supposed to be close by, protecting me!” Her head instinctively turned as her gaze settled on the blood underneath Richard’s hand. An uncontrollable shiver ran over her. It was all too easy to picture some of them in the ground.
Quentin moved closer, reaching out with a tentative hand. Grace glared at his hand in warning, and he dropped it back to his side. “I was summoned to the Consulate, Grace.”
Grace threw up her hands. “I don’t even know what that means.”
“I stood trial for breaking the rules.”
Her eyes went wide, and then started to sting from the tears that welled. “What now?” she whispered.
Quentin took a step closer, leaning toward her. “Don’t worry, I only got a warning. They’re not taking me away from you.”
She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but clamped it back down, rendered speechless by her roiling emotion. Worry moved aside, however, when the front door clicked shut, and light footsteps trotted across the foyer.
“What is going on?” Amanda demanded, gaping at the chains hanging from Grace’s wrists.
The tears burst from Grace’s eyes like a dam breaking as she ran to Amanda and wrapped her arms tightly around her. Amanda froze in Grace’s arms, seeming unsure as to what all the fuss was about. When Grace was able to stop, she wiped embarrassingly at her face until it felt dry. “Where have you been?” Grace asked through trace tears.
Amanda shook her head slightly. “It’s the weirdest thing. You know when you get this feeling, a sixth sense?” Grace anxiously nodded. She knew all too well. “After my interview, something kept telling me to keep driving and not to stop. It kind of freaked me out. So I kept driving.” Grace laughed. “You need more gas, by the way.” She hugged Amanda again and kissed her cheek. Amanda made a face and wiped it away, warning, “You’re not getting off that easy.”
Grace glanced around, realizing just how lucky she was. Every one of them had in some way sacrificed to keep her and her secret safe. Since she was a little girl, all she ever truly wanted was a family, and to be loved wholly and completely. For so long, she thought she felt alone, and mostly believing that the only person in her life who loved her was her grandfather.
Her gaze fell back on her parents, who were still holding each other on the couch. Despite how sad and lonely the last fifteen years were without them, Grace felt an unbelievable peace wash over her. This was what happy felt like. She felt a smile take over her face as she sighed internally. Grace was Chosen, which meant she had a tremendous duty. She would do everything in her power to keep them and Pandora safe.
“Pandora!” Grace yelled, and ran out the front door. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and grabbed the backpack out of the trunk of the Shelby. Pulling her from the bag, Grace held Pandora close as she walked back into the house.
Amanda’s face contorted in confusion. She stared at the jar in Grace’s arms. “What’s that?”
Grace smiled. If Pandora trusted Amanda enough to speak to her, Grace knew she could too. “I think you better sit down. I have an unbelievable story to tell you.”
Zeke was in the hospital for two weeks. One of his lungs was punctured, just as Grace had feared, pierced by his broken ribs. The doctors worried mostly about the loss of blood from internal bleeding, but he recovered and was doing well.
The police assumed an animal had jumped in front of Zeke’s car and caused the accident. Toxicology reports came back negative for all drugs and alcohol, and since he couldn’t remember anything from the accident, they had nothing else to go on. Of course he couldn’t remember. There was no accident.
Zeke and Amanda had questions for days after she told them her full story. Zeke was more accepting of the truth than Amanda. He said he knew those guys were monsters from hell. Amanda still had a hard time believing it all, but she was coming around. “So, you’re like a superhero,” Amanda would ask over and over.
And every time, Grace answered with an emphatic, “No!”
Quentin insisted that Zeke and Amanda begin krav maga training, since their knowledge of the others put them in danger. Darius didn’t like the idea, and especially didn’t like Zeke. And Zeke knew it. Grace played peacemaker, ensuring that Darius was busy whenever Zeke was over for training.