The Sentinel (The Sentinel Series)

by Holly Martin

  ‘Thought I could feel you outside, come in.’ He opened the door wider to let me by.

  I shook my head, backing away, but Lucas rolled his eyes and took my hand and forcibly pulled me in.

  Alexandria was lying on the bed, leaning against Eli, who was sitting on the bed with her, his arm wrapped lovingly round her shoulders. I felt a surge of jealousy jolt through me, like I had received an electric shock. I missed Seth so much. I focussed my attention on Alexandria, trying not to see what I couldn’t have.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ I asked, shyly. I was so embarrassed over what I had said earlier. I knew it was the only way that I could think of to get her to fight for her life, but still, to demand someone obeys your orders was still a conceited thing to do. To make matters worse, it wasn’t the first time I had pulled rank to get what I wanted. What was I turning into?

  ‘Loads better, thanks Eve. The great thing about being a Deus is we heal quick. I’ll be back on my feet by tomorrow.’ She looked at me. ‘Are you ok?’

  ‘Yeah I’m fine,’ I mumbled, embarrassed that the attention had been so swiftly diverted back on to me again.

  ‘You look tired,’ Eli said. ‘Even more tired than before.’

  Arghh! ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘No that’s not what I was talking about, there’s something else, you seem… awkward?’ Alexandria looked at me in confusion.

  I pulled a face, wondering how to broach the subject, wondering if I even should.

  ‘She’s embarrassed over what she said to you earlier, when she ordered you to stay alive, when she said that you were failing her,’ Lucas explained.

  I stared at him, incredulously. ‘Lucas!’

  ‘What?’

  ‘How on earth did you know that?’

  He shrugged, casually. ‘I don’t know, I just did,’

  He really didn’t see anything wrong with this. ‘You know what I’m thinking?’

  ‘Yeah I guess.’

  I blushed. ‘Everything?’

  ‘No, just flashes, there are gaps. Though the flashes are becoming more common and the gaps less frequent,’ he explained simply, as if it was the most reasonable explanation in the world.

  ‘Can you all…’ I faltered over this new revelation.

  ‘No, it seems Lucas is more in tune with you than the rest of us are and becoming more in tune with you by the day,’ Eli explained. ‘It happens sometimes when we work closely with each other, we instinctively know what each other is thinking or feeling. Though the degree of Lucas’s connection is quite rare.’

  Lucas shrugged, looking as bewildered by it as I was.

  I frowned, not really sure what to make of it. My thoughts were private. I wasn’t sure if I was happy for Lucas to be walking through my head, picking up what he wanted like he was shopping in a supermarket, analysing it and sharing what he thought was appropriate with the rest of the Guardians.

  Lucas pulled a face. ‘Sorry Eve, I didn’t think of it like that.’

  ‘You just did it again, didn’t you?’

  ‘Sorry,’ he said again. ‘I don’t try to feel what you are thinking; it’s just there in my head.’

  I cringed as I thought about what he had access to, mostly my hugely inappropriate feelings for Seth, how I was so scared I wouldn’t be ready to save the world, how I was going to die trying.

  His eyes widened then he frowned. ‘Not if I’ve got anything to do with it.’

  ‘Lucas?’ Eli asked.

  ‘Lucas, no!’ I shouted in his head. ‘These are private thoughts, you have no right to them and certainly no right to start repeating what is in my head for the benefit of my Guardians.’

  ‘Sorry. The Guardians don’t tend to have secrets from each other, we don’t feel the need to respect each other’s privacy, we just tell it as it is. I will try to ignore these thoughts that pop into my head from now on……Do you really think you’re going to die to save the world?’

  I sighed, deeply. ‘Yes, Persia has foreseen it, and I have to agree with her, look at how tired I get from using my powers, something as big as saving the world is bound to kill me.’

  He swallowed. ‘I never realised… the Oraculum created you to die?’

  I nodded, sadly. ‘Please don’t say anything to the other Guardians about this, especially not to Seth or Quinn, please Lucas.’

  Lucas nodded. ‘You have my word.’

  ‘Can you only feel what I am thinking when I’m thinking it?’

  ‘I don’t know, I think so.’

  I returned my attention to Alexandria and realised I still hadn’t addressed what Lucas had confessed on my behalf. I took a deep breath. ‘Alexandria, I’m sorry about what I said earlier, I’m sorry that…’

  ‘Eve,’ she interrupted. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for, you saved my life, and you were right, I was letting you down, I was giving up too easily. It won’t happen again.’

  I cringed again and feeling very small I left the room and went downstairs.

  As I passed the front door, I saw a pink envelope sticking out the letterbox. I pulled it out and my stomach lurched when I saw my name in the same curly handwriting as the first letter that was delivered to the church the day before.

  18. The second warning

  I realised my hands were shaking as I tore it open. This letter was much more explicit in its content.

  ‘Your blood will cleanse the earth. You will die in two days.’

  I was suddenly pinned to the wall by Caleb, who had evidently read the note over my shoulder.

  ‘Search the house,’ he growled. The Guardians shot upstairs and through the downstairs rooms as Eli flittered to my side, taking the note from the tiny gap that Caleb had left between him and the wall.

  Other Guardians came in from outside and Abe and Matthew came to us as the Outer Guard helped with the search.

  ‘They know where she lives,’ Matthew muttered, taking the note.

  ‘We’ve not exactly been discreet with the amount of Guardians coming and going,’ Caleb said.

  ‘What would you have me do, reduce the guard to preserve the secret? She has to be protected,’ Eli said.

  ‘We need to move her,’ Abe said.

  Caleb pressed me further into the wall as I tried to free myself from my protective prison.

  ‘I don’t agree. So they know where she lives. They can’t get into the house, there’s too many of the Guardians living in this street for them to get anywhere near,’ Eli said.

  ‘They hand delivered the note, Eli, they got close enough,’ Abe said. ‘That Shape Shifter last night got too close.’

  I could see Eli was torn.

  ‘She could stay with Seth,’ suggested Matthew.

  ‘No absolutely not. That was the deal. I would do whatever you wanted as long as Seth wasn’t involved,’ I protested.

  ‘I like it here. The houses are built in such a way that really they could only ever enter through the front door. The other safe house is too open, they could attack from all angles,’ said Eli.

  ‘We’d see them coming. She could slide somewhere else,’ said Abe.

  ‘I don’t want to rely on her powers. She’s not strong or skilled enough.’

  ‘I am here,’ I said, indignantly.

  ‘The house is clear!’ Lucas called from upstairs.

  Eli sighed and Caleb released me. ‘What do you want to do Eve?’

  I looked around as my Guardians returned from their searches. ‘I trust you guys completely. I trust you Eli. If you want to stay here, then we stay here.’

  Eli nodded. ‘We’ll stay here. We will intensify the guard, have more staying in the house, more patrolling outside. We will position some in the back garden too.’

  ‘Ok.’

  Abe made a noise of dissent before his team left.

  I took the note back from Eli and read it again. Despite that my guard had suddenly doubled, I couldn’t help feeling the fear of my impending demise.

  ‘They really want me dead
don’t they?’ I looked up into Eli’s eyes, ferocious with the determination to keep me safe. ‘I know, I know, they won’t get close but…’

  ‘But nothing, Eve, they won’t get anywhere near you.’

  I swallowed. There was no point in arguing. Though I still didn’t feel any better about it. Two days left. Was this really it? There had been so much I wanted to do with my life. There was so much I wanted to see. Suddenly there was one thing I had to do. If this was it, if I really was going to die on the 21st, then I had to see Seth one more time.

  ‘I’m going for a shower,’ I muttered as I ran upstairs. Some things were still sacred as I quickly closed myself in the bathroom. Immediately I slid to Seth who was lying on his bed reading a book. He looked up when I arrived and threw the book down and stood up.

  ‘What are you doing here? You banish me from coming anywhere near you but it’s ok for you to break the rules and come to me.’ I climbed up onto the bed and stood up so we were eye to eye. ‘Do you know how humiliating it is for me to be babysat by a bunch of Guardians. I cannot believe you would do that to me. I can’t believe…’

  ‘Seth, shut up for just a second will you. Do you know about the letters that have been left, warning me that I’m going to die on the 21st?’

  This took the wind out of his sails a bit as he nodded. ‘Which is exactly why I should be with you to protect you, not holed up here…’

  ‘Seth, please, shut up…’ I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. ‘You need to know… I want you to know…’ Why was this so hard? I opened my eyes and looked at him.

  ‘Spit it out. I haven’t got all day.’

  ‘Don’t be an arse,’ I said, as I started to regret even coming. ‘I know you hate me right now for what I’ve done…’

  He looked at his watch impatiently. ‘I’m just saying, I’ve got to go outside in a minute and watch the grass grow, so if you can speed this up.’

  Anger burst through me. This wasn’t the romantic reunion I was expecting. ‘Look if I hadn’t found out that you loved me when I downloaded all your feelings, were you actually planning on ever telling me how you felt?’

  He stared at me for a few seconds, then finally he spoke. ‘No.’

  ‘Then cut me some slack. It’s been a tough few weeks and I really need you to be my friend right now.’

  ‘Should have thought of that before you sent me away.’

  I swallowed a huge lump in my throat. ‘You’re right. I shouldn’t have come, I’m sorry.’

  I closed my eyes to slide back but Seth took my hand. ‘Eve, what is it? Just say what you came to say.’

  I looked down at his hand in mine and my heart leapt. ‘I love you.’

  He was silent and I looked back up to gauge his reaction. No reaction at all.

  Then he laughed. ‘Like a friend?’

  ‘No, definitely not like a friend.’

  He stared at me, his eyes wide in shock.

  ‘I haven’t been thinking about doing this with any of my friends.’ I wrapped my hands round his neck and kissed him. For a while it was like kissing a statue. He didn’t move, he barely breathed. Then suddenly he was kissing me back. One hand took my face whilst the other snaked round my waist pulling me closer against him. Blood coursed through my veins, a heat, a need so strong burst through my heart. I ran my fingers through his hair at the back of his neck and he let out a low growl. I could feel my powers surge through me, making my skin hum as he touched me.

  I pulled back, slightly. ‘I love you like that.’

  Seth’s eyes were clouded with a darkness I hadn’t seen before as he leaned forward and kissed me again. His lips were gentle against mine and my powers bubbled just beneath the surface, unused and unbidden, but there. Through my half closed eyes I could see a glow, shimmering around us.

  Seth saw it too and he smiled as he pulled away. My powers receded, the flames dwindling. I realised I was trembling.

  ‘Whoa,’ he said, quietly as the shimmer, slowly faded.

  I found my voice. ‘I just… needed you to know that. I should have told you before, but it’s been a complicated few weeks.’

  He ran his hands down my back to my waist and as his thumb grazed my bare back just above my jeans, the shimmer glowed bright again. He grinned at my reaction.

  ‘You have to know that, whatever happens, I need you to know how much I love you.’

  Being here was putting him at risk and I had been here too long already.

  ‘I have to go.’

  He blinked. ‘Hang on you can’t just turn up here, declare you love me, kiss me, then go again.’

  ‘I can and I will. I have to keep you safe Seth. There is no way I’m letting you die for me. When this all over, when the saving of the world is done with, if I’m still alive, I’m going to marry you the very next day. So you have to be alive for that, do you understand me.’

  The smile on his face grew. ‘You want to marry me?’

  ‘If I’m alive Seth, then yes.’

  ‘Then you bloody well better be alive.’

  I smiled, wistfully. ‘I’ll do my best.’

  I kissed him again, just briefly this time. ‘I have to go.’

  He nodded, numbly and I slid back to my bathroom. Lucas was waiting for me, leaning against the wall, drumming his fingers impatiently on his folded arms.

  He stepped forward and grabbed my face in his hand. ‘Next time you do that, you’ll tell me first.’

  I nodded, unable to wipe the grin off my face.

  He shook his head with a smile, as he released me and walked back out.

  19. Edward

  An ancient burial site was where we were supposed to meet Edward, Persia’s uncle, the next day. Apparently due to some magnetic energy from the Earth, the Oraculum wouldn’t be able to find us. Whatever Edward’s issue with them, I was just intrigued to meet him. I had sensed the affection that Persia had for him, she clearly admired him.

  We were waiting with Izri and Clementine in a field. There was a worn path in a large circle and in the middle were three standing stones in a rough triangular pattern. Persia was on her way with Edward.

  I watched, in fascination, as water trickled from my fingers, a new skill that Izri had taught me.

  Izri laughed as she produced a great wave of water from her hands that put my little trickle to shame.

  Just then another car pulled along ours and I saw the flash of warmth in Izri’s eyes as a tall man with a beard hopped out.

  He walked towards me with a huge smile on his face. He had the bluest eyes of anyone I knew.

  ‘Eve, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Sorry about all the secrecy, I just don’t trust that damned Oraculum. Come let’s talk.’

  He bent and kissed Izri on the cheek and took my arm and guided me towards the standing stones.

  ‘Edward, where’s Persia, she was supposed to be picking you up?’ asked Izri.

  Edward laughed. ‘I wouldn’t fit in that tiny mini. She’s just coming now. I think she got stuck at some traffic lights behind me. So Eve, Persia told me you can Project.’

  ‘Not at will, it happened accidentally.’

  ‘Well if you did it once then you’ll be able to do it again, stand here.’

  He pulled me into the middle of the Standing Stones and immediately the hum of the Guardians went out. My Personal Guard tensed.

  ‘Don’t worry.’ Edward called to them. ‘It’s just the Standing Stones, they protect us from being heard by The Oraculum. Me and Eve are just going to have a nice little chat. Can you feel your powers?’

  I reached for them but the heat that was a continual presence inside me was no longer there. I shook my head.

  He grinned. ‘Just as I thought. This is good, it will really help you to focus your mind.’ He continued in my head. ‘Close your eyes.’

  I frowned in confusion. ‘How can you talk with me telepathically when our powers are blocked.’

  ‘It’s the Standing Stones. They affect different Donum in
different ways. These particular ones block the powers of the women but not the men. I’m communicating telepathically with you, because I’ve reached for your mind. You won’t be able to speak to anyone else telepathically. You have to reach for their minds for that and at the moment you can’t. So tell me, do you really think the end of the world is coming, that you will be the one to save us all?’

  I was thrown by the directness of the question.

  ‘I don’t know. I’ve only known about the prophecies for a few weeks. The Oraculum seem to have gone all out to ensure I’m there at the end. My friends, family, teachers were all super strength beings sent to protect me. They obviously see something bad happening and they see me there trying to stop it. Persia sees the end as well.’

  ‘I don’t mean to speak out of turn, I know she’s your friend, but I wouldn’t hold too much stock in what Persia sees. It seems very vague and not always accurate.’

  I felt hurt by this for Persia. Where was she anyway?

  ‘You know what I think.’ He smiled, as he checked his watch. The end of the world has been predicted so many times, and we’re still here. The Mayans, Nostradamus, countless others have predicted the exact date and time and they’ve been proved wrong time and time again. If something cataclysmic was coming, a meteorite, a falling planet or whatever the conspiracy theorists think will kill us all, we would know about this by now. The Oraculum don’t even have a date, just sometime in the next three or five years. They don’t even know what it is. It’s a load of rubbish. In three years, five years’ time, we’ll still be standing on this little planet listening to the next prophecy that claims we’re all going to die. It’s a joke. And let’s face it, if the end of the world was coming, the sun blowing up or a black hole that will suck us into oblivion, one little girl isn’t going to be able to stop it. We’ll just have to put our heads between our knees and pray that the end comes quick and painlessly.’

  ‘I think you’re probably right,’ I said, sadly

  ‘So you’re just going along with it, taking advantage of the free houses, free food, free cars and clothes. I can’t say I blame you.’

  I bristled at this. ‘I’m going along with it because my Guardians have pledged their whole lives to protect me, people have died for me and if I was to turn around now and say to hell with it all, that would be the biggest insult of all. If the end of the world comes, I will do everything in my power to stop it.’