Guarding Grace

Chapter Thirteen

Grace woke up with a soft purring sound in her ear, like a small engine. She turned her head and saw only the blonde hair of Hunter, she shifted slowly trying not to wake the sleeping man beside her. "Follow me child," the soft voice flitted into her mind.

Grace slipped out of the nest of pillows, blankets, and limbs; softly padding over to the shadow of Andora. "Andora," she called softly. Another purr sounded and she crept closer to the dark shadows of the doorway.

"Child, listen carefully to the darkness. Can you hear it?" Grace tilted her head, trying to listen for any sound outside the darkened doorway. She shook her head, hearing only the sounds of the men asleep behind her. "I hear nothing." A swipe of claws on her arm, "Listen!" The word in her mind came as a hiss.

Grace closed her eyes and shifted her focus, narrowing it to the outside. A soft hum came to her ears, confused Grace furled her brow. Under the soft hum came a bass drone. Her eyes shot open, "Hounds!" The single word came out as a strangled whisper, the golden eyes beside her disappeared and reappeared seconds later. The large cat nodded it's head, "We must wake them, you need to go deeper into the shadows. They can see well in the dark, but not well enough."

Grace sat rooted in the same spot, fear of the hounds causing paralysis. Another swipe of claws at her arm, this time the sting of a scratch followed. "Move!" Another hiss, followed by a soft chittering sound.

Grace stood quickly, rushing as quickly and quietly as she could to the men still asleep. She shook Regan, pointing to Andora sitting on her haunches in the doorway as he lifted his head up. He looked to Andora and then to Grace, nodding slightly as he got to his feet. Grace shook Ryder awake, gently whispering in his ear, "We have to go". He jumped to his feet as Regan was kicking Hunter in the side. "Let's go." He hissed as Hunter stood up rubbing his side glaring at Regan.

Regan lithely stepped over the piles of blankets and pillows and quickly walked after the stalking figure of Andora. Hunter grabbed the small knapsack and followed, grabbing Grace's hand who in turn grabbed Ryder's. Andorra's purring voice entered her mind again. "Stay close. Deeper into the shadows we go." A soft sound, that to Grace's ears, sounded like a chuckle came from the pattering form of Andora.

Passing under another threshold, Grace's breath caught in her throat as she lost all sight. She quickly stopped and tried to turn back but Hunter's grip on her hand tightened to an almost painful grip, she let go off Ryder's hand to pry her hand out of Hunter's grip when he yanked her towards him. Slamming into his chest, she felt his hot breath on her ear, "You keep going or they get him. Now move."

Grace grappled behind her for Ryder's hand, feeling his cool hand, she grabbed it and held on tight. She could not let the hounds get him, she did not know why he was so important. Again that purring voice of Andora, "You know just as well as I, he cannot fall into the wrong hands."

Grace took a deep breath and closed her eyes; Hunter would continue dragging her along whether she watched where she was going or not. She focused her attention on the shadows, fighting to hear beyond the heavy breathing of the men around her. The bass drone was ever present, though distant. A new sound emerged, a deep thumping- a steady rhythm, that she associated with her heart beat. A sense of calm washed over her as she felt the steady thumping rhythm increased in volume. Never becoming so loud it was unbearable, but always beneath the sound. A chitter came from the darkness in front of her, "Good- keep listening." The approval evident in Andora's mind voice.

Grace gave a small smile and squeezed Ryder's hand. Ryder's grip tightened slightly on her hand, Grace reached out her mind to listen more. A soft whisper floated on the air, "Faith will save you, be your own savior. Love will conquer all, but it is not all powerful. Remember the shadows have lessons to teach." The whispers sounded so much like the whispers she heard that day in the bathroom.

Grace opened her eyes just in time to see Hunter stop to avoid running into him. Ryder dropped her hand and went to kneel down next to Andora, he buried his head in her soft fur. GRace tilted her head, unsure of what to say or do. Hunter yanked her into his arms, shoving her face into his chest, "Don't look," he whispered. Grace closed her eyes tightly grabbing fists full of his shirt. She strained her ears to pick up anything, a deathly silence fell over them all. She could feel Hunter's heart hammering in his chest. The urge to peak building within her, her curiosity to know what had Hunter so anxious gnawing at her.

Grace shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts, her face rubbing against Hunter's chest. His right hand rubbing circles on her back, as if he knew what she was thinking. What she was wanting to do. She listened, the bass drone of the hounds was gone, the rhythmic thumping gone as well. In their place was a perfect stillness and silence; maddening in it's persistence.