Gray - slow updates

Chapter 28

Gabriel

I couldn't stay and watch them vanish into those false people again. With clenched fists I headed down the hall and toward my temporary home, trying to figure out how to relay all I'd learned to Victor. Lost in my own thoughts, I slammed into someone who made a grunting noise and made me fall flat on my ass. Looking up I was met with Reid's disgusted look. "Mr. Coleman," he snarled.

I wanted to rip the man's throat out but instead gave a remorseful expression. "I'm sorry about that, Mayor. Guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I've got a lot on my mind with the planting season starting soon." His eyes widened as he blinked a few times, then gave a wicked sneer.

Reaching out a hand to me, he said, "No worries. Neither of us is hurt and I know you have your hands full with that husband of yours. Is the widow still clinging to her old shack?"

I gave a hollow laugh, "Yeah, she'll go down with the ship before she moves out." He laughed in agreement, then shook my hand before heading down the street. I shoved my hands in my pockets clenching my fists as I walked away dreaming of the moment I would be able to kill that bastard.

Victor

"What the hell!" I screamed as the camper door slammed open with Kota and Sean tumbling inside. "How..?"

"No idea," Sean answered, panting heavily. "I leaned on the door and it opened, so we hauled ass." He dumped an armload of notebooks and journals on the counter, followed by Kota. "We found some references to being stuck in dreams but didn't get through everything when the spell seemed to break so we just grabbed anything we could carry."

I picked up an old silver journal with a faded symbol on it. It felt well-loved with slightly yellowed pages.

Nate

I shook my head trying to figure out why I was in the middle of the road and not at work. It wasn't my break time, but here I was, halfway down the street, only a few steps from the schoolhouse, confused as hell. I nodded and waved to the Mayor as he headed into the building, then turned around and headed back to work.

Luke

I stared at the paper in my hands as Gabe came through the door looking like a storm cloud. He glanced at me and snapped, "What?" With a shaky hand, I held out the page. He snatched it away, the color draining from his face as he read it. "Where did you find this?"

"I...I was holding it, but I don't remember why," I stuttered. "Gabe, what the fuck is going on? That's my handwriting, but I have no memory of writing it, and who the hell is Gray?"

He held his hand out to me, leading me to the sofa. "Do you remember what you were doing this morning?" he prompted.

"Sure, we fed the chickens, then you headed into town for something and I started making cinnamon rolls. I remember taking a batch out of the oven, then the next thing I know is you're here and I'm holding this piece of paper." I sniffled and my head popped up. "Why do you smell like sex and perfume," I demanded, my eyes narrowing.

Gabe's cheeks flushed. "Please listen and don't react until you hear me out." He pressed his fingers to his forehead, rubbing in circles. "Gray is our bond and we are trapped in a spell. We aren't farmers, Luke, hell, we aren't even married." I made a choking sound, pulling back, but he grabbed my hand. "Wait, please," he begged and I stopped, giving him a chance to explain. "We are magical creatures. There are nine of us that have bonded with one another, and then one of our group, Silas, found our bond. Her name is Gray, but in the spell she's Gracie..."

"The mayor's fucking wife! Are you insane or do you just have a death wish?" I blurted. The mayor was well known for his temper and shady dealings. Good gods, he could literally make us disappear if he found all of this out - assuming it was even true. How the fuck can I be a magical creature. All I can do is bake and tend animals...

Gabe cupped my face, "Take a breath, pretty boy. He thinks we are all under his spell. He and Gray's father are behind all of this to force her to do horrible things. He wants to break her bonds with all of us. You wrote this because, for a brief moment, the spell broke. I was with Silas and Gray, and well, um, we all had sex." His face fell as a stray tear caressed his cheek. "The spell started again, and I had to leave...it was too hard watching them go back to being practically strangers and not even knowing what we had just done."

I snatched the paper from his hand and read it again. "Find a way to save Gray. He's going to steal her soul on the harvest moon. Someone help me!" Schooling my expression and hurt, I asked, "What does this mean - steal her soul?"

Sighing, he answered, "I believe that Gray has been trapped in a loop of spells to steal her life force. They used the cat as a tether of sorts and this is her last life - number nine. If he can gain control of her soul in this spell, he will be able to keep control of her and bind her in service to him. From what I've gathered, they can trap people in these loops and use their life force for themselves."

"Who the hell is 'them'?" I snapped.

"Reid and Gray's father, Nikolai." The second name caused a shiver to run down my spine as if I had recognized it. "If they get control of her powers, we are all in serious trouble. Fuck, the whole world will be in trouble. Not only will they have her power, but our magic as well, I'm sure."

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"I think your little note is a good start. I need to add to it, then we hope Victor is still watching and can see it," Gabe grinned as he began writing below my message.

I sucked in a sharp breath, "No fucking way...the baby really is his?" I whispered as he wrote. His smile widened as he nodded his head. "I'll be damned."

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