Dr. Vale’s voice broke the silence. “You can use your hands to help show me what’s different. Over time, you’ll learn visual descriptive words. But for now, just try to explain or show to the best of your ability what you see.”
Using her hand, she made the round shape. “Many things like this, sitting on something that must be a table.”
“Good. Those are oranges in a bowl.”
“Oranges,” she murmured.
The citrusy smell filled her mind, and she tried to pair the scent with the image.
It should be simple, and yet trying to rethink the meaning of words made her even more tired.
Dr. Vale spoke. “You’re exhausted, I can see that. Two more questions and we’ll get you to your room, okay? First, are you in pain?”
“Not really. There’s some throbbing in my head, of course. And I’m tired. But it doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much as when I broke my arm as a child.”
“Good. The throbbing will last a day or two and then should start fading. If not, you need to tell me. As for the last thing, I want you to look at my voice and tell me what you see.”
Turning her head, she sucked in a breath. Even if it was only lighter and darker tints of her usual blankness, she made out what had to be a pair of eyes, nose, and mouth of another person.
She saw a face.
Her eyes heated with tears, and one slipped down her cheek, all while she smiled.
“See me, do you?”
His lips had moved as he talked.
She saw a person. Maybe not in a variety of colors—as her brother had tried to describe them to her over the years and it didn’t match Dr. Vale’s face—but she saw someone.
Tears trickled down her face as she let out a sob. Dr. Vale hugged her gently as she cried, feeling silly and yet unable to stop.
Grace had no idea how much time passed, but once she quieted, exhaustion weighed her down.
Dr. Vale finally spoke. “I think you see better up close than far away. However, we’ll test that tomorrow. For now, we need to get you to your room. And I’m sorry, Grace, but you’ll need to wear the glasses until tomorrow, too. I’ll give you another pair that’s merely tinted to use alongside these blackout ones, plus some instructions. But let’s get you upstairs first.”
After lifting her head, Grace took in the doctor’s face one last time and murmured, “Can I try this with Everett tomorrow? And maybe to look in a mirror?”
“Of course. I’ll be present to observe and make sure everything is still okay. We should probably establish your light tolerance as well. But for now, let’s get you upstairs, Grace. You can sleep as long as you like, and ring the bellpull next to the bed if you need anything. Can you stand?”
“Aye, I think so.”
And after he placed the special blackout glasses on her face, Grace struggled to her feet, swaying a bit.
Dr. Vale said, “Let me help you.”
He gently placed a hand under her elbow and at her arm. It helped, although it was going to take all of her remaining strength to walk down the hall.
You can do it, Grace. If you stumble too much or faint, Everett will hear of it and be rather growly and overprotective for the next week.
And she didn’t want that. Not when all she wanted was to see as much of the world as she could now.
So she embraced her inner wolf and did her best to walk with Dr. Vale’s help out of the door and into the hallway. One step in front of another, making her think she could reach her room.
But then she stumbled, and someone else caught her.
William Khan,the fae witch Dark Lord of London, was being guided to the upstairs parlor when a door opened on the ground floor and Dr. River Vale escorted a female wearing strange glasses out of the room.
She was pale with dark brown hair, and even with the black glasses, he remembered her eyes were blue.
