Chapter 23

PRUE

D ay off. Two words that sound as foreign to me now as "time witch" did a few weeks ago. No training today, no pushing my control and my abilities. Just me, this rickety porch, and the great outdoors.

I lean against the railing, half expecting it to give way under my weight. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the universe decided to add "death by poorly maintained deck" to its list of ways to torment me.

My mind wanders to the progress I've made. From barely being able to access my powers to manipulating time with a thought. And a lot of that progress, I have to admit, is thanks to Grayson.

Grayson and his... unconventional methods. My cheeks warm as I remember our encounters. His way of getting me out of my head has been effective, to say the least. More than effective. It's been pleasurable and transformative.

When we're together now, whether we're training or... not training, my anxiety, my doubts, they all disappear. It's just me, him and my power, raw and potent.

Each day, I feel stronger, more in control. The time streams bend to my will now, instead of the other way around.

The door opens behind me, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn to see Grayson, two glasses in hand, filled with his signature concoction - bourbon with a hint of orange and honey.

"Thought you might want a drink," he says, offering me one of the glasses.

I accept it with a raised eyebrow. "Day drinking, Grayson? Is getting me drunk a good idea?"

A ghost of a smile flickers across his face. "I'd like to see you drunk, little witch. Plus you don't need to save the universe right this second, so you can have a drink."

"Oh, thanks," I scoff, taking a sip. The liquor burns pleasantly as it goes down, the sweetness of honey lingering on my tongue.

Grayson chuckles, a rare sound that sends a warmth through me that has nothing to do with the bourbon.

We fall into a comfortable silence, sipping our drinks and just taking in the outside.

"So," I say, breaking the quiet. "No training today. Whatever shall we do with ourselves?"

"I have a few thoughts." Grayson winks at me and I laugh, he moves slightly closer to me, his arm brushing against mine.

"I'm sure you do." I retort back and bring the glass back to my lips. He watches me closely and it makes me heat up, my power wants to come out but I suppress it. This was not the time for that.

I find myself studying Grayson's face. The lines of stress that seem permanently etched around his eyes have softened, and he looks younger, more carefree. It's a good look on him.

"What?" he asks, catching me staring.

I shake my head, heat rising to my cheeks. "Nothing. Just... it's nice to see you relax a bit. You're usually so..."

"Intense? Brooding? Devastatingly handsome? Right all the time?" Grayson supplies, his tone dry.

I roll my eyes and scoff at him. "I was going to say 'serious', but sure, let's go with brooding."

"Not right all the time?" Grayson asks.

"Don't push your luck."

Grayson's lips twitch as he attempts to hide his smile.

We lapse into silence again, but it's comfortable. The afternoon sun warms my skin, and I'm acutely aware of how close Grayson is standing to me.

"Do you miss it?" The words slip out before I can stop them.

Grayson doesn't need to ask what I mean. His grip on the glass tightens, knuckles turning white. "Every day," he says, his voice low and rough.

I bite my lip, regretting my question. But a part of me needs to know, needs to understand. "Tell me about it," I say softly. "Your world, I mean. What was it like?."

Grayson is quiet for so long I think he might not answer. When he finally speaks, his voice is thick with emotion.

"It was... home. Beautiful in its own way. We had cities that seemed to touch the sky, and no roads."

"No roads?" I question.

"Yeah, just like how this would has its own color scheme, differentiating it, my world, we lived in the sky. We had bridges and roofs to walk on. No roads."

I take that in.

"It must be a site to see."

"It was." Grayson's words are hollow, and he takes a sip of his drink.

The pain in his voice is raw and for the first time, I truly understand why Grayson is so driven, so desperate to fix things. This isn't just about saving the universe in some abstract sense. It's about saving his home, his people.

My chest tightens. Without thinking, I reach out, my fingers brushing against his. To my surprise, Grayson doesn't pull away. Instead, his fingers intertwine with mine, and I slowly let my index finger rub the back of his hand.

"We can't let Cole win. We can't let what happened to my world happen to others."

I nod, unable to speak around the lump in my throat. The weight of our mission settles on my shoulders, heavier than ever before. But I don't feel crushed by it. Instead, I feel... determined.

"We won't," I say, surprised by the conviction in my voice. "We'll stop him, Grayson. We'll fix the time streams and you'll show me your world."

A small smile tugs at the corners of Grayson's mouth but it almost looks sad, not quite reaching his eyes but softening them nonetheless.

"You sound pretty confident for someone who couldn't even access her powers a few weeks ago." It's his attempt at lightening the mood and I go with it.

I elbow him gently in the ribs. "Hey, I'll have you know that I initially had a shit teacher who held me back."

Grayson laughs. "Emmett wouldn't appreciate that."

"I meant you." I shove him slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He takes another sip of his drink. My mind is on Emmett now.

"Do you think he is ok?"

"Emmett?" Grayson clarifies, I nod. "He definitely will be. I've never met someone more resourceful than him and he is one of the best Time Masters out there. He just needs to find the focal point of the broken connection between this earth, mine and yours and that isn't easy to do."

"But it's been almost two weeks," I press. "Shouldn't we have heard something by now?"

"We just have to trust that he will find it and get back to us in time," Grayson says and pulls me more into him. Trusting that things would just work out was never a strong point of mine.

"I just... I can't help but worry," I admit. "About Emmett, about what Cole's planning, about whether I'll be strong enough when the time comes."

Grayson turns to face me fully, his free hand coming up to cup my cheek. The touch is gentle, and calming.

"You are strong enough," he says, his voice low and intense. "I've seen that."

His words wash over me and I lean into his touch.

"Thank you," I whisper.

For a moment, we just stand there, caught in each other's gaze. My magic resurfaces again, and Grayson chuckles.

"Keep it in your pants, little witch." He jokes at me but his magic is on the surface now too.

"Let's go make something to eat." I ignore him and pull him inside with me. He doesn't fight it, and just follows me in. The dynamic between us now completely different.