Gates of Rapture(45)

“Nope. Just you.”

Yep, nightmare. Leto was many things, but he wasn’t a fool. If Greaves had targeted him and had staked Leto out in order to finish him off, Leto was in for it.

He needed Casimir. Nothing could have put a fire on his nerves worse than that.

“You’re not staying in my house.”

Casimir just lifted a brow. “I’m not staying anywhere on Second Earth.” With that, he vanished, though Leto could sense he hadn’t dematerialized. As a Fourth ascender, he had powers that Leto couldn’t relate to, like going invisible—which he was pretty sure Casimir had just done.

Leto turned in a circle. He still held his sword in his hand. He focused and sure enough, he could sense Casimir’s presence.

Don’t be an idiot, Casimir sent. You need me right now, and I’m sticking around. I owe Grace at least that much, to keep you alive. Adios. At least for now.

This time, Leto knew that Casimir had gone. So had Greaves’s mist. He glanced down in Gideon’s direction, but no one seemed the wiser about what had just happened.

He let out a heavy sigh and headed back up the hill. Once at the landing platform, he folded to the Seattle Colony’s landing area then headed to HQ. The Militia Warriors on duty reported that the colonists were all in their homes; no lights were on anywhere since they were still on high alert. The warriors folding back from battle were immediately sent home to clean up and recoup.

He glanced out the window at the contest grounds, visible beyond the empty tents.

“Have all the competitors returned to their continents?”

“Diallo gave the order shortly after the last of the Militia Warriors folded to Nazca.”

Leto nodded, but his heart was heavy. So much for the warrior games.

He wasn’t under the illusion that Greaves had actually started the war, not by attacking one insignificant colony on Mortal Earth. Greaves had probably been testing the waters. But whatever this attack had been, it was just the beginning. The transmitters had been all around Nazca, one small colony in a relatively insignificant corner of the world. That meant that Greaves was probably tracking all the colonies.

He sent out a telepathic thread toward Grace. Where are you?

Leto? Are you back?

Yes.

He heard her sigh, or at least he thought he did.

Thank God. When you’re done with all your duties, I’m at the cabin, having a glass of a very nice German wine I found in your fridge.

Listen, I’m going to fold straight to the shower, but I don’t want you to join me. I don’t want you to see me like this because I’ve been battling.

Well, I confess you won’t have to twist my arm on this one. But, Leto, when you get here, I really need you to break open my obsidian flame power. I’m done with these headaches, and as I told you before, I’m done holding back from my role in the triad.

He felt a jolt go through him, an awareness that what Grace had just said to him was no small thing. Grace was staying. That’s what went through his mind. If she meant to embrace her obsidian flame power, it meant she was staying.

Something in his chest opened up, and he released a deep sigh. Relief washed through him. Grace was staying. He wouldn’t have to bid her good-bye anytime soon. Maybe things weren’t completely settled between them, but until this moment he had felt she could easily walk away.

On the other hand, would Casimir’s sudden return have an effect on her? Would the breh return? Jesus H. Christ, a Guardian of Ascension. What exactly did that mean? He wasn’t, that is, he couldn’t possibly be in a call to ascension to Third Earth, could he?

Battle fatigue had started settling in, however. He set aside this new development in his bizarre life and focused on Grace.

I’ll fold there after I’ve taken care of a couple of things.

Okay. I’ll be waiting.

He left orders that HQ was to contact him at his cabin if he was needed for anything. When he felt confident that the situation was stable, he thought the thought. The next moment he was washing blood and debris down the drain of his shower.

But as he washed his hair, and had to bend to get beneath the spray of water because he was still in his beast-state, he rose upright and looked at his arms and hands.

He wondered. In the midst of battle, he had so easily morphed into this state—and what do you know, he hadn’t passed out. And another thing, he’d folded without any repercussion.

As he thought about the situation, he realized that the major difference had been his level of acceptance. He’d wanted his beast to come, he’d focused on the change, and the next moment he’d become his beast-form. But could he return as easily?

He relaxed every muscle of his body, and as the hot water beat on his skin, he focused on his normal vampire state.