Guardians Of The Shifters

by Shannon Schoolcraft

  I picked this spot because I could see the people that walked by and the people that walked in. Also because I didn’t have to worry about probing eyes as I looked through the backpack. Picking up the cup I took a sip and the first sip of coffee on my tongue was like bliss and I couldn’t help but to briefly close my eyes.

  Setting my cup down, I shrugged off the bag with shoulder straps and sat it on my lap. I peeked up through my lashes to make sure nobody was looking at me before I unzipped it. The first thing I saw was an envelope with my name on it sitting on top of a map. With a shaky hand I picked it up. I was almost afraid to open it but I needed to know what was in it. Flipping it over I tore open the back and pulled out a piece of paper. Attached to it was a goldish colored key. I dropped the folded paper because my hands were so shaky, after a few tries I was finally able to unfold it.

  Dear Cora

  If you are reading this then that means that your father, Carla and I didn’t make it. By now you should know that you are a very special lady and are meant to do great things. But in case you didn’t know that, in time you will.

  I don’t have much time to write this so I’ll just say what I can. The key that is attached to this goes to a locker at the Greyhound Bus Lines in Miami Florida. In the locker you will find a duffel bag filled with things you will need. The number to the locker is on the key. You will find your place in this world.

  Make sure to follow the instructions that are also in the duffel bag. I’m so sorry my sweet baby girl that you are alone. Please just always remember that your father and I loved you very much. I must go now, be careful, stay safe and trust no one.

  Love always mom

  (Jacqueline)

  I was overcome with emotions and I wasn’t sure what to think, the trust no one part was the easiest thing I could do, the only person I trusted most in this world was now dead. I scanned the letter one more time before slipping the key into my pants pocket. By now my coffee had to be cold and that was okay, at this point I don’t think I’d be able to finish it. I pulled the map out of the bag and unfolded it atop the table.

  The Greyhound bus line was only a couple miles from where I’m at now. I saw that the route I should take was already highlighted. I quickly folded it up and shoved it back in my bag and closed it. Looking up I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw the brunette from behind the counter standing at the side of my table.

  “Sorry to startle you but we are closing now.”

  I looked out the window, it was starting to get dark out and I wasn’t sure how so much time passed. Standing up I slipped the bag over my shoulder just as my stomach let out an embarrassing growl. I looked back at the lady.

  “Is there any way I could get a chocolate muffin first?”

  “Sure and it’s on the house.”

  Surprised. “Thank you.” I followed her back up to the counter and waited for her to put the chocolatey goodness in a bag. I smiled my thanks as I took the small bag and headed out the door. It was still warm out but there was a chill to the air and I wasn’t sure if it was from the weather or from the events of today. Either way I didn’t like it.

  I found a wooden bench half a block away from The Java Café and sat down to eat the muffin. Instead of taking big bites like I normally would I picked at it. When I finished the last bite I sat there for a few minutes longer watching it get darker. From out of the blue the same sensation I felt earlier today skated its way along the back of my neck. I straightened up on the bench and looked from one side to the other and didn’t see anyone. Looking across the road I didn’t see anyone over there either which left the space behind me.

  My pulse kicked up a notch as I slowly turned in my seat. I narrowly escaped a fist flying at my face, falling off the bench in the nick of time saved my face from the impact. I scrambled backwards on my hands as the guy came at me, when he got closer I kicked out my leg and swiped it across his feet making him fall to the ground. On his way down his head smacked off the bench knocking him out cold, lucky shot I guess.

  I quickly scrambled to my feet and took off at a dead run and didn’t look back, I was afraid that he wouldn’t stay down for long. I ducked between two buildings only to find out that it was a dead end. I turned around to head back the way I came only to stop dead in my tracks. Two people were making their way towards me and from the looks and size of them they were male. Jesus, don’t they have any women in their gang? They stopped a few feet from me. The taller one of the two spoke and it sounded like he was British but I could be wrong.

  “Are you Cora Jones?”

  I didn’t know my last name so I went with the only answer that I could muster. “No.” And I don’t think they believed me because they both took a step towards me. I was cornered with no place to go, now I know how animals felt when being locked in a cage. My hood slipped back a bit exposing my face in the soft glow of light that came from a telephone pole next to me.

  If the smaller guy was trying not to be heard, he failed. “It’s her, look at her eyes.” I’m going to take that as a sign of not being good. Damn eyes give away everything. Okay, that was a crappy attempt at a joke. Without them noticing I was able to slip the backpack off my shoulders and throw it in a dark corner. My hands were balled into fists at my sides because if they come at me I’m going to start swinging. The bigger guy stepped forward and I was more than ready. I didn’t miss the smirk that graced his lips

  “What do you think you’ll do little guardian?”

  I wasn’t sure yet. “Come any closer and you’ll find out.”

  “You’ve got more spunk than the others, I like it.”

  I arched a brow at him and that only seemed to make his smirk grow bigger.

  “You have such a pretty face little guardian, I’d hate to mess it up.”

  Now it was my turn to smirk. “Your face.” I paused and tilted my head to the side. “Is that really what your face looks like? Looks like you got smacked by a brick wall.” A low angry noise radiated from him as he charged at me. His fist clipped my shoulder when I tried to move out of the way. I spun around with the impact and planted my foot in his lower back making him run into the brick building face first. Too bad that it wouldn’t help his face any.

  With that little maneuver my hood fell completely off my head causing my hair to fly around me. A strong hand curled into my hair and pulled me backwards. My shoulder slammed into the light pole making me scream out in pain a little. I was certain now, I’m cutting my damn hair. I was vaguely aware of other fighting sounds around me. I landed a few more blows to my attacker and he landed a few hits and kicks on me too. I could feel blood running down my chin from an obviously split lip and that just pissed me off more than I already was.

  My surroundings tinted an amber color and with a battle cry I launched myself at him and at the same time managed to have my pocket knife in hand. With a quick flick of my wrist the knife was open and plunged deep in the side of his neck. Warm sticky blood coated my hand and my attacker fell to the ground with a sickening gurgling sound and that was the last sound he made.

  Looking over my shoulder I saw that the other guy was laying on the ground motionless while another man stood over him. Walking over to my book bag I slung it over my shoulder and faced the mystery man.

  “Who are you?”

  “Someone you can trust.”

  A giggled bubbled up my throat. “I trust no one.”

  He stepped into the light. “Very smart girl.” He looked over his should for a quick glance and turned back to me. “Listen Cora, more will be coming and you need to get to the bus station as of yesterday.”

  I looked at him confused. “How do you know my name?” In the distance I could hear feet pounding on the pavement. I heard the older man whisper. “Too late.” At the edge of the buildings two more men dressed in black were heading our way.

  Chapter 4

  This is just not my day, how many times in one day can a person be chased and attacked? Once again I shrugged off my
backpack and threw it in a corner. I dug my pocket knife out of my hoodie pocket and flicked it open. The older man standing beside me nodded his head in approval as two blades appeared in his hands. A glint of metal caught my eye causing my gaze to drift back to the two new comers.

  They had freaking swords, swords compared to my dainty little pocket knife and my sort of new found friends wicked looking daggers.

  The other two ran at us, fighting to the death again it is then. The one that came at me wasn’t a man like I thought, it was a woman. I guess it’s safe to say that they have woman in their gang. She swung her sword at my head and I ducked out of the way just in time but I could still feel the wind from it for how hard she swung. I popped back up with a punch to her face causing her to stumble back a little, but she was quick to bounce right back. She brought her sword down again and this time I wasn’t fast enough.

  I yelled out as the blade connected with the side of my leg. I was only half surprised that the blow didn’t cut my leg off. I didn’t have time to process how bad it was because she was relentless. She was like the female version of the energizer bunny, she just kept going and going. I only managed to cut her a couple times with my little knife but it seemed not to be doing anything. I had enough of this shit.

  Her sword came at me again and I kicked out with my bad leg catching the hilt of the word and knocking it out of her hand. It slid across the pavement. In all honesty I prefer hand to hand combat but there was no way in hell that I was giving up my knife. She came at me with flying legs and fists. Every other one of her hits and kicks connected. When she swung again I dipped down and popped back up with an upper cut to her jaw snapping her head back. She regained her footing and managed to knock me to the ground. Not good. I scrambled backwards on my hands to where her abandoned sword lay. I just got my hand around the hilt when she dived at me.

  I brought the sword up causing her to impale herself onto the pointy end. Surprise flickered across her face just before she fell to a heap on her side. I didn’t even get a chance to applaud to that small feat when I was being picked up and thrown at one of the brick buildings. I smacked into it hard and the air in my lungs whooshed out of me. The next thing I know I’m being held in the arms of the mystery man that came to my aid. I didn’t get a chance to yell watch out before the guy dressed in black plunged a syringe filled with a silvery liquid into my savior’s neck. His face contorted and he fell onto his back motionless.

  I tried to stand but ended up falling back down. The guy came at me with a different syringe filled with the same silvery liquid. I don’t know how I managed to muster up enough energy and strength but when he came at me with it, I twisted his hand and jabbed the needle point of the syringe into his eye. He cried out from shock and fell backwards ceasing to move. I crawled my way over to my rescuer and shook him. His hand clamped around my wrist in a painful grip. “You must find Caden.” That was all he said as his hand fell away from my wrist. I laid on my side next to him because frankly all I wanted to do was rest, plus I was sore as hell and bleeding.

  Who the hell is Caden and why did that guy call me little guardian? Those two questions I’m sure will be answered soon enough. My eyes started to close because I was so damn tired and it hurt to move.

  The sound of shuffling feet and breathing made my eyes snap open. A pair of startling green eyes were looking down at me. Freaked out, I jumped to my feet and was in a fighting stance within two seconds while my sore body screamed at me in protest. Somehow that only seemed to amuse him because the corner of his mouth tipped up.

  “Easy there little guardian, wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  His voice was deep, sexy and oh my, British. “Why do people call me that?” I ground out between clenched teeth. Of course he wasn’t going to answer me, he just stood there staring at me. I don’t know who this man was or what he wanted and frankly I didn’t care. The only thing I did know was that if he tried anything, anything at all I’d punch him. Just then my stomach let out sounds of hunger causing him to make an amused sound in the back of his throat and his smirk deepen.

  He turned around and picked up my bag, I was about to say something until he thrust it at me. He walked passed me and all I could do was stand there. He let out an annoyed sound. “Come on I’ve got a place nearby.” He looked me up and down. “You can clean up, we’ll dress your wounds and then get something to eat.” He tilted his head to the side. “Unless you’d rather stay here and wait for more assassins to come.”

  I gave it a small thought. “I’m coming.”

  “Thought so.”

  I grabbed my bag from the corner before I followed him out from between the two buildings and watched as he kept scanning the pass-a-byers. It kind of looked like he was waiting for someone to jump out and say boo. Paranoid much? Although with the day and night I had, I couldn’t really blame him. It seemed like we were walking for forever and every step I took jarred my already sore body.

  I didn’t miss the looks people gave me, hell I’d be looking to if someone was walking down the street and looked as if they just crawled out of a horror slasher flick looking like a hot mess. So I did my best to ignore it. I wasn’t sure what time it was but by telling from the pinkish sky it was around five or six in the morning. Just as I thought we were going to keep walking, he stopped and I almost ran into him.

  “Jesus, a warning next time would be nice.”

  He looked at me over his shoulder. “Take off your knapsack.” He said as he shrugged out of his coat that I just now noticed he was wearing. The look on his face stopped the protest on my lips and I did as he said. He took the backpack from me while handing me his coat. “Put it on.” I just stood there holding his jacket between loos fingers. He frustratingly ran fingers through his shortish black hair that was kind of like a buzz cut but still long enough to run his fingers through while turning to face me.

  “Stop being stubborn and put it on.”

  “Why?”

  He gestured with his hand up and down my body indicating at my clothes. “Have you seen what you look like?”

  Rolling my eyes. “Fine.”

  After putting on his jacket that ended up covering most of my damaged clothing I reached for my backpack. Instead of him handing it to me he slung it over one of his broad shoulders and pushed through the door. I had no choice but to follow. Once I entered (what I’m guessing as a five star hotel) I understood the main reason he wanted me to put on his coat.

  The inside was huge with high arched entry ways, shiny wooden floors with gold and brown carpets here and there. Every corner had tree like lights that branched off in every which direction. I was literally in awe, I’ve never been in a place this spectacular. The closest thing I’ve been in that was even remotely close to this was the church that Carla brought me to. An ache filled my chest at the thought of her name.

  We walked past the golden colored desk towards the stairs. My eyes went wide because I don’t think I could walk up them. I let out a sigh of relief when he pushed a button for an elevator. Once inside, I stood on one side and lead against the wall while he stood on the other side. Tension racked my body and I kept my eyes down cast to keep from looking at him. The ding from the elevator stopping made jump and I inhaled a gasp of pain from the jerky movement.

  He moved his hand in a gesture for me to go first but when I went to step out first he cut me off, I gave him a disapproving look behind his back and soon I followed him down the hall to the last door on the left. He pulled a key card from his back pocket, slid it in the lock and when the light blinked green he opened the door. I followed him inside and closed the door behind me.

  The room was normal sized with a queen sized bed, a brown and tan couch with chairs to match with light brown tables on each side. There was a white mini fridge and a small kitchen off to the right. A flat screen T.V was mounted on the wall above a light brown colored dresser. The windows took half of the wall and it took me a minute to realize that they weren’t wind
ows but sliding glass doors that lead to a balcony. The curtains were white and kind of see through. A loud thump had me jumping and looking down to find my bag at my feet.

  “The bathroom is through that door.” My eyes looked to where he was pointing. “Go get cleaned up and I’ll dress your wounds after.” I nodded my head as I picked up my bag. I shrugged out of his coat and draped it on the back of the chair as I made my way to the bathroom. Stepping inside, I shut and locked the door behind me.

  While everything in the room was light brown and tan, the bathroom was white. There was a deep Jacuzzi looking bathtub on one side and a shower with glass doors on the other. The counter was long with a deep sink built into the center. I dropped the bag on the counter and looked in the mirror that took up most of the wall and cringed.

  My hair was a mess and fell around me in knotted clumps. My face had shallow cuts, bruises and dried blood. My clothes were torn and also bloody. I didn’t want to look at myself anymore but yet I couldn’t look away. I’m not sure how much time I spent looking at the person in the mirror that looked like me but at the same time didn’t.

  Finally I tore my gaze away and walked over to the shower and turned it on, it didn’t take long for the bathroom to fill up with steam. I stripped out of my clothes and stepped under the welcoming warmth of the water. That first hit of water on my sensitive flesh had me wincing. I looked down at my leg where the sword bit into my flesh and saw that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.

  Shaking my head I began to carefully wash away the sweat, dirt and blood that clung to me and watched as it went from a muddy red, to a pink, to clear and finally down the drain. I washed up twice to make sure that I was clean before turning off the water and stepping out onto the cold tiled floor. A knock on the door had me practically jumping out of my skin.

  “WH-who is it?”