Iniquity (The Premonition, #5)(49)

My mind is numb. “Why me—”

“Heaven does whah it wants. If ye want a confession or an apology from dem ye’ll be waitin’ for eternity. Emil fell. He was a part of da rebellion in Heaven. I tink dis is where yer turmoil began. Ye’re a part of da aingeals’ war now. We’re in it...and we play ta win.”

“There is no winning this, Brennus! We both just lose!”

“Na if we’re together.”

“You believe that?”

“I do. I can carry ye any distance dat I have ta. ’Tis different between us now—ye feel it, do ye na? Ye changed me and I’m in yer heart.”

He’s right. My heart is still intact...and I feel Brennus there.

“Listen to me, Brennus. You know I’m nothing but trouble. This war is eternal—”

“We’ll all have ta choose a side soon. I’m only good when I’m wi’ ye. Wi’out ye, I can na say for certain upon which side I’d fall.”

I know he’s right. He’s different when we’re together—still ruthless, but not to the same degree. With me around, he’s capable of mercy. It makes me wonder what he was like before he lost his soul. “I met an angel here,” I murmur.

“Oh, aye?” he says with a sarcastic smirk on his lips, making me aware of the ridiculousness of my statement. There are literally thousands of angels here. “Anyone in particular?”

“I knew him—this angel. I’d seen him before—after I’d escaped from your cave in Houghton. His name is Atwater. Do you know the name?”

Brennus straightens, hit by a wave of recognition. “He’s here? In dis place?” I nod. “Did ye speak ta him?”

“Yes.”

“Whah did he have ta say?” Brennus asks with his back now ramrod straight.

“When I first saw him in Houghton, after Russell came for me—I was delirious from the bites you gave me. Atwater told me then that you’d burn for me the way you’ve made the wans burn for you—that it was recompense. I’m bad Karma for you, Brennus.”

“No, ye’re na. He’s knows ye’re more dan dat. He knows dat I’ve been waiting for ye ta come for as long as Finn has been a Gancanagh. As long as he divided me family—and he best continue ta hide from me—should I find him again he’ll know pain.”

“You’ve been waiting for me?”

“I have. I’ve been waiting for me queen. Dere are tings we need ta do.”

“What things? What are you talking about?”

“Whah else did Atwater tell ye?”

“He said he was your guardian angel.”

Brennus’ jaw hardens. “He’s nuting ta me.”

“He’s something to you. What happened? He refused to help you...when Aodh took Finn?”

“Heaven does na help. Dey negotiate, Genevieve.”

“What did you negotiate with Atwater, Brennus?” Secrets shadow his eyes. “What is it?”

“I was so young den—when I knew Atwater—immortal in youth, was I. When ye’re dat young, ye never know whah ye’re promisin’. I never wanted dis crown—ta be king. But ye do whah ye have ta do—even when it shakes ye ta da ground.”

“What are you talking about, Brennus?” I whisper.

“Do ye remember when I told ye dat I saw me soul, Genevieve? Jus after ye changed me?”

“Yeah, it was when I tried to kill you.”

He grins. “Och, had ye tried ta kill me, I’d be gone. Ye wanted me ta change, and change I did,” Brennus says ruefully, and then he sobers. “I saw him again—me soul—after yer fire tore tru me.”

“How?”

“Me soul was ripped away from Sheol. He tried ta reunite wi’ me—become one once more, but I am still mostly undead, ye see?” I nod my head in understanding, and Brennus continues, “He gave me a message ta give ta ye.”

“He did?” I ask, my eyes wide with surprise.

“He did,” Brennus affirms with a nod. “He said ta say: ‘Tell her I’ve been waiting for her. Tell her I’ll know her by note.’”

“He’ll know me by note? What does that mean?”

Brennus shakes his head. “I do na know. He took some of me memories wi’ him ta Sheol. Finn speaks of tings in our past—sometimes I have no memory of dem. And now dat me soul and I are apart, I do na know whah he has experienced in Sheol. But I tink dat I made a deal wi’ Heaven before all o’ dis began.”

“It’s the same with me. Russell remembers so much more than I do. For some reason, you and I are not meant to know.”

“Ye see. We’re much da same,” he murmurs as he grasps my hand and tugs me along beside him once more, leading the way through the labyrinth. Neither one of us speaks for a long time, lost as we are in our own thoughts as much as in the twisting path. We reach the center of the maze where it opens into a small circle. Upon the floor, a majestic, tiled tree is spread out, it’s branches reaching in every direction, winding into the borders of the path from where we had just come and extending out to form other paths that were invisible to me when I’d been outside the circle.

Brennus looks around at the floor. “We are both on da same path, Genevieve, precisely where we need to be.”