Gates of Rapture (Guardians of Ascension 6)

Marguerite glanced at Thorne, who was deep in conversation with Jean-Pierre and Fiona. “Everything changed. I did, my obsidian power emerged, and Thorne really changed. He’s spent the last five months building Endelle’s army. He’s done an amazing job.”

“He looks wonderful. Do you remember how red-rimmed his eyes used to be?”

“Too much Ketel One.”

“Yes.” She met Marguerite’s gaze once more. “I wanted to thank you again for being there for Thorne all those years. I was so grateful to you and I know I thanked you, but it never felt like enough. I think you saved his life.”

“Well, he saved mine, too. Maybe that’s why we were meant to be together—because we ended up saving each other, repeatedly.”

Grace looked at Leto, who was still praising Brynna and laughing with her. She thought about what Marguerite had said. Was she meant to be with Leto because they could save each other? And in her case, exactly what would that look like?

Leto glanced at Brynna. “Do you need to report somewhere?”

“Yeah, the coordinator wants all the participants to sign in then head to bed. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

Leto nodded. “Good. I’ll see you then.”

Brynna shifted her gaze to Grace and drew close. “It’s great to see you again. I’m so glad you’ve come home to us.” She slid her gaze briefly toward Leto, then back. “We’ve needed you here.”

Brynna was being too nice, which made Grace feel guilty and very foolish. “Again, congratulations on winning your event.”

Her smile broadened to a grin and she fingered her medal once more. “Thanks. It was a thrill. Well, I need to do some serious stretching, then find my bed. Good night.”

“Night, Bryn.” Leto’s voice carried a hint of affection, which brought Grace’s beast rising once more.

As Brynna walked away, however, Grace felt vibrations from deep within the earth that had nothing to do with jealousy. Instead, her obsidian flame power was coming online very suddenly.

Her skirt flowed around her ankles, and as the power rose it moved the long sides of her blouse, then lifted the tips of her hair. She glanced from Thorne to Marguerite to Fiona and back. Each turned toward her.

She didn’t understand what was happening. She remembered earlier that something similar had occurred when all three of them were together, yet this still felt different.

Leto’s eyes popped wide and he drew close. “You have a blue aura, Grace. What’s going on?”

She lifted her hand, waiting. She felt something or someone calling to her, calling for help. By now the power was flowing uninterrupted through the top of her head. She lifted both hands palms up, as if in supplication. A sense of urgency flew through her now in rippling waves, but urgency for what?

She closed her eyes and focused on the call, for she could think of it no other way, as though forces out there were summoning her. Unfortunately it hurt, because her obsidian power wasn’t opened all the way yet.

Despite the pain, she kept her focus. She opened her eyes and became fixed on Marguerite. “Check the future streams. Now. I think one of the other hidden colonies is in trouble, but I don’t know which one.”

Marguerite nodded then turned to Thorne. “I can feel it as well. I need to drop into the future streams and find out what’s going on. But this feels big and it feels really bad. Come support me?”

“You got it.” He moved to stand beside her, an arm around her waist.

Fiona moved in close as well, Jean-Pierre behind her. “Yes, it feels very big,” Fiona said. “My obsidian power is vibrating like crazy.”

Thorne addressed Leto. “Get Diallo and Endelle over here. Now.”

Choosing the courageous path,

Even while trapped in fear,

Honors the Creator.

—Collected Proverbs, Beatrice of Fourth

Chapter 6

As Grace stood in the middle of the event grounds, she swore the very air among the small group took on a tactile quality that could actually be touched.

Leto took command.

He whipped his phone from the deep pocket of his kilt and punched a couple of times. “Hey, Diallo, sorry to intrude, there’s a problem and we need you. Can you fold to the landing platforms? We’ll meet you there.” He nodded as though Diallo could see him. “Good.”

He then changed phones, whipping his warrior phone from the top slit in his flight battle kilt. He called Jeannie and issued the order to get Endelle to the colony immediately. “To my position.” He then contacted the colony’s Militia Warrior HQ. He authorized Madame Endelle’s fold, then added, “I want all the Pacific Northwest warriors on alert. Let the Section Leaders know. We’ll be assembling teams at the landing platforms ASAP.”

Grace held her power steady, uncertain what she was doing, but she went with her instincts. Something big was happening, something dangerous, that much she could sense. The problem was, her head was really starting to hurt. She took deep breaths.

She fixed her gaze on Marguerite and continued to hold her palms up. Thorne turned to Marguerite. “Are you ready to do this?”

She nodded, then closed her eyes. A second later her body jerked, but Thorne kept her steady so that she didn’t fall. Her eyes moved rapidly beneath her eyelids, back and forth, as though she was reading something. Her body jerked again and her hand went to her stomach as she opened her eyes.

She looked at Grace then at Thorne. “We have maybe ten minutes, but I don’t know where this is. It’s an attack on one of the hidden colonies. The top of the mossy-mist dome just like this one”—she pointed up—“looked as though it had been burned off and was still burning. Death vampires, maybe two hundred of them, were flying into the colony from all directions.”

Leto nodded. “Okay,” he said quietly. He held his warrior phone and issued orders.

Grace glanced in the direction of the landing platforms. It was amazing to watch all the Militia Warriors, dozens of them, start gathering in squadrons, off to the left of the platforms as though by long habit. Leto’s drilling, no doubt.

Leto addressed the group. “I’m sounding the alarm.” He spoke into the phone; the next moment a series of tones hit the air in groups of three. The colonists and the foreign contestants all stopped what they were doing. The contest grounds fell completely silent.

To Grace’s complete shock, everyone began moving in prearranged directions away from the grounds. Within seconds, only Militia Warriors remained, and all of them were assembling with amazing speed by the landing platforms.