Gray

Chapter 30

Victor

I let out a ragged breath as I watched Sean with Gray. His warning about the child's due date was received loud and clear before he too was sucked into the spell. Kota had parked the camper just on the outskirts of the town as we did surveillance. It looked like the same town we had entered only a short time ago - a lost pocket in time with thriving people. Only they had no idea who they were...

"Do you think it will work?" I asked him.

"I don't know, but at this point, I don't see any other options. If we both carry the spell, and I place the blooms near Gabe and Luke's farm, then hopefully this will come to an end soon," he sighed.

"An end where we get the girl, I hope," I muttered. Picking up the feathers, I handed one to Kota and began to read from Gray's spell book. We had come across a way to magically tattoo the incantation we would need onto our skin. We had no way of knowing which one of us Gabe would be able to get to in time, so we decided to both use the spell. Next, we would enter the town near their farm and place the nightshade blooms into Gabe's workshop. He went there every morning as if checking for something, so we figured it was the safest bet.

I grimaced as the words began to burn into my skin, while Kota cried out, "Fuck, should it hurt this much?"

"How the hell should I know? I don't do spells, man." He gritted his teeth and just nodded as the words began to appear on our chests. We wanted to keep them in a location we could hide easily from Reid.

Speaking of Reid, he had finally let Gray out of her room. She seemed so hopeless, almost hollow as she sat staring out the window of their home. His entire body language was hostile. We couldn't hear his words, but it wasn't difficult to understand he was yelling at her. Her shoulders would wince occasionally as her eyes fell to the floor. With a nod, she stood and took the coat he offered her, then followed him to the car. Several moments later we watched the two of them walk into Sean's office for an OB appointment. As odd as it was, Sean being there helped Kota and I both feel better. While he may not recognize her, nor realize that is Silas's child, he does have the skills to keep her healthy and safe.

We left the monitors recording as we made our way past the barrier and onto Gabe's farm. It felt like an odd humming in my mind as we walked further into the spell. "Kota. Kota, I don't..." I stumbled to find words as I wiped sweat from my forehead.

"Vic? Kota?" I lifted my face to see a familiar face and smiled.

"Hey, Mr. Coleman, how's the farm stand going?" I asked him, then paused as I noticed his expression falter before he answered.

"It's good, but please, call me Gabe," he sighed.

Kota

One minute Victor is Victor, then the next he's acting like he barely knows us. I saw Gabe look at me questioningly and I shook my head. I noticed a glimmer in his eyes.

"Well, we just stopped in..." Vic's voice trailed off, trying to remember why we were there.

"Just wanted to drop off some papers for your insurance on the place. I remember you wanted to make some changes," I filled in. I handed Gabe the notebook in my hand that concealed the blooms. "I'll check back with you soon about those modifications, Gabe."

I could see his entire body relax as he realized that like him, I still knew who I was. He chuckled, "Can't beat this kind of service in the big cities, now can you?" Victor and I both laughed in response, then made our farewells and headed back toward town. Ironically, with some twist of the spell, there was an expensive-looking black sedan at the end of the driveway that Victor stepped into.

"Mind if I drive?" he asked, "I think it will help clear my head. Can't believe I forgot why we were even here," he muttered, shaking his head.

I slapped his shoulder and reassured him, "Hey, no problem. We've been working overtime with all those recent flood claims. You just need a solid meal and some sleep, buddy."

He brightened up a bit, "Yeah, you're probably right. Matter of fact, why don't we grab lunch on the way back."

"Now that sounds great," I answered, as I briefly looked toward Gabe. He was clutching the book to his chest as he caught my eyes. Thank you, he mouthed and I nodded my head slightly.

Now we just need to come up with a plan that won't alert Reid any more than he already is.