Grounding Gracus (First Wave Book 6) (21 page)

True ignored the sexy voice in her head and the way it made her feel… special. She straightened her spine and stared back at Grai until he nodded his head. What he said next, set off her panic again.

“I don’t think you need to be here for this. When the new teams arrive, I want you and your team to hitch a ride back,” Grai said, hiding his nervousness.

Something was terribly wrong here and Grai knew there was a lot more to it than just the disappearance of Gracus and Rebecca. He sifted True’s energy and had felt something… strange. Something he’d never felt before. And until he knew what had happened to Gracus and his mate, he was taking no chances with True. He was more than a little surprised at how she responded.

“No!” True yelled, drawing the attention of Amun and a few of the others.

True didn’t care who the hell stared, she wasn’t leaving. And not just because Leif was screaming the same in her head either. There was something about this place that called to her and told her she was meant to be here at this time.

She stared down a silent Grai for a moment before he spoke to her through the Shengari’. “What is going on, True?” he asked gently, almost afraid of what she’d say.

Just as she was about to spill her guts to him about Leif and her connection to him, the control center panel lit up and projected a sentence on the panel screen and the wall this time. True almost choked when she read it.

“The Firefly stays or all of you will die.”

Grai turned concerned eyes to True and asked, “What the hell happened?”

True couldn’t hide the horror she felt at what she’d caused and mumbled, “I’m so sorry,” as the lights brightened dramatically before settling back to the normal light it was before. A new sentence appeared on the screen.

“Do not speak to the Firefly! If you have questions, you speak to me!”

Grai looked worriedly at True before turning blazing eyes to the screen. “How about you stop using a female and come out and deal with me like a man? Where the hell are my people?” he demanded as he stared at the screen.

True was also screaming at Leif in her mind. “Stop! Why are you doing this?”

True felt a strange caress in her mind that skittered down her spine causing her to shudder. Grai saw it and panicked, thinking she was under some kind of internal attack. He grabbed her and tried to push her from the room when he was hit in the back by a bolt of energy that knocked him to the ground.

True turned and threw her body over Grai’s while screaming, “STOP!!! Don’t hurt him! He’s a good guy! I swear, we’re all good guys. Leif, please…,” she said out loud, almost in tears over her fears for her friends.

Grai easily pulled True underneath him, trying to protect her from whatever it was that had felt like a kick in the back. True struggled to get out from under him while the Valendrans formed a circle around her and Grai.

The lights flashed as another sentence appeared on the screen.
“If you do not release the Firefly, you will all die.”

Grai yelled, “Get her out of here!” As he stood and faced the screen, hoping if whatever it was concentrated on him, then the others could get True out of there. But, it was too late. The tunnel leading out sealed as the doors disappeared, with Scaden still inside the living area on the other side.

True stood and easily fought her way passed the others while they were distracted with the disappearing exits. She stood in front of the control center and looked at the sentence on the screen, fear for her friends overwhelming her.

She looked at the screen sadly as she spoke to Leif in her mind. “I let you have the connection, because you said you were a hybrid and I thought you were a friend. But you’re a monster. Grai is my family and these people you are threatening are my friends… how could you betray me like this?”

True lowered her head, wondering why she felt so heartbroken. She didn’t know the man well enough to care this much and it bothered her. Stiffening her spine, she stared at the screen.

Placing her hands on the panel, True looked up and said aloud, “If you don’t leave them alone, I will destroy the connection and even myself if I have to.”

No one in the room could mistake the determination flooding from her in waves as she pulled her weapon and began to raise it. Grai launched himself across the room towards her as he screamed, “NO!”

Grai was thrown back from her as the tunnel and doors reappeared along with another sentence.
“Do not touch her!”

Grai looked at True from the floor, fear shining in his eyes and True moved to help him up. She looked at him with sorrow and said, “I’m sorry. He said his name was Leif and that he’s a hybrid. He can speak through the Shengari’… I thought…,”

Grai was going to hug her but didn’t want to initiate more violence. He needed answers and he needed to protect her. He squeezed the hand True had used to help him up, until she looked into his eyes.

“True, it’s ok, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong. This isn’t your fault. It’s mine,” Grai said, as he moved her behind him and faced the screen.

“Enough!” Leif’s voice boomed throughout the room.

True pushed herself past Grai, again, and dodged his hands as he tried to pull her back behind him. She placed her hands on her hips, flung her flaming red hair behind her shoulders and faced the screen angrily.

“Look asshole, if you want me to stay you better damn well start playing nice, because so far all you’re doing is pissing me off. These are my friends and my family and if you are truly a hybrid then you know that they are also YOUR people. So how about we all just try to get along?” she said with a cocky grin, hoping that her bravado would calm things down.

True felt a warm caress in her mind before she heard Leif whisper, “I’m sorry if I upset you, little Firefly. Indeed, let us begin again.”

True smiled to herself as she heard Leif say aloud, “For the sake of the Firefly, you may consider yourselves my guests. For the time being. Since your intent is to establish communication with us, the Firefly can occupy the room that once belonged to Fiorn Erikson. The rest of you are welcome to anything else available.”

They all turned as the three doors opened automatically and all of the lights turned on in the living area while the control center lit up. True looked around in amazement as the entire place began to hum with energy and life.

“That’s cool,” she whispered with a smile, feeling another gentle caress in her mind.

Leif whispered in her mind, “I couldn’t stand to see you upset.”

Grai looked at True and realized she must be speaking to the unknown hybrid through the Shengari’ and he was swamped with concern. He moved to stand in front of the screen and tried to draw the hybrid’s attention away from True.

“Thank you for your hospitality. I am Grai T’…,” he began before the voice cut him off.

Leif said, “I know what you are and I know who they are. You may bring in your technical teams, but I can assure you that they will only get the information we allow you to have. Which at this point, will not only be minimal, it will only be done through the Firefly.”

The words sent fear skittering down Grai’s spine. Somehow, this hybrid had attached himself to True and at this point, he had no idea how much danger any of them were in. The fact that Gracus and Rebecca were missing, did not ease his mind at all.

Grai stared at the screen with narrowed eyes. “And what of our two people that went missing from in here? Are they safe?” he asked, assuming this Leif, knew exactly where they were. He was right.

Leif flashed an image on the screen of Gracus, Rebecca and Gibly laying on a large white bed and Grai’s heart skipped a beat. “Are they alive?” he asked, praying that they were.

Leif answered immediately. “They are very well and are resting at the moment. They are not prisoners and have been given the choice to leave when they want. Medically, it is currently necessary for Rebecca to stay in the room they are in.”

Amun stepped forward. “I am Dr. Amun Nassur. What exactly is wrong with her? I may be able to help,” he said, hoping to get more information.

The image disappeared from the screen and Leif’s voice came back. “Her ability is psychometry, the ability to pull memories from objects. This place is built on a natural energy line which amplified her abilities causing her to pull the energy from the past, present and future from all around her. This place was putting her in an increasing energy loop which would have caused her to basically explode from within. The Sibiox and the Valendran were caught in her power,” Leif said simply, not really expecting them to understand.

Amun wasn’t about to be deterred. “Why would the energy build like that? Can you tell if there will be any lasting effects or damage? May I see their medical files on the screen?” he asked, wanting to learn more about what had happened to Rebecca and ensure his friends were safe.

True heard Leif’s heavy sigh in her mind before he spoke to her on their private path. “The man is annoying. Can I kill him?”

True’s eyes widened and she almost choked. “No! No killing anyone! Damn, he’s just worried about our people, as we all are! Can’t you bring them here?” she asked, hoping she could sway him.

Leif laughed. “Tsk, tsk, tsk… did you not hear the part where it’s medically necessary for her to remain in that room for now? I have not lied to you, little Firefly. Nor do I intend to.”

True countered quickly. “Then what harm would it do, to let our doctor look at whatever files you’ve made on them while treating them?”

She was surprised when Leif laughed. “Touché, I will have to remember that your carefree attitude hides a very quick mind,” he said as medical records appeared on the screen.

True smiled. “Thank you,” she said in her mind before noticing that everyone was staring at her.

She blushed under Grai’s scrutiny and expected his question in her mind. “He’s talking to you. He gave us the records because of you,” Grai stated the obvious.

True just nodded her head while Grai cursed under his breath, wondering how the hell things could get any worse at this point. Not including the different ways that Dare was going to try and kill him for getting her sister in this situation.
Fuck!
he thought. He was even afraid to walk outside to get hold of Tricia to let her know he was going to be a lot longer than he anticipated. He wasn’t sure if the door would disappear behind him and he’d never forgive himself for leaving True and the others at the mercy of… what, he didn’t know.

Grai looked at his people and squared his shoulders. “Pick a room. Everyone stay together. I want no stragglers in vacant areas and institute the buddy system. We wait for our friends to be returned to us,” he said, hoping he was making the right decision and hadn’t sentenced them all to death.

Chapter Nineteen

Rebecca came awake with a start and sat up quickly. She saw they were in the same room as before and was grateful that Gracus and Gibly were still there. She frowned as she saw Tara and Lauren looking at her curiously.

Tara said cryptically, “Give it a minute.”

No sooner had Tara said it than Rebecca remembered what had happened and she grabbed her head at the rush of pain the memories inflicted on her. Tara had touched her head earlier and she’d seen the nightmarish memories of hundreds of hybrids like her. Inhuman abuse and torture, things that people could never imagine had been done to them and Rebecca cried at the pain and fear they had felt.

Rebecca was so caught in the emotional energy that came with the memories she barely heard Tara beside her. “Shhh… let me remove some of them and deaden the energy of the rest,” Tara whispered as she probed Rebecca’s mind for the memories she’d given her earlier.

Rebecca sighed in relief when the memories became less intense and most seemed to melt from her mind completely. Within minutes she felt better and was able to sit up with Tara’s assistance. She looked fearfully at Tara for a moment before Tara spoke.

“I’m sorry, but you had to understand why this place must remain a secret. If you were ever captured, you could endanger the lives of those very women, who’ve only ever found peace, here,” Tara said looking very apologetic.

Rebecca nodded her head. “I get it. I truly get it. I don’t want to know where we are. But, I do want to leave,” she said, looking at Gracus and Gibly who were still frozen on the couch.

Lauren stepped over to the bed and sighed. “I’m afraid that is no longer an option. At least right now,” she said, sounding apologetic.

Rebecca looked fearfully at Gracus and Gibly for a moment, before Lauren nodded her head to the women behind them and they were released from the paralysis. Rebecca rushed to them and hugged the front of Gracus, looking for his strength and warmth. Suddenly, she was very cold and afraid for them.

Gracus cleared his throat to make sure he could still speak. “What has changed that we are now prisoners?” he demanded, holding tightly to Rebecca.

Lauren looked at him as if she were staring right through him. “
Your
people have come. They know you are here and they wish to open up diplomatic communication. Right now, while all necessary parties are arriving, we have requested your continued presence as a sign of good faith. You are not hostages or prisoners. In fact, you will be allowed free access to the facility, minus the control centers, of course.”

Gibly narrowed his eyes and surprised them all by speaking to Lauren. “You tell half-truths,” he said to her with a chastising look before looking up at Gracus and Rebecca. “Their leaders are arriving, but Grai and the others are unaware of it. She does speak the truth that we are in no danger. For right now,” he said, his tail twitching as he showed his teeth in displeasure.

“Is that true?” Gracus demanded.

Lauren smiled at the cat. “You are correct, Gibly. I apologize for forgetting your abilities. To be honest, I’m not at liberty to tell you what is going on, but, there is constructive communication occurring,” Lauren amended.

Gibly snorted and walked over to the wall where the women had appeared into the room. “I would like to test the boundaries of my new leash,” he said disgust.

Gracus and Rebecca walked over to the cat and turned back to Lauren. Gracus squeezed Rebecca’s shoulder and glared at Lauren before saying, “We would also like to walk around. Now.”

Lauren and Tara exchanged concerned looks before Tara joined them at the wall. A hole in the wall appeared moments later and the three of them stood in open mouthed shock at the sight before them.

They’d stepped out onto a sidewalk, in what appeared to be a small town. Stores lined the opposite side of the small, one-lane street. Bicycles and an odd assortment of personal motorized craft zipped along the streets with men, women and even children aboard.

There were street lights, which were off due to the bright light of day, and trees, shrubs and flowers, all over the area in an explosion of color and fragrances. Rebecca couldn’t help but think how beautiful it must be at night with the streetlights aglow.

“Where the hell are we?” Gracus asked in a choked whisper.

Tara smiled. “Welcome to Fiorn’s Folly.”

Gracus looked around in awe. He’d never seen anything like this on such a grand scale before. “How far underground are we?”

Rebecca looked up, where Gracus was staring and gasped. “How is it daylight down here?” she whispered as she stared at what appeared to be a large, natural cavern above them.

It was then she noticed that each of the buildings were carved of the same rock. Rebecca touched the building she assumed they had just come from, feeling a warmth in the rock she hadn’t expected. There was a door there now and a sign above it that said, “MedLab Alpha”.

Tara smiled at their curiosity, pride obvious in her tone when she said, “Follow me, I’ll show you around and explain the place.”

Gracus, Rebecca and even Gibly just nodded, their heads swinging around in all directions as they tried to take in the amazing town that looked like it was dropped into the center of a mountain.

Tara waited until they were following before beginning her explanation. “It was called Fiorn’s Folly because no one at the time believed that it was possible for the hybrids to band together and create a haven such as this. No one except Fiorn, who came up with the idea.”

Tara paused as a young woman zipped up to them on what looked like a hover board. “Tara, Lauren said this is the dispersing unit that Rebecca needs,” the young woman said as she openly stared at Gracus and Gibly.

Tara took the small unit from the woman and sent her on her way before turning to Rebecca. “Here, you should be able to clasp it easily,” Tara said handing the small unit to her.

Rebecca opened her hand as if compelled and allowed the item to flow into the palm of her hand. When Tara moved her hand away, Rebecca gasped at the beautiful crystal necklace in her palm.

Tara smiled. “The stone has been specifically charged to disperse the excess energy, you shouldn’t have any more problems as long as you wear it. Even if you leave here and you encounter another energy line or vortex, you won’t have to worry about having the same effects if you continue to wear that. It will also have the added benefit of helping you to focus and strengthen your abilities,” she explained.

Gracus picked up the delicate piece of jewelry, noting the same kind of design in the chain that he’d seen on the items that Jess, Amun’s mate, had made for others. “A hybrid made this,” he said as he placed it around Rebecca’s neck and watched the small spark before the separate ends of the chain automatically connected to one another, securing itself around Rebecca’s neck.

Tara nodded and motioned her hand down the sidewalk, urging them to continue walking. “Almost everything you see here has been created by us. I’m sure you noticed the increase in your energy and power since you’ve been here,” she said turning to see them nod before continuing. “We’ve learned to use the increase in energy, along with our unique abilities, to do some pretty amazing things.”

Rebecca shook her head. “How does it look so much like daylight? I mean, if I didn’t look up and see the walls with my own eyes, I would swear I’m outdoors in the sunshine,” she said, still stunned that they were actually buried within the earth.

Tara laughed. “That was the point. We need actual sunlight for us to actually survive down here for long periods of time and for the animals and trees. We pooled together many different crafters in order to create our artificial sun and moon,” she said proudly.

Rebecca turned to Tara. “You have a moon too?”

Tara grinned. “Of course. It’s just as beautiful as the real thing too. We keep them set to the time zone above us to create a sense of normalcy for the permanent residents here.”

For the next several hours they walked around the entire town and a few of the outer farms, where the rows for planting had been cut out of the rock and filled with soil. They laughed at the antics of a few children and their puppy at the underground river where they were having a picnic with their mother. And were surprised as they were welcomed into a café for lunch where everything they ate had been freshly farmed there.

Tara finally led them to a small home just off of the main street where the MedLab was. “This is where you can stay while you’re here. There are three rooms, one for each of you, two bathrooms and a garden out back,” Tara said as she began showing them around the small but comfortable looking home.

When they reached the kitchen, Gracus asked, “Can we contact our people?”

Tara stopped and turned around. “The kitchen is well stocked. If you prefer not to cook, you are welcome at any café in town. Money is not necessary here, although your thanks would be much appreciated by the proprietor. As far as communication, we can’t allow it yet,” Tara said as she looked directly at Gracus.

“Why?” he asked.

Tara sighed. “There are issues between our people that go back farther than all of us. No matter the outcome of the talks between those who command you and me, you will be allowed to leave here unharmed. When I know more than that, you will be the first to know.”

Gracus was pissed. “So we’re pawns in some ancient feud? What the hell kind of hatred can you have for my people when this place is named after one of mine?”

Tara narrowed her eyes and gripped the counter with white knuckles. “I suggest you hold your anger and mocking tone until you know what you’re talking about,” she spat angrily before quickly composing herself back into the cool woman she’d been moments before.

“If there is anything that you need, please don’t hesitate to ask anyone you see. We are a friendly and kind people… until given a reason to be otherwise,” Tara warned before showing herself out of the front door.

“What the fuck,” Rebecca muttered in shock.

“Damn it!” Gracus shouted, trying not to put his fist through the wall in anger.

“Do you really think we’ll be allowed to leave?” Rebecca asked, fear skittering up her spine.

Gracus moved back into the living area and looked out of the window behind the couch. “I honestly don’t know. You’re a hybrid though, so I don’t think they’ll hurt you no matter what happens,” he said, trying to see if anyone was watching them.

Rebecca followed behind him and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot in irritation. “Yeah, I got the impression that I’ve got the chosen blood, but I’m not leaving here without you and Gibly. What the hell happened to make you guys so hated around here?” she asked, trying to understand what kind of mess she’d stepped into.

Gracus, seeing nothing to indicate they were being watched or spied on, turned to Rebecca and threw his hands in the air. “I have no idea. Unless there was an argument or disagreement between the outpost survivors and Fiorn, I can’t think of any reason why the hybrids would be so… angry and untrusting of us,” he said honestly, racking his brain for a reason for what was going on.

Rebecca turned to Gibly, who was sitting on one of the two chairs in the living room. “What do you think is going on, Gibly?” she asked, honestly wanting the intelligent cat’s thoughts on their predicament.

The cat looked a little surprised before he spoke. “She did not lie. They do not intend to harm us at all and they
are
communicating with Grai and the others. But, there is deception regarding the communication. I don’t think it is as friendly as they are making it seem and it is because of whatever rift there is regarding the Valendrans,” Gibly said, swishing his tail as he looked at Rebecca.

Rebecca sighed. “What should we do?”

Gibly smiled and lifted a paw, extending his sharp and deadly claws before he licked the pad of his foot and put it back down. “I intend to sneak out of the back door at dark and find a way out,” he said calmly.

Gracus turned to the cat with surprise. “Do you think you can hide? I don’t want you going anywhere if it’ll get you harmed,” Gracus said, wondering if the cat could really do it, and hoping like hell that he could.

Gibly snorted. “Of course, I can hide. I am a Sibiox. I was meant to become shadow. Why do you think we’re all black?”

Gracus looked at Gibly blankly, not understanding what the cat meant when Rebecca asked, “Do you mean your color allows you to blend into the shadows?”

Gibly shook his head. “No, the tip of our fur is a different color. It’s an iridescent neutral designed to pull the darkness towards us, allowing us to blend in perfectly with the surroundings. We look no different than any other part of the darkness, like an Earth chameleon blends to color, we blend to the absence of light,” Gibly said.

“Wow…,” Rebecca said in surprise. “That is the coolest thing. How come I can’t see the difference in your fur?” she asked, trying to see the tips he’d been speaking about. She didn’t remember seeing them when he was all poofy either.

Even Gracus had moved closer to try and see. He had no idea that the cats could do that and wondered what else they didn’t know about them.

Gibly held out a paw and said, “Come closer and take my paw, you will be able to see it then.”