The Guardian

by Quinn Arthurs

  "You drained them." Reed inspected the stones but didn’t reach out to touch them. "Have you always preferred crystals?"

  "I guess so." I couldn't tear my eyes away from the crumbling stones. Seeing physical evidence of my magic affecting nature was an odd, not necessarily pleasant, sensation. "I always thought they were the most fun when I was a kid. They were pretty." I shrugged, embarrassed at the childish admission.

  "You shouldn't have attacked a Guardian," Terran scolded. "He could have hurt you."

  "Which is exactly why I did attack him," I pointed out. "He had already hurt River and was threatening to hurt me. Why should I have just stood around and waited for that?"

  A swirl of air washed over me, and I groaned when Onyx joined the group. He ignored me pointedly, focusing instead on Terran and Reed as though I didn't exist. "I ran into Birch on my way to find you." His mouth quirked up in a slight smirk. "The asshole looked a little under the weather." I considered Onyx for a minute, surprised that he recognized that Birch was an asshole. Usually one conceited jerk didn't recognize another, they just played in the same circle.

  "Tori here saw to that." Reed seemed almost proud of me, a bright smile lighting his face as he glanced at me. Onyx raised a dark brow, looking at me with disdain.

  "Really?" he drawled, disgust evident in his tone.

  "Stop being so temperamental, Onyx," Terran snapped. "We've been through this with the Ancients."

  From the tone in his voice and the sneer remaining on Onyx's face, I doubted I'd enjoy whatever news he held. "Can they fix this?" I figured I already knew the answer, but I couldn't help the need to ask.

  "The Ancients have reached their decision." Onyx's words were flat, as though he was simply repeating lines that had been fed to him. "The magic cannot be wrong. You are our charge, and it is our duty to guide you, whatever your destiny may end up being. You will be trained as our fourth Guardian."

  8

  "You've got to be kidding me." I gaped at the three men, turning pleading eyes onto an awed River. "This was all supposed to be a mistake. I was supposed to be able to go home. Now you're saying that I'm supposed to train as a Guardian?" The last word came out as a squeak.

  "You defeated a fully trained Guardian without anything more than minimal training yourself," Reed pointed out. "That shows you the amount of power you have."

  "I don't want power!" I yelled, feeling guilty for a moment when River flinched beside me. "I want my mom back. I want a normal, human life. I want what I've spent my entire life working toward."

  "Well, you can't have it." Onyx shrugged, as though that sealed things. I seethed, fighting the urge to slap the bored look off his pretty face. He smirked, apparently able to tell the direction of my thoughts from the rage I was sure played over my face.

  "Couldn't I speak to the Ancients?" I pleaded, desperate to change their minds. "Explain things to them? I know that my life isn't what some people want, that you all think I'm crazy for wanting to be a human, for wanting to return to my apartment." Onyx's derisive snort was confirmation enough of his thought process. "It's all I want though. I won't bother anyone."

  "The Ancients were fascinated that you could use your magic without spell words. They want you to be trained. As soon as they hear that you were able to beat a Guardian with no true effort or training, their decision will be final," Terran said softly, his eyes sympathetic. "It is not terrible here. We will do our best to take care of you in any way you require."

  "There's so much to learn here." Reed's voice was enthusiastic as he shoved a hand through his disordered hair. "So much that you can do, you have no idea of what your potential is." His words were eager, tumbling over each other.

  "We can be friends." River's voice was soft beside me and my chest squeezed as I looked over at her.

  Friends. That was something I hadn't considered in years. It was always too awkward to have people around my mother, to deal with the stifled laughter and the fear in their eyes when she'd talk about how the faeries were coming to get them. Add that to moving every few months, usually disappearing in the middle of the night with no planned address or phone number I could share, and friendships were never something I had truly cultivated throughout my life, preferring casual acquaintanceship instead. I couldn't resist giving her a hug, her sweetness calling out to me, encouraging me to protect her.

  "It's not bad here, I promise. I can make you more cakes," she offered.

  I had no idea how she could have stayed this innocent in her life, but I didn't want to disappoint her. "Of course, we'll be friends." River squealed, hugging me tightly. "I may hold you to the promise of more cakes though."

  Terran nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Good. River, I'm going to ask you to be her guide here. She's going to be your charge as much as she's ours." River nodded solemnly, accepting her newly given duty.

  "So, what exactly does this Guardian training entail?" If Birch was any standard to go by, it didn't seem that training would be that difficult.

  "Each Guardian is trained differently, depending on their skills. It's a very personalized process." Reed's words were nearly tumbling out as he spoke with wildly energetic movements. "We apparently already know you have skills with crystals, but we'll see if there are any other residual talents you don't know about."

  "It's hard work." Onyx glared at Reed. "It's not just books and cakes." I raised a brow at Onyx, considering him. I still didn't like him, but I appreciated having the truth. "You're going to sweat, bleed, cry. If you can't deal with that, you're never going to make it as a Guardian."

  "We'll teach you to help people." Terran stepped forward, reaching out a hand. Caught off-guard and unthinking, I grasped his hand in mind. His eyes didn't leave mine as he knelt, and I knew my face went slack in shock. "We offer you our protection."

  Reed stepped forward, placing his hand over top of Terran's, grasping my wrist and kneeling as well. "We offer you our knowledge."

  Onyx grunted, stepping forward and mimicked his friends’ position. "We offer you our swords."

  I stared at the three of them as a wave of heat blasted up my arm, settling deep inside me. "I'll try." It was all I could think of to respond to their display, giving them honesty in return to their promises. "I'll do my best to become a Guardian." I had no one else, now that my mom was dead, nothing tied me to the human realm besides a crappy apartment and a job that paid way too little. Obviously magic was a part of me, and though I didn’t want the responsibility, I had to deal with it. If becoming a Guardian meant I would have a home here, possibly friends, I would maybe find some purpose. I figured I could at least try.

  The three stood and River tossed her arms around me in a giant hug. "Thank you, Tori. For saving me. For everything."

  "One condition though." I met Terran's eyes square on, making sure he was listening to me. "You go get my mother's body. She wanted a green burial. Let her be buried here, where I can visit her grave when I want to." My heart pounded in my chest, nerves echoing inside of me.

  Terran glanced at Reed, then Onyx. I wondered if they were communicating silently, or if their bond was simply so close they had no issue communicating simply with their eyes and facial expressions. I hoped it was the latter, that the behavior was learned and earned via trust and experience. "We should be capable of that." Terran kept his eyes on Onyx, considering the logistics of my request. "Your mother's witch blood should guarantee her a resting place in the Fae Realm, though she would be traditionally placed with the witches and not near the Hold."

  "She spent her life protecting me." I clenched my fist, unwilling to bend. "Teaching me. If that doesn't qualify her as a Guardian, then I don't know what would. It's just a small plot of land, she doesn't need to be in your cemetery. She just wanted to return to the earth, and I want to be able to visit her." I was going to give up my entire apartment, my job, the future I had planned. If the Guardians couldn't at least give me this, I would find a way to escape this place.

  "We'
ll do it, Tori," Reed assured me. "Don't fret. We will make sure she is laid properly to rest. We'll figure everything else out as we go, but we won't deny you your request." He shot a look at Onyx as though daring him to object.

  Onyx sighed, shaking his head. "Did they tell you where her body is?"

  "The morgue. She died at the local hospital." I fought back the tears that wanted to rise.

  He nodded, sharp and decisive. "I should be able to bring her here by myself. Stay with Reed and Terran. No more heroics." With the warning and a flare of silver light, he was gone.

  "I'm sorry about your mother, Tori," River whispered in my ear. "May the spirits bless her until you can see her again." I tried a smile at her thoughtfulness, though I was sure it was shaky.

  "We'll talk more about Birch later," Terran decreed. "For now, how about we get you settled in properly." He paused, considering for a moment. "River, do you think she could be put in the chambers next to ours?"

  "Next to yours?" River blinked. "Why not in your chambers?"

  I winced, forcing a chuckle. "I think that may be a little more familiarity than I'm ready for at this point." I offered Terran a smile. "Thank you for realizing that."

  "Our goal isn't to confine you." Terran raised a hand, possibly to stroke my hair, but pulled back. "As your Guardians your safety is our responsibility, but so is your comfort and well-being."

  "The rooms near yours are still empty, of course." River headed toward the door. Reed and I glanced at each other before beginning to pile plates with food in tacit understanding. We shared a conspiratorial grin before trooping after the other two, our plates towering and our mouths full of sweets. Reed and I would definitely get along, at least when it came to cake.

  River led us into a lush suite, far smaller than the men's location next door, though I could see multiple doorways branching off the open living area. It was done in natural woods and flooded with light. "You can change it to suit your taste," River offered, wringing her hands.

  "It's beautiful," I reassured her. "Are you sure it's alright if I stay here though? It's not your room or anything is it?" I wouldn't put it past River to offer up her own room in exchange for what she viewed as me saving her from Birch.

  "These are guest quarters and Guardian quarters. I live in another wing of the Hold, though you'll see me often."

  "Another wing?" A nagging sense of discomfort ran through me. I would have hoped that fae and witches would be more advanced than humans, though my encounter with Birch and now this were pointing toward there being as many prejudices and classicism issues as I had grown up with. I bit my tongue, not wanting to start commenting on a culture before I knew enough information about it.

  "Mm-hmm," River murmured. "I've lived here all my life. My great, great grandfather was a Guardian. Our family has remained in the hold ever since."

  "Do all of you live next door?" I asked Reed, watching him as he ate the last of the sandwiches from his plate.

  "We've found it most comfortable to live as a unit. It keeps us connected and allows for us to be available to each other at a moment's notice." Terran answered instead, rolling his eyes at Reed's voracious appetite.

  "It is a very basic suite, but we can provide you some things to help you personalize it," Reed offered around a mouthful of food. "You'll have books to study, of course. You've already shown your affinity for crystals, so we'll provide you those to practice with. There hasn't been a crystal witch or fae in..." He tilted his head, moving his mouth as if reciting something to himself. "Three hundred years?" He glanced at Terran who simply shrugged. Reed snorted. "We each have our strengths. You'll find mine is books."

  "You're a book witch?" I blinked at him, pretending innocence. He barked a laugh, surprising me with the deep, rich sound.

  "You could say that. I have the greatest strength in water magic. It's traditional for witch Guardians to be elemental."

  "So, if he's a mermaid and Onyx is a faerie, what does that make you?" I shot Terran a wicked smile.

  "The boss." He chuckled when I rolled my eyes. Sarcasm was my bit. "I'm an earth witch," he admitted. "I specialize in plants, animals, things along those lines."

  Realization tingled at the base of my spine and I considered him. "Is that why you handled the werewolf? Because you deal with animals?"

  Reed grinned. "Smart girl." Terran nodded his agreement. "Few realize that when a shifter is in their animal form, they are more susceptible to earth witches or other fae who have strengths revolving around animals. Terran was attempting to read information from him."

  "Did you get anything?" I knew the words came out sharply, but I couldn't seem to help it. I wanted to know why a hulking wolf had destroyed my mother's apartment and, if Terran's inference was correct, attempted to injure or kill me.

  "I have not had a chance to interrogate him yet." Terran appeared to be slightly apologetic for the delay. "He is contained here at the hold and is no longer a threat to you or anyone else. Our focus has been getting you settled here at the Hold and conferring with the Ancients. When Onyx returns, we will attempt to get to the bottom of the issue."

  "I still don't see what a werewolf would want with me." I shook my head in disgust.

  "Anyone who pushes out as much magic as you would always be at risk, especially if you aren't shielding at all." Shockingly, it was River who had spoken, pulling my gaze back to her as she settled onto a nearby chair. "I'm not strong, and even I can feel the pull of it. It calls to my own magic. If you had performed the type of magic you did in the hall when you didn't have the wards of the Hold, any dark fae or witch would have been on you in moments."

  "River's right." Reed sent her a smile, bouncing slightly on his toes as though he was having a hard time containing himself. "Your magic is also unique, sending out an even stronger call to those who may want to use it in another way."

  "So that's why I need Guardians? Or to learn to be a Guardian?" I wasn't really sure of the difference.

  "It's rare that anyone who needs a Guardian will have offensive magic. You're incredibly strong. It's why we're going to train you, to be aware that you are always safe in the future. True charges of Guardians are, well, like crystals." Terran stumbled to explain. "They charge magic, enhance it, direct it. Whereas Reed can heal someone, you could potentially direct his magic to heal an entire room of injured folks. You can also call on your Guardian's strength, pull energy from us at your need. It makes you a prime target."

  "You could all be injured through me?" I mused, trying to ensure I understood.

  "Yes, Tori, we could." Reed’s green eyes were dark and serious, his lips pressed into a tight line as he spoke his affirmation.

  "So even without this prophecy issue, I still would have had to come here." I could feel my shoulders slump, my life slipping away from me before eyes.

  "Prophecy?" River perked up. "Which prophecy?"

  "Which prophecy?" I asked in disbelief. "There is more than one prophecy?"

  River blinked at me, as though my question was ridiculous. "Of course there's more than one. fae and witches frequently have visions, create new prophecies for the future generations." She looked from Terran to Reed. "You really haven't told her much? How in all the realms did you find her?"

  A dark amusement crept into me that River had seemed completely unphased by the idea that I had been targeted and attacked by dark magic and werewolves, but my lack of knowledge over prophecy floored her completely.

  "I grew up human." I attempted to hide the smile that wanted to tug at my lips. "These three yahoos came and swiped me right out of my kitchen yesterday, dropping me here to sit and twiddle my thumbs while they to decide my future for me."

  River scowled, jumping up and placing her hands on her hips. "This poor girl lost her mother, was targeted, then you just yank her from the only world she had known and drop her here without anyone even to look after her before I stumbled on her?" She glared at the two and Reed dropped his head, kicking his foot against the
wooden panels of the flooring. "You didn't even tell her who she could talk to or what things she should avoid! You're supposed to be her Guardians."

  "It wasn't just their fault." I was hesitant to stand up for them, considering I partially agreed with River, but I didn't want to be dishonest either. "They wanted to ask the Ancients if there was a way that I could go home again."

  River clucked her tongue at me. "It's still their duty, Tori. They —"

  A flash of silver light and a whirl of air pushed Onyx into the room. Surprising me, his dark silks were once again armor, his hands clenched tightly into fists. "My mom?" I gasped, fear hot and slick as it rushed through me.

  "I have brought her here," Onyx assured me, though his tone didn't soften. "We will prepare the area for burial."

  "What's wrong?" Terran interrupted with a snap.

  Onyx hesitated, and for a moment I thought I saw reluctance, even pity, cross his features. "Tourmaline, do you know who killed your mother?"

  9

  I stumbled, my hands grasping for purchase as I tried to stay upright and remember to breathe. Terran's solid hand caught mine as he pulled me against him, letting me sink my full weight into his arms as I gasped for air, my lungs constricted in my chest.

  "Mur —" I couldn't even finish the word. It was shocking that I was able to believe in magic and faeries, but the idea that my mother could have been killed? That was too far outside of reality for me to be able to accept.

  "Explain," Terran snarled, ice edging his voice.

  "I tracked the body, per her request." Onyx shifted, apparently unwilling to meet my eyes. "We had already seen her photo on the altar, so I knew who I was looking for." He shook his head, discomfort rolling off him in waves as the muscles in his shoulders locked tight and he tapped his fingers rhythmically against the grip of his sword. "I planned to simply transport her; I didn't expect an issue." His mouth hardened, lines digging deeply into his cheeks and near his eyes as he spoke. "When I inspected the body, however, it was clear that there was magic involved."