I pushed myself up further, spending a little time on healing the worst of my injuries. I’d patch myself up properly later. ‘Can you pass me my clothes?’ I asked, pointing to the folded stack.
Lincoln handed them to me and I pulled my jeans on beneath the sheets. I settled for just my T-shirt when I saw the state of my sweater. I was sure Steph would lend me something else. ‘Turn around,’ I said.
Lincoln did as I asked while I stripped off the hospital gown and threw on my top. By the time he turned around I was pulling on my boots.
‘What happened at yesterday’s meeting?’ I asked, worried I missed the arrangements.
‘It was rescheduled for today. They should be heading to the hall now, in fact.’
I stood up, trying to hide the shaking in my legs. ‘Well, we’d better get going, then. They can’t assemble our team unless we’re there, right?’
Lincoln huffed, clearly not finished with this conversation – or lecture. I ignored him and walked carefully to the door, unable to hide a few sharp winces.
‘You know I could help with that,’ he said from behind me, his voice suddenly low.
I froze, knowing exactly what he meant. When we connected our healing powers were much stronger, but it was always confronting, sharing our emotional as well as our physical abilities.
I shook my head. ‘I’d prefer not.’
I am a pathetic liar.
‘Hmm,’ he said, brushing against my side before opening the door for me. ‘We’ll see.’
When I passed him to go through the doorway, he grabbed my wrist, holding it tight. ‘Next time you decide to do something so reckless, at least tell someone you might be on your way to die. You know, just so we can find you,’ he said, unable to disguise the bitterness in his tone.
I licked my lips. ‘Sure. Next time I’ll do that,’ I snapped, trying to pull my arm from his grip.
‘Be sure you do. Maybe then it won’t be so hard to tell you that what you did was just damn amazing.’
My breath caught. I stared as Lincoln simply dropped my wrist and stormed ahead towards the hall.
Only when I heard the chuckling did I notice Steph standing in front of me.
‘What’s so funny?’ I asked.
She shook her head. ‘You two. You’re just so … annoying.’ She laughed again.
‘We can’t seem to stop yelling at each other.’
‘Maybe you should try doing something that doesn’t involve talking,’ she said with a wink.
I looked to the ceiling. ‘Please. Not you, too. Come on, we’d better get to that meeting before Lincoln has another reason to yell at me.’
She snorted. ‘You have some housekeeping to take care of first.’
I looked at her, confused. ‘Such as?’
‘Such as where Phoenix is going to be staying.’
‘Steph, Phoenix is an angel. As in incorporeal.’
She rolled her eyes and pointed behind me. ‘Well, Vi, honey, you might want to explain that, then.’
My heart skipped a beat and my breathing practically stopped completely as I turned slowly on my heel to see Phoenix, in the flesh, sitting on one of the waiting-room chairs with his elbows on his knees and his head slumped forward, looking at the ground.
‘What. The. Hell?’ I breathed.
‘If that was our only question it would be easy. He hasn’t said much, but according to Rainer you weren’t going to make it. So, Mr Self-sacrifice here brought you back.’
‘He … he …’
Steph placed a supporting hand on my shoulder. ‘He exiled, Vi. For you.’
CHaPteR tweNty
‘But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!’
Revelations 12:12
‘Of course he did,’ I mumbled, feeling closer than ever to losing my mind. ‘Of course he did,’ I repeated, delirious.
How can this all be happening?
My crazy laugh caused Phoenix to look up. He was tired and, for the first time since we’d met, he looked unsure.
Steph murmured, ‘I’ll let them know you’re on the way,’ as she left.
I sighed as I sat down next to him. ‘Tell me this wasn’t for me,’ I said softly.
His lips twitched before he looked back down to his feet. ‘This wasn’t for you.’
‘They won’t let you go back again,’ I said.
He nodded. We both knew it was true.
‘What are you going to do?’ I asked.
He shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’
I closed my eyes. Once again everything was completely out of control and it all seemed to be because of me. I should have thought it through more before racing ahead to save Nyla.
What have I done?
‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered.
‘Don’t be,’ he said. ‘You and I know it was only a matter of time.’
I blinked. ‘I realised you weren’t happy but I don’t think either one of us knew you were going to do this.’
He shrugged again. ‘There’s no perfect place for me. At least as an exile I have choices. There was a time when I believed being an angel was who I was.’ He looked at me briefly before dropping his eyes again. ‘I’ve changed.’
Haven’t we all.
I rubbed my face, tired too. But I knew I had to say it. ‘Phoenix, I can’t … you know that I …’