by Kade Cook
“I am sorry, Miss Gabrian, but we were asked to return you home right after you were done with your date.” The large blond God in a black tee-shirt informs her, his snarky remark unsettling. He must know Shane. What am I thinking? Of course they know him. He is a Schaeduwe. They all must know who he is.
And the fact she is out with a guy who Shane has openly displayed his dislike for—yeah, she can see how it might look.
“Ugh, it’s not a date, okay.”
“That is not what it looked like from here.”
Okay, that is enough of that. “Listen,” she snaps at them, seeing red and feeling her insides growing warm as the tips of her fingers start to tingle and burn. Slowing her words to a steady but threatening drone, “It was not a date. It was just—none of your business. Okay. So, here is the deal. This is my day off, and I need you to take me to the hospital.”
“But the Elders said—” the copper-haired Guardian starts.
“You need to take me where I need to go. I will deal with the Elders. Trust me on that.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Bobbles and Buddies
Appearing at the edge of the shadows just down the hall from Room 231, Gabrian’s hands begin to tremor. Her footsteps are heavy and slow. The thrum of the life force within her buzzes with anxious wanting mixed with fear of the unknown as she prepares to face her friend, but she will reap what she sows, no matter what it is. A wave of nausea washes over her. The smell of death not far away reeks in the hallway as she passes a partially opened door. Her body shudders as she walks past it, and she quickens her pace. The smell recalls the horrific image of Gargons stretched over Rachael’s body as they tried to claim her from this world.
But they did not have a chance. Gabrian made sure of it, but it had sent Rachael into a coma, one she has been lost in for a while. Even Ethan could not reach her in the darkness. Would she be the same girl who Gabrian knew before? An ache pulls at her heart, weighing her down with the heavy reality that her best friend’s mind might not be the same, and she is the one to blame.
I will make it up to her. I will find a way to make whatever waits for me in that room right again. This is her solemn vow to not only Rachael but herself as well.
With a deep pull of air into her lungs, she presses on the door and peeks through the crack. The familiar beep of the life monitor welcomes her, and a sweet but crackly voice sings into her ears—flooding her eyes with wetness.
“Well hi, you,” Rachael whispers, turning her head toward her visitor.
“Is it okay that I am here?” Gabrian’s words are soft and unsure. The girl before her, small and fragile, is as pale as the moon’s flesh. Her crimson hair hangs messy and undone around her face.
“Of course it is. Get in here.”
Gabrian pushes the door wider and reveals another visitor already occupying the chair beside her bed, his hand stretched out and fingers intertwined with Rachael’s. “Oh, Orroryn, I am sorry. I didn’t know that anyone was here. I can come back.”
Lifting from his chair, the Schaeduwe Elder gets to his feet and addresses Gabrian. “No, come in, Gabrian.” His voice is much sweeter and endearing than the last time he spoke to her. It is empty of his silent contempt. “I will leave you two alone to catch up.”
“Thank you, Ryn,” Rachael hums out sweetly.
Gabrian’s brow lifts. Ryn?
Leaning over her small form tucked securely beneath her freshly laundered hospital sheets, Orroryn kisses the top of her head then dresses the inside of her palm with one more.
Hmm, this is definitely awkward.
Orroryn releases her hand and makes his way toward Gabrian. His large looming form casts shadows over her, blocking out the overhead light. “You are looking—”
“Different, I know.”
He smiles at her. Actually smiles. No glare, no discontent, just a smile as warm as the summer sun. “Well, Gabrian—you are looking well.” His words ring soft and soothing against her soul. Maybe it isn’t so much what he said but how he said it that resonates with her. Maybe he has forgiven her, and maybe, from the looks of things, Gabrian wonders if maybe he has found—Nah, can’t be.
“Thank you, Orroryn.”
He places a large mitt on Gabrian’s shoulder and smiles, then peeks over at her friend watching his every move. “I will return shortly.”
Rachael’s eyes beam and her iridescent aura flutters and sways around her, making her shimmer with the light of an angel. Her pouty lips press wide, and she gathers her wrists to her chest over her heart—obviously drowning in his openly given affection.
Yup, there is definitely some strange stuff happening here. Gabrian grins, watching the two caught in some strange and secret trance she is not privy to.
Orroryn glides out into the hall, closing the door behind him, and Gabrian steals his seat, still warm. “So, how are you feeling?”
“Much better. They said I can leave in a few days.”
“Really?” Gabrian wonders how long she has been awake. “That is great news.”
“Yup,” Rachael chirps, sitting up against her pillow. A low moan escapes her lips as she lies back against it.
Gabrian’s heart twists seeing her struggle. “Well, it is settled then. You will stay with me until you are back on your bouncy feet.”
Rachael’s eyes lower, and she glances toward the door. “Oh, um, thank you, but—”
“Well, you can’t very well stay alone, not in your condition.”
“Hmm.” Her lips curl and a light blush dusts across her cheeks, unable to hide her joy. “I am not going to be alone.”
Scratching the side of her head, Gabrian hums. “Then where are you going to stay?”
“I will be staying with Orroryn.”
“Orroryn. Really?” Gabrian’s eyes dart to the door, the strange display of affection she just witnessed bounding to the forefront of her mind.
“Which reminds me, can you push that table over here?” She motions to the lunch tray on wheels, and Gabrian slides it to hover over Rachael. Reaching into the drawer and retrieving a small metal and cloth bundle, she stretches out her hand.
Gabrian lifts from her chair to sit on the side of Rachael’s bed and holds out her hand to retrieve whatever is in her friend’s fingers. Unfolding her fist, she sees the tightly wound metal bracelet she had tied around Rachael’s neck the last time she was here. Her heart’s gift that Shane had given her—the Azurite stone.
“Thank you for this.”
Gabrian’s eyes linger on the gift. Working her fingers over the curled metal, it responds to her touch and releases its bonded form to reveal the smooth sliver of Azurite beneath. She touches it to her wrist. The soft strings of white metal cloak her skin, wrapping lovingly, and entwines itself around her in an intricate intimate embrace. She waits to feel the familiar hum, but it does not come. Her soul sinks at the quietness, but she lets it go.
“I know how much it meant to you, but I don’t have any need for this any longer. I have my own.”
Lifting her head, her eyes jump to her friend, now holding her arm out—sleeve up and proudly displaying a band of silver, intricately spiraled around her delicate bicep. A black onyx eloquently sits within the middle of the enchanted metal.
“You what?”
Rachael giggles, her face flushes, and she sighs. “Yeah, remember that day that you froze the beer, and I was telling you that there was more to how I felt about Orroryn?” Not taking her eyes off the bracelet, Gabrian hums her recollection. “And do you ever recall me saying I felt like there was more to my lives, one that I knew was missing, but I could not ever remember anything about it?”
“Yes, I do,” Gabrian hum again. “Go on.”
“Well, somewhere within the darkness, I found it.”
“What do you mean, you found it?”
“When you took all my, well, you know, I left this world for a while.”
Gabrian’s eyes sting, knowing it was her who stole her life, it wa
s her who had done this. Her own stubbornness to refuse to reach out for help when she needed it most had led Rachael to meet this darkness.
“I know what you are thinking and stop it.”
The floodgates open and all the pent-up sadness releases in her confession. “Oh, Rachael, I am so sorry for hurting you. I never meant to—”
Rachael leans forward and pulls her friend in close, wrapping her frail arms around Gabrian’s trembling body, and holds her still while she drowns in the darkness of her sins. “It was a blessing in disguise,” Rachael says in no more than a whisper, pulling Gabrian back to look at her. “It is within the darkest parts of a storm that you find the brightest light.”
Gabrian’ wipes the dew pooling at the corner of her eyes and forces a smile, still listening intently.
“It was in that wall of darkness that all those lost memories—everything—all came back to me. And I think, no I am sure of it. It was your stone that found me and led me back to them and eventually back to my body.”
Rachael’s hand lifts and gathers around her friend’s, clutching them with what strength she can muster. “It is because of you that I am whole again. You gave me back the part of me that had been lost.”
They stare at each other, the bond between them reconnecting, and secures between their souls. “So you see, you did this. You helped me find my beginning,” Rachael begins, bubbling inside, and rubs her fingers over the black stone coddling her arm. Her crimson curls, although slightly matted and un-kept, bounce in her joy. “Oh, we have so much to talk about.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Visiting Hours
Gabrian’s mountain of guilt withers down to a hill when she sees her friend’s joy. She listens contently as Rachael reveals her life, how she and the Elder of Schaeduwe were once betrothed, and that she was the human he so long ago willingly gave his heart to. The morning burned by quickly. Unable to stop staring at her, Gabrian is overjoyed to have her friend back. The old Rachael she so dearly loves plus a whole lot more. It is fantastic to be lost in her, catching up and forgiving herself for what had happened.
Healing.
She is healing and it feels good, right up until the nurse had finally kicked her out after the fourth warning that visiting hours were long over. Rachael needs her rest. Reluctantly, Gabrian obeys. Giving one last hug and kiss, she wanders into the hall to find her shadow taxi home. Her heart melts at finding Orroryn still there—his arms filled with flowers—patiently waiting to get back in to see his mate, wanting to waste none of the precious time he has left with her.
To him, the few years they will spend together will seem like only mere moments, and precious moments they will be. He turns, hearing Rachael’s door close, and stands to hover over Gabrian’s small form.
“So, I guess congratulations are in order,” Gabrian offers, a little apprehensive that he will accept it.
“She told you?” he hums. “Yes, of course she would, you are her best friend.” Orroryn flashes a grin from behind the bouquet, hinting a flush of rose across his cheeks. “Thank you, Gabrian.”
“Listen, I know things haven’t been that good between us since Shane—” Her insides tremor as she chokes back her sadness “—Well, you know. I just wanted to say I was sorry.”
“There is no need to be sorry, child. Shane is Shane, and there is nothing anyone could have done to stop him from going after you.”
Gabrian swallows hard against the knot in her throat.
“You are his heart’s choice. He would gladly die knowing that he did everything to protect and honour you.”
A stream of warmth runs over her black lashes and cuts a crooked line down her cheek as she nods, dying to know where he is and what is happening with him.
“I know, I just—”
“Do not let your guilt eat at you. It will do no one any good, especially him.”
Gathering the words she wants to say, she needs to say, Gabrian wipes away the tears and spits them out. “How is he?”
Orroryn purses his lips and looks away.
“I mean, I know that you don’t discuss Schaeduwe interests with anyone, but as you just clearly stated, I am his heart’s choice and that should count for something.” Her words are timid but hold so much truth in them.
Orroryn glances at Rachael’s door and huffs, feeling Gabrian’s suffering choke the air around him. “He is doing better.” He smiles down at her. “And if it helps you to know, he is being Shane. Stubborn and hard to deal with.”
Gabrian cannot help but grin and nod. This is good news. Great news. If he has it in him to give people around him a hard time, then he has it in him to fight his way back to her. “Yes, thank you. It does help.”
Starting toward the door, Gabrian chirps out her last request. “Do you know when he will come back?” She flushes. “From the Veil, I mean?”
He stops and turns to her. “That is not for me to say,” he says, feeling the disappointment sink into her. “All I can offer you is, when he is ready.”
“I understand.” Gabrian bites on her thumb and nods, knowing what that means. It could be weeks, months, even years. Her own birth mother is still in the Veil healing—only visiting Gabrian in her dreams. Not really much help.
A knowing bow of his head is given, and he turns to enter Rachael’s room.
“Oh, you can’t go in there. They just kicked me out for violating visiting hours.”
He flashes an impish grin. “Visiting hours do not apply to me, I am family,” he sings, giving her one last glance over his shoulder, and with a wink, he enters the room.
Chapter Forty-Six
Old Ones and Feathers
Landing back at home, safely delivered as instructed by the Guardians, Gabrian wanders to the sun-filled deck and leans over the railing, watching the boats enter in and out of the harbor. Taking a sip of the first beer in what seems like ages, she closes her eyes and tips her head back, letting the cool liquid quench her thirst and the warm sun kiss her face. A low hum releases from the depths of her soul—happy, content—and feels the urge to celebrate the moment.
Even if it is by herself.
Well, not entirely by herself. She knows that beyond the boundaries of her yard, the nearly invisible collection of Guardians keep watch over her, but they do not count. And Tynan, who is no doubt either with them or tucked away in his small cottage mere feet away, does not count either. Not today.
Today is a one girl kind of hurrah.
Swishing of feathers against the air adds to her quiet moment as a familiar friend descends from the bright sky and perches on the railing a few feet away. She is not by herself anymore. Who better than to celebrate with than her trusty feathered friend—so make that one girl and a bird.
“So, you made it back from town. Did you find anything good?”
The raven gives her a quick double caw and ruffles its feathers.
“Rachael is awake.”
The bird only tilts his head and caws.
“I know, exciting, isn’t it?” She stares back into the water, pleased to have company to share this good news with.
Another loud swishing of wings catches her by surprise. Theo hardly ever has company other than when Vaeda is around with her guide. But they bicker and moan most of the time, not really what she would call a good visit. But this bird is larger than Theo, quite a bit larger, and nearly towers over him when he lands a few spaces over.
“Hmm, who is your friend?” she asks, raising a brow to Theo, and swills down another sip of her drink.
The big raven glances over at Theo and rumbles out a very loud throaty caw. Gabrian cannot help but laugh. It has been a great day, well other than the fact that the Elders decided to keep important information from her. Again. But overall it has been a pretty damn good day.
“Well now, this makes my day off all the better. You know what they say, two is company, three makes it a party,” she sings, cheering the two birds on her deck staring at her. Now it is a one girl, two b
ird kind of tiny celebration.
Theo turns away and decides now is a good time to preen while the other just sits and watches Gabrian. So, she watches him right back. He is a glorious looking creature. His feathers are glossy and sleek with the prismatic smear of oily sun spun sheen. As she studies him, just as he does her, he spreads his wings out in a stretch and a faint glow of gold hovers around the edges of his feathers, almost like an aura. His outstretched wings fan like long extended feathery fingers.
Her eyes jump to Theo. He displays no extra colours at all. Maybe they are like everything else in this Realm, each soul carrying its own colours depending on what they truly are on the inside. Her eyes pinch, continuing to awe at him. “Fascinating.”
The black visitor just gives her a rumble, content to hang out for the moment on her deck.
Gabrian fans her finger out in front of her face and looks through them. Past the solidness of her flesh and bones and into the void around them. Once a grey aura lived there, and a blue, white, and even a violet, but she has not displayed any kind of light since she has been back. She flips her hand around in the sun, but still, there is nothing. Nothing, except strange disfigurations forming at the tips of her fingers. Sharp edges grow outward, pulling her digits into long slender ridged spikes.
“What the—” she hisses out, trying to figure out what the hell is going on now. She sets the beer down on the ledge of the deck and touches the ends of her deformity. It is soft, not sharp, like a feather.
Her eyes rise to the giant bird perched just a little closer than he was moments ago. He seems quite interested in the oddity, as much as she does. Shaking her head, she returns to her dilemma, fingers elongating and flushing out as the feathers take form in her hand. Wiggling her fingers, or strange feather hands, she stares at it, unsure what exactly is taking place.
