Guarding Grace

Chapter Six

Grace woke up lying on the mattress, but Ryder was nowhere to be found. She sat up quickly, scanning the room in alarm. She knew that sometimes during the recovery, one could have a moment of lucidity and run off to find their vice. She had hoped that was not the case. She stood up intent to search the entire building if she had to, but stopped right as her hand reached for the door.

Water running, Grace let out a sigh of relief. He was in the shower. Had he finally come out the other side? What if it's the spirit that has taken over him? Grace worried her bottom lip as she thought of who would be in Ryder's body when he walked out of the bathroom.

She heard the water turn off and the shower curtain move. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Grace watched the bathroom door. She braced herself to see the dark cloudy eyes and hear the deep gravelly voice, but when Ryder walked out; she saw the bright green eyes of Ryder.

Ryder tilted his head slightly, "You alright? You look like you are ready to go to war."

Grace chuckled, "You are the one who's been to war. How are you feeling?"

He simply shrugged, "A bit like death, but otherwise good." She nodded, it was normal to feel run down. She stood up to go to the kitchen, "Hungry? It'll be best if you eat something bland. Not sure how your stomach will act."

As she walked by him, he reached out and grabbed her arm. Stiffening she remembered the warning, or was it a promise, given by the spirit the day before. She stared at his hand on her arm, it wasn't a tight grip, just a firm one. Her eyes lifted to his, expecting to see the cloudy dark eyes of the spirit. She relaxed when she saw the green. He cleared his throat, "I know that I've been difficult to deal with. Coming out of it is... hard." Ryder shifted his eyes to the floor, "But yea, thanks for being there."

Grace smiled, "It's my job. There's no telling what would have happened if I wasn't." She winced realizing she sounded conceited. "I mean, recovery is hard. It leaves you open to so much. Someone has to be here with you or you can be overrun."

Ryder let go of her arm, still staring at the floor he spoke, "I remember nothing, I wish I did."

Grace paused at the door to the kitchen, turning around she gave him a dark look. "No, you don't. Withdrawal leaves you open to possession... no it guarantees you will be possessed. The spirits are not nice. You don't want to remember that. Be grateful."

Ryder gasped and looked up at her, "Did I hurt you?"

A small smile played across Grace's lips, "A couple of bruises, nothing more. You need to eat."

She turned back towards the kitchen, whispering so that he would not hear, "Warnings of death. Warnings of betrayal."