by Skyla Madi
“Where am I?” I asked, touching the tender lump on the back of my head.
“You’re in the teacher’s medical lounge; my uncle didn't want the other students to find out what happened. High School can be pretty brutal with gossip and things like that.”
Movement by the door caught my attention.
“Eli!” I called. “You’re okay!”
His lips curved into a smile.
“I have to go and meet uncle for breakfast now, but I’ll come see you later,” said Mila and off she skipped.
“How are you feeling?” Eli asked.
“I saw Hank last night and ’m still alive, so I'm feeling pretty good. How are you feeling?” I asked, pointing out the cut that ran across his left cheek.
Eli shrugged and smiled a soft smile, my heart fluttered. “I have been through worse.”
There was a silence that followed as we sat in thought.
“And Hank?”
Eli didn't make eye contact with me; instead, anger crossed his features.
“He got away. There were more vampires in the surrounding bushes. He ran at you and Tay blocked it. A vampire came out of nowhere and hit you on the head. He picked you off the ground and tried to run with you but Tay stopped him… Hank and a few others fled, and it was over,” he explained.
I sat absorbing all of Eli's information, it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but I was glad we were all okay. He sensed my unease and put his hand on mine.
“I won't let anything bad happen to you.”
We locked eyes; they were just as serious as his tone. He opened his mouth to say something but the door creaked and he let go of my hand as a tall elderly lady entered the room.
“How are you feeling, Miss Moore?” she asked.
Infatuated.
“I have a bit of a headache, but that's all.”
“Before you go, we have to do some tests to make sure you’re okay.”
The colourful numbers and strange splatter patterns the doctor showed me were simple. It was over as soon as it began.
“You might have a headache for a little while longer, but that’s all. You’re free to go.” Her voice was kind and cheerful.
“Are we going back to the cabin?” I asked Eli as we left the medical building and stepped out onto a concrete path.
“No. It’s not safe. I'm taking you to your dorm room.”
I stopped in my tracks.
“My dorm room?”
“Yes.”
“I can't go there; I'm not ready for school.”
“Sometimes life isn't fair,” he said flatly.
“Life isn't fair?” My voice kicked up a few decibels. “I have had my share of unfairness! Why can't something happen in my favour for once?”
“Ruby, some things in life don’t work out the way we want them to. At times, things seem unfair and you feel like there’s no way you can overcome them, but you can. Do you want to know what I think? I think we aren’t given problems we can’t overcome.”
“It’s not that simple,” I muttered.
“I know.”
His words were harsh to hear but he was right. I had to suck it up and push forward, besides it wasn’t like I had much of a choice anyway.
“Mila will keep supplying you with clothes and Lillian will bring your textbooks and class supplies to your dorm later,” he said as we started walking again.
It hadn’t crossed my mind how I had been getting the clothes, I thought the school was providing them. I must remember to thank Mila later. As we crossed a grassy field to get to the student campus, Eli stopped me.
“I almost forgot.”
He pulled a gold chain from his jacket. It was the small gold whistle he had given me earlier.
“I thought I lost it.”
He gestured with his finger to turn around. I pulled my long dark hair out of the way and he fastened it around my neck. I ran my fingers along the whistle; it was so shiny and gold. I rubbed my index finger along the smooth metal. It was completely smooth, except for a little engraving on the side that I hadn’t noticed before.
“Tua Custos Angelus; that’s Latin, what does it mean?”
“Your guardian angel.”
“So you're really going through with this? You don't have to be my guardian, you can still back out, you know.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
As we approached the female campus, I couldn't help but to notice how old this school was. All the buildings resembled fourteenth century castles but they were obviously maintained and modernized. They were fitted with windows and lighting and all the other things you would normally see in a school. When we entered the girl’s dormitory, it was quiet.
A small lady sat behind a desk. Her hair was white and bunched into short curls on top of her head.
“Is this the new student?” she called to Eli as we approached her desk.
“Yes. Ruby Moore.”
“Three zero eight.”
She handed Eli a key and we proceeded up a flight of stairs and down a corridor. My knees were shaky, my stomach full of butterflies, and my heart in my mouth, thumping to an irregular beat. I found myself silently praying for no one to exit their rooms.
“What is the time?” I asked Eli.
“Seven o'clock.”
“And what time is breakfast?”
“Eight o'clock.”
I looked down at my filthy, torn dress. I cringed; it was such a pretty dress and I did want to wear it again.
“Can we hurry this up? I don't want to be seen like I rummaged through a trashcan and fought a possum for scraps.”
“Don't worry, its right here. Room three zero eight.” He pointed it out and handed me a small silver key.
The door unlocked with ease. The room was nothing like the cabin; the window was dusty and the walls were an off white. It was very small and it smelt like old books.
“Don't forget breakfast is at eight,” Eli said, closing the door behind him.
I didn’t have time to fully appreciate the nonsensical size of my room. Breakfast was in an hour and I need to get out of this ruined dress. I ran to the nearest cupboard and wrapped my fingers around the handles. Please have fresh clothes, please have fresh clothes.
Yes! Fresh clothes!
I made another mental note to thank Mila when I saw her next. I picked out a pair of baggy black cargo pants and a sky blue tank top. I figured I wouldn’t stand out if I was dressed casually. I ran to the bathroom to shower. The shower in my dorm room was mediocre compared to the one I had in the cabin. When I emerged, I ran a brush through my wet, tangled hair, cringing as I ripped through big knots.
“Seven fifty,” I whispered to myself, putting my shoes on by the clock on my bedside table.
I had no idea where the common room was, and according to the map on the back of my door, it was halfway between the girls’ dorm and the boys’ dorm. I estimated that it was a two minute walk. I left my dorm room, and immediately two girls that were leaning against the wall of the corridor came over to me.
“Ruby?” the girl with the full head of brown curls asked.
“Yes?” Oh no. My heartbeat accelerated and my cheeks began heating up.
“I'm Sam and this is Cloud.” She pointed to her leggy blonde haired friend.
“Hi.”
“Would you like to sit with us at breakfast?” Sam asked.
“Um…” I hesitated, searching for an excuse. I didn’t have one. “Sure.”
At least I didn’t have to worry about getting lost now. We exited the girl’s dorms and the sun greeted me by kissing my skin. The sky was blue, the air was crisp, and the sun was shining gloriously.
“I take it you’re a goddess?”
I nodded.
“We are guardian angels in training,” Sam said.
It was something I had guessed already, their thick, fit bodies and height gave it away. The rest of the conversation was a blur; I wasn't paying attention at all. I was too busy thi
nking about breakfast and the classes that followed. I snapped back into focus as we reached the common room steps. Butterflies fluttered around my stomach and I felt like vomiting. The room was alive with chatter and gossip, boys mingled with girls, and Eli, Tay and other guardian angels, I assume, were sitting around big tables, chatting away. The teachers’ table was filled with older men and women; I wondered which ones would be teaching me. My eyes met Eli’s and he shot me a smile and a proud nod when he saw me with my new friends.
“Over here,” Cloud announced, tearing me from Eli’s gaze and pulling me over to a spare space at one of the long breakfast tables.
“I'm glad Sam and Cloud found you,” Mila said, joining us at the table.
“Yeah, me too…”
“Oh my god, so is Eli, like, your guardian?” Sam asked in a gossipy high school tone.
“Yes, he is.”
“That is so hot!” Cloud squealed.
“You’re so lucky.”
I looked around nervously but thankfully no one seemed to hear her. I really didn’t want attention on the first day.
“He’s so hot,” added Sam.
“Do you think he’s hot?”
God, yes.
“Um… I… he’s all right, I guess.”
Sam and Cloud looked at me like I was crazy. “Tay is cute, too.” Cloud giggled.
“Yeah, he’s good looking, too, but he doesn't compare to Eli De Luca,” Sam announced, dramatically placing the back of her hand on her forehead and pretending to faint.
I suppressed a laugh.
“When are you getting your bonding tattoo?” Cloud asked.
“Bonding tattoo?” I questioned.
They nodded.
“Oh, the tattoo…” I had forgotten about that. “I don't know.”
I jumped as a hand touched my shoulder, it was Eli.
“Gwydion would like to see us.”
I rose from my chair; we got a few stares from the surrounding students but no real attention, thank god.
“I didn't get to eat,” I complained as we exited out the door I came in.
“This won't take long; we can go get something to eat after.”
Like a date? "Okay." I replied, smiling at my inside joke.
No more words were spoken as we walked over to the teacher’s side of the campus. They didn’t have dorms; their accommodations were like mini houses scattered everywhere, their own little community. It seemed out of place in comparison to the very old architecture of the rest of the school.
“Sign this.” A man in the booth beside the gate extended a pen and paper towards me.
Without reading, I signed my name along the dotted line at the bottom.
“What was that for?” I asked Eli.
“Students aren’t allowed in this area, so on the rare occasion that one does come for reasons such as this, there is proof that it was strictly professional and that the student wasn’t pressured, etcetera.”
“So it’s protection against student-teacher relationships?”
“I guess so.”
“What about other parts of the school? There are plenty of places a student and a teacher can have an affair.”
“I never said the system was fail proof, but extra protection is worth it.”
The teachers ‘town’ was cute. I say town because I no longer felt like I was in the school. Small houses lined up each side of the streets, complete with mail boxes, street signs and telegraph poles.
We turned up a small street and approached a small brick house.
Eli raised his fist to knock on the door but Gwydion opened it before his hard knuckles touched the wood.
“Time for your tattoos.”
My Guardian Angel
Eli was first to get his tattoo. I was chewing my nails nervously, sitting on the other side of the room.
Gwydion approached me with a tiny vial in his hand, pulling a tiny scalpel from his pocket.
“I need your blood.”
I already knew he needed my blood; I just was trying to convince myself to go through with it. It had never been a goal of mine to tattoo my skin. Some call it art, I call it unnecessary pain. My pride nagged at me. I didn't want to look weak in front of Eli, so I held out my arm. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut but I didn't, for the same reason.
Eli gave me a reassuring smile as Gwydion sliced my hand and caught the blood drops in his vial. I became increasingly light-headed; it was either because I didn't have breakfast or I hadn’t seen my own blood in so long. Gwydion screwed the lid on the vial and pulled another out of his pocket. This one already had liquid in it; it was clear, and when he opened it, a petrol like scent filled the room. He poured it over my cut and it stung. I bit my lip in hopes to ease the pain. I forgot all about the stinging and watched in amazement as the cut started healing; it was magic.
The sudden hollow echo of knuckles rapping on the door demanded our attention. Eli rose from his chair as Gwydion opened the door, a deep mumble echoed throughout the room. The wizard stepped aside and in came a really tall, really tattooed man.
“Your Shar is here,” Gwydion announced.
Eli sat back down as the Shar walked straight over to Eli and unpacked a tattooing kit from his bag. Without a word he plugged it in, switched it on, and started tattooing Eli's left wrist.
According to Eli, a Shar is an angel who bonds Guardian Angels to their charges. This tall, fat, tattooed guy is a Shar? I pictured them… well, a girl, for one, and heavenly. The Shar cleared his throat disgustingly.
How charming. Eli smiled at me occasionally, probably because he saw the horrified look on my face. The tattoo gun was loud and shaky, making me change my mind about getting it done.
After an hour of watching Eli — he didn’t flinch once — it was my turn. The man covered Eli's wrist in a bandage and called me over. Uneasily, I got out of my chair and took Eli's place by the Shar. Eli eyes settled on me as Gwydion cut him, collecting his blood in a vial. I tried hard to focus on the bare room around me as the Shar prepared a new needle. Gwydion brought Eli’s blood over and the guy started the tattoo machine. Once the machine started, I no longer cared about looking ‘tough’ in front of Eli. I squeezed my eyes shut as the needle came closer to my skin and my body began to shake in fear. Why did these machines have to sound so scary?
I opened my eyes slowly and Eli was chuckling at me. My body ceased shaking, the pain from the tattoo gun wasn't nearly as bad as being sliced with a scalpel, but it still wasn't pleasant.
Within an hour it was done; a little black feather that tinged red in the light adorned my wrist. I loved it.
“Now to bond you,” said the Shar. He gestured for me to stand up and for Eli to come over. “Grab her hand.”
Eli extended his left hand and I took it with my right. His touch was electrifying; we locked eyes. He felt it, too.
The Shar chanted and hummed for a few minutes but I didn’t feel any different.
“We’re done.” The tattooed man packed up all his things and left in a hurry.
“Well he wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“Let me guess, more stereotypes?” Eli chuckled.
The beginning of a laugh escaped my lips but I supressed the rest. Gwydion seemed uncomfortable with our personal jokes.
When I had first arrived at SS, I was still a vampire and prior to that, I lived among humans, therefore, I’d had no encounters with guardian angels and Shars. I only went off what brief stories mum had told me. The rest I had to imagine for myself. Apparently going off angel cartoons and movies was inaccurate.
We thanked Gwydion and headed outside. Eli was walking me towards a car park.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I promised you food, hop in.” He pointed to a black SUV.
“Nice car.”
Eli’s eyes lit up. “It’s an Audi Q5.”
Oh, Boys and their toys. I didn't ask any more questions, car talk was difficult for me. It wasn’t the fact that i
t was boring, I just have a hard time following. I jumped into the passenger seat. The car was very nice; it had cream leather seats and a small seven inch screen that was built into the centre console.
“We’re going to a small bakery in Sage town down the road from here.”
I was happy that Eli and I were going to be spending a little time alone together. There were a few things I wanted to talk to him about.
We pulled up at the bakery. Eli wasn't exaggerating when he said the bakery was small. I chose a blueberry muffin and strawberry milk. Eli had a sausage roll and caramel latte.
“So you teach them how to fight?” I asked, eating the last bite of my blueberry muffin. We were discussing student guardian angels and his teaching skills.
“Yes.”
“Are they any good?”
“They are exceptionally good.”
“Meanwhile, I'm stuck studying leaves and moving bodies of water.” I sighed.
“That’s just as important, if not more.”
“I just feel like I'm useless.”
“Useless? You saved our lives last night. There was no way we would have survived without you. There were too many of them; we would have been slaughtered.”
That was true. Tying up the vampires’ feet had immobilized them so Tay could stake them but I still felt useless.
“About last night…” I started.
Eli's eyes darkened and narrowed in on me.
“Your dad was murdered by vampires?”
He glanced down at his coffee.
“Yes… Michelangelo was my father. He was guarding your mother the night her cabin was attacked. He helped her escape but he was taken by them.”
Guilt struck my chest and I suddenly felt bad for bringing it up.
“And that's why I had to help you and guard you. It’s what my father would have wanted.”
“What do you want?”
“That doesn't matter in my world.”
“Let’s pretend for a second that it does matter. What do you want?”
Eli paused in thought and took the last sip of his coffee. "Let's go."
I sighed loudly. For a moment Eli looked like he was going to tell me everything but he didn't.