House of Guardians

by Beatrice Sand

  We are boating through countless tiny uninhabited islands and the views are breathtaking despite the misty haze of rain. I lean forward and look at the orcas that keep jumping out of the water and swim alongside the boat. I feel the cold splashes on my face and I laugh.

  “I’m going to miss that laugh.” The hoarse sound of the voice makes my eyelids prickle. Sam pulls me into his arms. “Hey, beautiful,” he whispers.

  “Sam.” He is wearing a quilted jacket and a beanie. I inhale his scent. “Where have you been?”

  “On this side of the island for a while,” he says softly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.”

  “Olivia explained. What did you do? I don’t want to have to leave my family.”

  “I know.” He presses a long kiss to my forehead. “I promised you a solution, Laurel. I found one. It’s not as bad as you think.”

  “A new life without you, without family… I can’t live like that, Sam.”

  He gives me a gentle shake. “Yes, you can. You don’t have to give up your family, but you can’t visit them until you’re twenty.”

  The words hit my face just as hard the waves are hitting the boat.

  “Did Olivia tell you where we are?”

  I push myself out of his arms and wipe my nose. “On forbidden territory. I know what you guys are planning and I am not cooperating. I want to go home. Take me home, Sam.”

  Sam’s mouth forms a thin line. “I will, but first I want to introduce you to someone.”

  “I don’t want to be introduced to anyone, I want to go home,” I repeat.

  “Laurel, don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

  The sound of his voice tells me that this is as hard on him as it is on me, and under light pressure I let him take me to the quarterdeck.

  Olivia is talking to a guy who is at least four inches taller than she is. And she is tall.

  As soon as we approach them, he turns around. The intensity in his stare makes me swallow. Dangerous? Without a doubt. There’s definitely something transcendent about him, but that’s only visible to the expert eye—something I consider myself to have these days. Am I looking at a dreaded Titan?

  Sam takes my hand and I squeeze it hard. I shift my attention to the water, not bearing to keep looking into those striking steel-gray eyes, but even without seeing them I can feel their power. If I were to stretch out my hand, I’m certain I would be able to feel the energy surrounding him.

  “Hello, Laurel. It’s good to see you again.”

  I stiffen instantly and shift my gaze back. Dark curls frame his face. He doesn’t look familiar. A distinct face like that I would have definitely remembered.

  “Laurel, this is Alexsander,” Sam introduces us.

  “Sander,” the tall guy corrects.

  And right then I have the undivided attention of two devastatingly beautiful guys on a boat surrounded by nothing but water and fjords to emphasize the mystical atmosphere. One takes me in with his usual melancholic and overly intense countenance, the other with a mixture of amusement and curiosity, as though I am the one from a different stratosphere.

  They just keep looking at me as though they’re waiting for something. Am I supposed to say something? Then it hits me and in shock I turn to Sam. I get up on tiptoe. “This is the guy from the skiing trip,” I whisper in Sam’s ear. “He is dangerous, right? You said so yourself.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sander smile and I realize that whispering is also futile in his proximity. It frightens me and it makes me super nervous.

  “It’s okay, you can trust him.”

  Suspicious, I look at Sam. “And why would I want to do that?”

  “Because he is going to protect you.”

  “What? No… no, you can’t leave me here,” I call desperately.

  “Laurel, listen, this is the only place where Adrian will never go—the only place where he can be stopped if he tries.”

  “Don’t send me here, Sam,” I say in a low, earnest voice. “I’ll stay away from you. Order me to do anything… I’ll do everything you ask me from now on.”

  Sam takes a step closer. “Laurel, it’s not about whether or not you listen to me anymore. I can’t protect you anymore, and without protection Adrian will come for you. You don’t have a choice, I’m sorry.”

  I pull my head back so I can get a better view of his face. “You’re sorry? That’s all you have to say?”

  “Give the guys a chance to explain, Laurel,” I hear Olivia say.

  “Why would I? I’m not going. Not here, anyway.”

  “Laurel,” Sander says, “you really don’t…”

  “Stop saying my name as if you know me,” I say belligerently. “Stay the hell away from me.”

  “Laurel,” Sam says patiently, “he has your best interest at heart.”

  “Really?” I look from Sam to Sander, from the intensely brown eyes to the intensely gray eyes. “Both of you must feel so exalted above everyone else that you think you get to decide the fate of a human life. Well, unfortunately for you, not mine, so pick someone else. From now on, I am the one in charge of my life. You may possess all kinds of abilities to make people do as you please, but we mere mortals still have our own free will and I won’t let either of you lock me up in the wilderness.” Angrily, I stare them both in the eye. “I have a life, it’s mine and I get to decide what to do with it.”

  It’s silent for a while, but I’m afraid all of them can hear my heart pounding in my chest.

  “Yes, you have your own will,” Sander says finally. “We can’t force you to listen to us, but if you don’t and you go your own way, Adrian will be able to hunt you down anywhere and seal your fate during your nineteenth year. And I assure you, there’s nothing your own free will can do to prevent that from happening.”

  I shiver at the thought of Adrian impregnating me. “And why won’t he dare to chase me here if he’s so determined?”

  “His powers don’t work on this side of the island. Our powers don’t work on the Olympian side. We don’t want to accidently bump into each other, because that means someone has to die and then all hell breaks loose. That’s why there’s a set of unwritten rules to never cross the border.”

  I shake my head. “Then why are Olivia and Sam still alive? They crossed that border, didn’t they?”

  Sam smiles.

  “Because they’re both under my protection right now. Sampson and I have met clandestinely over the past couple of days. He offered me something that guaranteed his safety.”

  “And why would you want to protect me? What’s in it for you?” I ask the tall figure in front of me as the boat bobs up and down. A freezing downpour chastises my face. “What did Sam offer you?”

  “You. He offered you. That’s what’s in it for me.”

  I glance at Sam. I can’t make out the expression on his face.

  “You’re part of a bigger plan that will endanger humanity,” Sander goes on. “Adrian’s and your child will bring the Olympians the last bit of power they need to be able to rule the world.”

  “Don’t say it like that!” I growl in a low voice. “I don’t have a child with Adrian nor will I ever.”

  “Good. And I’m going to help you with that. You can count on our protection.”

  “Our?”

  “The Titans.”

  “And the Titans don’t want to rule the world?”

  There is a brief silence, but then Olivia starts talking. “Our families have been fighting for thousands of years. We are a new generation, but we are burdened with the problems of the past and we can’t solve them overnight.”

  “What problems?” If I am seriously thinking of crossing this border, then I want to make sure I have all the facts.

  “We are certain the Titans want to exterminate us in order to rule th
e world. The Titans are absolutely sure that’s our goal.”

  I roll my eyes and look at Sander. “Do your people want to exterminate the Olympians?” Sander just nods. I look at Olivia. “Do the Olympians want to exterminate the Titans?”

  Olivia nods too. Sam is just staring to the ground, scowling.

  “Laurel,” Sander says, “whatever our differences, we agree on one thing and that is your safety. What the Olympians want to do to you is wrong. Sampson might have a different reason than me, but it comes down to the same: you can’t fall into the hands of Adrian, and if and when you decide to come to us, you can be assured that your safety is our number one priority.”

  “Did you know all about this when you approached me during skiing?”

  “Yes. I was informed before Sampson was. I tried to contact you, but that turned out a little clumsy, mainly because you had five Olympians hanging around you. I shouldn’t have scared you like that.” Sander smiles “And I had no idea that you had trouble following orders.”

  I refuse to smile back. I just can’t believe that I have been the topic of conversation between these two guys—because of a pregnancy. It’s embarrassing.

  “So I am safe with the Titans, even though you want to slaughter the Olympians?”

  He stifles a smile. “Without a doubt. Protecting is our task, it’s what I was raised to do. I’m just like Sampson, our fathers are even related, we’re just on opposite sides.”

  “Do you also have the ability to predict?”

  “I would’ve gladly made a sacrifice for it, but unfortunately, I don’t.”

  I look at the fjords surrounding us. “And where do I have to live?”

  “You would like it on this side. There are stores, galleries, nightlife and even a university.”

  “Don’t count on it.”

  “To answer your question, you’ll live in my house.”

  I raise an eyebrow.

  “With roommates,” he quickly adds. “Look at it as a dorm. Everyone goes to college and based on Sam’s recommendations I already enrolled you as an English literature major.”

  “English literature…” I look at Sam. “My father and Mia will be delighted. What were you thinking, Wuthering Heights is her favorite book, she’ll want to devote a four year major to that?” I look from the Olympian to the Titan and back. “Is there anything else you have decided for me? Can I just keep my own identity or do I have to turn in my passport at that absurd imaginary border you people have drawn up for yourselves?”

  “Laurel,” Sam says, “before you get upset, it’s just a course. More like a credibility registration to make it plausible for all parties involved. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want, everything will be taken care of for you.”

  “Wow. Well, I guess that’s it then.” I suppress my fury and return my focus to the Titan. “A dorm with mortal students?”

  The Titan smiles a smile that is not unpleasant. “At least for the time being.”

  Despite it all, I smile back. So this is the guy that will take Sam’s place—that is, in the protection department. I don’t have any more questions. These two men have outlined my future for me. “I think I would like to go home now. I’ve got some packing to do.”

  “We’ll dock soon,” Sander says, turning to Sam.

  “If there are any complications, you can call Olivia,” Sam tells him. “You have her number.”

  Sander nods. “I think I’ll manage without her help, but I appreciate the offer.”

  “Of course,” Sam says. “I wouldn’t trust her with anyone else. Thank you, Alexsander.”

  “You made the right choice by coming to us.” He stretches his hand out and Sam shakes it.

  Even though they have pissed me off by making decisions about my life behind my back, I feel a lump in my throat at the sight of those tough demigods who both went out of their comfort zone just to be able to protect me.

  All of a sudden, Sander is standing right in front of me and I blink. “I’ll see you soon, Laurel. Take care.”

  “I’ll walk downstairs with you,” Olivia says to him.

  I look at Sam, who is looking at me, and I wonder what more we could possibly have left to say to each other. He just handed me over to his biggest enemy. It feels like this was nothing but a clandestine business transaction, an illegal undertaking between two rivals.

  “Laurel, talk to me.”

  “Now you want to talk to me? Afterwards, when it’s all said and done. Why, isn’t it all set in stone? What does it matter what I have to say? What I think?”

  “It matters to me what you’re thinking.”

  “You know how I feel about this, Sam. But don’t worry; I’ll give up my entire life to move in with your enemy. No matter which side I choose to live on, I don’t have any say over my own life anymore.” I want to walk past him, but he catches me by my elbow. “Do you want to talk, Sam?” I ask snappish. “Then why don’t you go talk to Philene? Maybe you can start falling in love. I’m sure she’ll welcome you with open arms.”

  Sam abruptly lets go of my arm. “Do you have any idea how much you hurt me by saying that?”

  “And do you have any idea how much you hurt me by handing me over to your archenemy? The only difference between you and me is that in two days you won’t care anymore. Lucky you. That means that you got the better end of this deal and I got…”

  “Stop it!” Sam shouts, his expression dark. “Against my will, I will have to share my life with a woman I never even wanted. There are several reasons for that, but one of them is that I struggle with her character. She’s vicious. But it suits her, it doesn’t suit you.”

  Blinking, I look at the gorgeous wrestler in front of me. “You just handed me over to someone against my will. Someone you hate with everything in you. A few days ago, you told me you would never let me go, and now you even take me away from my family, now that I was finally starting to bond with Renee, and the only thing you have to say to me is that you’re sorry and that I have no other choice. You are so cold, so… unaffected.”

  “I hate myself for taking you away from your family.” He utters a short, dry laugh. The rain is dripping from his nose. “And you’re right, it’s just a matter of time before I won’t give a damn about you anymore.”

  “Sam, I mea…’

  “Do you remember that night when you were singing with your friends? God, I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. That’s when it hit me that I wanted more from you. That I wanted to be with you more than just to protect you.”

  “Then why did you walk away?”

  “Because those feelings weren’t allowed, Laurel! I could no longer sit there and watch you without feeling the pain of knowing that it could never be more. And I treated you so badly that last night, but I couldn’t lose myself in you, because it would ruin us both. And here we are. They got me on my knees with a sentence that will forever keep us apart, and there’s nothing I can do about it. This is my world, Laurel, believe me, it’s going to happen, and before you know you will be trapped in Adrian’s claws.” He shakes his head. “I don’t have any other choice but to have you live with the Titans, now that I still care. Yes, I hate his very guts. But only with him can I be sure that you’ll be safe.”

  Sam gets closer and towers over me. “Unaffected, you said? That a damn Titan will have to care for you because I’m failing, to see you talk to him, to see you two smile at each other…” He pulls me up to my toes and kisses me. It’s a cruel kiss. Full of anger. He drags his mouth from mine. “I could cry right now. There you have it, I said it. Is that enough emotion for you, Laurel?”

  Dazed from his brutal kiss, I look up at him. What am I doing? Do I want to bring this strong force of nature to his knees like the Keepers did and see him cry because of me? I had no idea that my words could have that kind of impact on him. “I shouldn’t have said
that,” I say rigidly. Sam’s hands are still around my waist and he continues to hold me, a bit helplessly.

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” he mumbles.

  With a clumsy bump, the boat hits the quay. Sam pushes a wet strand of hair under my beanie. “Come on, let’s get you home,” he says softly. “I’ll tell you everything on the way.”

  39

  laurel

  Numb, I gaze across the water and shiver at the sight of the black mountaintops. I simply can’t believe the dramatic turn my life has taken. And sometime next week, it will all come to an end, at least the life I know, the one I’m used to. I haven’t even made an effort to remember the exact day, I don’t care, I can’t stop it anyway.

  Once again, I will have to start grieving, and I’m already in the first phase of the all-consuming fear of what is about to happen. Then, followed by the despair, there will be sorrow and pain, and finally the emptiness knowing that he will never be there for me again. He runs through my veins, and now I will have to let him go, because his love for me will be erased completely. Starting tomorrow, I won’t matter to him. Starting tomorrow, he belongs to someone else…

  I exhale as I hide my face inside my scarf. The landscape is covered by thick fog and a stormy wind is blowing. I know I need to start packing, but instead of going home, I walk up the jetty and end up by the railing were a shore bird bravely persists against the wind. I gaze at the beautiful blue bird realizing that I am not brave at all. Dozens of questions are tumbling around in my head. Where is he? Will he find me and say goodbye? And what if he doesn’t have any more visions? I guess it doesn’t matter to him anymore, since we only have a few hours left.

  When I hear footsteps, I turn my head. I can’t see anything through the fog, but the heavy pounding of my heart and the wood moving beneath me tell me it’s him. His heavy steps are making the jetty rumble.

  As usual, being confronted with him leaves me breathless. And that’s what they are—confrontations. Some are calm and gentle, others cold and raw to the bone. And every single time, there is that little jolt that tells me he’s different. So heartbreakingly beautiful, so powerful, and so in the prime of his life. Of his probably infinite life.