Chapter 57

While lunch was simple, there was more than enough to go around. I grabbed a couple sandwiches for myself then found a chair at the dining table. Grace quickly grabbed the chair on my left, while Caly grabbed the one to my right. Karen and Megan took up seats on the other side of Caly then the three of them started to talk about something quietly enough that I couldn't hear.

As they were occupied I turned my attention to Grace.

Seeing me looking at her Grace smiled at me a few bread crumbs sticking to the side of her mouth. I smiled back at her then concentrated on my lunch for a couple minutes. I had something I had wanted to ask her since last night, but no idea how to bring it up with her.

"Something bothering you?" Micheal said coming up behind my chair.

I shrugged. "A bit." I replied looking back at him. "Our warnings are about today, but we have no idea when so…" I said then shrugged.

Micheal nodded. "Yeah, I have been wondering about that too. I called a few of the others, let them know what was going on, and invited them out here." he told me.

I frowned at that thought. I understood the sentiment, but I didn't get along with some of Micheal's other friends.

Micheal chuckled. "It's fine, Dad doesn't mind putting some of them up in the vacant houses." Micheal told me.

I nodded feeling a bit relieved at that. "When are they supposed to get here?" I asked.

Micheal shrugged, "No idea. Not everyone believed me. Others had their own plans. So no one actually committed." he replied.

"Even your side harem?" I asked.

Micheal snorted, "There are some who said they will come, but didn't say when. Courtney wasn't happy about that though, most of them were the girls she liked. Any suggestions?"

I nodded. "Monstrous endurance and regeneration." I replied.

Micheal stared down at me a bit surprised. "You used your wisps for that?" he asked.

I nodded. "Sure, while I might not be able to run faster than you, now I could probably outrun you if I needed to." I told him. "Besides the fun part, I will be able to last longer in a fight without falling over from exhaustion."

Micheal snorted. "Is that how you justified it after the fact?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, just to you. I more than justified it last night." I replied with a smirk.

Grace smacked my arm, her face blushing a deep red.

Micheal chuckled, "Still seems like a waste of wisps, and ability slots." he said then went on his way with a thoughtful look on his face. I had a feeling he would be trying to pick those abilities up himself, despite what he said.

With Micheal gone I looked over at Caly. My conversation with him had reminded me of something else. "Caly, what do shadow and air make when combined?" I asked. I didn't have the wisps to form a link between them now, but I still wanted to know for later.

"Hm?" Caly said as she looked away from my other wives. "Shadow and air?" she said then seemed to think for a couple minutes. "Miasma I think. Adding shadow to any of the elements adds a negative aspect to them. Miasma should be the one for air. You can manipulate it like air but it comes with an added taint to it. Like shadow fire can be used like fire."

"A taint?" I asked.

Caly nodded. "Best way I can describe it. Fire becomes shadow fire that burns the soul and its vessel. Air becomes miasma that twists the mind. Water becomes poison taints the blood. Earth becomes blight which twists the body. Be very careful of using Miasma and Blight as they are likely to have effects that you didn't expect." she told me.

"Does that mean light adds positive aspects?" Grace asked, getting into the conversation.

Caly nodded then shook her head. "Yes and no. The light will add purifying aspects to the elements; fire for the soul, air for the mind, water for blood, and earth for the body. Despite that they can be considered even more dangerous than the darkness enhanced elements." she told us.

"Why?" Courtney asked having heard our conversation. Looking over at her I could only see curiosity in her gaze.

"Because no one is truly pure." Caly replied. "It is the good and the bad within you that makes each of us unique. You might be able to live through an encounter with the bright elements, but when all of the darkness within you is taken away, who you are as a person could change completely."

I nodded as I considered that then looked around. A lot more people had been paying attention to that conversation than I had thought and each seemed to be contemplating what Caly said.

I quickly finished my meal then grabbed Grace's hand and left the table. Grace came willingly as I headed for the backyard.

"Downstairs would have been better." Grace said once we were outside, pressing herself to my side with a naughty smirk.

I leaned over and kissed her slowly, my arms wrapping around her waist.

Grace practically purred as we held each other for a few moments then Sil and Enya appeared fluttering around us. Just in time to ruin the moment. "Master's finally awake!" Enya cheered as she flew a circle around our head. Sil just seemed to follow in her wake with a sleepy grin on her face.

I sighed but gave Grace a quick squeeze before I let go of her. "Good job last night." I told the elementals. "And thank you for the help."

"It's fine, we were bored anyway." Sil replied.

"Yeah, nothing else to do when all of you are sleeping." Enya agreed.

I nodded then looked back at Grace, I still had a question for her but no idea how to ask it.

"Can't understand why I decided to commit to you like that, when we hadn't even known each other for a day?" Grace asked with a smirk.

My jaw dropped, was I that transparent?

"Karen told me it would bother you. She recommended I talk to you about it even if you didn't bring it up." Grace informed me.

I sighed, exactly how well did Karen know me?

"Yeah." I said looking back at Grace.

Grace smiled then gestured to a pair of chairs that were set on the back patio. "How about we sit first." she suggested.

I nodded then followed her over to the chair she indicated. I followed her over to the chairs then sat down. Grace moved her chair as close to mine as it could get then sat down.

Once we were seated Grace looked out over the backyard for a moment. It was fairly spacious with a modest pool to the left side of the yard, while the rest was neatly trimmed grass. A few trees were planted at the back by the wall, but they hadn't had much time to grow yet.

"I admit, I had a bit of a crush on you after you saved my life, but not enough to jump straight into marriage, especially not with three other women." Grace started then looked at me. "No offense or anything, but I know how attractive I am. While I might not be able to have any man I want, there are plenty out there that would kill to have a woman like me." she told me.

While I didn't think she was wrong, I was surprised to hear her say it out loud.

Grace smiled at my reaction. "Sorry, I know that sounded conceited, but I wanted to be as honest with you as I could be. Like Caly you don't know anything about me. Unlike Caly, you have no idea why I joined you. So I am trying to explain my viewpoint in a way you could understand.

"So?" I asked curious now, while thankful that she was being honest, and dumbing it down. I doubted I would be able to understand all of it. Women were beautiful but mysterious creatures.

"When I figured out your relationship with Karen and Megan I decided to put some distance between us, which was why I rode with Samantha. I wanted to get some perspective on how I felt about you, without you around." she told me. She seemed like she wanted to say something else then looked at me, a fire in her gaze I hadn't seen before.

I was surprised.

Grace giggled. "Don't underestimate how much saving a woman in distress will do to their feelings for you. I had already prayed and promised all sorts of things to whatever god might have been listening by the time you appeared and saved me. Marrying my savior on the spot was only one thing I had promised, but it was the greatest promise I had made." she admitted.

I nodded, as my mind reeled.

"Not that I agreed because of that, or at least, not just because of that." she said then paused again. "The deciding factor was the ability I gained from the last gate opening." she told me.

"Ability?" I asked.

Grace nodded. "Premonition." she told me. "It isn't exact, and I don't have many wisps in it yet, but I get a good, bad, safe, and fearful feeling about things." she told me. "When I think about something I sometimes get one or more of those feelings about it."