Page 77 of Gates of Rapture
He then issued orders to continue searching the future streams for signs of the colonies or of anything having to do with obsidian flame.
Hopeful once more, he dematerialized to his Estrella compound, where he chose from among his most powerful Third Earth death vampires.He suspected Casimir would intervene again, but it didn’t matter.Greaves just needed to distract Leto for the few minutes he would require to take control of Grace’s mind.
***
Casimir waited near Leto, still invisible.The forest had grown quiet.He glanced up at the night sky, barely visible beyond the layer of mist that Endelle had built to cover the colony.
He sighed.He understood why he’d been given this job: He understood Greaves’s mind better than anyone.Greaves didn’t have a conscience, and until recently, Casimir hadn’t had one, either.So how could Leto, with his hypersensitivity to right and wrong, ever truly know how devious Greaves could be?
His instincts were humming a warning tune.He made himself visible to Leto, which caused the warrior to take a step back.“What the fuck?Why didn’t I see a shimmering?”
“I’ve been here since you folded down to the colony.I can go invisible, or did you not know that?”
He scratched his chin with the edge of his thumb.“I keep forgetting that you’re even around.So what’s going on?”
“I have an uneasy feeling that Greaves is about to shake things up again.”
Leto looked up at the dome of mist and frowned.“Even with such a strong cloak over the colony?”
“Yeah, even with all this.”
Leto looked up at the house.“Gideon cleaned up the death vamps in and around the house.Grace is there now, in the courtyard.I’d say there are three squads of Militia Warriors in there now.”
“She should be all right then.”
Another squad of warriors reported to Leto, and he directed them into the south pastures.“Make sure there isn’t a wounded death vampire hiding in any of the haystacks, barns, or fields.”
The men took off.Leto planted his hands on his hips and looked up and down the lane.Casimir followed his gaze.What did the warrior see?What was he looking for?Was this who Patience was?Always looking for the enemy, trying to get one step ahead.
He wished to hell she’d come back to the observation deck.For maybe the first time in his life, despite how desperately attracted to her he was, he just wanted to talk to a woman.
***
With the hidden colonies secured and a new layer of powerful mist over the land, Grace returned to Diallo’s house to wait for Leto to finish his duties.She felt a strong need to be near herbrehas much as possible right now.
The corpses were long gone, and all the colonists had been accounted for—either those few in the morgue or the rest at the Portland Colony.
She reclined in one of the chaise longues in the lush courtyard.The temperature in the garden was very comfortable, and because of the thick shrubs, flowers, and trees, a wonderful humidity eased the dryness of the mountain environment.
Leto was in the lane below Diallo’s house finishing up with the Militia Warrior Section Leaders and going over the numbers one last time.At least a dozen squads were still doing a house-to-house search just to be sure.
She had long since started blocking Leto’s external physical sensations.She had learned from chatting with both Fiona and Marguerite that blocking those sensations became a critical survival skill for thebreh-bonded couples.It was a very doable skill, and she was learning fast.
Even though the colony had been secured, Grace had begun to feel uneasy, but she didn’t know why.She half expected her obsidian power to rise, but the earth remained quiet beneath her.
A chill went down her neck, and she rubbed her arms.She looked around.Something had disturbed her, but what?All the shrubbery remained still, unmoving.She had the jitters, but then why wouldn’t she after all that she’d been through?
She looked up at the dome of mist that once more covered the colony.Endelle had created it as a temporary solution until Diallo could recover and repair the damage.She had even worked to add her own moss to help with the disguise.But if the colony had been mapped, and if Greaves had enough power to burn the mossy mist away, then in what manner could the colony ever be secure again?
She wrapped her arms around her stomach and held herself.She wanted to crawl into bed and forget everything at least for a little while, but which bed?Where?She couldn’t go back to the cabin, Leto’s wonderful cabin, not for some time at least.On the other hand, if either she or Leto could cloak the cabin in an additional layer of mist, the combination might just work.
She thought the thought and instantly, because of thebreh-hedden,she was in Leto’s mind.I’d like to sleep in your cabin tonight,she sent.
Hey, sweetheart,he responded instantly.I’d like nothing better as well, but I’m not sure it’s safe.
Are you almost done?
Just a few more minutes.I just sent the Section Leaders to bring in their teams, then we’ll head out.So give me a few minutes… that is…He fell silent.
