Chapter 4

The next day was even worse. While Lady was up and about and seemingly healthy, I wasn't feeling so hot. A dark feeling taunted the back of my mind all day, leaving me with a headache. I didn't know what was going on, maybe lack of sleep, but it made me anxious. My left hand was constantly on my whip's handle. I waited for something to happen. Finally, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had had to get up, get out of there. I stood up and pushed away from my desk.

The people around me asked what was wrong, but I just shook off their concern. Energy buzzed through me. I didn't dare leave the Sanctuary building. That would mean abandoning my job, but I had to get up and move around. I walked swiftly through the halls, noting everything going on, my sense of unease rising. I half expected the lights to go out again, but they didn't. I found myself in an empty room about an hour later. The walls were stark white, the ceiling and floor paneled with what looked like dark pine. I stood there, blinking. The room had taken me by surprise. I'd expected another hallway.

It was there I realized how frayed my emotions were, how exhausted I was from the day before. I let the door close behind me and wondered why there was an empty room in the middle of the Sanctuary. There was nothing unusual about the room at all. I walked to the back wall and sat down against it. The energy running through me died down and I dozed.

The silver blade in his chest shined in the early morning sunshine. It caused his blood to glow like plasma. Pain lanced through my heart, fear burned it away. I took his hand in mine and cried. "No, no, Jace! You can't leave me!" I cried. His breath didn't even flutter. With tear filled eyes I looked down the alley where the man had fled, swearing vengeance on him and his loved ones. I stood, my white clothes stained with my lover's red blood.

The man stood at the end of the alley, his entire body draped in shadows. They were writhing around him, his hand held out and they started to creep toward me. There wasn't a lot of light around, but what there was I called to me, let it in me, and forced it out. The wave engulfed him, dissolving his shadows. My voice shook as I spoke. "Never come near me again. I will kill you the second I see you." He just glared and disappeared once again into the shadows. I noticed a drop of blood leaking from the side of his mouth but ran back to Jace instead of pondering it.

I started awake at the sound of a knock at the door. "Is someone in here?" The voice was familiar. I stood and stretched.

"Just a sec," I called, snickering as an exasperated sigh sounded from the other side of the threshold. I opened to door to face Lady. She had her mouth quirked to the left in a show of half worry, half amusement. "I just fell asleep." I said. Her eyebrow raised in question.

"What was the issue?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Something's been bothering me all day," I said. "It's just a strange feeling."

"That's not good," she murmured. I nodded. We walked back to the offices together, both deep in thought. I saw Lady rub her temple gently. She caught my glance. "Headache," she said. I nodded.

"I wish I could've warned everyone about him before," I said softly. "Babylon Viper's been haunting me for years now," I said. The memory of my dream earlier caused me to pause. "He isn't the worst, but he's pretty bad." I said.

She gave a harsh laugh. "I gathered." I sighed, the dark feeling beginning to grow again. Lady noticed and grabbed my wrist.

"Whatever it is, it's here," I said. A few people glanced up, but went straight back to work. I twisted my hand and grabbed Lady's wrist, running to the meeting room where I knew Erskine and the others would be. I felt Lady stumbling along beside me. I dropped her hand, shivering, and opened the door. I knew I was needed; my job of guard couldn't be questioned. The feeling I'd had all day finally made sense. That darkness. That cruelty.

The door swung back and I strode inside, moving quickly to stand at Erskine's right side. He looked at me with a strange expression, but I just shook my head, not wanting to explain the danger I felt. He sighed and shook his head. I half listened as he talked to Skulduggery and Aleron about their plans with Vile, and half listened for anything that could be dangerous. Lady sat down, looking bored.

I shifted my weight from left to right and back again, my hand playing on the handle of my whip. I never had intuition this strong and I was honeslty terrified. It took another hour for Erskine to dismiss the meeting and turn to me. "What's up?" he asked.

"Something's off," I replied. He looked like he wanted to ask what, but something flashed in the corner of my eye. I whirled to see tendrils of shadow seeping from the corner of the room. The shadows twisted into the shape of a man. He was handsome, in a way, dark hair and glowing hazel eyes.

He didn't speak, just stepped forward, waving his hand and nearly impaling me with daggers of darkness. I blocked them with a wave of light energy. "You all may want to run," I said through gritted teeth. No one moved. I heard clicking fingers and saw the light of fire flickering along the walls. The man flicked his wrist out and the shadows converged in a band there.

"I thought you said you were going to kill me, Grace," he said. I growled and lunged.