Gates of Rapture (Guardians of Ascension 6)

She felt him tense then relax. She could feel him swallow, which was a strange experience all in itself.

He nodded, but turned to stare once more through the leaves. Do it.

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Steady me while I do this thing.

You got it. He tightened his arm around her. I’ll let Thorne know what’s going on.

Grace let her obsidian power flow. Because her blue flame was now fully opened, the rush of energy was like a flood.

She glanced up at Casimir and telepathically told him what was going on.

Be careful, he sent. He reached for her, glanced at Leto, then withdrew his hand.

Grace turned toward the house. She thought of Mei-Amadi, and her apparition-self moved swiftly through the shrubs and even past the death vampires.

She sped into the hall. To the left was the kitchen and dining room and another major hall leading to the bedrooms.

Shifting to face forward, she saw that the largest gathering of death vampires was in the front living room where she had sat with Leto all those months ago. They were making a lot of noise, even cheering. She found the pretty-boys grouped around a single death vampire on the floor. He was engaged in copulation and was drinking a woman to death.

Oh, God. Mei-Amadi.

She froze for a moment as visceral memories pummeled her. She knew exactly what the woman was experiencing, the terror, the pain, and the rage combined. She felt ill.

Grace, are you all right? Leto sent. You’re trembling in my arms.

His voice eased her. Yes, she responded. She drew close and saw that the lovely African-Asian woman was white-faced, near death. They have Diallo’s wife. But she knew what to do. She put her apparition-hand on the woman’s forehead.

Grace simply took her with her so that Mei-Amadi vanished from beneath the death vamp. With a rush of energy, she headed back to Leto. At the same time she gave him a brisk mental warning of what she had done.

When she arrived and Mei-Amadi materialized beside her, she collapsed on Grace. She was naked, bruised, and bloody. She was also weeping. Her sounds would bring the death vamps.

We’ve got to get her out of here, Grace sent to Leto.

He drew Mei-Amadi into his arms and sent, We’re folding to the Militia Warrior HQ in Apache Junction Two. The landing platforms. He glanced past her, and she could tell that he was sending Casimir a similar message.

Take her, Grace sent. I’ll follow.

As he dematerialized, he was shouting into her head. Grace, come with us now. This is too dangerous.

She shifted to meet Casimir’s gaze. He frowned heavily. You need to go with him, don’t you?

He nodded, but he looked pained. I hate to leave you here, but I’m Leto’s guardian. Will you be safe?

Yes. But I must find Diallo. She noticed movement to her right and saw that a couple of death vampires were headed in her direction. She couldn’t stay in the garden.

She considered all her options and looked up. I’m going to the roof. Come with me.

She folded to the rooftop and blocked her trace. She’d half expected to meet up with a couple of death vamps here on top of the house, but none was present. She lay down on the shingle roof, making herself almost invisible since the sky was dark overhead.

Casimir materialized next to her. What are you doing?

I’m going to remain prone while I do my split-self. Don’t worry. I feel very secure here. Go to Leto. I can feel your need to guard him.

He put a hand on her shoulder, then vanished.

Once more she let her obsidian power flow. She moved in apparition-form and began searching through the house room by room. A great deal of angry shouting was going on in the living room. She pressed on.

She found Diallo in the middle of his large master bedroom, beaten around his head and face, his arms cut up. A death vampire was behind him, his fangs in deep and drinking him down at his neck. Another was in front, and had attacked him in the groin, sucking from the vein. There were other fang-marks as well. Diallo’s beautiful brown skin had actually paled.

Grace hurried toward him and he met her gaze. Diallo had so much power that he could see her when even Greaves couldn’t. She put her hand on his forehead, and he simply vanished with her as she flew back to the roof and reentered her physical self. He collapsed facedown on the roof next to her.

“Lie still,” she whispered. “I’m going to fold us to safety, but it will hurt like hell because you’re wounded.”

Diallo merely smiled.

She folded him to the landing platforms at the Militia Warrior HQ. He arrived facedown on the platform, screaming. In addition to the many cuts, it now became apparent that he had broken bones as well. After a few seconds, his back arched and he passed out.

Not long after, probably because of Leto’s advance warning, several healers arrived. They moved Diallo off the platform, but not very far, as they began healing him.

Thorne arrived running up the ramp toward her. He drew her into his arms. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, then looked around. “Where’s Leto?”

“He took Mei-Amadi straight to the hospital from here.”

She could sense that Leto’s arms were wrapped around his stomach and that he was blinking rapidly. Leto, I’m at the landing platform. I’ve got Diallo. He’s alive.

Oh, thank God. I could feel that you had folded and that you had him with you. The breh-hedden is really something, but who the hell is hugging you?

Grace didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The whole situation was so horrible, yet Leto had time to be jealous? Thorne. Just Thorne.

Okay. Sorry about that. Diallo’s wife has been calling for him. What can I tell her?

We got him in time. The healers are with him. He’s really messed up: drained, cut up, some broken bones. I’m going to wait here with Thorne. Come to us when you can.

I’ll come back as soon as Alison gets here, probably just a minute or two.

Okay, that’s good. Is Casimir with you?

There was a slight pause, then He just left. I told him you were with Thorne.

She knew he was angry, and she knew exactly why, so she sent, Leto, you must not fault him for not staying with me. He is your guardian. You know how critical that feels. You’ve served as a Guardian of Ascension in centuries past. You know he did what he had to do.

I know. But I don’t have to like it. I’ll leave here shortly.

She turned to Thorne and told him what she’d seen. “The mist was destroyed and the colonists are being slaughtered. Diallo’s house was crawling with death vampires.”

“We’re getting ready to launch. Donna, who works the grid here at HQ, moved the grid to the colony’s location. Seriffe is with her. He has his eye on everything as well. He sent out a general call for Militia Warriors fifteen minutes ago. We’re assembling the squadrons in the flight hangar now. They’ve already started arriving. A couple dozen squads are just about ready to fold.”