by Char Webster
Markos bent his knees to make room for her. “Have a seat.”
Julie glared as she passed by but didn’t get to respond. Aria pushed through the double doors.
“What are you doing here, Markos?” Aria growled. She wasn’t in the mood for her overprotective brother.
Markos gave her his most charming smile. “I missed you.”
Aria rolled her eyes. “You were being nosy.”
He laughed. “Okay, so I’m a little curious.”
Julie put her fists on her hips. “Well?”
“Not here. Let’s go back to my place, and I’ll fill you in, Juls. We need to pack. We’re going on a little adventure.”
“I’m coming too. You’re not leaving me out.”
~*~*~
Aedan was shoving things into his backpack. “Where are we meeting the two Guardians?”
Damian watched Aedan pack with skepticism. He reached into the bag and pulled out a small circular container. “Why are you bringing surfboard wax?”
Aedan grinned. “You never know when I might need it.”
“We’re not lugging a board around with us, and we’re not going anywhere near the beach.”
Aedan shrugged and put the wax back into his backpack. “So, where are we meeting them?”
“New Hope, Pennsylvania. There’s a concentration of supernaturals and magic there, and it’s likely one of the first places Pravus will go.”
~*~*~
“Spill it, sis.” Markos was sprawled out on Aria’s bed with his hands behind his head while she was packing a bag.
“Get your shoes off my comforter.” Aria gave him a dirty look.
“Doesn’t count. They’re hiking boots.” Markos smirked, thinking he got her.
She whispered a speed and strength spell, dove for the bed, and pulled the comforter up and over him, dumping her brother onto the floor on the other side.
“Darn it, Ar!” Markos grumbled from the floor. “You’re going to pay for that!” He jumped up, muttered a few spells quickly, and tackled her onto the floor. They’d played like this for centuries, so he knew he could trap her without hurting her.
Aria found herself face down on the carpet with her brother’s knee in her back. She hadn’t expected him to tackle her in her bedroom but should have known better. It was not the time to fight with him even though they always had so much fun.
Aria decided to play dirty. She held herself motionless and knew he would put his arm down next to her head and lean over to check on her. When he did just that, she bit his arm and rolled them both over with her added agility and strength from the spell.
“Damn it, Aria! You bit me!” Markos was rubbing his arm.
“Hahahaha! I won.” Aria was doing a little victory dance in her closet.
“You cheated!”
“I don’t have time to spar with you today.” Aria pulled out her backpack and shoved some clothes in it. She usually created outfits that went together from earrings to shoes, but this mission would not be a fashion show. She selected things that would work well in case she had to fight.
Markos frowned at her. “Are you going to tell me about the Legacy Council, or am I going to have to pin you down for real this time and not let you up until you tell me what happened?”
Aria rolled her eyes. “I’d like to see you try.” She put her hand up to him when he stepped forward to do just that. “Not now. Like I said, I have to get going as soon as Julie gets back.”
“Aria.”
She gave him attitude. “We have to team up with a couple of Enforcers to track down an escaped prisoner. He’s from our time period and feeds off of strong magic.”
“You aren’t trained to be an enforcer.” Markos was suddenly concerned.
“I’m trained as well or better than a lot of them.” Aria narrowed her eyes at him. Markos had trained her; he knew how well she could fight.
“Why would they ask two guardians to do this when they have a dozens of Enforcers?” Markos wanted to know what she wasn’t telling him or what they were keeping from her. “It would have to be a dark mystic if he was stealing magic.”
Aria wasn’t concerned. “Dark mystics have tried and failed to take magic all throughout our history. Roarik was one of the worst ever, and they figured out how to stop him.”
Markos ran his hands through his hair. “Aria, they had to encase that dude in stone to stop him. He still has followers to this day.”
She shrugged. “I doubt it’s one of his followers.”
“What else did they tell you about him?” Markos zapped her with a light stunning spell. He couldn’t resist.
“Ouch! What the hell?” Aria rubbed her thigh.
Markos smirked until the back of his head started to sting. He glared at her but had to admit it was clever. “You bounced it off the mirror behind me. Nice one.”
She grinned at him.
“What else did they say?” he prodded.
“Not much.” Aria wasn’t worried. She knew she could take just about anyone in a fight.
Markos’s eyes grew large when he figured it out. “They want you to be bait.” Markos hated this plan.
“No. We’re tracking him down so he can be taken back into custody.”
“You’re bait.”
“Whatever, Markos.” On a whim, Aria put a sundress and sandals in her bag too.
“I’m coming.”
“No. No, you’re not. This is my assignment. You’re not invited along.” Aria was pulling down her short sword from the top of the closet. She loved the very thin elf-made blade.
He watched her in fascination. “How are you going to hide a sword? Someone might notice.”
Aria started to close herself in the closet. “You’ll see.”
She came out a few minutes later in black skinny jeans, a red tank top, black short jacket, and black leather knee boots. “Can you see a sword?”
Markos perused her whole outfit and moved her hair to the side to check her back. “No. where is it?”
Aria reached down to her boots and showed Markos hidden pockets in the lining of each boot. She had slipped her sword in one side and two daggers in the other. Her sword was designed especially for her with a small, thin handle that fit her hand perfectly.
Markos pointed at the heels on the boots. “Are you going to be able to fight in those?”
“They have a chunky heel,” she said like that would explain everything.
Julie called from downstairs, “Aria, are you ready?”
“I’ll be right down.” She grabbed her backpack and ran to the bathroom and threw in her toiletries and zipped up the bag. It was a little fuller than she liked, but she wasn’t sure how long they would be gone.
Markos stepped in front of her. “I’m at least going with you to see who the Enforcers are you’re teaming up with.”
“Why?” Aria pursed her lips at him. He was up to something.
“I’m your brother.”
“That’s not an answer.” Aria continued to stare him down.
“Aria. Come on!” Julie called again.
Aria pushed past her brother and met Julie in her foyer. “Are you ready?”
Markos followed behind her.
Julie checked out Aria’s outfit. “Don’t you look badass?” Julie glanced down at her own outfit of jeans, brown ankle boots, a brown long sleeve V-neck. Her outfit was much more casual.
“Of course I do. We’re going after an evil guy. I need to look badass.”
Julie shook her head in laughter. “You still haven’t told me who we’re after.”
“I don’t know who it is. All I was told is that one of the Enforcers we’re meeting has dealt with him in the past and that he was integral in capturing the prisoner.”
Julie frowned. “Can that be any more cryptic?”
“I know, right?”
“We need to be in New Hope in about a half hour, but I want to get there early. We’re meeting them in the coffee shop,” Aria explained.
“Which one?” Markos asked.
Aria was going to ignore him but figured he would just keep asking. “Lambertville Trading Company. It’s just across the Delaware River from New Hope, and it’s a great place to get cappuccinos.”
Markos grinned. “Good I could use some caffeine.”
“Oh! Me, too.” Julie was a caffeine junkie.
Aria rolled her eyes. “You aren’t invited.”
“Don’t need an invite.” Markos was tagging along whether she liked it or not.
They opened a portal to the alley behind the Lambertville Trading Company to sunny midafternoon skies.
The place was crowded, but they found a table in the back corner that faced the door. Markos went to get them beverages and an extra shot of espresso for Julie.
“Oh, heck no!” Aria stood up from her seat as soon as she saw the door open and two Enforcers walk in.
Julie turned around to see what had upset Aria, and she nearly fell from her stool. “Someone is playing a really bad joke.”
Markos walked over to the new arrivals. “Good to see you, man.” He put out his fist for Damian to bump.
Damian knocked knuckles with a huge smile. “Markos, it’s been a long time.”
Aria stormed over. “You’re friends with him?”
Both guys had slightly guilty expressions but chose to ignore her comment.
Damian motioned to his partner. “Aedan, do you remember my very old friend, Markos?”
“Good to see you.” Aedan nodded to Markos.
“Hey. Watch the old part.” So what if he was more than 300 years old. Markos didn’t look like it.
Damian laughed. “I’m just as old. What are you doing here? Are you joining our hunt?”
Markos shook his head. “No, I’m out of here in a minute. I only wanted to see who Ar was meeting. She’s in good hands with you.”
Aria stood there with her mouth gaping open. This was so not good. They were acting as if she wasn’t there, and her traitorous brother was on very friendly terms with her evil ex. She’s in good hands with you? Did her brother really just say that?
Her eyes volleyed between Markos and Damian, and she made a decision. She strode out of the coffee house and left them standing there. Julie hustled to follow after her.
Once they were outside, Aria turned to Julie. “I cannot believe this is happening.”
Julie gave a nervous laugh. “He couldn’t be the one we were waiting for, right? The Council has to know the two of you don’t get along. Why would they pair you up?”
Aria put her hands over her face. “I can’t do this.” She started to walk again with no destination in mind.
Julie kept up with her. “I’ve never heard you say that before. Are you really going to let some old jerky ex-boyfriend stop you from doing your job? You’ve never botched an assignment. You want your first failure to be because you’re scared of being around Damian?”
Aria’s temper flared, and her face flushed with determination. “No. I’m not going to let him chase me away. We’re going to catch this criminal and finish the task. Once we’re done, we can ditch Damian and go on a long vacation.”
“That sounds like a plan. Should we go back?”
“Not yet. We’ll make them wait for a few minutes.”
Chapter Four
Markos laughed loudly as Aria stormed out. His sister always had a flare for the dramatic. “You’re in for an interesting time, my friend.”
Damian sighed. “She’s probably gone back home by now.”
Markos stared out the window. He couldn’t see her, but he knew his sister wouldn’t run from a challenge like this. “No. She’ll be back and, if for nothing else, then to torture you.”
Aedan was watching the window. “I’m going to see if they’re outside.” He grabbed the girls’ coffees and took off toward the door.
Markos pulled Damian aside. “You need to fix it.”
Damian pretended to not understand. “She’ll go on the mission.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Markos ran a hand through his hair. “It’s gone on long enough, Damian. She deserves to know the truth.”
“She’s not going to want to hear anything I have to say.”
“You need to try.”
“Why? What good could that possibly do?”
“It still bothers her.” Markos was watching Damian closely. “I didn’t realize it, but she always avoids me at this time of year. She always takes this week off, too. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
“I think you’re wrong.”
Markos shrugged. “You owe me.”
“Damn.” Damian gripped the back of a chair tightly. “Fine, but it’s going to blow up, and then you’ll have to deal with it.”
Markos grinned. “Later, buddy.” He walked away, leaving Damian alone in the coffee shop.
What did I just agree to?
~*~*~
Aedan found the girls outside an antique store about a block away. He watched Aria speaking very passionately to Julie and had a pretty good guess about the topic. This was going to be the best assignment he’d had in a really long time.
He leisurely approached them, giving the girls plenty of opportunity to see him coming. He didn’t want to be accused of sneaking up on them.
“Ladies. I have your coffee delivery.” They were shocked to see him. Julie blushed deeply and accepted her cup. Aria simply gaped at him until he put her drink into her hands.
“Um. Thanks,” Aria muttered.
“Hey. Just because you think D is the bad guy doesn’t mean that has to transfer to me. I’m the charming one.” He gave her a formal, sweeping bow, laughing.
Aria laughed along with him.
Aedan’s smile was contagious, and Aria found it difficult to stay in a sour mood. “How did you two get stuck with this assignment?”
Aedan’s eyes grew wide, but he quickly hid his shocked expression. “I’ll let Damian explain that one. He’s the one who was really recruited. I’m just tagging along for some fun. Things have been a little monotonous lately, and I’ve been itching for some trouble.”
That caught Julie’s attention. “What happens when you get into trouble? They make guardians serve time babysitting when we get caught.” She shivered remembering her last punishment.
Aedan adopted a superior stance. “We never get caught.”
Aria folded her arms across her chest. “Yet.”
Aedan shrugged and leaned up against the store front. “I didn’t realize Markos was your brother.” He realized too late that he shouldn’t have mentioned knowing her brother.
Aria’s mood turned sour again. “I didn’t know he hung out with you two.” She needed to have a little chat with her brother. “How long have you known him?”
Aedan shifted nervously. “Uhh, a few years.”
“Want to clarify that?”
“Umm, not really. That’s another conversation we should be having with D. Let’s go find him. I’m sure you’re anxious to hear about our mission.” Aedan stalked off toward the Lambertville Trading Company without waiting for the girls to follow after him. He didn’t want to miss a word of the conversation Damian and Aria were going to have.
Julie jogged up to him and whispered. “What do you know?”
“Too much. You’re not going to want to miss this. Let’s get good seats for the show.”
Julie cringed. “That bad?”
Aedan considered it for a minute. “I’m afraid so.”
“Oh, boy.”
Aria caught up with them. “This is probably not a good place for a private chat.”
Julie glanced back at her. “You’re probably right. Have any ideas where we should go?”
Aedan scanned the area. “We can portal somewhere, but I think we should stick around here.”
Aria fidgeted with her cup and finally drank the rest. “There’s a park overlooking the river not too far from here. Let’s go there for now, and then we can
figure out what to do next.”
Damian was leaving the coffee shop when they walked up. “Come on, we need to talk.” Damian led them across the bridge and down the sidewalk a couple of blocks until they came to Marine’s River House Restaurant. He gazed into the window and noticed that only a few people were scattered inside. It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. The place was perfect.
“This’ll work. I’m sure Aedan’s hungry again anyway.” Damian smirked at his friend.
Aedan grinned. “I could get something here.”
Damian opened the door and held it for Julie and Aria to go in first. The hostess led them over to a table in the corner at the windows overlooking the Delaware River. It was a lovely view of the water and the quaint town on the other side. Closer to Philadelphia, the river became wider, deeper, and much more swift. This far north, it was little more than a creek. Aria slid the two closest tables a little farther away so they would have even more privacy.
Damian and Aedan shuffled their seats around until Damian and Aria were at opposite corners. They didn’t want to sit next to or across from each other.
Aria cleared her throat. “What’s the story?”
Damian frowned at her. “We can wait for everyone to get settled first and we get our drinks. We wouldn’t want the waitress to overhear anything.”
Just as he finished speaking, a cute blonde bounced up. She was perky and sported a huge smile.
Julie sat up. “I need more caffeine. Could I get a large coffee and a sweet tea?”
Aria raised her eyebrow. “You just had a huge coffee with an espresso shot.”
“Yeah, so?” Julie would have an endless supply if she could.
“I would like an unsweetened iced tea, please.” Aria peered down at the menu.
Damian glanced at her. “You know that has caffeine in it.”
Both guys asked for sodas.
Aria glared at him. “I know that. I wanted something cold, not hot.”
The blonde waitress ignored their bickering and simply took their order. “Can I put in any appetizers for you?”
Damian and Aedan ordered every appetizer on the menu.
Julie was caught gaping at Aedan.