Iniquity (The Premonition, #5)(7)

“He was with you while you slept?” Reed picks me up in his arms.

I wince, avoiding his eyes. “He showed up in my dream. I thought he was gone when I woke up—”

“He took possession of you, Evie,” Reed masks his emotions. He lays me on the bed. I can no longer avoid his eyes.

“It wasn’t me trying to kill you, it was him. I tried to stop him.”

He touches my hair. “I know, but you weren’t trying to kill him. You were trying to kill yourself.”

“It was the only way I could see to make him leave before he hurt you. I’m his weakness. He won’t let me die.”

“That was a gamble, Evie,” Zephyr says from behind Reed. He eyes my bandage. It’s soaked through. He walks to the foot of the bed and squeezes my foot lightly. “Maybe you should have just pushed him out of you.”

“He wouldn’t go! I couldn’t afford to let him stay one second longer and risk him gaining control of me again.

“What if he decided not to go?” Reed asks.

“He couldn’t stay if I was dead,” I murmur.

Reed’s face completely changes from calm to stormy in a few breaths. His hand, resting on the wrought-iron headboard, crushes it with the whiny squeak of bending metal. He takes a deep breath. “And you thought that was an option?”

“It worked.”

Reed’s nostrils flare as he attempts composure. “Killing yourself is never an option. Are we clear?”

I glance at Zephyr. It’s always been in my mind that if I ever need a way out of this, an alternative fate, he’d be who I’d go to for that kind of help. Not to live, but to die. “I protect what’s mine,” I say, sounding very much like Brennus.

“With your life?” Reed asks.

“With my life,” I nod.

“Then Brennus is right. I make you weak,” he says bitterly. “You can’t end your life because you’re afraid of what will happen to me.”

I put my hand on his cheek. “You are my life. It begins and ends with you.”

Reed pulls away from me. “Don’t say that, Evie, or I’ll be forced to leave.”

I pale. “What?” I ask and an ache more painful than the stab I just endured squeezes my heart.

“I won’t be the one who makes you weak.” The conviction in his tone makes me shiver.

“Then don’t be. Never leave me,” I say, reaching out and touching his arm.

Russell snorts in derision. “Shoooot. Like you two could stay away from each other. Tell her another fairytale, Reed.”

Reed ignores Russell as he touches his hand to his chest. “I’m a Power—an assassin. I don’t need you to protect me. I’ve been hunting and killing creatures like Brennus for so long that you’d think it was forever. I won’t let him touch me again.”

Russell chimes in, “Reed and Zee are Prostat Powers, Red. You didn’t get to see them stalk the Gancanagh while you were Brennus’ queen. They freaking owned those evil freaks. So can you be a little less ridiculous and start explainin’ what Brennus meant by ‘see ye tonight?’” Russell asks while doing his best Brennus impression at the end.

“He’s not the same, Russell,” I say quietly. “Brennus is even more powerful now. His magic works on angels.”

Russell walks to the bed and sits beside me on the opposite side from Reed. I push myself up on my pillow and wince as pain makes me dizzy. Russell frowns and reaches toward the bandage. His hand begins to glow. My eyes narrow as my hand leaves Reed’s arm to knock Russell’s away from me.

“Don’t!” I prevent Russell from healing me with the magical power that we both share. I don’t want to watch him transfer my wound to himself and see his chest break open and bleed. “I’m fine. I’ll heal soon.”

“I don’t like seein’ you in pain.”

“I know, but just because you’re my soul mate doesn’t mean you have to take my pain from me.”

Russell’s eyes soften. “What about because I’m your best friend?”

“Nope. Not even then.”

Russell sighs. “Then spill your guts and tell me what Brennus was doin’ inside you.” Russell pulls his hand through his tawny hair in agitation.

“Here’s the short version. He drank my blood and wandered into my dream. I think he was a little surprised that he got there.”

“And he had your blood because...oh yeah, that’s right! Because you gave it to him. You freakin’ let that vampire in!” He points an accusing finger at me.

“Thanks, Russell.” Sarcasm drips from me as I frown, but I’m secretly grateful to fight with him. It prevents me from seeing how Reed is taking this. “I’ll deal with it.”

“How?” Russell asks, not giving me an inch.

“I don’t know yet,” I mumble, sitting up and dragging my feet to the edge of the bed so that my back is to Reed and Russell. “I’ll figure it out.”

“What did he do in your dream world?” Reed asks.

I glance over my shoulder at him before I look away. “He warned me that the Fallen plan to go to war over me. He thinks there’s another half-breed just like me...well, not just like me...a...err, a male...” I trail off, but the silence is short lived.