by Rue Volley
“Very nice… now to see you as you are.” Alex said.
Gracie sighed and peeked back at Sam and Kai, who suddenly stopped having pain; they scooted towards the front of the dome and stared at her.
“Gracie… please, please get back in here… we can do this together.” Sam pleaded.
Gracie took a deep breath and light started to pulsate from her body, it flashed quickly at first and then slowed to a steady pulse… matching her heartbeat. Theo started to stir and sat up, shielding his eyes from the light. He sucked his breath in when the light started to fade and Gracie stood there, not as the five-year-old child they all protected… but as a young adult, sixteen at least. She took a slow and steady breath and then looked up at Alex who smiled at her.
“There… doesn’t it feel better… to be what you are?” he asked her.
Gracie looked at Theo and then closed her eyes as she tilted her head towards the floor.
“Gracie?” Theo asked as he slowly started to stand up. Gracie looked at Alex and grinned, showing her crooked canine teeth… so like Josh’s that if you didn’t look at her face, you would think that it was him.
“I should kill you.” Gracie said.
“Wouldn’t be smart.” Alex said as he closed his eyes and light started to pulsate from his body, he became engulfed in light, not unlike Gracie had and then it slowed, matching his heartbeat. As the light dimmed Alex stood there, looking as old as Gracie did now… his hair still messy, blonde … his features soft and inviting, his lips perhaps a bit more pouty than before. He almost had an angelic look about him, despite the darkness that obviously lurked beneath his skin. Gracie looked at him and felt a slight tinge of vibration, but she shook it off quickly and looked at Theo as he started to move towards her. She held her hand up to him and shook her head and he stopped and stared at her.
“Theodore… I want you to tell Josh and Rue… when they return, that I am fine.” Gracie said as she looked up at him and shook her head “yes.”
Theo frowned and stared into her eyes.
“Because I am.” Gracie said.
Alex laughed. “Listen to her Theodore, trust me… she is much more than any of us, and perhaps knows more too.”
Theo looked at him and his face hardened.
“I am entrusted with her safety and will not be so easily swayed.” He said.
“Oh really?” Alex asked as he lifted his hand up. Gracie stepped forward and took his hand in hers and ran her fingers across his palm. He stopped and stared into her eyes.
“Don’t… I will not fight you, in fact let me glamor them and take the worry away.” Gracie said.
Alex tilted his head and grinned as she kept staring into his eyes. Her eyes wandered to his lips and Alex opened his mouth and then quickly pulled his hand from hers and stepped back. He looked back at the children standing behind him and waved a hand at them. They all headed for the door and left the house quickly. Theo looked down and saw ice forming around his feet and he looked up at Gracie and Alex as they stood there, facing each other.
“Which of you can control the elements?” Theo asked.
They both looked at him and smiled.
“Well… of course.”
Gracie walked towards him as he felt the ice creep up his legs and stopped in front of him.
“I love you.” She said.
Theo tilted his head and she waved her hand in front of her and a symbol started to glow brightly in between them. Theo narrowed his eyes and stared it down.
“That is an old spell, love… where would you have acquired the knowledge of that one?”
Gracie smiled as she twisted her hand and put the finishing touches on the glowing symbol.
“I read… a lot,” she said as she looked at his face.
She quickly flipped her fingers and “added” a slight adjustment to the glamor that she was creating and Theo nodded to her as she pushed it from her and hit Theo in the chest and he fell to the floor. The symbol floated from him and hovered over Sam and Kai in the protective shell Theo had created. Sam looked up and then looked at Gracie.
“Don’t you dare.” She said.
Gracie took a breath and closed her eyes as it passed through the light and hit Sam and Kai in a blur of movement. They both fell to their sides and Gracie looked at the floor and then back to Alex.
“Good… that will make it much easier.” He said.
Gracie stepped towards him and then took one last look at her family, who she had gently put to sleep with another reality to wake too. She looked back at Alex and frowned.
“Don’t… they live, you should be happy,” he said.
“But so do you.” Gracie said.
Alex laughed and grabbed her wrist, dragging her towards the door and out into the world that Rue and Josh had battled so valiantly to protect her from.
Chapter 9
Really?
“Oh God damn it.” Johnathan said as he pushed himself along the stone wall that was serving more as brace to him now. The poison was slowly seeping into his organs and he could feel it, as his liver and kidneys ached.
“Ah.” He cried out, leaning forward and spit blood onto the stone at his feet… the blood looked thicker now, as if it may contain bits of his lungs, and it felt that way as his chest burned and he took a breath.
“I will not die here… of all places… no way.” He said as he wiped his hand across his mouth and then wiped the left over blood on his pants. He inched along, with his feet feeling like he was slowly sinking into wet sand. He stopped and leaned his head back, closing his eyes and repeating the words “Not here” over and over in his mind.
Johnathan slowed his breathing and tried to focus on the core. It glitched behind his eyes and he knew that he had no hope of drawing energy into himself and helping his situation in any way shape or form. He leaned forward and Rue’s face crossed his mind. Smiling, and tilting her head at him and he sighed. Of course at this moment he would think of her and her eyes, looking at him. He shook his head and stood up straight out of pure irritation and took a step, only to stop when he heard a voice call out. He thought perhaps it was death at first, as he felt his heart skip a beat in his chest and make his head feel light for a moment and as he reached for the wall with all intention to push forward, he heard it again and stopped, looking behind him, as his vision blurred.
“What the hell?” he muttered as he coughed and turned around. As he moved forward he heard it again, faint… but the same. A girl’s voice, crying out one word “Hello?” he narrowed his eyes and decided to move in the direction of the voice, against his better judgment, but so like him to do. He reached the corner of the wall and peeked around it, as his head pounded and his breathing swallowed and he heard it again. He pushed himself around the corner and almost tripped over himself as his body was working against him and all of his usual grace.
“Hello?... please… is anybody there?” a voice called out and Johnathan wiped his forehead with his sleeve and stumbled forward, deciding that if he was to die here, and not be able to save Alandra, he would aide whoever called out for assistance now.
“Hello?” he called out, as his voice cracked.
“Hello?” the voice replied.
“Yes… yes I hear you.” Johnathan said as his balance left him and he fell to the stone, crying out as his shoulder cracked against the stone floor.
“Johnathan?” the voice called out as he rolled on his side and hissed from the additional pain he felt in his shoulder now. He blinked when he heard his name called out and pushed himself up slowly.
“Yes…I t is Johnathan Graph.” He cried out.
“Oh my god Johnathan! Please help me… please!”
Johnathan pushed himself up, almost tripping again, but slammed himself against the wall and slid along it, not able to worry about the fact that this voice seemed to know his name… he stopped at a door and stared it down as he took a deep breath and then he slammed his body against the door and it crashed open
and he fell to the floor, moaning as he did further damage to his already injured shoulder.
He rolled onto his back and heard sobbing in the room and he tried to focus but his eyes did no longer want to cooperate with him.
“Johnathan… get the hell up.” He heard to his right.
“What?” he said as he tried to push himself up.
“Get up you jerk.” He heard.
He blinked and rolled over and pushed with everything that he had and stood up, still swaying on his feet. The room spun a little, but he started to focus in on a bed, with someone on it. He cleared his throat.
“I am a protector, of heaven and earth and I will...” He dropped to his side and his eyes closed as Brooke cried out and watched him fall to the floor.
***
Josh and I had decided to take a walk in Jonah and Lily’s beautiful garden, before the party started. Truth was I kind of dragged him out of the house, after Jonah had put his seal of approval on the whole ‘killing Johnathan’ thing. Just excellent of him to do, by the way. I would be sure to thank Jonah for making it that much harder to calm Josh down now. Like Josh needed any nudging in that department to start with. I walked ahead of him and I could hear Josh breathing behind me, harder than usual. He should not have drunk so much, none of us should really. We tend to get drunk much quicker than humans for some reason, and from all accounts, Josh had been drinking for at least a couple of days now, not to mention that we had been above the earth’s atmosphere for a portion of it. We were immortal, and I do find humor in the fact that something so normal could impede us in any way. I looked ahead of me and saw the opening to the gardens maze, which I had spotted from the bedroom window overhead and decided that a game was in order. Perhaps I could get him sobered up a little before the party started… but more importantly, before he encountered Johnathan again. I ran to the opening of the maze and looked back at Josh, who stood there, rubbing the side of his head. I smiled and called out to him.
“Let’s see who is best at tracking.” I said.
Josh looked up at me and a grin came across his face.
“Please… like I am not the best.” He said as he half laughed.
“Uh huh… we will see.” I said as I ducked into the maze and started to run. I heard him laugh behind me, outside of the high shrubbery and pushed forward. At least I had baited him, kind of surprised me… I figured he would say no and start bitching about Johnathan, but no… he’s game… sweetness.
I ran to the end of the first long line of greenery and had to decide, right or left. I decided “right” quickly. Something within me prevents me from going left… I prefer to go right in all cases… can’t say why, but it has always been that way. Left just feels wrong to me for some reason. I skidded around the corner to the right and I could feel him, closing in on me. The game couldn’t end this quickly, it gave no time for him to sober up and quite honestly, now that I had started the game, my competitive nature has kicked in to win it. I kind of giggled to myself as I covered my mouth and I heard him call out in the distance as I again, took another right.
“What are the stakes?” Josh called out. I stopped and looked behind me.
“If I win… you leave Johnathan alone forever.” I yelled out.
I heard him laugh, the kind of laugh that tells me that he thinks he is going to win this and can set his own prize.
“Okay… and when I win, I kill him once and for all.” He yelled back to me.
“Josh!” I yelled out as I kept moving forward, not interested in losing from having a conversation.
“You set your own, and I set mine!” he yelled out.
I bit my lip, and knew that the more I focused on this, the more chance I took of him winning… I needed to focus.
“Fine.” I yelled back.
There was a weird silence and then Josh spoke.
“Really?” he said, sounding more shocked than I was that I agreed to it in the first place.
“Really.” I said.
“Fuck yes.” Josh yelled out and I knew at that point that I better get clever quick.
I started to flash, and I don’t very often anymore. I almost took out the corner of the shrubbery as I hit it going around a corner and then I felt a vibration in the ground. It was gentle at first and then it intensified and my feet tickled, and then my calves as it crept up my legs. I oh’d and jumped to break the connection and heard Josh laughing behind me.
“Not funny!” I yelled out as he continued to laugh.
“I thought so.” Josh yelled and then I rounded a corner and had to skid to avoid slamming into a dead end.
“Damn it.” I whispered under my breath.
“What?... you didn’t like the present I sent out to you?” Josh yelled out, and I turned as I listened to his voice… it seemed to be to the left of me.
I closed my eyes and decided to cloak myself from him… which is something only a few can do. Rogues are naturally equipped to hide… protectors are not, at least from each other. It would prove to be a tricky endeavor considering that I was going to attempt to do it to my mate of all people, which was virtually impossible. I wouldn’t even know how to, if Lily had not shown me. Perhaps she did it as a thank you for the one night that Josh and I spent with her, who knows. I had never successfully been able to pull it off, but in desperate times… desperate measures.
I let my mind relax… all my thoughts settle, like falling leaves to the ground. I slowed my breathing and wiggled my fingers as I started to feel a numbing coming over me. I drew in my breath and with it the color started to swirl on my skin, a deep blue. I opened my mouth and the color started to enter my mouth, I felt it, warm and inviting, not unlike blood tastes to me. I felt it continue to flow into me and then I swallowed hard, forcing it deep into me, hidden from anyone or myself. I felt my head spin and my knees started to buckle, but I reached out and placed my hand on the shrubbery and tried to balance myself. What good would cloaking myself from detection serve if I fell where I stood? God that would be a disaster. I steadied myself and quietly cleared my throat, as I felt my color swirl in my stomach, begging to be released. I pressed on it as I looked down and then I grinned I looked up and heard nothing. Josh had stopped, wherever he was, but I could still feel him… but I would guess that he is confused at the fact that he cannot feel me.
“Rue?” he called out.
I turned and narrowed my eyes, knowing that I had him, right where I wanted him now. Blinded and stupidly calling out to me.
“Oh Okay… very funny.” Josh called out as he looked above him and down the row of shrubbery in front of him. My trail had dissipated from his view, and he narrowed his eyes and stared at the ground.
I giggled as I covered my mouth. Have I really just blinded him to me? Holy crap. I hadn’t really thought I could pull it off, let alone blind the fiercest warrior… who was also my mate, to me. I straightened my shoulders as I felt the cocky coming on, like a peacock that’s in charge. I started to creep along, just hoping that he would call out to me again, but nothing. He was silent, maybe in shock of his apparent doom. I smiled… tasting victory so sweet and then I felt him, he jumped down from the top of the shrubbery and damn near knocked me to the ground, I spun around in shock that he found me. I mean, I was cloaked… he couldn’t feel me. Josh stood there with his hand glowing brightly, grinning like a kitty and I placed my hand on my hip and shook my head.
“You cheated.” I said.
Josh grinned and shook his head.
“Look who’s talking.” He said.
“Whatever… I had you.” I said as I shifted my weight to my other foot and stared him down.
“No… you didn’t even know where I was.” He said.
I laughed and looked up at the top of the shrubbery.
“Well, if I would have known that we could just jump up there, I would have found you ten minutes ago.”
“You never set any ground rules.” He said as he waved his hands and the light trailed in front of h
is face, lighting it up.
“We are in a maze! Why would I say, oh yea… by the way, you can go up there?” I said as I pointed to the top of the shrubbery and rolled my eyes.
“All’s fair.” He said.
“No… no. This is not fair.” I said as I crossed my arms on my chest.
Josh tilted his head and smiled at me.
“You cannot lose… can you?” he asked me.
“What?” I said as I relaxed my arms and let them fall to my sides.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Rue Volley is a sore loser.” He said, so mocking me on every level.
I sighed and stared him down.
“No… I enjoy winning the same as anyone… what I do not appreciate is cheaters.” I said.
“No…you are just pissed that you didn’t think of it first.” He said as he shook out his hands and the last of the light left him and seeped into the ground.
“I never would have! I mean… that was not the game.” I said.
“Oh… so throwing on some sci fi cloaking device was.” He said, not as a question but as an additional mocking towards me.
“I… I just wanted to see if it would work.” I said, digging myself deeper into the shit hole that I was already standing in.
“Uh huh… right.” Josh said.
“Listen…you cheated, I simply tried to test a theory.” I said.
“Oh… and what was that theory? The theory of bullshit?” he asked me.
I wanted to laugh, but my pride prevented me from doing it.
I felt his energy shifting and knew that at least he was sobering up now. Josh… if nothing else was a focused warrior, regardless of the situation. He could be missing two arms and a foot and still kill his enemies, I was sure. I bit my lip again and accidently bit too hard, cutting into my lip and it started to bleed. I hissed, because it actually did hurt. Maybe this cloaking thingy has its weaknesses. I wiped my lip and looked at the blood on my finger as the dimming light lit it up, it looked blue, not its regular red. I stared at it and Josh moved towards me. I lowered my hand and stared at him.
