House of Guardians

by Beatrice Sand

  “I think I have to throw up. There’s a…”

  “Calm down. Breathe.” I guide her to the piano bench and make her sit down. “What did you see?”

  Mia walks in from the kitchen. Without first worrying about her daughter, who is now gagging, she walks outside. With a shriek she comes back inside.

  “Mia, what’s out there?”

  “I have to find your father.”

  I caress Renee’s hair. “I’ll be right back, okay?” I let go of her and walk to the front door. Cautiously, I stick my head out the door.

  “Laurel, don’t!”

  I ignore her warning. Things have to get really out of hand these days for me to get scared. I lift my eyebrows as I walk onto the lawn. I stop only a couple of yards away from where the imposing head—or whatever is left of it—is laying. There is a visible drag trail in the grass and there is blood in the street, but everything else looks normal. People are on their way to work, to the store, to school… a normal, boring Friday in Sooke—the only thing out of the ordinary is chewed-up pieces of a deer carcass in our front yard.

  I feel a hand on my shoulder and I shrug. “Hey, Dad. I believe the venison steaks for tonight got delivered.”

  Martin shakes his head. “There’s someone out there with a twisted sense of humor. I’m going to call the cops.”

  “The cops? Because of a piece of deer on the lawn? Please let them chase criminals. This is the work of a w… cougar.” I wink at him. “Or an unsatisfied customer.”

  “I’m willing to believe that in this area, predators sometimes get close to people when they can’t find any food, but then I expect to find toppled-over trash cans and torn trash bags. Do you know of a predator that brings its own food and then devours it in the presence of people?”

  “When you put it like that, it does sound unbelievable,” I mumble. “Oh, Dad, I wanted to ask you something. My name, where does it come from? Who thought it up?”

  “Oh, uh…” Then he smiles. “Your mother had been pregnant with you for a couple of months and we were walking around a garden center. She was just looking at a small laurel tree, wondering if she should buy it. Then you kicked, for the very first time. We already knew that you were going to be a girl, and right there at the garden center your mom decided to call you Laura. I came up with Laurel and she loved that name.” He strokes my cheek and walks back inside. “I’m calling the city.”

  When everything is back to normal, I head downtown where I am meeting Ava and Maude. It feels like we haven’t seen each other for ages, and I’m curious to find out how they are doing. Everyone around me is busy with preparations for college, except for me. I still haven’t settled on a major, and although Martin has reconciled himself to that disappointing fact by now—and I am getting along great with the chambermaids—I am in dire need of starting my own life, but I know even less than before what I want or even where to begin. I just can’t focus with Sam still occupying my every thought, even though I haven’t seen him anymore since our last goodbye.

  “Your turn!” Ava says, cheerful as always. “Anything exiting happening on your vacation?”

  It takes everything I have to keep my focus on the conversation, because my thoughts keep returning to the deer in the front yard. Did Storm leave it there?

  I place the glass back on the coaster. “What would you like to know? That I put a new piece of soap in every bathroom this morning, or that I finally mastered the trick to arranging the bed sheets?”

  “Wow, you’re even more cynical than before,” Maude remarks.

  “Thanks. I practice a lot.”

  “You have only yourself to blame,” she reminds me gratuitously. “You graduated from high school, and all you had to do was enroll in a college somewhere.”

  Ava nods her approval. “She’s right, Laurel.”

  “It was your choice to change dirty linen so why do you expect us to feel sorry for you?” Maude continues, undeterred.

  “I don’t expect that at all. I’m just saying that I have nothing exciting to report.”

  “You’re responsible for your own life, your own deeds.”

  I quietly stare at the heart artistically crafted in the foam. As if I don’t know that myself. But for Maude that is an easy thing to say, she’s not stuck in a frustrating relationship with the son of a Greek god. Neither are you. I take a sip of my soy latte.

  “And take a bite out of that cake,” Ava says. “You haven’t even touched it, and normally you would’ve been the first one to gobble it down.” Concerned, she looks at me over the edge of her coffee cup. She has feathered bangs and it looks amazing on her. She looks mature. “You do eat regularly, right? Your cheeks look sunken in.”

  It’s true that my jeans are falling off my hips, but she doesn’t need to know that.

  “You realize that all those models don’t look like that in real life, right?” She puts her coffee cup down. “All retouched. And innocent girls like us get a negative self-image, and before you know it you are drinking soy milk and battling an eating disorder.”

  That’s right, Ava is a psychology major. I am sure she will be a great therapist some day. “I don’t throw up anything, Ava.”

  “Good. Ideals of beauty are so overrated. No matter how pretty you are, subconsciously we still choose the golden ratio, the divine proportion. No Dior lip gloss or Chanel cream can beat that.” Ava gestures with her fork. “So, tear that dairy diet up and eat that delicious cheese cake.”

  “I don’t have an eating disorder. It’s just morning sickness.” Ava’s fork drops to the table. “I mean, I’m just nauseous and it started this morning. There was something nasty in our yard.”

  “Oh, disgusting, spare us the details. Listen, I have something to tell you guys,” Maude announces. Her face starts to beam. “Well, there’s this guy I’m extremely attracted to.”

  “That sexy guy that bumped into you the other day?” Ava wants to know.

  Maude nods. “He’s throwing a party next weekend and I get to take you.”

  “Really? That’s awesome! Tell us more. Is he handsome? Hair color? Eyes?”

  “Speaking about divine proportions… Forget Sam, forget Andreas, forget… forget Chaos. He’s tall, dark, and mysterious. I know, it sounds too good to be true, but this is real. Very real.”

  “Oh, wow,” Ava says. “Sounds like an amazing kisser.”

  Maude blushes. “I’ll let you know when I find out.”

  “Oh, you haven’t even made out yet? That’s doesn’t sound like you.”

  “We’re still in the initial phase. He took me out on a date twice, and he paid for everything. He hasn’t made any attempts to seduce me whatsoever, but he really only has eyes for me, while all the women are staring at him. He’s so mature, so masculine, and so completely different from what I’m used to. He’s charming, courteous… His sexiness is just so earthshattering, and he makes me feel like I’m very special.”

  “Oh my,” Ava utters under her breath, while she rests her head against the brick wall. “I want that too.”

  “Sounds like a one-of-a-kind guy.” I give Maude a fake smile. “Almost divine.”

  “Man. A one-of-a-kind man.”

  “How old is he?” Ava wants to know.

  “He just turned nineteen,” Maude says with pride. “And you should see him, at the restaurant they are all at his beck and call. He can bring a waiter to our table with nothing but a glance.”

  “Ava?” I say.

  “Hmm?” she asks, dreamily.

  I point at her mouth. “Your mouth is open.”

  “Actually, there’s one other thing,” Maude says.

  “Oh no, don’t say he’s married!” Ava blurts out.

  “No, silly. I wanted to tell you that he is high-class. So the dress code is classy, trendy… whatever you happen to have in your wardrobe.
” She gives my jeans and blazer a disapproving look. “You can get away with not wearing designer clothes, but a little quality is a must.”

  “This just keeps getting better and better,” Ava screams elated. “Oh, girls, we are going to be so hot and happening. I can’t wait. How about we meet again tonight? To try on some dresses?”

  “I can’t,” I say quickly. Thank God I already have an appointment. A girls’ night—with passionate love with the likely topic—is really more than I can handle right now. “I have plans.”

  “Hey, are you seeing someone too?” Ava looks at me, beaming. Her eyelids are blinking like crazy.

  “Yes, Etienne. We’re going to see that vampire movie.”

  “Oh, but isn’t he into guys?”

  “Yeah, he is, but that doesn’t stop him from watching a movie.”

  Ava chuckles. “Who knows, maybe we’ll meet someone on Saturday. Someone classy…”

  After my short afternoon shift at the hotel, I walk into the house to find myself something to eat, and I go upstairs to take a shower and put on something nice. Maude’s remark about my clothes hit a sore spot.

  After changing into the only dress I own, I head over to Renee’s room to ask her if she wants to come with me to the movies. Somehow, I feel a connection with her because of our contact with the two demigods—even though she doesn’t know anything about the whole deity thing. Still, I find it a striking coincidence that at a certain point of our lives, we both attracted the attention of a demigod. It almost makes me think that it is more than just coincidence.

  Her door is open. “Hey, you want to come to the movies with me and Etienne?”

  “No, I’m not really into that whole vampire-thing. I think vampires are overrated, but thanks anyway.”

  I chuckle. I couldn’t agree with her more.

  “Cute dress, by the way. It’s different.”

  “Yeah, it is. Oh, that reminds me, I’ve been invited to a party next week. Can I borrow one of your dresses? This is the only one I have.”

  “Knock yourself out. As long as you return it to my closet without wrinkles.”

  “Great. Maude got herself hooked up with a rich guy, so we’ll have to look all classy.”

  “Good for her. I bet she can’t wait to show him off.”

  I walk into the room. “Wasn’t she to be part of your clique in high school at one time?”

  “Yeah, before your time.”

  “What happened?”

  “She’s sneaky. I don’t understand why you still hang out with her.”

  “We barely see each other. I mostly see her when I hang out with Ava. Well, catch you later then. I’ll tell you all about the overrated but handsome vampires.”

  Etienne and I walk into the movie theater, and I shudder at the thought that just a few months ago, I walked in here with death personified.

  “Are you still seeing that cute guy?” Etienne asks out of the blue.

  “Nope.” Will he ever stop talking about it? I decide to end it once and for all. “We’re over.”

  “Too bad, I thought he was really pleasing to the eye. On the other hand, you never have a guy like that all to yourself. It’s a lot of hard work to keep him interested.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. What row are we sitting on?”

  “Row eight.”

  After the movie trailers are finished, the main movie starts. The sound is earsplittingly loud.

  Etienne sticks a ridiculously big bucket in front of my face. “Popcorn?”

  I take out a piece and put it in my mouth. Someone plops into the empty chair next to me. “We’re over?”

  I jerk my head sideways at the sound of the familiar hoarse voice. Sam is sitting next to me. He has pulled his beanie down over his forehead. It covers his ears, his neck and most of his dark eyebrows. His eyes are shining brightly.

  “Sam? W-what are you doing here,” I stutter.

  Sam looks straight at me. “I can’t get you out of my head.”

  I blink as we stare at each other in silence.

  Etienne leans forward. “Hi there,” he says to Sam with a broad smile.

  Sam smiles. “Hey.”

  “Liar,” Etienne whispers in my ear.

  Sam chuckles. “Your company has definitely improved.”

  I shake my head, full of disbelief. “I don’t get it.”

  “It’s not that difficult, Laurel.”

  “How did you know I was here anyway?”

  “I knew that you would be here tonight, on this row and in this chair before you even knew it yourself. So I booked the chair next to you.” He sends me a radiant smile, showing off all his perfect teeth.

  I gasp for air. “You… you had a vision about me?”

  “If you don’t want the whole room to know about that, you should keep your voice down.” He slides his arms out of his woolen coat and slumps into his chair. His divine scent reaches me. “Equinox. Okay, I can handle that,” he says. His left leg falls sideways and touches my knee.

  “I guess it’s not your genre?”

  “Not really.”

  “Let me guess, you’re more interested in the epic stories of Heracles and Achilles. How predictable.”

  He brings his head closer to me. “You prefer a vampire over a hero?”

  “I prefer the real deal, someone of flesh and blood,” I say before I can stop myself. I don’t know why I just said that. Actually, I do know. I am upset that he is playing with me like this. Upset that he comes looking for me whenever he feels like it. My feelings don’t matter to him.

  Sam shifts in his seat. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his left leg restlessly bouncing up and down. I think I hurt his pride.

  “I thought you had become a little bit more open-minded lately?” he whispers.

  “Please,” I whisper, “let’s just watch the movie.”

  “If you want me to leave, I’ll leave. All you have to do is say the word.”

  “Then could you be so kind to inform that bloodthirsty predator of yours that I’m not part of his pack?” I snap at him, much to my own surprise. “I prefer yogurt and fruit in the morning, not venison.”

  “What?” He sounds genuinely surprised.

  “You heard me, and earlier there was nothing wrong with your hearing either. This morning there was a chewed-up deer carcass on our doorstep, or at least part of a deer head.”

  Sam takes off his beanie and runs his fingers through his hair.

  “Martin was about to call the police to find out who had pulled such a sickening prank.” Sam suppresses a smile. “My entire family is upset, Sam. But I’m glad you’re amused.”

  “I’m not. I’m sorry. No wonder you’re mad. I’ll keep him inside at night for the time being.”

  For a moment I’m baffled. “He’s out loose at night?” In front of us, a lady turns around and shoots us an irritated look.

  “In the woods, Laurel, he roams the woods. He needs his freedom every now and then. It’s not like he leaves behind a trail of destruction in the shopping district. He just hasn’t seen you in a while and he wanted to share his prey with you. That’s all.” A mischievous smile appears on his ridiculously handsome face. “He even gave you the most nutritious part, he meant well.”

  “Really? Well, I that case, I’m flattered.”

  “Cranky?”

  “Well, if you don’t like it, you’re free to go. You come and go whenever it pleases you anyway. Don’t mind me.”

  I can feel a fight coming up. I can barely stand having him sit so close to me. Tonight, I am holding his pedigree against him. I try to pick up the storyline, but I am already too far behind.

  Etienne holds the bucket in front of my face and I pass it to Sam who declines. I give the bucket back to Etienne and I stare back up at the screen, where there is
some serious fighting, kissing, and biting going on in the dark—in no particular order. The struggle between human and vampire seems painfully familiar to me at times, and I drum my fingers on the armrest nervously.

  Suddenly, Sam catches my hand and puts it on his thigh. I can feel the heat burning through his jeans, and I immediately lose any interest in the movie. I am mesmerized—no longer by vampires, but by Sam’s hand on mine. My eyes wander further up his forearm with its fascinating veins that bulge when he tenses his arm as he softly squeezes my hand. I feel a prickling from the sudden skin contact. I try to start a conciliatory conversation.

  “How are you doing?”

  “Fantastic. Has Adrian tried to contact you lately?”

  “No.”

  He lifts his eyebrows. “Are you sure? He didn’t even eat at the restaurant?”

  “Not that I know of.” I think about it for a moment. “Maybe he has given up?”

  “No, he wants you.”

  I feel myself getting angry again. “You could be a little less direct.”

  He squeezes my hand again. “You know the deal. He won’t give up that easily.”

  I shake my head in confusion, and we stare at the screen for another few minutes. All this time, Sam keeps holding my hand and I look at his thumb rubbing the knuckles of my hand. It almost makes me cry. “Why does nothing ever happen between us?” There, I finally said it. His thumb stops moving, I feel him stiffening. “Never mind,” I say snidely and look away.

  “Hey, lady,” says the man in front of me, “can you tone it down a notch? We’re trying to watch a movie over here.”

  Shocked, I cover my mouth with my free hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry…” I say sincerely. At the same time, Sam is all up in my ear and a shiver goes through my body at the touch of his hot lips.

  “You know the answer to your own question, Laurel. We can try to meet once in a while—under my terms—or we can do nothing at all. I’m sorry if that’s not the way you like it, but it’s the way it is.”

  “I thought I would never see you again, Sam. And then, all of a sudden, you turn up and tell me you can’t get me out of your head. I don’t even know what that means. A vision? Are you here to check up on me, to see for yourself that I’m not here with Adrian?”