‘I’m human, like you,’ she began, ‘born to two human parents, but when my mother was in late pregnancy she had a placenta rupture. The doctors were able to deliver me, but it was a different time then – they didn’t have the resources they do now. My mother did not survive.’
My heart sank. I had always thought there was nothing worse than knowing my mother had only held me for a few short minutes. But there was, I could see it in her eyes when she told the story. Her mother had never held her at all.
Dad shifted in his seat. ‘Evelyn never told me that,’ he said cautiously.
She smiled sadly. ‘I was scared to give away too much information. I was always careful – it was the way I was trained.’
Dad maintained a stoic expression. I think it was the only way he could go on.
‘Continue,’ he said.
Evelyn nodded. ‘When a human life is brought into the world, the moments following his or her first breath are vital. Newborns are bathed in the aura of new life. If a child suffers the loss of like-blood, most commonly a parent, within the first twelve days of their life, he or she is also overwhelmed by the aura of new death. When the two opposing forces are so strong, a doorway can be created.’
‘What kind of doorway?’ Dad asked, now cautiously glancing in my direction. He was already connecting the dots.
‘When new life combines with new death it creates a kind of tunnel.’ She took a deep breath. I found myself doing the same. ‘A tunnel that … an angel can use to transfer a piece of its essence to the body. At seventeen, the child is given the choice of whether or not to embrace the gifts and responsibilities that come with having that essence.’ She looked at me.
I’d practically stopped breathing.
‘An … angel?’ Dad repeated slowly.
‘Yes, James. Angels are very real. They aren’t what you probably think they are – they aren’t always kind and they aren’t always cruel but they are definitely always active and a controlling force over our world. If a person who carries an angel essence chooses to embrace, he or she is given – among other things – increased strength, speed, weapons both internal and external, the ability to sense otherworldly beings, a healing capacity, a partner in arms and … while still susceptible to mortality by harm, a much-extended lifespan, ageing increasingly slower the older we get.’ She looked down. ‘We can live for many hundreds of years.’
I was impressed Dad was still in the room, and upright. He cleared his throat. ‘How old are you?’
Evelyn didn’t even blink. ‘I was 187 years old when I died. Now I’m back, I guess you could say I’ve passed my bicentenary.’
Dad looked at me, wide-eyed. ‘Violet, have you been listening to this? Surely, this isn’t what has been going on with you for the past months? This can’t be real.’
‘I wish it wasn’t, Dad.’ I took his hand. It was hot and clammy. ‘But she is who she says and what she says. And just as an angel gave his essence to Evelyn … I’m what they call a Grigori. Part human but also, part angel. I have abilities – but you’ve already seen my wrists.’ I bit my lip nervously, remembering his severe reaction at seeing the swirling silver markings before I’d taken off to Santorini.
As he looked at them, they started to move with a magic none of us could comprehend, churning like a river of mercury around my wrists. Delicate feathered tips began to emerge in the patterns, matching the design on Evelyn’s wristbands. Dad glanced between us and I noticed Evelyn staring, mesmerised too.
‘She said you had to choose to do this. Did you want this, Violet?’
‘Not at the beginning. I wanted to finish school, become an artist, be … normal. After everything that happened …’ my voice caught at the memory of the attack.
Dad nodded, not making me say it aloud. Evelyn watched on silently. There was no way I was about to explain it to her – the way that teacher had attacked me at my old school. Dad and I had done everything we could to try and get life back on track after the court case and all the awful questions.
‘What happened?’
I glared at her, and continued speaking to Dad.
‘Grigori all have a partner. A person whose power complements ours the most. Grigori can help to start the healing process in their partners when they are injured. The only problem is, apart from me, Grigori can only heal their own partner. Lincoln’s mine.’
‘What do you mean, apart from you?’ Evelyn butted in, impatiently.
‘I’m not here to answer your questions!’ I snapped. Again, I turned back to Dad. ‘I have some extra … abilities. Nothing major,’ I said with a shrug. Dad looked at me like I’d just turned green.
‘Lincoln was hurt,’ Evelyn said, putting it together.
I nodded, remembering what it had been like to know he would die without my help. The overwhelming fear of a world that didn’t include him was all I needed to know I’d made the right choice.
‘He was dying,’ I said.