Iniquity (The Premonition, #5)(58)

“I’m her aspire. I only need to know where her enemy is so that I may eliminate the threat to her life.”

“You met her enemy—in Crestwood. We believe we know the evil that attacked you. His name is Emil. He didn’t kill Evie then, not because he couldn’t, but because he needs something from her.”

“What does he need?”

“We don’t know. What we do know is he couldn’t kill you. The magic wouldn’t touch you. We believe it’s because of the ring you wear.”

“Can this ring protect Evie if I give it to her?” I try to tug the ring from my finger. It won’t move; it’s as if it is bonded to my flesh and bone.

“We attempted to cut it from you while you were unconscious. The Power who touched it ascended. Do you know why?”

“Heaven wants my help.”

“Yes. You’re not just Evie’s champion; you’re Heaven’s champion as well.”

“What do you know about the target?” I ask, leaning forward to hear every word he utters.

“He’s Evie’s inescapable and he’s more powerful than we ever imagined.”

“Do you know why he’s here?”

“It’s unclear, but I believe he’s here to confront Evie. The boatswain was given to us to protect—the key to Sheol. I didn’t anticipate that Evie had been preprogramed to use it. She’s meant to go there; for what purpose, I can only speculate.”

The thought of Evie in Sheol is a knife in my heart. “Heaven has been playing chess while you’ve been playing checkers, Tau.”

“Isn’t that always the way? We only ever get to know a piece of the puzzle—we’re left to discover how it fits. That way, no one can be forced to divulge the plan to Sheol.”

“What do you expect from me?”

“Evie needs to find a way to remember her past. We’d like you to convince her to try.”

“I want the boatswain.”

“I cannot give it to you. I am sworn to deliver it to an angel.”

“Who?”

“He’s Cherubim and goes by the name of Atwater.”

“Do you know him?”

“No. I have been searching for him for a long time. Xavier has just located him. He arrived unannounced at our mountain enclave, looking for Evie.”

“Has he spoken of the boatswain? Does he know about it?”

“He has requested an audience with me. I suspect that it is to obtain the whistle.”

“Will you meet him?”

“I leave within the hour. We are to meet this evening.”

“You’re aware it’s a weapon against half-angels? It can be used to harm your daughter. Are you eager to give that away when you don’t know how he’ll use it?”

“No. I’m not eager to relinquish it to him, especially now that I’ve seen what it can do. I didn’t know the extent of its power. I was told it would subdue, not that it had the potential to kill.”

“It’s also a key.”

“It is and I don’t believe Evie made the conscious choice to use the whistle to unlock the gateway to Sheol. She was conditioned to do it. The moment she touched it, she was no longer in control of the consequences of her actions or even aware of them. Once the gateway opened, it attempted to pull her into it.”

“Do you believe it wise to give the boatswain to an angel you don’t know?”

“I have to trust in Heaven to know what’s right.”

“What’s right for them or what is right for Evie? It’s not always the same thing. They don’t always coincide.”

“No, you’re correct, they don’t. I said I have to give Atwater the key. I never said you had to let him keep it. He’s at the same base as Evie. Will you come with me to deliver it?”

“What would you like me to do once you deliver the boatswain?”

“Whatever comes to mind,” Tau murmurs, touching his throat lightly.

“When do we leave?” I ask.

Phaedrus rises from his chair. “I must leave you both here,” Phaedrus says absently as his soft, fuzzy wings unfold from him.

“What is it?” Tau asks.

“I’ve just been given a mission.” His black owlish eyes grow even darker. “It would seem I have to depart at once.”

“Do you know your assignment?” Tau asks, standing as well.

“We’ve met. It’s Reed’s friends: the half-Seraph, the Power, the Throne, and the two Reapers.”

I lurch to my feet. “Are they in danger?”

“They’re in no immediate danger. They want my help to locate something for them.”

I frown. “What do they want?”

“They want a weapon capable of destroying a soul.”

“Is there such a weapon in existence?” Tau asks.

“Heaven says there is. Heaven says they’re looking for a Faerie weapon—one that sings.”





EVIE


A beefy Power angel with beige-colored wings brings me a delicate plate of seasoned cod. Xavier and I sit alone at our table in a posh dining room beneath low-hanging crystal chandeliers. Around us, Power angels savor the exquisite cuisine, casting covert glances at Xavier and me. I would’ve preferred to eat alone in my room, but Xavier insisted that I show myself here. He wants the other angels to grow accustomed to my presence—to my supremacy inherited through my Seraphim blood.