Iniquity (The Premonition, #5)(39)
Brennus smiles. “Genevieve is never coming back ta ye, Emil—”
“Ahh, you’re wrong. She can never truly leave me, Gancanagh.”
“Why is dat? Why are ye in so many of her lifetimes?”
His face distorts with rage. “She’s always in my lifetimes—she’s always screwing them up! She’s a thorn in my side! I’m going to enjoy smashing her face in until the only thing left of her is me.”
“Has she been sent ta banjax all yer lifetimes? ”
“He may be her soul mate—” Emil looks directly at me with disgust twistin’ his lips, “—but he has always been the weaker of the two, just as my soul mate was the weaker of us. I made my soul mate fall with me…it was so simple. No fight in her—she blindly followed me into hell.” Emil points his chin at me. “He’s Simone’s mate, but I’m Simone’s complement—I made her stronger. I made her the perfect adversary. I’m the Yin to her Yang. She’s the light that cannot exist without my darkness.”
Goose bumps rise on my flesh and I suppress the urge to shiver. A part of me rebels at what he says. My hard-faced look is met by the coldness of his lazy stare. I stare back at him and wonder what’s buried underneath those eyes.
From the other side of the room, Finn says, “I did na see dat coming, Brenn.”
“Nor I,” Brennus agrees. “If Emil here is ta be believed, den he’s her evil da other.”
Emil scowls. “She’s not my soul mate! She follows me through eternity! We move through time in elliptical patterns—the two of us folding back on one another. She’s always in my next life, trying to subdue me, trying to stop me from achieving any kind of power in this world. She’s the bane of my existence! I’ll enjoy watching her soul mate suffer before I annihilate him in front of my relentless, divine stalker.” His lips turn sinister while his fingers tense on the shiny blood-red handle of the wing-shaped dagger in his grip. “But first, this thorn gets to watch me wipe this Throne from existence.”
Brennus directs his magical power at me, strikin’ me with the force of a movin’ car. The shock of electricity surges through my bones. I lift my arm and point my hand at Anya, redirectin’ some of the power to her as I cast a spell.
Emil’s grip on his knife tightens before he swipes the serrated points of the wing-shaped dagger across Anya’s neck. The expected gush of blood doesn’t happen, instead, a grindin’ sound of a blade being honed by a stone emits from Anya as tiny sparks fly from the surface of her throat. Emil lifts the blade away. There’s nothin’ more than a scratch on Anya. The relief I feel is short-lived. She’s uncut, but she’s also unable to breathe. Clutchin’ her stony neck, Anya’s eyes shutter in anguish.
Wall-shakin’ crashes fracture every corner of the room. Gancanagh spill inside to clash with evil angels. I grasp the hand of the Power angel holdin’ me hostage. His flesh turns to water and he plunges to the floor, becomin’ just a puddle on the carpet. Liftin’ both of my hands, I direct them towards Anya. Whisperin’ a spell, I snatch her away from Emil just as Brennus pounces on him. She skids across the floor to me, landin’ straight in my arms. She rests against my chest as my hands glide down her back, relievin’ the enchantment I’d placed upon her. Her mouth gapes with a huge intake of breath as her throat opens enough to accept air.
Brennus lurches toward Emil, knockin’ him into the air and across the room with a magical blast of energy. Emil smashes into the desk, flippin’ over it. He comes to rest in the corner of the room. Instantly, he’s on his feet again, strikin’ Brennus with magic of his own. Brennus’ skin melts. Thorns push out from his face, neck, and arms. Placing his hand to his cheek, Brennus’ fingers glow with a green light, He reverses Emil’s spell, eradicatin’ the thorns.
To my left, Zee is covered in his own blood, stabbin’ to death the evil, white-winged Archangel that had held him hostage. His wings look broken and I doubt he’s able to fly right now. Zephyr notices us. He flips the portal urn off the table towards us. As the urn arcs in the air, I whisper to Anya, “Go now!”
“No! Not without you,” she whispers in my ear. Grittin’ my teeth, I decide not to give her the choice. My hands move up her spine, infusin’ magic into her. She shimmers golden. Light pours from her body, as she becomes a fiery Phoenix.
The urn portal opens, I twist my finger like a corkscrew and the vase mimics the action; it spins like a top in front of us. Anya rises into the air, the embers of her Phoenix feathers sparkle down as her hawkish wings spread wide. She’s can’t resist the force that draws her to the portal. In a flash, she’s sucked into it and is gone from my sight.
Relief washes over me that she’s safe. I assess the fury surroundin’ me. It’s unclear just who’s winnin’ this fight. Pieces of undead Gancanagh lie next to pieces of very dead angels. Brennus and Emil are fightin’ all ‘round the room, throwin’ magic at each other. Bursts of colorful light-energy explode, killin’ angels and fellas as it’s deflected. Debris and leafs of paper float down from above in wintery gales.
Emil disappears into thin air. He leaves behind a smoky vapor trail where he had been in front of Brennus only to reappear behind Brennus with the same smoky essence swirlin’ ‘round him. Emil’s wicked grin is only there for a moment before Brennus elbows him in the mouth. Blood squirts into the air as his lip explodes. Brennus pivots and his green eyes glow in the growin’ darkness surroundin’ us.