Greys IV - Chains

Prologue

The moment my mind realized I was in the Vault and safe, I was suddenly being attacked. The thought crossed my mind that somehow James' father had gotten in, had overrun the Vault while we futilely tried to defeat him, but that couldn't be true. Abby was here. That's the whole reason he had stayed behind because nothing could get in unless he allowed it when he was here. And I had just seen my old master at that god-forsaken house, not here, not in the Vault.

By the second clawed strike tearing at my cheek, my mind caught up and comprehended what was really happening. Nevaeh was fully Shifted and attacking me like I was the enemy. And though I was used to playing the part usually, I wasn't, not this time.

I dropped Jordan in an undignified pile and jumped back just in time to avoid a kick that easily would have snapped a Human's neck and at least loosened my jaw. I grabbed her foot with a snarl. She was fast and in a rage, but even spent, burned, and unshifted, I was better. She was no match for me and never would be, regardless of the circumstances. I yanked her forward by her ankle, letting her fall within arm's reach, and caught her at the neck. But just as I was about to tell her to calm the fuck down and listen to me, to give me one moment to explain, the closest likeness to a semi-truck crashed into me.

Kael, clearly misreading my intentions of grabbing his pair by the throat, had come to her rescue. Would no one let me get a fucking word out? If I had the strength, I could have pulled my fire around me, keeping them both back while I spoke, but between all that had transpired, all I had used to protect them, to get Jordan out, to disobey my master, I barely had embers left in me.

Luckily, the same couldn't be said for the unconscious heap on the floor. A concussion of air and flames burst from her motionless form, throwing all three of us against the walls of the chamber we had been transported to. I heard Nevaeh's head hit hard enough to disorient her and give me a moment to speak my piece. The wind was knocked from her brother as well, and though he looked up from all fours with black eyes and a face streaked with his enemies blood, looking like the devil himself, when I held my hands up, palms out, he paused his struggle to stand.

"He isn't dead."

I rushed the words out, hands still up like I was fucking surrendering to two weak-blooded fools. If my master - former master - could see me now, he'd flay me.

"But we have bigger problems, yes?"

I motioned to Jordan, who now had a ring of brown-black char burnt into the floorboards surrounding her, crawling out further like a sickness, a rot, smoke already beginning to ribbon up into the air as her power consumed more and more.

"Just trust me for one goddamned minute, and I'll explain after we get her to Abby."

P.S. By 'he,' Malachi means Ailech. Sorry. James be dead, super unalive ded dead #oops