Indebted: The Premonition Series (22 page)

“Oh, that,” she says, waving her hand in the air like it’s of no consequence. “No worries. I like being Gancanagh—it rocks.”

“What?” I ask, not believing what she’s saying, as I wipe my tears with the sleeve of Declan’s shirt.

“Yeah, it’s stellar. They made me a demigod. I can’t believe you wouldn’t want this,” she says, and I can see she’s telling the truth. “They made me beautiful—my skin is flawless—look at my hair!” she says, holding it up. It’s thicker and longer than it used to be with a beautiful shine to it that makes me want to reach out and touch it.

“You like it?” I ask her, stunned.

“I can have anything I want, whenever I want it, however I want it. I only need to reach out and touch it—take it. The family has been good to me. Since I’ve been the only female that they have turned in centuries, it’s like being invited to join an exclusive boys club,” she admits. “I only have to answer to my
máistir
, oh, and Brennus, of course, but I get carte blanche because I’m your ‘special friend,’ so
sláinte
, Eaves!” she says, hugging me again.

“Who is your
máistir
? Do I know him?” I ask in a quiet tone. My whole body is still, waiting for her to tell me the name of my target.

“Of course you know him. It’s Finn,” she says his name breathlessly, like she worships him or something. I close my eyes, feeling the knife twist in my heart. I trusted Finn and he killed my friend.

“My life is so perfect now, Eaves,” she whispers, seeing the anguish on my face. Her face still holds its innocence even though I know she’s truly a killer now. She sinks into the chair next to me and takes both of my warm hands in her icy ones.

“How can it be perfect? You kill people for sport,” I ask with regret.

“Yeah, but it’s their own fault that they are so tasty,” she says, smiling into my eyes. “Sorry, inside joke. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t eat what they import here—females aren’t my thing, if you know what I mean. I like to find prey that makes demons look like kindergarteners. The really mean ones, because they’re the most fun! You know, the men who beat their wives or those wankers who beat up people for no reason other than the fact that they’re stronger and they can. They’re everywhere, in every pub, on every street, in every neighborhood. There’s no shortage of sucky men,” she explains to me.

“So you’re like a superhero, keeping the streets safe for the normal folk?” I ask her with a skeptical look.

“Not really, I just love watching the horror on their faces when the little girl they were going to destroy turns out to be a freaky monster that can tear them apart,” she replies. “The strong ones scream the loudest. Did you know that?” she asks and I shake my head. “The weak expect to be victims, but the strong…they never see it coming.”

“Killer karma, Molls?” I ask.

“Irony, Eaves,” she replies.

“Ye should see her, Genevieve,” Declan says with a proud glance towards Molly. “She’s a vicious terror. She likes ta wear gloves so dat she doesna drug her victims when she bites dem—ye would know whah dat is like, wouldn’t ye?”

“Yeah, I know what that’s like,” I admit, losing color at the memory.

“I tell ye true, wans make da most vicious killers. Dat’s why we rarely turn females…ye are hard ta control and willful.”

“Pain makes everything taste so much sweeter, Deck. It just wouldn’t be the same without it,” she winks at him and he smiles back like he finds her savage nature precious.

“What about your family?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

Pain enters in her eyes. “What about them? They don’t know—they think I’m dead. We made it look like I died in a fire. They will move on and so will I. I’m immortal now. I have Finn and the family to protect me—and now my best friend. My life couldn’t get any better than this.”

“You have no soul,” I say softly with the weight of regret in my voice.

“I don’t miss it. There is such power in what we are. Surrender, Eaves. You won’t regret it,” she says in earnest.

“Can’t,” I reply, shaking my head and thinking of Reed.

Molly’s eyes show fear. “He will break you,” she says of Brennus in a low tone to me, leaning towards me.

“He will try,” I agree

“I can’t protect you,” she whispers in my ear.

“I know,” I whisper back and I drop her hands to hug her tight. “We’re playing for different teams now, Molly,” I say, feeling tears collecting in my eyes again.

“We’ll draft you—it’s just too much fun on our side,” Molly says with confidence. Pulling away, her face lights up and she rises from her seat, “Don’t be sad, Eaves, check this out—Finn taught me how to do it. I’ll teach you,” she promises, holding her hand out in front of her.

As Molly concentrates on the palm of her hand, she whispers words that I don’t understand, but I feel the air around her changing, like there is now the scent of electricity that wasn’t there a moment ago. Instantly, a small, flickering flame bursts into life in the palm of Molly’s hand. Looking up, she holds the flame out to me, smiling as it dances and wavers weakly. “I still suck at it, but it’s getting better,” she smiles, and then she closes her hand, extinguishing the flame.

From behind her, Finn enters the Knight’s Bar, clapping his hands, “Dat’s very good, Molly, ye learn so quickly,
mo laoch
,” Finn says proudly.

Molly’s smile broadens while I grow tense. Killing scenarios enter my mind as I get up from my chair. I pull Declan’s rugby shirt from me, tossing it to him where he is still seated at the table. Knowing that the t-shirt that I put on underneath is going to tear off me in a second, I hold the front of it to me. When my wings shoot from my back, I manage to tie the tattered ends of the shirt around my neck, and then around my waist, tying it in the back so that the shirt now resembles a backless halter-top.

All of the Gancanagh in the room are watching me with interest as Finn slows his pace to us. Backing up from him, I move to the suit of armor directly behind me. Turning, I pull the battered, war-tested sword from the grasp of the hollow, metal figure and hold it in my hands with a menacing scowl.

“You,” I call to Finn, seeing him tense. I back up to the next suit of armor and pull a second sword from its grasp. Tossing the sword to Finn, it falls to the ground with a loud clatter in front of him.

“Genevieve, I canna fight ye,” he says in a soft tone, not picking up the sword I threw at him.

“Yes, you can, Finn. Pick it up” I insist, letting my wings arch out boldly as I begin to stalk Finn.

Molly’s fangs engage,
click
, when she realizes what I’m doing. Hissing at me, she steps in front of Finn, facing me with a defensive posture that lets me know that I will have to go through her to get to him.

“This is between Finn and me, Molly,” I say to her, trying to figure out how I’m going to get to him without hurting Molly.

“He is my
máistir
,” Molly replies, not moving an inch away from Finn.

I shift away from them and use all of my speed to run at the wall beside me. My speed helps me defy gravity as I run onto the wall and arc past the point in the room where Molly and Finn are standing. Then, using the wall like a springboard, I rocket off of it and dive to the floor behind Molly and Finn. Finn pivots and shields Molly, while I raise my sword and bring it down, angling it towards his neck. It stops before hitting him as it smashes into an invisible barrier that forms between Finn and me.

Dropping my sword, it feels like I shattered the bones in my arms. I hug my arms to me, growling at Finn through the invisible film between us. As I look around quickly, I reach out and grasp the back of a chair in my numb hands, hurling it at Finn where he stands in front of me. The chair smashes and splinters into pieces as it hits the barrier he has erected around Molly and himself.

“Stop, Evie!” Molly demands while I stalk around their barrier, throwing my shoulder up against it to test it for weaknesses. I need to find a way in so that I can mop the floor with Finn’s head.

Circling them, I come back to face Finn. Looking directly into his eyes, I ask, “Why?”

“Because I want her,” he replies, “I asked dat she be moin when it was determined dat we would turn her.”

“Why you?” I ask and my voice cracks with bitterness at the betrayal I feel. He was my only friend and he destroyed that in an instant.

“Because I had nuting of my own ‘til her and I will kill anyting dat tries to take her from me,” he retorts with menace.

My eyes narrow as I ask, “Do you love her?”

“She’s moin,” he replies with lethal precision that makes my eyes widen. That is probably the closest he can come to saying he loves her while we are in front of Declan and Lachlan, who are trying to figure out what they need to do to stop me from killing their second in command.

Cold hands slip around my waist, pulling me back into a solid chest. I don’t have to look to know that Brennus is holding me in his arms like a steel cage. Leaning down, he whispers in my ear, “You can na kill me brudder,
mo chroí
.”

“Why not? He killed my friend,” I reply heatedly.

“She is content,” he replies and I see that he’s not lying. Molly loves him, and for now, she is a favored pet…and maybe more than that where Finn is concerned, I think grudgingly. “Finn will be a good guardian ta her. He will teach her everyting he knows, so dat she will thrive. He has affection for her and she has affection for him. Who are ye ta say dat ’tis wrong?” he asks me.

“I’m her sister,” I say, feeling tears fill my eyes. I try to choke them off because I don’t want to cry in front of any of them. I can’t show any more weakness or they will use it against me. “Let me go,” I say, but Brennus’ hands tighten on me as he pulls me against him, hugging me like he can’t let me go.

“’Tis going ta be hard for ye ta adjust here, we know dat. Give it time,
mo chroí
. Ye will see dat we all jus want da best for ye,” he says, and I try not to scoff.

“Brennus, you’re tearing my heart out and when it’s gone you may not like what’s left of me,” I say softly, pulling hard to get away from him. He lets go of me with reluctance and I point to Finn, “Stay away from me.” I begin to walk to the door.

“Where are ye going?” Brennus asks me in stern tone.

“To my room,” I reply.

“Good, ye need a shower, but first, we must have a discussion, ye and me. So, have a seat,” he orders. I stop, knowing that he’ll have his way, one way or the other, so I might as well stay and listen to what he has to say to me. “Declan, Lachlan—wait outside wi’ Faolan and Eion. Finn, I’ll talk ta ye after,” he says, and I stand stiffly as Finn and Molly pass me without a word, like
I
have wounded
them
or something.

When I am alone with Brennus, I sit down at a table and watch as Brennus looks around at the overturned tables and smashed chair.

“Ye know dat Finn could have easily hurt ye?” Brennus asks as his eyes fall on me.

I shrug, “Maybe.”

“Na maybe. He could have broken ye in two because he is very powerful,” Brennus says. “He would na do it tough, and do ye know why?” he asks me.

“Because you’ll kill him if he does,” I reply.

“Dere’s dat, but wi’ Finn, I tink ’tis more dat he loves ye, too,” Brennus says in a soft tone. I scoff. “Ye laugh,” Brennus’ brows draw together in a frown. “Why do ye tink he asked for Molly? He wants someting ta love dat will love him in return, and I tink he has found it. He has na had dat since before he was turned, and after we met ye he began to crave it—to yearn for it.” Brennus is watching me for my reaction. “He’s tryin’ to find da alternative ta fightin’ me for ye and I tink he has—I tink he is content wi’ Molly.”

“He killed her, just like Aodh killed you,” I say, watching him for his reaction. “Did you kill Finn so that you could control him like a slave?” I ask, wanting badly to hurt him like he’s hurt me.

Brennus stills.
Click
—his fangs thrust forth in his mouth, letting me know that I have offended him deeply. “Ye want ta know whah happened? Ye want ta know how it was for Finn and me?” he asks with deadly calm.

“Yes, I want to know why he’s so loyal to you,” I reply, feeling every nerve in my body growing tense and alert because I know I’m pushing a very lethal predator—one that can have me begging for mercy in a matter of seconds.

“Finn is me little brudder. Me
true
brudder,” Brennus says significantly. “He was da light of our family—always followin’ me around. He was the kind of lad dat everyone liked—he could make anyone smile wi’ his antics,” Brennus says, and his face loses some of its sternness. “He was so different from me. I was the eldest—quiet, responsible—always working hard ta be da best at everyting. Finn jus didna have ta work at anyting…he could jus do whahever he wanted because of his sweetness. He jus drew everyone in and ye felt better for being near him. Do ye know whah I mean?” he asks me and I nod.

“It’s the same with Russell. He’s just like that, too,” I say and see the flash of recognition in Brennus’ eyes when I mention Russell’s name.

“One day, our village was raided by the Gancanagh and Finn was taken. Me Mam cried for days. She begged me
athair
, dat’s me fadder, to send out warriors to try ta fetch the ones dat were taken, ta get Finn back for her. Me fadder was da equivalent ta a king where we come from, but he knew ’twas no use, dat dey were probably dead, drained as food.”

“So you went instead?” I ask quietly, knowing the answer.

“I did, ’twas Finn, I had ta try ta get him back,” he says, like there was no other option open to him. “I didna stand a chance against Aodh, but I went anyway. I was so scared and filled wi’ rage. I know how it feels,
mo chroí
, da rage dat eats at yer insides like a poison because ye know dat ye lost—dat dere’s only defeat left ta ye. I was in dat cell, too, but I couldna choose death, like ye did. I couldna leave Finn alone, ta face Aodh alone, ta be his slave. He is na like us,
mo chroí
, he isna strong like dat,” he whispers.

He moves to my side, bending down he wipes away the tears that have fallen from my eyes. His face softens as he scans mine. He is looking at me like he has never seen me before, or tears. Maybe no one has mourned his death in a long time, but I feel filled with sorrow over the loss of his life.