The Otherkind Book One:Heart

~*~ 32 ~*~

Archer came up behind him and wrapped his arms around the enraged half angel. "Control yourself Grayson!" he warned into his ear.

Grayson made himself go limp, like he was calming himself, Archer let him go. Grayson waited a fraction of a second and began picking up anything that wasn't nailed down and throwing it.

"Get out of here Archer. Go check on Rowan now!" Tina looked worried. "Something has happened."

"Do not say that girls name again! Ever!" Grayson snarled.

Archer didn't want to leave her.

"Go!" Tina snapped "I'll handle him." She was fully the warrior angel now, her eyes smoldered warning at Grayson.

Archer took one last look at the enraged Grayson and then flashed out, as worried about Rowan as Tina was.

Tina watched Grayson for a while seeing if he would wind down. She tried to talk to him but that would only bring a volley of things flying at her. Sighing she flashed out to get their father.

It hadn't taken long to find him. She went up to him at his seat in the Guild and whispered in his ear. His face blanched and he looked full of heartache. In a flash they were in the demolished living room. It looked like a cyclone had ripped through it. Nothing remained on the walls, all the photos and pictures were smashed and laying opposite from where they had begun. Even the furniture had been upended and tossed. The king took one look at his son and shook his head. It had taken Tina and their father both to hog tie Grayson and get him out of the house. They flashed him out while he was in mid swing at his father who roared "ENOUGH!"

The light was blinding.

The silence deafening.

In the blink of an eye Grayson found himself in the middle of an empty room devoid of anything in which he could pick up and hurl. He thought twice about hitting his father when he saw the look on his face. Tina left immediately to go back to Archer and find out more about Rowan.

"Enough Grayson!" his father snapped. "Handle yourself and tell me what happened. NOW!"

Grayson sighed and looked around. The families compound, the basement of the south tower where no one went. It was the place where his father could keep him indefinitely contained, unable to flash out of if his father deemed it so. He'd been here before after Laurel had died. His father had kept him here a very long time. The fire went out of him.

His father eyed him critically "Ready to talk son?"

"No."

His father nodded his head. "Well then you just stay down here so you don't hurt anyone until you can control that wicked temper of yours. Let me guess, that woman again?"

"I don't need to stay down here."

"That is your decision, but I do not want you coming out until you are in control again."

"I'm going to The Margins, to Ber' Sador."

"No —-you won't!"

"I'll get Victor and Seth back, then the three of us will face down whatever this prophecy is."

His father stared him down. "That is perhaps the most unintelligent thing I have ever heard you utter. You will not go into The Margins especially now! The Elderdark has been in an uproar since we last tried to get Seth out."

"I want to go. I'm done, it's over. Don't you understand? I —-want —-out" His last words echoed in the empty room.

Those words pierced the king's heart taking the fight out of him, for he knew precisely what they meant. His son was not talking about leaving this room. He was talking about leaving his life. His heart broke for his son.

Grayson ignored his father's expression and barreled on. "They are really going to be swarming when I snatch Seth and Vic back then won't they?" He turned away from his father.

"You and what army son?" He asked softly.

"I have an idea. I am going to do this," he turned towards his father "and you can't stop me. Ever."

The king looked at him, seeing the fire in his eyes, all the pain and rage. "Grayson—-"

"No father. It is as good as done."

His father shook his head. There was no reasoning with his son when he got like this. "Then at least take Varn and Nevo with you."

He knew in that moment that his father would not hold him here. "Fine." The room erupted in a shower of lights.

It would be a long time before he saw peace in his family again. A very long time. Immediately he went and gathered a small retinue of warrior angels. He had a feeling it was going to take more than these to keep his son from getting into trouble right now.

Grayson flashed to the city of Estuary located in the middle of The Margins. He had some work to do in a hurry. There was no way he was going to let Rowan back into his life. No way was he going to hurt her, or be the cause of harm to her. He had made a mistake and he would find a way to undo it. But first he had to find where his brothers were being held. And he wasn't going to take Varn and Nevo with him. Not this time. This was something he had to do alone.

He left for Ber' Sador, the forest in The Margins taking no one and nothing with him. Not willing to bring undue attention to himself, at the edge of the forest is where he began walking rather than flashing through the stygian forest. Usually when he went into Ber' Sador, he would look up at the sun once more, but this time he did not. He stormed into the dark inky shadows with one goal in mind.

The half-breed with his little cart interrupted his thoughts, catching his attention. A trader was not too uncommon in the forest now that it was crawling with spies from both sides and small camps of armed beings scattered about. The little man scraped an awkward bow never taking his eyes from the tall dark angel. "Milord. Perhaps a ware or two to ease your stay in The Margins? I've things for cook fires and repairing boots. Perhaps you be wanting a ward or a spell or two?"

Grayson hadn't intended to stop but something winked in the dim light. He stopped and looked closer. A trinket box was all it was. The half-breed saw what had captured his attention and knew at once that his days of hauling that vile spelled and warded box were over.

A raven squawked overhead.

He lifted the box up gingerly and passed it to the tall angel with the enraged eyes. "You like? It's a wish box, you put in a thought-form and bury it. Then it will come true."

"You say magic that is not so little man."

"That is only true if you don't know about these. The old lady who used to make them said she would make no more, giving me the last of her load of them. This here's the last one. They work milord, truly." The little man gave a sincere smile.

Grayson looked at it and wondered if owning such a box would help him with Rowan at all. He glowered at the half-breed. "Any wish I make?"

"As long as it's not against any of the Elders from either side." He spread his hands innocently when Grayson suddenly looked at him piercingly. "You must understand milord, these are dark times and many there are with dark hearts. I am of neither and only wish to give aid where I may. This box is for making a wish for something for you alone. Twill work no other way."

Grayson looked back down at the intriguing box in his hand and knew he must have it. "Me alone" he mused to himself. "How much?"

The half-breed offered a much higher price on it than he intended, knowing that the spell the crone had put on it, this one would buy no matter what price he affixed to it.

"Done." Grayson bought the box placing it in his inside coat pocket then purchasing a few more provisions he turned, plunging deeper into the forest, leaving the trader behind. Unknown to him, darkness followed along with a raven, the other two flying back their Mistress.

When the king finally caught up to his son's trail, a happy trader was just exiting the forest singing a song of joy. Nodding his head, one of his warriors approached the small half-breed asking about a tall man that may have passed this way. Words were exchanged and then the king and his warriors tore off deep into Ber' Sador after his son.