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 …’