Gates of Rapture

CHAPTER 13

Leto watched Thorne pace Endelle’s sitting room. This time Endelle sat in one of the large purple chairs opposite Leto. Grace stood behind him, her hands resting on his shoulders. He loved it.
Thorne shoved a hand through his hair, stopped mid-stride, and turned to Leto. “I don’t like it. Obsidian flame is untried, and you’re talking about combining a spectacle event with a series of massive folds?”
“You’ve got it,” Leto said. He took one of Grace’s hands in his. “Your sister has got some serious chops. And even you, as the anchor to obsidian flame, must have a sense of what the triad is capable of. Remember what it was like when Grace, while in possession of Fiona, battled Jean-Pierre with the sword?”
Thorne shook his head. “I am remembering. But the timing would have to be so precise, the locations fixed. Do you have any idea of the sheer logistics that we’re talking about? Obsidian flame would essentially be in flight during the military part of the review and at the same time doing all this secret folding of masses of warriors. How could it possibly work?”
Leto would have answered him, but Endelle rose to her feet. She still wore her leathers and a weapons harness, no octopus tentacles or badger pelts. She was strangely subdued and serious. “Thorne, what the f*ck is the matter with you? This plan is genius, and you’re acting like a little girl.”
At that, he turned to her and laughed. He put a hand to his forehead. “Shit, I think you’re right. I guess it doesn’t help that we’re talking about my breh and my sister being involved in something incredibly dangerous.” He threw his hands in the air. “We’ll make it work.” His gaze slid to Grace. “You think you’re up for this?”
Leto rose to his feet at these words. “Hell, yeah, she’s up for this. You’ve been her overprotective brother too long. Grace can do anything.”
Thorne’s brows rose. He looked from one to the other.
Leto felt Grace’s hand slide into his, warmth against his palm. She gave his fingers a squeeze. He looked down at her and winked. She grinned. My God, had he ever seen her smile like that? He got lost for a moment just looking at her until he heard Endelle make a gagging sound.
When he glanced her direction, she said, “This goddam breh-hedden shit gives me the scratch. If I see one more couple making goo-goo eyes at each other, I’m gonna toss my cookies.”
“Goo-goo eyes?” Leto asked. “Really?”
She jerked a hand to encompass both Leto and Grace. “What would you f*cking call that?”
“I was letting her know that I respect the hell out of her.”
“Fine. Whatever.” But a smile replaced all that disgust as Endelle held Leto’s gaze. “It’s a good plan. And do you really think half of Greaves’s force will come with you?”
Leto didn’t quite recognize the sensation that sped through him, but dammit, it felt like pride. “Yes. I do.”
“Hot damn. Well, it seems to me we’ve got some work to do, and I want Marcus in on this pronto.” She laughed. “He’s gonna have a field day with this one.”
The next hour was spent conferring with Marcus via video cam. As predicted, Marcus went into hyperspeed. Even while on the line, he left his station and started barking a dozen orders at his staff.
Leto sat beside Endelle, sharing in the conference. He met her gaze. “See what I mean?” she said. She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled some more, turning once more to stare at the screen as she waited for Marcus to come back.
He had never seen Endelle so relaxed. He got it. He really did. Much of the past twenty-plus centuries had been spent building to this moment.
Marcus returned, his eyes almost feverish. He demanded specifics, and Leto told him what he needed to know.
“We’re moving fast on this,” Marcus said. “Tomorrow night at eight, the triad will be in the air.”
Marcus then stated exactly what he needed to have happen before anything else. “I’ve got to have a photo op with the triad in full mount. A back view of the wings with the different-colored flames.”
“I’ll get on it,” Leto said. “We’ll use the Apache Junction Two workout center.”
“Good. That’s all for now.” Without saying anything more, he clicked off, and the screen went blank.
Endelle snorted then laughed. “Marguerite’s going to love this,” she drawled.
Leto frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Have you been around many pregnant women before?”
“Not really.”
“My suggestion, then, is that you stay the hell away from that photo op.”
Leto wasn’t sure what she meant, but he wasn’t too concerned. Not when right now he had to grapple with where to move a million warriors during a spectacle review.
*   *   *

An hour later, Grace hid her smiles behind her hand. She stood in the large workout center of the Militia Warrior HQ with her obsidian sisters, and Marguerite was very unhappy.
The meeting with Thorne and Endelle had ended with Endelle barking her orders. Obsidian flame would train at the workout center, Marcus and Havily would put the spectacle event together and begin a PR web-release campaign, Leto would contact his Division Leaders, and Thorne would help Leto establish endpoint fold locations for the troops.
But before the triad could begin practicing, Marcus had commandeered the women, insisting on a visual spread that focused on the triad’s unique wing coloration. Grace knew he was right to insist on it. The dark flame pattern and colors of each woman’s wings would make a striking display.
“I know I shouldn’t care,” Marguerite said, fluffing her short platinum curls, “but right now my pregnancy ass is the size of Arizona, and Marcus wants the wings photographed from the rear. Hell, no one will even see the wings. They’ll just ask why there’s a blimp supporting the black and red flames.”
Grace tried not to laugh, but Marguerite was so funny. On the other hand, when had a pregnant woman ever not been extra conscious of her figure?
Marguerite had on maternity flight gear that showed the full curve of a six-month-pregnant belly that held twins. From Grace’s point of view, she looked beautiful.
Marguerite splayed her fingers over her stomach. “And what about this? What’s Marcus going to do about this?”
“Marcus said he just wanted a shot of the wings from behind.”
“Ugh.”
The photographer set up her tripod and had a team with her who managed the lighting and staging. They’d brought a dark backdrop lit softly from below with a row of dim lights.
Grace took both of Marguerite’s hands. “You look more beautiful than you know, my idiot obsiddy sister.”
But Marguerite just rolled her eyes. Very much in Endelle’s mold she said, “Whatever.”
The photographer called out, “If Ms. Dresner will stand on the center box, Ms. Albion and Ms. Gaines can stand to either side. First, however, you’ll want to mount your wings.” Grace understood the need for the box for the picture. Marguerite was much shorter than either Grace or Fiona; having her elevated would give the photo a more balanced look.
Grace stepped a good ten feet away from everyone in the room, as did both Marguerite and Fiona. With advanced powers came enormous wings. She also turned away from everyone from a certain amount of natural embarrassment. Mounting wings was similar to sexual release; even thinking about it had her heart rate climbing, her wing-locks weeping fluids, and her skin breaking into a sheen of sweat.
Her thoughts turned to Leto, of course, which so did not help. Desire began to spread through her. She was about to release her wings when Leto’s voice was suddenly in her head. Are you okay? Oh, my God, Grace, what are you doing over there? I can feel your wing-locks, and I had to excuse myself from this latest meeting. Should I come to you? Do you need me?
Uh … no. we’re getting ready for the photo shoot. Marcus wanted a back view of all our wings, since they’re uniquely flame-based. We’re in black leather flight suits. Leto?
He didn’t respond right away, but she could sense that he was breathing hard. As she lowered the blocks, she kept in place so that she wasn’t always experiencing his external sensations, she was hit with what she could feel was a painful erection. Which aroused her even more. When she felt his forehead suddenly hurt, she asked, What was that?
Oh, sorry, this is all just so weird. I’m in the bathroom at the palace. I was just drying my hands when I felt all you were feeling. I slammed my forehead into the wall a bit too hard. Shit, I cracked a couple of tiles. Grace, are you sure I can’t come to you?
She smiled. She couldn’t help herself. No. We have to finish this shoot. But when I see you again, I think we need to manage some alone time. Maybe with wings.
She heard a growl, or at least she thought she did. Could he communicate a growl telepathically?
Is that a promise?
Oh, yeah.
I’ll leave you to it then. I’ll have to block your sensations.
Same here. Bye.
She felt the connection break. It was so strange being so close to Leto at any given moment.
She took a few deep breaths and let her wings fly. She put her fingers to her lips because she’d almost orgasmed. She hadn’t realized how close she was, but then she’d felt everything Leto was feeling.
Yes, she definitely had things to discuss with him later, or maybe just things to mount. Many things to mount.
She closed her eyes and resorted to some serious deep breathing.
The room had grown very quiet.
When she was finally in command of herself, she turned to find, first of all, that Marguerite had a wet towel slung around her neck.
Fiona was blinking rapidly.
“Well, that was interesting,” Grace said.
Fiona laughed. “I haven’t been mounting my wings very long, but that was really strange. I realized I had only mounted my wings when Jean-Pierre was around.” Of course, her cheeks started to grow very pink. Then she laughed. “Oh, this is just too embarrassing.”
When Fiona turned in Marguerite’s direction, Grace had a full view of her wings. “Oh, Fiona, your wings are magnificent. All that black and gold and the flame pattern is so evident.”
For the next few minutes, they spent time examining one another’s wings. Marguerite’s were a deep cherry red, with black flames at the base. Grace had seen hers while on Fourth with Casimir. There had been plenty of mirrors to look into, unlike in the Creator’s Convent.
As she took her place to the right of Marguerite, an order that seemed fitting because Fiona had been the first to discover the nature of her power, Grace began to gain some confidence. She really was obsidian flame. Her wings matched Fiona’s and Marguerite’s. She really did belong here.
Of course, the proximity of the triad kept a certain level of power flowing among them, but as long as they didn’t form a circle together the power remained a pleasant vibration over her skin.
As the photographer worked them, most of the comments came from Marguerite and generally stayed close to the topic of how well acquainted the photographer was with Photoshop and did she truly think she could shave at least four inches off her bottom.
The photographer assured her repeatedly that she could have final approval of the photo.
When the photographer and her crew took off, Marguerite contacted Thorne and asked him to join the triad because they were ready to begin practicing.
When Thorne arrived, Grace addressed obsidian flame’s biggest concern. “So, we need to figure out how to do the mass folds.” She turned to Fiona. “You were able to channel Endelle’s ability to fold. Does that mean you have the same ability now?”
Fiona shook her head. “There is always a residual effect, something learned, but it’s not the same thing. So, no, I don’t have her level of power.”
“So I need to acquire Endelle’s ability.”
Fiona smiled. “That would follow.”
Grace knew why she was smiling. There was one woman on the planet with the ability she needed to acquire, but it was never an easy thing to work with the scorpion queen.
She glanced at Thorne. “Would you contact Endelle for us?”
He smiled. “Of course.” He whipped his phone from his pants pocket. Grace had forgotten that he’d broken the mind-link with Endelle all those months ago. Now he had to contact her the usual way. He probably could have used telepathy, but Grace had a feeling Thorne wanted it this way. Maybe having a breh made a difference as well.
Grace waited and tried to calm her heart. Endelle was never easy to take, but this was new territory and she was already nervous. Thinking about being within Endelle’s soul was like thinking about swimming with sharks.
Suddenly the alarms started shrieking like mad, after which Endelle appeared. She looked around, clearly not understanding why the alarms were ringing.
Thorne lifted a hand and shouted over the shrill signals, “I’ll take care of this.” Once more, he was on his phone. He spoke quickly and a moment later the alarms stopped, thank you, Creator.
Endelle scowled at Thorne. “Didn’t you tell them I was coming?”
He laughed. “You didn’t exactly give me a lot of time.”
“I suppose not. You could say I’m a little anxious about what’s happening here.” She glanced from one woman to the next, finally landing on Grace. “So you have the ability to acquire any of my skills.”
“That’s right.”
She smiled. “You’re very sure about it.”
“Yes, I suppose I am.” She explained about practicing with Alison and about reading souls.
Endelle actually smiled. “Okay, so tell me what to do.”
Grace felt uneasy. “I think I should warn you that I’ll have to go deep to get to this particular power—as in, I’ll be descending into your soul.”
“Fine.”
“You mean, just like that? You don’t mind?”
“Hell, no. Just do it, Grace. What the f*ck do I care? All I want is to finally get the upper hand over Greaves, get his fat balls in my hand, squeeze hard a few dozen times, then send him to perdition. If that means you do some soul diving, it’ll be worth it.” When Grace still hesitated, Endelle added, “Aw, for shit’s sake, just jump inside my mind, or wherever the hell my ‘soul’ is”—she made air quotes—“and let’s get this damn thing done.”
“Okay, fine.” Maybe not the most brilliant response, but Grace was very surprised. She had thought that the Supreme High Administrator of all of Second Earth would be more protective of her deepest parts. But then Endelle wasn’t exactly known for her boundaries.
She moved just a little closer to Endelle, closed her eyes, then pushed into Endelle’s mind. She hadn’t expected the entrance to be so easy, but then Endelle had motivation to cooperate right now.
Grace allowed herself to sink through the deepest layers of Endelle’s thoughts. Because the entrance into her mind had been so easy, Grace had thought she would move swiftly into the woman’s soul. But this layer of her mind was deep and it was dark.
She continued to sink. At last, she found what turned out to be a brilliant turquoise field of light that seemed as broad as it was high. There was so much beauty in the center of Endelle’s domain that she could hardly contain her wonder.
She focused on Endelle’s folding ability, and as before a kind of lock appeared. Grace focused her thoughts, shaping them into a blue key, and inserted.
With a powerful rush, Endelle’s folding ability covered her. There was so much power that she was thrust out of Endelle’s soul. She flew outward so that when she opened her eyes she was ten feet away from Endelle and flat on her back. She opened her eyes to stare up at the enormous steel girders that supported the roof.
She took deep breaths, but closed her eyes. She thought about Endelle, how beautiful her turquoise soul was, how vast, as though it would take millennia to know her, really know her.
She saw Endelle’s stilettos, then looked up to smile at her. It was strange knowing her in this way, the loveliness of her soul, all that beauty covered up with her odd fashion choices, her profanity, and her deep cynicism.
“I take it you were successful?”
“I was.” Grace rose to her feet. “But I wanted to tell you that your soul is very beautiful. I mean it’s an elegant turquoise color, which I realize makes no sense, but you have surprising depths.”
Endelle’s mouth turned up on one side. “You mean, for a scorpion queen?”
Grace grinned. “Yes. Exactly.”
Endelle chuckled. “Just don’t tell anyone. It would ruin my rep.” She glanced at Marguerite and Fiona. “I guess I’m done here.”
She lifted her right arm. Thorne reached out for her, to stop her, but she vanished anyway with a smirk and an “Oops.”
Grace covered her ears because the alarms were incredibly shrill and loud.
Thorne rolled his eyes and withdrew his phone from his pocket once more.
When the alarms stopped, Grace knew the time had come to begin practicing the mass folds. Her heart thumped now. This was what she had put into motion, a spectacle event featuring obsidian flame as a subterfuge for stealing Greaves’s army away from him.
But could the triad carry it off? Could she really do what she had promised? Only one way to find out.
*   *   *

Leto stood in the palace command center and glanced at his watch. Six-thirty. Thorne had promised him that he’d call a halt to the obsidian practice by seven-thirty. He had only an hour left; then he could head to the villa and make sure everything was ready. He had a certain plan in place involving wings and an empty house. Having checked in with Parisa, he knew she was working at the rehab center through the night, and of course Medichi was working the Borderlands with the rest of the Warriors of the Blood.
It felt strange not to be including the rest of the brothers in the war plans, but Greaves hadn’t let up on the Borderlands and a constant flow of death vampires was keeping the WhatBees and the Militia Warrior squadrons working hard every night. And that had always been a significant part of Greaves’s strategy: to wear down the most powerful warriors on the planet, thereby reducing their effectiveness. The plan had worked well until the breh-hedden started bringing strong women to the warriors, changing the focus of each of their lives and adding all sorts of new powers to Endelle’s arsenal.
Leto had lived a long time, and he had noticed that when evil tried to forge a wall against that which was essentially good, then life would respond and provide a countermeasure. Maybe it was spiritual in nature, or maybe it was just the immense life force inherent within the spirit of man to ensure survival above all things. In his opinion, the arrival of the breh-hedden was one of those countermeasures.
And he and Grace were part of that.
He focused once more on the separate grid that Thorne had brought in for the purpose of mapping that portion of the army that would submit to Leto’s command. Leto was satisfied with his progress. His biggest concern involved those warriors among the ranks who would prefer to be with Greaves. Most of his conversations with the Division Leaders ran along that line, but the general consensus was that each leader would remove those warriors to a separate area for a specified duty. That way, when the time came for the mass fold, then those staunch supporters of Greaves would remain behind.
Because he had trained the army, especially the leadership, the troops had tremendous loyalty to their Regiment and Division Leaders. Those whom Leto contacted chose pretty quickly to align with Endelle. The generals had caused so much suffering among the divisions that the five months since Leto had left Greaves’s service had created exactly the right atmosphere for a mutiny.
Leto had asked Endelle to create two large areas on the planet that she could cloak in mist, to which Leto could begin sending the support staff and materials any working army needed: latrines, tents, an abundance of food and water, and weapons.
The logistics of his part in the battle plans had finally come together. All that needed to be done now was to make sure that the triad could locate each misted area with ease. From what Grace had told him, she would simply need to see the location in her mind, something that could be accomplished as soon as the locations were set up.
Grace. Sweet Christ, his heart had expanded over the past few days. And how his life had changed. Was it only days ago that Grace had come back to him? During that time, he’d made peace with his beast-self and learned to make the transition with ease and without putting anyone in jeopardy. Incredible.
He wanted to give her more, to give of himself fully. And he was trying. But he also knew himself, that the war had taken something from him, had made it almost impossible to give all that he had to give. He wondered if that would ever be different.
He felt the hairs at the back of his neck rise. He turned, and sure enough Casimir made himself visible. “You are really starting to bug the shit out of me.”
Casimir’s smile was rueful. “I need a word with you.”
“Okay.” Leto frowned. He didn’t know what to make of the Fourth ascender. He recalled doing battle with him in the Convent when Casimir had been acting on Greaves’s behalf. Casimir’s purpose had been to destroy both Grace and Leto, but then the breh-hedden had gotten hold of Casimir and changed everything.
Casimir drew in a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize for that Convent mess and for my behavior.”
Leto didn’t know what to say, but he felt angry all over again. “You took Grace to Fourth. You somehow persuaded her that you needed her. Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know how you worked to manipulate and seduce her, because I do know. She deserved better than you.” His hands were balled into fists. He wanted to hit Casimir, but the damn man just stood there—no cocky smile, just sincerity in his dark brown eyes.
“I should never have taken her,” Casimir confessed. “But I was a different man back then and I’d made a deal with Greaves. The prize was Grace.”
Leto knew it wasn’t as simple as that. Grace had explained to him a dozen times that her intuition had told her she had to be with Casimir if she was to save Leto’s hide.
But he was a man and Casimir had walked off with Grace as pretty as you please, and he’d been too lost in his dying blood fiasco to do a thing about it.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” Leto said.
Only then did Casimir smile. “Your forgiveness.”
“Aw f*ck.”
Fortunately, Endelle showed up and ended what would no doubt have turned into one of those really awkward moments.
Casimir greeted Endelle but then made his excuses and left.
Leto watched him leave, thinking that he didn’t know what to make of the man. But it was getting harder to stay mad at him when he admitted he should never have gone after Grace, and even apologized for it.
When he turned back to Endelle, he did a double take and he couldn’t help but laugh. For a while, Endelle had actually worn a flight suit and a weapons harness, showing that her warrior side was ready to do battle.
But the other side of her that had fully embraced the spectacle aspect of their plans had clearly taken over. She wore some kind of strange spotted-fur bustier that looked similar to leopard but the spots were too small. Civet cat came to mind. Probably. A large red pendant bounced against her breasts.
She wore black-and-white-striped, and very snug, leather pants.
When she reached him, he said, “Thought you’d given up your fashion sense for the duration.”
Endelle smiled. “Are you kidding? We’ve got a spectacle to put on. This is just the beginning. I have my seamstresses working on a coat with several trains, perfect for flight.” Endelle was leading the review. Unlike Greaves, who had waited ceremoniously in his concrete grandstand, Endelle meant to be the opening act.
For some reason, he found her enthusiasm comforting. Endelle had always taken the war with Greaves in stride, something necessary for a conflict that went on for centuries. Her pleasure in her absurd clothes had no doubt been a tremendous release for her, perhaps even a passionate avocation.
“How’s the army-hunting going?”
“Good. Real good.”
She met his gaze and, for a moment those ancient lined eyes filled with compassion. “Damn, I missed you Leto. You and Marcus had been with me longest, and for decades both of you were AWOL. But now you’re here. And you’re bringing me an army. I’ll bet James’s announcement wrenched your heart.”
“More than you’ll know.” Leto was moved. He would never have believed that his service to Greaves would have taken this turn.
Endelle added, “And you know that if any of the other generals had built the army, this couldn’t have happened.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I think you’re exactly right. Greaves’s generals are almost as power-hungry as Greaves is. They won’t have treated their Division and Section Leaders well.”
“So, what do you think Greaves’s strategy will be? You probably know him better than anyone.”
“Thorne and I have talked about Greaves a lot. Over the decades, I heard a number of scenarios discussed. However, because I’m in your camp, he’ll probably change things up. One thing I’m convinced he’ll do is attempt to eliminate the hidden colonies, because he has no idea what threat level the colonial militia presents. By now, he’ll have learned that I trained the militia force and he’ll do what he can to neutralize it.”
“How do you think he’ll do it? I mean what’s your take on it?”
“At some point, he’ll attempt to move his death vampire force into place all over Mortal Earth, burn the mossy mist away, and attack all at once. And trust me, I know this because that’s how I would have advised him. He doesn’t do anything without measured thought. That’s why he’s still around.”
“Have you got any idea about how to handle the colony sitch?”
“Every colony has a militia force ready to fight, but you know the odds: one death vampire against four militia warriors. He’s been building his death vampire force for decades, feeding them from his blood slave facilities, so that they are a very powerful force. Our effort must be to keep him from burning away the mist. The death vamps can’t get in otherwise.”
Endelle nodded. “You’re thinking the triad will have to help.”
“Facing Greaves on multiple fronts when the time comes will absolutely require that the triad protect the colonies. And it makes the most sense. Grace is like Alison. Neither is built for straight-on battle. Tell me you know that.”
“Yeah, I do.” She sounded resigned.
Endelle released a deep breath. She rubbed her chest. “Wish I had my weapons harness back on. As hot as that damn thing was it gave me more comfort than I realized.”
He glanced at the oversized red pendant. “What’s that made of?”
She looked down and flipped the pendant up and down with her index finger. “Dead ladybugs. Don’t worry. Kaitlyn, who’s been working with me, is into all that organic shit. She actually went to a ladybug farm and collected some dead ones. F*cking waste of time if you ask me, but, hey, it’s her time. Besides, this pendant rocks.”
*   *   *

Grace stood in the desert beside Thorne, looking at the warriors the triad had been moving from place to place, just to practice the mass-folding skill. Everyone was taking a break. Marguerite had headed to the rehab center to check in on her Seer teams, to make sure they kept blocking every aspect of the spectacle event from Stannett. Fiona sat in a camp chair talking quietly on her phone to one of the blood slaves she’d been counseling for a few months now. The warriors were rehydrating.
For the past several hours, Grace and the triad had been working with her newly acquired mass-folding ability, and she was still astonished. Seriffe had ordered a thousand of his warriors to be at the triad’s disposal for the afternoon, and Endelle had created her own version of the dense mossy mist to sustain the secrecy of their practice here in Apache Junction Two.
In addition, Endelle had set up a second location in North Africa Two, also cloaked beneath a mossy dome of mist. It was to these two separate locations that half a million warriors each would be sent. Right now, Gideon was at the second location, with Brynna reporting in constantly over the success of each practice fold. Everything had gone perfectly, which of course made Grace nervous.
“I wish we could try a larger force, just once.”
Thorne nodded. “I know what you mean. But I can feel the power, Grace. It’s there.”
“I know, but…”
He slipped his arm around her waist. “I’m with you. Let me see what I can do.” He stepped away from her and made a phone call. When he returned to her, he smiled. “Will another five thousand do? Seriffe has them on maneuvers at the desert below Endelle’s palace.”
Grace’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes. Five thousand would be great. Do we dare try the fold from that position?”
“I don’t think a single fold of a large contingent will arouse too many suspicions. Greaves will probably think Endelle was trying out her skills.”
“But I don’t want to bring them here. I think we should send them to North Africa Two.”
“Good idea.”
With the plan set, Thorne made his phone calls in order to ensure that the five thousand were in a solid formation, everyone standing in squads of four and ready for a fold. He then folded straight to the McDowells so that he could mentally share with Grace the location and structure of the five thousand warriors.
Grace sent a quick message to Marguerite via their shared obsidian pathway, then let Fiona know what was going on.
A few minutes later, after Marguerite had returned, Thorne returned to download the location and image to Grace. Once she could see exactly what they would be doing, she placed her hand on Marguerite’s shoulder and Fiona’s.
Thorne moved several feet away. This was the biggest change that had occurred. After working together through the afternoon, the massive obsidian power had settled down and Thorne no longer needed to touch any of the women in order to dissipate the excess power.
This time, as the circle closed and the power began to build, Grace let it flow. She focused on her folding ability and could sense when Fiona was ready to receive her. She slid easily within Fiona, taking possession, and with a single mental effort the massive fold began. Even though the triad was at Apache Junction Two, and the five thousand warriors were in the McDowells, Grace could sense the fold as it happened.
The shared obsidian power grew stronger and stronger, flowing upward toward the dome of mist. Grace could actually see within her mind’s eye as the fold took place, all five thousand warriors being moved to North Africa.
Thorne’s voice spilled over all that power. “Seriffe reported that the fold was successful at the McDowells. Gideon just reported in as well, and the warriors have arrived in perfect formation.”
Grace cheered. Fiona and Marguerite joined in.
“Shall we do the reverse?” Thorne asked.
“Yes,” Grace said.
Both Marguerite and Fiona responded in the affirmative as well, and without a single break in the flow of power, Grace reversed the fold.
Afterward, though Thorne gave his confirmation report from Seriffe, Gideon, and Brynna, Grace already knew the mass fold had been successful. She could feel it.
When she disengaged from Fiona and reentered her body fully, she drew back from both Fiona and Marguerite. “Did you both have a sense of what we’d done? When it happened?”
Marguerite nodded. “Yes. For the last few folds, I could feel it when it happened.”
“This is new,” Thorne said.
Fiona added, “It came on gradually, but Grace is right. I could feel the fold. I could feel the landing in North Africa, then the return fold to the McDowells.”
Thorne smiled. “Shit, that’s the best news of the day.” His head bobbed and he glanced at his watch, then at Marguerite.
She moved quickly in his direction and slid her arm around his waist. “Tell me we’re done for the day. I’m ready to put my feet up. Really ready.”
He kissed the top of her head. “We’re done and it’s now seven thirty. I did promise a couple of warriors I’d get their brehs home.”
He started herding them in the direction of the landing platforms. Even though the team had been doing this work outside, Seriffe had a strict policy in place about folding. If you were anywhere at Militia Warrior HQ, inside or out, you had to use the landing platforms.
On the way, Leto was suddenly in her mind. Coming back to the villa anytime soon? It’s seven thirty-one.
Even though she knew his sudden presence in her mind was the result of the breh-hedden—and because of it, much stronger than telepathy—she was startled. Hey, how about a warning. You weren’t there, then suddenly you were practically shouting inside my head.
Sorry. It’s just … well, I’m at the villa. Did she hear a low growl again? How could he do a growl telepathically? But it made her smile.
She realized she’d been blocking his physical sensations, so she lowered her shields. Too fast, apparently, because she was overwhelmed by the feel of his bare feet on the wood floor of the villa, the muscles of his legs tight and tense, his body in partial arousal, his arms flexing and unflexing.
She even stumbled. Thorne caught her arm. “You okay?”
She looked up at him and felt a blush on her cheek. “Yes, of course,” she said quickly.
But he looked concerned so she added, “I’m getting used to the breh-hedden’s quick form of communication. Leto suddenly jumped inside my head, and he surprised me.”
Thorne smiled and let go of her arm. “I know. It can be jarring when you’re not used to it.”
“You can say that again.” Jarred was the least of what she felt.
To Leto, she sent, Heading to the landing platforms now, but this is a long walk.
Can’t wait.
Because she felt him shudder, she blocked him once more so she could finally breathe. But she walked faster.

He spoke the vows that moved my heart,

I turned and opened my robe.

He split the continents wide once more,

And took the spoils he had won.

—Grace of Albion, “The Convent Years,” from Collected Poems, Beatrice of Fourth