The Guardian (The Guardian Book 1)

by Paula Stephanie Grogan

  “Oh, alright Coura agreed, I guess you twisted my arm.” “When do we start boss? “How about right now”? Skye responded. “Ok it’s not like we have a lot to do.” They spent the next two days working and having fun reminiscing on old times. The shop was slow moving, and they often found themselves laughing it up with Skye’s uncle and friends out on the bench. When they were not working or joking, they would talk about anything and everything. Coura felt safe with Skye; like she could tell him anything in the world and it would be ok. Thinking about the old days made it easier to forget the pain she was feeling. There was something about Skye that just made her smile. Mom used to call a person like that a kindred spirit. I guess she was right, Coura thought. Time flew when they were together. They got their work done quickly and were able to hang out most of the time.

  Unknown to Keric, Rowan had found the elder clan of vampires accidentally. He had been following a lead, down in Baton Rouge when he heard a group of lower level vamps whispering about the chosen one at an old-world dive called Broken Image. The dive was a club for Old Worlders; you know the type Vamps, Wares, and a few scattered demons here and there. The only thing that wasn’t a regular there were humans, unless they were a meal for one of the regulars. Even then they were spelled their eyes glazed over not knowing anything just contentedly confused.

  The vamps, had just sat down when Rowan walked in. The bar had got silent for a minute seeing a guardian enter the bar. But as soon as they saw who it was, they turned and carried about their business. Rowan was a renowned warrior and feared by most. But he was not known for doing anything that didn’t have his best interest at heart, so usually unless on a mission he was not a threat to anyone there and they knew it. Sadly, for them, they didn’t know he was on a mission, and when he heard the group talking about Coura by name he made his way over to their grimy un-shined wooden table. There was a cocky blond vamp that was apparently a guard for an elder vampire named Marcus. He was bragging about his status, when Rowan walked over to sit at a table near them. A waitress, a red-haired half demon half mortal walked over to him to take his order. “What do you want guardian, this aint no parking zone, order something or get out,” she said snidely. The woman’s reptilian eyes and long neck let Rowan knew she was a viper demon. One he wouldn’t want to quarrel with that evening if he wanted to stay unnoticed. So, he ordered a Vodka Tonic, and she went away with a hiss of thanks.

  Rowan bided his time. He knew he had to get the cocky guard alone to question him, he really didn’t feel like fighting a whole coven that evening. Shortly after his drink arrived, the cocky blond left the table and headed to the back room were the bar kept their feeding station. Rowan flashed to the back and as the man rounded the corner to the back-room Rowan had the man pinned to the wall within seconds. “What the fuck is this?” he hollered wildly. The noise from the bar kept his yell muffled and the other vampires none the wiser. “This,” said Rowan “is an interrogation.” He held a wooden spike just over the vampire’s heart, “you are going to answer some questions for me or you’re not going to make it out of here tonight. Let’s start out with your name guard, what do they call you?” The vampire gulped; all cockiness gone. “My name is Eddie, what do you want to know?” Eddie was smart enough to know when to pick a fight and when to give in. With Rowan he knew he had no chance not even with his vampire abilities. Just then another vampires shadow was about to turn the corner to where they were concealed.

  Rowan put the spike in his pants just below his exposed washboard muscular stomach. He then grabbed Eddie by the collar and shoved him into a private feeding room which was used for those vampires who had to have sex in order to feed. “Private room, kind of kinky don’t you think?” Said Eddie. His eyebrows rose enticingly at Rowan. “Keep it in your pants blood sucker; I just want to know more about what you were saying out there,” Said Rowan. Eddie was looking deeply into Rowans hazel eyes searching for something. “I am not about to tell you much Guardian, unless there is something in it for me,” said Eddie. “Oh, they’ll be something in it for you alright if you don’t spill the beans.” He threw the vampire into the wall opposite him staying in front of the door. There was a small thud as his body hit. “I’ll play your game,” said Eddie. “I like it rough.”

  Rowan was becoming infuriated at the wasted time, he punched Eddie in the face, and blood ran down his chin. Eddie tried to hit back but Rowan was too fast, Rowan through his hands up and Eddie froze unable to make his body move. His blood was boiling from the inside, and pain started to sear up from his toes. “All right!! I’ll tell you, just stop this, and stop whatever you are doing.” Rowan put his hands down and Eddie collapsed against the wall. “Who do you work for” you said an Elder named Marcus, what clan is he from?” Rowan asked. “He is from the Mc. Killen clan,” Said Eddie. Rowan knew of the clan, they were the eldest of Vampires, one of the first children of the night. This wasn’t good. “How do they plan on attacking the chosen one?” Rowan barked out angrily. Eddie responded wiping the blood away from his mouth with his tongue.

  “They have sent Demetrious the tracker to collect someone; I wasn’t privy to know who though.” Rowan threw the spike up like he was about to stake Eddie. He recoiled pulling himself into the fetal position screaming, “No! Don’t Please!! I’m telling the truth! I just work on the ground’s security; I heard the higher ups talking about a few nights ago on the veranda. Rowan lowered the stake, “Did you hear where he went to?” Said Rowan. “Just some poke-ass-town in Texas, some guy is being held prisoner there at a Prison encampment, all I know is that he was sent to get him. This guy whoever he is, the higher ups have some serious plans for him apparently he is going to be the one to go after the chosen one.” Rowan paced the floor where Eddie was getting up. Rowan was trying to piece together who the mystery man in Texas was and what they had to do with Coura. Then the thought struck Rowan, he knew exactly who they were going after. Their secret weapon was Coura’s ex- boyfriend Steve Matheson. Rowan couldn’t possibly fathom why, but a threat is a threat, and he flashed out of the room before another word could be said to Eddie.

  Steve was trained and ready; he knew what he wanted more than anything in the world. His obsession his every thought and breath evolved around Coura Demetrious taught him to harness his feelings and use them in his new form, to murder without thought. To do whatever it took to complete his mission. His heart was hardened and his main objective clear. He would get Coura no matter what it took. Little did he know that someone was on his trail.

  Chapter 6

  “I’m UP! I’m up, sheesh.” Looking over at the clock it read 6:40 “crap,” she mumbled she must have set the clock wrong. She got up and opened the door leaning over the railing looking down at Richard, “I’m going to walk she said, I forgot to set the alarm last night. You go on ahead I’ll find my way.”

  The weekend flew by. The next thing Coura knew it was Monday morning and Richard was yelling from down the stairs that she had fifteen seconds to get up and get down to the car or she was going to have to walk because he was leaving to work.

  Typical teenager he thought looking down at his callused hands. “Listen up,” he said, if you follow the wooded path at the end of the road it will bring you up to the back end of the high school. But it’s a good three miles. In other words, you might want to put some pep in your step!” “I’m going, I’m going!!” Coura said. Richard ran his hands through his curly peppered hair, “look I’ll just call in late,” Richard said. Feeling a little guilty for not waking her up him-self, “it’s your first day anyway.”

  “No Dad, really, I’ll be fine. A walk might be good; besides I would rather not have to be escorted my first day of school by my dad.” “All right then,” he grabbed his lunch pack from the table in the hall and started walking to the door. “I don’t get home until very late, so if you have any problems this evening, my uh work number is on the refrigerator.” He said awkwardly, “you got my cell, right?” “Yup, I got it, what goo
d it’s going to do? I don’t know, but there are no bars at all out here. I haven’t had good service since we entered Louisiana.” Richard rolled his eyes, “girls and damn cell phones,” he muttered.

  “Well I’m gone then, bye Coura.” “Bye dad,” Coura said shutting the door behind him and running two at a time up the stairs to the top. Well let’s see what I’m going to wear today, opening her closet she peered at the remaining boxes at the bottom she grabbed an outfit and threw it on, slipping into the bathroom she finished her morning routine and made it out the door in a remarkable twenty minutes.

  She headed down her driveway to the path that led into the woods. At least it’s not raining again thought Coura. Following the mossy path was a synch and soon enough the path wound deep into the evergreens. It’s beautiful she thought, hearing the birds chirping and seeing a black squirrel here and there. The path had a broken tree that blocked the way for a good thirty feet. Hmm, she thought, over or around?

  Looking up she saw a good-sized spider posted on the log. “Around then,” she said. If there was one thing that she really disliked in this world it was spiders. She walked around and stuck to the path and made it to the school long before the bell rang.

  The school was small compared to the one she attended in San Diego. Her old school Oceanside High, home of the pirates, had a good 5,000 students. The population in Minnie was less than the school had she thought. The school was modern, and she gave them props for that. She saw a concrete building with big glass windows into which she must have assumed was the cafeteria. She followed the stone pathway that led from the forest trail. There were students in front of the building, all in groups around their vehicles all seeming to be talking about one thing or another. She pulled up her hoodie and ducked through the crowd trying not to illicit any more attention than would be necessary being the new girl in town and all.

  Walking around the side of the building she followed her way to the main doors and went into the office. She arrived at a giant old-fashioned wood desk in the middle of the entryway, not that modern after all she thought. There was a sign on the desk that said office. Beneath it read sign in and sit down. Alrighty then, she thought to herself, Coura grabbed the pencil next to the sign in sheet and wrote her name down then took a seat.

  After a few minutes a middle-aged woman with a gray bob came out wearing elegant pastels and pearl earrings. She leaned over the desk to read the name on the sign in sheet. “Mrs. Du Boise?” She said while looking Coura straight in the face. “Yes, mam,” Coura said.

  “I heard you were coming,” said the grey headed teacher. “It’s a real shame about what happened to your mom. It just shows me how ready this world is for the coming judgment.”

  Coura flinched at the mention of her mother. “Oh my, I’m sorry dear, I suppose that was tactless,” after a pause, “I apologize.” I often speak without thinking. Sometimes I wonder why God doesn’t have his hand over my mouth every second of the day.” She said with a nervous chuckle.

  “How rude of me, I am Mrs. Cormac.” She said distending her slim fingers in a girlie handshake. “Why don’t you follow me, dear? I must find your schedule, I know I left it here somewhere... ah,” she said after shuffling through some papers on the top shelf of her organizer. “Ah, I found it, here you go dear.” She looked down into Coura’s eyes, sitting there across from her Mrs. Cormac’s heart softened. There was a loss there she saw in her eyes that she was oh too familiar with. “I know this is not the biggest school around but still, I will have one of the students escort you around. Let’s see…” she said with a pause. “Who can I get to give you a tour?” She tapped her pointer finger on her top lip, looking deep in thought.

  When a girl walked in and said: “Mrs. Cormac.” Coura turned around and saw her petite redhead with a pixie cut walking in the office. Mrs. Cormac seemed pleased with the interruption. “Oh Holley,” she said clapping her hands, “problem solved; you will show Mrs. Coura Du Bios around for me. Thank you.”

  Taking a hint, she took Coura by the arm and started to lead her out of the office. “Was there something that you needed?” Mrs. Cormac said as an afterthought. “Oh, nothing that can’t wait,” Holley replied, with a gentle smile. “Guess we better head to class, wouldn’t want to be late for our first day, now would we?”

  “I’m Holley,” she said to Coura, “Are you a senior?” “Yea, I am, you too?” Coura said. Holley nodded, then swinging in front of Coura, getting her full attention she said; “you’re really pretty do you know that?” That caught Coura off guard. “Umm thanks I think.” “You’re welcome, I’m sorry it’s just that we don’t get a lot of new students around here and when we do it’s mostly guys. So, I’m pretty sure there are going to be some love-struck puppies following you around shortly. Well and some jealous chicks. Hey so…she paused as if catching her breath; are you Mexican or what, you kind of got that mocha goddess thing going on.”

  “Yea I am, my mom was half Mexican, and Richard he’s white. But I still ended up with this,” she pointed to her head of curls, and a light perm-a-tan. “I thought I was looking kind of pale,” she said. They walked out into the hallway and it seemed like time froze, everyone quit talking and turned to look at Holley and Coura. She caught a few dirty looks from a preppy looking blond and her friends but that was about it.

  “All right everybody! Get back to your business people!” Holley announced. “Good for nothing chicken goose knockers,” she said. Coura laughed. Then suddenly everything went back to normal raucous. A gangly looking, sandy brown-haired boy came over, “hi Holley who’s your friend here?” Coura looked him over, thinking how he slightly resembled a skinny hobbit. Hi I’m Taylor. He reached for her hand and she shook it. “Coura,” she responded.

  “Well we better get to class right?” Coura asked Holley who was staring at Taylor. “Yup, let’s see that class list of yours. Ok so you got first period in AP English, that’s the first classroom right there on the right with Mr. Pollard. Second PE, and third is lunch and ooh you got Professor Alcott with me for fourth through sixth.” “Sweet,” said Coura. “Well I’m sure you will like your first teacher. Trust me girl,” she winked “you won’t want to miss that one he is so fine.”

  As Coura started to walk toward the classroom door, Taylor nudged Holley; “Ouch!” Holley said turning to face Taylor, “what was that for?” “Well said Taylor, aren’t you going to invite her to the party tonight?” Dramatically rolling her eyes she responded, “I was going to tell her at lunch, jeez. Sorry Coura, we’ll meet up after class.” Taylor and Holley ran down the hallway sliding into the last door as the tardy bell rang. Taking a deep breath, Coura opened the door in front of her that read AP English.

  The classroom was larger than what she imagined. There was a seat open second from the front by the windows. The desk itself was the old wooden kind with the attached table topper. She took it, looking around for Mr. Pollard. She needed to give him her new schedule. The girl in front of her seat turned around her auburn hair parted over her left eye and her earrings dangling like wind chimes. “Hey, I’m Chloe, what’s your name?” Coura smiled at her “I’m Coura, I just moved here from California.” “That’s cool,” she said. “I have a brother over in Cali I think they said he is stationed at Camp Pendleton,” “Awesome, yeah I know exactly where that is. I used to live on base with Rich…I mean my dad…and then later again with my stepdad and my mom.”

  “Oh, so yawl moved down here then, wow that’s a distance huh?” She shrugged, “yes and no, my mom well, she uh she died about a month ago. Then one thing led to another and I ended up moving out here with my dad Richard.” Mr. Pollard came up to them behind Coura. His heart pounded hard, nervous about seeing her for the first time in a while. He hid it well and spoke teasingly. “You are a long way from home, aren’t you?” Said a familiar voice from behind her she turned to see who spoke, grateful for the interruption.

  He was a tall, handsome man. He was skinny but not too much so, good
upper build accented by black sweater and soft denim slacks. She looked up into his hazel eyes, his black hair falling teasingly near his eye. She wanted desperately to reach up and move that one nagging strand from his perfect eyes. Something familiar tingled at the back of her mind, like she knew him or met him before. Her heart raced as she asked, “Do I know you?” Tilting her head peeking up at him from the top of her eyes, his eyebrows rose in curiosity. Sure, you do he said don’t you remember? I’m your AP English teacher, Mr. Pollard. She took a minute to realize that he was joking, “yes, of course, how silly of me,” she said. She remembered that she was a student and there was no way she would personally know a teacher, so of course she didn’t know him…stupid!!! She thought. Still the thought she knew him lingered in the back of her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to remember she couldn’t. He proceeded to move away from her and went to the front of the class, taking her schedule in hand as he walked past her.

  “Class this is Coura Du Boise, she hales from California. Why don’t we take a minute and introduce ourselves to Coura?” Looking to the right of the room by the door, he said: “Clair why don’t you start by saying who you are, and everyone in the row can follow you.” Clair looked up at him lollipop in hand rubbing the tip of her tong suggestively around the tip of the lollipop, anything for you Mr. Pollard, she said in the most suggestive purr.

  Mr. Pollard pulled on the neckline of his already v necked sweater. “Why don’t you get rid of that candy Miss. Bagweld,” he said to her glaringly. Well the snooty, preppy, blond stood up, sauntered to the trash can while shaking every asset that she had. Once she was situated, she announced to the class and turning to Coura with an I’m the head bitch glare, “as you know, I am Clair the student body president, the hottest girl here at Rosemont Many High and soon to be senior prom queen.” She gave an altogether too forced smile and set back down. By the time the room was done with introductions, and the jokes that went in-between them the class was just about over. She could feel the tension that Mr. Pollard was feeling but couldn’t put her finger on why.