by Tara Chau
I look away so he can’t see the tears still trickling down my flushed face. “I told him I was going to face my fear tonight, be brave. And I am fine, Gabe, you can leave. Go get some rest.” I say coldly.
“Don’t lie to me, Di. You aren’t fine. You’ve been crying for hours, and you look wrecked.” He says flatly.
I spin to face him.; He is still wet but no longer shivering. “You’re dripping water on my floor,” I whisper quietly.
It’s the only thing I can think of that won’t make me burst into a hot mess. Gabe walks over to where I hang my towel and starts patting himself dry. Once he’s no longer soaking, he wipes the towel along the floor, drying it up efficiently. Satisfied with his work, he tosses the towel expertly into the washing basket. I walk over to my closet and remove a tightly knitted blanket. Closing the door, I hand it to Gabe, who takes it with a thankful nod.
“Have you slept even a little bit?” His voice is full of concern.
I shake my head as he wraps the blanket around himself. The thing is so long and thick that it flows onto the ground.
Gabe walks over to sit next to me on the bed, both our backs resting up against the headboard. We sit here for a while, neither of us speaking, just listening to the sounds of crashing thunder and the steady beats of rain against the roof. I’m still crying, although, with someone else here, it’s slowed down to a trickle. A huge crack of thunder makes me flinch, causing the tears to run freely down my face once again. Gabe lifts his arms and loops them around me, holding me tightly against his chest.
“I’m here,” he whispers. “You’re safe. Go to sleep. I’ll fight off the demons if they come anywhere near you.”
I let out a shaky breath and rest my head against his strong shoulder. I feel the weight of his head rest on top of mine after a moment’s hesitation.
“Only I can fight my demons,” I say softly. “Only I can kill them.”
“You won’t have to do it alone.” He says sure. “Don’t be afraid to close your eyes. I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere till the morning.”
“I am afraid,” I say in a shaky, uncertain voice. I lift my head and turn to face him. He looks at me with puzzled eyes.
“I am afraid, all the time. I thought that I could face my fear tonight, but I couldn’t. I was basically dying before you came.”
Gabe flinches at my words but doesn’t say anything, nor does he look away. Gabe continues to look at me into my eyes. “This is me, Gabe,” I say, sobbing. “This is me, a scared little girl who doesn’t know what on earth she is doing. How am I going to live like this for the rest of my life? How do you and all the other Protectors live like this? Always knowing that there are demons and angels out there. How are you not afraid to close your eyes at night?” I weep into his shoulder.
Lightning flashes, bright and dark at the same time. But this time, I won’t finch, or break down, or cry. I will stay strong, even if I am terrified.
“To live in fear is not living, Gabe, and I am living in fear. Help me.” I plead as I close my eyes, pushing more tears down my cheeks.
I feel soft fingers against my cheek, wiping my tears away then coming to cup my face. Without opening my eyes, I lean my head into his hand. It's strong and smooth but also callused from using weapons.
“Viriliter agite et confortamini esto adiutor.”
He speaks, and I open my eyes at the words. I-I-how do I know that? Somehow, I know what those words mean.
“Be brave, be strong, be a Protector.” Both Gabe and I translate at the same time. Gabe’s eyes widen, and his hand retracts.
“How do you know what that means?” he asks, shocked.
“I-I, I don’t know. What does it mean?”
“It’s the Protector’s motto. We all say it before we go into battle. Specifically, war.” He explains. I nod my head thoughtfully.
“Say something else in Latin. You speak Latin, right?” I demand. He smiles and nods.
“Quane speciosum est bene.” He says.
“Quid est enim inveniet pulchra es de me?” I reply slyly, realising that I just understood, and answered Gabe in Latin. How in the world did I learn Latin?
Gabe starts, “How do you know Latin?”
“Wait, wait, wait. Just to be clear, you said something along the lines of: ‘That is correct, beautiful?” I question nervously.
We’ve both changed positions, and now we’re sitting cross-legged facing each other. The storm has died down now. Only the wind and rough rain remains.
“Yes, that is exactly what I said. ‘What is it you find beautiful about me?’ is what you asked me.”
“Yes,” I nod impatiently, “but how do I know Latin?”
“Maybe it has something to do with Dyla. I bet my life that she knew Latin. Maybe it’s part of her powers she gave to you. Her knowledge of Latin. How to speak it, understand it. I’m pretty sure she knew other languages as well.” He answers.
“But which ones?” I ask.
“I guess only time will tell.” He shrugs.
We watch each other for a few moments, content to just be still within a breaths space of one another.
“Lie down now, Di. The storm is finishing up. Go to sleep.” He gives me a small encouraging smile.
I lie down and hold onto Gabe’s hand.
“Non ivit servus tuus quoquam licet?”
“I’m not going anywhere, Di.” He assures.
I close my eyes and drift to sleep, my tears slowly drying up. The rain pelts against the roof, and the wind howls, making me shiver. But Gabe’s hand steadily rubs against my back.
A familiar phantom hand strokes my hair, and silent tears flow down my cheek as mum’s voice rings softly in my mind, singing me to sleep. I’m aware of the stoop in the mattress next to me, indicating that Gabe is still here, and for the first time since mum died, I don’t have any nightmares.
The first thing that I notice the next morning is how cold it is. The air is freezing. It has a sense of evil menace to it as the chill bites at my exposed skin. The second thing I notice is that Gabe is no longer beside me. I sit up quickly, desperate for a sign that he is still here. Once I do a scan of the room and still can’t see him, I swing my legs over the bed and start to…ow!
I trip over something big and hard. Turning my head around, I jump when my eyes land on Gabe. He’s lying on the floor with my blanket draped on top of him and a small pillow propped under his head, staring at me with wide eyes. I scramble up from the floor and am now standing over him. Feeling uncomfortable, I go back down to the floor and sit cross-legged facing him.
“Good morning,” I say in a sweet voice.
“You tripped over me.” He accuses. Trust Gabe to always get to the point.
“I-I…” I stutter.
“Tripped over me.” he finishes.
“Sorry,” I mutter. “Why are you sleeping on the floor?”
“You wanted me to stay with you last night, so I did. But I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries if you know what I mean.” He answers.
My face reddens, and I suddenly feel hot. Struggling to conceal my flustered expression, I speak quickly. “I wouldn’t have minded. It was cold last night. You could have put your head at the foot of my bed instead.” I suggest.
He smiles charmingly and sits up, ruffling his hair and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” He says boldly.
I grab his pillow and throw it hard at his face. Unfortunately, he catches it before it gets anywhere close to him, chucking it onto my unmade bed. I stand up as he does, grabbing the blanket off him to throw onto the foot of my bed.
“That can be your personal blanket,” I say with a smile as I make my bed.
“Alright. Hey Di, I need to go over to Ty’s house to collect some stuff for school today. I’ll meet you there.” He sighs regretfully.
“Okay,” I say, attempting to hide my disappoi
ntment. “Will you be alright to confront him, alone?” I ask.
“Yes, I think. Ty and I are friends. Nothing can change that. I’ll be quick, promise. Wait for me outside the entrance?” He requests.
“Yep, but if Anne happens to come along, then I’m totally ditching you,” I warn playfully.
“Woah, how nice of you. But I guess I shouldn’t expect anything different. What is it, you girls say? Sisters before misters?”
“Spot on, Chip.” I tease.
“Okay, you need to stop saying that.” He states, irritated.
“No-can-do, Chip.”
Then I’m flying. Gabe has raced over to me and chucked me in the air, somehow doing both those things without me noticing before it is too late. I let out a scream as I start to come down again, and Gabe has completely disappeared.
“Gabe!” I yell.
And then I hit something hard. The impact knocks the air from my lungs momentarily, leaving me gasping and teary-eyed. Gabe is standing there, face as bright as the sun, beaming at me. I am in his arms, so he can’t do anything when I slap him hard across the face and jump down.
“Oi, what was that for?” He complains, rubbing his reddening cheek.
“Never do that again,” I say sternly, but I am unable to keep from smiling.
“Doesn’t mean you can slap me.” He says, sounding like a baby as he continues to knead his face.
“It didn’t even leave a big mark,” I observe.
Gabe glares, and I smile. He then shrugs and walks over to the door, acting like the last thirty seconds never happened.
“See you at school, Di.” He gives me a wink then vanishes, leaving me slightly annoyed and breathless.
* * *
By the time I get to school, wearing skinny jeans and a beautiful cream coat, I am only ten minutes early. The weather is amazing, aside from the cold and slight wind, it is a lovely sunny day. I walk up to school feeling light and happy. Just as I am about to make my way up the stairs, Lucien comes and blocks my way.
“Good morning pip-squeak, how was your night?” He says with a broad smile.
“It was good,” I say nervously.
The way Lucien’s watching me makes me feel like a little rabbit, and he’s the fox. His eyes dart over me as his smile is replaced with a dirty grin. His gaze comes to rest on my hand. I’m not fast enough to pull away as he grabs at my wrist.
“What happened to your wrist?” he asks, pointing at the bandage.
What? How can he see it? Only Protectors can see through glamour. This shouldn’t be happening. My head is desperately trying to come up with an excuse. All I can do in the meantime is attempt to pull my arm from his tightening grasp.
“Go on,” he prompts. “Tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” He’s looking at me eagerly.
I can see a mischievous gleam forming in his eyes. It sends shivers down my spine, making me squirm and panic.
“Let go, Lucien. Please.” I beg as his grasp tightens.
“Dianna, stop making a fuss. Just tell me what happened to your arm, and I’ll let go.” I give a hard pull, but he is stronger than I remember.
From out of nowhere, a hand comes down and easily removes Lucien’s hand from my wrist. I look up to see Gabe standing beside me. He uses his left arm to push me gently behind him, obscuring Lucien’s view of me. I look up at his face, surprised to see a different expression other than stone. I almost wish he’d hidden his feelings. As I peer up at him, I wince at his angered and outraged expression.
“She got a rash last night,” Gabe explains calmly, his voice cold as ice. “She put the bandage on so no one would see and so she wouldn’t be able to scratch it. Apparently, it’s really inflamed.”
“And how do you know that if it only happened last night?” Lucien asks suspiciously.
“Because I dropped by her house to give her something.” Gabe lies effortlessly. “The storm was getting really bad, so I only had enough time to get the book to her and recommend the bandage idea.”
“See, Dianna, that wasn’t so hard to explain,” Lucien says, hiding his agitation poorly.
He tries to step around Gabe to reach for me again, but Gabe sidesteps and blocks me off entirely. Both boys are the same height and build, so they can’t intimidate each other with brute force or size, although Gabe is undeniably stronger.
“Class is starting soon,” Lucien reminds. I can walk you to your class, Dianna.”
“No, that’s not necessary. I’m going that way anyway.” Gabe says sternly. “In fact, my class is opposite hers. Let’s get going.” And with that, he grabs hold of my hand and marches us up the stairs and into the busy corridor.
“You okay?” he asks as we make our way to class, clenching and unclenching his hands.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve never seen Lucien like that, though. We used to be best friends. But today, he made me feel…scared.” I say sadly.
“I can’t tell you what to do, Di, but I recommend you stay away from him. Lucien is super popular, super jerky and a super seducer.” He warns.
“What? He seduces people?” I ask, flabbergasted.
“Didn’t you see the way he was watching you?” Gabe’s angry. I can see it in his stiff shoulders and his clenched hands. “Seriously, Di, be careful.”
I reach out for his hand. Gabe shivers, and I notice it originates from where I touch him. I slowly force him to unclench his hand, worried that he might hurt himself again. He turns sideways and smiles. Not his usual big bright grin, but a small smile that tells me he appreciates that I’m looking out for him. The bell rings, and we hurry down the corridor towards our classes. When we reach the door to my class, I let go of his hand.
“Dignum enim prandium?” I ask. Gabe smiles at me.
“Yes,” he replies. “Invite Anne to sit with us at lunch as well.”
“Alright,” I say happily. “This Latin thing is going to come in handy,” I say brightly.
“Me sine causa, non amnis tribulatio,” he warns.
“Me? Cause trouble, without you? I would never!” I say, trying to make myself sound offended.
“Right.” He says, sounding very unconvinced. “Say good morning to Anne for me, will you?”
“Alright,” I say, smiling at him.
I have the sudden urge to run my fingers through his hair. I settle for a hug instead. I reach up to wrap my arms around his neck and put my head against his collar bone. Gabe stiffens and then starts to chuckle softly, melting into my arms for a few moments before unravelling them from around his neck. I frown at him and feel a surprisingly sharp pain go through me as he draws away.
“Stop procrastinating. Get into class now, Di.” He says with a small smile.
“Okay,” I say, not able to keep the disappointment from my voice. I lift my head and pull a grin. “Go on, Chip, run along now. Off to class with you.” He turns around, rolling his eyes muttering something.
“Feminae,” is what he’s saying as he makes his way into the math room.
Women are what it translates to. I give a defeated huff and march into English, preparing for two long hours of hearing Miss Canit’s voice, lecturing us about Romeo and Juliet.
At the end of class, Anne and I run out into the hall, only stopping once we’re out of sight. During class, Anne had noticed that Ty was trying to get my attention the whole lesson. She recommended that we run fast after we’re excused.
We make our way to the cafeteria, giggling softly about our expert escape. I spot Gabe sitting further to the back of the room, holding a table for us. I smile and wave to him as we approach. He gives me a simple wink and goes to fish something from his bag.
“What do you girls feel like eating?” he asks as we sit down. “They have chicken schnitzel and mashed potato, or Caesar salad with grilled chicken. This school rarely has vegetarian options.” He complains.
“I’ve got my own lunch,”
Anne says.
“I’ll get a chicken schnitzel,” I decide.
“Great,” Gabe says with a smile. “I’ll come up with you. I’m getting the salad. Let’s go line up before it gets too long.”
We both stand up and leave Anne to her falafel wrap as we make our way to the small line.
“How was class?” Gabe asks. “You and Ty have the same lesson, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Anne and I ran like demons were chasing us. After class, of course.” I add. “How are you and Ty? Did you speak this morning?”
“No, I ran in, got my stuff and got ready at the Sanctuary. I guess we’re both chickens.” He admits.
“I am not a chicken,” I say defensively. Gabe raises an eyebrow as we walk to the front of the line. “I’m not a chicken. I’m a beautiful peacock.”
“How about a beautiful chicken.” Gabe inputs.
“Agreed,” I say with a nod of my head and a charming smile.
We are at the counter now. Gabe orders for the both of us and pays as well. He hands me the tray and takes the other one for himself. I look at him with both eyebrows raised and a grin on my face.
“What?” he asks innocently.
I turn my head to face him as I speak. “Once we sit down, I’ll pay you back,” I say.
“Don’t worry about it,” he shrugs. “It didn’t cost anything.”
“Everything costs something. I’ll buy you lunch tomorrow.” I offer.
“If you insist.” He nods.
We sit back down at the table where Anne is now eating an apple. I take a mouthful of potato as I think of something to say. An argument that Gabe and I have yet to finish pops into my head.
“Gabriel?” I start, using his full name for extra drama.
“Oh, I’m in trouble, aren’t I? If this is about eating your mars bar while you were asleep, then I’m sorry.” He admits quickly.
At that, Anne looks at the both of us with questioning eyes and a sly smile. I ignore her and continue talking.
“No, it’s not about that. But the next time you stay over, I will not be leaving out any candy or chocolate. If you do end up finding my stash and eating half of it, I’ll hit you harder than I hit Ty.” He shrugs and gives me one of the proudest smiles I’ll ever see in my life.