Read Indebted: The Premonition Series Online
Authors: Amy Bartol
My arms slide from his neck, but Reed holds me tight against his body as he breathes in my ear, “I used my persuasion to get the humans to leave their tower. I needed a diversion so that I could see you. We don’t have much time because my thrall doesn’t hold up for very long to their addiction to the Gancanagh. The women will end up trying to be touched again and once they are, they will obey every command,” he says, stroking my wing.
“I need to tell you something very important. The Fallen are near and we are seeing unprecedented numbers of them. They are mostly fallen Archangels and Powers, but a few are Seraphim. They are organized and we believe they are preparing to attack within the next few days. I need to get you out of here before that occurs. We know your plan is going to be executed at nightfall,” he says rapidly, briefing me. “Be prepared to leave shortly afterward.”
“I need to make sure you know that the portal works both ways. Do not, for any reason, enter the portal Casimir gave you. If Casimir gets back in it somehow, you cannot follow him. I mean it, Evie. Let him go because if he can pull you into Sheol…” Reed’s tone is stern, but he trails off and squeezes me to him ferociously, before brushing his lips over mine.
“I know that you are capable of doing this,” he breathes against my mouth, closing his eyes tight as if in pain. “You were created to protect and destroy. I want to help you do it,” he adds, before opening his eyes so I can see the perfection of them. “Just be cautious. Please remember that you are the only thing that matters. I will be here for you, should you need me, my love. I will not fail you again.”
My heart twists in pain because he has never failed me. Never. I just don’t want to risk losing him.
I want the Gancanagh to destroy Casimir with me, so Reed will be safe, so that there will be no risk to him,
I think. That is my plan. If he intends to help then he is in danger from the Gancanagh
and
the Fallen.
Reed leans his forehead to mine, whispering, “The next time you see me, we are going home, even if your mission is incomplete. Then, you can tell me everything that is in your heart and I will show you all the love in mine for you. Until then, Godspeed, Evie.”
Brennus’ voice barks out orders to Cavan at the end of the hall. At the sound, Reed stiffens before placing me tenderly on the settee. Reed’s fingers trail over my fingers until just the tips of them are touching, and then in the next instant, he is gone.
“Genevieve?” Brennus says from the archway of the alcove. “Are ye well?” he asks, seeing me rise shakily to my feet. He comes to stand next to me, taking my elbow and leading me back towards the North Tower.
“Of course,” I reply, trying hard to hold a smile for his benefit. “Did you take care of the problem?” I ask, trying to distract him.
“I did,” he says, his mouth pulling down in the corners. “We will be leaving here as soon as we sort out da Fallen. Our position has flaws. We still retain a superior edge, but ’tis because our enemies are reluctant to attack us. Dat will change soon.” Brennus says, guiding me up the winding staircase. “I spoke ta Finn; he is making all da necessary arrangements. Ye fancy a warmer climate?” he asks and I nod my head, trying not to let him see the worry I feel.
What if something goes wrong and the angels lose me again?
“Won’t that make it harder for you to blend in with the locals?” I ask with a teasing smile, running my finger over the pale skin of his forearm. “We might have to get you some spray tan.”
Grinning at me, Brennus says, “Dere is a solution for everyting. Ye are waking me up ta all the possibilities.” He reaches over to tuck my hair behind my ear so that he can see my profile better as we stroll down the hallway together. “Ye take away all of da emptiness of death,
mo chroí
. Ye make da possibility of a true death seem less important den losing ye. Ye have become da only ting dat matters ta me and I know ye are na aloof ta me.”
His words make the air feel thin, like it’s getting harder to breathe. I want to deny what he is saying and run away from the truth in his words. As we reach our room, he holds the door open for me and closes it securely behind us. He pulls me into his arms, kissing me with a passion that I am wholly unprepared for, while picking me up in his arms and carrying me towards the bedroom.
Laying me on the bed, he follows me down. “Wait,” I say, turning my face away from his, trying to slow him down as I feel him begin to pull my shirt up. His cool hand skims over my ribcage sensually, making me shiver.
“No,” he replies, ignoring my attempts to get him to stop kissing me when I turn my face away from him. He just moves lower, continuing to kiss my neck, while holding me in his arms.
“I’m not ready to…” I say, but I stop and gasp as he tears the shirt from my body, exposing the sexy little undergarments I have on beneath it.
“Ye’re ready,” he replies smoothly. “Ye should smell da pheromones ye are emitting. ’Tis like a drug. I feel intoxicated by it. Ye have no idea how ye affect me—’tis almost like tasting ye,” he breathes against my skin. He doesn’t know that Reed caused those pheromones to leap out of me.
“But, I can’t—” I say with a groan, putting my hands on his chest to gain some space between us.
“Ye have no choice,” he replies with a sultry smile, kissing me as his hands roam over my body. “Ye are me prisoner.”
“I thought I was your partner,” I breathe, like it’s a soft, little secret between us.
“Dat, too,” he whispers against my lips. “Ye are me prisoner as I am yers.”
“Oh,” I breathe back, believing what he is telling me—he is my prisoner and somehow, I always knew that. “But you’re no good for me.”
“Come now, I am a guilty pleasure at da very least,” he replies seductively. His hands trace my silhouette as if memorizing the shape of me. “Ye are na alone anymore, ye are part of dis family. Together ye and I will be more powerful den anyting ye can imagine.” He brushes the hair back from my face with a growing darkness in his eyes. “Can ye na feel me in yer blood?” he whispers against my neck, his cool lips toying with me, causing my pulse to beat harder against those lips. “I can feel ye in me bones. I crave the innocence in ye; even as I want ta take it from ye, so dat I can teach ye whah lies beyond dat innocence. I love ye,
mo chroí
,” he whispers. “I will love ye forever.”
My heart pounds in my chest, like it will tear at any second. I don’t want to love him and I don’t want him to love me either. Tears creep into my eyes because I have confusing feelings for him, too, but they are a burden to me. Bonds formed between us when he killed Alfred for me, when he saved my friends and me from the Ifrit, when he protected me from Casimir, and when he told me of my father. But, what I feel for Reed makes all of that pale in comparison.
“Eternity is a long time, me
aingeal
,” Brennus responds, undeterred by what he sees in my eyes. “So many tings can happen in da space of infinite time. Ye will forget everyting in time. Ye jus need ta let go.”
“I will never forget him,” I whisper, feeling Brennus’ pain as I push him away from me. “I belong with him.” I watch anger and frustration grow in Brennus’ eyes as his fangs engaged with a
click
.
My hands tremble, not knowing what he intends to do as he leans nearer to me, holding my arm almost painfully.
“Ye’re moin. Ye’ll always be moin and soon, ye’ll know it. I should break all of yer illusions now and show ye whah I mean, but I want ye ta come ta me—ta ask me ta love ye. I will wait for dat. Do na make me wait much longer,” he breathes before placing a gentle kiss on my lips and letting me go. I rise up on my elbows, feeling my blood draining from my face even as relief is swamping me.
As I watch Brennus walk to the door, I ask, “What if I never ask you to love me?” I think he isn’t going to answer my question, but then he pauses at the door.
Without looking at me, Brennus says in a low tone, “Den, I’ll make ye beg me.”
The compact gives a soft gasp of stale air as I lift the lid, opening it. I carry it with me across the bathroom and let it reflect the contours of my face before angling it lower to reveal the deep red silk of my robe. I place the compact on the edge of the enormous, sunken spa tub, and then I untie the belt of my robe, peeling it off slowly. The fabric falls in front of the mirror like the silken ripple of sand dunes. My fingers skim the hot water as it flows from the ornate, gold faucet into the tub. I gently ease into the water.
Heat from the water causes my face to flush while the white, frothy bubbles tickle my skin, eliciting a sensual smile from me.
I ease back against the edge of the bath. Picking up the mirror, I check the pins in my hair, making sure that they are all secure. I don’t want the tendrils to slip down and fall in the water as it laps against my bare shoulders.
I lean to the edge of the enormous bathtub and prop the compact on the marble-tiled shelf by the stone stairs. Closing my eyes, I hum a tune to myself. I try to control the pounding of my heart as I hear soft, fluttering sounds like moths make while flying around a porch light.
As I open my eyes slowly, I try really hard to keep my features blank. I gaze around the room, seeing that all the walls and floors are covered in a variety of different insects. Crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, and beetles are crawling with scuttling movements and extended feelers near my arm where it rests on the edge of the tile. Exhaling softly, like I have been punched in the stomach, my wings shoot from of my back. A cascade of water splashes from the spa, causing some of the insects to wash onto the floor. Immediately, the insects erupt into the air, blotting out the light like shifting, hazy black clouds.
Whirling like water through a funnel, the insects all sort themselves, connecting together to form angelic silhouettes. The dark form of black crickets bursts forth into a leering Power with the dove gray wings of a bird of prey.
Similar things are happening with the beetles and grasshoppers. They both implode into frighteningly strong beings with the white wings of Archangels. The wings of one Archangel fans out, blotting out most of the light behind it when his eyes come to rest on me in the tranquil water. His slow, flawless smile has my heartbeat racing while I struggle to keep fear from showing in my eyes.
The reek that I am expecting isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. They still smell rotten, but it’s not making me want to hurl.
They must be staying away from Sheol
, I think, surprised because that means that this portal doesn’t lead directly to Hell. Maybe they are afraid that this is a trap and they don’t want to give us an avenue to enter their domain uninvited.
When the locusts pour onto the floor, crawling over each other and twisting into distorted shapes, I can think of nothing but killing scenarios. Then, Casimir’s disdainful expression emerges from the swirling chaos, his perfect features giving little away as to what he is thinking.
When his eyes make contact with me, like the Archangel before him, his crimson wings push out to full extension showing me his fierce power. A deeper flush stains my cheeks, because even though I don’t know what he is saying to me with his wings, I know it’s not good. Fear makes me want to leap up out of the water and scramble for the door. It’s really kind of good that my legs are numb with fear, so I don’t follow that impulse that would probably get me killed.
“Locusts…that suits you, Casimir,” I murmur in a low tone, leaning back against the wall of the spa nonchalantly. “You do sort of remind me of a plague. You guys should try something less disgusting…like fireflies. The crickets are okay. Some people consider them lucky,” I add, looking at the terrifying Power angel who hasn’t taken his eyes off of me. “I have got to say that in your case, Power, it’s a little ominous. I
would
like to know how you can keep your body armor on when you shapeshift. I always wind up completely nekkid. It’s inconvenient.”
“Is this your way of stalling us so you can figure out which way to run?” Casimir asks in a gentle voice, looking a little more satisfied than he did the last time I saw him.
“I know which way to run, Casimir,” I reply, leaning to my side and crossing my arms on the edge of the spa. “Do you?” I ask, quirking my eyebrow while trying to control my breathing because my heart keeps insisting on increasing it’s pace.
“Find him and bring him here,” Casimir says, barely moving at all from where he is standing in the middle of the bathroom. In an instant, the Archangels are gone, exiting through the bathroom door that connects to my bedroom.
Approaching the spa slowly, Casimir crouches down so that he is nearly eye level with me. He touches one of the drops of water on my arm, following the wet path downward. Then, he shifts his jewel-like brown eyes and gazes into mine, studying me.
“Who are you looking for?” I ask, not moving at all as I watch Casimir’s eyes shift again, touching every inch of my exposed skin with his gaze.
“You should ask, ‘For whom are you looking?’” Casimir replies, correcting me while he reaches out idly to touch my hair. His pupils dilate a little as he pulls the pins from it, letting it fall through his fingers.
I feel my face flush again at being corrected by this monster, but I play along, asking him, “For whom are you looking?”
“Your master,” Casimir replies.
“I have no master,” I counter.
“You have too many masters. I am here to begin to correct that for you,” he says, his eyes shifting to my wings that I’m trying really hard to keep still so I won’t give away any of what I’m thinking.
“So, you are here to help me?” I ask in a cool manner, seeing how my question has brought the corners of his mouth upward just a little more. I knew this would be hard, confronting a compassionless angel, but feeling his breath on my cheek is making me want to cower in fear.
“I’m here to see if you are worth saving…or if you have been tainted beyond redemption,” he responds easily, like it’s of no consequence to him either way. But, his golden-tanned, flawless skin is growing a little flushed as his eyes continue to assess me.