Read Indebted: The Premonition Series Online
Authors: Amy Bartol
“In a few months, all of your faeries will be turned to dust,” Reed says calmly. “You need our help with Casimir. Evie knows how to contact us. Take the offer, it expires with her contract.”
Brennus smiles again, right before he begins whispering something. Then, he winds his arm back quickly, like a pitcher on a mound before throwing something forward as fast as a bullet at Reed. My heart refuses to beat for a moment, but Reed hardly reacts at all as an enormous, slate-gray gargoyle unfolds in midair between Brennus and Reed. Its sharp, white fangs drip saliva as it lets out a horrifying screech that makes me quiver on the inside.
Wind gusts from its bat-like wings blow my hair back from my face in short bursts as the talons of its feet reach out to grasp Reed’s body. The gargoyle’s wings simultaneously wrap around Reed, shrouding him from my sight.
A soft, amused chuckle comes from underneath the gargoyle as its scale-ridden flesh melts from Reed like a wax candle, dripping harmlessly away from the flaming wick. As I realize that Reed isn’t hurt by Brennus’ spell, I’m able to breathe again shallowly, but I feel really sick now, worse than when I was first stabbed.
“Brennus, you know your Faerie magic doesn’t work on Angels. Why bother?” Reed asks, perplexed. “It’s why you had to have Safira freeze us, because you couldn’t do it yourself. I enjoy your enchantments, however, like the one you used at the chateau when you sent your men to get Evie. It was nice not to have to smell you coming.”
“I jus had ta see if anyting has changed. Tings do na seem ta be working out so well for
Aingeals
lately. I was wondering if ye have all lost favor…or if dere is a new species dat is meant ta replace all of ye.” Brennus says, looking past Reed to me. “But, we do na need magic ta kill ye now wi’ all da human technology out dere. Rocket launchers seem to work well on
aingeal
hives. And den, dere is still me skin dat ye canna handle,” Brennus replies.
Brennus’ magic doesn’t work on Angels! He never told me that! It works great on other beings though…like the Werree and Ifrits. But if his magic doesn’t work on Reed, then it may not work on Casimir either,
I think, feeling more vulnerable than ever, not less.
That means the fallen Seraphim don’t have a lot to fear from the Gancanagh except being touched by them, which is a detriment, but they have ways to combat that. Remembering how much faster Reed was when he was fighting the Gancanagh in China, I have no doubt that the Fallen are nearly as good.
“Me magic works on me half
aingeal
well,” Brennus says, nodding towards me. “The contract will na allow her ta even speak ta ye. I wonder if da magic she is learning will work on all ye
aingeals
. She controls na only da lower energy, but da pure energy, too. ’Twill be interesting ta see jus whah she can do ta yer kind when I’m done teaching her whah I know,” he says, looking like he is anticipating that day.
“Is your plan to unleash her on your enemies?” Reed asks him coldly.
“I plan ta unleash her on
her
enemies,” Brennus replies, coming closer to Reed as he nears the platform. “She will be very powerful. The world could be hers ta command.”
“You think that’s what she wants?” Reed asks.
“She wants ta be safe. Dat will make her safe,” Brennus replies.
“No, that will make her the only target worth going after,” Reed replies.
“She is dat already…or ye wouldna be here,” Brennus counters, stepping onto the platform of my room, forcing Reed to shift away from him.
“I would be here without any of that. I’m here because every time she smiles, it’s like Paradise opening up to shine upon me. I’m here because of the way she loves me with no reservations. She doesn’t hold anything back, but gives it all to me as if there was no one else like me in the universe. She has no idea that she alone is the unique being,” Reed explains while defensively moving to the side as Brennus walks forward towards the foot of my bed.
Brennus effectively comes between Reed and me, making my heart twist as Reed is forced to back away from me.
Yawning like Reed is boring him, Brennus tucks the blanket snugly around me. “First love is like dat,” Brennus says tiredly. “But, den ye mature and find a deeper love, one dat was created jus for ye. She will never forget ye—her first love, so ye can take some comfort in dat,
aingeal.
Ye should be going now. I would like ta speak ta her and I canna do dat wi’ ye here.”
“She’s in my blood. I will never stop fighting for her,” Reed promises, but he sounds like he’s in pain now, tortured by his inability to stop Brennus from touching me.
“Den we will see each other again,” Brennus says, sounding a little weaker.
Brennus sits down on the bed next to me, pulling me into his arms tenderly. Reed growls, but he doesn’t move towards Brennus and me. He is fighting with the knowledge that if he harms Brennus, he harms me, too.
“Reed,” Zephyr says from behind him. He must have come back in through the skylight in the ceiling. “Time to go,” he orders with authority, while his light brown wings beat steadily just beyond the railing of my balcony room.
Reed growls again.
Click
, Brennus’ fangs engage as he waits to see what Reed and Zephyr will do next.
“REED!” Zephyr barks. I flinch inside at the sound, because Zee is scary when he wants to be.
Reed pulls himself together then, enough to whisper to me, “I will be back. I promise, Evie.” He launches into the air and Zephyr follows directly behind him, making sure that Reed doesn’t change his mind and turn back to us again.
The moment Reed is gone, I inhale a deep breath, and then instantly pay for it as shooting pain in my abdomen and shoulder remind me that my heart is not the only thing bleeding.
“Ah, Genevieve, I’m sorry, lass, truly,” Brennus whispers against my hair, pulling me to him tighter. “Dis should never have happened. I missed all da signs. I was arrogant and toughtless. Nuting has attacked me in ages. I didna take da proper precautions against da Werree,” he admits, stroking my hair. He settles me against his cool chest, lying back on the pillows of my bed. “If it were na for ye sending Faolan ta me…” he starts to say, but stops.
His cool chest feels good against my throbbing shoulder, so I press closer to him. “I think you need some personal guards from now on, Brenn. You can definitely have Eion, but I want Faolan back,” I whisper. “How’s Lachlan?” I ask softly, remembering Lachlan’s chest filled with inky, black arrows.
“Lachlan is gone…we couldna save him,” Brennus replies, squeezing me tighter.
“What!” I whisper, feeling my throat grow so tight that I am fighting for air again.
My reaction is shocking me. Somehow, Lachlan had managed to become like a friend to me, even as he was there to make sure that I behaved myself. Feelings that I have been denying that I have for them rise up in me. Rage and pain overwhelm me at once, as I murmur, “I will kill Casimir, I promise you. We’ll have revenge for Lachlan.” Tears stain my cheeks again, wetting Brennus’ jacket.
“
Mo chroí
, ye are like a dream. I canna believe ye exist,” he breathes against my hair, petting my back soothingly as he tries to calm me.
“Brenn,” Finn says in a gentle tone, poised on the platform ahead of us. “Ye need ta feed so dat ye can heal. I will stay wi’ Genevieve while ye see to it. None of da other fellas will come in here. Declan and Molly are guarding da door. ’Tis okay now.”
“I’m na leaving her ‘til she heals,” Brennus replies and I still, realizing for the first time that he is just as broken as I am. I reach up under his suit coat, feeling the cold stickiness of his blood seeping through his shirt.
“Brenn, she just blew away a dozen or more Werree, like dey were paper dolls. Da last ting we should be worried about is protecting Genevieve. Anyway, she canna heal until ye do, remember?” Finn asks him, with a concerned expression in his pale green eyes. “She is starting ta look as pale as ye. Ye have ta do someting before she gets worse.”
“Den bring a wan here. I’m na leaving her alone,” Brennus says, assessing my face. “Hurry.”
“I will,” Finn agrees, watching me rest my cheek against Brennus as I cry. He signals to Declan at the door before turning back to me, saying, “’Twill be better soon, Genevieve. Da pain will be less once Brennus feeds.”
“No, it won’t. They killed Lachlan,” I reply in a whisper, seeing the surprise in Finn’s eyes that my tears are for my friend. Turning my head into Brennus’ chest, I try to choke back a sob. I rub my face against Brennus’ jacket, wiping my tears and then I whisper, “From now on, we invoke the ‘Silver Rule:’ Kill all of them before they kill all of you.”
“Nuting would please me better,
mo chroí
,” Brennus breathes against my hair.
“We have to find Casimir’s hole,” I say, feeling tired because I keep losing blood.
“He will seek ye out soon,” Finn informs me, “he did na succeed, so he will have ta try again.”
I close my eyes, seeing Casimir’s face in my mind and feeling lethargic and muddled. I feel set adrift, floating away from the safety of my home and there is nothing to hold on to anymore.
Like an answer to a prayer, Brennus whispers, “Hold on to me. I’m here.” He traces his finger over my cheek and then he holds me as the pain in my shoulder and abdomen oscillate between severe and dull.
“Who is this, lover?” A feminine voice cuts the air in accusation from the stairway of my bedroom.
Opening my eyes a little, I try to raise my head, but my vision swims, so I put it back down limply.
“Why does
she
have her hands on you? Doesn’t
she
know that you’re mine?” The scantily clad, lithe woman asks as she walks to the bed.
His hand reaches up to touch her cheek and she loses her snarling demeanor. It is replaced by a dopey, little smirk.
“Missed you…lover,” she breathes. As she leans forward to kiss his mouth, her dark hair falls on me as I rest against his chest. “You haven’t made love to me since this morning. Where have you been hiding?”
This must be hell
, I think dizzily as Brennus sinks his fangs into the girl at his side.
She exhales in ecstasy and it only takes a matter of minutes before she slips from his arms to the floor, unmoving.
Brennus snuggles me closer, saying, “’Twill be all right now, Genevieve. Rest,
mo shíorghrá
.” My fuzzy brain holds on to his last words because I know what they mean now. He just said, “Rest, my eternal love” and I can do nothing but obey.
I awake in Brennus’ room, but it’s impossible to tell by the light from the window what time it is, since it’s mostly gray here. My fingers skim over a blanket, while I feel a cold body radiating icy air next to me. Vague memories of what had happened come to me. I give a small gasp, starting to sit up, when Molly crosses her feet in front of her on top of the blankets.
Smiling into my eyes, Molly puts down her fashion magazine. “How do you feel? Better or worse than the time we got the peach schnapps?” she asks me, studying my face and looking concerned.
“Umm…not sure. Give me a second,” I say, trying to move again and feeling stiff. My shoulder definitely still hurts, but not nearly as bad as before. My stomach is better, too, but it still feels tight and sore. “Better,” I reply, pushing myself up to a sitting position.
“Better or worse than sledding with cafeteria trays?” she asks.
“Worse,” I decide, grimacing a little and remembering our escapades in high school.
“Worse than the trays?” she asks. “That blows, ‘cuz those trays super sucked. Remember how mine broke in half? I think I still have a piece of one in my shin,” she says, pulling her leg up and yanking down her kneesock so I can check it out. She is dressed in a sexy, punk outfit consisting of a short, pleated skirt and tight-fitting top with kneesocks and Doc Martins.
Her skin looks flawless now, like she never skinned her knees in her life. “That’s all in your head, Molls,” I reply, not seeing anything remotely wrong with her pale skin. “So, where is everyone?” I ask, because it sounds really quiet, like a morgue.
“Eaves, the whole place is on total lock-down now. It’s worse than airport security around here. I swear, I feel like a terrorist every time I try to get near you. Finn has gone totally parental on me. I can’t leave without his permission, and then I have to have five or six fellas go with me everywhere I go. It’s so lame,” she complains, crossing her arms with a pouty face.
“Welcome to my world,” I mutter.
“I know, right?” she says, giving me the there-you-go gesture. “It’s like we’re grounded or something. I can
so
have more fun being
alive,
” she whines and I try not to smile. “Oh! You totally missed
it
! I had to save
it
for you because
it’s
just too funny! Brennus nearly went postal when he saw it. I think I like your new friends, Eaves! Check this out!”
Molly bounces off my bed and goes to the bedroom door. She cracks it to see if anyone is coming. She closes the door quietly again and turns to my closet door where she pulls out a gilded frame from it. When she turns the frame around, I recognize it as the one that held my ‘goddess portrait.’
Someone had cut the portrait out of it and replaced it with the same smiley face poster that we left in the Delt composite. The smiley face is flipping us off, while the caption reads: ‘HAVE A NICE DAY.’ Below the caption, I recognize Buns’s handwriting that reads in bold, red lipstick:
We Love You, Sweetie. See You Soon
.
Tears brighten my eyes as a laugh escapes me. “It’s perfect,” I murmur. “That’s Buns and Brownie. They have the best sense of humor.”
“Well, they’re certainly little kleptomaniacs because they stole all of your pictures in your archive. It was sabotage,” she smirks, enjoying the chaos.
“Yeah, that sounds just like them,” I say, not able to hide the smile on my face. “How long have I been sleeping?” I comb my fingers through my hair to get the tangles out. I glance again at the window; it’s gray and raining.