FORBIDDEN

by Curd, Megan

  TWENTY-FOUR

  “Your nose looks great, Bro. Real character added into it now,” Ethan said with less enthusiasm than usual as he walked toward the window where I now stood. “Stand still and I’ll pop it back into place.”

  I waved him off and faced away from him. “No, no, I got it. Thanks.” The audible crack that accompanied the flash of pain was disgusting. I shook my head and turned to Ethan and Reina. “So what are we going to do now?”

  Reina shrugged. “You’re going to need your own team of Guardians to keep Hannah and her family safe, watch out for Angie and Owen, and find out what is going to happen now that the sides have evened out. Maybe they’ll let things go.”

  Ethan looked nonplussed. “How have they evened out?”

  Reina jabbed a finger toward the window violently. “Uh, your Call just became a Hunter. Did you forget everything that just happened? A Hunter evens the score. The only reason the Fallen were after Hannah and Angie to my knowledge was that they threw the balance off for good. With Angie on their side, it’s even again. Is there anything you haven’t told me? Otherwise, you should be okay now. Ethan, you probably won’t even get in trouble since it evened the playing field. You may get to remain a Guard.”

  “Joy of joys,” Ethan mumbled.

  “I’m going back to the house and contacting some other Guardians I know. Maybe we’ll figure something out,” Reina said, eyeing Ethan the whole time. “Levi, Ethan, you two stay with Hannah. Keep her close. Nothing should happen to her if there’s two of you with her.”

  There wasn’t much to say. I just nodded numbly, completely taken aback from everything that had just transpired. Angie was a Hunter. She would come for Hannah. I would have to kill her somehow. Owen said Hunters couldn’t be killed. There had to be a way to kill them, right?

  We weren’t going to figure anything out standing aimlessly in Hannah’s room though, so I shook Ethan’s shoulder. He had stood still since Reina’s minor outburst. “E, we gotta move. I’m gonna get Hannah and we need to find Owen’s dad. Sandusky isn’t that far away for us, maybe an hour at most if we fly.”

  Ethan nodded halfheartedly. “I don’t think you want me anywhere near your Call, Levi.”

  “Why’s that?”

  He looked at me as though he’d been shot. “I can’t even keep mine human! It’s one thing for her to die. She was supposed to die. It’s another for her to become a Hunter. I failed. Why would you want me anywhere near Hannah? What if something happens? I should have never said I’d try harder. It was better when I wasn’t trying.”

  I had never in my existence seen Ethan be remorseful. It was beyond him. It was beyond all Guards, really, but him especially. He took his fist and lightly rapped himself on the forehead. “I gotta get it together, don’t I?” he asked pathetically.

  “Kind of, yeah.”

  He shook his head. “Okay. Owen’s dad. Sandusky. Take care of Hannah. Got it. What’s your plan?”

  “Can you change her parents’ memories a bit? The fire was actually her dad’s fault somehow, not mine. Hannah is gone for the day with school on a field trip. She’ll be home late tonight. Sound good?”

  “I got it. I’ll go around to the front. You get Hannah.”

  Ethan hopped out the window and I cautiously opened Hannah’s door. No one was there, but I could hear the family’s voices downstairs. Her little brother was crying.

  They were all sitting on the couch as I crept down the stairs. I waited for Ethan to ring the doorbell, and two seconds later, there it was. Mr. Gordon got up and walked out, then a few minutes later called for Mrs. Gordon as well. With Nick distracted by his own tears, I tapped Hannah lightly on the shoulder. She jumped.

  “It’s just me. We need to go.”

  She didn’t look behind, but covered her face with her hands, pretending to rub away the day’s terrors. “If you hadn’t noticed, I can’t really go anywhere.”

  “Sure you can,” Ethan said lightly as he bounded into the room and smiled at Nick innocently. “Memories are modified. We need to go.”

  Nick’s eyes slid out of focus for a moment, then an amused grin crossed his face. Ethan presented him as though he were a game show hostess revealing a grand prize. “See? Time to go.”

  Hannah shot daggers at Ethan, then turned to look at me. “He’s coming with us?”

  I understood why she felt the way she did, but there wasn’t time to explain. “Do you trust me, Hannah?”

  “With my life.”

  “Then trust that Ethan is going to help me take care of you. You’re important. We need all the help we can get.”

  “And Reina?”

  “She’s staying here.”

  This seemed to mollify her a bit. Hannah nodded and stood up. “Alright. Where are we headed?”

  I looked at Ethan to jump in with a comment, but his fallen mood continued. I almost felt bad for him. He stood with his arms behind his back, simply waiting on the next instructions. My gaze returned to Hannah. “We’re going to Sandusky to find Owen’s dad. He’s a Guardian, and we think he can help us. We’re flying, so it’ll be quick. Is that okay?”

  Hannah gulped, but seemed resigned to go. She opened her arms in an invitation. I didn’t need any more than that. I scooped her up, sprinted out of the house, and burst into the air. One way or another, we’d figure out what was really going on.

  Hannah breathed a sigh of relief as we landed outside a small diner in Port Clinton. Her stomach had been rumbling the entire time. No wonder; she hadn't eaten all day. I made a move to walk into the diner, but Ethan held his hand out. "Wait a second," he said before going in himself. I shrugged at Hannah's questioning glance and waited on Ethan to reemerge. A few minutes later he nodded through the glass door and swung it open. "We're clear... for now."

  "Do you plan on the apocalypse coming down on us while we eat lunch?" I joked.

  Ethan pointed his thumb at Hannah. "With her, I'm beginning to think anything is possible."

  I don't think Hannah could have blushed a brighter shade of red. “I’m not hungry,” she argued.

  “Babe, your stomach was growling the whole way here. Just eat something real quick.”

  Hannah sighed, but gave in. “If I eat, will you explain what happened with Angie?”

  Ethan twitched nervously, but didn’t say anything. He was really struggling with things right now. I looked his way for a second, then ushered Hannah into the diner. “Yes, but not right now. There could be ears. Just know that she’s become something very, very dangerous. You can’t be friends with her anymore.”

  Hannah began to protest, but Ethan held up his hand. “Eat,” he ordered, “Eat, and then we can find Clay.”

  “Clay? You mean Clay Watkins? The town’s mayor?” squealed the little old lady behind the counter as we walked in. “Why, he lives right down the road! No need to look too hard for him; he’s always in the community doing something nice for someone. Great man, Mr. Watkins, great man.”

  “Oh yes, we’ve heard he’s an incredible person,” agreed Ethan quickly. “Do you know if he’ll be around today? We wanted to discuss a business opportunity with him.”

  She smiled cheerfully. “Well, usually on Fridays he stops by here and says hello. He might swing in pretty soon, actually. Always orders the same thing.”

  “Well maybe we’ll stick around, then,” Ethan said, matching her cheerfulness. It was strange to see him seemingly happy. Something was going on, but I wasn’t going to confront him about it in front of Hannah.

  We sat down in a nearby booth with Hannah’s food. Just like I’d figured, she was hungrier than she thought. It was quiet while she ate, which was fine. Ethan and I were shooting glances to one another across the table. He eyed my arm around her, but said nothing. Instead, we waited on Hannah to speak. After about ten minutes, she came up for air and turned to me. “I know Angie is… sick. The question is, can we do anything to help her get better?”

  Her allusions to the more sinister s
tate of things made me laugh. Sick was a good word for someone with a cold. Sick in this instance was lacking a bit. I ran my hand through my hair to buy time, but Ethan didn’t need time. “Angie is sick, but it’s a terminal illness. There’s no coming back from what she has.”

  That old saying of ‘if looks could kill’ came to mind when I watched Hannah turn her eyes to Ethan. “I’m not talking to you.”

  Ethan lowered his eyes and played with the saltshaker. No comeback? I’d never seen him without a comment. Hannah returned her gaze to me. “Can we help her?”

  I felt bad to have to agree with Ethan. “I don’t think so. Ethan’s right, it’s kind of a terminal thing.”

  She stabbed what was left of her fried chicken with more vengeance than needed. “It’s not fair! You said she was a kind soul.”

  “Not here!” hissed Ethan.

  “Not anywhere, if you’re a human,” drawled a voice behind us.

  We all jumped. Ethan stood up quickly and blocked Hannah’s exit from the booth, sandwiching her between the two of us. I turned to see Ethan’s eyes squinted in pain, but he refused to look away.

  “Well there you are, Clay! I’ve got your usual all hot and ready for you,” sang the waitress that had helped us.

  Clay turned to smile at the woman and bowed his head. “Thank you very much, Dorothy. You’re too good to me.”

  The woman smiled and skittered away to get his food. Ethan stood staunchly by the side of the booth, keeping himself between Clay and Hannah. The man noticed and laughed. “I’m not a mass murderer, Ethan.”

  The man strode past Ethan, patted him on the head, and made himself at home on the other side of the booth. He smiled and nodded to Hannah. His eyes were a steely grey and his hair was silver. Even with the aged look, his eyes gave a glint of excitement and mischief. He possessed both the wisdom of ages and a youthful glow.

  Nothing intelligent came from my mouth. “I thought Guardians were young,” I muttered. Hannah punched me in the side.

  Clay laughed. “No one is young if you’re a Guard or a Guardian. You should know this.”

  “Sorry,” I said, “I’m just used to them looking young, how’s that?”

  Once again Clay barked out a happy laugh. The waitress returned with his food and he nodded his thanks. She winked at him and left. As he dug into his chicken, he continued on. “So, as I was saying, discussing things with a human is strictly forbidden,” he pointed a drumstick at Ethan, then me. “You should know that, you two.”

  I nodded at him, never breaking eye contact. “We do, Sir. It’s just Hannah isn’t your typical human.”

  “And you’re not a typical Guard, are you? You’re transitioning, for one. Who’s your superior?”

  “Uh, Reina?”

  Clay’s whimsical face darkened. “Ah, I see. Well, we’ll see how that goes.”

  Ethan’s eyebrows furrowed together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Hannah, on the other hand, crossed her arms in what looked like smug satisfaction. “I knew it.”

  We all looked at her. Clay smiled. “What do you mean, love?”

  Hannah shifted in her seat. “Well, she’s just…she’s…well she’s horrible!”

  Clay burst out laughing and shook his drumstick at her. “You may be the only one at the table to pick up on that. Then again, you’re the only female at the table, too,” he turned his eyes on Ethan and me, then laughed again when he saw our faces. “You aren’t a typical human, Hannah. This much I already knew. What I wonder is how much you know, as well as how much the two gentlemen friends you’re toting along with you know.”

  I wasn’t sure how to handle that comment, since Ethan wasn’t really a gentleman or a friend to Hannah, but I didn’t say anything. Ethan and I just sat silently, watching Hannah and Clay size each other up. It seemed so strange to be sitting here, the four of us. Was there really any chance to save Hannah and Angie, or were Ethan and I just putting off the inevitable? It sure felt like more harm than good had happened since I decided to get involved.

  “Your heart is good, Levi,” Clay commented out of the blue. He wiped his hands and mouth with his napkin and stood up, throwing down a fifty-dollar bill. “That should cover the two meals, don’t you think?”

  Without waiting for a response he stood and held his arm out to Hannah. “You wanted answers, correct?”

  Hannah nodded and put her arm through his. He winked at me and turned to leave the diner. Ethan was up in an instant and cut their path off. “Hannah, what are you thinking? You don’t even know this old guy!”

  “I take offense to that, Guard,” Clay said in a kind, yet dangerous voice. “She seems to have a good judge of character. I also noticed she paid no attention to you throughout the meal and has yet to acknowledge you. Why are you still here?”

  Ethan recoiled from the words as though Clay had slapped him. I realized I was still in the booth, watching this whole scene transpire. What was wrong with me? I should have been the one stopping them. I got up and put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Clay, we’re here for answers. We would appreciate the time to talk with you, but please remember, Hannah is my Call.”

  “Then why is your friend taking care of her?”

  It was as though he could read my mind. It was unnerving. I shook it off and smiled at him. “He’s a good friend.”

  “That’s why his Call is now a Hunter, I presume?”

  Hannah’s body went rigid. The pain in her eyes was front and center, and it pained me to know it was partly my fault that she was in this situation. I glanced at Ethan, then returned to Clay. “Your son is a Hunter. It’s his fault Angie is a Hunter, and part of the reason we’re coming to you.”

  This time Clay recoiled. He regained his composure quickly, but I knew that a nerve had been hit. He took Hannah’s hand once more and gestured toward the door. “Let’s go back to my home, shall we?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” said the sweet old lady as she came around the side of the bar. “I need the girl.”

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Clay turned slowly to face the old woman while he slipped Hannah behind his back and toward me. His body was tense. “Now Lois, haven’t we had an agreement for all these years? You mind your business, and I allow you to stay here?”

  The waitress’s voice took on a deep, raspy tone. She sounded nothing like what she had when she served us earlier. “She is a pure soul. She can’t be allowed to live,” she growled through clenched teeth as she inched forward.

  Instinctively I grabbed Hannah and pushed her behind me to Ethan, then rushed the woman without another thought. The woman screeched and black, bloody wings tore through her waitressing uniform. Her skin took on the burnt and mottled tone that revealed her to be a Fallen.

  Clay grabbed my shoulder and brought me back before I could get to her. He cleared his throat and strained a smile. “Forgive him, Dorothy. He’s transitioning. The girl is not pure. She’s been tainted by one of yours. Leave her be.”

  “How do you know this?” hissed the Fallen, who still wore the tattered apron. It would have almost been comical, had the thing not wanted to take Hannah.

  Clay waved his hand behind him. “Ethan, lift up her jean leg to show Dorothy her scar.”

  Ethan did as he was told, and the Fallen named Dorothy examined the scar from afar. Its face contorted in shock and dismay. “But I was told she was pure!”

  “Well, you were told wrong. Now leave before you make me upset and I decide to do something to you that was deserved long ago.”

  She hissed, but retreated into the kitchen and began to bang pots and pans. Clay pulled me back and pushed all of us out of the diner. “We need to go now. Of all the diners you decide to go into, you choose the one managed by a Fallen.”

  Ethan was frustrated. “I checked before I let them go in! Why couldn’t I tell?”

  Clay laughed. “Because she’s been playing her part for so long, she’s basically just a grumpy old woman until
you rile her up. You’re lucky that human of yours has a scar from a Fallen.”

  “Am I not a pure soul anymore?” Hannah said, shock and dismay riddled throughout her voice.

  I opened my mouth to quell her fears but Clay cut me off. “Not here. It’s a Tuesday. Don’t you have school tomorrow? Why are you even here?”

  Hannah opened and closed her mouth like a fish before he waved her off and continued. “Never mind. I’ll come with you. It looks like you two need all the help you can get. You’ve got yourselves quite a predicament. I’ll explain everything when we get back to – where are we going?”

  Ethan laughed derisively. “You know everything about us, but you don’t know where we’re going?”

  “Well I don’t know her specific address, now do I?” Without another word, Clay took Hannah by the hand and looked her in the eyes. “Do you trust your Guard?”

  Hannah’s eyes narrowed as she came to my defense. “You mean my Guardian?”

  Clay waved the correction off. “Whatever. Do you trust him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you trust his friend?”

  There wasn’t even a split second between the question and the answer. “I feel like he wants me to, and sometimes I feel like I should, but no, I don’t.”

  I didn’t look at Ethan, who was standing behind Clay, but I felt bad for him for once in my life. Clay nodded. “Then I’m coming. You need two people you can trust. Let’s go.”

  Hannah held up her hand. “What says I should trust you, Clay? I just met you and you were in there talking to the Fallen like you’re old friends. That isn’t allowed, is it?”

  I snuck a glance at Ethan, and his smug grin told me that he was at least mollified that Hannah wasn’t going to trust Clay off the bat, either. Clay’s face fell for the briefest of moments, but he pulled himself back together quickly. “Good interacts with evil more often than you’d think. It’s the decisions and effort to choose the better path that makes a person good. Without being offered the decisions, how could we know what is good and evil?”