Endless by Jessica Shirvington Page B

was disappointed that he hadn’t found a miracle cure for severing my physical bond with Phoenix. I looked back at Evelyn, who had turned her attention to her book, which was now resting on the table.
    I drained the last of my now-cold coffee. ‘I can’t talk about this stuff any more. How about you show me whatever that is?’

    The book turned out to be filled with newspaper clippings and internet print-outs from all around the world, with every single onerelating to a disappearance, kidnapping or suspected murder, sometimes of individuals, sometimes groups, many involving families.
    ‘Why are you showing me these?’ I asked eventually, not seeing what they proved, other than that the world was a twisted place.
    ‘What is the one thing they all have in common?’ she asked, tapping the scrapbook.
    I rubbed a hand over my face. ‘I don’t know … Tragedy.’
    ‘The only constant is that in every case there is a young child involved and that the child is missing or presumed dead. Whatever the circumstances, no bodies have been recovered.’
    ‘What are you saying?’ I asked, studying the articles and seeing the pattern for myself. I was starting to dread where this was going.
    ‘Lilith has always been a bringer of death to children.’
    I nodded, thinking back to the stories I’d read. When Lilith fled Adam she vowed to bring death and destruction to humanity and swore to take out her vengeance on children. It was why the amulet my mother had left for me as a child was so important. Lilith had struck a deal with the angels Sanoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof that she would not harm children who bore their names in an amulet, but all other children were fair game. Some described Lilith as the original cot death. I felt the blood drain from my face.
    ‘If Phoenix gave her the Grigori Scripture, which she will have made him do, her first plan of attack would be to take out the children – it’s what brings her the most satisfaction, her middle finger to the sky.’
    Phoenixhad promised he would never use the Scripture – he’d even indicated he’d be open to trading it with us for something he wanted more. The only problem was that that something happened to be me. But if Evelyn was right, Lilith wouldn’t have had to do too much investigating to find out he had the Scripture in his possession, then …
    ‘Oh my God! These are all children destined to become Grigori. She’s taking them and killing whoever stands in her way!’
    Evelyn nodded. ‘These date back about two weeks. Knowing her, she’ll want to stage something dramatic. At least that gives us a chance. My guess is she’ll keep the children alive until she’s ready to make her statement.’
    ‘How did you figure this out?’
    She shrugged. ‘I know her.’
    Super.
    ‘Does Griffin know?’ I asked.
    Evelyn took our cups to the sink and began to rinse them. ‘I showed him the clippings earlier.’ She turned off the tap and looked at me with a grim expression. ‘Violet, Lilith is not like any other exile you’ve faced. They’re all insane but, Lilith … Lilith is insanity. She gives it to others, drives people to madness. I’m the reason she went to Hell and if she ever gets her hands on you she will punish me by breaking you. She won’t just kill you, Violet, she’ll destroy you and everything you care about. I’ll go to New York, but it would be safer for you if you and Lincoln run. Get as far away from her as you can.’ She watched carefully for my reaction.
    I looked over the newspaper clippings again. Children, some as young as three years old, had been reported missing.
    Onearticle showed an entire petrol station had been blown up in Brazil, the body of a five-year-old still missing but presumed cremated in the flames. In all cases there were no known survivors and no witnesses.
    Lilith was covering her tracks. And she was moving fast.
    ‘We both know you didn’t let me become Grigori and spend the last seventeen years in Hell so