He’d known happiness as a child. A sense of family with his parents, then with Nikolas and Chelsea, but there had been something missing. He’d never been whole. With Grayce wrapped around him, he couldn’t imagine anything greater. She needed him. She accepted him physically and emotionally. They were one. Mind, spirit, body. He overflowed with complete happiness, pride—wholeness.
Life was good. Not just good. Fucking amazing.
* * * *
Early morning rays played peek-a-boo through the trees. Grayce and Chelsea, adorned in hiking shoes and heavy sweatshirts, trekked through the woods for an overdue session of good-ol’ girl time. Chelsea had begged Grayce to join her on her sunrise walk, explaining that Nikolas would be too exhausted to rise and shine for their daily ritual. He’d been working nonstop since Grayce’s arrival and she expected him to sleep through most of the morning.
Grayce had accepted the offer the prior evening and was already happy that she’d agreed. The brisk air alone was a better kick-in-the-ass, rev-your-engine, energy boost than even a whole pot of Chelsea’s thick black brew of caffeinated bliss. Or maybe it just felt that way, since she’d already indulged in three cups before putting on her shoes.
Chelsea rubbed the back of her neck. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
“What do you mean?” Grayce stopped for a breather. “Are you getting sick?”
“No, it’s not that. Since yesterday, I’ve had this nagging tingle, like someone is in trouble. But that’s all I can feel. I can’t figure out who.” She shook her head and continued walking.
Grayce stayed a few paces behind. As she approached the tree line, an unpleasant aroma invaded her senses and brought the sting of tears to her eyes. Onion, urine and must.
“Shit. Do you smell that?” Grayce slapped a hand over her nose.
Chelsea nodded. As they continued, the stench grew stronger. Chelsea stopped dead and with eyes glazed, scanned the area around them.
Dread crept up Grayce’s back, followed by goose bumps. The foul odor was so strong she covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
“No. It can’t be,” Chelsea cried, and sprinted toward a thick of bushes. Grayce followed, hot on her heels. She only traveled a couple yards before tripping over a makeshift tent nestled between a rotten stump and a moss adorned boulder. The funk hung so heavy she battled to keep her coffee and scone from making a reappearance.
“What the fuck is that?” Grayce mumbled.
Two small bare feet, cut blistered and bloody, poked out from under a mud and mold stained blanket.
Chelsea fell to her knees. “I called Zander.”
In a gust of air, Zander stood by Grayce’s side. “What happened? Everyone all right?” He paused, looked down, then disappeared along with the child. Shit, would she ever get used to his super speed?
Grayce offered a hand to help Chelsea back to her feet. “Come on, let’s go.”
By the time they’d made it back to the house, Grayce was out of breath, not from fatigue, but worry. Chelsea led her down a set of stairs and several hallways, then through a swinging door into a hospital room.
Grayce found Zander’s eyes immediately. Her heart danced when he flashed his “I’m so fucking happy to see you” smile. On a sharp inhale, he turned his attention to the small boy lying on the table. The child looked like bones dipped in ash and dirt. The stench was enough to knock anyone to their knees, but Nikolas, seemingly oblivious to the fact, wasted no time checking vitals and cutting clothing from his body.
Chelsea stood in the corner, face wet, eyes red and swollen, staring at the skeleton of a boy sprawled lifeless before her. She visibly trembled and it broke Grayce’s heart to see her upset. Chelsea, who did nothing but smile, laugh and fill every room she occupied with blinding sunshine, now stood ghostly and frail.
Her friend needed her. Needed comfort that she didn’t know how to give. Well, no time like the present to pop her compassion cherry. And there wasn’t a soul more deserving of it than Chelsea.
Not knowing what else to do, she grabbed Chelsea’s hand. “Come on, let’s get some coffee. The boys can take care of this.” Chelsea nodded and followed. Grayce was relieved for the opportunity to get away from the unbearable odor hanging heavy in the room. After they passed through the door, machines started to beep.
“Oh shit,” Nikolas shouted. “He’s coding.”
“No! He’s so little.” Grayce turned on her heel and pulled Chelsea back into the room. When she reached the bedside, the machine’s alarms stopped, and his heartbeat showed steady on the monitor.
Nikolas shot Zander a quizzical glance. “Grayce darling, do me a favor would you?”
She nodded through teary lashes.
“Walk into the hall again and stop right outside. Stay there until I call you.” She did as told. The alarms beeped as soon as the door closed behind her. A few long and torturous moments later, Zander called her in. When back at the boy’s side, the noise subsided and his heartbeat steadied.
“What the fuck?” Grayce whispered and clasped her mouth with a shaky palm.
“Ditto that.” Zander wrapped his arms around Grayce from behind and gave her an assuring squeeze.
“He’s one of us.” Nikolas’ eyes lit up like fireworks. Chelsea gasped in the background.
“Chelsea, how did you find him?” Nikolas drew her to his side.
“I felt him yesterday. I shook it off because I knew you were all safe. Thought I was overtired, or something.” Her voice trembled. “He was in the woods, Nikolas. No food, no water. God, he’s so little.”
Hugging his wife, Nikolas changed topic. “Grayce, he’s feeding off your power. You’re keeping him alive right now. This is unbelievable.”
“What do you mean, feeding off my power?” Pulling away from Zander, Grayce leaned against the bed and touched the boy’s hand. “This is insane.”
Nikolas released his wife and adjusted knobs on one of the machines. “Grayce, you are one potent lady. What I wouldn’t give to trace your bloodline.”
Good luck with that one. No clue who her father was and dear old mom, well, she’d most likely dug herself an early grave. Even if she were alive, Grayce had no desire for a reunion.
Not a chance.
* * * *
Tyr watched from across the room as his toy struggled to pry her eyes open. Confident she could still see him through her swollen lids, he took his time undressing. Made sure she could read his intentions. The pathetic creature whimpered, but it’d become hard to distinguish between her sobs and those of the body sharing the bed. It pleased him when she thrashed. The thing still had some fight left. It was a surprise that she lasted longer than the others, having been the easiest one to seduce. She’d break soon though, and he intended to drain her dry before that happened.
“Although you’ve been quite entertaining this afternoon...” He scraped a fingernail over her nipple then down the center of her belly.
She bumped against the naked flesh next to her as the bed dipped under his weight.
“I’ve determined that you are quite useless in the information department.” He grazed her chin with his teeth and pressed his heated erection against her thigh. “But you, my dear, are stronger than most.”
With his nail, he drew circles around the top of her pubic area then took his time working it down her cleft. Not for her pleasure. To prolong the agonizing anticipation of what was to come.
“So, I’ve decided that since you are such a spicy little nugget, I’m going to play with you for a while longer.” As he thrust two fingers inside her, he covered her mouth with his own to stifle the scream. She tasted salty. His little dove never tasted that way. Then again, he never could bring her to tears. Not like the rest of the pathetic females. No. His little dove was special.
He released her mouth and reached over to shake the limp body lying next to her. Not dead yet, but close.
Wrapping his fingers around the nugget’s cheek, he forc
ed her head toward the body sprawled next to her on the bed.
“Carrie. No. Not Carrie,” she screamed and pulled against the binds at her wrists and ankles.
“I’m afraid your girlfriend here is no longer of any use to me.” With that, he leaned over the trembling bitch and snapped the deadweights neck.
* * * *
Chelsea released a deep slow sigh. “He’s getting stronger. I can feel him getting stronger.” Grayce and Chelsea flanked the small child. Exhausted from maintaining constant physical contact with him for the past twenty-four hours, Grayce only nodded.
“I wonder who he is,” Chelsea whispered, smoothing her fingers through his thick, wild hair.
“Can you read anything about him?” Grayce didn’t fully understand Chelsea’s gift.
“He’s dreaming.” Chelsea smiled. “The images are scattered.”
“How does it work? Your gift, I mean.” After lifting one hand from the boy and replacing it with the other, Grayce rubbed her tired eyes.
“It overwhelmed me when I first gained my power. People’s thoughts, emotions, everything hit me like a flash flood. I thought I’d gone insane. I couldn’t go out in public, you can imagine why. It took years to learn to filter people, block them out. It took almost that long to realize I could put thoughts in other’s heads. Now, it’s second nature. I don’t peek into people’s brains unless I have to. Nikolas, of course, is always open to me. It’s a trust thing.”
Grayce didn’t want to pry. “What about Zander?” Okay. Maybe she did.
Chelsea’s eyes lit up and paired nicely with the brightness of her smile. “One thing that’s prominent with Zander, like a big flashing neon sign, is his love for you.”
“He can’t love me. We barely know each other.” Grayce shook her head. “I’m having a hard time accepting this.”
Chelsea assumed her motherly pose with hands on her hips, head tilted and eyebrows raised. “So, you can accept super speed and strength, mind reading and that you’re a human blow torch, but you can’t accept that someone could be in love with you? Do you know how ridiculous that is?”
Good point, Grayce thought. Didn’t make much sense to her either. She shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s who we are,” Chelsea continued. “That’s the only way I can explain it. I will say, though, there is something extra special about you two. Your connection is stronger than any I’ve ever sensed.” She laughed. “I’m almost jealous.”
Intense? That would be an understatement of epic proportions. “How long have you and Nikolas been together?” Grayce shifted, hoping to get some blood flow to her derriere.
After a long pause, Chelsea looked up with worried eyes. Grayce’s scalp tightened. “Forty-two years. We’ve been married forty-two years.”
Grayce snorted. “Yeah, right. Seriously, how long?” It was odd that Chelsea would tease her. She’d never joked around, not like that.
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“Come on Chelsea, you don’t look a day over thirty.”
“It’s one of the perks, dear.” Her sympathetic smile did nothing to ease the tension. “The aging process slows down considerably once we’ve found our mate.”
“Perk? You call that a perk?” For the first time in countless hours, Grayce stepped off the stool and stood, keeping a firm grip on the boy’s frail hand. “So let me get this straight.” She shook the numbness from her legs. “Number one, I’m stuck with Zander, unless I want to suffer excruciating withdrawals. Number two, aside from this fire burning out of control inside me, I’ll be living this nightmare for what, at least one hundred years? Maybe more?”
Grayce slapped her free hand on her thigh and lowered her head. Her body grew hotter by the second. She drew three deep breaths and concentrated on cooling the fire.
“How old are you, Chelsea?”
Chelsea fiddled with the corner of a pillowcase. “Seventy-seven.”
“Fuck.” Grayce winced and lowered her voice. “Is there anything else I should know? Any more bombs to drop?”
Chelsea rose and moved to the end of the bed. “There is one more thing.”
“Just one? Great. Let’s hear it.” With a slow deep inhale, Grayce closed her eyes and focused on staying calm. She was not going to put them in danger.
“As far as we know, if your mate dies, you die too. Not physically at first, but mentally, spiritually, emotionally. There’s no hard evidence, not that we’ve found anyway, but I had a sister. Her husband was killed...” Chelsea eyes filled with tears. “She lost all will to live, became a vegetable. Couldn’t feed herself, couldn’t speak, never got out of bed. Then one day, she disappeared. We haven’t seen her since. It’s been fifteen years. I don’t have proof she’s dead, but before the tragedy, I was able to read her no matter where she was on the planet. I couldn’t read her after she disappeared. I can only assume that means...” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
“I’m sorry you lost her.” Grayce had never mourned anyone. She’d never been close enough to anyone to care if they kicked the bucket. Sorrow was evident on Chelsea’s face. Grayce tried to sympathize. How would she feel if something happened to Chelsea? Or Zander?
Her chest ached at the thought.
* * * *
Stephen stretched and groaned. His yawn was stifled by a cough. When he breathed, it burned like fire down his throat.
He blinked his eyes open. “Where am I?”
For the first time in his whole six years of life, he woke feeling warm. Heavy, soft blankets covered his body. He squeezed his eyes shut again afraid he’d wake from the dream, afraid he’d wake cold and wet. Something soft rubbed his head. Something else tickled his arm. Oh yes, this must me a dream. Or did he die? Were angels taking him to heaven? The air smelled clean, his skin no longer burned or itched. It must be heaven.
“Sweetie.”
Oh, angels had such beautiful voices.
“Hi there little guy. Can you open your eyes?”
No, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to wake up.
“You’re safe here. It’s okay to open your eyes.”
The voice was so sweet and kind. He forced them open, one at a time and gasped when he saw the woman from the woods smiling down at him.
“I found you,” he whispered. “Are you an angel?”
“No, I’m not an angel.” The angel blinked at him. “You found me? Were you looking for me? Do I know you?” Her smile was pretty, like his mom’s.
He smiled back at her. “I saw you by the lake. You made fire. You were fighting with a giant.” Her fingers felt like magic on his skin. His mother used to rub his arm that way, when she wasn’t acting crazy from the pills or the medicine she put in her body with needles.
“Oh. Oh no.” The angel frowned. “What were you doing in the forest? Were you alone? Where’s your family?”
“I don’t have any family, not anymore.” But he would get her back, as soon as he was strong enough.
“Do you live in the forest?” The angel who’d been rubbing his head, leaned forward. Yum. She smelled like cookies.
“Sometimes.” He shrugged.
“What’s your name?”
He looked back to the angel who rubbed his arm. Wait, if they’re angels, they should already know this stuff.
“Stephen.” He hated using that name. His mother made him promise never to tell anyone his real name.
“I’m Grayce. This is Chelsea. It’s very nice to meet you Stephen.”
A loud grumble vibrated under the blankets. “I’m hungry.” Pulling his hand from Grayce’s grasp, he clenched his stomach.
“I bet you are. I’ll go get some food and the doctor. He’ll be so happy to hear that you’re awake.” Chelsea bounced through the double doors.
Stephen looked around the room and struggled to focus. “The doctor? Am I in a hospital?” He’d never been in a hospital before. His mom never took him to the doctor when he didn’t feel good. She said people would take him away.
It was fine with him. He only felt sick when she forgot to feed him.
“No, not really.” Grayce stood and stretched. “It’s like that, but in a house.”
Secretly, he was glad. “It’s warm here. And it smells so good.”
“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” Stephen reached out to Grayce and grabbed her hand. He felt so much better when she was touching him.
* * * *
Chelsea stumbled as she skidded into the office, face flushed, chest heaving. She grabbed the corner of the desk to avoid a bump-in with Zander.
“Nikolas, Zander.” Struggling to catch her breath, she hunched and gripped her knees, then flashed her pearly whites in her husband’s direction.
“My love.” Nikolas pulled her to his chest and kissed her hard.
Zander folded his arms, rested his hip against the table and waited for the finale. When the Compton’s greeted each other, it always started with a kiss and ended with an ass squeeze and a groan. At least once a day, when they thought no one was looking, Chelsea’s hand would slide down to Nikolas’ crotch and she’d whisper something into his ear. Zander didn’t mind their public displays of affection. Hell, they’d been flaunting their sexual attraction for so long now, he hardly even noticed anymore. If they didn’t grope each other every time they were in the same room, it would worry the shit out of him.
Chelsea pushed herself free and turned to Zander. “He’s awake. He’s smiling and talking. His eyes are bright.”
“That’s wonderful.” Nikolas pried his eyes away from his bride to study the document that inched its way out of the printer.
Concern clouded Chelsea’s angelic features. “Something is bothering you, love. What is it?” She sauntered to her husband’s side.
“You’re not going to believe this.” Nikolas gestured for Zander to come closer as Chelsea took the document from his hand.
After a short perusal, her face lit up. “Does this mean what I think it means?” Her head bobbed in barely contained excitement.
Zander rolled his eyes. “Anyone want to fill me in?”
Aflame (Apotheosis) Page 12