“Then the weapon is not for her,” I deduce.
“If it’s not for her, then who is it for?” Russell asks. “They didn’t plan on me. Evie changed the game plan by savin’ me accordin’ to Anya—I’ve always kind of known that since it happened.”
“Brennus intimated to Evie that you’re not the only one of your kind—there is another male of your species.”
Russell’s clone rises from his crouch and kicks the air in anger, his arms spreading wide. “We’re relyin’ on the undead freak’s intel now? That vampire is like a hundred car pile-up waitin’ to happen!”
“We can’t deny that he has connections—his allies align with the Fallen. He knows what goes on in dark.”
“It’d be nothin’ to him to feed us false information!”
“Us, but not Evie,” I reason. “It’s in his best interest to keep her well out of the hands of the Fallen. She’s his treasure; the only place his heart can beat is within hers.”
“So this key thing—this weapon the divine Seraphim have isn’t for Evie; it’s for the fallen version of Evie?” I nod. His clone paces my cell, sometimes disappearing briefly into a cell wall before reappearing again. “Do they know who it is—the evil half-breed?” Russell’s clone pauses and looks at me.
“No, or the army that Tau has amassed would be at war with him. They need Evie to draw him out. She’s their lure. Bait. I think we’ve already met him Russell—at the house today.”
Russell’s clone loses some of its golden glow. “I have to get the girls outta Crestwood. Now.”
“Zephyr should already have a new location.”
“He does, it’s—”
“Don’t tell me—I shouldn’t know where you are. Keep looking for Evie.”
“What do I do when I find her?”
“She’ll tell you what to do.”
A smirk forms on Russell’s lips despite everything. “You know her pretty well.”
“I do,” I nod.
“I should go then,” he says with a reluctant look.
“You should.”
“Alright then.”
“Russell,” I say, as his clone nears the wall.
He turns back and says, “Yeah?”
“How are you with knots?”
“I suck at ‘em.”
“How about magic?”
His eyebrows rise as he pushes out his bottom lip. “I’m better at that.”
“You think you can break this angel hair knot tying my wings together?” I ask.
He frowns. “I never tried to use magic through a clone before.”
“First time for everything.” I rise from the floor, showing him my back so he can assess the problem.
“I’ll have ya outta that in no time.”
Despite everything, I smile. “I’m glad I didn’t kill you.”
Russell laughs. “Yeah? Me too.”
RUSSELL
“We have to go!” I warn Zephyr the moment I allow my clone to evaporate and my consciousness to return to my body.
Zephyr stares back at me from his position on an overstuffed chair in the library.
“Did you find them?” Zephyr asks, his calm eyes scannin’ me.
“I found Reed. He’s screwed, like always. Dominion Powers have him at their chateau. He tried to kill Tau, which didn’t work out so well for him.”
“Have they harmed him?”
“I don’t think he beat himself up, so I’d say they haven’t been very hospitable.”
“And Evie?” Zee asks with a grim look.
I shake my head, pretendin’ not to be completely freaked out. “I don’t know. She’s not with him. Reed thinks she’s still alive. She’s an ass kicker; she’ll find us when she can. Reed told me to stay away. He said he’d free himself and find us.”
“They’ll kill him,” Anya says quietly.
“Huh?” I turn ‘round to Anya’s lithe body leanin’ against the doorframe of the library. She pushes away from it and prowls in, her graceful steps makin’ me lose my train of thought as I stare at her. Her dark wings move with her in a seductive, dangerous flutter, like she could chase down the devil without much trouble.
Her soft, full lips say, “Dominion. They’ll kill Reed. If he harmed Tau in any way, it’s a death sentence. We have to rescue him before he’s shredded.”
“He said not to come there.”
“Of course he did,” her lips spread in a cynical smile. “He’s a Power; they think they never need anyone’s help.”
“Prostat Powers don’t need to be rescued from other angels,” Zephyr says gruffly.
Anya lifts her hand towards Zee, “See? We need to free him.”
“Who’s we?” I ask with a scowl. “You’re not gettin’ within a hundred miles of that place. Right now, you’re public enemy number one to them.”
Her perfect chin lifts as she smiles like I gave her a compliment. “I’ll be fine. Xavier won’t let them kill me.”
My eyebrows slash together in a flare of jealousy. “Naw, I won’t let them kill ya ‘cuz you’re not goin’ there!”
“We have to get him back. He’s not the one that was born to die.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”