along with the laws of the universe and of Time itself. The gods formed at the moment of creation, as did the Great Beast, as did Hunger, as did Birth along with Finality, and I am the Bringer of the End of Days.…”
Then a vision came hurtling out of nowhere, and a vast scene slammed into Grace. She vaguely sensed her body tilting as she lost her balance, but it felt as though it happened from a great distance.
She saw an exquisite infinity of stars, strewn across unimaginable distances, colossal shining clusters of galaxies spiraling with outstretched arms. As the voice spoke, one by one the stars vanished, swallowed by a black figure that walked a scorched land. The horror that washed over her was indescribable. She tried to scream, but she had no voice of her own, drowned into silence by the words that were spoken in a cadence that drummed the world out of existence.
Stars.
Two ageless, shining stars, crowned by raven hair and surrounded by a corona of sunshine. The purest Power she had ever known surrounded her, scorching and fierce, and finally, finally the dark, inexorable voice was extinguished. She could have sobbed from the relief.
Her world rattled. Gradually she became aware that she lay on the ground, looking up at Khalil, who bent over her. He held her in his arms and blocked out the sun with his body, just as he blocked out the voice with his presence. He shook her and said her name. She received the impression he had been calling her name over and over.
Cuelebre knelt on her other side, staring at her. His rough-hewn features looked bloodless, his gold eyes molten.
“Stop,” she croaked to Khalil. “I’m here. I’m back.”
Looking wild-eyed, he stopped.
“What the unholy fuck was that?” Cuelebre asked. He sounded quite calm and utterly terrifying.
Grace shook her head. “I have no idea,” she said. “All I know is that the Oracle’s Power roused for you, and that just doesn’t happen, unasked in daylight.” She shuddered. “Did you hear a…really bad voice?” Khalil’s arms tightened, and the two males exchanged a glance.
“We both heard it,” said the dragon.
“I was in the kitchen with the children,” said Khalil. His own voice did not sound pure in that moment. Instead he sounded rough and shaken. “And I still heard it.”
Grace sucked in a breath. “They didn’t, did they?”
Khalil shook his head. “No. They were unaware.”
Cuelebre looked at Khalil. “I must get back to my mate. You are staying?”
“Yes,” said Khalil.
Cuelebre dug into his shirt pocket and handed a heavy white card to her. She turned it over to look at both sides. There was no name, just a phone number printed in heavy, embossed black. Cuelebre said, “That’s my personal cell number. Call me immediately if you see anything else.”
She nodded numbly and tucked the card into the pocket of her cutoffs.
As Grace and Khalil watched, Cuelebre stood and walked away without another word. Several feet away he shimmered into his dragon form and launched into the air.
Grace shuddered again. She whispered, “I can never let this Power go to Chloe. She can’t ever know anything as horrible as that voice.”
If anything, Khalil looked even wilder. He picked her up in his arms, stood and with long, swift strides he carried her into the house. He said, “So be it. We protect the child from whatever that was at all cost.”
When they were in the living room, she said, “Stop.”
He stopped instantly.
“Please put me down,” she said.
He didn’t move. He said slowly, “You fell.”
“I didn’t hurt myself,” she told him. “I just lost my balance in the vision. And I will not frighten the kids because you’re carrying me, and it looks like something might be wrong.”
He stared at her, his mouth tight. After a moment he let her legs slide to the floor but kept his arms around her. When she straightened and pulled away, he let her go and followed her into the kitchen.
They
Then a vision came hurtling out of nowhere, and a vast scene slammed into Grace. She vaguely sensed her body tilting as she lost her balance, but it felt as though it happened from a great distance.
She saw an exquisite infinity of stars, strewn across unimaginable distances, colossal shining clusters of galaxies spiraling with outstretched arms. As the voice spoke, one by one the stars vanished, swallowed by a black figure that walked a scorched land. The horror that washed over her was indescribable. She tried to scream, but she had no voice of her own, drowned into silence by the words that were spoken in a cadence that drummed the world out of existence.
Stars.
Two ageless, shining stars, crowned by raven hair and surrounded by a corona of sunshine. The purest Power she had ever known surrounded her, scorching and fierce, and finally, finally the dark, inexorable voice was extinguished. She could have sobbed from the relief.
Her world rattled. Gradually she became aware that she lay on the ground, looking up at Khalil, who bent over her. He held her in his arms and blocked out the sun with his body, just as he blocked out the voice with his presence. He shook her and said her name. She received the impression he had been calling her name over and over.
Cuelebre knelt on her other side, staring at her. His rough-hewn features looked bloodless, his gold eyes molten.
“Stop,” she croaked to Khalil. “I’m here. I’m back.”
Looking wild-eyed, he stopped.
“What the unholy fuck was that?” Cuelebre asked. He sounded quite calm and utterly terrifying.
Grace shook her head. “I have no idea,” she said. “All I know is that the Oracle’s Power roused for you, and that just doesn’t happen, unasked in daylight.” She shuddered. “Did you hear a…really bad voice?” Khalil’s arms tightened, and the two males exchanged a glance.
“We both heard it,” said the dragon.
“I was in the kitchen with the children,” said Khalil. His own voice did not sound pure in that moment. Instead he sounded rough and shaken. “And I still heard it.”
Grace sucked in a breath. “They didn’t, did they?”
Khalil shook his head. “No. They were unaware.”
Cuelebre looked at Khalil. “I must get back to my mate. You are staying?”
“Yes,” said Khalil.
Cuelebre dug into his shirt pocket and handed a heavy white card to her. She turned it over to look at both sides. There was no name, just a phone number printed in heavy, embossed black. Cuelebre said, “That’s my personal cell number. Call me immediately if you see anything else.”
She nodded numbly and tucked the card into the pocket of her cutoffs.
As Grace and Khalil watched, Cuelebre stood and walked away without another word. Several feet away he shimmered into his dragon form and launched into the air.
Grace shuddered again. She whispered, “I can never let this Power go to Chloe. She can’t ever know anything as horrible as that voice.”
If anything, Khalil looked even wilder. He picked her up in his arms, stood and with long, swift strides he carried her into the house. He said, “So be it. We protect the child from whatever that was at all cost.”
When they were in the living room, she said, “Stop.”
He stopped instantly.
“Please put me down,” she said.
He didn’t move. He said slowly, “You fell.”
“I didn’t hurt myself,” she told him. “I just lost my balance in the vision. And I will not frighten the kids because you’re carrying me, and it looks like something might be wrong.”
He stared at her, his mouth tight. After a moment he let her legs slide to the floor but kept his arms around her. When she straightened and pulled away, he let her go and followed her into the kitchen.
They
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