Graced

by Sophia Sharp

  “We should throw it away,” Laura said. “It’s a horrible, vile substance.”

  “And yet,” Alexander interceded, “it may come extremely useful in the future.”

  “What? How?”

  “Think! If we need to fight the elders, having something like that to use would give us an immense advantage.”

  “And besides,” Logan said, “who knows what its effects might be in the dream realm?”

  Laura stared at the two of them in complete shock. They were the ones who looked so completely unnerved by their missing vampire powers, and they were suggesting keeping the bottle? It didn’t make any sense.

  “They’re right, you know,” Madison said gently from just behind Laura. “We should not waste a gift like that. With the little remaining, we could even examine it, maybe find out how it’s made.”

  “And if we can make more,” Alexander said. “Perhaps it will hold the link to the cure that so many are seeking.”

  “Cure?” Laura looked around in confusion. “What cure? What are you talking about?”

  “A little known secret of the Vassiz,” Madison told her quietly, “is that many wish for release from the burden of eternal life. None ever get it. Maybe with this, some that have been denied that choice will be given the chance.”

  Laura blinked. This seemed much too egalitarian. Especially considering that so many of the other Vassiz were hunting them. But then again, Laura knew they were only doing so on the elders orders. To live life like that, perpetually at someone else’s command…. Laura could imagine yearning for a release. But if Borrak and Serkhol knew of the herbs, did it mean that the elders might, as well? They surely must have been the ones who gave it to them. And if so, why didn’t more of the Vassiz know about it?

  But Laura knew the answer to the question before it was even half-formed. The elders relished their hold on power, and lessening the number of Vassiz meant lessening their own influence over the world. A substance that did anything even close to what the herbal mixture in her palm did could be catastrophic to the entire hidden society of vampires.

  “Alright then,” Laura said. “We’ll keep it. But I don’t want to be the one holding onto it.”

  “I’ll take it,” Alexander said smoothly, and whisked it from her hands. “I don’t mind having it on me.”

  “Well, if that’s settled…” Laura began, “… what are we going to do about the bodies? And the two torrial?”

  “What I’m interested in,” Logan said, “is that barrier you spoke of. How was it formed? And was it truly done just by the torrial?”

  “By all accounts of her escape,” Alexander said, “that is the only explanation we have of it. And yet, unless any of us want to try the medallions out ourselves…?” he trailed off to prove his point. “Thought not.”

  “So what do we do with them?” Laura asked again.

  “Take them with us, of course,” Alexander answered. “Much the same way in which we’re taking the liquid potion. Knowing our enemy’s weapons can only give us an advantage.”

  “Besides,” Madison offered, “we don’t want any of the items to fall into the wrong hands.”

  “You’re right,” Laura agreed. “And then what about the bodies?”

  “Keep them where they are,” Madison said with an unexpected coldness. “The elders sent us a warning by destroying the tower and desecrating the wall in the sanctuary. Let us do the same. Let them know we were able to dispose of their hounds, and let the others who come after you fear the same fate.”

  Laura blinked. That was… completely ruthless. And yet it made perfect sense.

  Alexander nodded. “The elders think you for easy meat. And yet, you have shown them time and time again that you are anything but. I agree with Madison. Keep the bodies here, and let them rot, for everybody else to see.”

  “It’ll be an outright mimicry of anything the elders are trying to do,” Logan said thoughtfully, “but I like it. They will be the ones to feel fear once they realize you are coming after them.” His eyes locked with Laura’s, and she felt shivers run down the back of her spine as he spoke. “You are brave, Laura, and strong. Your escape here and your rescue of us will be the first direct act of defiance against the rule of the elders. They will know not to take you lightly. But you have dealt with their two biggest threats and emerged victorious over them both. And you will finish the coup when you lead us againt them.”

  Laura nodded, and realized her heart was beating hard. Adrenaline ran through her veins. She was the one prophesied to defeat the elders, and Logan, Madison, and Alexander were rallying around her. Let the elders see what had become of their hounds. Let them fear the day Laura Cubus comes for them.

  By the way she saw Logan’s face so clearly in the dark, she could tell her vampire senses were already returning.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ~Goodbyes~

  It was dark again by the time they arrived at the edge of Portland. The effects of the herbs had lasted all the way through that first night, and into the early daylight hours of the next day. But when they finally wore off – completely wore off – it felt like waking up after a very long nap. The senses that came back nearly overpowered Laura with their intensity. It was hard to imagine, but it felt as if her body had gotten used to not seeing everything in such high detail; to not smelling everything with such clarity. Having everything come back to her at once was overwhelming.

  She could tell by the way the others reacted that they felt the same way. When their senses were restored, within minutes of each other, all of her companions stumbled as if they had become light headed. It took a moment for each of them to regain themselves, to render control over their bodies.

  The direct benefit to getting the abilities back, of course, was the immediate speed that they could use in getting to Portland. That is, if Gray were not laboring behind them.

  His walk had improved, Laura noted, and each time she looked back he seemed to be limping less and less. Still, the way he avoided putting weight on that leg made Laura worry about him.

  Which is why the first thing she did when she realized her senses were back was run to Gray and form the connection between their minds.

  Relief flooded from Gray immediately on contact. Relief, coming from the fact that their communication channel was not lost forever. And the first thing Laura did was send her appreciation, as a pure, unbridled emotion. She wanted him to know how thankful she was he had come for her when he did, and for the way he took care of Borrak and Serkhol. She felt contentment come back, as if rescuing her was exactly what he lived for.

  Satisfied with that, Laura started prodding, exploring the parts of his mind that he let her. She was looking for the pain center, where she could finally tell how severe the injury felt to him. But, as if he knew exactly what she was looking for, he seemed to… block off… her ability to read that part of his mind. She tried again, and again she found the reaching the pain he felt was very slippery. No matter what she did, it always seemed just slightly out of reach.

  She broke the connection as she crossed her hands and looked at him sternly. He regarded her with his head craned to one side. He was a warrior through and through, and she knew that. But did he have to be so stubborn, as she was starting to realize all males were, to not even let her peek at the severity of his hurt? She had thought perhaps it was a human trait, and one that remained within all Vassiz, but what Gray had just shown her proved her wrong. It was decidedly a male trait, pretending that absolutely nothing was wrong even when something obviously was.

  Laura sniffed and turned around. Fine, then – if he wanted to be stubborn that way, let him. But a small part of her was glad he was strong enough to handle it on his own.

  And so, with Gray continuing to limp behind them but blocking Laura from seeing the extent of his injury, the entire trip to Portland took longer than it should have. Yet they were finally there. Except that, like they agreed upon before, they couldn’t go into the cit
y at night.

  “Now what?” Laura asked. She realized she needed to get some new clothes before going into the city. From where they stood, on a hill about half a mile away, she could see all the bright lights of the apartment buildings and other real estate that signified a living, breathing city.

  “Alexander and I can continue from here,” Madison said. “We’ll find a room in a hotel, and come back to get you guys the key.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe for you two?” Laura asked.

  “Of course. The elders are still only looking for you. And besides, even if they have found out that there are four to our party, none would suspect us.”

  Alexander put an arm around Madison’s back. “Besides,” he added with a wink, “if anything happens, I can take care of her.” He grunted as Madison put an elbow in his side.

  Laura laughed. “We’ll see you soon?”

  “We’ll be back within the hour,” Madison replied.

  Laura watched as Madison and Alexander sped downhill towards the city. They would be there in mere minutes.

  “Have you told him yet?”

  Laura looked behind her, and saw Logan was standing right there. He was looking at her worriedly.

  The question caught her off-guard. “Told who what?” Laura asked.

  “Gray. Does he know we’re leaving?”

  “Oh.” Laura blinked. She had forgotten all about that. “…no.”

  “Now seems the best time,” Logan said gently. “We’ll be going into the city soon, and he won’t be able to follow. And then, if everything works out, we’re bound on a plane to a different continent.”

  Laura swallowed. She admitted to herself that maybe she hadn’t forgotten, per se, but rather decided not to think about it. She didn’t know how Gray would take it. Especially now, after he had been wounded. There was no way he could come with them though. And she didn’t know how long the trip would take, or… she gulped… or if she would even come back.

  Logan placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll understand what we need to do,” he said. “And at least you have the advantage of the connection with him.”

  Laura nodded stiffly. She felt her eyes burn. Was she crying? No. This wouldn’t be the last time she would see Gray. And she wouldn’t let herself cry over such silly thoughts.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” Logan said, stepping away. Glancing back once at Laura, and then again at Gray, he started slowly downhill. About halfway down, he stopped, and sat down on the ground, looking up at the stars.

  Laura turned towards Gray. She was dreading the moment she had to tell him. She was dreading his response. But Logan was right. It had to be done now. And Gray had to understand.

  He was looking curiously up at her as she walked to him. She sat down beside him, sighed, and only then let her hand fall onto his head to form the connection between their minds.

  She started again by sending him another wave of appreciation. For what he did for her, for how he bravely rescued her, and saved all of them in the process. And then – Laura knew this was going to be hard – she pictured the two of them, right where they were.

  Then she made her image flicker. And slowly, the image of herself faded away, until there was only Gray left, by himself, on that spot.

  She felt confusion come back to her. Confusion and… misunderstanding. As if he wasn’t clear on what she was telling him.

  She sighed, and tried again. She thought back to the moment she first saw him, when Logan lowered him into her arms. Back when she took full responsibility over him. She let him feel the accountability that she remembered feeling at that moment, and made him know that it was related to him.

  Gray nuzzled the side of her arm, and Laura turned away. Her eyes were moist. Like it or not, this would likely be their final goodbye. She kept her arm on his back and continued transferring her thoughts through the link.

  Next, she let him see how she saw him grow up, so very quickly, until the image of him in her mind was exactly as he was beside her right now. Confusion still echoed back through the bond.

  Laura sent him her memories of being trapped in the tent. Of being bound to that wooden stake, and knowing there was nowhere to go. And then of Gray arriving to heroically rescue her from her two captors.

  She made him see how she watched him grow, from a nearly helpless cub to a fully grown, enormous bear. He could take care of himself now, and that was what she was trying to communicate to him. That he could take care of himself, and that he did not need her anymore.

  A shockingly strong wave of hurt pulsed through the link. Laura blinked in confusion. She had only thought that last thought, and not communicated it with him through the emotions and images. And yet, his response was as strong as if he understood her completely. She frowned. Was there more to the connection that she believed?

  She started thinking again through where she was going and why she would need to leave Gray. She could not bring him into the city, and afterwards, they would need to fly to Egypt. He couldn’t board a plane with her. But she would come back here as soon as she got back, to find him again. It would be the first thing she would do, no matter what happened. The only question was whether she’d be able to get back. She would do everything in her power to make sure that happened, but it was nothing she could guarantee…

  Concern echoed through the connection. Laura frowned, and looked at Gray. He was looking at her through heavy eyes, but she was sure he understood what was going on. Instead of feeling upset or dejected over what she had to do, he understood, and the concern she felt was what he felt for her. Because she had communicated enough for him to understand that where she was going, she would not be completely safe.

  She was impressed with how Gray was reacting to all of this. There was no bitterness, no sourness that she felt from him. Only simple concern for her wellbeing, as always. She threw her arms around him in a giant hug. “I’ll miss you when I’m gone.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  ~Into the City~

  “Good news,” Madison announced as soon as Laura arrived. Laura had seen Madison and Alexander approaching Logan while she was still taking care of Gray, and had come down soon after. “I haven’t been keeping track, but tonight is a Friday night.”

  “So?” Laura asked.

  “So,” Madison smiled, “there are literally hundreds of people out celebrating the start of the weekend. We can easily blend right into the clamor.”

  “And what’s more,” Alexander added as he came up behind her, “is that we managed to get you some decent clothes.” He tossed a red Macy’s bag to her.

  “You… bought this?” Laura asked as she caught the plastic bag. “How? I didn’t know you had any money.”

  “I didn’t have any use for money in the short time you’ve known me,” Alexander laughed. “Which is not the same thing as not having any.” A small plastic card appeared in his hand, and he examined it casually. “Even a Vassiz needs to have a source of income to blend in with the humans.”

  “Thanks,” Laura as she picked open the bag. Inside, she found a beautiful white blouse complete with a matching pair of light jeans. “Wow,” she breathed. “You really shouldn’t have.”

  “Well, we wanted you to blend in,” Madison said. “And to do so, you need to look like you’re out enjoying the night.”

  “Yes, but this is exquisite,” Laura replied. “You guys really shouldn’t have.”

  “Yes, we should, and moreover, we needed to. You need to be kept safe, and that means looking like you belong in the high-end district of Portland.”

  “That’s where we’re going?” Laura asked.

  “Of course. That’s where all the action is tonight. And none at the hotel will raise an eyebrow at two young couples checking in in the middle of the night.” Madison winked. “It’s the fastest and best way of getting you to the hotel safely.”

  “Before we have a chance to make good on those disguises, that is,” Alexander added. “And
, moreover, Madison has already found where Jacob is.”

  “You have?” Logan asked. “How’d you do it so quickly?”

  Madison shrugged, but a smile tugged the corner of her lips. “I asked around – obliquely, of course – and got exactly the answers I expected.”

  “So he’s close then? You’ll be able to meet him tomorrow?”

  “I think so,” Madison said. “We still need to be careful, of course, and I’ll have to do it myself as we discussed before… but there shouldn’t be any problems in making initial contact with him.”

  “The trouble is getting him to agree to help us,” Alexander said, “and to do so while guaranteeing he won’t give us away.”

  “I think I can manage that,” Madison said with a wink. “Tomorrow, I’ll set up the first meeting.”

  “You should go on and change into that,” Alexander said to Laura. “We want to get down there before last call and the crowds die out.”

  “Oh!” Laura exclaimed. “Sorry. I didn’t realize… I mean… I’ll be right back.” Gripping the Macy’s bag, she rushed back to the edge of the woods, where she hurriedly ripped off Borrak’s old shirt. Even though she didn’t find it quite as repulsive as she expected the first time she threw it on, finally getting it off was a relief. She rummaged through the bag to get the white blouse, and sighed as the delicate material fell on her shoulders. After going so long without a change of clothes, and then being forced to wear something her captor once owned, having a nice piece of fabric lie against her skin was fantastic. She was also a little surprised when she found that the blouse was an absolute perfect fit.

  Next came the jeans, which were just as exquisite and felt just as good. They were a good cut even if the fit was a little snug.

  She began to stuff Borrak’s shirt into the bag, and then thought better of it. She didn’t want to soil anything that anyone had given her with that particular piece of clothing. Instead, she reached back and hurled the shirt as far away from her as possible. It flew through the air, and snagged on a high tree branch just as it started coming down. Laura shrugged. So be it. Better there than anywhere around her.