‘Stay back and out of sight. When you spot the Scripture – that’s on you.’
Spence nodded. ‘I’ll get it.’ He took my blades and held them up. ‘And I’ll be ready.’
He started to move away from us until he had disappeared completely under an invisible glamour. I took my Grigori dagger out of its sheath and tucked it into the back of my pants, concealing it with my top.
I looked at Phoenix. ‘Do it,’ I said.
He didn’t hesitate and I was glad. He struck me hard across the face. Once.
The pain was nothing.
He hit me again, opening up a gash on my forehead, and shook his head. ‘Good enough.’
I turned, clasping my hands behind my back. Phoenix tied them together, carefully placing the pull tie in my palm so I could loosen them any time I wished.
As his captive, we walked out of the rain and right through the front doors to Lilith’s lair.
Phoenix led me past groups of exiles, who started to follow us, and into the ballroom, where Lilith sat on her throne. When we reached the end of the black carpet, he kicked my feet out from under me and pushed me to my knees.
‘I suggest someone kills the guards who were responsible for her,’ Phoenix growled, throwing one of the daggers I’d given him onto the ground and out of my reach. ‘I’m getting sick of being the only one who can capture her. It took me the whole goddamn day this time. If it weren’t for my control over her, you would’ve lost her altogether. When I found her, she was dead. I had to revive her just to bring her back for you to kill yourself!’
He was convincing.
I noticed the small man in the business suit standing to the side of the room, watching with great interest. He adjusted his spectacles and his eyes flitted between the three of us as if he suspected shenanigans.
Lilith looked on suspiciously as well.
‘Olivier was responsible for her,’ Lilith said.
Olivier stepped forward. ‘As I explained, we were attacked.’ He eyed Phoenix suggestively.
Lilith stood and walked towards Olivier, her hips swaying and her hair flowing like liquid gold. I wanted to rip her heart out.
Patience.
I spotted a low black sofa beside Lilith’s throne. Lincoln’s soul-less body was lying on it, a collar around his neck from which a single golden chain led into Lilith’s hand. He was breathing. I didn’t look for long. Didn’t react. Couldn’t.
Evelyn was there as well. She was chained around her waist to a pole. I let my dead gaze connect with her fire-blue eyes. I could see she, too, was trying to work out what was happening. She raised her eyebrows, questioningly. I gave her the smallest nod, letting her know I had a plan. It was a good thing such a gesture couldn’t also convey that she probably wouldn’t like said plan.
Lilith took her time, sauntering up to Olivier and circling him, before her hand caressed his chest. Even now, she didn’t consider me a threat, not bothering to have me searched or further restrained. Her ego would be her undoing.
‘You told me you were strong,’ she said to Olivier, tenderly.
‘I am,’ he hissed, failing to disguise his contempt for her. Despite what he may be willing to do to destroy the Grigori, he was still once an angel of light and Lilith would always have been an angel of dark. They were not friends.
‘You told me you were the best of the light,’ she said.
‘I am.’
Lilith took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly and began to walk away from him slowly. Without turning back, a breeze began to stir around her, lifting her long golden hair out into needlepoints. She paused and suddenly, as if working like an extra limb, her tresses flew backwards and whipped Olivier across the face. His body flinched at the contact, his face turning a ghostly shade and sinking in on itself, as if a hundred plagues had infiltrated him in a matter of seconds.
Lilith smiled at me, secretively. My stomach turned.
She spun round – arm out and fingers extended – and drove her bare hand straight into Olivier’s chest and out again, just as fast, clasping his heart. Seeing Lilith, the bringer of death and disease, in action at any other time would’ve scared the crap out of me.
Now? Not so much.
‘Phoenix, my son,’ she said, once Olivier’s body had disappeared and she had resumed her place on her throne. ‘You surprise me, again.’ She nodded in approval.
Phoenix moved away from me and bowed before Lilith. ‘My place is to stand by you, always.’
Lilith seemed happy with his answer and motioned for her son to take his place behind her. He did.
‘Violet, I confess you astonish me – for a mortal. Quite remarkable that you have found a way back to the living so quickly, but I am glad you have returned. I so wanted for you to see your love again.’ She tugged on the chain she held like a leash, connecting her to Lincoln, yanking so hard that his head jerked up.
I didn’t move.
Lilith sighed, looking over his body appreciatively.
I gritted my teeth.