by Urania Sarri
“Why would you go close to such a creature?” I insisted.
His mouth curled up. “I had to. I meant to kill it,” he said wryly.
I winced inwardly. This conversation wasn’t really happening! Jerome was out there in the dark ... killing... creatures? He didn’t resemble a superhero at all at that moment, weariness twisting his adorable features; dark circles showing up once again around his eyes and a morbid paleness taking over his perfect lips.
“Are you in pain? You must have lost a lot of blood. Maybe... maybe we should take you to a hospital,” I asked.
“No need. I heal fast. Why don’t you go back to bed? You look worse than I do. We can talk about it later.”
He gave me a reassuring smile that faded as his eyes seemed to take me all in, shifting from my face to my legs. I was aware of how little skin my night suit covered, an outfit that -it just occurred to me- Jerome had picked. Feeling self-conscious under Jerome’s dark gaze, I ran up the stairs and hid under the covers, angry at myself with how easily he could make me lose control.
I hadn’t realized how sleepy I was, but the moment I closed my eyes I fell asleep. This time no nightmares haunted me.
When I opened my eyes hours later, the loft was darker, the sun already too low behind the trees to reach my window. Turning on my back to stretch out, my hand touched hot, smooth flesh. I turned my head to look at the other side of the king-size bed. Jerome was lying next to me, half naked.
CHAPTER TWELVE
By her side
I had lost too much power killing that Snatcher. Not having fed for too long, I’d been already feeling weak before confronting the evil creature. Last night I’d been too close to taking Madison’s essence, her usia, but on second thought, I was grateful to Connor for stopping me. Connor was right. That was not the kind of relationship I wanted to have with her. In fact, I was certain that any kind of relationship between us would be a bad idea. I’d tried to avoid it but, oddly enough, things happened to draw the two of us together. Maybe I should let things take their way, see where this would get us both.
Now I had to find a way to prepare her for meeting Hanna. That would be another reason to manipulate her thoughts, and I hated that part. But Hanna was determined to stay close to the Dormant, thinking that she could help us restrain the Guardian once it was awakened. I knew most of it was her excuse for getting back to my life. For the first time in the human world, I wished I could manipulate her feelings. Because Hanna wasn’t exactly human and that made her immune to my skill. That was what had attracted me to her in the past. But that was over now.
When Madison had come down the stairs looking so incredibly hot, I had forgotten all about my wound; I was unable to take my eyes off her. She was wearing that tiny top and shorts I’d picked from her house. It matched her red, adorably unruly hair that made her emerald green eyes look brighter. It pained me to see the dark circles under her eyes, giving away her tossing and turning during the night. The Cthons must have tried to reach her in her sleep when I left. The nightmares they caused must have terrified her. Was this the only reason I had come to lie next to her? Being close to her made it easier to shove the evil away from her dreams, but who was I trying to fool? This was exactly where I wanted to be, craving her touch, the warmth of her body, the smell of her breath. Her breath. It was not my hunger that drew me to her. I was starting to have feelings for Madison; feelings I could not fight any longer.
I felt her stir as she woke up. Then she turned towards me with slow, cautious movements.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Alter Ego
No need to keep quiet for my sake. I told you, I don’t sleep,” Jerome said without opening his eyes.
I took the chance to stare at his face, the smooth curve of his jaw, his pale lips.
“Well, you looked asleep,” I chuckled. “Are you any better?”
“As I said, I heal fast. How about you? No nightmares this time I guess.”
“How did you know?”
“Well, let’s put it this way; the closer you are to me, the fewer your nightmares.”
“Sounds pretty convenient,” I smiled. “Is there any truth in this?”
I loved how his lips curled. “Are you trying to hurt my feelings Madison?” he asked, making me laugh.
I couldn’t take my eyes off his bare chest, my stare settling on his strong muscles. How would it feel if I touched his unblemished skin? My heartbeat quickened at the thought.
“Who? Me? Quite the opposite. Didn’t Connor tell you I didn’t try to draw out anything from him?”
I hoped Jerome didn’t notice how my voice came out too gruff.
“Now that you mention it, he did. I was quite amazed,” he said, eyes still closed.
“You know why I did that? Because you promised to tell me everything. And I didn’t want to take that away from you. See? I’m trying to make a fresh start.”
“The twenty questions are about to start, I assume,” Jerome chuckled.
“I’m not that cruel. I can wait until you’re in a talking mood.”
It was time for Jerome to open his eyes and turn to look at me. “Go ahead. Ask,” he whispered, making me lose my train of thought for a moment.
Did I really want to start a conversation right now? With all that six-pack distraction lying on my bed? I tried to blink the naughty thoughts away before Jerome found out.
“Was that thing you killed last night after me?” I asked.
Jerome’s smile faded out. “The creatures who are after you have these ... servants. We call them Snatchers because all they do is try to snatch us and rip us apart. Best scenario, they take us to their lair and their masters. In fact, they are like mad dogs, you can’t reason with them. They are not exactly talkative you see. Plus, they can’t be seen by the human eyes. Humans can feel their evil presence, but they don’t see them.”
I felt a shiver crawl down my spine. “And ...you killed one?”
Jerome nodded.
“How?”
“I ripped its head off. But I had to get close to look into the hollow of its eyes. That’s when it got me. I wasn’t ... focused enough.”
If Jerome had difficulties taking out these Snatchers, I could easily guess I didn’t stand a chance in case I had to fight them myself.
“Are there many Snatchers out there?” My voice trembled.
“I guess there are quite a few out there at night,” he said sullenly.
I fumbled with the rim of the soft blanket I’d drawn to my chest to hide my shivering body. “Why are they after me?”
Jerome’s eyes fell on my fingers. “My guess is, they want something from you.”
I gasped, making Jerome’s eyes turn to me again.
“It’s about that sword, isn’t it?”
His eyes narrowed. “What makes you say that?”
“The way it always shows up like it has a mind of its own.”
“Actually, it does. It’s a Guardian’s sword,” Jerome said grimly.
“Guardian’s?” I squeezed an awkward smile. Watchers, Snatchers, Guardians. Were any of these for real? “Is Airlia one of them?”
Jerome arched a brow. “Airlia?”
“Could she be my alter ego?”
“You amaze me, Madison. Yes, Airlia is a Guardian. Her name is the Ancient Greek word for ethereal. She is a very powerful Guardian. What makes you think it’s her hiding in there?” He touched my forehead with his finger for a moment.
I wasn’t ready to talk about my nightmare. “I don’t know. It’s just a name that keeps playing in my mind. Is she… evil?”
“Madison, the Guardians are proud celestial creatures. They stand on the thin line between good and evil. They are not like the Warriors; Warriors belong to the higher ranks of The Legions of Angels.”
I made a mental note of the new concept. Warriors.
“In fact, Guardians are neither good nor evil,” Jerome continued. “They simply carry out the Ephors’ orders whatever the co
st. In this sense, yes, they can be considered evil at times.”
My impression of Airlia was much worse than what he had described. I’d felt pure wrath and vengeance in that dream. I had tried in vain to recall what she had told me, but her words were now scattered pieces of a dream I was no longer able to recollect.
“Who are the Ephors?” I asked.
“It’s a title for those who see everything. The principal assembly of immortal, celestial creatures.”
“And what about Watchers? What is their role in this?”
“Watchers get in the middle when a sacred soul is in danger, that is, when the Darkness claims them. Watchers are the reason behind what humans call miracles.”
“Are you saying there are no miracles?” I always thought I was living proof that miracles happen. The Sisters always mentioned my case when they talked about such things.
“No, I’m saying exactly the opposite. Miracles do happen. But there is always a reason. Sometimes this reason is a Watcher. Once they are summoned they, let’s say, get in the middle and save the sacred soul.”
“How?”
“It always involves sacrifice, Madison. The details of each mission elude them; otherwise their human part might inhibit them from performing their duty. The slightest break in the chain of events could bring about a total disaster.”
“Aren’t they afraid?” I asked, thinking of all the Watchers I knew, Blue and Megan included, although they were still Dormants.
“Watchers are weaker in their human form,” Jerome said sullenly. “But you must understand, the mission they will carry out someday, is the reason they have come to this world. Eventually, their sacrifice will be so significant that they will be more than Watchers after that. This is how they are turned into Guardians. The more sacred the souls they save, the more powerful Guardians they become.”
“They all die in the end? Is that what you’re saying?”
“If they succeed in their mission, yes. They are the ones who walk into a fire to save someone, jump in front of trains to save a child who fell on the rails, put their chest in front of a gun to save their students from a shooter. Can’t you see, Madison? They make miracles happen. To lose your life like that is a blessing.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed with him. He spoke about Watchers like it was a generic term but for me, they all had names and faces; Blue, Megan, Jake, Connor, Steph… Were they supposed to accept their deaths or a friend’s death stoically, even when someone else would be saved? I knew I wouldn’t.
“Don’t look like that!” Jerome smiled. “The Brassington coven is relatively new. That’s why I joined them. We haven’t had a mission for a while. Don’t take it personally but all the action started with your arrival in Brassington Hills. That was when Matt was summoned.”
I almost stopped breathing. “Matt? You mean Matt is dead?”
“No, I mean Matt is on a mission. We don’t know how it may evolve, but I can tell you that he was looking forward to his calling. All Watchers do.”
“Why? What makes a soul sacred? Worthy of being saved through someone else’s sacrifice?”
“A sacred soul has a significant role in The Great Rhetra, the sacred plan. They can vary from doctors and scientists to ordinary people. They are humans who will accomplish something significant at some point in their lives; something that contributes to the prevalence of Light over Darkness. Inevitably, the Darkness will claim a sacred soul, and it’s the Watchers’ and Guardians’ duty to save it. Small scale missions are carried out through Watchers. More challenging cases or cases of higher significance to The Great Rhetra require the involvement of a Guardian.”
I wondered where Jerome fitted in among all the ranks of creatures which, as I used to think before coming to Brassington Hills, belonged in fairy tales. “And what does The Great Rhetra say about you? What are you then? A Watcher or a Guardian?”
His mirthless smile made me regret the question. “I’m definitely not a Guardian,” he said. But you could be one. I mean, you have the xifos. That’s what we call an Angel’s sword. You see, that sword was handed to a Guardian by an Archangel. It a sword of great power.”
“Wow! That explains your fixation with the rusty thing when you came to my room!”
His eyes darkened more than ever and the pained expression on his face made my heart squeeze.
“I used to have a sword exactly like yours,” he said sullenly.
“Where is it now?”
Jerome got out of bed with almost inhuman speed.
“You must be starving,” he said. “You haven’t eaten anything since last night.”
As if it had been waiting for its queue, my stomach protested loudly.
“Well, my stomach is rumbling,” I smiled bashfully.
“Let’s get you downstairs then. Connor’s gone so ... don’t lose that sexy outfit,” he winked at me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Starving
I hadn’t fed for about a month. Madison’s usia shouldn’t have worn off that fast, but the wound on my shoulder and down my arm was deep. It had taken all my strength to stop the bleeding, but still, it wasn’t healing as fast as it should. Sooner or later, the time to fight again would come. I hadn’t had a vision of myself fighting; I never saw my future. But the conviction that a great battle, my great battle, was approaching, was stronger than my visions. I’d felt its ominous force the moment Madison had walked into the gym for the first time. I would never forget that moment. It was the moment I’d experienced fear for the first time. But I had never felt so alive either.
We were still stuck in the cabin, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with her. The Watchers were still looking for Snatchers in the area. We were still hunted. Madison was still hiding a Guardian inside her who would sooner or later be awakened. It wouldn’t be very wise of me to be close to her when that happened, especially now that I knew she was hiding things from me. But given that I couldn’t leave Madison, I should at least be prepared.
I needed power. I needed the energy.
I gazed at my endless source of power lying face down in front of the fireplace, absorbed in her book. Her bare feet were drawing invisible, carefree circles in the air. She was wearing stretch, black, tracksuit pants that showed every smooth curve of her amazing body and a light green t-shirt. Her soft red curls reminded me of flames encircling her face.
It should be easy, I thought. I envisioned myself lying next to her. First, I would play with her hair, and she would turn her face to me, her eyes would search mine and she would know. She would let me push her a little so I could be on top of her, look into her emeralds spellbinding her human part, telling her how incredibly beautiful she is. Then I would kiss her and slowly, deeply, I would claim her usia like I had done that night in her apartment. Like I was about to do last night, when Connor interrupted us. And she would let me take as much as I needed. With every breath, life would abandon her body to revive mine. Until she was lifeless in my arms, having offered herself to me, willingly, irrevocably.
“Jerome? What’s wrong?”
I snapped out of my fantasizing, afraid she might be able to read the hunger in my eyes.
I came to my feet abruptly. “I’m going to town. We need some more supplies, and I don’t want to leave you alone after it gets dark.”
She closed the book and stood up. “You look pale. Does your arm hurt?”
My arm was the last thing that bothered me. “Don’t worry about me. Want me to get you anything?”
“Actually, I want to come along,” she said, putting on her sneakers.
I froze. I would not be able to do what I had in mind if she came along.
“There’s no need for you to come. I can get you whatever you need.” I tried to retain my casual manner hoping she wouldn’t notice how I avoided looking at her. I could read the doubt in her eyes but I could not afford a fight with her. Time was against me.
But Madison seemed determined.
“I’m so bo
red here. I want to come with you. Let me grab my jacket.”
I felt helpless. My mind was already working on a plan so that I would be able to escape her attention for a while.
In the car, she tried to start a conversation, but my one-word responses seemed to put her off. I was not in a mood for petty-talk. My need overwhelmed me, and it didn’t help that the only source available was next to me, but still, I reminded myself, off limits.
She must have been confused by the change in my mood, and I was thankful -and a little worried- that she didn’t push me this time. Turning up the music, Madison started humming to the song and let her eyes rest on the view of the forest we were crossing.
It was a mistake taking her to Grose Vale. It was safer than Brassington Hills, but it was a longer drive. There was no time to call the Watchers for protection; they wouldn’t make it before nightfall. What would happen if, for some reason, we didn’t make it back before the night fell? I told myself that there was no way I would let that happen. We had about two hours before sunset, so I should find someone to feed on as soon as possible. I didn’t have to follow my usual procedure and lose time flirting before I took one of those willing girls somewhere where I could give her my draining kiss. I should be able to wrap things up this time.
We were already approaching the town center when I spoke to her.
“Madison, listen carefully; I need you to do something for me. I want you to stay close, so I can find you when I’m done.”
For a few seconds, she didn’t say anything, making me stir nervously in my seat.
“Oh. Ok. You can call my cell, I guess,” she said eventually, unable to conceal her disappointment.
“Even so, you should stay close. We can’t risk losing time. We must be back before it gets dark,” I insisted, turning towards the shopping center.
Madison looked puzzled. “Why can’t I come? What’s all this secrecy about?”