we sat on the sofa watching an
action flick, laughing at all the special effects between steaming mouthfuls of heavy-on-the-cheese pizza.

He didn’t say anything about what had happened and we didn’t talk about what was to come. We were still on our ‘fun night’ it seemed, and I was grateful for the reprieve. We pretended to be normal and some time after we’d polished off the rocky-road ice cream we fell asleep on the sofa – his arm draped around my body – guarding me from the world. It hurt – that soul-deep pain surfacing. And it was worth it.

‘You’re becoming increasingly difficult to track down, lover,’ Phoenix said.

Startled, I looked around. ‘How … I don’t understand …’ I stuttered.

We were standing in the cafe he’d once called ‘ours’, Dough to Bread. It was empty. No staff, no customers, nothing apart from one table and two chairs. I was seated on one, Phoenix on the other.

He rapped his fingertips on the tabletop to a non-existent beat. ‘Things are not going the way I planned,’ he said.

Still taking in my surroundings, I suddenly stood up. ‘You’ve pulled me into your dreamscape!’ I yelled.

The last time someone who wasn’t my angel maker had done this to me, I’d woken up standing over a dead body with blood on my hands. I ran to the cafe door only to gasp when I opened it. Beyond the cafe there was nothing. Empty space. A vortex.

Phoenix stood behind me.

‘We need to talk. This was the only way. It’s already taken me weeks to break through your shields. You mustn’t have been having a good day.’

The sincerity in his voice unnerved me. It infuriated me that he could use a dip in my emotions to get to me. I slammed the door and spun round to face him. He was
so
close. Instinctively, I struck out to hit him across the face.

He stumbled back. I moved forwards, using my small advantage. ‘Send me back!’ I demanded. All I could think of was the last time I’d been under exile power in a dream … I needed to regain control.

Phoenix smirked, wiping away a bead of blood that ran from his nose. ‘Dreams hurt,’ he said, shrugging, before his gaze returned to me. ‘Not exactly news.’

I narrowed my eyes at him and, lightning fast, he crouched and kicked his leg out, taking my feet from under me. I landed on my back.

He was right. Dreams hurt.

He launched himself on top of me, pinning me down. ‘I told you, lover, we need to talk. I’ve gone to considerable lengths to make this happen.’

It was then that I noticed the strain in his expression. In fact, he was all but trembling.

‘You can’t hold me,’ I said.

He smiled. ‘You’re getting stronger, I’ll give you that.’ He leaned in closer. I was trapped beneath his strength, but even if I hadn’t been, in that moment I was powerless to move under the intensity of his chocolate gaze.

‘I could do it, you know. Even here, in our dreams, I could give you everything you desire and take away all that you don’t,’ he said, his voice barely a murmur, as he teased me with the prospect of his empath abilities. The same abilities that I fought so hard against remembering but never succeeded; Phoenix could deliver pure bliss when he chose.

I was acutely aware of his body on top of mine and hated that the idea of giving in to his power stirred something in me. I gritted my teeth against the temptation.

‘Why don’t you, then?’ I challenged.

He leaned closer, his lips so close that when he spoke they grazed mine. ‘I won’t force you, lover. Despite what you think of me, despite my previous … slip-ups, I’m not that man.’

I turned my head to the side and started to concentrate on my will, the one thing I knew could pull me out of this dream.

‘I thought you weren’t a man at all. You told me you were all exile now.’ I tried to get a handle on my emotions. If I couldn’t control myself, I had no chance of getting out of this.

‘Lilith’s growing stronger every day,’ he said.

I wasn’t interested in hearing him gloat about how they were going to be all-powerful.

‘Soon, none of your Grigori will be able to stop her,’ he continued.

I felt a surge of power within me as I grappled to pull myself away from him. Suddenly we were both back on our feet, standing on opposite sides of the cafe. Any other time, that would have been cool, but not now.

Phoenix’s eyes widened and his hand reached out. ‘No, Violet, please! We need to talk.’

I shook my head, finally in control again. ‘So you can tell me how we’re all going to die? I don’t think so.’ I took a step back and the wall behind engulfed me.

Phoenix screamed. ‘Wait! I need you!’

I woke with a start, sucking in deep gulps of air.

Oh God. Oh God.

I
swept my hands through my damp hair. Lincoln was still asleep. I considered waking him but he looked so content that I just couldn’t.