I smiled in return, grabbing one of the cakes and taking a bite, closing my eyes as I enjoyed the flavors and let the sugar run through my system. "It's really good," I offered with another smile. "Thanks. I love chocolate and raspberry." Okay, I loved all chocolate, but with the way he beamed I wasn't going to bother making that small distinction.
"How did your lessons with Onyx go?" Terran asked, shaking his head when I offered him one of my cakes.
I grunted, perching on my own chair and helping myself to another cake. "I don't know if I'll ever get the hang of fae magic. Using the stones felt natural. Staring into space and doing nothing..." I trailed off with an exasperated shake of my head. "It just felt awkward."
"It takes years to learn fae magic, and even then not everyone will be proficient at it. We simply want to give you the option, so we'll exercise it like the muscle it is. If you never get the hang of it, it isn't an issue. As long as you try, that's all we're asking of you."
"I did try. I only got my shirt to change color like four times." I tried not to pout. After seeing Onyx disappear, teleport, and pull weapons from thin air, those little changes didn't feel like anything at all.
"That's very good." Reed's voice was warm and encouraging. "Most would take weeks or even months to accomplish that one time, and that's after basic training as they age." He sent me a proud smile and I couldn't help but smile in return, a little flame of pride flaring up inside of me.
"Thanks." Suddenly shy I turned back to my cakes, focusing on that rather than their faces. "I just didn't expect it to be as draining as it was," I admitted.
"It'll take time, but I'm sure you'll accomplish it," Terran offered, reaching out to pat my shoulder.
"I know you've been sleeping." I shot Terran a smile, turning my attention to Reed as I asked, "What've you been up to today?"
Reed perked up, pointing towards a small stack of books to the side of the couch. "I've been going through all these books, trying to find the most useful ones on crystal magic for you. I found some more about the prophecy as well." Dread drowned that spark of pride I had felt.
"Can we maybe skip that part for now?" I didn't really care if it was cowardly to avoid the conversation, I just wasn't willing to have it yet. I hoped in time they would see that I wasn't some promised champion for their people; I was just some unlucky girl who hadn't had the chance to grow up with magic and was now on a very strict learning curve. Reed grimaced, shooting an appealing look toward Terran who merely shrugged his response.
A soft knock on the door had me starting and Terran jumped from his seat with a fluid grace I desperately envied. "Yes?" he called, standing a few steps from the doorway.
"It's River." Her voice was shaky, immediately putting me on edge. I strode past Terran, yanking the door open and pulling River inside. She was paler than I had seen her before, her blonde hair a mess as she wrung her hands over and over again, chewing at her lips.
"What's wrong?" I pulled River toward the sofa, pushing her down next to Reed and kneeling next to her. She was trembling so hard I was afraid she was going to topple over, despite sitting down.
Wide blue eyes met mine, before she glanced over at Terran and Reed. "May I suggest we bring Onyx in? He will need to hear this as well."
"Onyx!" I called out. I didn’t know if volume would make a difference in the urgency of the call, but I wasn't willing to leave River when she was this upset, and I figured their psychic mindmeld was a far faster means of communication than sending one of the others to search for him in this giant Hold.
"The call is not a toy." He snapped the words at me. I glared at him, indicating River with a sharp nod of my head. He froze, the irritation falling from his face as he stepped forward to mirror my kneeling posture.
"River? Are you alright?" I nearly fell over at the gentle tone he used to speak to her, a tone I hadn't realized he was even capable of.
"The other servants are talking." Her voice was surprisingly steady for how shaken she appeared. "Birch is furious with Tori. Those burns weren't easy to heal, and the Ancients insisted he explain how he received them. He's vowed she'll pay for it, and he's enlisting the help of anyone who will listen, exchanging favors, bribing the servants." Tears welled up in her eyes as her eyes met mine. "He wants to hurt you, badly, and soon."
Terran swore, pacing across the living area as he tugged at his beard. Reed pushed a hand into his hair, mussing the strands before steepling his fingers and pressing them against his mouth. Onyx's face was passive as he stood, patting River gently on the thigh. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We'll look after her."
"I think it's about time Birch realized who he is dealing with," Terran ground out, his hands fisted tightly at his side as though he was envisioning decking Birch. I knew that I was.
I hesitated for a moment, studying River's still pale face. "What else, River?" The three froze, turning back to face us. River shifted, uncomfortably on the couch, not wanting to meet my eyes now. I sighed, patting her leg. "Let me guess. I'm not the only one he's threatening." Birch was a bully, and most bullies played by the same set of rules. River had seen him being taken down a peg, and he wouldn't be able to stand that, especially with him considering her to be of a lower class than he was.
"He's threatening you too, River?" Reed asked softly, crouching down to her level.
"Threats aren't uncommon among the servants." River attempted a smile. "We're just servants, after all."
"None of that now." I tapped her on the thigh, drawing her attention. I turned my attention to the men. "I take it threats and war are fairly common here, if your reactions are any indication?"
Terran grimaced. "It is a fairly competitive atmosphere," he hedged. I snorted at the apparent understatement.
"For the most part, the Ancients and other Guardians consider it good training for us, that the competition will make us stronger," Reed explained.
I nodded. It wasn't as if hazing, even extreme hazing, was an idea I was unfamiliar with. "What are the rules, then?"
All four were staring at me as if I had grown another head. Apparently, they didn't realize that humans could be blood thirsty as well, even without magic involved. I wondered how much time they actually spent in the human world, or how much they knew simply from stories. "Well, generally it's witches versus fae, due to the difficulty between the two," Reed answered, studying me as if he was surprised to see me. "No one can aim to truly maim or kill."
"Injury is acceptable, as is scarring," Terran added.
"Considering how badly she's shaking, I assume that she isn't exempt from this."
Onyx's nod was sharp, and if I wasn't mistaken full of disgust. "No one is exempt. Guardians are expected to look out for servants, family members, or humans in the Hold. It enforces the idea that we are meant to protect those around us and encourages us to form teams. It also encourages competition amongst us and forces us to pick sides and become involved in the battles rather than ignoring them." Well it was understandable he was disgusted, I was as well.
"Stay with me for now," I advised River. "We'll figure out the logistics of it." I glanced at Terran. "Is there a way we can get another bed in here? She won't get in trouble for staying with me, correct?"
Terran considered it, stroking his hand down his beard as he thought. "We'll claim her as your servant for the moment. It's not unusual for a Guardian to claim a servant they prefer to work with."
"Good, that's settled." I paused for a moment, my eyes raking back to Onyx. "There are other humans in the Hold?" That had taken more than a few moments to process.
"Occasionally, though there aren't any others at the moment. Usually that occurs when witch Guardians or their families become involved with a human and they receive permission from the Ancients to bring them here to live rather than moving into the human world."
"We seriously need to sit down and go over all of this," I muttered, shaking my head. It was difficult being an outsider here, unaware of the rule
s and policies I was being swallowed by. "I've barely seen anyone in the Hold; it's hard to figure out who I would need to avoid when I don't see anyone."
"At this point, I would suggest you stay away from anyone other than us until we can reach out to our own contacts."
"It's like a chess game." I shook my head, though Reed perked up.
"You like chess?" He looked at me almost pleadingly, and I resisted the urge to laugh at the eager look on his face.
"Yes, I like chess. We can play sometime when all of this is done," I offered, and the bright grin he shot me left me nearly breathless. "How do we deal with Birch? Apparently, my kicking his ass once wasn't enough."
"In this world you'll find out it's almost never enough." Terran shook his head wearily. "Feuds tend to be unending and violent. We function mainly within our Guardian units, and that is about the limit of our trust."
"We've been literally stabbed in the back." Onyx's voice was so disdainful I could nearly hear the acid dripping from his tone.
"That's..." I trailed off, pausing to grasp the wording I wanted to use for this situation. "Fairly dramatic," I finally supplied, unsure of a better way to phrase it. Terran snorted, amusement clear at my dry response.
"Most of us are dramatic," Reed admitted. "It's a definite flaw when you have a system set up the way ours is."
"Okay, but simply waiting it out doesn't seem like the best strategy either," I pointed out. "We're always going to be looking over our shoulder for what's coming next."
"Get used to it." Onyx's grim reply had me glaring at him.
"No." The word was flat. "I refuse to constantly be waiting for someone to hurt me or someone I care about. We either deal with the threat harshly enough that they know not to come back again, or we find a way to change the system. Ideally I'd suggest both."
"I really like her." Reed looked to both Terran and Onyx, a smile on his face. "She thinks like us."
"We'll approach Birch first," Terran declared, looking to Onyx who nodded in confirmation. "We'll leave Reed here with you and River while we go find him."
"Then?"
Terran sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "We'll see if we can get him to back down. You're still a charge, even though you are a Guardian in training. Hopefully he will realize it isn't worth it taking all of us on at one time."
"Yeah, he doesn't really strike me as the kind of person who is smart enough — or self-sufficient enough — to realize that would be the better plan of action." I knew my tone was dry, bordering on sarcastic, but I couldn't help it. This whole scenario was surreal.
"He's cruel." River's voice was quiet.
I fisted my hands in fury, forcing myself to relax to ensure I didn't scare her as I sat down next to her, patting her thigh softly. "I thought this was supposed to be a place of Guardians, that they would look out for those who may not be as powerful as them."
Onyx arched a brow, refusing to back down as he stared at me. "I'm sure those in power in the human world never take advantage of those smaller or weaker or less advantaged than them. I bet that's a purely fae or witch trait."
I scowled at the sarcasm in his tone. "Of course not. Magic chooses you, though. Shouldn't that mean it picks the best people for the situation?
Reed sighed, falling into the nearby chair. "It's a complicated question, Tori. Some of us believe in the magic on pure faith. They would argue that just because we can't see why someone is picked, it doesn't negate their need to be where they are. That their purpose may be to train someone else, to solidify beliefs, to be the exception that proves the rule." I snorted at that. I had absolutely no belief in fate.
"Some believe magic favors the strong, thus the strongest are chosen to protect it and keep it from dying out," Terran added. "Those who are most likely to survive the challenges are called and are therefore able to protect the next generation as they learn, ensuring that magic doesn't die out." I considered that train of thought for a moment, weighing it in my mind. It made a sort of sense, though I admitted science wasn't exactly my best subject when I was in school.
"Ok, I'll go with that." It was easier than trying to justify that the magic running through me was simply flawed or that there was no hope for any highly evolved species to function without discord. "What's our plan if he decides he wants to keep being a bitch?" I snickered at the realization that Birch's name was so close to one of my favorite swear words. Talk about karmic justice, I was sure that was going to slip up fairly often in his presence.
Onyx shrugged an elegant shoulder, his clothing shifting over to armor and the hilt of sword peeking out from over his shoulder. "We go to war." A small smirk curled his lips as he looked at me, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Maybe we'll sic you on him again. You did plenty of damage last time. I'd like to see what you could do with a little more direction and a lot more anger."
"Blood-thirsty Tinkerbell," I muttered.
Onyx scowled at me. "Will you quit calling me that? You're well aware of my name."
Amusement ran through me and I schooled my face into a calm expression rather than smiling the way I wanted to. "I think it's cute. Aren't teammates supposed to have nicknames for each other?" I kept my tone innocent as I asked.
Onyx scowled and Reed chuckled. "If we're doing this, let's go," Onyx snapped over his shoulder at Terran. "We'll set up a game plan when we're back, depending on what occurs." He turned his attention to Reed, the scowl still marring his full lips. "Don't let anyone else in. We'll be back shortly." Reed nodded, serious again.
"Well, that was interesting," I declared as the door shut with a quiet click. "Who wants to play a game?" I wasn't going to sit on my hands and wait, that was for sure.
The door slammed before Terran stomped across the room, his chocolate eyes flashing, deep lines of anger and frustration carved into his face. I had never seen him furious before, and I had to admit it was an intimidating sight. "Imbecile." He slammed a hand down onto the table with a sharp crack.
My heart was thrumming in my chest, unwilling caution creeping through me as I watched the way his muscles bunched with fury. "I take it that things didn't go well." I pushed from the table where Reed and I were playing chess to approach him, despite my instincts screaming for me to stay away. Green light shimmered faintly around his palms, and I could tell he was struggling to control his magic.
"He believes that he has enough allies to stand up to us." Onyx's voice was dry and cold, and a shiver rolled up my spine as I listened to him speak. His fury wasn't hot the way Terran's was, lashing out around him in waves. Onyx’s was contained, icy, and in many ways far scarier. His was the voice I would be afraid to hear behind me, the storm I never saw coming before it crashed over me.
"I guess we'll just have to prove him wrong." I tried a nonchalant shrug, although the nerves were beginning to creep through me. I could hold my own in the mortal world--I had taken self-defense courses and had been in more than my share of scrapes. I was out of my element here, though, untrained and uninitiated into these ways of life. I was sure there were going to be elements of fighting I didn't see coming, and that was when I was likely to get a knife in the back.
Onyx turned to me, his eyes still cold — a storm of emotion hidden under a frozen lake, deadly and wild. "You do not understand yet what you are getting into, banféinne. These are not simple grudges."
"Stick to English, please," I reminded him, with a shake of the head. I was already behind enough here, the last thing I needed to try and do at the moment was learn a new language on top of everything else. "I'm not going to let him hurt me or River. Whatever that takes, I'm going to do." I thrust my chin out, daring Onyx to object. "I'm no one's victim."
"Then I guess we better get planning," Terran stated on a resigned sigh. "Everyone take a seat. This will probably take a while."
12
"I take it you have planned a lot of these?" The words were dryly sarcastic, but I was actually mildly impressed with the speed at which we all piled next door,
taking seats around their table to plot and plan. Reed had pulled out pads of paper and writing utensils for everyone, and Onyx was idly sharpening his sword. Even River hadn't been forgotten; she was given her own note-keeping utensils and ushered into a nearby seat.
Terran's smile was a little sheepish now that most of the anger seemed to have drained from him. He seemed to be similar to me in that way, his temper cooling once a plan was being worked on or in place. "Yes, though I'm not sure it's something for us to be proud of. It's simply a way of life here; you'll get used to it."
Reed grinned as well. "Who knows, maybe you'll be planning your own coup after a while."
I shook my head, emphatic in my denial. "I'll deal with Birch since he's a direct threat. Hopefully others will see it and know it's not worth their time to mess with us again."
"Smart," Onyx murmured, so low I barely heard him. I ignored him for the moment, not able to process his rapid mood swings.
"We have an idea of who his probable allies are," Terran began, tapping his pencil against his mouth as he thought out loud. It was hard to resist staring at the pencil as he pressed it against his mouth, and I forced my gaze back to the blank paper in front of me. What was it about these men that heated my blood? Maybe it was some maladaptive coping mechanism after being tossed into an alternate reality...
"I can see if the servants have any more information?" River offered, doodling lightly on her paper. I leaned over to see her sketching flowers and animals around the edges and gaped at her. She was forming them in idle, distracted strokes, as though the pencil formed them on their own. That was serious skill, and I was incredibly jealous.
"I don't want you going off on your own," Terran warned her. "Birch has proven before he has no qualms with injuring those he believes are below him, even if he knows they aren't able to defend themselves."
"What magic can you do?" I asked, curious. She blushed, tapping her pencil lightly on the tablet in front of her. "Is that rude to ask?" I asked Reed, turning my eyes toward him for a moment when he chuckled.
The Guardian Page 10