Empower (48 page)

He shook his head.

‘Who else?’

Lincoln’s eyes glassed over and he swallowed thickly. I felt the tears slip down my cheeks.

Later that night, Chloe sat on the edge of my bed while Spence and Lincoln moved back to give us some space.

‘Someone’s
got
to talk to those Rogues out there,’ Spence said to Lincoln. ‘Steph almost lost her shit with them earlier when she tried to visit. And they made us leave all our weapons with them like they own the place or something.’

I bit back a sad smile, confused by the Rogues’ uncharacteristic behaviour.

‘You know they don’t care what I say,’ Lincoln said plainly.

Spence crossed his arms. ‘Then who the hell will they listen to?’

Lincoln looked at me, and my chest started to hurt even more.

‘Are you sure this will work?’ I asked Chloe.

She nodded. ‘We were there. Spence and I were
running along the rooftops, trying to get to them. We saw you with Phoenix and then what happened below. Spence tried, Violet. He leaped right off the roof and into the fight. He did everything he could.’

I held back the tears that seemed to have been streaming for the past twenty-four hours.

‘Are you sure you want to see this?’ Chloe asked tentatively.

‘Show me,’ I said.

Two days later, I laid a white rose on Milo’s gravestone. The Grigori who had given their lives had been brought back and buried in a special Grigori graveyard just outside Manhattan. Given that most of us have outlived our family by the time we die, the graveyard had been established to keep us together.

More than two hundred Grigori had died in the battle, making it the largest loss in Grigori history. Many senior Grigori from all corners of the world and a large number of Grigori still too young to be gone had given their lives.

Drenson and Adele had been given headstones like everyone else. I had placed a flower on each of their graves. Sure, Drenson had tried to kill me but I understood how heady a thing power is. Drenson had been unable to fight the lure. Did that make him unaccountable? Of course not. Did that make him evil? I don’t believe so. Mostly it just made him an ass who had lost control and paid the price. His judgement would come, but not by my hand.

I passed by Seth’s and Decima’s headstones, feeling a sense of relief for them. In many ways I
think their end was their gift. They were ready, and to go out fighting seemed only right.

Finally, I stopped at the last grave, grateful that Lincoln had seen to this while I was asleep. It was white marble and sat beneath a weeping willow tree, separate from the rest, as I knew he would wish. After all, his life had always been lived apart.

I stood at his grave for many hours.

Sometimes I cried. Sometimes I just shook my head wishing it wasn’t true.

Mostly, I prayed.

Stupid, I know. Me? I still didn’t even know the truth of it all. Whether there was a god and if there was if it was even a god I cared much for. But still … I prayed for his peace. I prayed for his happiness and I prayed that he knew how much he had done for me. That at that craziest, darkest time of my life, he had been there for me and somehow managed to drag me through day after day.

He had been my saviour when I had least accepted that I needed one. He had been my friend. And I would do anything to have him back. But he was gone.

It was fast, at least. Chloe had shown me that much with her gift. He had stepped in the way of a younger Grigori’s fight. He had saved the girl’s life and pushed her aside, leaving himself wide open for the exile, who had not hesitated to drive his sword right into his chest. Spence had leaped into the fight at the same moment, but he’d been too late. There was nothing anyone could have done.

Lincoln stood quietly to the side, where he
had been for hours, waiting patiently, but now he joined me, saying softly, ‘It’s time.’

I nodded, brushing my hands across the marble headstone. ‘Mondays and Thursdays will never feel right without you,’ I whispered.

I placed the last dozen roses, all white apart from one red. Because he stood apart, and because he would always carry a place in my heart.

‘Love you, Gray,’ I said. ‘Thank you for dancing with me.’

‘How are you holding up?’ Lincoln asked as we rode the elevator back up to the Academy.

I took his hand while my other hand tucked my hair behind my ear. I just couldn’t get used to it being short. ‘I’ll be okay,’ I said. And it was true. Dealing with the losses, especially Gray, was going to hurt for a long time, but I knew that they had not died in vain, and that helped. ‘What’s happening now that Drenson’s gone?’ I asked. ‘Has Josephine taken over?’

Lincoln shrugged, helping me out of the lift as I still hobbled with aches and pains. At least the worst of the bruising on my face had settled.

‘I’m not sure. The Assembly and senior Grigori have been convening all week here and at the main headquarters around the world. There’s supposed to be an announcement today and Josephine told me to be there.’ He checked his watch. ‘It’s already started.’

I nodded. ‘Then let’s go.’

But he simply smiled and backed
me into the wall beside the hall doors.

‘What?’ I asked, grinning.

He took a few strands of my hair in his fingers and I couldn’t help the wave of self-consciousness. Lincoln had always liked my long hair. He leaned in close, kissing me lightly just below the ear. ‘Have I mentioned how damn sexy your hair is?’

When I started to shake my head he stopped me by kissing me again, on the lips this time.

‘Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more stunning, you prove me wrong.’ He watched my reaction until he was satisfied that my embarrassment had gone and then planted a quick kiss on my forehead. ‘You know you’re incredible, right?’

I blushed. Only Lincoln could have made me suddenly love my new hair in just two sentences.

He pulled me away from the wall as he chuckled, that laugh he reserved just for me, as we pushed open the doors to the hall.

I had never seen the grand hall so full. With many Grigori having returned here after the battle at New Orleans, the Academy was over capacity, but everyone seemed to be happy enough to squeeze in.

Lincoln and I began to worm our way through, looking for familiar faces or just somewhere to stand so we could hear the Assembly’s decision.

As we weaved, people around us were quick to give us space, which at first I appreciated, until I realised they were moving too quickly than was merely polite. The chatter died down suddenly and whispers began
as a walkway opened before us and every set of eyes was trained in our direction.

‘Linc,’ I murmured, ‘do you know what this is about?’

‘No idea,’ he said, though he seemed considerably less surprised than I felt. He really had a knack for that.

‘Why is everyone looking at us?’

‘They’re not looking at us, Vi. They’re looking at you,’ he said softly.

Oh, great. Hang me out to dry, why don’t you?

I spotted the group of Rogues to our right, Carter at the front. Relieved to see him I made my way over, ignoring the following eyes, and flung my arms around him. He pulled me tight and I bit my lip to hold back the tears.

‘What did he say to you?’ I asked. In the vision Chloe had shown me, it was Carter who’d caught Gray’s body as it fell and had his ear to Gray’s mouth for his final words.

Carter squeezed me one last time. ‘I tried,’ he rasped. ‘I was too damn slow.’

He was talking about his ability to rewind. He hadn’t been able to get to Gray in time to stop what happened.

‘I know,’ I said, my hand on his shoulder. ‘Of course I know.’ Carted loved Gray too. He would’ve done anything to save him. ‘What did he say?’ I asked again.

His eyes came up to meet mine briefly before he leaned in to whisper in my ear. ‘He said, “Purple’s the colour of royalty. Protect her always.”’

I heard the reverence in Carter’s voice and pulled back. As I did, I was further stunned to see Carter and all the Rogues standing behind him drop to their right knees and bow their heads.

I looked behind me where Lincoln
was watching on with calm acknowledgement. He held out his hand to me and, with one last look back at the Rogues, I took it.

‘You bring us together, Vi,’ Lincoln said as I accepted his strength to keep me balanced and limped through the centre of the room.

One by one, Grigori began to kneel and bow their heads.

When I reached Spence I almost leaped on him, so relieved to see a familiar face. But he simply said, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ before he too, took to his knee.

I passed Chloe, Salvatore and Zoe and I bit my lip when even Steph dropped down. Until finally we reached the front of the room, where Griffin and Nyla waited for us and the Assembly sat in their great chairs.

Griffin smiled. ‘Good to see you up and about, Violet.’

‘It’s good to be upright,’ I said, smiling back. I glanced between him and Nyla. ‘Are you …’ I asked Nyla, unable to finish the question and dreading the answer.

‘Honouring Rudyard with every day of my life? Yes,’ she answered. And though I could see the sadness in her eyes, I could also see the acceptance. She and Rudyard had fought and loved side by side. Their bond had been as epic and complete as the one I shared with Lincoln, but she was here and she would mourn his loss even as she fought as if he were still by her side.

I nodded, admiring her great strength even as I hoped I would never have to make the same choice.

Nyla glanced at Griffin. ‘And I have a new partner of whom I know Rudy would have approved.’

I smiled now for them both. It was a perfect partnership. And Griffin deserved to have a loyal and strong warrior by his side. No one had heard from Magda
since she disappeared from Lincoln’s warehouse two and a half years ago. It had taken time for Griffin to get over Magda’s betrayal and I knew that deep down he hoped he would never see her again. Because if he did, he would have her brought to justice for her crimes.

‘Then it was worth the wait?’ I asked Griffin.

‘The best things usually are,’ he said, gesturing to my ring finger.

I leaned a little closer, dropping my voice. ‘Any idea what’s going on?’ I asked, my eyes darting about nervously.

His smile broadened and with Nyla mirroring his actions they both knelt. ‘A new era.’

I swallowed tightly and looked up at the Assembly. As I did, Rainer and Wilhelm stood and knelt, followed by Valerie and Hakon. I glanced at the empty chairs of Seth and Decima – Seth’s chair now pure white ivory and Decima’s a perfect black ebony in a fitting tribute – and then to those formerly held by Adele and Drenson. Beside Drenson’s empty chair stood Josephine.

She looked out around the room before settling her gaze on me.

‘Leadership is a privilege,’ she announced, and I braced myself for whatever she had up her sleeve. ‘As old as time, we may implement structures and elect the people we believe to be best at this role, but in the end, the greatest leaders will never wait to be elected. They will not conform, they will not abide. Nor will they campaign or protest.’ For the first time, Josephine’s smile seemed genuine. ‘They simply …
are
.’ Josephine stepped forward and in front of the entire hall of Grigori, the Vice – and acting head – of the Assembly knelt before me.