The Grey Sight: An Erotic Novella (10 page)

              Lily gave a slight bow and fixed her grey eyes on the crowd.  

              “I may have just received my grey-sight two days ago, but I have always been a watcher of the line between the living and the dead.  I never felt like I belonged in this world.  I drifted through life, never fully alive.  I am as much a grey-walker as you are. When I was gifted with the grey-sight, I saw what I always knew to be true.  I saw REAL life.  And with it, Chase Husher. No one has ever been more real than he is.”

              She willed herself to be brave as she stared into the sea of black eyes around her. 

“I vow, here and now
, before all of you, that I will NEVER betray the secrets of your kind.  I will stay faithful to your purpose and laws.  I will watch and observe the grey-walkers, but never share.  I will be a liaison between your kind and mine own. I will atone for the sins of those who have been given the grey-sight before me, who have sought to expose you for their own gain. I know that you have no reason to trust me, but you trust Chase.  He has served the House Fury for many years.”

Chase’s black eyes found hers, and a deep commitment passed between them.

“Forever.”  He mouthed. They would settle for nothing less.

Do it,
she thought.  She knew what she had to say.  

“You can believe that I will never put your race in jeopardy, because I love this man.”

              A collective gasp went through the crowd, a swift inhale.  There was a growing murmur as the grey-walkers erupted in discussion.  Lily had to yell over them. 

“I love this man! And we will be together as
long as time allows us.   And when the right time comes, Chase will make me into one of you, a grey-walker, and a servant of the noble House Fury.   We will find a way. This I vow to you today, that as long as we are bonded together, I will never sever this promise, nor will I ever speak of anything I have seen here.  I live to serve him, and you.” 

Lily knelt on the ground, her white dress becoming fringed with black
dirt.  It was a gesture of complete humility.   She felt Chase kneel beside her as a tear dripped off her cheek. 

“Her counsel rests.” He said simply.  “My last request is that if Lily is to be killed, that I join her in the great unknown.   For I cannot live without her, nor will I.” 

              He pulled her into his arms and they embraced each other, their faces pressed together in a final act of desperation, her hands on his smooth face.   There was silence in the cave.  Chase was well-loved in House Fury, and his ultimatum was not going over well.

              The crowd began whispering, their murmurs washing over both of them.  Minutes ticked by like hours until the Lord of House Fury stood and walked to the edge, his grey robes brushing the ground lightly.  

“Stand up.
Both of you.” 

Chase helped Lily to her feet, and they faced him togeth
er. 

“We have deliberated. 
House Fury, who stands in agreement with the four other Great Houses, pronounces this: That Lily Harrow, who has been gifted with the grey-sight, shall be allowed to LIVE, as long as she abides by two laws.  The first is that she must not tell anyone about the grey-sight, the grey-walkers, or our existence or locations in any way.   The second is that once you come of an age you determine to be appropriate, you must become
one of us
, thus putting your well-being in line with our interests. We have some knowledge on how this happens.” 

Lily nodded.  Chase was grinning from ear to ear, his satisfaction etched proudly on his face.  

“As do I.”

“And for you, Chase
Husher, you are ordered to stay with Lily until her time as a mortal has ended.  At that time, you will be present when she changes into a grey-walker.  Can you abide by this ruling?” 

Chase picked up Lily in
his arms and laid a long kiss against her lips, in front of the council and the Lord of the House Fury.

              “Nothing would make me happier.”

 
              He looked into her grey eyes, which were brimming over with happiness.

“
My forever with you can finally begin.”  He kissed her hard, and Lily felt her heart to dissolve into a thousand happy pieces.  The same grey-light that had pulsed out from him in the throes of ecstasy now filled the entire cavern, so bright so that the Lord of House Fury had to shield his eyes.

Chapter Thirteen

The council si
lently departed the chamber, leaving Chase and Lily standing on the rock, holding each other as tightly as they could.

When they had all gone,
Chase let out a deep breath, cradeling her gently in his arms. 

“I can’t tell you how glad I am that my speech worked.”

She kissed him long and hard, enough that he gasped outloud. 

“How could anyone refuse you?”

With a smile, he stood and led Lily out of the cavern into a dark granite hallway. 

“
Come with me. I want to show you my favorite place” he said.   “We can celebrate in private there.” 

Lily knew what he meant by celebrate – and she couldn’t get there fast enough.    Chase pushed open a
hidden door that was etched right into the stone. 

“Only t
hose who know House Fury well know about this place.” 

They followed a tiny staircase down and down. It seemed to Lily that they were descending forever. 

“We’re almost there.” Chase said.  “Just a few more flights.”   Lily was dizzy by the time they reached the bottom, and Chase giving her a long kiss on the bottom step didn’t help.   

              They emerged into a wide cave pool. Its stone walls were dripping with a vibrant green moss, and dotted with tiny peach flowers.   The water in the pool was shallow – perhaps only ten feet deep, but it was a bright turquoise blue.  Lily could hear bats fluttering overhead and the crash of waves just beyond the walls.  Steam rose up from the corners of the pool.

“We’re almost outside the castle” she said.

              Chase nodded as he peeled off this expensive Italian leather shoes. 

“I’ve always loved this place.  I would come here to think, or dream.” He looked at her, into her.  “Dream about you, and wonder what could be. 
Everything is so alive here, just like you.” 

His grey light beamed with happiness, throwing shadows on the walls around them.
   Lily took in the freshness of it all.  It was a welcome relief from the cold, damp stone of House Fury.

              “I love it.  This is a perfect place for a perfect ending. Warm and wet, just like something else I’ve grown to love.”

With a wide grin
, Chase reached for her.  He kissed her hard and long.  
And it was a perfect ending
, thought Lily.  The trial had gone just how they planned.  In their long night of sex and passion, they had also taken the time to lay out a strategy for the trial.  The outcome had been just what Chase predicted.   

He stared at her, the water casting wavy reflections over his strong chin.

“Are you sure?”  he had asked.  “You want to be a grey-walker someday?” 

Lily pulled his face towards hers, until their breath mingled as one. 

“Whatever it takes. I want to be with you, always.”

              He had let out a groan and pushed his hardness against her.

“I can’t have this conversation while you are
right in front of me, so naked and soft under the clothes.”

              “Then let’s stop talking.”   They edged towards the cave pool.  Chase was kissing her neck as Lily let herself fall deeply under his spell. His hand cupped around her breast, but Lily danced gracefully away, stepping towards the edge of the pool.  Chase stared at her hungrily.

She beckoned to him with her finger and began untying her robe.

“Let’s get wet, my lover.”

“Lily, stop.”  Chase’s hand reached out and tightened around her wrist, the light in the cave fading.  “I heard something.”    He moved in front of Lily.   Two shadows emerged from the darkness.  Riggor and Sappho.

Oh no
, thought Lily,
not here
.  They were trapped. 

              “You can’t touch her.” shouted Chase.   “House Fury has decried it so.  Your crime will be punishable by death.”

Riggor
tossed his knife in the air and smiled as he caught it with two fingers.

“It’s worth it.  You evaded us three times missy.  We’ve never had that happen before.   Usually we get our grey-sight on the first try.  You would be the fifth one that I’ve killed. I know I should let it go, but…”  

His black eyes trained on Lily’s chest.

“I hunger for the chase, and even more for the reward.”

  Sappho tossed her mane of hair.  “We hate the thought of killing another grey-walker, especially one as talented as you, Chase.” 

Her tone implied rampant desire.  “You should leave now.  We’ll take care of this silently. I’m sure there are others that can satisfy your mortal needs.” 

She
bared her teeth, her grey-light churning with lust. “Why does she mean so much to you?”  Chase asked, staring straight at her. “Oh. I know. Because she is real in a way that you will never be.” 

Sappho drew her knife down her cheek. “I’m going to take her from you.”

“
Then try already.”

Chase crouched in front of her.  Lily took a breath and closed her palm around a rock. 
Riggor flung himself off the staircase, landing in front of Chase.  Chase swung his fist, connecting with Riggor’s cheek.  He stumbled backwards, and Chase was on him, pummeling like an animal.  Riggor managed to plunge his knife into Chase’s thigh, and Lily let out a scream.  Chase gritted his teeth and yanked it from his leg, where black blood ran to through his suit pants. 

With a mighty roar, he charged
Riggor, taking the man off guard.  They plunged into the cave pool.  Riggor hit first, his back hitting a sharp outcrop of rock the jutted out of the bright blue water.  He gave a moan of pain, but it was his last.  Chase slammed his head back against the rock, causing Riggor to go slack for just a few seconds.  Chase ducked under the water, swam around the small boulder and came up on the other side, scaling the wet rock easily.  Taking Riggor’s head in his hands, he pulled him up and over the rock, and plunged his face under the water and held it down.  Riggor flailed his arms and feet, but it was no use.  Chase’s strong arms held firm as Riggor’s second life washed away from him into the cave pool.  A grey fluid leaked out of his mouth into the water, where it floated eerily on the surface.   His body lay still.

   Chase, soaking wet, turned to face Sappho, who was looking a little more nervous than before.

              “Your lover is dead.” He said.  “And soon you will be as well.”  

Sappho flung her dagger at Chase, but
he was expecting it.  He leapt to the side and managed to catch it in his hand.   Sappho gave a loud shriek of anger and flew at Lily.  She caught her hair in her hand, and Lily was flung to the ground. Her arm gave a scream of pain and Lily felt that she might faint.  Sappho pounced on her and drew her up, a second dagger pressed against her throat.  Chase stopped moving. 

“If you come any closer, I will slit her throat, and you will watch her war
m life flow onto the sand. She will never be a grey-walker. She will just be DEAD.”  

Chase didn’t move, but Lily could see his eyes were calculating. 

“What do you want?” he asked Sappho.  Her eyes narrowed.

“I will take her for my ransom to the other Houses. They will decide her fate, but I will not kill her here and now if you let me leave.”  Sappho edged towards the stairway, away from the pool.  “I will kill her if you come near me.”   She dragged Lily up two stairs.  “C’mon you bitch
!”

That was enough
.

Lily spun aro
und, catching Sappho off guard - she had not expected the mortal to actually fight back.  Lily summoned all her strength in her one good arm. Lily swung the rock against Sappho’s face.  It landed with a sickening crunch that echoed through the cavern.  Sappho looked at Lily confused as black blood ran over her eyes. 

Lily
spun a stunned Sappho around and with a strong kick, sent her flying off the sides of the staircase.  Sappho’s body flew through the air before landing with a thud on the sand in front of Chase, who looked up at Lily with amazement.  “I am no ones ransom.”  Said Lily, breathing heavily.   Chase quickly finished her with the knife and shoved her body in the pool next to Riggors. Sappho’s lifeless eyes stared at the bats above. They both floated face-up, dying their second death without a whisper.   Chase ran up the stairs to Lily.

              “Are you okay?” 

“Are you?” Lily bent down and looked at his thigh. The blood had slowed to a
trickle.