It was an envelope just like this that had changed my world almost three years ago. A letter my mother had left me.
‘It came inside another envelope marked up to look like an energy bill and was addressed to Dapper’s PO box,’ Onyx said. ‘It was postmarked more than a week ago, but we don’t check it every day.’
‘No one has read this?’ I asked suspiciously.
Onyx settled a hard look on me. ‘I’m the only one who has even touched it.’
I nodded. I had no need to question Onyx’s loyalty. Not after what he’d done – what he’d sacrificed – with Lilith.
Besides, Spence and Onyx had been friends ever since Spence had been there for him the night Phoenix’s exiles stormed Dapper’s apartment, almost killing them both. Onyx didn’t forget his debts.
Spence.
He’d wanted to leave with me but I’d said no. He was about to find his partner and I thought his place was with the Academy. He was a proud Grigori, and the Academy was the only family he’d ever known. Besides me.
Had I been wrong to leave him behind? I miss him every day.
More like a brother to me than anyone else, he’d been there for me every time I’d needed him. And more.
I started to open the envelope, already dreading what awaited me. I knew, like I’m sure Steph and Onyx did, that he wouldn’t have tried to contact me this way unless it was life or death. The thought had my hands trembling.
I’d only seen him once since I’d walked away. He’d come with Steph to meet me in Prague, and he’d brought his partner, Chloe. She’d seemed nice enough, though wary of me – something I couldn’t hold against her. With the amount of rumours circulating about me and that night at Lilith’s estate, I was surprised she’d managed the meeting so well.
I unfolded the single piece of lined A4 paper while Onyx sat back in his chair, silently watching.
Eden,
Christ, I hope this finds you. I’m gonna take the chance and send it to Onyx. There is no way the Assembly won’t intercept if I send it to anyone at the Academy.
That night – the one that changed everything – I saw what happened before I pulled Lincoln out of there. I figured you never told anyone, mostly ’cause you wanted to put the whole thing behind you. So, I never told anyone either. But I never forgot him. Or what he took from you.
I’ve been looking for him ever since but never found a thing. It was like he didn’t exist. But a few weeks ago, I finally saw him at one of these war nights exiles have started to have.
He’s behind all of it, Eden.
The thing is, he saw me too, and I swear he knew me. He smiled, and that was all. But nothing has ever freaked me out so bad. I grabbed Chloe and ran. And now I can feel him coming. He’s got exiles hunting us.
Nothing this exile does is by accident. It wasn’t me who found him. It was all his doing.
I wish I had more I could tell you but all I know is that something nasty is going on. And shit, I sound like a girl, but I don’t think I’m getting out of this one alive.
One more thing I thought you’d want to know: we’ve gone off-grid, which means Lincoln will already be looking for me. Eden, you know him, he’ll be hell-bent on being front and centre but I don’t think this is a battle he can win. Not alone.
We took off to Mexico but they’re close and now I’ve got to find a way to get Chloe out of here. She’s not like us, Eden. She’s not ready for this.
I’m sorry to dump this on you. But I’ve got a real bad feeling trouble is going to find you soon.
Don’t pack light.
Spence
His handwriting was shaky over the final lines. Spence wasn’t just scared, he was terrified.
Oh, Spence. What have you done?
I folded the note, not willing to share all of this information with Onyx yet.
‘Has anyone heard from his partner?’ I asked. If this letter was written more than a week ago, a lot could have happened since.
Onyx hesitated before speaking. ‘Well, that’s the other reason I’m here.’
I closed my eyes briefly, knowing that this was going to end up being a very tangled story.
‘She’s at the Academy in New York. When they found her she was in a bad way. She’s in a coma. And since the last known person with her was Spence and she can’t tell anyone what happened …’
‘They think he did it to her,’ I finished incredulously.
‘They’re not ruling out the possibility. Grigori aren’t immune to corruption, and Spence went AWOL. Plus, the one time Chloe did come around she refused to tell them what had happened.’
‘Why the hell would she do that?’ I snapped.
Stupid girl.
Onyx gave a small smile, knowing what I was thinking. ‘She must have had her reasons. All she said was. “Find Eden”.’