Hand of Grace

Unexpected Kindness

Anne expected to be shaken awake when it was time to be moving so she was mildly surprised when she was prompted to open her eyes by a chirping bird. It was morning. Well, it wasn't early morning. The sun was out full force. She was lying comfortably in the shade, which explained why the heat hadn't woken her. She felt strangely relaxed even though she had spent the last few hours on the ground. She'd slept through the entire night. She couldn't remember the last time that had happened. As her thoughts became less groggy, she ran through the events that allowed her to be in this situation where she had been blessed with a full night's sleep.

She was confronted with memories involving three dead people, a rather dangerous ally and a promise to be protected. She shot up to an upright position and scanned the vicinity. Was she alone? What had happened? Why hadn't he awakened her? Was he hurt? Had he abandoned her?

She jumped a little when she realized that the incubus was sitting only a foot away from her; he was leaning against the tree trunk and had his eyes closed. He looked normal in that moment. Yes, he had all of those dreads and that beard that she would shave off if anyone asked her, but at that particular moment, he looked serene. He still looked intimidating, but he didn't look like he would slice open her throat if she asked him a reasonable question. Maybe he could even be called handsome if he cleaned up. His eyes opened when her gaze continued to rest on him and he turned toward her.

Darkness no longer covered his blue-green eyes and they were no longer glowing with power. He looked... ordinary. "You haven't slept well since coming here." His voice betrayed no sleepiness and his eyes weren't foggy. He hadn't been asleep. He had been waiting for her.

Anne hesitated. There was no reason to lie, but it seemed strange to acknowledge something that no one else suspected, much less knew. "I guess I'm home-sick," she said. She also had been frightened of her mission to confront him, but she wasn't about to admit that.

"And you were getting used to this world," he responded. "It won't plague you again."

"What do you mean?"

"Earth isn't rampant with cubi powers. Your technology changes the air of your planet. Not just the air quality, but its resonance. There is an adjustment phase for all Terrans when they come to Gaia."

Anne was bewildered by this bit of information that she had no idea was true or something that he was making up. "How do you-" but her question was interrupted by a cacophony of crows that felt the need to perch in the tree overhead. Anne stopped and looked around. She was used to waking up to birds outside her window. Crows didn't typically start their thing until later in the day. "What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?"

"It's midafternoon. You've been sleeping for about twelve hours."

Alarm flooded her. Anne threw off the cloak and jumped to her feet. "Why didn't you wake me? They'll leave me behind!"

Zephyr shook his head with a small, wry smile on his face. "You were exhausted. And no, Terran, they won't leave you behind. They left you behind."

The alarm quickly morphed into panic. "What!" she exclaimed. She knew this was too good to be true, that this had been too easy. Her heart thumped wildly. "That's not funny! I have to catch up with them! I have to-"

The incubus stood, towering above her.

And Anne remembered that she had watched this man, this incubus, slaughter three people; the panic of being left behind transformed into fear of a hidden agenda. "What do you want from me?" she asked in a wavering voice. Did he want to do that sacrifice to augment his power? Was he going to torture her for fun because in reality he really was an evil person?