The Guardian (The Gifted Book 1)

by C. L. McCourt

  Rhea joined her on the blanket. "Studying?"

  Beth rolled onto her back, away from her notebook and book. "Yeah. Sure. Getting a lot done."

  Rhea wasn't worried about her friend. She was one of the smartest students on campus. Straight A's in electrical engineering. Rhea was constantly wowed by Beth's accomplishments. "Nice day."

  Beth blocked the sun again and peeked at her friend. "You're done early?"

  "Yeah. Randell handed back our assignments and told us about the final. It should be fairly straightforward." Rhea lay back on the blanket and relaxed.

  25

  Watching

  Daen kept his distance from Rhea. If she was sensitive to gifts, he didn't want her picking up on him. But he was fairly confident her gift was an active power, given the numerous body-crushing experiences he'd had over the past six months. That meant she wasn't likely to be one to sense other gifts.

  He watched her veer to the right as she approached the next dorm. He picked up the pace when she disappeared around a corner. Approaching slowly, he casually looked around the corner. He'd obviously found one of the favorite sunbathing spots on campus.

  Scanning the sea of bodies, he searched for the blond he'd been following. She was easy to find, and he spotted her just as she lay down. He decided to stick around and found a place to sit and not look conspicuous.

  ~~~

  "We've been coming back to this place for days and haven't seen anyone who could be the Luxatran. What makes you think we'll see him today?" Gauvin questioned Bestian as he tried to keep up. "And what if someone recognizes the clothes we're wearing and calls the authorities? Have you thought of that?"

  Bestian stopped abruptly and spun around on Gauvin, causing Gauvin to plow right into him. Bestian pushed him back. "Will you shut up? If you don't want to catch this guy, fine. But I'll not be known as someone who couldn't get the job done. Go back to the campsite if you want."

  Gauvin tried to look indignant. "I'm just trying to point out that maybe broad daylight isn't the best time to get this guy."

  Bestian growled. "Who said anything about grabbing him in daylight? I just need to know who he is so we can follow and grab him when he's alone."

  Gauvin tried to casual, "Fine. Then what are you waiting for?"

  Bestian sneered and brought his hands up as if to strangle Gauvin. He hissed, "If I didn't need your help ..." Before he closed his hands around Gauvin's neck, Bestian turned and continued his brisk walk to the dorm where he'd felt the gift.

  ~~~

  Daen relaxed against a tree in the shade, pretending to nap. He watched Rhea, talking to friends, laughing, as if she didn't have a care. This was not the guarded woman Randell had described.

  She was open and relaxed, even friendly. As he watched, she became still on the blanket. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was steady. He could see subtle twitches in her body. She was sleeping comfortably with so many people around her ... this was not a person hiding or scared.

  About fifteen minutes later, her head tossed back and forth several times before she gasped awake. At the same time, he felt a gentle press on his chest. Loose items surrounding her fluttered or fell over.

  He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed and felt. He whispered to himself, "So that's what's been waking me in the middle of the night."

  He watched her sit up and glance around, concern on her face. She was worried about something. Was it the disturbance she had just caused? Did she know her powers were being set loose while see slept?

  The people around her acted as if the disturbance was normal, as if a strong breeze had just whipped through the space around them. They hadn't felt her gift, but he had. Interesting.

  Daen watched as she collected her things and went inside. He decided further waiting would only bring attention to him, so he headed home.

  ~~~

  Bestian stopped again, but this time Gauvin was ready. "Did you feel it?" Bestian looked around, trying to see the source of the gift that had just thumped him in the chest. It wasn't as forceful as the first one he'd felt, but it was definitely a gift.

  Gauvin shook his head. "No."

  "Come on, he's close by." Bestian headed in the direction of the source. The same direction he'd gone the first night he'd sensed him. But as he approached the dorm, the gift seemed to move. "Hurry, he's on the move." Bestian picked up the pace. They passed through the sea of sunbathers and headed north across campus. They passed through the academic buildings to the parking lot on the other side.

  ~~~

  It took about twenty minutes before Daen arrived at the apartment. "Randell!"

  Randell yelled from the kitchen, "In here."

  "You are never going to believe this. I know what's happening. She's dreaming and releasing her gift."

  Randell raised an eyebrow. "And how is it you've seen her sleeping?"

  Daen rolled his eyes. "She was lying in the sun with some friends. I sat under a tree nearby and watched. I could see that she'd fallen asleep. A short time later, I could tell she was dreaming, and then it happened."

  Randell slowly lowered the beer from his lips. "What?"

  "Books closed. Papers fluttered. Cups fell over. It was very mild. If I hadn't been close, I doubt I would have felt it. That might explain why it's been so quiet lately. She might be dreaming less, or maybe they aren't as upsetting as they had been." Daen shook his head. "She had a concerned look on her face as she looked around, as if she expected to see more damage. I'd hate to be in the room when one of the bad episodes hit."

  Randell set the bottle on the counter. "It's subconscious. She sensed something from me, became uncomfortable for just a second, flashed blue. She can control it consciously but not subconsciously. I can see why the Libraim sent you to her."

  Daen leaned against the kitchen counter. "We have to talk to her and soon."

  "Monday, after the final. I won't let her leave without agreeing to meet me."

  ~~~

  Bestian and Gauvin ran to the north side of campus and beyond to the north parking lot and still couldn't see him.

  Gauvin scanned the area around him. "Do you still feel him?"

  Bestian closed his eyes and concentrated. "In that general direction ..." he pointed across the parking lot, "... but something is blocking me. I can't be sure ..."

  Bestian turned from the parking lot and headed back towards the dorm they'd just left.

  "Where are you going?"

  "I'm not going to chase a cold trail when I can wait for him to come to me. He lives on campus. He'll be back, and I'll be waiting. He's not hiding his gift anymore. I just need to get close enough."

  Gauvin didn't like the idea of hanging around where they would surely be seen, but he knew better than to poke the bear. Bestian was not going to give up now that he was getting closer.

  26

  Finals

  Over the next few days, Rhea made sure not to fall asleep in the sun surrounded by a lot of people. It had been quite unnerving waking from a disturbing dream in the middle of all those sunbathers. How had she fallen asleep so easily?

  When she'd opened her eyes, she’d seen people collecting their papers and picking up various items that had apparently blown out of reach. Or at least that's what she'd hoped.

  She'd always assumed that she was throwing items off her bed in her sleep until the one episode where items on shelves and in her closest had become dislocated. This last episode just reinforced her belief that she wasn't actually throwing things in her sleep. Something else was going on. Could there be some other force in play? Grennal had talked about magic, about controlling energy. Could she have powers and not know it?

  Crazy thoughts like these kept entering her mind, even as she crossed to the other side of campus for her last exam. She chided herself, "Don't get carried away, Rhea. If you could do magic like Grennal can do magic, you'd know it already."

  As Rhea approached the classroom, she could see the lights had already be
en turned off. She was later than she had hoped, and sure enough, the seats by the door were taken. Deciding not to care, she crossed the room and sat by the windows just in time for Randell to walk in.

  "Hi, everyone." He carried a small stack of papers. "You will have an hour to edit this story, but it shouldn't take that long. Please note the questions on the third page. They are provided to make it easier to grade and easier for you to remember what you need to include in your review." Randell waved the stack of papers in his hand. "If you would, please spread out. Put a couple desks between you and the people around you."

  After the shuffling of bodies between seats had finished, the room was silent. Randell handed out the papers. While they were moving around, he'd noticed Rhea not moving, but instead looking out the window. She'd already sat several seats away from everyone else. He wondered, was it by design or did she get here late and not get the seat by the door?

  "I'm going to be right outside the door if you need anything. When you're done, you may leave."

  ~~~

  When Rhea finished the exam, she felt the tension of four years leave her body. It was over. It even looked like Randell wasn't going to say anything to her.

  Rhea placed her exam on the desk and stepped out the door. Before she got very far, Randell stepped away from the wall. "Rhea Canton, right?"

  She cringed. She'd almost made it. It didn't matter. Rhea smiled politely. "Yes."

  "I have something I need to discuss with you. Would you mind meeting me after this exam is over?"

  Rhea's heart started to pound in her chest. What on earth could he want? "What do you want to discuss?"

  Randell wanted to be honest. He wanted to say that he knew who she was and he was here to help. But no, he couldn't do that. Not yet. So, he needed a reason to get her to meet him. "I'm working on a project and I wanted to talk to you about the fantasy story you turned in. My office mate will be in our office and I don't want to disturb him. I thought the coffee shop in town would be an okay place to meet."

  "Why? Is something wrong?" Now she was beginning to worry.

  "Nothing is wrong. I find your story interesting and think it might be a good fit for my project, but I need to talk to you about it, see if you're interested. I mean you no harm. This is a sincere interest in your work." Wow, talk about a fib. He would owe her a big apology after this one. At least part of the pitch was true: he wouldn't harm her. And the story was interesting, just not for the reasons she would assume.

  Rhea didn't know what to say. Was he really interested in her writing? No way, it wasn't that good. Was he interested in her? No, against the rules, right? Must be he wanted to know why she was in a creative writing course and not studying science.

  He continued, "Will you meet me at the coffee shop at," he looked at his watch, "let's say, 5:00?"

  She glanced at her watch. It was 4:30. His reason seemed harmless enough. And what could happen in a public place? "Sure." If she were honest with herself, she would admit she was a little bit curious and didn't mind meeting him. What was an hour out of her life?

  Randell had been watching her carefully for any sign that she might lie to him. When she agreed, he saw she meant it. "Thank you. I'll see you shortly."

  ~~~

  Rhea arrived at the coffee shop just in front of a large group of people. The place filled up quickly around this time of day, so she grabbed a small table. Johnny, the coffee guy, was standing at her side before she could settle in.

  He held his pen over his order pad and looked at her impatiently. No "Hello," no "How can I help you," just impatience. But that was Johnny. She ordered a large mocha. That seemed to make him happy. He didn't like it when customers hadn't decided what they wanted by the time he was ready to take their order. In spite of this behavior, Johnny was the reason many students came to the coffee shop; he was fast with service and likable once you got used to him.

  It was 4:55 by the coffee shop clock. The place was packed now. Rhea was glad she'd come inside to wait. While she waited, she tried to imagine what aspect of her work the professor founding interesting. She wasn't that good. There had to be something else, but what?

  If he had wanted to talk about her parents, he would have said so, right? Maybe he wanted to encourage her to write more about her fantasy world? Okay, that was stretching it a bit. Who would want to read about that?

  Johnny quietly placed her mocha in front of her and was off to help another customer. She looked out the front window of the shop and noticed the gray clouds had blown south and the sun was shining; the weatherman was predicting a clear night and a bright moon. Rhea crossed her fingers that Grennal would come tonight, but she knew it was unlikely.

  She thought about the time when she first left for college. She hadn't said goodbye to Grennal, but instead came home as often as she could. It wasn't long before they both realized Grennal needed to find Rhea's dorm.

  With each trip between home and school, Rhea watched the moon shadows. Sometimes she could see the other world and sometimes she couldn't, but Rhea saw enough for Grennal to find her. Soon Grennal was visiting her in her dorm room. In a couple days, though, that part of Rhea's and Grennal's life would be over.

  27

  Meeting

  Rhea checked her watch again. It was 5:20. Johnny was back to take another order and Rhea didn't argue. As he turned away, the door opened and Randell stepped in.

  He scanned the room, not having seen her outside waiting. He hoped she was there. He hadn't expected questions as the student's left after the exam, and that had put him behind schedule to meet Rhea. He finally saw her across the room and felt relieved. As he reached the table, Johnny arrived with a drink for Rhea, so he quickly gave Johnny his order.

  "I'm sorry I'm late. Thanks for waiting."

  "No problem." She sipped her mocha.

  He laid his courier bag on the floor by his chair. "It was nice of you to meet me. I forgot how crowded this place gets at this time of day. Did you have to wait long for a table?"

  "No. I got here just in front of the crowd." She tried to look relaxed but was struggling. She hoped he didn't notice.

  Randell had played this conversation over and over in his head, each time with a different approach, but still he wasn't sure how to proceed. All he'd managed to do was identify what needed to be accomplished in this meeting at a minimum. She had to know that he and Daen knew she was a Luxatran and that they were here to help her. He also needed her to agree to meet Daen. How to accomplish this without scaring her away was the question. Should he use a direct approach? Or indirect? Time for a decision. Direct.

  His coffee arrived and he waited for Johnny to step away.

  He took a deep breath and said, "I read the fantasy story you submitted. What would you say if I told you I know someone who has met some of the characters you depicted in that story?"

  Her eyes went wide. What would she say? Was he kidding? He had to be kidding. Right? What if he wasn't? That could mean only one thing. She wasn't alone here. But was that a good thing? Was this just a coincidence, or did someone know where she was? Her heart rate started to climb. She glanced at the exit. Should she run? She didn't want to run. He was waiting for an answer. Why was he looking at her that way?

  He had her attention, he could tell. Her aura flared. Now he needed to show her that what he had just said was possible. He reached into his bag and pulled out Daen's journal and handed it to her. "Please open this to any entry and read it."

  She took the journal but didn't take her eyes off his. What was he up to? She still hadn't answered his question and now he was handing her a journal? She placed it on the table in front of her and opened it, allowing the pages to open to a place of their choosing.

  At first she didn't want to believe what she was seeing. How could this be? Excitement and fear rippled through her. Memories of reading Grennal’s lessons flashed through her mind. And of course there was the card with her name. It wasn't that long ago that she'd read that s
ingle word written in Aduraun, and now she was looking at a page of Aduraun script.

  It's been a week since I arrived. I have found a place to live while I look for her, the one I am supposed to help. I don't know anything about her except that she will be here one day. That is all I can remember hearing before I was swept away from my world. While I wait, I will look for a way back. I will be patient. I must be.

  It took seconds to read the short entry, but her eyes lingered on the page as she tried to understand what was happening. As she stared at the page, she noticed some numbers in the top right corner, as if they'd been added after the initial entry. May 88. A date. That's right. Luxatra wouldn't have the same calendar, would they? She shook off the random thought and calmed her nerves.

  When she could finally pull her eyes off the page, she found Randell watching her, waiting for a reaction. She slowly closed the journal and handed it back. "Who are you?" she asked.

  Randell had watched her colors flare when she looked at the page and again when she read the entry, her expression on the edge of bewilderment. Now her expression read skepticism.

  "I'm a friend," he replied.

  "No. Who are you, really?" She wanted to trust him. Something inside her told her she could trust him. Was he like her, she wondered, or was he just a go-between?

  Randell wondered whether he should tell her everything. No, he decided. Not without Daen. "It's a long story that I'd like to share with you, but it's not my story to tell alone."

  She looked at the journal in his hands. "You didn't write that."

  "No. A very good friend wrote it. I would like to introduce you to him. May I call him? He can be here in a few minutes. He would like to meet you."

  She wanted to say yes, but wondered if that was a good idea. Grennal's words lingered in the back of her mind; she had feared that she would lead someone to Rhea. Had that happened? Caution was demanded of her.

  Randell could see she was troubled, that a conflict battled inside her. Her aura flickered, the intensity of the blue changed as her expression remained mute. He needed her to understand. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want you to know that we're here to help you."