Gates of Rapture (Guardians of Ascension 6)

Stannett didn’t hesitate. He stretched back out and began the process. Greaves folded back up to the platform. He could feel Stannett’s power moving through the women. He wasn’t surprised when many of them cried out as if in pain.

Good.

He waited for a moment, then when the Seers relaxed, he drove his mental power straight at Stannett, pierced his mind, and found himself in what looked like great chaos. A battle of some sort. Greaves recognized the Seattle hidden colony and the warrior games setup. He watched his death vampires flowing over the citizens and striking them down.

Peace moved through Greaves because he could feel that this was pure vision. If his enemy did not interfere, if Marguerite did not catch wind of the prophecy, then the Seattle Colony would be reduced to rubble. He sought for the timing of the event and knew that he had at least two hours to prepare. But he wanted to see the outcome. He was delighted when he saw his death vampires cheering and drinking people to death, chasing their victims into the forest.

When the stream ended, Greaves’s heart beat strong in his chest. He would strike a blow against the opposition that would leave Endelle reeling. Right now it looked like Marguerite had failed to intervene by blocking Stannett, or maybe Stannett and the six Seers were just too damn powerful.

Either way, he rejoiced.

He was about to fold when he looked down and realized Stannett was trying to rouse the Seer to his left. The woman was dead.

Stannett looked up at him. “When the power begins to flow, they can’t take it without rest, just as I said.”

“But you have no problem with that level of power?”

Stannett laughed. “Of course not. Did you think I would?”

“No. You have many failings, my friend, but the inability to handle a power surge is not one of them.” He glanced at the remaining women. “Are any of the rest dead?”

“Yes.” Stannett looked from one to the next. “Three altogether.”

“Pity.” He rocked on his heels slightly. “Get rid of these, harness more, and forge a path through the future streams. And lest you mistake me again, I need as much information as you can gather, despite how hard Marguerite blocks you.”

“Understood,” Stannett responded.

* * *

That evening, after dinner at the palace, Leto returned with Grace to the bedroom of his cabin. He was still reeling from the hundred-plus conversations he’d had with the Division Leaders earlier in the day. His initial effort had been to test the waters as subtly as possible. To take anything further, to ask for commitments, was out of the question until he had a plan in place. His largest concern, about executing a mass fold, was just as Grace had suggested. He had no idea how he was going to physically move even one division, not to mention several, without Greaves finding out and stopping him.

He had finished his shower and had a towel around his waist. With another towel, he was drying his hair. Grace was sitting cross-legged on the side of the bed, staring at the wall. She was still in her yoga pants and shirt.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I’m still stunned by that experience of possessing Fiona and battling Jean-Pierre with a sword. And when I allowed the triad’s power to really infuse my movements, then I became a blur of speed.”

“Were you ever afraid you would wound Jean-Pierre?”

“No, never. You can’t imagine the amount of control the triad has. It was amazing. I’m still in shock.” She looked around.

“Now what’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if it’s just a residual effect from all the practice today, but my obsidian power is vibrating. I keep trying to intuit the problem, but I’m getting nothing. I just have this feeling…”

He moved to stand in front of her. “What can I do?”

She looked up and put her hand on his hip. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you. The funny thing is, I’m not sure. I feel like I’m supposed to do something, but I don’t know what. I guess I’m a little wound up.”

“Why don’t you try contacting either Fiona or Marguerite?”

“I’ve been thinking about it, but it was such a long day for everyone.”

“I think you should anyway.”

She nodded, then closed her eyes. Her shoulders rose and fell, and she grew very still. He didn’t move, either. He didn’t want to disrupt the communication.

Finally, she seemed to relax and opened her eyes. “It was so easy to reach Marguerite. I just thought her name, and suddenly she was there. I wish you could have heard her. She was practically screaming at me, ‘What’s wrong, what’s wrong?’” Grace laughed.

“What did you tell her?”

“Actually, I asked her to hop in the future streams because I was feeling uneasy. She said that was good enough for her and that she’d get back to me.”

“Good, that’s good.”

Grace rose to her feet. “It’s probably nothing. I’ll go take my shower, but don’t go far.” She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

“I’ll be right here.” His chest felt warm and very full. He could see by the light in her eye that she had something cozy on her mind. He was definitely game.

He almost suggested he join her in the shower, but he had a few things to check out first. He looked around the room. Then he felt it, too. Something didn’t feel right. He wondered if Casimir was around causing some sort of mischief.

He heard the shower running. Grace started humming, and the sound gripped his heart in the nicest way. He could feel the water on her skin, her hands soaping up, then rubbing over her shoulders, her arms, her br**sts …

Okay, he had to shut that down because he knew if he didn’t, he’d be heading back to the bathroom. He ordered his mind and found that with a little effort, he could block some of her physical sensations. He really did need to check in with the colony’s Militia Warrior HQ to see how things were going.

But as he folded his phone into his hand, his sense of uneasiness increased, though he couldn’t say why. His cabin was a significant distance from the main portion of the village.

He turned the lamps off in the bedroom so that the only light in the room was the glow from the bathroom.

Grace was suddenly in his mind. Marguerite said the Seattle Colony will be under attack.

When?

Anytime.

I’ll let HQ know.

He moved to the large window to the left of the bed and pushed back the curtain to look outside. No movement except the wind in the fir trees. He looked down at his phone. It was only eight in the evening. He thumbed, then located the colony’s HQ phone and tapped the screen.