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It was precisely how my mother had lived, and I wanted no part of it.
I was desperate for Kham’s deep, soothing voice in my head. Frantic for his wisdom and guidance.
But as I held Grace tighter and tighter, all I could do was pray.
I don’t want to be that man anymore. I don’t want to be afraid, and angry, and killing.
I don’t want to add darkness to this world, I want to shine light into it. But I don’t know how. Because every time I try to step close to anyone, that darkness comes with me, and it sucks them in, too.
Help me. Help us. Please… I can’t destroy her. I need… I need something. Someone. I need—
“I’m here.”
She mumbled the words and I froze.
Grace was waking up. Rubbing her eyes, shaking her head to clear it. But she still clung to me like a child.
“What happened?” she whispered, her face still buried in my neck. “I saw you, but I couldn’t feel you… Voski, why can’t I talk to you in the link?!” Her voice grew thinner and higher with each word.
I held her to me, shushing her, holding her when she shook, and when she was calm enough, I explained it. All of it.
Everything that had happened in this sick ritual.
Everything I’d done wrong.
And everything I would do to fix it.
No matter what.
And at the end, she sat up slowly, still in my lap, her hand on my chest, right over the bond—and my heart thumped into her palm. Her eyes were wide, but she didn’t look afraid anymore.
“You did it, Voski,” she whispered. “We’re both here. You won.”
I shook my head. “Not yet,” I admitted reluctantly. “I have to save all of us. I have to get the Dominus mark back from my mother, and get the hell out of here, so no one else can use it. And I have to… to figure out how to destroy it, Grace. Because I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be dark anymore. But I can’t let anyone else take that power, either. We have to end it. Right here. Tonight. I just… I don’t know how to do that without walking into the dark myself.”
She stared into my eyes without flinching, and stroked my cheek with her thumb. And she smiled.
“We’ll do it together,” she whispered. “I know we can.”
I was about to tell her no. In no uncertain terms was I walking her any deeper into this. But then Kham’s words echoed in my head.
You only fear and fail because you refuse to let anyone else help you.
So, I swallowed them back, and nodded, and held her even tighter. “Yes,” I whispered. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”
She sank into my chest again, clinging, and I had to swallow back tears.
“Don’t be scared,” she said. “I know we can do this.”
“We can,” I said hoarsely. “But… I need you, Grace. Stay with me. Don’t leave. And don’t die. Promise me… don’t leave me. No matter what.”
She shook her head and clung even tighter. “I never will.”
In It Together
SOUNDTRACK: Here to Stay by SHUNE
~ GRACE ~
