Savage Redemption: A Dark Urban Guardians Fantasy

by Anni Antoni

  Why hadn’t he taken me along? He was acting on my behalf, and he faced danger if he met up with that crazy Guardian who wanted me dead. I could help him. Martial arts lessons had been mandatory all my life, even though we moved constantly. Gran insisted on it.

  I looked around at everybody seated at the table. They'd taken Joe's disappearance in their stride as though nothing had happened. Didn't they care about him?

  “Shouldn't somebody be with Joe?” I asked, eventually. “He could be in danger.”

  “Don't worry about Joe,” said Esau. “He knows what he's doing.”

  “What if that Guardian attacks him again?”

  “He’ll deal with it. If he's hurt, he’ll call for us and we’ll help him. Don't worry about Joe.” Esau replied, piling more waffles on his plate.

  At last Claire turned to me. “Come on, let’s find your room. I’ve got one in mind. With all that’s happened today, you must be overwhelmed.

  “You can say that again.” I attempted a laugh, but tears sprang to my eyes. Blinking them away, I reminded myself how lucky I was to be alive. That started me thinking about Gran again, and a hot tear rolled down my cheek. Angrily I wiped it away, determined not to cry in front of strangers.

  Claire put an arm around my shoulder again and gave me a little squeeze.

  “Come on, come with us.” Claire led me away with Emily and Liz following behind.

  They took me down to another floor. The place seemed huge. Although I hadn't seen it from the outside, it seemed to cover many floors, and I had the impression we were up high in a large building. As we passed a window, I looked out and saw hills in the distance.

  “How big is this place?” I asked, quite overcome by the size and luxury of everything around me.

  “Our little community has the top seven floors and there are more empty floors below. You’ll soon get used to it, I did,” said Emily, with a chuckle.

  “This floor is where Joe hangs out. You can have the suite next to his, seeing he's your Guardian.”

  Claire led me through a large open area decorated in shades of blue, with comfortable chairs and sofas. In one corner of the room I noticed a huge television set. That surreal feeling was coming over me again as she pushed open a door.

  “Kat, this can be your suite,” she said, smiling. “I hope you like it.”

  My jaw dropped as I looked inside and saw a huge, opulent bedroom in shades of yellow, gold and black. In one corner, a black leather sofa and two armchairs bordered a coffee table. In another stood a large black marble desk, complete with a computer and a comfy office chair. I walked to the desk and laughed.

  “Someone will have to teach me to use this computer. I didn’t have much schooling, and I never got the hang of them.”

  Claire laughed. “Don’t worry, we can teach you, but I doubt you'll have much use for it. It's for entertainment more than anything.

  Silence enveloped me as I looked around, lost for words, amazed at such luxury.

  The three girls stood there smiling at me, waiting for my reaction.

  “Do you like it?” Emily spoke up and the other two girls seemed eager to hear my response.

  “Oh, it’s just beautiful,” I sighed, sitting down on the huge bed, covered in a gold lace bedspread. It looked like spun gold, and I couldn’t resist stroking it -- surprisingly soft, I discovered. The girls arranged themselves on the bed alongside me.

  Curiosity got the better of me. “Are you all Guardians too?”

  They laughed.

  “No, not Guardians, we’re the Guardians’ mates,” said Claire, at last, when her laughter died down. “I’m with Esau, Emily is with Nathan and Liz is with West.”

  “Oh. Gran told me that Guardians sometimes take human mates, but I never believed her. Does Joe have a mate?”

  “Not yet,” said Liz. A strange silence followed, as the girls exchanged a secretive look. As much as I tried to pick up their thoughts, I couldn’t, perhaps because the place was warded. Strange -- relief washed over me at hearing Joe didn’t have a mate. That would surely mean I could spend more time with him. The thought made me happy.

  We wandered out again into the open sitting area and I noticed a luxurious kitchen to one side.

  “I won't use that,” I said pointing to the kitchen. “Gran and I didn't bother much with cooking after my parents died, so I've never learned how.”

  “You won't need to cook.” said Liz. “Alwyn, our servant, or West cooks for us. Or else we eat out at one of West's restaurants.”

  “Eat out!” I said. “I don't suppose I'll get the chance to do that soon.” Thoughts of the danger I was in overwhelmed me, as I remembered the Vigilante Guardian waiting for me to make a false step.

  Claire took my hand.

  “Don't worry,” she said. “You’re in good hands with Joe. He knows what he's doing and he'll keep you safe.”

  Claire paused, as though wondering whether to say more. At last, I picked up a thought, which hung in the air between us. Joe’s been acting odd since he got back.

  Yes, I’d been right. Joe had changed since I first met him. Claire had noticed too.

  Cautiously I tried to draw her out. “Do you think he’s acting funny since he returned? More distant?”

  An odd look crossed her face. Did she suspect I was reading her mind?

  “He's used to dealing with men. That’s probably why he seems distant. But I know him well, and I’ve always found him kind and caring.”

  I didn't know what to say -- he'd been kind, attentive and concerned this morning, and he’d been injured twice while saving my life. He’d even cheered me up and made me smile. Joe had been the perfect Guardian, just as Gran had described.

  Something felt different now. A deep sense of wrongness took root in my heart. Shaking my head, I looked at the three girls and, to my dismay, a solitary tear rolled down my cheek. I tossed my head defiantly.

  “Joe may be my Guardian, but I don't think he likes me.” I said, trying to sound flippant, as if it meant little to me. However, my heart ached. If Joe didn’t like me, then I had no one. I was truly alone in the world.

  Chapter 12.

  Joe the Protector

  I arrived at Council headquarters in Nepal, walked in the front door and did a double take. To say it had changed since I was last there, was an understatement. Now it looked like any human front office for a large corporation.

  A receptionist flashed me a broad smile from where she sat at the front desk.

  “Can I help you sir?” An ordinary human -- that was unexpected.

  “I'm here to see about becoming a Protector for someone,” I replied.

  “One moment Sir,” she said, stretching her smile even more, and disappearing through a door.

  I had a bad feeling about this. Somehow it didn't seem efficient even though it had all the modern trappings, including computers, which no doubt Nathan had been responsible for.

  The young lady came out with a folder which she handed over, smile still intact. I wondered if her smile had been frozen in place, it was so constant.

  “Just fill in these forms Sir, and we can process your request,” she said.

  “How long will that take?” A nagging worry ate into the pit of my stomach.

  “No longer than six weeks,” she said, through her bright smile, as though she had done me a personal favor.

  “Six weeks?” I exploded. “This matter is urgent.”

  “If that is the case, Sir,” she said, and her smile grew even wider and brighter. “Mark the box at the top on the right-hand side, where it asks the question ‘Is this matter urgent?’ That will shorten your application by at least three weeks.

  I stifled a groan. Ridiculous human-style bureaucracy had invaded Council headquarters. How had they managed it? If matters had been less serious, I would have laughed.

  An idea struck me. Marron, my old friend, was no longer on the Council, but he was a senior board member and kept in touch with Council business.
Last time I spoke to him, he mentioned he had an office within Council headquarters.

  “Is Marron in?” I asked, trying not to sound desperate.

  “Mr. Marron? Yes, he is. If you like, I can arrange an appointment for you. He's not free this week,” she said, looking on her computer. “The earliest you could see him is next week, although I will need his approval to book the meeting.”

  The girl was only doing her job, but I felt like strangling her. Trying again, I said “Can you send an urgent message to Mr. Marron for me?”

  “Yes Sir, I can send an urgent message,” she said. Her forehead creased in a worried frown, although the smile was still intact. “But it's up to Mr. Marron if he takes the message or not.”

  “I'll take my chances.” I sighed, and my anxiety wound down a notch at the miniscule progress we’d made.

  “I’ll send him an internal email,” she said through her fixed smile. “Who shall I say wants to see him?”

  Was she some kind of smiling robot? No, she had the smell of a human.

  “Tell him Joshaviah is here and wants to see him urgently.”

  “Yes sir,” she said, typing the message in and pressing the send button. “Thank you Mr. Joshaviah, the message has gone. Can I have your email address, so I can send his reply when it comes through?”

  “No, I'll wait.” Meanwhile, I used mindspeak to contact Marron.

  The next second, Marron burst through the door.

  “Joshaviah!” he exclaimed. Advancing towards me with open arms, he followed up with a huge bear hug. “How wonderful to see you. What on earth are you doing here?”

  “I need your advice, I said. “Can I see you now?”

  “Yes, yes, I’ll make the afternoon free. Please come into my office.”

  The girl at the desk was staring at us wide-eyed, and, wonder of wonders, she had stopped smiling. Her mouth made a perfect O.

  “Thank you, young lady,” I said. “You've been most helpful.” And Marron and I walked into his office, chuckling.

  “Take a seat,” Marron said, pointing to some comfortable chairs, and he pulled one up beside me.

  “What's with this human-type office set-up?” I asked. “I thought I’d have to wait weeks to get any action.”

  Marron sighed. “Yes, they’ve taken the worst of human bureaucracy and made it standard procedure.” He shook his head. “Still, for the most part, it works. Now tell me, what brings you here? The look on your face tells me it’s not a social call.”

  “You’re right, it’s urgent. This morning I met a young hybrid and became her Guardian. The trouble is, she’s being targeted by a Vigilante Guardian and I need to become her Protector.”

  Marron rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Ah! That stupid, uncivilized Vigilante ruling should have been stricken from the rule book centuries ago. I don't know why it wasn't. It’s barbaric.”

  “Can it be stopped? The poor young woman has had no part in this business. She’s innocent of all wrong-doing.” I leaned forward in my seat.

  “I doubt it, although we can try,” he said. “In the meantime, I can make sure you’re officially recognized as this girl's Protector as well as her Guardian. That will enable you to defend her and even kill the Vigilante Guardian, if it becomes necessary. The Council will sanction it. Give me the paperwork.”

  Marron took the folder I held, wrote a few lines on the papers within, and handed the papers back to me. “Sign here,” he said, passing me a pen and pointing on a page. When I handed the signed papers back to him, he took them to his desk, stamped the final page, and pressed a buzzer on his desk.

  A young human male hurried in and inclined his head as a mark of respect.

  “Take this application, and do whatever is necessary to process it – within the hour, or sooner.”

  The young man took the folder, gave a slight bow as acknowledgement, and left.

  “Humans working here as assistants, that’s quite a change,” I said, unable to contain my curiosity.

  “Yes, it is. Of course, they know about us, but as they all have their own Guardians, it doesn’t matter. They come here to work and learn skills to help them get employment in the human world. It’s a good arrangement for both parties, and another way we can assist humans.”

  Marron sat beside me again, smiled, then rubbed his hands together.

  “Tell me Joshaviah, now you’re a Guardian again, I take it you’ve put aside that ridiculous notion of living in the Underworld. What have you been up to? Tell me, I’m all ears.” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head.

  “Call me Joe. Everybody does now,” I said, and sighed. “In some ways, living among demons is less complicated than being a Guardian.” I pushed my hair off my forehead and leaned back in the chair, surprised to hear myself admit it. Marron always had that effect on me. He managed to cut straight to the heart of matters.

  “Oh?” was all he said, but his face bore testament he realized complicated issues lay behind my statement.

  A heavy silence filled the room as Marron waited for my response.

  “I welcomed the chance to be a Guardian again rather than return to the Underworld. At first it seemed like a blessed relief from my existence among demons, pretending to be one so I could lead them to war on each other,” I mumbled, as if talking to myself.

  “It was only you who insisted on doing penance among demons, no-one else expected such an extreme form of self-punishment,” Marron interjected.

  Impatiently, I held up my hand and turned my head aside, not wanting to listen to Marron’s views on the subject. I’d heard them before.

  “Sorry… Joe.” He grinned at me. “What changed your mind? Was it this Vigilante business?”

  “No. Although it is a complication. Unpleasant… And I don’t want to kill a Guardian…” I put my hand over my eyes and leaned forward, unable to continue, my heart pounding and my mouth suddenly as dry as desert sand.

  “Tell me! Joe… you’re starting to worry me.” Marron grabbed my shoulder.

  I sat up straight and faced him.

  “I’m Guardian to a young woman, strong, pure, innocent, a hybrid, part Guardian, part demon, part human. The mating bond is taking hold of me when I’m near her, but it’s wrong Marron! It can’t be! I won’t permit it!”

  I slammed my fist into the palm of my hand, stood and walked to a window overlooking snowy mountains, my breathing heavy and erratic.

  Marron came behind me. Again, he put his hand on my shoulder.

  “Just because she’s part demon doesn’t mean she won’t be a worthy mate for you. I’ve never known the mating bond to be wrong. Don’t fight it.”

  “What?” I turned to face him, unable to believe my ears. “You’ve got it all wrong Marron.” A single ironic laugh burst from my lips. “I’m not good enough for her.”

  “What?” He stood looking at me, struck dumb, his mouth opening and closing, and I glared at him, incensed at the idea anyone would think, for a moment, I believed Kat was not a worthy mate. How far could he get from the truth?

  Marron spoke at last. “Let’s sit down and discuss this rationally,” he said.

  “There’s nothing to discuss.” I followed him to where we’d been sitting, nevertheless.

  The next thirty minutes I spent listening to him tell me all the reasons I would be a wonderful mate for Kat. Nothing sank in. I was too anxious to get my Protector status sanctioned and get back to give Kat the good news.

  One thing registered though. When Marron said I would harm Kat by denying the mating bond, my attention was on full alert.

  “What do you mean? I would never harm Kat.” I fought the urge to grab my old friend by the throat.

  “A true mating bond is felt by the human, or in this case, hybrid, as well, although a Guardian feels it more strongly. As for a demon – who knows what they feel?”

  Marron stroked his chin as if gathering his thoughts before continuing. “Being a hybrid, your young lady will be hi
ghly emotional around you, sometimes more intense, sometimes more in control and often distressed by her extreme emotional swings. This is because her human, Guardian and demon sides will be experiencing the growing bond between you differently.”

  “Is there no way to avoid this? What can I do?” Despair grabbed me as I took in what he was saying.

  “No. Once started, it’s inevitable,” he said. “However, there’s more. As you are aware, she faces the change which will allow her to stay on the earth plane. All part demons must go through it as they mature.” Marron stood, ran his fingers through his hair, and walked over to the window.

  He stood still for a moment, gazing at the snow-covered mountains, then turned to face me, his face serious.

  “This situation must be resolved before then. If not, she could die, the conflicting forces too much for her body to handle. How much demon does she have?” Marron stared at me.

  “I don’t know,” I said, uncertainty adding to my despair. “We could get a blood test done to find out. Dr. Frank could arrange it.”

  “Find out. It’s important. Demon energy is unpredictable, as you should know. Even a small amount can destabilize a human.”

  I passed my hand over my forehead, realizing for the first time, the seriousness of the problem for Kat.

  “But Marron, I had my chance with a human mate. I messed up, and grief is still part of me because of it. Every part of me resists mating again. It feels so wrong -- disloyal. There must be some mistake.”

  I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up into Marron’s concerned face.

  “There is no mistake. The bond has chosen. You are this young woman’s destined mate and somehow you must reconcile your feelings. Your first intended mate is gone. All that remains of her is in your memory. You must find a way to let it go and be a proper mate to this new one.”

  I stood, rooted to the spot, appalled by Marron’s words. How could I forget Rachel? Yet, if I didn’t I would be failing Kat. Once she felt the bond, if I failed her… I felt the blood drain from my face at the thought.