Embers

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  “You can’t be implying that I should…sleep with him.” I felt woozy with the direction of the conversation.

  “Oh, heavens child, I’m not really concerned with that part of the relationship. What interests me more is Sawyer’s ability to be a good guardian for you. I have no apprehension about Ivan’s ability to protect you, but the Demon is another story.”

  “Why?” My emotions were going from one extreme to the next. Now I was nettled by her implication that Sawyer wasn’t capable.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he has the skills to guard you well enough, as far as that goes. But I wonder who will protect you from him? His evil, hungry side will always be warring with his just and compassionate one. Demons are jealous, temperamental…and very dangerous. Combine those qualities with your hot headedness and stubborn nature, and I fear the two of you may kill each other.”

  She was probably referring to Eleanor’s story. But I didn’t have to take the same path. Although, I was pretty sure that Sawyer wasn’t going to let up on the passionate part, unless he met someone else he liked better. And that thought didn’t sit well with me either.

  “Did you have a Guardian, Ila?”

  She looked wistful and replied, “I will not bore you with the entire story, but I will tell you that throughout the years I’ve had many lovers, as difficult as that might be to imagine now. One of the most important things a Watcher can do is to have children to keep her line going and I accomplished that successfully. But for a good portion of those years, my Guardian, who was also my lover, was a Growler. A wolf named Montery. I met him in the mountains of Italy and it was love at first sight. For a time we traveled the world together, meeting all sorts of marvelous creatures, but I grew homesick and eventually we made our way back to southern England.

  “It was about that same time that the humans were on their crusade to destroy anything they didn’t understand. Montery and I tried to disappear into the English countryside, but had no such luck.

  “One night, we were roaming the forest of Chiltern Hills. There was a bright full moon that I remember well and its light sprayed down between the trees when we came upon another couple in the woods. They were exceedingly attractive, with pale skin and keen eyes. I sensed their true natures beneath the cloak of tameness they wore. And I pitied them.

  “They told us that they’d not fed in many moons for they didn’t have the will to continue killing humans. They wished to die quietly, rather than be burned by those pursuing them.

  “Montery wanted to have nothing to do with them and he begged me to leave them to their fate. I should have listened to his instincts. Instead, I offered to help them. I told them to follow the path deep into the woods and there they would find darkness and solitude. I would distract the humans and throw them off their trail.

  “It wasn’t long before people came with torches and crude guns. I could have destroyed them all in a moment, but I didn’t want to hurt them either. I understood their need for retribution.

  “Their leader told me they were hunting a pair of Demons who had killed seven women from their village within the fortnight. During our discussion, one of his followers, distraught by the loss of his beloved wife, aimed his gun at me.

  “It was silly of Montery. If he’d only thought about it before he’d reacted, he would have let the bullet hit me, for I would have recovered…but he didn’t. At that second, he leaped in front of me. Growlers have healing powers of their own, much the same as Watchers or Demons, but this bullet hit him in the one place that would kill him instantly—right between his eyes. He died at my feet.”

  She finished the story like an anchorwoman, detachedly reciting a grisly news item, but her lips quivered and she sniffed.

  Then she said the words that caused a tingle of fear to run down my spine. “Have you guessed who those Demons were? They were Garrett and Sarah Hammond. Of course I went searching for them in the forest, but I was always a step too far behind. I eventually learned their names by others of their kind. The Hammonds had lied to me that fateful night. They’d been on a rampage for months, causing so much trouble for the other Demons that they’d been banished from their own land. Later, I was given information that they’d gone to the New World. I followed them here to America. In time, I found other endeavors to occupy my thoughts. I put revenge aside.”

  “When did you learn that they lived right down the road?”

  “I’d already been here in the valley for some time when I felt their presence. I borrowed the eyes of a raven and saw for myself that they were building a demonic community. A divine coincidence if you ask me.”

  “Why didn’t you do something about it?”

  “I’ve grown old. I’m not as powerful as I used to be. Besides, I’ve kept an eye on them and have been waiting for the right opportunity to reveal myself,” she said thoughtfully.

  “When do you think that will be?”

  “Oh, don’t you worry about that, my dear.” She stood up and smoothed out the apron she was wearing. “Let’s have dinner and then you can get your things ready for the sleepover with your human friends.”

  She winked and I wondered at her sudden mood change.

  My own thoughts were heavy and dark. I had to come to terms with the fact that just up the road, Sawyer and Ivan were living among Demons and that Ila had a personal vendetta against a couple of them—a divine coincidence my butt.

  And, even more importantly, how did I fit into this epic tale?

  I couldn’t stop Sawyer from penetrating my thoughts.

  I remembered the taste of his lips on mine, and I wondered if Ila was right about us.

  Would we really kill each other in the end?

  1 Chronicles 21:15

  And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the LORD looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

  Ember ~ Thirty

  Friday flew by with all the homecoming activities at school and before I knew it, I was in my truck following Maddie and Lindsey through a neat, tree lined subdivision to Maddie’s house. The sunny afternoon and the tunes from the radio calmed the nerves that had been building throughout the day.

  Randy and Maddie had won king and queen, and subsequently, Maddie had been bouncing off the walls all day. I had to press the gas pedal harder just to stay with her as she sped through town before entering the maze of cookie-cutter homes at the edge of the wilderness.

  In a few minutes, Maddie pulled into the driveway of a large two-story brick house. The bushes were expertly trimmed in the front yard and the stone walkway to the main entrance was bordered by a dazzling display of pink and white petunias.

  I parked on the street and snatched my overnight bag. Maddie had already barreled through the front door, but Lindsey waited, holding it open for me. I walked into a comfortable looking family room accented with tan colors and showcasing a wide screened TV that took up most of the wall it was mounted to.

  At the top of the carpeted stairs, Maddie and Lindsey veered into the first room on the left. It was the only room I had ever been in that was entirely pink. I had to blink at the shock of seeing curtains, carpet, bedspread, everything, pink. While I was still adjusting my eyes to the unnatural, well, unless you were a Disney princess, color scheme, Maddie flew by me to her closet. She disappeared for an instant before reemerging with an extremely bright red sequined dress. Red glare bounced off the gown as she swooshed it back and forth for me and Lindsey to see. I was actually surprised it wasn’t pink.

  “Come on, Lindsey, move it, girl,” Maddie ordered while she checked her phone messages.

  “Where are the bobby pins?” Lindsey frantically rummaged through a drawer in the adjacent bathroom.

  “Third down on the right,” Maddie barked out.

  “I got them. I’m coming.” Lindsey sprang to action as if sh
e was a jacked up hairdresser.

  Maddie put her phone down and said, “That was Randy. We’re all going to Dairy Queen after the game…and then,” she paused as if she expected a drum roll, “They want us to meet them in the old barn behind Preston’s house.”

  “No way, I ain’t doing that!” Lindsey mumbled through a booby pin, “My momma would kill me!”

  “I’d rather not go either.” Solidarity was a good thing in situations like this.

  “You’re all sticks-in-the-mud.” Maddie scoffed. She got over her aggravation quickly though, moving straight to the makeup bag.

  While the girls argued about the style of the bun, I paced the room as if I was a caged animal.

  I’d kissed a guy, well not exactly a guy, but someone. It was a shame I couldn’t tell anyone. Or maybe it was a blessing. Piper would get it, but I’d promised Ila that I’d leave my human friends ignorant of my other life.

  Maddie penetrated my thoughts.

  “So, what do you think?” She twirled around once and waited for my answer.

  She looked as if she was a young Tyra Banks.

  “You’re beautiful,” I told her honestly.

  “Thanks, Ember.” She spared a moment to grin happily before she began rushing around with Lindsey, grabbing different things and tossing them into bags.

  My job was to help carry the bags to Maddie’s silver Mustang. It was a bigger deal than one would think apparently, considering the amount of stuff they were bringing.

  When we reached the school, I was astonished to see that the parking lot was full to capacity. There were a lot of teenagers milling about, but there were also many grey-haired couples and young families with kids in tow. The scent of hamburgers grilling lent to the festive atmosphere. My mouth watered.

  I was abandoned in the parking lot when Maddie hurried to the far side of the stadium where the parade was being organized and Lindsey ran off to the gymnasium to prepare with the cheerleaders. I was glad to be free of their excited chatter. I had too many things going on to share in their enthusiasm about a football game. It had been difficult to keep the smile on my face and act the part of a happy-go-lucky teenager while I’d been with the two girls. Now that I was alone, I could fall back into my gloomy thoughts and not worry that anyone would be offended.

  Even for the short time that I’d been at the school, I already knew a lot of kids, if not by name, then by face. Within the crowd, I saw many of those faces. Small towns really were friendly places and several kids stopped to say hello. I responded with fake cheerfulness, but avoided long conversations. As I continued to move with the stream of people, I noticed that almost everyone was showing their spirit by wearing the school color, red. Self-consciously, I glanced down at my blue hoody.

  God, please, please don’t let the other team be wearing blue, I silently prayed, suddenly uncomfortable in the sea of crimson.

  All around there was talking and laughing. Everyone was blissfully upbeat, for the time being anyway. A group with this much raw energy could turn ugly quickly if the game didn’t go their way. I was keeping my fingers crossed for the home team. Squeezing in between the stalled bodies that were more intent on gossiping than finding a seat, I slowly made my way up the bleachers.

  From the top, I could see everything. The school, roadway and mountains were spread out before me. After scanning the view, I took a minute to gaze at each of the clusters of people and activities below. The wind blew stiffly and I shivered, zipping the hoody up to my neck.

  The sun dipped behind the mountain, bringing twilight to Oldport. I had already learned that night time arrived quicker in the mountains than in the flatlands where I’d grown up. As if right on cue when the sky turned a hazy gray, the stadium lights flicked on.

  The rallying sound of drums and trumpets bellowed when the marching band began to lead the procession around the running track. My heart beat sped up and I turned to watch the parade. The white convertible carrying Randy and Maddie was easy enough to spot. They were enthusiastically waving to the crowd gathered around the track.

  I was glad that I wasn’t Maddie. I’d be completely embarrassed if I was in her shoes. Even though I was as far from the convertible as I could get without leaving the school grounds, I still felt a tightening of my belly at the thought of being showcased in the red dress for the entire town to ogle.

  But when the procession drew even with the bleachers, I waved at the king and queen along with everyone else. Randy looked just as handsome in his football uniform as Maddie was beautiful in her gown. The car stopped and he put it on thick by taking his time kissing her to the delighted whoops and hollers from the crowd. When he came up for air, he jumped from the convertible and ran to his team with a cheer chasing after him.

  I breathed out in relief when the opposing team took to the field. They were dressed in yellow and black uniforms. I wouldn’t have to make a run for my life to the opposite side of the field after all.

  I used to love watching the Bengal’s games with Dad and Timmy. We’d been season ticket holders most years and even though this high school stadium was miniature in comparison to that experience, the sounds, smells and crisp air reminded me of those good times. A knot developed in my throat and I tried to swallow it down. I suddenly felt lonely, wishing that my dad and brother were sitting beside me now.

  My old life was long gone. I could never go back. Yet, even though it crushed my heart, I wasn’t going to allow the depression to drag me down. I’d decided the day that I’d fallen off of Cricket in the hayfield that I wasn’t taking that road again.

  Pulling myself from the past, I focused my attention on the game. Preston was dropping back. As the opposing team’s linebackers rushed him, his arm shot forward. The ball soared about twenty yards before being caught by a receiver from our team. A tingle of surprise rushed through me. Preston was a good quarterback. I couldn’t help but wonder for the hundredth time why the star player showed me the time of day.

  After several more plays, the roasting hamburger smells drifted through the air to the top of the bleachers and my stomach rumbled. Unable to wait any longer, I followed my nose and carefully picked my way through the sardine-packed bodies until I reached the ground. I aimed in the direction of the concession booth with single minded determination.

  I bought a cheeseburger, fries and a cola and sat on the end of a picnic table set up for the event. I was hungry, and chucked the food down quickly, hardly even tasting it.

  Standing up, I drank the last of the cola and covered a little burp with my hand.

  Then I felt it.

  The butterflies fluttering in my stomach and the slight rise in my temperature told me Sawyer was nearby.

  I frantically searched around, studying the sea of faces for any sign of him. Then I remembered the easy way. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and located him right away.

  I marched out into the parking lot and found him sitting on the Hummer with his sidekick, Ivan, beside him. The vehicle was parked in a position where they could have seen me at the picnic table.

  My temperature continued to rise at the sight of Sawyer’s wicked grin.

  “Are you spying on me?” I directed the question at Sawyer.

  “The last I heard, this is a free country. Ivan and I decided to check out the game.” Sawyer’s smile was masked in feigned innocence. Again, the contrast between Sawyer’s sad dream face and the rude one that was staring down at me made me wonder which personality was the real him.

  “Why would you be interested in watching a high school football game?” I demanded.

  Sawyer’s smoldering eyes roamed over me, before he said, “It was pretty dull at the compound.” He shrugged. “We decided to come into town for a little action.”

  Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I stared back at him, determined not to be the first to look away.

  Sawyer and I were lost in our own little world until Ivan remarked, “Do I sense something is going on that I don’t know about?�
�

  I had to look away, taking a deep breath to steady myself. With no better options popping into my head, I climbed onto the Hummer and sat beside Ivan, well away from Sawyer’s teasingly muscular and infuriating body.

  The same as little pin pricks along my skin, I could sense Sawyer’s own growing frustration with me. The air around the Hummer was volatile. But I didn’t glance in his direction. Instead, I made small talk with Ivan.

  “How do you like being here for the game?” I asked Ivan with a flip of my hair to shield myself from Sawyer’s intense gaze.

  “It is a new experience for me, but I think it is pleasant,” he answered. His head flicked back and forth as he watched all the people moving about.

  Joining Ivan in the human-watching pastime, I made the silent observation that when anyone did wander too close to the vehicle, they would glance up at the three of us and then steer wide of the Hummer. Somehow, instinctively they knew there was danger here. It was impressive that basic survival instincts were still working so well among the common people.

  We sat in relative silence, except for Ivan occasionally asking me a question about the game. From where we were positioned we could only see a small portion of the field, but when the action was there, Ivan studied the players with interest.

  Sawyer didn’t say a word and from the corner of my eye, I could see that he sat rigidly. His face was still as stone. A tremble tickled my insides. My traitorous body was revolting against my sound mind. I suddenly wanted to be sitting closer to him, absorbing the electric current coming from his body into mine.

  I had to get away from Sawyer. He was driving me crazy.

  Thankful for the opportunity, I slid down from the vehicle when the crowd began leaving the stadium.

  “Looks like the game’s over. I better meet up with my friends,” I said, turning to go.