Page 58 of Grayson’s Challenge

“Hey guys,” a tall man said. “Good to see you, Grayson. Long time.”

“Good to see you, too, guys.”

Monique peeked past Grayson’s shoulder, and Grayson turned sideways, so she could see better.

“This is Hamish, and that’s Logan,” he said. “Guys, this is Monique, Cain’s daughter.”

“Hey,” Monique said, and the two men, who were armed to the teeth, nodded.

“Let’s do this,” Hamish said and motioned to the opening in the tunnel wall.

One by one, they entered. Inside the cave, which was about the size of an elevator carrying four people, they stood close together. Grayson put his arm around her, then put his hand on Logan’s arm. She saw that the others held on to each other too so everybody had a direct or indirect connection to either Hamish or Logan.

“Don’t let go,” Hamish advised, “or you’ll get lost on the trip.”

A moment later, it went pitch black around them, and Monique realized that the opening to the tunnel had closed. They were surrounded by rock walls. Instinctively, Monique tensed and put both arms around Grayson. She felt as if she were tossed in the air and clung to Grayson for dear life.

“It’s all good, babe,” he murmured softly, his breath ghosting over her face.

Then, his lips were on hers, and he was kissing her. She tilted her head to the side and parted her lips to allow him to sweep his tongue into her mouth. Heat surged through her, and the kiss pushed every thought into the back of her mind. The passion with which he kissed her felt amplified, now that she knew that Grayson loved her. She kissed him back with the same desire, his arm around her waist pulling her closer so her breasts were crushed to his chest. She felt his heartbeat echo her own, and the scent of his arousal drifted to her nostrils and made her want to press him down on the nearest flat surface and ride him.

“Ahem, we’re here,” Logan said, clearing his throat.

Monique’s eyes flew open, and she freed herself from Grayson’s arms. She and Grayson were the only ones still inside the portal. The other four had exited and stood in the ruins of an old, burned-out building, which at one time had been a church.

Swallowing hard, Monique exited the portal and avoided looking at her travel companions. What did they think of her? The vampire, Blake, had certainly been aware of the scent of arousal wrapping around her and Grayson, but he had the decency to keep his thoughts to himself. She was grateful for that.

“Okay,” she said quickly and rubbed her damp palms on her pants. “By the looks of it, this is St. Tobias Parish church. That means we’re about a half hour walk from the palace grounds.” She pointed to the left. “That way.”

As they walked through the woods, ever vigilant of their surroundings, and thanks to Hamish and Logan, invisible to all others but their own small group, they worked out the details of how to enter the palace and find Zach and David and their friends.

~ ~ ~

“You’re sure about that?” Grayson asked as they stood at the edge of the woods from where they could see the palace and the smaller cottages lining the long road leading up to it.

“Yes,” Monique said firmly. “I refuse to believe that my uncle was able to turn everybody in the palace against my father.”

“Okay, then let’s stick to the plan. You all know what to do.” Grayson looked at his companions, and everybody nodded.

“Ready when you are,” Hamish said.

“Let’s go.”

All of them were invisible. Grayson walked next to Monique, Hamish on her other side, while Blake, Wesley, and Logan made a wide berth to get behind one of the cottages. The road to the palace was lined with street lights every fifty yards, and from inside the cottages, light shone onto their porches. Two guards stood in the shadow of the first cottage, armed with guns, their eyes roaming, waiting for intruders.

“You know them?” Grayson whispered next to Monique.

“Yes.”

The three of them approached the guards, then stopped only a few yards away from them, remaining behind a tree, while Grayson and Hamish walked closer to the two guards. Monique gave Hamish a sign, and a moment later, she turned visible and stepped around the tree. The two guards stared at her in disbelief.

“Princess,” one of them said, then grinned.

Monique approached them. “I need your help.”

The two vampires exchanged a look, then one of them said, “Perfect.”

Both reached for her, gripping her arms to restrain her. “Let go of me! I’m the princess.”