Remembering Rose

Chapter Twenty- Grim Gala III

Galen's POV:

Rose was gone. That one lone thought ripped through my mind as I quickly ran into the ballroom after the direction I had thought she'd gone. One moment she had been roasting the council of murderous gang leaders and then the next she had been downed by a painful realization. How, I wondered, could such a transformation occur. My feet carried me into the right hand side of the ballroom and my eyes scanned the crowd for Rose's familiar tangle of blonde hair, but the only familiar people I saw were Vanessa, Farley, and Walker. As I attempted to make my way over to the trio who stood whispering near the grand windows the ballroom doors opened and silence descended upon the hall. 

The Wolf Gang had finally made it to the Gala....perfect.

The group was lead by two young people; a straight-backed blonde girl holding onto Rayden Davis's arm and a young man with silver eyes and white suit. Instantly my heart beat skyrocketed, with Davis in the building the Reds were undoubtedly on the perimeter and Phoenix was near by. Hush whispers turned into a roar and I shoved through people to reach my friends. 

When I got to their sides I pulled their attention from the new entries with a brusque question, "We're leaving, where is everyone else?"

Vanessa answered first, "Lil and Knox already left. Mum saw Knox's condition and sent them home with a stern refusal to let them stay and give him worse wounds. I convinced mum that Peony should tag along because the whole kidnapping thing last fall, so most of your ducks are in a row."

"Where's Rose," asked Walker when he noticed her absence. With a grimace I retold how  Rose had stood before the council and defiantly stood her ground before Father. The group all turned pale and fear cracked the masks they had created. "We have to find her before anyone else does," Walker hissed.

"Walker, you check the ballroom; she may have run in here to find you. Farley, search the halls and the car. Vanessa, you and I will check the house and the gardens. We have to find her fast or else Phoenix might and we all know how ready she is to get her gun back." With a nod of agreement the group split, searching faces and spaces high and low. 

My heart thundered loudly in my ears, nearly drowning out the music that had suddenly begun upon the arrival of my Father's most notorious guests. I quickly made my way out of the ballroom to the gardens. The waning light of the sun dusted the bowing hydrangeas gold and shimmered through the leaves of the ornamental trees planted along the paths that stretched throughout the garden. My footsteps seemed horribly loud as I scoured the landscaping, sharp branches cut my hands as I searched under bushes and dirt caked the knees of my trousers. Every minute that crawled by without success made me more anxious. I was just about to give up when the softest of sobs caught my ear. I turned in a circle attempting to identify just where the sound had come from, my voice called out almost frantically, "Rose?"

A rustle of leaves answered me, and in that moment I leapt over a blooming bush of roses towards the sound, my feet flew with the knowledge she was nearby. "Rose?"

Another quiet sound, silk brushing rough bark, lead me closer, "Rose?"

My voice grew quieter with every call, the rush of relief settled and as I finally came upon her silence seemed most appropriate. She was cradled in the boughs of an ancient oak, her face hidden by fallen curls and soft blue fabric. Her feet were bare, having shed their shoes somewhere along the journey, and bleeding from the few cuts gained most likely from climbing. There were no words in that moment I spent staring up at her, just a sad understanding that there was too much I couldn't protect her from. 

In the silence I was too afraid to break, she lifted her head and turned to look at me with teary eyes. "I...remembered something...broken," she whispered. I waited for an explanation, but one never came. 

I offered my hand up to her without breaking the fragile connection she formed between us. "Are you afraid of it?"

She took a deep breath and reached for my hand, "Not if you're here."

Her fingers slid neatly between my own, like gears in clock ticking out lost time. She descended from her perch in the tree and I caught her against my chest. There we stayed for a moment longer than necessary, leaning together in the comfort of closeness. Her vanilla and honey scent wrapped around me while her damp cheeks cooled the crook of my neck. "Let's go home," I heard her murmur. 

The two of us made our way back to the ballroom, both thinking too much to keep any conversation. When we entered the room the quiet of the garden was replaced with roaring excitement of the party. It had become wild in our absence: people were dancing with gilded masks, business deals were taking place between tables, laughter echoed from coy conversations, and the booming voice of Red Davis rattled the windows. My eyes scanned the crowd for Walker, Farley, and Vanessa finding them each in conversation with members of opposing gangs. Walker was being heckled by a flock of Grim girls, Farley was arguing with a group of haughty Reds by the ballroom door, and Vanessa stood in the presence of the Wolf Heirs. I groaned knowing we would have to weave our way to escape while collecting our friends.

Knowing a quick glare to the women around him would free Walker I led Rose through the crowd toward his direction. Surprisingly enough upon getting within ear shot it wasn't his usual banter that greeted my ears. Walker was offering excuse after excuse to escape the hungry women around him. As we drew closer his gaze found mine and jumped quickly to Rose, the worry on his brow disappeared and he shoved his way to us. His arms wrapped Rose in tight hug and he buried his mouth in her hair. "My heart can't take much more of your disappearing acts, Rose Amelia Bernadette Darling!" A muffled apology could be heard as well as several indignant huffs from the women left in Walker's wake. 

"We're leaving now," I informed Walker jerking my head towards the door, "grab Farley and get the car running." I didn't need to wait to see if Walker obeyed my command, I knew he was just as ready to leave. Rose followed closely behind me as I made my way quickly to Vanessa, the people parted and shifted around us as though we were plagued making our progress across the hall quick. 

When I reached Vanessa's turned back I coughed to gain her attention. She turned bearing an irritated smile, one that melted when she realized it was her brother and not another bothering her. "It's time to go," I told her lowly, not wanting to draw much more attention. 

"Where could you be off to, Galen Blackwood," an unfamiliar voice asked coldly. I turned to see Evelyn Davis watching me with an icy disdain. For someone I had never met, she was eerily familiar and I wondered exactly where she inspired such a feeling. I was so surprised by the feeling I almost didn't answer her until Vanessa sneakily stepped on my foot. 

"We've made our appearance and that's all that was asked of us," I growled attempting to ignore the pain in my foot. I grabbed Vanessa's hand, making sure to pinch the skin of her wrist for payback, and began to tug her away.

The second heir, a man my own age with strange grey eyes, shift slightly to cover a chuckle. Evelyn stared at him with a raised brow, the frown she wore never leaving her pale face, and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry Evie, it's just that they act like sibling even in a place like this. It reminded me of that time in Glasgow..." his voice faded with another laugh. Evelyn looked away with a blush while Vanessa and I shared a confused glance. 

"Don't remind me," Evelyn huffed with clenched fists. Upon realizing Vanessa and I were still watching them Evelyn schooled her features and turned to walk away from our little group. With just a few steps she disappeared easily from view like a shadow at dusk leaving the second heir alone with us. 

"Oops, I guess I ruffled her feathers a little bit," the man said in mock distress. 

Rose's hand nudged my side and I knew she was growing impatient. I turned to her with a soft smile, silently I promised her we'd soon be home again. I turned back to the heir, "You'll have to excuse us, we really do need to leave. Old feuds can only be kept tamed for a limited amount of time." 

As if by command a shout rose above the commotion of the party, "Where is Rose Darling?"

"And that's our cue," Vanessa told the heir with a smile. Her hand grabbed Rose and pulled her from her hiding spot behind my back. Her eyes met the heirs and I watched as her brows rose with surprise. 

"Adam?"

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