Knight Residence
April 1, 2001
The early morning sun gradually filled Gabriel's room with its light. He slept on, completely absorbed by the dream that was taking shape behind his closed lids.
* * *
The soft summer breeze gently stirred Gabriel's hair, waking him up. He opened his eyes and winced as the blinding light of the sun shone directly into them. Shutting his eyes, he swore in a low voice. As he waited for his eyes to clear themselves of the bright flash, he became aware of a subtle rocking sensation, as if he was back in the cradle. He cautiously opened his eyes again, and a long glance at his surroundings confirmed his suspicions. He was on a boat.
All of the earlier ice had melted away from the lake and was replaced by beautiful and clear water. Gabriel's small rowboat floated at the center, and he observed the trees which stood along the water, their leaves fresh and green. His gaze was drawn to the high buildings that seemed to play peek-a-boo with him from behind the trees, and he realized exactly where he was.
Central Park. I'm getting closer to Grace, I can feel it.
With a feeling of nervous anticipation in his belly, Gabriel grabbed the oars and began to row to shore. He drew closer to his destination, the muscles of his back and arms moving beneath the white linen shirt that he wore. Sweat gleamed on his forehead from the effort of rowing; he lifted a hand to wipe it away as he glanced at the shore behind him, and froze at what he saw.
Someone waited for him. He knew with every fiber of his being that it was Grace.
He pumped his arms faster, his eyes never leaving the figure in the distance. The boat reached the shore and Gabriel quickly climbed out of it, not caring that it drifted away as soon as he left. She waited patiently for him as he ran to her, his heart racing. She was wearing a sleeveless dress, its peach hue complimenting her creamy skin. He had longed to touch her for ages, hold her. She was finally within his reach.
Gabriel drew to a stop before her, breathing heavily from fatigue and desire. Grace watched him with a cool expression, but he saw the fire in her eyes when she looked at him, the yearning that she tried so hard to hide. He didn't want her to conceal it; he wanted to bask in its heat, roll around with her in the flames.
He started to raise his hand to touch her face, but the frightened look in her eyes gave him pause. In that moment she looked as if she was a wild animal confronted by a man offering it food and shelter, and she had to decide whether to trust the stranger or flee to the safety of the woods. He gave her the chance to retreat, and when several seconds had passed he finally made contact.
At the touch of Gabriel's hand on her cheek, Grace's eyes closed briefly before their eyes met and held. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. She didn't pull away. He leaned forward, bringing his face close to hers. His voice was hoarse as he whispered the words he'd waited so long to say, and he felt her tremble against him.
"I love you."
A sob escaped her lips as she broke away from his embrace, and he felt as if he'd been stabbed in the heart. She whirled around, facing away from him. He watched helplessly as she cried, her shoulders shaking from the intensity of her emotions. He reached out to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him. He repeated the words over and over, determined to make her believe them. Tears escaped from her eyes, and he kissed them away.
Gabriel realized that she hadn't spoken a word the entire time, and he was anxious to know what she was thinking. "Gracie, please say something."
Grace's eyes opened, and she looked down at her hands. She opened them and he saw that they were full of some yellowish grain. It took a moment before Gabriel could figure out what it was; it was birdseed.
She looked into his eyes, and her face was curiously blank as she spoke.
"The birds are hungry, Gabriel. I must feed them."
She suddenly flung out her arms, and from out of nowhere a large black raven landed on her hand and fed delicately on the birdseed. Gabriel, having stepped back when the bird first appeared, stepped closer to watch it eat. His stomach churned, filled with a strange tension and fear. He reached out his hand to stroke the raven's wings, and the bird turned its head quickly away from the seed and stared straight at him. The sight of the bird's beady eyes made Gabriel feel cold inside, and before he could react the raven plunged its sharp beak into the soft flesh of Grace's arm.
Grace screamed from the bird's attack, and Gabriel leapt forward in an attempt to swat it away. The raven mercilessly pecked her fragile skin again and again, driven by some unknown desire to cause her agony. Gabriel roared in anger as he unsheathed his dagger, wanting to rip the offending animal apart. Upon seeing the dagger the bird flew away, its caws mocking the Shadow Hunter as its wings flapped against the wind.
He resheathed the dagger and knelt down to tend to Grace where she had fallen. She clutched her arm, her entire body quaking with shock. He tore off his shirt and wrapped it tightly around her arm to try and stop the bleeding. He stroked her hair as he pulled her to him, whispering that it was over. She wrapped her good arm about his waist as he helped her up, and they both froze when they heard the sounds in the distance. They looked into the sky and saw a multitude of black shapes approaching fast, so many that they blocked out the sun.
Gabriel grabbed Grace's good arm, bringing her with him as they began to run. After a few steps, she let go of his hand and extended her mangled arm towards some point among the trees. She softly whispered something that he couldn't hear, her bleeding arm beckoning to no one.
His heart pounded with fear, and his voice was rough with concern.
"Gracie, what are you doing? We have to go now!"
She was staring at something that he couldn't see, and he knew that they would be overcome by the raven flock if they delayed much longer. He tried to grab her, but she fought him with all her might.
"Please, we have to wait!"
He glanced at the sky, which was rapidly turning black from the sheer mass of the swarm. She also saw the danger but she remained where she stood, her bad arm waiting to be taken. The furious caws grew louder, and Gabriel had to scream to be heard over the noise.
"Wait for what, Gracie? What are you waiting for?"
* * *
The alarm clock went off and Gabriel jerked awake with a sharp gasp, his arms automatically rising to fight off the imaginary black birds. Even when he looked around and realized that he was safe in his old room, he didn't relax.
Something is going on in New York where Grace is concerned, and she's seriously at risk of being hurt. Or worse. I need to find out what's going on with her.
He rose from the bed and began to dress, his thoughts centered on locating Grace. He decided that as soon as he was settled in the city, he would try and see her at the address that Mosely gave him on Friday night. If for some reason she wasn't there, he would try her office at Columbia on Monday morning.
He left the room and climbed the stairs to the attic, wanting to see his portrait again. Stepping closer, he stared at the likeness that Grace had so lovingly created. He lightly touched the wooden frame, clearing his mind to receive whatever information the painting had to give him. He closed his eyes, his senses taking over.
* * *
Gabriel saw a large room, obviously an artist's studio. Sunshine streamed in through the many windows. Perhaps one of them was left open; the air was crisp and refreshing. He breathed it in, and detected a hint of linseed oil along with the familiar smell of fresh paint. He looked at the canvas and saw a rough outline of his face, his hair streaked with shades of vermilion and his emerald eyes flashing back at him.
Grace was sitting in a chair, a gin and tonic in her hand. She sipped her drink as she contemplated the painting. She wore a white artist's smock over a black cocktail dress and high heels, her hair piled on top of her head. She looked as if she was dressed for a night on the town. Gabriel missed how she used to look when she was with him, back when she was more casual and natural. He continued to watch her with his mind's eye, trying to reconcile the old Grace with the new.
She leaned forward and with a bitter smile, lifted her glass to the portrait.
"Knight, you heartless bastard. Here's to you! With this painting, may I finally be free of you! My heart was yours from the very beginning, but you never wanted it. Even now, it still belongs to you despite my not wanting it to. Hopefully this project will get you out of my system for good, and then I can finally move on with the rest of my life! Damn you, and damn me for still loving you after all this time!"
