The Protectors (Hybrid Book 2)

by TJ Hines

  The lore said I, if it was me, would unite all the hybrids and full bloods who lived in the human realm to defeat the demons and dark legions of Hell. It didn’t say anything about defeating the horsemen. So, I spent the next few days trying to find a way to kill the horsemen. Unfortunately, there was nothing about that in the books I read or on the internet. I figured decapitation would work but you would probably need a special blade to do it. A demon-killing blade or maybe a scythe. I told Jack about my theories. He said I shouldn’t worry about that yet because I still have to master hand to hand combat before I could even get close enough to take their head off. He was right. Of course.

  Caleb and Will were teaching me fighting techniques…separately of course. I was learning more with Caleb because I kept thinking about that kiss that Will and I shared to barely get through a lesson with him. I usually ended up on my back. Which wasn’t such a bad thing when Will was leaning over me. Caleb flirted with me nonstop but that was just Caleb. He has always been hormonal. I never even thought twice about it until he pinned me once and kept holding me and looking like he wanted to kiss me. That’s when I realized Emily was right and that I had a big problem.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Everything was going so well around the house that I had almost forgotten why we were there in the first place until Addison woke up screaming one night. Which is usually my deal which is why Caleb and Will broke down my door when they heard the scream.

  “What’s wrong Kinsey?” They asked in unison.

  “It wasn’t me. I think it was Addison,” I said before hearing the second scream. It was such a blood-curdling scream that Caleb and Will automatically went into defensive positions and threw me behind them. I would have been upset about the sexist way they “put me in my place” but that scream came again and it was terrifying. It was like she was being ripped apart. I knew Will and Caleb were going to check it out, but I was afraid to go into Addison’s room because I was scared I would see her dead. “I am not going in there until one of you checks it out. I can’t see one of my best friend’s dead. I can’t. I’m barely hanging on right now.”

  Will and Caleb looked at each and then to my utter disbelief they played paper, rock, scissors to see who would stay and guard me and who would go check it out. Caleb won so Will immediately took off to Addison’s room through the Jack and Jill bathroom she and I shared. I stayed behind Caleb’s six-foot two body praying that everything was okay and that she just saw a snake, or a spider. Shudders.

  “It’s okay Kinsey. You can come in here,” I walked behind Caleb into the adjoining room and found a whole room of people and a red-faced and crying Addison.

  “What’s wrong, Addy?” I asked rushing to her side to the displeasure of Will and Caleb who apparently still thought there was a threat or hadn’t deemed it completely safe yet. Addison turned into me as soon as I landed on the bed. She sobbed for what seemed like forever. “Tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you?”

  “Tyler,” she said as the whole room went on the defensive and put her and me in the middle of a makeshift circle. “He hurt me, again, but this time it was in my dream.”

  “Oh”, I said as understanding dawned on me, “you had a nightmare about Tyler hurting you. Remember Addy, he can’t hurt you anymore. You are safe here.”

  “Yes, he can hurt me! See!” she yelled as she lifted her shirt to show me fresh bruises covering her side.

  “What the hell! Who did this to you Addison?” I started assessing her wounds as she winced. I didn’t have time to even utter another word before Em and Ensley were on top of me trying to take care of Addison.

  “We are so screwed”, Caleb said plopping down in the nearest chair and running his hand through his short hair.

  “What do you mean?” Jack asked as everyone, but Ensley and Emily had turned their attention away from Addison and now focused it on Caleb.

  “I mean that Tyler must be a dreamwalker, like me.”

  “You are a what now?” I asked.

  “I’m a dreamwalker. But I can’t cause physical pain. I can only hitchhike someone else’s dream and sometimes act in the dream. Like I did in yours, Kinsey.” Caleb said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Ugh.” Caleb started pacing the room and trying to explain what he is and does when it concerns dreamwalking. He said that his mother’s a dreamwalker too and that he inherited the powers from her. He rarely used his ability because he doesn’t like how drained it makes him feel the next day. He also doesn’t like invading someone’s mind like that unless it was absolutely necessary. Apparently, it was necessary about a month ago when I was having a dream about Tyler and Will.

  “The one with the flowers?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure but Tyler had set a trap, though at the time I didn’t know you actually knew the guy, and since we are bonded, I knew something was wrong. I got in your dream and warned you and Will that something was wrong. Will woke you out of the dreamworld before Tyler could trap you in it.”

  “So, Tyler can get in mine and Addison’s mind. What do we do to prevent this? Stop dreaming? Is that even possible?”

  Emily answered this time. “With Addison, it’s very possible. All it would take is a simple spell and she would have a dreamless sleep. We would have to refresh it every night, but it wouldn't have any lasting damage until the Council finds and deals with Tyler. You, however, are a different story.”

  Emily basically said I had become more powerful and could easily stop a spell like that from taking root so it would be pointless. She and Jack had put a spell on me when I first got here to give me dreamless sleep so I could rest and recuperate without waking up in hysterics from a nightmare. However, the longer I had trained with my powers, the stronger I was becoming so now it would be very difficult to put me into a dreamless sleep because my body would automatically think it was being attacked and it would start fighting the spell, like when your immune system fights off germs.

  “What do I do to keep him out of my head?”

  “There’s nothing you can do,” Jack said rubbing his temples frustrated.

  “Yeah, there is. I just have to hitchhike her dreams every night and I can keep Tyler from hurting her,” Caleb said.

  “Absolutely not!” Will shouted. “You are not invading her mind.”

  “Would you rather Tyler get to her and do the same thing to her that he did to Addison? Are you really that insecure that you would jeopardize her?” Caleb asked getting in Will’s face.

  “Calm down everyone,” Jack began, “this is the only solution we have at the moment so unless someone else can come up with something better we are going with Caleb’s plan”.

  “I don’t understand any of this. Kinsey, what is going on?” Addison asked.

  Everyone but Ensley had forgotten about Addison or at least forgot that Addison was in the dark about everything supernatural. She was sitting on her bed wide-eyed and looking like she was about to cry when I turned back towards her. “Uh oh,” I said.

  Ensley, Emily, and I spent the next hour talking to Addison about everything. We left nothing out this time. Though we did try to convince her at first that she was just having a bad dream but the bruising on her ribs didn’t help that theory. Sadly, Addison, who was completely human, handled all the information better than I did. Humans are resilient.

  “This makes so much sense,” Addison said as Emily wrapped her ribs.

  “It does? Cause I got to tell you I am still having a hard time with all this and I’ve been in the loop.”

  “Well, yeah. Your whole story about why we came up here never did make any sense…”

  “Hey, I can lie”

  Addison, Ensley, Em, and Caleb’s voice from my room all said at the same time. “No, you can’t”. That was totally not true. Okay, it was true. I cannot tell a lie, even on paper. It’s so twisted. Here I am supposed to be keeping this massive world a secret and I can’t lie. This was going to be disastrous. The only way I could see
this world, my world, staying hidden from the human world, would be for me to be kept away from it forever.

  “Also, I’ve been feeling like someone has been watching me since I woke up here.” Em and I immediately look at Ensley.

  “Hey, not cool. I am not a perv,” Ensley said clearly insulted at the insinuation.

  “No, not Ensley. Whoever this is, is in my head. Is that a possibility in your world?” She directed the question at me.

  “No clue, I’ve been a part of this world for going on a month so not really an expert. Ensley and Emily know more than me.” I said as I turned to both of them. They both shrugged. I heard Caleb from the other room. “Ask Jack. He knows more than the rest of us.”

  “Thank you, Caleb. Stop listening through the door like a perv and come in here.”

  “I am not a perv…okay, a little but only with you Kinz.”

  “Aww, such a gentleman.”

  Ensley cleared his throat. “Guys…someone going to get Jack. This seems like something serious.”

  “I’ll text him and have him come up here,” Emily said popping out her phone.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked as he and Will came busting in the door.

  “Wow, overreaction much! Geez, you could have knocked or something.” I said trying to defend Addison’s privacy.

  Jack gave me the look he always gives me when I am annoying him. It’s probably the same look all big brothers give annoying little sisters, but I like to think I am special. He waved his hand in an out with it motion. Emily decided to break it down for Jack. In the end, Jack was like “Oh I’m sure it’s nothing.” Then he, Will, and Caleb walked into the adjoining room. My room. Where all my stuff was. So, I went after them.

  They were whispering when I got near them.

  “What’s going on?” I said trying to understand what they were mumbling about.

  “Shhh, Kinz. We need to keep this on the down low,” Caleb said while shutting the door to the bathroom.

  “Whoever Addison feels in her mind might be able to hear and see everything that she does so we need to keep as much as possible from her without her knowing about it because we don’t want to tip them off,” Jack said rubbing his temples, “I’ll let the Council know what’s going on and I am going to request extra Protectors here as soon as possible. The idea of her going home for Thanksgiving can’t happen now. She would be putting her family in danger. Kinsey invite her to stay with us and let her know it’s the safest thing for everyone right now.”

  “I’ll go let her know now so she can call her mom and dad back home.”

  “Maybe I should come with you because you can’t lie,” Will said. I should have objected to that statement, but we all knew he was right. Exasperated we went to tell Addison that she wouldn’t be seeing her family this Thanksgiving, but she was going to get to have it with her best friend and motley crew of family. Maybe she wouldn’t be so disappointed. I just hoped she didn’t ask me any direct questions about the plan because I wasn't sure what to say.

  I fell back asleep shortly after breaking the news to Addison. She took the news quite well. Of course, Ensley said I probably should tell her again when she wasn’t on any medication because she was a little out of it. I was hoping for another dreamless sleep but apparently, since Tyler invaded Addison’s dream earlier he was going to do the same to mine.

  It all started simple enough. I was back in the meadow again. Will was there standing under the same Oak tree and Tyler was standing under a Weeping Willow. I had that strong urge again to pick a flower. I tried to resist because of what happened last time, but the urge was just too strong. I picked an orchid this time and then there was a loud crack and up from the ground came a Redwood tree standing halfway in between Will and Tyler. It was a gorgeous tree. Strong. Majestic. Fierce. And then there was Caleb standing under it. Stubborn, reckless, and mind-numbingly gorgeous at the moment. What the hell? Where did that thought come from?

  You have got to be kidding me. Three guys. My hormones were on overload. I wasn’t completely sure what I was supposed to do but since all the guys were not moving or talking, I headed toward the tree line surrounding the meadow. It took me forever, at least in my dream, to reach the edge. When I finally made it, I looked back at the three guys. Two of them were still standing still but the third was walking slowly towards me. Tyler.

  Uh oh. When the guy you are supposed to be avoiding starts to walk towards you in a dream that is never a good sign, even more, troubling was the wicked smile he had on his face. The air even tasted evil. Dark clouds started rolling in. I could hear thunder off in the distance. Everything about this dream was turning quickly into a nightmare. I had to wake up. I pinched myself. Dumb move, Kinz. That only works in the movies. Tyler was closing the distance between me and the tree line. I either kept going into the woods and risk getting lost or stay here and risking getting sliced and diced. Lost won by a landslide.

  I took off into the woods, trying to keep distance between me and Tyler. I figured if I could keep the dark clouds at my back and the lighter sky at my front that should give me enough of a directional compass to make it out of this in one piece.

  “Kinsey, you shouldn’t run from me. You belong with me!” Tyler shouted.

  Oh great, it talks too. Either he was moving faster now, or I was moving slower. My bet was on the latter because I kept having to check for my directional cues since the clouds started rolling in on the opposite side.

  “Kinsey, I just want to talk. You should make this easier on yourself and stop and talk to me or you are going to make me very angry!”

  I am so screwed. I should not have left Caleb and Will. I decided to head back toward them and hope I didn’t run into him. I turned around and started weaving between the trees. I should not have come in the woods. It was suffocating. The trees were getting closer together trying to form a wall between me and safety. I was never going to find my way out of it. Tyler was going to find me, and he was going to hurt me like he did Addison.

  “Kinsey, you can’t hide from me. I will find you. This isn’t your dream anymore,” Tyler yelled from somewhere in the woods.

  Just as I was about to give up the tree line broke and I could see the meadow again. I took off at a dead sprint for the guys. I could hear running behind me, so I knew it had to be Tyler. I prayed that Caleb or Will could help me but as I got closer, I noticed Caleb was gone. Oh no! I turned towards Will and ran even faster. I had to get there. Tyler was on me. So close that I could feel his breath on my neck. He was gonna catch me. Just a little bit further.

  “No. Get off me,” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Will! Caleb! Help me!” Tyler had his arms wrapped around me trying to keep me from moving. I kicked out as hard as I could trying to break free. It worked and I started running again. I made it about another fifty feet when my legs twisted under me and I fell hard to the ground. Tyler jumped on me. I head-butted him and I heard a sick crunching sound from behind me. I must have broken his nose. I jumped back up and started running again. Almost there.

  Just as I was about to reach Will, I was slammed into the ground. My breath was knocked out of me and I was sure I had ingested grass and dirt. I wiggled to break his hold on me, but he was sitting on my legs this time and had his hand shoving my face further into the ground.

  “I’ve got you now and I’m not letting you go until you tell me where you are. Tell me! Or I’ll beat it out of you just like I beat your little Addison.”

  “Leave Addison alone you psychopathic loser.”

  “Kinsey! Where are you??” I heard Caleb yell from somewhere behind me.

  “Cale…” Tyler cut off my scream for help by pushing my face further in the dirt.

  “Stay quiet! How is he awake? What did you do?” Tyler said to me with so much malevolence in his voice. I had no idea that he could be this sick and twisted. I made out with him for crying out loud. His hands were all over me. I felt like I should take a scalding hot shower to get the evil ta
int off me.

  “Kinsey!!” Caleb’s voice was even closer now. All I had to do was yell one more time and he would be able to find me. I used every last ounce of energy and strength I had to buck Tyler off my body.

  “Caleb!! I’m over he…” I got cut off when Tyler touched my head and said the word Dolor. I was instantly hit with the same kind of migraine I experienced the night of the Halloween party. I screamed and doubled in on myself. Apparently, Tyler caused them just like he was responsible for this one. He kicked me. “I told you to keep quiet.” He kicked me again. And again. The pain was excruciating. I felt like my insides were on fire. And my head was about to explode. All I could do was protect my head from his kicks and cry from the pain. He was about to kick me in the head when he was tackled to the ground by Caleb.

  Caleb began pounding on him never giving him the chance to even get his fists up to defend himself. Caleb was a force. A pissed off force. Then Tyler was gone. Just poof and gone! “Where did he go?” I asked sitting up cradling my arm and ribs.

  “Oh God! Kinsey! Are you all right?” Caleb asked checking me over.

  “I’ve felt better honestly. How are you?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I don’t look like a punching bag right now.”

  “Do I at least look like a hot punching bag?”

  “Always. Come on let's get you awake so we can take care of any wounds that crossover with you. Hang out for a little bit and I’ll come wake you up. Try to stay out of trouble, will you please?”

  “I’ll try.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  A couple of weeks went by without any other incident with Tyler. Either he was afraid of Caleb or he didn’t like sharing dreams with other people. Caleb continued to dreamwalk with me. He said it was because he didn’t want to take any chances, but I think part of it was that he got my undivided attention in my dreams. It was almost like we were back in high school and it was just me and him. No one trying to kidnap me, no possible death powers, no Will. I enjoyed the lack of fighting amongst him and Will. Though it never helped when I had a dream involving Will too. You could sense the unease and disappointment from Caleb that I would dream about some other guy. I couldn’t help it. Will was a big part of my life, just like Caleb. I decided to clear the air with both of them and let them know that I didn’t want anything but friendship from either of them. With Thanksgiving a few days away I decided to bite the bullet and have the talk with both of them. At the same time. What could possibly go wrong?