Empower

Chapter 9

‘God sends meat and the devil sends cooks.’

Thomas Deloney

as we approached Chloe’s room, a closed door to our right drew my attention. Holding my coffee in one hand, my other rested flat on the door, but I made no move to open it. I looked over my shoulder to where Steph watched silently.

‘Nyla?’ I asked.

Steph nodded sadly. ‘Rainer won’t let her go. She says she’ll know when the time is right and when all hope is gone. She says she’ll feel it.’

I nodded, my hand slipping away.

Another wave of guilt crashed over me. I’d meant to visit Nyla when I’d last been here but I’d put it off constantly. And then it had all been too late.

I knew that before I left New York this time, I would return to this room. Even standing on the other side of the door I could feel an odd pull.

But right now, I needed to focus on Spence.

‘Let’s see Chloe,’ I said, dropping my hand.

Steph showed me into Chloe’s room, where Salvatore and Zoe were waiting.

‘Holy shit, is it really you?’ Zoe blurted the moment I stepped into the room.

I lowered my hood. ‘I guess so.’

Salvatore came straight at me, encasing me in a warm hug. ‘Welcome home,’ he said.

I moved stiffly out of his teddy-bear arms. ‘Thank you, but this isn’t my home.’

He nodded sombrely, putting a protective arm around Steph. ‘That may be the case. But it is your family.’

I didn’t know how to respond, so I took a sip of my coffee and placed the paper cup on the table where a few vases of flowers and get-well cards were displayed, and turned to Zoe. ‘Long time,’ I hedged.

Silence met me.

I braced. Zoe wasn’t the type to just forgive and forget and whatever she was about to dish out, I knew she was well within her rights.

Finally, she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. ‘Well, it’s about damn time you showed up,’ she said, her expression blank for a few seconds before it morphed into an easy grin. ‘God, if Lincoln had known all he had to do to get you here was put Spence in mortal danger he would’ve had him hog-tied and locked in a dungeon two years ago.’

My mouth fell open. I had no idea why everyone – well, almost everyone – was being so kind and understanding.

I don’t deserve this.

The corners of my mouth lifted and I tried my best not to flinch when she pulled me into a tight hug. Apart from when I was fighting, I hadn’t had so much physical contact in a long time. It felt foreign. Confusing.

And nice.

‘I’m just here until we get Spence back,’ I said, looking at them all.

Steph was the first to speak. ‘And that’s what we’re all going to focus on,’ she reinforced as I nodded.

Chloe lay unconscious in the bed. She was pretty in a traditional way. Neat blonde hair that, though currently dull, naturally fell in soft waves around her face. Even covered in bruises fading to green and yellow her gentle features were recognisable and her clear complexion shone through. But the amount of bruising still present highlighted how badly she’d been beaten.

‘Was she really in the convent?’ I asked, picking up on one of the things Onyx had mentioned on the plane.

Zoe snorted. ‘Yep. Crazy, right? She would’ve ended up being a no-violence, life-of-chastity nun if Spence hadn’t knocked on her door.’

‘It must have been a hard decision for her to make,’ I said quietly, knowing just how hard it had been for me to face a life of violence, and I certainly hadn’t had the same life planned out as she had.

‘Actually, she didn’t hesitate,’ Zoe said.

I glanced at her expectantly.

Zoe shrugged. ‘Spence showed up, told her the way of things and she believed him straight away, didn’t even ask for proof. It was enough to make Spence suspicious that she didn’t have all her marbles, but when he asked she explained that she’d seen exiles before. A group of them had taken over her local church one day and held her captive as they murdered the priests in front of her.’

My eyes widened. ‘Really?’

Zoe nodded. ‘They would’ve killed her too, but one exile pulled her out of the church. She thought he was going to kill her, but then he just let her go.’

My face screwed up in confusion. Exiles do not take pity. Or value human life. ‘That doesn’t sound …’ I glanced back at Chloe, confused.

‘And you know the exile who did it, too,’ Zoe added, leaning back against the wall and pulling out a packet of M&M’s.

When I just stared at her perplexed, she simply said, ‘It was Onyx.’

‘What? When?’

‘Before he became human. He’s really cagey about it and won’t say much but we figure it was around the time he made the first alliance with Joel and the exiles of light.’

I glanced around the room to see Steph and Salvatore nodding in agreement.

‘Wow,’ I mumbled. ‘So, she embraced, just like that?’

‘Pretty much,’ Zoe said.

‘She’s taken a while to get her head around some aspects, and her faith is an issue at times since Spence isn’t exactly reverent, in any way,’ Salvatore added.

I snorted. Reverent was the last thing Spence was.

‘No shenanigans?’ I asked, smirking.

‘Unfortunately, no. But they seem to have found some kind of middle ground. They’re good partners,’ Zoe explained.

I nodded. ‘What are her stats?’ I asked.

Steph answered. ‘Her mother died in a home invasion the day after Chloe was brought home from the hospital. Her angel maker is from the Angel rank. Her sense is sound. And her strength is perfect recall.’

‘Recall?’

‘Every single thing she sees is stored in her mind in exact detail.’

Well, now I’m definitely waking her up.

From what I’d heard of her story, Chloe’s life had seen a lot of trauma and tragedy. Yet she seemed to still have an ability for both faith and fight.

Lucky her.

‘Is she a strong fighter?’ I asked.

‘Fair,’ Zoe said, with a diplomatic edge.

Sensing there was more, I pushed. ‘Has she returned any exiles?’

‘Not yet,’ Steph said.

I wasn’t surprised to hear the answer. It was why Spence would have wanted to get her clear of the bald exile – there was no way Spence would have been able to fight him and have Chloe’s back too.

‘Has she seen Onyx since she’s been here?’ I asked, intrigued by their connection. In an odd way, Chloe had been a part of all our dramas since the very beginning.

‘Of course,’ Zoe said. ‘At first it was weird, but they seem to have some kind of bizarre understanding. They’re never going to be besties, but she trusts Spence’s judgement and accepts he is no longer what he was. Plus, I’m pretty sure something went on that night that only the two of them understand. Either way,’ she said in a lighter tone, ‘it doesn’t hurt that she knows she’s now the one with the power. If she wanted to take Onyx down, she could. He knows it, too.’

I sat on the edge of Chloe’s bed, hoping to God she was strong enough to be the partner to Spence she now needed to be. ‘Chloe, if you can hear me, it’s Violet. You asked me to come and see you, and I figure you have something to say. Normally I wouldn’t do this. It feels wrong unless it’s life and death, especially without permission.’ I placed a hand on her forehead and the other on her shoulder. ‘But I need to find Spence and I’m betting on the fact that’s what you want too,’ I explained before pushing my power into her, finding her injuries and healing them.

It took some time. I could feel that she’d suffered a bad trauma at the back of her head and the internal bleeding was substantial. Without Spence to help speed up her healing it may have been a good while until she healed herself.

When her body convulsed Zoe took up position on the other side of the bed, holding her down. Finally Chloe’s eyes shot open and she screamed. I slapped a hand over her mouth, not wanting to alert the entire building to the fact that she was awake.

I pulled my powers away from her. She wasn’t perfectly healed, but enough.

I lessened my hold over her mouth as she became more aware of her surroundings.

‘Chloe, it’s okay. It’s over. You should be starting to feel a bit better. Please don’t scream again,’ I urged.

Chloe nodded and I pulled my hand away as she took in a few deep breaths.

We let her take her time, but she didn’t seem to need much because it wasn’t long before words started to tumble out. ‘I’ve been waiting for you.’

‘You’ve been unconscious,’ I said.

‘In and out,’ she said with a small smile. ‘I just didn’t want anyone to know.’

I nodded, impressed.

‘Is he alive?’ I asked tentatively.

She nodded and I knew it was true. As her partner she would know without any doubt. I could hear the combined sigh of relief from behind me.

‘Where is he, Chloe?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said, her voice catching on her obviously dry throat. Zoe held up a cup of water and Chloe took a few grateful sips. She then reached out and gently took my wrists in her hands, looking at the silver bracelets that concealed my markings. ‘May I?’ she asked.

Uncomfortable but willing, I nodded and unclasped the cuff on my right wrist to reveal the swirling silver patterns on my skin.

‘They’re beautiful,’ she said. ‘Like watching life in motion.’

‘No,’ I sighed. ‘They’re like watching death.’

Her eyes met mine. ‘I can see how you would feel that, but that’s not what I see.’

I swallowed and eased my arm back, refitting my bracelet.

‘He gave me a message for you,’ she said.

‘What?’

Chloe looked around the room nervously.

I nodded her on. ‘It’s okay. You can speak in front of them.’

She took another sip of water then looked back at me. ‘He said to tell you: it’s a trap.’

I gritted my teeth. ‘Chloe, is Spence in trouble because of me?’

She lifted a shoulder weakly. ‘I don’t know. We’d been sent out on a mission but Spence was … he was different about this one. He’d requested the assignment and been secretive about why. The only secrets he ever keeps from me are ones to do with you, so I figured …’

I nodded, trying to show her the apology in my eyes. She seemed to understand.

‘Spence was using a glamour to get in close to a group of humans. They’re working for this one exile and they’re part of these tournaments going on everywhere.’

‘I know the ones,’ I said.

She nodded and licked her lips. ‘We thought he worked alone at first, but we were wrong. Very wrong. We realised pretty quickly that we’d severely underestimated him. He’s so much more powerful than anything I’ve … but Spence …’

‘Spence what?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m not sure what happened but he suddenly changed. And then we were on the run. I could feel them coming after us but Spence refused to tell me what was happening. He just kept telling me he was going to get me out of there.’

‘Chloe, what happened?’

‘We were weaving our way towards an old Grigori safe house in Mexico that Spence knew about. We were almost there but they found us. There were six exiles, plus their humans. Spence knew I couldn’t …’

‘It’s okay, Chloe,’ I assured her.

She swallowed. ‘The exiles captured us and sent us off with the humans. But they weren’t like ordinary humans. They were different.’

‘How?’ Steph asked.

Chloe’s attention turned to Steph for the first time and she smiled warmly. I could tell they had formed a friendship.

‘You know how when people are being controlled by exiles but they don’t seem to be aware of it, they just see things like they’re in daze?’

We all nodded.

‘Well, these people – it was like they knew the truth and they were okay with it. They’d somehow accepted it and genuinely worshipped the exiles. If I didn’t know better I’d think they were possessed or some kind of …’

‘What? Like a cult?’ I asked.

‘No. Like smart, wealthy people, all driven and working towards something. Like Scientology. They shot us with enough tranquillisers to take down a herd of elephants.’

‘What did they do with you?’ I asked, my stomach sinking. If they had Spence it was not going to be easy to get him back.

‘They have places all over the world. They moved us every day, never staying in one place. They kept us drugged and moved us on a private plane. We left Mexico and went to Quebec, Toronto, Washington. On the fourth day, when they flew us to Austin, Spence made his move. We’d been getting stronger without them knowing – developing immunity to the sedatives. Once Spence had enough control it wasn’t too difficult for him to take down the humans. He grabbed me and we ran into the commercial airport. He got me a ticket to New York and told me to leave. I thought we’d be coming here together but he wasn’t having it.’ Tears started to slip down her cheeks, and I gripped her hand even though my insides clenched with worry.

‘He told me that I had to find you. He said to make sure I used your surname. He said to tell you he’s still got your back and he knows he’ll see you soon.’

Spence knew me well and I couldn’t help but love that although he’d said it was a trap, he knew for sure that I’d go anyway.

Now I just need to know where.

‘Can you sense him?’ I asked.

‘Only that he’s alive. But I’m still pretty weak.’

With Chloe’s permission I finished healing her. Tears streamed down her face but she didn’t make a sound. When I released her hands she opened her eyes.

‘Now can you sense him?’ I asked.

She concentrated. ‘He’s in the country. He’s south, but I can’t tell you exactly where.’

‘That helps,’ Steph said.

I shook my head, still trying to make sense of it all. ‘So, if Spence sent you back here, what happened to you?’

‘Most of the damage is from the humans keeping us down. And when we got free of them I got on the plane like Spence said, but then I saw him through the window, moving around on the tarmac. A few minutes later I saw an exile following him.’

‘Spence didn’t know?’ Zoe asked, seeing where this was headed. No Grigori could stand back and watch their partner be taken down.

Chloe shook her head.

‘You got off,’ Zoe concluded.

‘Yes. But the moment I did, I was hit from behind.’

‘And they just left you there?’ Salvatore asked, voicing my own suspicions. But for Salvatore, I knew it was more: he was seeking lies. It was his gift.

She bit her lip. ‘I don’t know why they didn’t take me again. Or kill me.’

Neither did I. Discreetly, I glanced at Salvatore and registered his small nod. Chloe was telling the truth.

‘Maybe they wanted to make sure you were found,’ Steph offered. ‘If someone was waiting for you the moment you got off the plane, maybe it was to make sure you really left. When you got off, they knocked you out, but put you where you’d be discovered, knowing the Academy would eventually find you.’

I looked up at Steph’s worried expression.

‘Because they knew she’d come to me,’ I said, seeing where she was going.

Because the bald exile had seen Spence that night. He’d been the only other one there at Lilith’s estate. The only link to me besides Phoenix and Lincoln.

‘I think so,’ Steph agreed.

‘Spence is right. It’s a trap.’

And he’s the bait.

Steph tilted her head. ‘You don’t seem surprised.’

I wasn’t. I’d been waiting for the bald-headed exile to come after me since the other night.

And now I’ve put Spence’s life in danger.

‘I’ve come to expect this kind of stuff,’ I said, hoping my expression would tell Steph to let it go for now. I looked back at Chloe. ‘Did you keep notes on the locations held by this human organisation?’

She nodded.

‘Do they have a place in New York?’

She nodded again. ‘Offices and tournament sites.’

‘Where are the files?’ I asked, hoping they were here.

Chloe tapped her head. ‘It’s my gift. I don’t need to keep notes, I am the note.’

I rolled my eyes at her naivety. ‘Until someone kills you.’

She blanched.

‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘So, it works like a photographic memory?’

‘Kind of, but it’s triggered by my emotions. I remember everything because of how I felt at that moment and that creates a visual rehashing of the event, along with all of the smells, environment and feelings. I can relive a moment completely. I can share my memory with another person if they have a connection to it themselves and even tap into someone else’s memories if they have a strong enough emotion from any one event.’

I quickly stepped away from the bed. ‘I trust that’s something that requires permission first?’

‘Of course,’ she responded, holding my gaze.

There are some memories that should never be rehashed.

‘There’s one more thing,’ Chloe said, her eyes now showing her deep fear.

‘What is it?’

‘His name. I never saw him but I heard them talking. They call him Sammael.’

I bit down on the insides of my cheeks, needing the distraction. Having a name made it all that much more real. ‘That’s a good help. Thanks, Chloe,’ I said, giving her a quick nod before I turned.

‘Violet!’ she called out.

I paused and turned back to her. ‘I’ll find him, Chloe. I promise.’ I looked to Salvatore and Zoe. ‘Can you hang around and get the list of properties, focusing on what they have in New York and south of here?’

Salvatore nodded instantly.

I tossed my empty coffee cup into a bin.

‘Where are you going?’ Zoe called after me as I walked out the door.

‘To set a few things straight,’ I said over my shoulder. ‘Whatever is going on here, Spence needs me and there’s no way in hell I’m leaving him out there alone.’

I made it to the lift before Steph took up position beside me, checking her watch. ‘We’d better head straight there. Lincoln will already have the meeting underway.’

I nodded, knowing I was headed for round two.

The difference? This time I was ready.