Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (78 page)

chapter
twenty- four

“Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply;
those who want to deny the world must have once embraced what
they now set on fire.”

KuRT TuChoLsKY

“Wow.”

I don’t know who else said it. It sounded like a chorus though—

maybe all of us.

Well, when I’m wrong, I’m
totally
wrong.

“Are you sure this is where we’re staying?” I asked, standing in front of the most incredible building that I’d ever laid eyes on.

Nestled in the gigantic stone mountains with waterfalls cascading behind it, the entire place—
palace
is the only word for it— was built of heavy sandstone blocks and crowned with domed rooftops. It was somewhere between Aladdin’s Palace and Steph’s ideal getaway.

“Steph is going to fll ip,” I said, thinking of her.

Salvatore nodded, looking around confused. I followed his gaze.

Th e only thing there wasn’t was people.

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“I’ll go find someone,” Griffin said, heading toward the massive, wooden doors.

Lincoln gave my shoulder a squeeze.

“Hang on. I’ll come with you,” he said, running after Griffin.

He was finally letting us be what I’d always dreamed of. So why was I freaking out?

Once he and Griffin had gone through the main doors, the rest

of us slowly followed with the bags. When we made it into the main lobby area, I was amazed again at how beautiful it was. We were in the middle of nowhere and yet here was this spectacular hideaway.

We dumped the bags just as Griffin and Lincoln walked over

with a man and a woman both wearing a similar kind of outfit.

Not exactly robes, like the ones I had seen covering some of the women in the town, but more like baggy yoga wear or something:

black, wide cotton pants that finished above the ankle, revealing the almost matching sandals underneath, and a wide- cut top with half- length sleeves in the same fabric. I didn’t know if it was a culture thing, a religious thing, or just…comfy.

“This is Azeem and Ermina. They are Grigori partners and the

owners of the hotel. Azeem is of a Seraph.”

Azeem was freakishly tall and well- built. Everything about him seemed huge, and when he put his hand out in offering, everyone else’s seemed to get swallowed in his hold. Ermina was the opposite, petite in every way.

We all said hello and understood that because Azeem was of the

Seraphim, Griffin had just introduced us to the leader in these parts.

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“We are not open for normal business at the moment. We have

been taking a break from the public— some time for prayer. We are not due to reopen until next month. The hotel is almost entirely locked up, but we have arranged for the northern wing to be opened for you. You will find everything you need there, and meals will be served in the dining area,” Azeem said in a deep, rounded voice.

Rudyard gave a small bow of respect. “Thank you, Azeem. We

are sorry to impose and will not be here for long.”

“It is no trouble, though we
would
like to know your intentions.” Nyla stepped forward. “We’d be happy to discuss this and hope

we may then ask for your assistance. Perhaps we could get settled and then have a walk through your security systems first, though.” Always thinking tactically, Nyla was going to make sure we were safe first. I had to admire her direct approach.

Azeem and Ermina exchanged a glance, and for a moment I

thought we might have a problem, but then they nodded.

“Ermina will show you to your rooms and then I will arrange for a tour,” Azeem confirmed.

————

When it came to picking rooms, panic set in. I couldn’t look at Lincoln. Griffin took the first, then, as we walked down the hall, Ermina allocated suites one by one. I was impressed she’d remembered all of our names from the brief introductions. She presented so meekly, especially for a Grigori. If I hadn’t known better—

looking at her fragile frame, mousy hair, and small features— I would have thought a gust of wind could take her down.

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Griffin walked into his room, but just before he closed his door, he gave me a look. I was sure he wanted to say something, but he seemed to restrain himself.

Yes, it’s immature. Yes, it’s
completely
inappropriate. Yes, my mind should have been out of the gutter. But when Zoe ducked into her room, departing by giving me a sly grin, I was burning hot.

The remarkable thing is how much quick thinking can happen

in a short walk down a hallway. After Zoe disappeared, Salvatore was allocated the next room.

Will
Lincoln
say
something? Suggest we share a room? Do I have
an answer?

Lincoln seemed so sure all of a sudden, but was that just because everything had gotten so crazy?
Maybe
he
wasn’t himself.
And with that came another sickening thought. Maybe, when I’d healed him, sent him my love, it overshadowed his real feelings. Maybe he was just mirroring my own feelings that I put there. Was that even possible?

There was so much I still didn’t know.

On Ermina’s instruction, Rudyard took the next room and then

Nyla the one after. They had no qualms about being together and letting everyone know it, so I wondered why they did this. Nyla looked at me and I waited to see if she would say something. But she just gave me a knowing smile, which made me blush, as she closed her door.

Ermina opened the next door. “Lincoln, this will be your resi-

dence,” she said.

Lincoln walked over and then looked back at me. Why was I

panicking so much? When I started fidgeting and tucked a few

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strands of hair behind my ear, he smiled warmly and came back to me. I was so on edge, I flinched when he brushed a hand across my cheek, igniting my desire. He leaned close and I couldn’t help but gravitate toward him.

“Remember, Vi”— he turned us slightly so his back was to Ermina, and he mouthed the next word with raised eyebrows—“devout.”

Then his look changed. A whole lot more intense, private. I was still panicking, knowing that while Ermina couldn’t see Lincoln’s face, she had full view of mine.

Lincoln smiled, obviously pleased with my reaction, before he

turned and went into his room without looking back.

Ermina watched me with a strange, distinctly disapproving

expression, which morphed into a stern look when she opened the next door on the other side of the hall.

“Violet, this will be your residence throughout your stay.”

I nodded and started to take a step forward, but from the glare she gave me, I knew to stop.

“We are in a time of prayer. Unless you are married to someone

here, we expect you will not enter another person’s private chambers.” That’s why Nyla had been smiling. It seemed totally obvious

now, but I’d had my mind in another place. A little warning might have been nice. They clearly knew the rules.

“Of course,” I said, nodding profusely. “I’m…um…I’m Catholic.”

As if that were supposed to mean something. As soon as I said it, I wanted to die.

Ermina cleared her throat. I had definitely started off on the

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wrong foot with her. I decided on a fast exit and gave her my best attempt at a respectful bow before scooting into my room.

I waited, like a statue, back to the door, listening for footsteps.

Once I was sure she was gone, I took a few deep breaths to try and stave off the hyperventilation that was brewing, and banged my

head against the wall.

The suite was a continuation of the beauty we had already seen.

I thought of Dad, how he would love a building like this. As an architect, he would see its many merits. Then I thought of Steph.

She was going to kill me when she found out the kind of place we were staying. I actually wished for a moment she was there— before I remembered
why
we were there.

I’d barely unpacked my bag and splashed some water on my

face when I heard a knock. I went to the door and opened it, still patting my face dry, but no one was there.

I heard the knock again and this time looked around to see

where it was coming from. There was an internal door. When I

opened it, Nyla was on the other side.

“You could’ve warned me,” I said, taking in her smug smile as

she leaned against the doorway. In spite of the satisfaction, she really did have the air of an ancient goddess.

“You’ll know for next time,” she said, still grinning.

Great, another person who gets their kicks at my expense.

“Did you come to gloat?”

“No. I’m headed off to do a security lap. Thought you might

come in handy. Interested?”

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“Sure.”

She tilted her head toward the door. “Let’s go.”

“Just us?”

She nodded. “It’s easier. Men always get in the way.”

I followed her back down the hall, the same way we’d come in.

The hotel was huge, and it was unsettling to be in a place designed to house so many when it was empty. The hallways all looked

identical. I was glad Nyla seemed to know where she was going.

“I can see you love him,” she suddenly said from nowhere.

I didn’t know what to say, so I changed direction. “Did my mom

love my dad?”

She nodded once, definitively. “She was a procrastinator, never thought herself worthy of anything good. When she met James, she tried to talk herself out of it— you know…” she said, honing in on me with a knowing look that made me want to run away. “She was worried about bringing him into this world. But your dad, he just kept coming back and, well, she loved him. In the end, love will rule the mind.” I felt relieved to hear this. I had wondered since discovering my mother was Grigori if she were still the person I’d imagined. Dad misses her so much— he’ll never get over her. I didn’t want that to have been for nothing. It didn’t make all the rest okay, the lies and betrayal, but it was something.

“Is that what happened with you and Rudyard?”

Nyla smiled and steered us toward the hallway that veered to

the right.

“Our choice was simple. There was no other option.” I envied her.

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“Do me a favor, Violet?”

I gave a noncommittal shrug. The truth was, although I liked

Nyla, I still didn’t
know
her. My instinct was to trust her. Zoe and Spence clearly did. But I’d been wrong before.

“Ask all the questions you need to ask. Understand the conse-

quences before making your choice. Every choice has a price.”

“I don’t understand. What price?” From what I could see, Nyla

and Rudyard had it all.

We walked through a door that took us outside, and we both

had to squint into the afternoon sun. Azeem was waiting.

Nyla put a hand on my shoulder, which made me feel a bit squea-

mish. She acted like she knew me well and it made me uncomfortable.

“Rudy and I will explain everything later.” She smiled. “We have plenty of time.”

I nodded, moving casually away from her touch.

Azeem showed us the impressive security system that comprised

a network of modern surveillance cameras and two more tradi-

tional watchtowers, which were manned around the clock.

When Nyla asked me, I pushed out my senses and tried to feel

the close surroundings and a little beyond. She didn’t want me to go too far, preferring that I learn to control my scope and just see if there was anything we needed to know about.

I traveled the immediate area, seeking out anything that could

activate my senses.

I felt them instantly.

His unique signature.

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Waiting for me.

“Are you picking up on anything?” Nyla asked, while Azeem

pointed out their lookout stations.

Apple first, as always, with just a hint of something else that made it so…moreish. Musk, maybe. Then the flowers. He smelled

like musk and jasmine.

I knew he wanted to see me, knew he could disappear faster

than we could reach him. If I told Nyla, he’d leave.

When I hesitated, she raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” I said, finally responding, and Nyla, after a suspi-

cious pause, trustingly accepted my lie. I felt even worse.

“Okay,” she said to Azeem, and they started to walk back toward the hotel.

“I’m…going to have a look around if that’s okay. I…saw a pool

on the way in. Do you mind if I go have a look?” I asked, fidgeting, sure it was obvious I was up to something.

“Certainly,” Azeem replied. “If you would like to swim, there are towels by the pool deck. The waters are the natural supply from the springs. I hope you like it hot,” he said, giving me a small nod and walking back to the main building.

Nyla gave me a quizzical look. I held her stare and smiled back as reassuringly as I could. She followed Azeem.

I made for the cascading waterfalls, grateful at least that my lies had me moving in the direction I really needed to go.

The mountains, formed of pure stone like they had been carved

into shape, were incredible. I could even see why Azeem and