Indebted

by Amy A. Bartol

“I don’t know and don’t ask her…just say yer sorry and that yer gonna get her another one just like it,” Russell replies, cracking up.

  “How am I supposed to do that when I do not even know what it is?” Zephyr asks, sounding exasperated by Russell’s advice.

  “Ya ask her to take ya where she got it,” Russell advises, his voice full of humor.

  “Why can’t I just give her some money for it?” Zee inquires, like he is questioning Russell’s logic.

  “Ya could, but then ya might get caught if she asks what the money is for and ya don’t know the answer to that, do ya?” he asks rhetorically.

  Smiling, I turn to Reed, seeing that he still looks concerned. “Do you remember anything else about your dream?” Reed asks. I lean back against the pillows, thinking before I shake my head.

  As Reed tucks a piece of hair behind my ear, I blurt out, “It’s coming closer.”

  “What’s coming closer?” he asks in a calm tone.

  “The storm…” I trail off.

  “Does the storm know where we are?” he asks, gently twisting his finger in a strand of my hair.

  “I don’t know,” I whisper. “I haven’t dreamed—it didn’t work when I was with them,” I admit, glancing up at Reed.

  “It works now,” he says neutrally.

  “Brennus thought that I didn’t dream because I was safe with them,” I say, playing with the corner of my blanket.

  “That is an interesting theory,” Reed replies, remaining neutral. “What do you think?” he asks, his green eyes studying mine.

  “I think that Heaven doesn’t tip it’s hand to the wrong players,” I reply, feeling ashamed, but for what I’m not exactly sure.

  His eyes soften in the corner as he says, “You are never the wrong player, Evie. Are you hungry? Everyone has been waiting for you to wake up. We have breakfast ready out by the water.”

  I nod, knowing that I should eat something.

  “Buns and Brownie bought you some new clothes. Do you want to take a shower and meet us out by the water?” he asks, his fingers trailing through my hair, gently.

  “Yes,” I smile, trying to pull myself together.

  I want to see my friends again, but I don’t know if I’m up for talking about my fam…the Gancanagh. My heart sinks. Are they all dead? I wonder grimly. Did Zephyr and his Dominion army kill them after I left? Or were they all taken out by the Fallen? I lose the smile I am trying to hold on to for Reed’s benefit.

  “The shower is in here,” Reed says, getting up from the bed and holding out a linen robe to me. I wrap myself in it before taking his hand and walking to the adjoining bathroom. “I’ll be just outside, if you need anything,” Reed says, before kissing my lips lightly.

  Showering quickly, I brush out my hair and put it up in a quick ponytail. I walk to the bedroom and find mostly bikinis with matching wrap skirts. There are some dresses in the closet, but they are more formal. I select a black bikini with matching wrap skirt that will probably end up being sheer in the sunlight. I slip on a pair of strappy sandals and walk out of the bedroom towards the beach.

  A snowy-white pavilion has been erected on the sand. Within it, a large, wooden, dining table has been set up with comfortable rattan chairs placed around it. As I walk towards the pavilion, Russell turns around and watches me make my way to them. He is wearing a pair of board shorts and it looks like they have been here, on the island, for a while now because his skin is tan and his tawny hair is lighter.

  “Good Lord,” Russell murmurs, leaning his arm against the pavilion’s post, watching my every move. I blush, feeling awkward as they all stare at me like I’m a stranger.

  Buns and Brownie immediately walk towards me from the shade of the tent, engulfing me in a group hug. “Sweetie, how do you feel?” Buns asks, scanning my legs. They can’t see the bruises under my wrap skirt that are now the only indication that I had ever been shot.

  “Much better,” I reply honestly, continuing to walk with them to the tent.

  When we reach the wooden planks that lead to the arching pavilion, I pause in front of Zephyr who has been watching my approach.

  “Is it okay to have my wings out?” I ask Zephyr, trying to find something to say so I don’t feel so weird with him.

  He is wearing board shorts similar to Russell’s and his hair is getting longer than I remember him wearing it, making him look a little older but just as attractive.

  “Yes,” he replies, smiling at me. “It is just us here during the week. I have a human staff that comes by boat to the other side of the island. They bring supplies and a cleaning crew. I will advise you when they arrive in a few days.”

  I nod, staring into his blue eyes that are the color of the sky above us. Zephyr reaches out and hugs me, lifting me off my feet. “From now on,” Zephyr says, “when one of us says, ‘stay behind me,’ I want you to do it…and don’t you know that you’re too young to go off alone to face an Ifrit?” His voice is strained. I have never heard him sound like that before.

  “I’m sorry, Zee,” I whisper, hugging him back just as tight.

  “You should be,” he scolds me in a stern tone. “I nearly killed Phaedrus—”

  “What?” I choke, my fingers curling on his back.

  “He left you there alone,” Zephyr says with a menacing tone. “You are so little—when I think of you walking up to that church alone…” he trails off.

  “He had to, Zee.” I say, feeling sad that I caused them to be at odds with each other. “It was my mission.”

  “I didn’t hurt him,” Zephyr says gruffly. “He led us back to the church. When we found Russell and Brownie—we understood—if you had not gone when you did, they would not be here now. But, I would have gone with you,” he adds, leaning down and setting me on my feet so that he can look into my eyes again.

  “It was a solo mission, Zee,” I reply, not wanting to argue with him, but wanting him to see that I did what I thought was best for everyone.

  He grunts. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he replies. “I want details on everything from the moment we were frozen by Safira to the moment Reed found you in Casimir’s car.”

  I put a shaky hand to my forehead and I can feel myself growing paler. Russell must see it, because he steps forward and puts his arm under my arm and around my waist.

  “Shoot, Zee, wait a second,” Russell says, leading me to the table and pulling out the chair for me. I sit on the soft cushion, feeling grateful to Russell for rescuing me from the interrogation I know is coming. “When was the last time ya ate, Red?” Russell asks me and I shrug.

  “She ate some bread and a little bit of cheese last night,” Reed recalls helpfully, placing a plate in front of me laden with pancakes, French toast, biscuits with gravy, and fruit. I look at it, wondering how anyone could possibly eat all of that food.

  “Ya best get started, ‘cuz we’re not lettin’ ya leave ‘til it’s gone,” Russell says, handing me a fork and looking completely serious as he sits in the chair next to mine, engulfing it with his large frame. Reed takes the seat on the other side of me, pouring water into my glass.

  I eat steadily for a while as Zephyr and Russell fill Reed in regarding the number of Fallen they were able to take out and their last known positions.

  “Are you still committed to the plan?” Zephyr asks Reed with a blank expression.

  “Yes, we should try to find the one angel that might know everything about Evie,” Reed says in a serious tone.

  I stop chewing and swallow hard. “Who knows more about me than you guys?” I ask, my brows drawing together in thought.

  “Tau,” Reed replies in a gentle tone. “If he is your father—”

  “That’s a waste of time,” I reply. “If he cared at all, he would have found me—helped or at least dropped by to say, ‘Hi,’” I reply as casually as I can, but my mouth feels dry.

  “He could be helpful now,” Reed says, his hand shifting to cover mine as it rests on the table.
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  “I spoke to Casimir,” I say, trying to deter them from trying to find the angel that has treated me with complete indifference. “He told me things—I don’t know how much of it we can believe, but it may be more informative than anything Tau could tell us.” I quickly recount my conversation with Casimir before he had escaped back into the portal.

  Reed and Zephyr make eye contact when I tell them about Casimir calling me a “warning” to all angels. They don’t seem to like Casimir’s take on the fact that I’m a new species and a threat to replace both humans and angels alike. I pause when I see their faces go blank to ask, “Do you think he’s right?”

  “No,” Reed replies instantly. “I think he is completely wrong, but others may not. If the Fallen could convince angels to believe that it is your purpose here, then we have some problems. It makes finding out your true purpose much more important,” he states, looking at me with a reassuring smile.

  “Your trap was very enticing,” Zephyr compliments me with admiration in his tone. “I had doubts that Casimir would ever risk himself like that, but he probably could not help himself, thinking you were alone and vulnerable.”

  “It was Eion’s idea,” I say, deflecting his praise. “I made a rooky mistake by not closing the portal.”

  “Which is why ya should’ve let us take ya outta there in the first place,” Russell chimes in next to me, looking a little pale after hearing how I messed up the trap to kill Casimir. “The Fallen were fixin’ to kill ya, Red. Yer lucky Casimir seemed to change his mind after talkin’ to ya. If he would have come in with guns a blazin’, ya would be dead now.”

  “Are you going to keep playing that role, Russell?” I ask him quietly, picking up my fork again and using it to spear a piece of mango, popping it into my mouth.

  Russell’s eyes narrow. “What role is that?” Russell asks.

  “Bad cop,” I reply, chewing and watching him lean back, assessing me.

  “Well, Reed already took the role of ‘good cop.’ Someone had to tell it to ya straight,” he says, picking up a glass of orange juice and taking a sip of it. “We were losin’ ya to them. They’re very clever creatures…seductive. I bet they didn’t show ya half that place, did they?” he challenges me.

  “No, I bet they didn’t,” I agree softly, feeling humbled by his assessment of me and them.

  “It took a lot for him to do that, Evie,” Brownie says in a quiet voice from her seat across the table. “It would’ve been easier for Russell to be the nice guy, but that wouldn’t have been helpful to you.”

  Feeling cornered, I reply, “It took a lot for me to be there, too. So cut me some slack about how I performed in captivity.”

  “No one’s gradin’ ya,” Russell says, frowning, “we’re all just tryin’ to figure out why yer so protective of them.”

  “I’m not protective of them,” I reply, not looking up from my plate.

  “Okay, then tell us how they operate. Who is their second in command? Name yer personal guard…” he trails off when I won’t look at him. “Naw, they still got ya, don’t they?” he asks in a rhetorical way, sounding bitter.

  “Russell, it wasn’t like what you went through with Valentine—they didn’t torture me or hurt me. They taught me magic and ways to defend myself…” I trail off, looking at his face.

  “They indoctrinated ya,” he replies. “They did that so that ya would begin to see things through their eyes and not think for yerself, ‘cuz if ya were thinkin’, ya would have seen that they were killin’ women with the efficiency of a factory.”

  “Did you kill them?” I ask, looking down again and not at his face.

  “Why?” he asks me, assessing my question.

  “DID YOU?” I shout, not caring what he thinks.

  Russell gazes at me with a sad smile and says, “Naw…we don’t know what happened to them. They could’ve been killed by the Fallen. Our focus was killin’ Casimir’s army and tryin’ to rescue ya. Reed was the lead on findin’ ya…because of the attraction between ya both. We still had one of the Gancanagh, Leif, here. The plan was to get ya back here and let him bite ya so the contract would be broken.”

  “Where is Leif?” I ask, feeling sick that they are holding Leif hostage.

  “He’s dead,” Russell replies, watching my reaction. “Well, ended, ‘cuz he was already dead before we got him. How did ya get Brennus to break the contract?” he counters.

  “We were going to leave through the tunnels under the estate, but Casimir was waiting for us. He shot me and he was going to kill me if Brennus didn’t agree to let me go,” I explain.

  “So, he let you go to save his own life,” Russell replies, his brows drawing together in a scowl.

  “No,” I reply, looking at Russell again. “He would’ve died to keep me. He let it be my choice. He said he knew he would be ended either way. Casimir would be smart enough not to let him live.”

  “So Casimir killed Brennus?” Reed asks from his seat on my other side.

  “No,” I reply numbly, “when Brennus used magic to break the contract, I stole some of his energy and called the ocean to me. Casimir and I were separated from them when the water washed us out the window of the kirk.”

  Every set of eyes at the table becomes wider. “That was you?” Zephyr breathes.

  “Yeah, it was me and a horrible attempt at poerty, Zee,” I reply, knowing he has no idea of what I mean by that.

  “We saw the current enter the caves below the estate. It was massive,” Zephyr says, sounding awed. “What else can you do?”

  “I don’t know…it all depends on what I need…” I trail off. “I needed to stop Casimir from pulling me back into the portal we opened during our plot to trap him, so I conjured some fire. I think it burned him—his hands were burned when he tried to take me with him. It made me think that maybe my magic would work on him.”

  “Your magic works on Seraphim—on angels?” Zephyr asks, getting to his feet from his chair at the table and looking around. “Can you show me?” he asks excitedly.

  “You want to see if I can affect you with magic?” I ask him, seeing his grin broaden.

  “Yes,” Zephyr says with an air of expectation.

  “I’m not always sure how it will turn out though, Zee. It seems like if I just pull a little energy to me, then I get a different effect than when I use all the energy that I can gather,” I explain nervously. “I don’t want to hurt you. Here…sit back down in your chair—I’ll try something I have been thinking about.”

  Zephyr sits back down and I rest my fork on the table and push my chair out. As I stand next to Russell, he asks me, “What are ya gonna do?”

  “The moon,” I reply. His eyebrows shoot up, trying to figure out what I mean as I gather a small amount of energy to me and I whisper, “Catch the moon today, Drift up and float away. Gently rising, in no pain, Soaring softly as you reign.”

  I flip the switch on the energy and it flows from me, reaching out to the angels around the table. They begin to levitate from their seats: gently rising above the table like they are in zero gravity and floating towards the top of the tent. Buns giggles as her head bumps against the canvas awning.

  “Come back easy; goodbye moon. Resting safely—None too soon.” I pull the energy back to me slowly and everyone gently floats to his or her seat.

  When I sit back down at the table, I see all of their stunned faces. I notice Zephyr stare at Reed with that male telepathy thing. As if answering a silent question, Reed shakes his head “no.” Zephyr turns to Russell next and asks, “Can you feel the energy Evie is employing?”

  “Heck yeah,” Russell responds with a crooked smile. “It’s sorta like standing next to a downed power line. I can smell it and feel it ripplin’ in the air. Can’t y’all feel it?” he asks.

  “No…we do not possess magic, so it is difficult for us to detect it,” Zephyr admits. “If you can feel it, perhaps Evie can teach you how to manipulate it. You should be able to do it, too. Evie can teach
you magic and you can work with her on her clones.”

  “Sweetie, Russell’s clones are so amazing! He worked really hard with Phaedrus to develop them,” Buns says, smiling at Russell. “Brownie and I were worried about him. He worked so hard on them that he would get headaches and nose bleeds, but it was the only way to communicate with you so we couldn’t convince him to take it easy.”

  “It wasn’t that bad,” Russell says, deflecting her concern, not looking at me, but I know that it was. I can remember what it felt like when I tried to control a clone and he did it much, much better than I ever did. Guilt hits me again. He has been killing himself to get me back.

  “What was it like, Evie? Living with them?” Brownie asks me, looking sad as she pulls my attention to her. All of their eyes fall on me again as I pick up my fork and push my food around on my plate.

  I shrug, looking up. I want to try to evade her question, but I can see that they’re all very attuned to my response. “At first it was terrifying,” I admit, hearing my voice waver. “I was afraid all the time. I stayed in my room for the first few days. When I did leave my room, everything was so unreal…so completely bizarre—like a plastic version of a wicked fairy tale.” My throat is taut, I take a sip of my water. “But, then, I began to get lost in their fairy tale and everything became real to me. Their gravity kept pulling me to them and it became almost impossible to hang on to who I was. I couldn’t run from them. I couldn’t escape. It became easier to be who they wanted me to be. It was a relief from being afraid all the time—accepting my role in their world. It got so that I didn’t have to try to play along anymore—I could just be one of them,” I say, feeling like I betrayed everyone at the table.

  “I’m so sorry, Evie,” Brownie says, getting up from the table. She is gone in an instant.

  “Brownie?” I ask, surprised by her reaction to what I just told them.

  Russell gets up from his seat and holds his hand up to Buns. “I’ll go,” he says to Buns who looks like she is getting up, too. Russell leans down and whispers in my ear. “We need to talk, Red.” When I nod numbly, he kisses the top of my head and then he is gone in a fraction of a second, too.