Grayson's Veil

“Grayson, Grayson, Grayson… What a pathetic performance.”

Grayson laid still in the surrounding darkness. The demon was back, he knew it even before it spoke.

“How could you let an old blind witch get the best of you? Granted she can manipulate aura, but you are something more! So much more Grayson!”

Grayson felt the demon’s breath on his face. He did not dare open his eyes.

“I know you can hear me Grayson. I am a part of you, and you are a part of me.” A claw-like finger trailed down Grayson’s cheek. “We can be a very powerful team; you just have to let me in.”

Grayson opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the horrid tree, with the demon lounging on a branch. He could have sworn the demon was just standing above him.

Smirking, the demon looked at his long claws. “You have already found me Grayson, now it’s time to start letting me become known.”

Grayson continued to stare at the demon. He was not going to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

The demon did not seem to mind. Instead, he jumped off the tree limb and landed on the ground with ease. He circled Grayson, waving one arm around while the other was tucked behind his back. “It’s not like you can go back to the way it was. I mean, you did have me tucked away for a long time after the incident with your battalion. But this will not happen again. We are going to become whole again, it’s already happening.”

Grayson lifted an eyebrow, questioning what the demon was saying.

“Oh, you didn’t notice, did you? You licked the blood off your face, and you enjoyed it.” The demon’s mouth seemed to get larger as it smiled at him. “Did you not feel the power behind your sword? That was us! That was our power!”

The demon’s smile dropped suddenly. “The witch is trying to heal you… I guess I will let her. Until next time, my dear Grayson.”

Alice had her hands above Grayson, trying to heal the wounds she had caused.

“Will he be ok?” Phoebe asked anxiously while chewing on her lip.

Alice did not bother to turn her head towards Phoebe. Instead, she frowned.

“His wounds are not responding to me.” She replied sadly. Just as she was about to give up, Grayson stirred. His wounds stopped bleeding and started to close.

Alice breathed out in relief. “Oh, thank the moon, he is healing.”

As she worked on his wounds, Alice grew concerned.

When she first saw him break through the tree lines, she saw his aura as orange that faded to gray and black on the edges. But the more she fought him, the more she saw the gray and black take over the orange.

Just before she knocked him out, she saw a face within the black aura. It grinned at her with its several sharp teeth. It had opened its mouth to say something, but Alice was quick to make it disappear while she incapacitated Grayson. Once he was out, the aura returned to normal.

Alice had planned to get rid of the idiot human who dared to trespass her land, but Avice came to the rescue and informed her that this thing was Grayson, Eleanor’s husband.

Phoebe had confirmed it.

To say Alice was shocked to learn this would be an understatement. She had not been around the man since before the war, his aura was completely different back then.

Before she could dwell on it more, Alice felt Grayson’s body move again.

“Grayson! Oh thank goodness, are you ok?” Phoebe asked, concern laced her voice. She tried to gently grab his head and shoulder to help him sit up, but he hastily shook it off.

Grayson turned to Alice, piercing her with his darkening green/gray eyes. “Who are you?” He paused for a second. “Maybe the real question should be WHAT are you?”

Alice sighed. “My name is Alice; I am friends with your wife Eleanor. And… I am a witch.” She moved her head to where Avice sat right next to her.

“What the fuck to you mean, ‘a witch’?” Grayson snapped.

Alice scowled at him.

“Exactly what I said. A witch.” She ground out, sounding like she was trying to drive the word into his head.

Grayson shook his head, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. “Is that how you threw me around like a goddamn ragdoll?”

Pursing her lips, Alice nodded. “I thought you were a stranger intruding on my home.”

“Fair enough,” he murmured, having to accept that the old woman had beaten him.

Turning his head slightly, he noticed the cat. “This cat was outside my home for the past several days.”

Grayson leaned in closer to inspect her.

He could not deny she was a beautiful cat, but he could not shake off the feeling that this animal was more than what he could see.

Narrowing his eyes on her green ones, an odd energy passed back and forth between them. It felt like a piece of rope was weaving together, her holding one piece, while he held the other. Grayson was certain she was trying to bond with him in some way. Not fond of the feeling, He lifted his hand and flicked her on the forehead.

The energy shattered, making Avice blinked hard and scrunched her head back. Taking a half a second for her to register what happened, Avice growled and hissed loudly, swatting at him with her claws extended.

Alice grabbed his hand. “That is enough, the both of you. Grayson, this is my familiar, Avice.”

The two of them glared at each other in greeting, a silent understanding that they hate each other.

Squeezing his hand gently, Alice redirected his attention back to her.

“Why have you come here?”

Releasing a troubled breath, Grayson spoke with desperation coating his voice. “Do you know where Eleanor is?”

Alice’s eyebrows shot up, “I-I don’t know. I have some information, but it is not enough to pinpoint her location.”

Grayson’s shoulders slumped. He ran his hands through his tousled hair in frustration, trying to hold back the emotions he was currently feeling.

He took a breath, reaching for his sword. Instead of landing on the hilt, his hand landed on his hip. Grayson looked to his empty scabbard and grunted in anger.

“Where is my sword?” His voice was low and filled with malevolence.

A cold shiver went up Alice’s spine. She had never felt such threat in her life. Even so, she also knew he was a type of man to protect his wife’s friends and family. So, she ignored the shiver and straightened her back.

“Your sword is in the house.”

Grayson stood abruptly, making the women flinch. He noticed Phoebe’s red tear streaked face, and gave her head a pat trying to reassure her.

Phoebe smiled weakly, wiping her cheeks.

After several minutes of silence among everyone while Grayson fetched his sword, Alice decided it was time to make a fire. Phoebe was instantly grateful for the break in silence and the warmth.

While Grayson sat by the fire, Alice grabbed hot tea and bread from the house. When she offered the tea to Grayson, he declined and pulled out a flask.

Alice lifted an eyebrow, “My tea not good enough for you?”

Grayson took a swig. “Not enough to inebriate me.”

Alice huffed at him but still set the tea next to him.

“So,” Grayson began, “what information do you have? Does it involve a really nosey feline familiar hanging around my house?”

Avice meowed at him in an angry loud tone before curling up in Alice’s lap.

“She was there because I sent her. When Ellie visited many days ago, she had an odd scent on her. One that did not match yours, or any human. This creature has marked her with his scent and was pursuing her, I could not ignore this and sent Avice to watch for the creature. He apparently arrived yesterday and invited her to his home. She declined and he left. Avice followed him. Unfortunately, he knew she was following and proceeded to toss her out of the carriage like a rag doll and left at the mercy of wolves. During that time, Ellie must have disappeared.” Alice stroked Avice’s fur, finding calm in the cat’s purrs.

Grayson sat in silence for a while. A thought occurred to him as he turned his attention to Phoebe.

“And what about you? Were there any odd gentlemen around while Eleanor was present?” He took another sip out of his flask.

Phoebe brought up her hand in a flustered manner. “I-I am always around odd gentlemen. I work in a brothel, so it is not unheard of if a gentleman is behaving in an improper way. Honestly, no one cares about the mistreatment of the workers.” She put her hands in her lap and stared at them, deep in thought.

Then, her head snapped up while her finger pointed to her head. “Although, I do remember Ellie talking to a handsome gentleman like she knew him the last time I saw her. I don’t recall the conversation, but they definitely spoke informally.”

Alice considered this. “Avice claimed the man who tried kill her had long blonde hair and gray eyes. Does that sound like him?”

Grayson was taking another sip out of his flask when he choked lightly. “The cat can talk?” He rasped out.

Alice regarded him. “Of course she can, she is my familiar.”

“How is that even possible, she’s a fucking cat! Does she have the correct mouth and throat structure to form words?”

“Well, we are bonded to each other so we can communicate with our minds. Or she can shift into her human form and we speak that way.”

Grayson stared at the old woman and the cat. His mind finally caught up to what she was saying. She was a witch, and could communicate with her shapeshifting familiar. The idea of it was baffling, but the evidence was staring at him in the face.

The world he knew ever since the battle, started to crack.

Phoebe interrupted quickly. “Yes! Yes, the man had blonde hair and gray eyes. He was very handsome and ignored my seductions.” She crossed her arms and pouted with her bottom lip out.

Blinking several times to reign in his teetering mental state, Grayson rubbed his face with his hands in frustration. “I need a name and a direction.”

As Alice opened her mouth, a smell filled the air. It caused her to gag and cover her mouth.

The others looked at her in confusion before the smell hit them. Phoebe’s eyes watered and bile slowly rose up her throat. Avice jumped off Alice’s lap and hissed towards the stench.

Grayson’s eyes narrowed as he got a whiff.

’This smell...’ He thought as he stood with a hand on the pummel of his sword.

“Ugh! What is that?” Phoebe cried as her eyes stung, making tears streaked her face. She tried to crawl backwards but her foot ended up catching on the edge of her skirt and fell on her face clumsily.

Alice gulped and stood; the fear evident on her face.

“It’s the stench of death.” Grayson answered as he withdrew his sword. “And it’s coming towards us.”