by Salem Cross
“If I am truly being honest,” Zara hedged with a thoughtful frown. “After I saw you in that surveillance video, I felt this… this overwhelming need to find you. I do not fully understand why but… I think it has something to do with fate. I think I was meant to be here to help you with this. I know that probably sounds strange.”
I laughed.
“Trust me, hearing that fate may have brought us together is the least strange thing I have heard since meeting Guardians.”
Zara grinned and said, “Good, I am glad that did not scare you. I will let you get some sleep. We will talk tomorrow. Goodnight, Mae.”
She turned and walked off. I watched her until she disappeared down the stairs. I went back inside my bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. It made me feel a little better knowing that at least Zara did not see me as a monster. But how could I not be? She may not think I killed that man outside but I had. Inadvertently, I had killed all four park rangers.
Whatever happened here within the next month and a half, hopefully, we could stop it. After that... I needed to find a way to make sure that no one else’s blood would be on my hands.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mae
Five days had passed since Thomas had shown up. If I had thought tempers would cool or that the others would begin to trust me by now, I was sorely mistaken. If anything, as time passed, they hated me more. I didn’t blame them. After everyone had heard about the park ranger, they believed I could manipulate their thoughts. If the situation weren’t so serious, I would have laughed at them. While I didn’t have that ability, Guardians certainly did. When I brought that little fact to light after a snide remark made by Camille, it only infuriated the Guardians even more.
Despite the constant jabs and snide remarks, I tried hard to find common ground with these new Guardians. I attempted to strike up conversations. I listened when they shared stories about their lives with one another. When I tried to participate in the lighter conversations, I was either ignored or harassed. Trying to befriend people who hated me felt like a losing battle, but I refused to stop trying.
During the day, everyone was gone, so having to worry about what I said or did was only limited to the mornings and at nights when everyone returned. After what I had done to the park rangers, I resigned myself to stay behind. I didn’t need anyone else to get hurt because of me.
In the mornings, before he left, Rylan and I trained together. Now that I knew how hard I needed to focus, mixed with my meditation, I found it was easier to call my power to me and use it. By the fifth morning, I was able to keep Rylan an arm’s distance away from me the entire training session. I was even able to control where my lightning struck.
Well, most of the time.
On that particular night I waited on the back deck for Rylan to arrive. The clouds overhead were dark, and the air was thick with the promise of rain. I stared up at them as I lounged in one of the wicker loveseats. The silence in the woods surrounding the house was eerie. The animals knew a storm was brewing, and they had taken shelter. Soon, I would have to move inside, but until I felt a cool drop of rain I would remain outside.
Nikolas and his group of “I hate Mae supporters” had arrived home first tonight. After attempting to talk with Devon and Camille about their day, I had given up and headed out here. I had been out here for an hour and hadn’t been bothered by anyone. The solitude was enjoyable. It was cool enough now that the mosquitoes had died off for the season, leaving me to enjoy the fall weather in peace. Somewhere off in the distance, thunder rolled. It was a soft warning of what was to come. I smiled. I loved storms.
Something moved in the clouds, drawing my attention directly above me. I yelped in surprise and rolled off the couch just as a massive stone fell from the heavens. With a loud bang and the cracking of wicker, the massive boulder destroyed the very seat I had been lounging in. What the hell? I scrambled to my feet. Just as I turned to look upwards, something hard hit me from the side.
It was like getting hit with a body-size sledge hammer. Every bone in my body screamed in agony as I was thrown across the deck and pinned down by something heavy. My eyes flew open to see a creature so strange I could hardly process what I was seeing. It had a face like a medieval version of a demon. It’s bottom canines protruded from its mouth, and it had a wide, flat nose with smoke billowing from its nostrils. Its body, which was pinning me to the deck, was strangely human; though the thick tail with a spiked ball at the end that swung around wildly behind it was certainly not. The wings that spanned from its back were large and bat-like.
The most terrifying part about this creature was that it was made from stone.
Before I could fully comprehend that what I was seeing was real, the creature raised its fist. I screamed in terror, knowing that if that thing hit me, it would be over, fast. My power surged forward. I grabbed control. Energy sizzled and from my chest a bolt of lightning shot upwards, shooting through the stone creature. It exploded into a fine dust.
I rolled onto my stomach. I tried to get to my feet, only to find that my body wouldn’t cooperate. I fell to my knees, still reeling from the pain of being hit with a statue. A shriek that sounded like a drowning eagle alerted me to incoming danger. I looked up then dove out of the way as another stone monster tried to grab for me.
A burst of adrenaline helped me get to my feet. I rushed for the sliding glass door. A cold stone hand grabbed me from behind by the neck. It yanked me back and threw me across the deck. I slammed into the railing and shuddered under the impact.
I threw up my hands and blasted the creature backward with my power. It stumbled backward only to take to the sky and disappear in the dark clouds.
“Help!” Rylan! I screamed as I got to my feet and ran to the door.
Before I made it halfway across the deck, the floor under my feet exploded. I fell to the side as another stone creature emerged. Its large jaws opened and closed like a snapping turtle’s. It lunged and grabbed me. Trying to break the hold of this mobile statue was futile. The monster flew across the deck and tossed me over. I screamed as I plummeted to the ground.
Just as I was sure I was about to splatter, a pair of strong, warm arms caught me. Instinctively, I threw my arms around Samson’s neck as he took to the sky with me in his arms. Multiple screeches rang through the air as thunder rolled. I stared up at the sky and gasped as over a dozen stone monsters began to descend from their hiding place within the clouds. They flew in an oddly synchronized spiral around us, getting dangerously close as they closed in on us.
One of them broke rank and shot towards us. Samson stopped flying, bringing his wings close to his body, and we dropped from the sky. The creature missed as it flew by us. Samson’s black wings opened back up, and we shot towards the house. Above us, four creatures dropped from their formation to charge after us. Just as the nearest one reached for Samson, something streaked by us and hit the creature so hard it broke into large pieces and fell from the sky.
I watched in awe as Devon twisted around to face the next descending creature opening its wide jaws. As Devon went in for his attack, Jasmine came up beside Samson and fended off an oncoming stone creature approaching us from the right. From under us, a creature grabbed Samson by the ankle and yanked him downwards. I clung to Rylan’s father as he was pulled from the sky. Another creature slammed into us from above, and we toppled downwards.
Samson somehow managed to kick off the creature holding on to his ankle while he used his wings to knock off the creature from his back. When we hit the ground, he landed on his feet in a crouch.
My voice came out shaky. “Thanks.”
We both looked up and stared at the stone creatures circling above us. Where had these other ones come from? There had to be over fifty of them. But we weren’t alone anymore. Every Guardian had arrived and come ready for battle. What a sight to be seen. The clang of weapons, roars of anger, and shrieks of protest rang out above us as Guardians and creatures collided.
&nbs
p; “What are—,” I stopped as I watched the sudden change in the clouds above us.
Lightning lit up the dark clouds, beginning to churn wildly as they changed from gray to deep red. Next to us, Rylan landed, his face a mask of fury. Samson placed me on my feet, and I threw my arms around my mate, relieved to see him. Rylan pulled me against his chest and kissed the top of my head.
Our reunion didn’t last long. Rylan whirled us both out of the way as a massive rock slammed into the ground right where we had been standing. Above us, half a dozen creatures came barreling towards us. I felt Rylan’s muscle tense just before we were airborne. He raced up to meet the monsters head-on. They converged on us. When they were just about an arm’s length away, Rylan veered to the left. At the same time, I threw my hands out in front of me, and my power rippled from my fingertips. The creatures were thrown backward, and lightning rippled up from the ground into the small group of monsters. Some turned to dust while others just fragmented into pieces that fell to the earth.
Thunder roared. It was so loud that the air felt like it vibrated. Nikolas and Ashe shot past as several monsters trailed behind us. Rylan weaved expertly through the danger, trying to get me away from the battle. But the creatures seemed to know Rylan’s plan and intercepted every attempt to get away. I threw my hands up and protected us with blasts of power and bolts of lightning as Rylan maneuvered around the danger. No matter how hard we tried to escape, they just kept coming.
Gabriel dropped from the sky and slammed into a creature that approached us on our right. As Rylan twisted out of the way a scream of agony cut through the sounds of battle. I looked up and watched Camille as she spiraled out of control towards the ground. Diane caught the falling Guardian and whisked her away. Two more screams of pain followed Camille’s, and I searched the sky to see Gabriel grab Devon as he toppled out of the air. Nikolas shot forward and caught Zara as she fell.
I looked up to see what was attacking the Guardians from above. Red snow began to fall from the dark clouds. As it landed on the stone monsters, the creatures began to sizzle and disintegrate. Ashe was in the midst of a fight with three of them and didn’t see the threat coming from up above. When the red snowflakes touched the Guardian, I watched as his whole body flinched violently. Ashe didn’t cry out, but his attacks faltered. The monsters around him screamed, but continued their fight despite disintegrating right before our eyes.
“It is acid snow!” Jasmine roared her warning to the others. Her voice carried through the night like a siren. “Do not let it touch you!”
Rylan headed towards the house, but as the first red flakes landed on the roof and deck, the building began to sizzle and catch fire. He changed direction only to be blocked by eight of the stone creatures. Some were already crumbling apart as the red snow landed on their bodies. Rylan gave them a warning snarl as they descended upon us. At the same time, red snowflakes began to land on us. I watched in horror as red snow melted on Rylan’s bare shoulder and it began to eat away at his skin. Several snowflakes settled on my arms. I bit back a scream as my skin sizzled away.
Diane, Nikolas, and Samson flew between us and the monsters and ran defense as they attacked us. Around us, more cries of pain rang out, but the battle didn’t seem to be slowing down. Rylan landed under nearby trees to protect us from the elements. Unfortunately, the snow ate through the leaves and branches. He placed me on my feet and used his wings to cover us both as the red snowflakes began to fall harder. As he shielded me, his body twitched in pain.
We were in trouble. I had to do something before someone got killed. This red snow was going to eat away at all the Guardians. The monsters moved too fast for me to try to strike them all with lightning and blasting them backwards only slowed down their attack. I couldn’t do anything about them, but maybe I could do something about the snow. With a deep breath, I drew my power inwards. If I could blast the clouds above us away, maybe I could at least remove the environmental threat.
“Rylan step back,” I told him as I let my power build.
“No,” he growled.
“Rylan, trust me,” I growled back as the pressure under my skin intensified. “Back up and warn the others to brace themselves.”
Rylan snarled his displeasure, but he let his wings drop and he took a half step back to give me some room. Not waiting another second, I lifted my hands and let my power shoot outwards. The blast of energy rocked the earth beneath me and threw everything in the air upwards. Rylan must have sent out his warning because the Guardians immediately got out of the way while the monsters and the acid snow were both hit.
The creatures scattered, but they were not my concern. I shoved my power harder upwards into the cloud. My heart was beating rapidly, my skin felt like it was on fire, and my vision blurred. I pushed until I knew that if I kept pushing, I would collapse. So instead of forcing the cloud upwards, I held up a makeshift barrier my energy had created between the clouds and the rest of us hoping that would give the Guardians some coverage. It worked. Instead of floating down to the ground, the red snow began to collect on top of my energy shield.
The stone monsters shrieked their anger. As if they knew I was the one stopping the snow from falling, they all turned their attention to me. Immediately, they swarmed downwards towards me and Rylan. I gritted my teeth and tensed as the creatures attacked. Rylan moved to stand in front of me, his sword drawn and ready.
Suddenly, a wall of Guardians blocked the incoming monsters. Every single warrior came to our rescue. The Guardians and monsters collided. The sound of battle, only a few feet above us, was deafening. Large stoney pieces of monsters crashed down around us. Rylan ran defense, deflecting anything that could hit me as I continued to hold back the acid.
I could feel the red snow burning my barrier, trying to eat its way through it. As the layer of red snow began to build, my shield grew heavier. It was taking a lot of energy to maintain the shield and to hold it in place. I wasn’t sure how long either the shield or myself would last. If I didn’t do something soon, my barrier would collapse and all that acid snow would fall like bricks to the ground and eat away at all of us in seconds.
I closed my eyes and let the sounds around me fall away just like I did when I meditated. I slowed my breathing and focused on the barrier above us. A faint smell of smoke wafted through the air momentarily distracting me. With a great deal of effort, I forced myself not to open my eyes to watch the flames engulfing the house.
Instead, I struggled to find my connection with my own fire within me. For the past five days, I had been able to gain a tiny amount of control over my power. I could fend off Rylan’s attacks with a blast of energy, and I found that I could summon my violet lightning at will. While I still struggled to have it erupt where I wanted it to, just the fact that I could call upon it was a feat within itself. But during my training, I had yet to figure out how to summon my flames without everything going to hell in a handbasket.
But I needed it, like now. This wasn’t a training session. This was life and death and not just my own. If this barrier fell, we’d all be in trouble. So, I focused. I listened to my internal workings, searching for some connection that would allow me to harness the flames. I could do this. I just had to figure how.
Power wove through my body. I filtered through it, searching for that connection I needed to the fire that would help us. In that moment, I wasn’t afraid of what was inside of me. This power wasn’t my enemy. It was a tool to help me fight against a true foe. If I could just figure this out, I knew it would bring me to a whole new level of control. I would be able to do anything.
It was then that I realized that whoever was behind this attack against us saw me as a threat. They knew what I had been uncertain about this whole time: I could stop them. All I needed was to get a grip on the power rushing through me. And I could do that. I’d stop this attack, and then I’d come after them.
The sudden boost of confidence strengthened my resolve. At the same time, I found the piece of the
puzzle I had been looking for: the link to my fire. I grabbed at the sudden ability and forced it through my hands upwards. My eyes flew open. Above us I watched as violet flames burned along the surface of my energy shield. The red snow sputtered and cackled like gunpowder, creating a dangerous light show above us.
As the last of the red snow disappeared from the top of the barrier, I pushed the flames higher. The dark clouds began to evaporate. Thunder boomed and red lightning lit up the sky. I pushed my power up higher and harder until the clouds above us vanished and only the stars and waning moon were left. The moment the danger from the clouds was gone my strength vanished.
My legs gave out from under me, and I collapsed. Exhaustion clung heavily to me. My breathing came in gasps, and my body shook from fatigue. Lying on my back to stare up above me I watched as the Guardians took down the stone monsters one by one. A few that made it to the ground faced off with Rylan, who was making quick work of them. I watched as his sword cut through stone. One of the creatures met its fate as Rylan beheaded it. The head fell and rolled towards me, stopping just a foot away from my face. I turned and stared at it.
My gut twisted as I realized the creature looked familiar. I had seen this thing before. But where?
The sound of battle around me began to die down until finally, it was silent. Several Guardians landed nearby while the rest of them flew off. Voices took the place of the sound of fighting. Suddenly Rylan stood above me. Weakly, I raised a hand, and he helped me to my feet. Unfortunately, my legs weren’t ready to hold me up, and immediately gave out. Rylan scooped me up in his arms.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
As he spoke, I could feel him pulling my power from all around and redirecting it back into me. Instantly, I felt less tired, though I was beginning to feel aches and pains that I hadn’t felt earlier.
“I’m fine.” I dismissed his question with a shake of my head. “What about you? How’s everyone else?”