The Guardian (The Gifted Book 1)

by C. L. McCourt

  Rhea tensed at what Daen was telling her and Randell gasped. His mouth opened and shut a couple times as he stared at Rhea.

  "Randell? What do you see?" Daen watched his friend looking at a somewhat frightened Rhea.

  "What's happening?" Rhea's voice was strained and anxious.

  "She's got ... I didn't think it was real ... but she ..." Randell's eyes started to smile before his gaping mouth could do the same. "She's a Gaulette."

  Rhea listened intently. What had he just said? What was a Gaulette?

  Before Rhea could inquire, Daen leaned in to ask, "How do you know?"

  "Remember the entry in Raisal's journal about the silver thread? I just saw it, when she tensed. It wraps around her, encasing her like a spider web. What's strange is I didn't see it before today. It's as if something has happened. Her aura is becoming stronger and the thread is now visible. Or maybe I’m changing, I don’t know for sure."

  One more bit of evidence to support Daen's belief. "Interesting. I remember the thread. But you say you couldn't see it before today?"

  "No."

  "I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Rhea glanced down at her body and her arms. "What thread? And what is a Gaulette?"

  Randell quickly explained, "Gaulette is a family name, my great-grandmother’s last name. I ... inherited a gift from her. I can ... read people."

  Rhea's heart jumped. "Does that mean you're from Luxatra as well?"

  Randell winced slightly. "Not quite. My great-grandmother, Raisal Gaulette, was from Luxatra and had the same gift. It's been passed down over the generations. The people of Luxatra are known for their ... how should I say this ... their ability to connect with life energies. These connections manifest in different ways. For instance, I can read a person's life energy and can tell if someone is lying or intends to do me harm. Your friend, as you said, has the ability to hide behind an illusion."

  Before she could react further on what she'd heard, the door to the shop opened and a breeze lifted a napkin off the table, sending it to the floor. Without thinking, Daen and Rhea reached for it at the same time and their hands touched.

  29

  Confirmation

  The coffee shop disappeared and Rhea found herself standing in a huge underground cavern. In the center, floating high above a deep crevice, was a blue and silver cloud-like mass filled with various shapes twisting and turning and floating inside. Rhea could feel its presence without having to touch it. It was reaching out to her, its power moving through her, a sensation she could compare to nothing she'd ever felt before; she couldn't move.

  Images of people and places started to flash in her mind, people she thought she could recognize and some she didn't. She felt love from some while others made her feel uncomfortable, threatened. The last image that flashed before her was of the Kinling Mountains, with diamond-like snow dancing on its cliffs.

  When Rhea opened her eyes, Randell was holding her by the shoulders, saying something she couldn't hear. When the sounds of the coffee shop returned, she heard him ask if she was all right. Rhea shook him off and looked around to see several people watching their exchange. Daen looked like she felt ... dazed.

  Daen turned to Rhea. "What did you see?"

  Rhea's mind spun with questions. See! Oh my gosh! How could she know what she saw? Breathe. Calm. He can help, just tell him. "It felt like I was transported to a deep cavern. I saw this ... blue cloud ... floating in midair. It radiated ... I don't know what. Flashes of images, mostly people, ran through my mind like someone was shoving pictures into my brain. And then I was here again."

  Randell looked anxious. "Daen?"

  He nodded. "I saw the Libraim as well, and images of Rhea."

  "The Libraim? What makes you think I saw the Libraim? Wait a sec. You mean it's something you can actually see?" The way he’d described it, she'd imagined a noncorporeal belief system, like a religion. Not something you could actually see.

  Randell glanced at Daen, ignoring Rhea's questions. "Is that it? What does it mean?"

  "I think the Libraim has confirmed our suspicions. Rhea is the one I'm here to help."

  Randell smiled and turned to Rhea. "Can you describe the people you saw?"

  Rhea wasn't sure. The images were strong in her mind but they were hard to describe. "Some of the people, mostly women, looked familiar for some reason. One man stood out in several images. He had long dark hair. Something about him didn't feel right. Oh, and the Kinling Mountains. I saw the Kinling Mountains."

  Randell reached down and dug through his bag before pulling out an old photo and handing it to her. "Did any of the women look like her?"

  She took the photo and studied it. "Yes, I think this is one of them." Rhea handed him the photo. "Who is she?"

  "Raisal Gaulette." He studied the photo for a moment before returning it to his bag.

  Daen looked puzzled. "If you've never been in Luxatra, how do you know the Kinling Mountains?"

  "I've seen them ... in the shadows, when I was little. Grennal told me their name."

  Daen leaned forward. "You saw them? Where? Where were you when this happened?" Daen had tried over the years to figure out where he was in relation to his world. The few trips they'd made hadn't offered him any landmarks that he could use to ascertain his location. Not for sure at least. But he knew those mountains.

  "I was at a friend's house one night. My home is about 150 miles northeast from here. She lives a few miles from my house."

  With a little more information, he could map his world onto this one and confirm the landmarks he'd already seen. But that would have to wait.

  Johnny laid the check on the table and Randell picked it up while Daen thought about the news.

  Rhea reached for the check. "That's mine."

  Randell pulled it out of her reach. "I've got it." He handed the check and some cash to Johnny as he walked past.

  "Thank you." Rhea liked to pay her own way. She didn't need that kind of help; which reminded her of Daen's comment about being hunted. She'd been so distracted that his comment had initially washed right by her.

  Daen started to stand.

  "Wait. What did you say before, about hunters?" She didn't want to believe what she'd heard. She had to be wrong.

  Daen sat on the edge of his chair. "Ah, this brings us back to why we need to be going. There are two hunters looking for you, me, us—I don't know. Given who I am and what sent me, I'm guessing I'm here to protect you from them. Do you know why trackers would be hunting you? It might help me protect you."

  Rhea had gone tense during Daen's explanation. Grennal's concerns about someone finding her pressed against her chest. Had she been found?

  Randell watched her aura flare. "What do you know?"

  "Grennal told me I was in danger. That's why she put me here shortly after I was born. If you're right and they are after me, it looks like the secret is out."

  Before Daen could respond, the door to the shop opened again and two men entered but stayed in the doorway as they scanned the room. Randell glanced up at them and froze. "Don't look now but they're here."

  "Damn! We waited too long."

  Rhea couldn't help but glance towards the door. There, standing a few feet from their safe exit, were the two men she'd seen in front of the dining hall, the two men who had been giving her the creeps. Now she knew why. Panic pulsed through her.

  "No! Calm down. They might see you if you get anxious. Just breathe." Randell took her hand and looked deep into her eyes. "Relax. We are with a guardian, a very powerful guardian. Nothing will happen to you." Randell could see her aura fade as her breathing returned to normal.

  Something about Randell's calm and confidence was contagious. He captured her attention and brought her emotions under control before she knew what was happening. She wondered if that was part of his gift.

  In the meantime, Daen monitored the two men. The big one could sense something but it was clear by the way he looked about the room that
he couldn't detect them specifically. The younger one didn't seem to notice anything. Daen whispered, "We need a plan. We need to get out of here."

  Randell leaned in to whisper, "There is a back door that is usually propped open. Rhea and I will head for the restrooms but keep going out the back. Daen, go to the music store. We'll meet you there."

  "But what about the two men? Won't they just follow us?"

  Daen added, "I'll keep an eye on them, make sure they don't follow you."

  Randell and Rhea slowly stood and headed for the back of the coffee shop. They walked past the restrooms and to the back door but stopped. The door wasn't open and there was a big sign: Alarmed door. Do not open. No subtle exit for them now.

  They headed back to the front of the coffee shop to tell Daen the plan had failed, but he was gone and the two men were still there. Rhea grabbed Randell's sleeve and jerked his arm, hoping he would see what she saw.

  He hadn't at first but now he did.

  Rhea's heart fluttered and panic started to set in. What had Randell told her? That they could sense her if she got nervous? Breathe. Calm.

  Randell saw the flash of blue from the corner of his eye and quickly stepped between Rhea and the men, hoping to block their view. "Shh. It'll be all right. Try to relax."

  Rhea nodded as she took a cleansing breath. "I'm okay. Let's just get out of here."

  Randell took her hand and led her towards the door. Rhea could see she'd drawn their attention. The big one was watching her. Did Randell see? Should they run? They needed to get to the music store, but that was a block away. She squeezed Randell's hand for support as he walked her past the two men and out the door.

  Her body was on autopilot while her mind battled with what they should be doing. Randell and Rhea turned left outside the door and walked quickly towards the next corner. She glanced over her shoulder as Randell pulled her along and saw it was clear; they'd made it. The two men weren't following.

  ~~~

  As Daen watched Rhea disappear down the hall to the back of the shop, the group at the next table got up to leave. The men stayed put, which meant they hadn't sensed Rhea and Randell. Now was the time to move. Daen stood and followed the group out of the shop. Moments later, he was in the clear and on the way to the music store.

  ~~~

  Bestian and Gauvin stood a few feet from the coffee shop door. Bestian had gotten several intermittent hits from this direction and now he felt he had him, but the coffee shop was full of people. He could pick him out of the crowd.

  Bestian whispered over his shoulder to Gauvin, "Do you see him?"

  Gauvin answered, "No. They all look the same. Something is definitely wrong with my gift. It's all this other magic this world has. I think it's interfering."

  A low groan emanated from Bestian. Although he would never admit it to Gauvin, his gift was being affected as well. In his world, he would have found and captured the gifted Luxatran by now. In this world, his ability to sense a gifted Luxatran was inconsistent.

  A crowd of people filtered in and out of the shop, forcing them further and further away from the door. By now they were halfway across the room.

  Bestian stiffened. "He's here. I just felt it." He scanned the room, but before he finished the sensation was gone. "Damn. I lost it."

  Just when Bestian had started to think the Luxatran had gotten away, he felt it again, and this time he could feel its source. He whispered, "There, just past the counter. It's coming from where that man and woman are standing."

  Gauvin glanced towards the back. "Who?"

  Bestian whispered, "They're walking towards the door."

  They watched Randell and Rhea hug the wall as a group of people came in, using the people as a barrier. Bestian whispered to himself, "Good try, but I have you now." He jerked his head towards the door. "Let's go."

  Bestian and Gauvin rounded the corner just after Rhea's glance back. They were in pursuit. Using an unspoken language of glances, they planned their capture. They picked up their speed, splitting up to take them from both sides. They could see the man and woman hadn't noticed them; their intense focus on the path ahead was a dead giveaway.

  Bestian spoke first, knowing his deep voice would startle them. He leaned close to Randell's ear. "What's your hurry?"

  Randell flinched. This was the first time he’d heard anyone but Daen or his parents speak Aduraun. And it was a message he could have done without. He glanced towards the voice to see who it was, but he didn't really have to. Who else could it be?

  Rhea let out a small squeal and her defenses went up. She started to pull Randell away from the big, angry-looking man leaning in towards him but was stopped by the smaller man on her other side.

  Rhea's small squeal was all Bestian needed. He could feel the gift tingle up his spine. But something was wrong. It didn't come from the man. It came from the woman. He laughed to himself. Who would have thought? He'd been so sure it was a man.

  Bestian opened his coat to reveal a very large knife. "Come with us." His voice was calm, even, but very clear.

  Randell glared at the man in front of him and spoke in Aduraun. "Step back, now." He grabbed Rhea's hand, ready to pull her past their would-be assailants.

  Bestian reached for the knife, quickly raising it to Randell's throat as he stepped closer to Rhea. "I'll just be taking this one. She's the one we want."

  Before Rhea knew what was happening, both of the men reached for her. Panic pulsed through her, just it had so many times in her dreams. She raised her hands defensively, trying to keep the men from taking hold, and released a thin blue streak of ... static electricity? No way, she thought.

  She watched in awe as the would-be assailants froze in place, their bodies vibrating from the shock, their eyes bulging from the pain.

  Randell couldn't believe what he was seeing. It took a few seconds before it registered that now was a good time to get away. He started to reach for Rhea's hand but stopped, not wanting to get the same treatment. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

  Rhea snapped her head to Randell, looking at him, trying to process what had just happened and what he had just said. "Right. Yes." She stepped back from the men, who were already starting to recover.

  Randell extended his hand and she took it before they took off at a run. Randell knew they needed to ditch the men whose feet were starting to pound behind him and Rhea. They'd broken free of the shock and were chasing down their prey.

  Rhea glanced over her shoulder as they took the next corner. "They're coming!"

  "Shock them again?" Rhea was breathing hard when she answered, "I can't ... I don't know how."

  Randell glanced at her quickly, not slowing down. There wasn't time to argue with her. They needed to get away. They were supposed to meet Daen in the music store, but a large group of people were mingling just in front of the door. If they stopped, or tried to get past the group, the men following would surely catch them.

  Randell glanced over his shoulder to check for cars as he pulled Rhea into the street, heading for College Avenue.

  30

  Chase

  Daen arrived at the music store before Randell and Rhea. They should have been there already, he thought. They had left the coffee shop before he did. In fact, he’d half expected to see them on the street, but he hadn't.

  Now he stood at the window, watching, waiting, wondering where they were. He reached for his cell phone and flipped it open. Just before he pressed Randell's speed-dial number, a large group of people began to pile into the store.

  Daen watched, expecting to see Randell and Rhea mixed in with the group. He didn't watch for long. From the corner of his eye, he saw movement in the street. He turned his head to look, just in time to see Randell pulling Rhea across the street at a full run. He pulled her around the next corner, heading in the direction of campus.

  Reflexively, he moved towards the door, planning his exit and his pursuit, wondering what was wrong. He had barely moved when he saw the problem.
Daen launched himself for the door, only to be blocked by the throng of slow moving, yammering teenagers, all bunched in the doorway.

  He tried to gently push his way through the crowd, not wanting to be forceful and draw any more attention to himself than he already was. "Excuse me. Excuse me. Pardon me."

  By the time he broke free from the crowd, Randell, Rhea, and their pursuers were out of sight. He took off at full speed in the direction he'd last seen them. As he rounded the corner, he scanned the walk in front of him and then the surrounding area. They seemed to have disappeared.

  He stopped and focused his search, extending his scan further down the road and to the edge of the student center. Had they gone into the center? Had they gone past it?

  Two young women were approaching, oblivious to his dismay. He asked, "Did you see a man and a woman run by you?"

  One of the women pointed behind her. "They ran that way."

  "Did they go into the student center?"

  The other woman shook her head. "I think they went past it, to the right."

  "Were two men following them?"

  They both nodded. "One almost knocked me off my feet," one told him.

  Daen took off as he shouted, "Thanks."

  ~~~

  Rhea was struggling to keep up. She was in shape and she ran regularly, but nothing like this and certainly not this fast. Breathing heavily, barely able to speak, she wheezed out, "We need a place to hide."

  Randell looked over his shoulder to see the men still in pursuit. He needed a building with multiple exits; someplace they could hide but have multiple ways to get away undetected. His first thought was the library, but then they would be trapped.

  He scanned ahead and found his answer; the building with the largest lecture halls on campus, multiple rooms, halls, floors, and doors. As they got closer, a group of students exited the corner doors in front of them.

  Randell pulled Rhea into and through the crowd and then ducked to the right and pulled her into the stairwell. They climbed the stairs two at time to the second floor.