Violet Eden Chapters 04 - Endless

seemed to reseal behind me. Once the guard left the area, I took a seat at the table with my parents. I observed them both. Dad looked tired but otherwise fine. Evelyn looked terrible. Her eyes were dark and she had bruises up and down her arms. I suspected her elbows on the table were there to help hold her up more than the cards.
    Griffin hadwarned me that the Academy had been putting her through the wringer, testing her both mentally and physically. I felt a surge of rage and it surprised me to realise I’d stopped thinking of this woman as my enemy.
    But what does that make us now?
    ‘Violet, I’ve missed you … We’ve missed you so much. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am for what happened. I am so ashamed. I can’t ask for your forgiveness but I …’
    ‘Dad,’ I said before he could ramble any more. ‘It’s okay.’ I shook my head, at myself more than anything. I’d been a fool. Sitting there in front of Dad put everything into perspective. ‘Trust me, I’ve done and said a lot of things I wish I could take back recently. You had a huge amount lumped on you all at once and you made a mistake.’ I glanced at Evelyn. ‘I think I’ve made my fair share of those and it might be time we all started letting some of them go. And … I’ve missed you, too.’
    Dad nodded quickly and looked away.
    I rolled my eyes. ‘Don’t cry, Dad.’
    He turned back to me, eyes wet, and smiled. ‘I’m just … I’m so scared and so proud. I don’t know how to be the father in this world.’
    I took his hand. ‘It’s okay. I’m struggling to know what my boundaries are as a daughter who’s also Grigori.’
    He gave me one of his proud-to-be-Dad smiles. Whatever I’d done over the past few weeks to convince myself I didn’t need him disintegrated and I smiled back, a huge weight lifting from my heart.
    One down.
    I turned my attention toEvelyn. ‘We don’t have long and we may not be alone.’
    Evelyn nodded, something like pride glinting in her eyes.
    Oh no, I can’t cope if she starts tearing up as well.
    Blessedly, she reined it in and nodded in agreement.
    ‘Give me your hands,’ I said.
    She raised an eyebrow, curious.
    I stared back at her. ‘Just do it, and hurry up. This isn’t going to be pleasant.’
    Evelyn placed her hands in mine.
    My power moved slowly compared to how it did with Lincoln. It would work my will but it felt less natural to merge with anyone other than my partner. I pushed it out, ignoring Dad’s gasp when my markings started to swirl. At least his human eyes didn’t have to witness my power, which had begun misting the room with billions of tiny amethyst crystals and flowing into Evelyn.
    All I saw or felt was the slight tightening of Evelyn’s grip on my hands. She was tough. I’d give her that.
    Spence had screamed to high heaven when I healed him. Admittedly, his injuries were far worse than hers but still … it had to be seriously uncomfortable.
    When my power seemed to be satisfied, it settled back into me and I released Evelyn’s hands.
    She took a moment, shaking them out as if trying to regain control of her body.
    ‘Thanks,’ she rasped. ‘You were right. That wasn’t pleasant.’ She coughed. ‘But I feel … Thank you.’
    I shrugged. ‘You’re going to need your strength.’
    Dad’s mouth washanging open. ‘You, you … I mean, Violet, you healed her.’
    He’d been told, but seeing was believing. As if reminding himself what he was really dealing with he whispered one more word. ‘ Angel .’
    I decided to let him have his moment and focused on Evelyn.
    She nodded, clearly thinking the same thing. ‘Tell me.’
    With relief, I filled her in on the latest events, not much of which was different from what Griffin had already told her. Nonetheless, Evelyn listened intently to every word, particularly my quick recap about seeing Phoenix in the tunnels beneath the city. Dad, to his credit, managed to shut his gaping mouth and remain silent the whole time.
    ‘Lilith has taken up from where she left off,’ Evelyn said when I had finished. ‘Phoenix told you they were staying in the highlands?’
    I nodded again.
    ‘She’ll be in one of the bigger estates along the Hudson and not too far outside of Manhattan – within an hour’s drive, I’d say.’
    ‘How do you know?’
    ‘Because I know her better than anyone, and Lilith has a weakness for the water. She likes to be close to it, in case she needs to make a quick escape.