Guarding Grace

Chapter Nineteen

Grace woke with a heavy headache, reaching up she placed her palm to her forehead. Wincing as she felt the knot growing above her right eye. She didn't dare open her eyes just yet, as the pain had not receded enough. Instead, she listened. Heavy breathing to her left, it was a wet sort of breathing. Like that of a dog who has ran miles and miles. She turned her attention to her right, a steady rhythm- like a drum- it made her headache pulse. Trying to tune out the drumming she concentrated on words she heard in the background. A chanting, soft and low. The words were in a language she did not understand, guttural and violent.

    Grace started- Demons. She was in the lair of a demon. Was it Twister? The demon from the bridge? Grace wished Andora was with her, she wished anyone was with her. She laid her head on her forearms, fighting back tears- unsure as to what to do. A captive, she would never escape. The heavy breathing softened and became shallow. A door opened- the chanting got louder and quieted as the door was shit.

    A hand rested on the knot that had formed over her eye. A chittering sound made its way to her ears, a warmth flowed through the hand into her forehead. The pain from the knot and the headache seemed to be going away. As the last vestiges of pain left her, she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to know who or what was in front of her. The chittering grew more insistent, Grace slowly opened one eye and then the other. She was soon face to face with a young woman, but not a human woman. Grace took in the deep red skin of the demon, eyes that seemed to shift colors, and long silver hair. The eyes and hair reminded her so much of her grandmother, Grace found herself letting out a sob.

    The demon stepped back and shook her head. Chittering as she grabbed a blanket off the bed Grace had been laying on. Grace felt the soft blanket wiping her tears as the demon leaned in towards her. A calm settled over Grace as she watched the demon mesmerized by the way the light fractured in her eyes.

    The soft chittering of the demon lulled Grace back to sleep as she gently washed Grace's face with a cool cloth. Grace soon was snoring quietly, unaware of anything that was happening around her.

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    Grace woke and stretched lazily, feeling better rested than she had in days. She turned to see the muzzle of a large grey wolf resting on her bed, she jumped to the head of the bed trying to press herself into the headboard. The wolf snuffled, and walked out the door.

    Grace covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming in terror as she remembered where she was. She searched the room for any escape that didn't include walking out the door. As she looked into the fireplace, a tall man walked into the room. "You're awake." He growled in acknowledgement of her, "You are wanted by His Lordship. Come now, don't dawdle"

    The man walked out of the room, not looking to see if Grace was following. Grace followed the man as far as the door, hesitating before she stepped into the stone hall. Desperately searching as she walked behind him, for a way to escape, she barely noticed when they entered into a great hall. The man stopped abruptly cause GRace to run into him. Grunting he reached for her, dragging her in front of her and forcing her to kneel.

    Grace lifted her head and stared at the man sitting in a large throne like seat. Silver hair cascading down over his shoulders, Grace gasped as she recognized the features on his face. So much like her grandmother, Grace choked back a sob. Waves of both terror and grief washed over her.

    The man stood up, towering over her easily, he walked down the dais and lifted her chin with a single finger. Staring into her eyes, he chuckled, "You look just like her." Grace turned her head sharply, not knowing who he was referring to. She quietly spoke, "Who?"

    "Your grandmother. Astrid." He turned and walked back to the large seat, after sitting down and smoothing his trousers, he looked at Grace. "Killing her wasn't something I relished in."

    Grace gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. She stared at the man who looked so much like her grandmother, "Why?" She whispered.

    He waved the question away as if it were a fly, "So, Niece." Grace's head shot up at the word Niece. She stared at the man as if he were headless. "Niece?"

    A heavy sigh was the response she was given. "You bore me, take her back."

The grey wolf appeared at her side, butting her hand with its head. Grace grabbed the fur on it's scruff, allowing herself to be tugged and guided back to the room.

    Once in the room, Grace saw the same young woman with red skin, chittering softly to herself as she stoked the fire in the fireplace. Grace closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. Trapped in a room that belongs to a demon- who knew her grandmother. A demon who looked so much like her grandmother.

    She allowed the chittering to soothe her, but as she listened, she began to make out words. "He doesn't know what to do with you. He wanted to know why his mother left to take care of you. She was so powerful. She taught me to sing."

    Grace looked at the young woman, who had begun crying. Grace crawled to the edge of her bed and quietly asked, "Who was she to you? My grandmama?"

    The young demon looked up, "My grandmother too." Grace's jaw dropped, was her grandmother like Regan's mother? Selling herself for power? Grace sat back on her heels as she looked at the woman. "How?"

    The young demon looked at GRace, "Prim. My name is Prim."

Grace blinked, she had not thought to introduce herself to her. "Grace." She extended her hand. Prim took her hand and shook it. "Astrid was a celestial demon. The man on the throne- he son." Prim eyed Grace, "Our father."