Savage Redemption: A Dark Urban Guardians Fantasy

by Anni Antoni

  “Only until we get to your grandmother’s place.” I teased.

  Kat jumped on the bike behind me, and I got a sudden thrill feeling the weight of her body against me and her arms around my waist. Mentally I shook myself. Just because she was female, young and beautiful didn't mean I had the right to feel anything for her. I was her Guardian and I must remember that.

  I revved the bike and opened my mind to her, making sure no stray thoughts I didn’t want her to access would intrude.

  Hang on tight. I communicated to her, and in return her directions flooded my mind, clear and precise, complete with images. She was either a natural in mindspeak or she had been well-trained.

  In no time, we were there, and we pulled up outside a tiny wooden cabin on the outskirts of the town.

  Kat jumped off the back of my bike. I dismounted, took her hand and bent over it, placing a kiss on the back -- an old-fashioned gesture I picked up in France in the 1700s while I was there, a habit I hadn't seen fit to reject.

  My nostrils flared as I picked up the faint scent of demon. Shocked, I lingered over her hand to make sure.

  Her surprise at my actions briefly registered in my brain, until, like a sprung door slamming shut, she warded her thoughts once more. I stood by my bike, stunned, as she snatched her hand back and marched up the path to her front door.

  Kat reached the half open door and looked back at me over her shoulder, a look of concern across her face, as she pushed it open and went inside.

  Trouble was brewing, I could taste it. Sure enough, after a moment, a scream pierced the quiet morning air.

  I rushed in to see her kneeling on the floor, holding the hand of an old woman sitting upright in an armchair. The woman’s head lay back and her mouth gaped while she gazed at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.

  “Gran’s dead.” Kat looked up, despair written all over her face.

  Gran was dead, but something else was wrong. My protective Guardian instincts were screaming. Kat turned away from me and reached for her Grandmother’s other hand.

  Then I saw it in Gran’s lap! A small gift-wrapped box, tied with a red ribbon, complete with name-tag bearing KAT, written in large letters. Kat was about to knock it from her Grandmother’s lap, if her hand kept moving in that direction.

  Danger shrieked, alerting all my senses. I had to protect Kat. I threw myself over her, still not knowing what to expect. Light erupted in the small room. An explosion boomed in my ears and pain ripped into my back as I grabbed her firmly around the waist and flashed her, struggling and screaming, away to safety.

  Chapter 4.

  Homeless and Without Direction

  I was only just coming to grips with the fact my grandmother was dead, when Joe jumped on top of me, crushing me to the floor. At the same time, a blinding light filled the world and a thunderous roar deafened me, leaving my ears ringing. I screamed, not knowing what was happening.

  No sooner had I screamed, than a tearing wind ripped the breath out of my body, which rushed through space with nothing but Joe holding onto it. I gave up struggling and screaming, preferring to be held by Joe than let go into a maelstrom of nothingness. Disorientation was mild compared to what I was going through.

  The next thing I knew I was kneeling on damp grass by the riverside where I had met Bart’s boys this morning.

  Greedily I sucked air into my lungs while I knelt on the grass, my heart thumping in my chest as though it wanted to leap out. A high-pitched whining noise filled my ears, blocking all other sound.

  I glanced over to my right and saw Joe on his knees next to me, his head thrown back, eyes closed.

  “What… what did you do? What happened…” I shouted, shaking my head, trying to clear it. My ears still rang, and I felt sick.

  Joe didn't answer, but continued to kneel there, breathing funny.

  “You brought me here, didn't you?” I yelled, anger welling up inside. “I should be with Gran.”

  “Yes, I brought you here.” Joe nodded, his eyes still closed. “Would you rather be dead?” Although it sounded far away, like a whisper, I heard every word.

  The fire of my anger evaporated.

  “What do you mean?” I shouted, unable to come to grips with all that had happened. Nothing made sense.

  “That explosion,” Joe said, still breathing deeply. “It was meant to kill you.”

  “Oh,” I said. So many questions rocked through my brain I didn't know where to start.

  Gran was dead. Reality blocked everything else clamoring for attention in my head.

  “I have to get back. Gran’s dead.” I shouted at him over the ringing in my ears.

  “Yes, I realize that.” Joe said between deep gulping breaths. “And we will go. Soon. When it’s safe. Someone wants you dead. Any idea who?”

  Shocked into silence, I shook my head. Gran always insisted we were in danger and somebody was stalking us. That's why we kept moving, why I’d had to ward my thoughts constantly. I'd stopped believing her, thinking she was nuts and had to be humored. Had she been right all along?

  I stood up. Joe was still kneeling, breathing funny. That's when I noticed his leather jacket hanging in shreds, falling off his shoulders.

  The realization dawned on me with crystal clear clarity, although delayed. We’d been in an explosion and Joe had thrown himself over me.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “Only a bit.” He grimaced.

  I rushed around behind him and nearly screamed, but I clapped my hands over my mouth, and turned my head aside, unable to look at the nightmare his back had become. It looked like ground beef and I was sure I saw bones among the red mess. Not wanting him to panic, I walked casually around in front of him.

  “Yes, you are injured.,” I said in a calm voice. “I think you need a hospital.”

  “Huh! No hospital. I’ll heal.”

  “Don't be stupid,” I yelled at him. “Your back looks like a giant raw hamburger.”

  He opened his eyes and looked at me with an odd half smile on his face. “I realize that,” he said. “I might need some help.”

  “That would be wise,” I said, relief flooding through me.

  “Not from a hospital,” he said, his words spat out between deep breaths. “I don't want to frighten you… but I'm going to get my friend Esau… to help me heal. He'll turn up out of the blue… He’s like me.”

  “I won't be scared,” I said, frowning and wondering if the pain of his injury was making him delirious.

  Joe closed his eyes again, concentrating on something. When he opened them, he said, “He’ll be here soon.”

  I blinked. What was he talking about? But when a man materialized next to Joe, I had to blink again – several times. The man, built like Joe, was dressed in jeans, without shoes, and shirtless.

  “Joe,” he said, running his fingers through his fair, messy hair. “You’re hurt? I came as soon as I got your message, and I brought the spare leather coat you wanted.” He dropped the coat down on the grass.

  I looked from one to the other. What was going on? No one had a cell phone. What message was he talking about? Surely he didn’t mean mind contact.

  “I need help to heal my back,” he said. “By the way, this is Kat.”

  “Hello,” said Esau, giving me a cursory glance but soon turning back to Joe. “Are you her…?”

  “Yes,” said Joe, interrupting him. “I have to explain all that yet. Just fix my back for now.”

  The man called Esau walked behind Joe and did a double take. “Saints preserve us. What did you do? Try to stop a train?”

  “An explosion,” said Joe, still breathing heavily.

  “That would do it,” said Esau, grinning, pulling what looked like pieces of metal out of Joe’s back and tossing them aside.

  Joe took a deep breath, his face relaxed, and the ghost of a smile played around his lips, as Esau put his hands on his shoulders.

  Turning aside, I flopped down on the grass, overwhelmed. No wonder. I w
as in shock. I’d learned some first aid and recognized the symptoms. Stunned by everything that had happened in the last few moments, half-formed thoughts kept whirling around in my head, but I kept returning to Gran. Dead, it was like someone had punched a hole in me. What would I do now?

  If someone was trying to kill me, I needed to leave town, and disappear. Poor Gran, she kept me safe all these years, and I humored her, believing she was deluded.

  Hot tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered the countless times we grabbed a few things and disappeared into the night. Oh, how I had resented it at the time!

  Gran, all alone after my parents died, was so brave, so dedicated, and always cheerful. What she must have endured all these years, keeping us safe… No wonder she went a bit loopy.

  A possibility sprang to mind, chilling me to the bone. Had she been murdered? If so… Thoughts of revenge burned within me.

  And what of Joe? A man of mystery, he wasn’t telling me everything. My head hurt to go there. I'd ask questions later. I needed to sit still for a few moments.

  I put my head on my knees and wrapped my arms around them. At least my hearing was returning to normal.

  “Your back is healing well, but I’ll give it a few more minutes,” Esau said to Joe.

  “Thank you, that would be appreciated.”

  “Joe, are you coming home soon?” Esau asked, sounding anxious. “It won’t be the same without you there.”

  “I think I’ll be back, but I've got a few unexpected developments to attend to first,” he said. “

  Unexpected developments? You can say that again, I thought, curling into a ball of confused misery.

  Chapter 5.

  Questions

  Still sitting on the grass, I lifted my head and focused on a pair of black leather clad legs. My eyes flowed up, roaming over a black leather coat, open at the front, showing a well-defined set of abs.

  Joe was standing in front of me, looking normal again, wearing a new leather coat. Had his back ever been injured? I blinked a few times. Esau had disappeared too. Maybe this was only a dream.

  “Well, young lady, I need answers.” Joe said, his voice stern.

  That did it! Snapping back to reality, I jumped to my feet. How dare he order me around. “Listen here, butt-head, I want answers too. You appeared on my turf, when I was just going about my business, so I have a right to ask the first question.”

  “Hmmm.” Joe said, rubbing his chin. Did I see a faint shadow of a smile? Was he laughing at me?

  “Who are you really and why can you and your friend appear and disappear from one place to the next?” I asked, hands on hips.

  Joe countered with a question of his own. “Do you know of the Urban Guardians? You must know something, or you wouldn't be able to ward your thoughts the way you do.”

  “Ha!” A bitter laugh burst from my lips. “The Urban Guardians!” Spitting the words out, I continued. “That myth is something Gran has been filling my head with since I was a child, always telling stories about them, but I never met one in my life.”

  “Poor Gran,” I whispered. A tear slid down my cheek. “Her head was full of that garbage, even though she must have been right about somebody wanting to kill us, but I’ve no idea why.” I ended with a shrug, confusion taking over and words failing me.

  “She wasn’t filling your head with nonsense. Urban Guardians are real. You’re looking at one.”

  My mouth fell open in shock. Oh yes, I was right, he was laughing at me, making fun of me and I had just lost my Gran. Anger added fuel to my grief.

  “Lying toad,” I screamed. Lashing out, I punched him in the stomach one, two, blows hard enough to bring a man to his knees. I hadn’t learned martial arts for nothing.

  My mouth fell open even further. Joe just stood there, unaffected by my blows. I searched his mind and noted it was unwarded. Oh yes, there was amusement there, but he was being completely truthful – nothing hidden. Was he really a Guardian? No way, but then, why else would my blows not affect him?

  I unwarded my mind to show my confusion. “Sorry,” I whispered.

  “It’s true Kat. Believe it.”

  My legs felt like rubber and folded under me. Plop. I sat down hard on the grass. Joe sat beside me.

  “Sorry, I know it’s a shock, but I didn’t know how else to tell you.” Joe rubbed the back of his head with his hand. “Promise not to hit me if I tell you more?”

  I nodded. The words just wouldn’t come.

  “I’m your Guardian.”

  My hands flew to my hair. I tried to speak but words wouldn’t come. Wild thoughts collided in my head. I didn’t need a Guardian. I could look after myself. This was a mistake – a huge mistake.

  “It’s no mistake, I am your Guardian, better get used to it. I felt the bond forming when I first saw you this morning.” Joe chuckled.

  He’d read my muddled thoughts, and reading his, I knew for certain he was speaking the truth again. Gran hadn’t been making up nonsense. Guardians were real, just as I had longed to believe when I was a child.

  And now I had my own Guardian. It was unreal! I wasn’t alone in the world. My emotions bubbled over, and I squealed. Without thinking I jumped into Joe’s lap, threw my arms around his neck and hugged tight.

  It felt so good! He was strong and solid and felt so dependable. Then I remembered I had doubted Gran and thought she was deluded. Now she was dead, and I’d never be able to make it up to her. Great wracking sobs ripped out of me as I clung to Joe.

  ◆◆◆

  I was completely unprepared for Kat’s emotional reactions. First, she jumped into my lap and hugged me. Her soft, womanly curves pressed against my chest, but her squeals of joy were more like an innocent child’s.

  Confused, my body wanted to respond as nature intended. Immediately I warded my thoughts. They were not proper for a Guardian and I would not allow Kat to know I had them.

  In a state of panic, I kept my arms stiffly by my sides, not wanting to do anything unseemly.

  Suddenly her emotions changed. Her body shook with grief as she sobbed for her Grandmother. Grief was something I knew, so I simply held her, saying nothing. It was enough.

  As her sobs subsided, my heart swelled and seemed to push against its hard, outer casing. I had kept my heart guarded for so long, it felt at home in a cage. But now it ached to burst free.

  This young woman was warm, loving and innocent with the fierce heart of a warrior, and I would do whatever it took to keep her safe. But her emotions tugged at something within me that had been buried for so long I was afraid to look at it, much less let it out.

  Chapter 6.

  Some Answers

  Eventually Kat stopped sobbing. Still sniffing, she pushed back from where her head rested on my shoulder, and slid off my lap so she was sitting on the grass again.

  “Sorry,” she said, hanging her head, cheeks burning red. “I don’t know what got into me. I’m acting like a child. Gran was always telling me to act my age.”

  My heart went out to her, she seemed so lost and confused. “Don’t apologize. Things are happening fast, you’re bound to be emotional, and grief for your Gran will keep coming up when you least expect it. That’s natural. Express your grief when it surfaces, don’t hold it in. The more you let it out, the sooner it will be manageable.”

  Kat nodded, averting her gaze and warding her thoughts, so I had no idea what she was thinking. With a shock, I realized my thoughts were warded too, so I decided to tackle things head on.

  “If it’s any consolation, I’ve never been Guardian to a young lady before, and it will take me some time to get used to it. Please excuse me if I keep warding my thoughts. I don’t mean to be secretive, it’s instinctive.”

  Kat looked up at me, giving me a wry grin. “Thanks,” she whispered. “I want to trust you. I need to trust someone. It’s been a hell of a day, and it’s only just breakfast time.”

  I laughed. “Yes, it’s been pretty eventful, hasn’t it?”r />
  For a second, I wondered if I should say what else I’d noticed. Was it too soon?

  “Spit it out,” she said, raising an eyebrow. Kat was already too good at picking up my stray thoughts, and, like two wary animals we were still getting the measure of each other.

  “We Guardians have heightened senses. When I first met you, I realized you were part Guardian. You have the unmistakable scent of Guardian.”

  Her eyes widened as she listened. “Are you sure it wasn’t just BO you were smelling?”

  I grinned at her and shook my head, liking her sense of humor. “Not a chance. Someone in your family was a Guardian, and you are a direct descendant. Any ideas who that might have been?”

  Kat collapsed back on the grass. “Whoa! Are you for real? Gran always hinted at it though. She said our family had special knowledge of Guardians.”

  I gave her a nod. “That’s why you’re stronger and faster than humans, and why you can tackle four grown men in a fight. And win.”

  A sad look crossed her face. “Gran told me I was strong and insisted I take martial arts classes whenever possible. Could I ever do that flying/disappearing trick you do?”

  “In time, with training, perhaps. It all depends how much Guardian there is in you.”

  Kat sat up, hugged her knees, and sighed. “I like the sound of that,” she said, then frowned. “There’s something you’re not telling me. I can tell. Come on. Out with it.”

  I pulled a wry face. “You’re right, of course. I didn’t know how, or when, to tell you what else I discovered – it’s hard enough coming to terms with being part Guardian.” I hesitated, trying to choose the right words. “Earlier this morning… before you entered your home, before the explosion, I caught the faint smell of demon. I believe you have a little demon in your make-up as well as Guardian.”

  Worried how she’d react, I studied her face as the news sunk in.

  Kat frowned, then she shook her head. “Gran never mentioned that. Are you sure?”