CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: THE TETHER

SHE CRIED OUT, panic rising in her throat. "Grayson!"

Mailah scrambled across the marble floor, ignoring the sharp crystals that bit into her palms and the throbbing pain in her twisted ankle.

Grayson lay motionless where he’d fallen, his face pale as moonlight, his breathing so shallow she had to press her ear to his chest to confirm he was still alive.

His heartbeat was there, but faint—like a dying echo reverberating through an empty cathedral.

"Mrs. Baker!" she screamed, her voice cracking with desperation. "Mrs. Baker, I need you to call 911! Now!"

The sound of running footsteps echoed through the corridors. The estate staff had gathered around the commotion.

Mrs. Baker appeared, her usually composed face crumpling with shock as she took in the scene—the destroyed chandelier, the crystal debris scattered like deadly confetti, and her employer lying unconscious amid the wreckage.

"My God," the older woman breathed, her hand flying to her throat. "What happened? Is he—"

"Call an ambulance," Mailah interrupted, cradling Grayson’s head in her lap. His dark hair fell across her fingers like silk, and she found herself stroking it gently, as if her touch alone could anchor him to consciousness. "Please, hurry. I think he’s—"

"I’m here."

The voice cut through the chaos with calm authority, and Mailah looked up to see Vivienne Ashford walking through the front entrance. The older woman moved with purpose, her silver hair perfectly arranged despite the early hour, her elegant suit unwrinkled as if she’d simply materialized rather than traveled to reach them.

But it was the lack of surprise on Vivienne’s face that made Mailah’s blood run cold. There was no shock, no confusion—only the focused efficiency of someone who had been expecting this exact scenario.

"How—" Mailah began, but Vivienne was already kneeling beside them, her manicured fingers pressed against Grayson’s throat to check his pulse.

"I’m a guardian. I know when my ward is in danger," Vivienne said cryptically, her tone matter-of-fact as she examined the unconscious man.

Her fingers moved with practiced precision, checking his pupils, the color of his lips, the temperature of his skin. "It’s part of what I do."

The casual way she delivered the statement only heightened Mailah’s growing panic. Part of what she did?

"We need to get him upstairs," Vivienne continued, rising gracefully to her feet. Her sharp gaze swept over the gathered staff, most of whom stood frozen in shock at the edges of the foyer. "Charles, Thomas—help me carry him to the master bedroom. Carefully."

Two of the larger male staff members stepped forward without hesitation, their movements coordinated. Together, they lifted Grayson’s unconscious form with the reverence one might show a wounded king.

Mailah struggled to her feet, her injured ankle protesting with every step, but she refused to be left behind. She limped after the small procession, using the banister for support as they climbed the grand staircase.

With quiet efficiency, the staff settled Grayson onto the master’s bed, the burgundy silk beneath him making his pale skin appear almost luminous.

Vivienne immediately had pulled out her phone. She moved to the far corner of the room, speaking in low, urgent tones to whoever had answered.

"No, he’s unconscious but stable for now... How quickly can you get here?"

Mrs. Baker hovered near the doorway, wringing her hands as she watched her employer’s still form. The other staff members maintained their positions, awaiting further instructions with the patience of those accustomed to crisis.

Mailah sank into the chair she’d pulled to the side of the bed, her eyes never leaving Grayson’s face. In sleep—if this could be called sleep—the sharp angles of his features seemed softer, more vulnerable.

Gone was the predatory grace, the carefully controlled power that usually radiated from him like heat from a forge.

He looked human. Heartbreakingly, devastatingly human.

"Mrs. Baker," Vivienne said as she ended her call, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. "Please escort the staff back to their duties. Help is on the way, and there’s nothing more they can do here."

The dismissal was clear, and Mrs. Baker nodded reluctantly. She ushered the other staff members from the room, casting one last worried glance at Grayson before closing the heavy oak door behind them.

The moment they were alone, Mailah’s composure cracked completely.

"He’s not breathing properly," she said, her voice rising with panic as she leaned closer to Grayson’s still form. "Look at him, Vivienne. His lips are turning blue, and his skin is so cold. We need to get him to a hospital. We need to—"

"Pull yourself together." Vivienne’s sharp tone cut through Mailah’s hysteria like a blade. The older woman moved to the opposite side of the bed, her professional mask firmly in place. "Grayson is not dead, though I understand why you might think so. He’s severely weakened, but he’s survived worse."

"Weakened by what?" Mailah demanded, her hands hovering over Grayson’s chest as if she could somehow will strength back into his body. "What could cause this? The chandelier was falling, and then he just... he moved it, and then he collapsed. How is that even possible?"

Vivienne studied her for a long moment, those pale eyes seeming to weigh and measure. When she spoke, her voice carried the weight of centuries-old secrets.

"The only thing that could cause this level of exhaustion would be if Grayson used what remained of his supernatural reserves. Based on what you’ve described, he likely expended every ounce of power he had left."

The words struck Mailah hard, leaving her breathless. Had he done it... to protect her? "You mean he’s like this because of me?"

Vivienne’s expression softened fractionally. "For a creature that’s been starving for three centuries, using telekinetic force of that magnitude... it was essentially a suicide mission."

Guilt crashed over Mailah like a tsunami, threatening to drag her under. She reached for Grayson’s hand, his fingers cold and lifeless against her palm. "Then we have to do something. There has to be a way to help him."

"There is," Vivienne said quietly. "But it’s not a choice I can make for either of you."

Before Mailah could ask what she meant, a soft knock interrupted them.

The bedroom door opened to reveal a tall, impeccably dressed man carrying what appeared to be an old-fashioned medical bag.

He looked to be in his early thirties, with the kind of classical good looks that belonged on a movie screen—sharp cheekbones, compelling hazel eyes, and an air of quiet confidence that commanded attention.

"Vivienne," he said, his voice carrying a slight accent she couldn’t place. "I came as quickly as I could."

"Dr. Morrison," Vivienne replied, relief evident in her tone. "Thank you for coming. This is Mailah—she’s been... staying with us."

Dr. Morrison’s penetrating gaze shifted to her, and Mailah felt an odd sensation, as if he were seeing far more than her surface appearance.

His smile was professional but warm. "A pleasure, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

Mailah stared at him in bewilderment. "Wait, you’re the help? I thought we were taking him to a hospital. Why are you—he needs emergency care, not a house call!"

She turned to glare at Vivienne. "This is insane. He needs to be in an ICU, not lying here while we wait for—" She gestured helplessly at Dr. Morrison. "—for someone who looks like he just finished medical school!"

Vivienne met her glare without flinching. "No human doctor can treat what Grayson is suffering from. No hospital in the world has the equipment or knowledge necessary to help him."

"Then what—" Mailah began, but Dr. Morrison’s gentle chuckle interrupted her.

"I understand your concern," he said, setting his medical bag on the bedside table with practiced ease. "I know I don’t look my age, but I assure you, I’ve been practicing medicine probably since before Grayson and his brothers were born. Appearances, as you’re learning, can be quite deceiving in our world."

Our world. The offhand way he said it sent a shiver through her. Another supernatural being, then. How many of them were there?

Dr. Morrison seemed to read her thoughts. "I’m what you might call a specialist in treating... unique conditions. Now, if you would both step outside for a moment, I need to examine my patient."

"I’m not leaving him," Mailah said immediately, her grip tightening on Grayson’s hand.

"It’s necessary," Dr. Morrison replied gently but firmly. "Some of the diagnostic methods I need to employ are... better performed in private. I promise you, he’s in capable hands."

Vivienne placed a hand on Mailah’s shoulder. "Come. Give the doctor space to work."

Reluctantly, Mailah allowed herself to be guided from the room. They stood in the hallway, the silence drawn tight between them like a wire about to snap.

Her ankle throbbed where she’d twisted it, but the pain seemed distant, insignificant compared to the ache in her chest every time she thought of Grayson’s pale, still face.

After what felt like hours but was probably only twenty minutes, the bedroom door opened. Dr. Morrison emerged, removing what appeared to be surgical gloves, though they seemed to shimmer with an opalescent quality that defied explanation.

"You may come back in," he said.

Mailah pushed past him without ceremony, desperate to return to Grayson’s side.

The room smelled different now—filled with the scent of sandalwood and something else.

On the bedside table, a small brass brazier held what appeared to be incense, thin tendrils of aromatic smoke curling toward the ceiling.

Grayson lay exactly as they’d left him, but somehow he looked different. Less gray, perhaps, though still far too pale.

"Well?" Vivienne asked, her usual composure showing hairline cracks.

Dr. Morrison closed his medical bag with a soft click, his expression grave. "It’s as we suspected. Complete supernatural exhaustion—his reserves are not just depleted, they’re dangerously overdrawn. His body is essentially cannibalizing itself to maintain basic functions."

"But he’ll recover?" Mailah asked, though she dreaded the answer.

"Not without intervention." Dr. Morrison met her gaze directly. "Grayson is an incubus, which means his survival depends on a very specific type of energy transfer. He’s been starving himself for centuries, surviving on scraps and willpower. Whatever he did today—in his weakened state—should have killed him instantly."

"Then why didn’t it?" Vivienne asked.

"It may be because," Dr. Morrison said, glancing meaningfully at Mailah, "he already has a tether. A connection that’s been unconsciously sustaining him, even if only barely."

Mailah’s heart began to race. "What kind of connection?"

"Shared dreams, the mark he branded you with—you’re already partially bonded. It’s that bond that kept him alive long enough for me to stabilize him."

The room fell silent except for the soft hiss of the incense burner.

Mailah stared at Grayson’s motionless form, pieces of a cosmic puzzle clicking into place in her mind.

"What does that mean for him now?" she whispered.

Dr. Morrison’s expression grew even more serious. "It means that the only way to save Grayson’s life is for him to feed. Properly and completely. And given the bond you’ve already formed..." He paused, letting the implications hang in the air like the sandalwood smoke.

"The only person who can save him is you."