The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘So what’s going on?’ Tommy asked as Roni poured herself a cup of coffee and drank deeply. ‘What did Jake say?’

  ‘Not much,’ she frowned. ‘I’m not exactly sure what’s going on; something’s happening in town, that’s all I managed to gather. He just told me to get up and head over here, but only if Callie here came with me. He didn’t want me driving out here on my own; he was very specific about that.’

  ‘Well if you have a Goddess handy, she’d sure make an excellent body guard,’ Tommy replied taking a sip of his own coffee and throwing a cheeky wink at Calypso, who smiled in amusement.

  ‘I think that was his reasoning,’ Roni refilled her cup and turned to face the others. ‘He said he’d be here as soon as he could, but as I said, the signal on my phone was pretty bad. I barely understood half of what he said.’

  ‘This isn’t looking good,’ Tommy muttered, glancing at Theo.

  ‘Well there’s nothing we can do now except wait for them to show up,’ Theo replied. ‘Why don’t we get Louisa and Jace settled down in the guest room?’ He turned to Roni and Calypso, ‘we can find you both beds if you want to get some sleep?’

  ‘Not me,’ Roni shook her head, ‘I’m too wired now for sleep. I’ve brought some work with me.’

  ‘Of course you have,’ Theo smiled turning to the Goddess Calypso who was cradling a delighted Beau in her arms.

  ‘No thank you,’ she replied politely, ‘I do not require sleep the same way you do. I am content.’

  Louisa scooped up the sleeping baby from Olivia’s arms and followed Theo and Tommy up the stairs to the guest room. Olivia picked up her cup of tea and headed into her library, with Calypso and Roni. Shivering slightly, Olivia glanced across at the fireplace, frowning slightly in confusion when it didn’t leap into flames like it usually did. Lifting her hand she reached for the light and heat of her magic, focusing on the fireplace. Suddenly it coughed and spluttered into flame but instead of the warm gold and red of her Earth fire, it shimmered a strange mix of blue, black, purple and silver. The eclectic swirl of colors bobbed and danced in the fireplace for a few moments before shimmering back to its regular red and gold.

  ‘Has it ever done that before?’ Roni asked in surprise.

  ‘No,’ Olivia murmured, glancing up at Calypso.

  Calypso held her gaze silently for a fraction of a second and then turned her attention back to the dog. Tired and frustrated Olivia lowered herself down awkwardly onto her favorite battered old couch.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Roni smiled, ‘need a hand?’

  Olivia stretched her legs out, her hands rubbing her swollen belly in soothing circles, feeling her children nudge her palms.

  ‘I’m okay,’ she blew out a breath, ‘I’m just not quite as graceful as I was.’

  She leaned her head back against the cushions and between the slow monotonous tapping of Roni’s nails against the keyboard of her laptop and the quiet snap of the fire, she was slowly lulled into a fitful doze.

  She wasn’t sure hold long she slept, jumping in and out of strange dreams. Every now and then she heard the low murmur of Theo and Tommy’s hushed tones before slipping back into sleep. When a loud hammering at the front door finally woke her, she roused herself with difficulty, feeling as though her head was packed with sand.

  Her eyes were heavy and felt scratchy, as if they were full of grit. Looking up she saw Jake and Mac enter the room both looking grim, moments later Louisa appeared in the doorway holding onto a baby monitor.

  Theo looked around Jake to Mac, his eyes narrowing when he realized he was standing alone.

  ‘Where’s my sister?’

  Mac’s darkened eyes rose to meet Theo’s.

  ‘Nathaniel has her.’

  ‘What?’ he asked dangerously, ‘you had one job Mac…one…I trusted you with her safety.’

  ‘It’s more complicated than that, Theo,’ Mac replied quietly, ‘I would never have let anything happen to Tammy, you know that, but she was upset. She ran out before I could stop her. Nathaniel found her before we did.’

  ‘Why was she upset?’ Theo’s eyes flashed, ‘what did you do?’

  Mac glanced at Jake.

  ‘Tell them the truth Mac,’ he nodded, ‘all of it.’

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ Theo snapped angrily.

  ‘Theo man,’ Jake interjected, ‘I know you’re mad as hell right now and trust me, we are going to do whatever it takes to get Tammy back but seriously, you need to listen to what he has to say.’

  ‘Fine,’ Theo ground out, as his jaw tightened.

  ‘Tammy ran out because she found out I was Veritas,’ Mac replied quietly.

  Theo let loose a loud growl and headed for Mac. Jake stepped in between them, laying his hands on Theo’s chest, blocking him from Mac.

  ‘Was Theo, he was Veritas as in past tense; he’s been out for over a year,’ Jake told him firmly. ‘Would you please just listen to him and stop losing your temper.’

  Theo crossed his arms tightly across his chest as the muscles of his forearms corded. ‘Start talking.’

  ‘I left them over a year ago,’ Mac began. ‘When I was first recruited I thought I was doing the right thing. I was young and stupid, and I thought they were something they’re not. When I found out what the Veritas really were I left; problem was they didn’t want to let me go. There was a confrontation and I ended up getting shot. After a few months recovering I hadn’t heard anything from them and I figured they’d got the message, so when Tammy called me into Mercy I decided a fresh start was what I needed. What I didn’t realize was that they hadn’t let me go at all; they’ve been watching me the whole time. They had my place and my office tapped, as well as my phone. They’ve been spying on all of us, through me.’

  ‘They know about Olivia?’ Theo asked dangerously.

  ‘Theo, they know about everything,’ he replied remorsefully.

  ‘Hang on a minute,’ Olivia hauled herself off the couch, ‘you said the Veritas, as in ‘In quibus sit veritas,’ the men of truth? That was the movement your brother founded?’ she turned to Theo. ‘They smuggled the accused out of Salem?’

  ‘That’s not what they are anymore Olivia,’ Mac shook his head. ‘What may have begun as a noble calling has become corrupted over the last three hundred years. Now they are obsessed with their own power; they pursue anything of magical value. They are scavengers who’ll do anything to acquire objects of power to add to their collection. But not just objects, there were rumors…’

  ‘Rumors?’

  ‘Of people going missing,’ he continued quietly, ‘people who were incredibly gifted.’

  ‘You think the Veritas were kidnapping these people?’ Olivia’s eyes widened.

  ‘I was never able to prove it, it was just speculation,’ he shook his head, ‘but like I said, as soon as I found out what they really were, I left.’

  ‘You said you left just over a year ago?’ Theo asked bluntly.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You said you first met Olivia the night her father fled with her to Philadelphia?’

  Mac’s face paled.

  ‘You said you kept an eye on her after that because she got to you, because you wanted to make sure she was alright,’ Theo continued coolly.

  ‘Theo,’ Mac shook his head.

  ‘They were watching her even back then, weren’t they?’ Theo stared at Mac, who looked away guiltily. ‘They ordered you to watch her didn’t they?’

  Mac nodded slowly.

  ‘I didn’t know,’ he answered quietly as silence descended over the whole room. ‘I didn’t know what they were, or why they were watching her. Once I knew I protected her as much as I could,’ he turned to Olivia his eyes filled with pain and remorse. ‘I swear to you Olivia, it may have started off with me just following orders, but in the end I watched over you because I cared. When you started to show signs of your gift I did everything I could to cover for you and
mislead them. I would never have let them hurt you.’

  ‘Until now,’ Theo replied harshly, ‘because of you they now know everything.’

  ‘Theo, that’s harsh man,’ Jake interrupted. ‘He didn’t know they were keeping tabs on him.’

  ‘Are they coming after her?’ he asked coldly.

  ‘Yes,’ Mac nodded, ‘her and the children.’

  Olivia gasped, her hand moving protectively to her swollen belly.

  Theo was at her side instantly, pulling her into him gently.

  ‘That’s not going to happen,’ her stroked her face gently, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his. ‘They’re only human; I’m not letting them anywhere near you or our children.’

  ‘They may just be human,’ Mac interrupted, ‘but don’t underestimate them like I did. You have no idea how far their reach goes.’

  ‘And Tammy knew all of this?’

  ‘No,’ Mac shook his head, ‘but she recognized their mark on my wrist, even though I tried to hide it. She ran out of the apartment. I went to follow her, but Simon Flores turned up. Knowing he was one of them I had to deal with him first.’

  ‘Governor Flores?’ Tommy frowned, ‘that pompous prick is Veritas?’

  Mac nodded again.

  ‘What happened after that?’ Theo frowned.

  ‘Everything went crazy,’ Jake interjected, ‘the whole town; it was call after call. Monster sightings, hauntings, domestics, fights, you name it we got called out on it. It was as if the whole town hit mass hysteria.’

  ‘What happened to Temperance?’

  ‘We don’t know when she was actually taken,’ Mac replied. ‘Everytime I tried to get to her I was called away on another emergency. I tried calling her over and over again. I left messages, I figured she was just mad and ignoring me. I thought I’d give her some space to cool down and then I’d go find her. I assumed she was at work. Between the town going nuts and Danae and Davis helping me to de-bug everything I owned so the Veritas was no longer listening…’ he shook his head, ‘before I knew it, it had been hours. We were at the station when there was a commotion out front. We all ran outside and there was Nathaniel, as bold as brass.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘He was just standing there covered in blood, with some dead girl in his arms; he tossed her on the ground like she was a sack of garbage, her chest all torn up.’

  ‘He’d fed on her soul?’ Olivia whispered.

  Mac nodded, ‘he was so blatant about it, so cocky, like he wanted us to know what he’d done.’

  ‘He’s completely unhinged now,’ Jake spoke up softly. ‘He wasn’t even trying to hide, just tossed the girl down and smirked at us.’

  ‘Then he said, “give the Mayor my best, won’t you”,’ Mac said, his voice tight with pain.

  ‘But he didn’t actually say he had her, did he?’ Olivia shook her head. ‘He’s playing mind games with you; he might not have her at all.’

  ‘He’s got her,’ Mac looked directly at Theo.

  ‘What aren’t you telling me?’ Olivia asked suspiciously, as she watched the two of them staring silently at each other.

  ‘She needs to know Theo,’ Mac whispered.

  ‘She needs to know what?’ Olivia asked flatly.

  ‘I saw it in a dream,’ Theo turned to her.

  ‘Saw what exactly?’

  ‘Nathaniel had Temperance…and you,’ he admitted reluctantly.

  She stared at him.

  ‘I had to choose,’ he looked up at her, his eyes filled with pain. ‘She died.’

  ‘Theo, you know your dreams are subjective,’ Olivia answered after a moment. ‘Just because you dreamed it, doesn’t mean it’s written in stone. We make our own destiny, remember?’

  ‘I know,’ he replied quietly. ‘I thought she’d be safe with Mac watching out for her,’ he looked up at the other man coldly. ‘I didn’t know I was handing her over to the Veritas.’

  ‘Theo,’ she warned.

  ‘Olivia,’ Mac called her name softly, drawing her attention from her husband, ‘I’m so sorry. If I’d known I was going to put you all in so much danger I would never have come back to Mercy.’

  Olivia crossed the room silently, her expression unreadable. Mac watched as she stopped in front of him and looked up into his grief filled blue eyes. Then she reached up and wrapped her arms around him.

  ‘Forgive me,’ he whispered.

  ‘It’s okay Mac,’ she murmured softly in his ear, ‘there’s nothing to forgive; this wasn’t your fault.’

  His face crumpled as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

  ‘Well, that’s surprising,’ Jake murmured. Usually Olivia was the hotheaded, unforgiving type and Theo was the mild mannered voice of reason, but now looking at his friend’s murderous glare, which was directed at Mac, he made a mental note to hide all the sharp objects in the house.

  ‘Olivia,’ Theo began.

  ‘No Theo,’ she turned to her husband, ‘none of us here have clean hands. This is not his fault. What we need to concentrate on right now is finding Temperance as quickly as possible. You said you saw Nathaniel with Temperance, do you know where he was holding her?’

  ‘Boothe’s Hollow,’ Theo replied.

  ‘The Hollow?’ Olivia breathed shaking her head, ‘he certainly does pick his party well, doesn’t he? There have to be dozens and dozens of creatures between us and the Hollow right now, the whole wood is infested. We’d never make it through in one piece.’

  ‘We are not doing anything,’ Theo insisted, ‘you are not going anywhere near the woods Olivia. I’ll go.’

  ‘You can’t,’ she frowned, ‘not on your own.’

  ‘He won’t be on his own,’ Mac replied, ‘because I’m going with him.’

  ‘So am I,’ Jake chimed in.

  ‘I guess I might as well join you then,’ Tommy stood up.

  ‘When you guys have quite finished hosing down the room with testosterone,’ Olivia muttered irritably, ‘none of you are going. There’s no point in going off halfcocked, not knowing what the hell you’re walking into. All that will happen is you’ll end up getting yourselves killed and then the big bad demon will head straight for us poor unprotected womenfolk,’ she told them sarcastically. Try using your brains, if you can locate them through all the bravado. What we need to know is exactly where Temperance is, and who is with Nathaniel. If he has Saffire, Sabine and Zachary with him, you won’t stand a chance against four demons. We need a plan and we need weapons that will work against not just the demons, but all the supernatural creatures between us and them.’

  ‘She has a point,’ Jake replied.

  ‘You are not going anywhere Olivia,’ Theo hissed. ‘If you think I’m letting you anywhere near Nathaniel you can just think again.’

  She smiled softly.

  ‘Theo we can argue about this but we’re just wasting time. Let’s just find out what we’re dealing with, and then we can make a plan and argue it out.’

  ‘The only way to find out what is going on, is for one of us to head to the Hollow,’ he replied, ‘so we’re back to square one.’

  ‘Not necessarily,’ Olivia turned to Calypso who was watching the whole exchange with interest. ‘Calypso?’

  ‘Oh alright then,’ she shrugged. ‘I suppose I should be grateful that at least one of you has a brain.’

  She placed the sleepy dog on the floor and stood up, heading into the hallway with the others following along curiously. She opened the door and wandered down the porch steps as the first pale rays of dawn began to break. Bending her legs, she thrust herself up into the sky, shivering into her feathers until a huge majestic bird swept over them in a huge circle before banking and heading toward the trees.

  Theo and Mac turned back to stare at Olivia.

  ‘What?’ she shrugged easily, ‘sometimes you have to think outside the box? She’ll sweep over the clearing and be able to tell us if they ar
e at the Hollow, all without setting a foot in the woods.’

  Turning she disappeared back into the library.

  Theo watched as the others followed her until only he and Mac were left.

  ‘Theo,’ he began.

  ‘No,’ he replied coolly, ‘don’t explain, don’t speak to me. She may have forgiven you but I haven’t,’ his eyes flashed dangerously, ‘and for your sake you’d better pray my sister is still alive.’

  Mac reached out and grabbed Theo’s arm tightly, forcing him to look back at him.

  ‘You think you’re the only one hurting?’ he snapped. ‘You think you’re the only one with something to lose? So I made a mistake, it’s one I’ll pay for. But you’re a fool if you think I wouldn’t give my life in a second for Tammy’s. She’s it for me, the way Olivia is for you. Believe me, don’t believe me, I don’t care. But don’t think you can stand there and threaten me, because there is nothing… nothing worse than losing Tammy and if I can’t save her you can be damn sure I’m going to die avenging her. Nathaniel doesn’t get to walk away…not this time.’

  He released Theo’s arm and stalked away, leaving Theo staring after him with troubled eyes.

  Nathaniel smiled slowly as he twisted the long, thin, cruel looking metal screw into Temperance’s shoulder, listening to her scream in agony.

  ‘Nathaniel?’ a voice called behind him.

  ‘What is it Sabine, can you not see I’m busy?’ he replied coolly.

  ‘Nathaniel,’ she sighed, ‘put down your little chew toy there, or there’s going to be nothing left to tempt Beckett into the woods.’

  Nathaniel turned slowly, his now pure white eyes unblinking as they landed on the red haired woman who stood before him, once again dressed in hospital scrubs. His gaze narrowed.

  ‘Why are you dressed like that?’ he asked after a moment, ‘what have you been up to?’

  She shrugged casually.

  ‘I’ve just been playing with the humans,’ she replied easily. ‘I like the hospital, such a huge menu for amusement.’

  ‘Then go back there and stop annoying me,’ he turned back to Temperance, whose head hung down as she breathed heavily through the pain.

  ‘I thought you might be interested in something I overheard.’