Protector (Daray Hall #2)

by Hoffman, Samantha

  “You’re going to lose.”

  Gritting my teeth, I spread my feet shoulder width apart, and refuse to let this goddess send me to my knees. Slowly, her sword moves away from my head, and I’m able to slip out from under it, spinning to the side. Her sword misses my shoulder by mere inches, and the point buries into the ground. Before she can pull it out, I swing my foot out and down, breaking her forearm as it reaches for the sword.

  I bring my knee up into her face, and she shrieks when her nose shatters. It gushes blood, and she stumbles away from her sword. Her eyes begin to water, and I rush forward, intent on finishing her off as revenge for Morgan. When I get within arms reach, Achlys reaches out and punches me in the face, and then she plants her good hand on my chest and shoves.

  Flying backward, I hit the ground with a thud, and all the air is knocked from my lungs. For just a minute, I’m stunned and unable to move, and Achlys kicks the sword from my hand. It skitters away, stopping nearly two full arm’s lengths away from me, well out of my reach.

  Her nose has stopped bleeding and her eyes are clear, but her forearm still looks broken at an odd angle. She takes a quick second to break it again and fix it, and I slam the heel of my foot into her kneecap. She curses, and I bring my foot up quickly, bashing her right under the chin.

  Her head snaps back and bloody spit flies from her mouth, giving me time to jump to my feet. I run for the sword that’s still lying in the dirt, but Achlys tackles me from behind, and the two of us roll away from the sword. Achlys ends up on top of me, and she grabs one side of my head with each hand, and slams my head down on the ground, trying to crack open my skull.

  When she brings my head up to slam it down again, I use all my strength to shoot forward, freeing myself from her grasp. My forehead collides with hers, and she sits back, momentarily dazed. Working one of my arms free, I grab a rock nearby, and shatter it against Achlys’ skull.

  She rolls off of me, and I wrap one leg around her neck, applying pressure to her throat. It’s the one move Kaven was able to teach me while at Mount Olympus, and right now I’m incredibly grateful for it, because it might just save my life.

  Achlys gasps for air and tries to pry my leg from around her throat. Unable to budge me, she settles for digging her long, overgrown nails into my leg, drawing ten lines of scarlet blood that run down my leg, staining the ground beneath us. I grit my teeth against the pain, but when she begins to twist her nails inside of me, I lose it, and scream.

  She elbows me in the face, breaking my nose, and she slips out of my grasp as my eyes start to water. Turning around, she sinks her teeth into the flesh of my shoulder, ripping a chunk away with her sharp teeth. I bite my tongue to keep from screaming again, even though the pain is nearly unbearable.

  Achlys curls her fingers into sharp, dangerous weapons, and she slashes them across my face, leaving four bloody, parallel gouges. Blood pours down my face, soaking into my shirt collar, and it blinds me. I swing my arms wildly, hoping to keep her at least an arm’s length away to give me time to heal from her rapid attacks.

  She doesn’t give me time though, and throws herself at me, knocking me to the ground again. This time she has her sword in her hand, and she levels it at my throat while I lie helpless on the ground. My sword is lying in the dirt too far away for me to reach, and I have only a dagger in my boot. Unfortunately, I can’t reach that either.

  Achlys sneers at me. “Ready to die again, little daughter of Selene?” I spit blood in her face, and she sighs, before wiping it away. “That was uncalled for.” She raises the sword, readying herself to plunge it into my heart. As the sword begins to lower, the sky above us rips open in a flash of golden light, and a gold chariot pulled by a pair of black pegasus horses emerges.

  Everyone stops fighting as Zeus makes his way to the ground. Even Achlys has paused her attack on me. She may be older than dirt, and powerful, but she’s not nearly as powerful as the king of the gods. That’s why he’s the one in charge of Mount Olympus, not her. When his golden chariot stops in the dirt beside us, Achlys backs away from me, dropping her sword in the process.

  Zeus exits his chariot, and he looks at Achlys with his cold blue eyes. “Enough.” That word silences every sound on the battlefield, and every creature bows before him.

  Two silver chariots–one drawn by chimeras and the other by white bulls–land beside Zeus’. Poseidon and Hades step from their chariots and Hades promptly makes his way to where I lie in the dirt. He offers me his hand, and he hauls me to my feet. “You almost let that bitch kill you twice.”

  “I would have killed her first.”

  I look at Morgan’s body, and Hades frowns. “War is often a horrible, disgusting thing.”

  “You’re the Lord of the Underworld. Doesn’t war appeal to you?”

  “Only when it has a just cause. Come with me. Zeus is going to make a speech.”

  When I look over at Zeus, I find him staring at me with a mixture of surprise and boredom. Hades guides me over to where Selene stands with Hecate, Pandia, Artemis, and a trembling Achlys. She looks so angry she might just snap at Zeus right now. I hope she does, because then he’ll hopefully smite her down with his lightning.

  “I have watched this war from the heavens, and I have decided to intervene.”

  “Zeus–” Achlys pleads.

  “Silence!” His voice echoes over the battlefield, and I see several of the creatures shudder. “This war is unfounded and unjust. You have used trickery, manipulation, and empty promises to get where you are, and I will stand it no longer. I did not realize this was the right thing to do until Artemis switched sides. Then I saw that nothing would come of this war.”

  Pandia and Artemis step forward. “What is it you plan to do Father?” Pandia asks.

  He considers something to himself. “How do I know that the second I leave Achlys will not return and attack again? I have to ensure the safety of my daughters in the future, and the only way I see to do that is to confine Achlys and those that conspired with her.”

  “Confinement!” Achlys screams. “No! I will not be trapped away in the Earth!”

  Hades leans down to whisper in my ear. “The gods have a prison in the Earth that is guarded day and night by powerful beings. The Titans that used to rule the heavens are housed there, along with others that have crossed Zeus over the centuries.”

  “Achlys, Bendis, and Achelois, the three of you shall be confined to the Earth until I believe you have learned your lesson.” His eyes harden and the three goddesses cower under his gaze. “This is the penalty for kidnapping and manipulating my daughters.” He snaps his fingers and the three goddesses disappear in flashes of golden light.

  Then he turns to Selene.

  “The moon will remain yours, Selene. Now, the only thing that remains for me is to decide what to do with Artemis. You helped orchestrate the kidnapping of your sister, and you plotted to steal the moon by force. Some think you should join Achlys in her confinement. What do you think my daughter? What should your punishment be?”

  Selene steps forward. “Zeus, your daughter switched sides during the fighting, and she managed to get the ogres to rebel. She has shown regret for her actions. I think that should count for something.”

  Zeus rubs a large hand over his strong jaw. “Hmm. Perhaps confinement isn’t the way to handle this. Instead, Artemis, you shall help care for all the creatures injured during this foolish war, and you will then help Selene care for her Gardens. I’m sure there will be several new souls there because of this war; help them get adjusted. Then, when Daray Hall has been rebuilt, you will return here to help train the new Protectors in archery. If you wish, Apollo may accompany you. Is this understood?”

  Artemis bows her head. “Yes, Father. I will do as you command.”

  Zeus looks at both of his older brothers. “Brothers, you may reclaim your fighters and return to the Immortal Realms. There is nothing more for us to do here.”

  Poseidon gathers his merfolk, an
d they all vanish. Hades collects his hellhounds, and they all gather happily around him, yipping and wagging their tails. They haven’t done anything but growl at all of us, and it’s strange to see them look so nice and happy.

  Hades looks at me, and I think I see the hint of a smile at the corners of his lips. “I hope to see you again someday in the future. Perhaps for a friendly rematch?”

  “Perhaps,” I say.

  Hades winks, and vanishes in a cloud of black mist with his hellhounds. Next to leave is Hecate with her zombies, and Artemis takes all of the remaining immortal creatures, and she vanishes with them. Selene turns to me.

  “I have to go now, Kylie. I must return to my own Realm, and I will not be coming back. The war is over, and everything will go back to the way it was before. After everything you have done for me, I hate to ask you for more help, but I have one more favor to ask of you.”

  “Anything.”

  “Help Jillian rebuild Daray Hall bigger and better than ever before. And just…be happy and live a fulfilling life.”

  Selene gathers Morgan’s lifeless body and vanishes in a burst of silver light. Pandia immediately takes her mother’s place. “I must be going as well. But remember sister, if you’re ever in need of a friend, look to your dreams. After everything that you’ve done for me, I will always be there for you.”

  She disappears, leaving me alone with Jillian and the others, and Kaven puts his arm around me. “I’m sorry about Morgan.”

  Now that the gods and goddesses are finally gone, everything starts to sink in, and Morgan’s death becomes a reality. My eyes start to burn, and I bury my face in Kaven’s shoulder. He wraps his arms around my back and holds me while I sob into his chest.

  When I look up, Chloe, Austin, and Tara are crying as well. When Kaven steps back, they all hug me, and the crying gets worse. Finally, Tara pulls herself together enough to speak. “Kylie, what happened?”

  I take a deep, shuddering breath. “We were watching the merfolk arrive, and Achlys just snuck up behind us, and she stabbed Morgan right through the chest. I didn’t even see it coming; I was too busy watching the merfolk and the ogres. I should have been paying more attention. I should have kept her safe!”

  “Kylie, you couldn’t have protected her from Achlys. You didn’t know she was looking for you. This isn’t your fault,” Chloe says gently. “Nobody blames you for this but yourself.”

  Sighing, I rub my eyes with the back of my hand. “I should blame myself. I knew that Achlys would be looking for revenge today, and I was stupid enough to lose focus.”

  Jillian steps forward. “We should return to my childhood home. I have people set to begin rebuilding Daray Hall. It should be ready for fledglings in about six months. When it gets reopened, I hope all of you will return to your lessons–though I doubt they’re needed for all of you.” She looks at me. “Kylie, you’ll be able to stay on as a Protector while Tara is still a resident.”

  I nod. “Alright.”

  Kaven wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close, and Chloe takes my free hand in hers. “Let’s go home, Kylie.”

  Epilogue

  Daray Hall looks almost the same as it did before the war. The outside is as dark and gloomy, and the new chapel still exudes an aura of peace and love, and I know that Selene is watching over the residents of this new home. And they all know it too, now that they’ve seen Selene in action and have been willing to fight and die for her.

  It’s been six months since Selene set foot in our Realm, but everyone knows she’s still very much real and alive. To be honest, it’s a little weird not having her around so much. When I spent time in her Eternal Gardens, she was always there, making things as easy as possible for me, and now she’s gone. I haven’t heard her voice or seen her.

  She’s letting me do things on my own now, and what I’ve decided to do is help Jillian rebuild Daray Hall. Everyone is happy about their new home, but we can’t help but remember those that fought and died so we could all live. Many Protectors and resident fledglings gave their lives during the war, and Jillian decided to honor them with a plaque in the main hall. It has all of their names on it, and a prayer at the bottom.

  I look over the names, noticing a few that stand apart from the others. Morgan’s is first, and for a second my heart clenches painfully, and I bite my lip to keep from crying. Thinking about her makes me feel like there’s a hole in my heart, and I miss her terribly. I didn’t know her all that well during my first stay at Daray Hall, but she became like a sister to me when I came back.

  Another one that stands out is Kita. She was Tricia’s friend before she died, but she was a good person, and she was one of the only female fledglings to come back and fight with us. Chloe tried to save her, but it was just too late, and she was too exhausted.

  I miss her more than I thought I would, seeing as I didn’t know her all that well. She was nice to everyone, respectful, and honorable. At least her death wasn’t painful, and it wasn’t in vain.

  Several more recognizable names are those of Protectors that made my life miserable during my training. Even though they hated me and tried to force me to quit, they were still willing to fight and die for their goddess, and they deserve eternal peace in her Gardens.

  I find Jillian in the main hall, just outside her new classroom, and she smiles. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

  “You have?”

  “I have something I need to discuss with you. I figured you wouldn’t mind, but I wanted to make sure anyways.”

  “Mind what?” I ask.

  “There are two new fledglings that arrived a couple of days ago. They just woke up today, and I thought you might want to meet them. They’re waiting for us down in the gym.”

  “You told me about them,” I say, following her. “Why would I want to meet them? Jillian?”

  She goes silent and just smiles to herself. The gym is full with training and practicing Protectors, and several fledglings that are busy looking them over. Chloe is here with Austin, and she’s holding his right hand–his only hand–in hers. As I’m watching, he leans in and kisses her, and she moves closer to him.

  Carlos is waiting for us at the back of the gym, and with him are two teenage girls. The first is a few inches shorter than me, with long blonde hair and a petite build. The other is an inch or two taller than me, with an athletic build and short black hair. Her eyes are blue and focused as she looks me over.

  “Girls, this is Kylie Redding. She is Daray Hall’s only female Protector, and she was a major part of our winning the war. Without her, it would have been nearly impossible to survive.”

  I blush at the praise, and don’t bother trying to argue with her. I’ve tried over the past six months, but she just won’t listen to me. Waving at the girls, I say, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

  The smaller of the two girls shrinks away from my outstretched hand as if I might bite, and the other girl immediately tenses. She stares at my hand as if daring it to move closer, and I realize immediately why Jillian brought me here.

  “Martha here has the ability to see the future. She’ll be a great asset to this Daray Hall, and I’ll be starting her instruction in a couple of days. Her best friend Melanie died not two hours after she did, and the first thing she insisted upon waking up was meeting you.

  “You see, Kylie, Melanie would like to become Martha’s Protector, and she’d like to learn from you. I told her I didn’t think that was a problem, since you’ve decided to stay here and train some more. I understand if you don’t want to help Carlos, but I think you should. There can always be more female Protectors.”

  I give Melanie a quick glance, assessing her abilities and possible weaknesses. She’s athletic, like me, and she carries herself the same way as I do. Right now she’s already taking a guarded stance beside Melanie, as if she’s worried about an attack at any moment, and that’s a useful thing to practice. She’ll make a good Protector I bet, but I wonder if someone else sho
uld do the teaching. Selene made me a Protector much sooner than anyone else, because of unique circumstances. If the war hadn’t happened, I still wouldn’t be a Protector even now! Surely there’s someone else better to teach her.

  I glance at Carlos, and see his relaxed stance and knowing smile. He expects me to do this, and he wholeheartedly agrees with Jillian that I’ll be the best one to teach Melanie. With a sigh, I look at her again, straightening as I do. “It won’t be easy. There are still going to be people that think you’re not up to the challenge, and it’ll be your job to prove them wrong every time. They’ll call you names, and they may even try and hurt you.”

  Melanie folds her arms behind her back and regards me with cool blue eyes. “I understand. I’m ready to do this.”

  “Are you? You’ll train for hours a day. You’ll train until your bones ache and you think you can’t possibly take it anymore, and then you’ll keep training. You’ll have to understand that some vampires think of themselves as better than you because of what you are. But most importantly, you’ll have to be ready and willing to give your life for her if the need arises, because there is nothing more important to a Protector than the person she’s assigned to,” I say, thinking of Tara.

  “I understand.”

  “Good. Then you can start training tomorrow. I’ll meet you down here after breakfast. Don’t be late.”

  The End.