Heat pricked at my cheeks and fire burned deep in my chest. So my friends, as well as Darius, were keeping things from me. Fine—then if they could, so could I.
“She’ll find out soon enough. Just give me time to figure things out.”
“And the others?”
Darius hesitated before answering. “They don’t like it either, but they’ve agreed to give me time. Cedric doesn’t know.”
“And I doubt he’ll go along with it. I warn you, Darius, you’re going to get caught up in your own tangled web if you aren’t more careful.”
“Ava, what are you doing?” Elisa called to me from the other end of the hallway but I pretended not to hear her and instead hurried into the great room, unwilling to be caught eavesdropping.
“Oh good.” I breathed heavily, sounding as if I had just been sprinting. My heart beat so fast that it could have been true. “I’m not going to be the only one that’s late to the meeting,” I said with a smile.
Darius pushed his hands into his pockets, looking anywhere but at me. Fiona, however, watched me intently, skepticism brimming in her dark brown eyes. She wore the same lilac-colored nightgown. Interesting.
“I thought you were going to change, Fiona.” I smiled smugly, meeting her gaze. A challenge.
She seemed to realize this and nodded. “Indeed. But I bumped into Darius on the way there. We seem to disagree over several key topics.”
“Like what?” Elisa asked for me, making her entrance into the room.
No surprise that it only took her a few minutes to do what would have taken me hours to achieve. Her golden, wavy hair floated down the back of her black, long-legged jumpsuit that complimented her incredible sun-kissed skin.
And she had picked out jeans and a t-shirt for me to wear. Nice. Just as well—what looked good on her would have looked like a potato sack on me. She gave me a pointed glance as she stood by my side.
Fiona shrugged. “I informed Darius that I wanted to take part in Ava’s training with everyone else, but he worries it will take away from what he needs to teach her. She has much to learn and cannot if he demands all her time.”
He continued to avoid my gaze. The hard lines between his brows had returned. A frown pulled at his mouth, bringing back the Darius I had first come to know instead of the stranger that had sat with me, consoling me—holding my hands.
“Come. Laith is on his way. The meeting will begin soon. We will decide all of this in the council.” Elisa walked away, but I grabbed her by the arm.
“Why?” I asked, my voice raised in anger. “Haven’t I had my life chosen for me enough? Why would the council—”
“The council’s initial priority was to recognize you as the Defender and officially announce you to the mortals within the complex,” Darius interrupted, his voice thick with impatience. “This evening’s attack forces us to call this emergency council earlier than planned, but it will no longer be solely about your arrival. There are many important issues to discuss, and not just the assassination attempt. Your coming may or may not be recognized by all. In that case, those unwilling to accept your sudden appearance will be asked to gather their things and leave.”
My face flushed and my mouth opened, but nothing came out. People would be asked to leave? I always knew there was a possibility not all would accept me, or even like me. That was the case with Charlotte from the beginning, but I did not think such an extreme action would be necessary.
“They are given a choice, Ava,” Elisa said, perceiving my panic. “The Defender is not elected. She is called, chosen by God, and that must be understood by all. We cannot contend with dissonance inside our home. If an individual does not agree to live in harmony with all, they must leave, but even then, we aid their transfer back into society.”
“Do not worry, child. Everything will work out,” Fiona soothed, taking me by the arm. Elisa trailed behind as we followed Darius, who led the way to the meeting.
We could hear the buzz of voices from the kitchen, the din growing louder as we drew closer. This meeting was about me and all about me—who I was and what I had done. I placed my hand over my throat, cinched tight by sudden anxiety, and nervously rubbed against the skin. I rolled my neck. A sharp pain zinged into my shoulder and my breath caught. I glanced over at the ache and pressed against the non-existent wound that had been there just hours before.
Fiona noticed my preoccupation. “Your wound is healed, but you might feel minor discomfort for a while longer. Don’t worry. It will go away, eventually.”
It felt petty that I would be concerned about such a trivial irritation, especially since I could still see the image of the twisted handle of the dagger protruding from my bloody flesh, mere inches from my heart.
I dropped my hand to the side, ignoring the sensation in my shoulder. “I never said thank you. For healing me,” I mumbled, feeling ashamed. “So, thank you.”
“It is my job, and unfortunately, it won’t be the last time,” she said, releasing my arm as we stepped into the library.
Roman and Hector flanked the entryway. Pushed to the side, soft leather couches went abandoned as row upon row of folding chairs lined what used to be a spacious room and soothing place to escape. With barely an empty seat, people filled every space available, talking to their neighbors to the front, back, and side of them. Some of the faces I recognized, but most were unfamiliar, and as we made our way toward the front of the room, those faces watched us pass.
I tried to ignore but couldn’t get over the physical sensation—the transparent weight—that pressed against my body from their gaze alone. Heat flooded my cheeks. Sweat trickled down the line of my neck as all conversations stopped.
Too many people. There are too many people in this room.
Adjusting my focus, I peered about me. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined every wall. Hundreds of books filled each shelf, a multi-colored invitation into exciting stories and other worlds. I would have liked to escape into any other reality besides the one I was about to face.
At the head of the room, in the middle of a semi-circle of chairs, sat a lone man. A week-old beard covered his face, his shoulder-length blond hair tucked behind his ears, brows bleached by the sun. He appeared perfectly at ease, one long leg stretched in front, a sandal draping from his foot as he leaned back, chatting with Dr. Maynes.
The doctor, who appeared characteristically annoyed, murmured something into his ear, then bolted to the other side of the room. When the man gazed over, his hazel eyes zeroed in on Fiona. By the time we made it to the front, the space was completely silent.
The man stood, nodding politely. White buttoned-up shirt tucked into a pair of tan linen pants. “Hello, beautiful,” he said, but there was hesitation in his greeting.
“Darling.” Fiona hummed, kissing his cheek. “It’s good to see you. Ava, I want you to meet my husband, Cedric.” But the cool way in which they greeted each other spoke volumes of their relationship.
Taking my hand in his, Cedric smiled. “It is a pleasure to finally be reunited. This is truly a miracle you’re here with us.” Lowering his voice, he whispered, “And I speak not only of your incident this evening. I would like to examine you and your wound later if you would so oblige me.”
“Unnecessary.” Fiona’s voice warned, even though she smiled demurely. “My healing was more than sufficient.”
Cedric dropped my hand, reclaiming his seat. “Of course it was. You know my methods, love. Curiosity is my biggest fault.”
“Indeed,” Fiona said under her breath and guided me to a chair next to hers. Although she sat by her husband, she angled her legs away from his. A distant observation would mark the two as an amiable pair, but up close, one could feel the awkward tension brewing. I looked straight ahead, pretending not to notice. Countless pairs of eyes stared back and I wondered which of the two situations was more uncomfortable.
The tension broke as Laith strode into the room, making his way to the front. Zane followed, taking a stan
ce off to the side. Ignoring his pointed stares, I focused on my friend. I hadn’t seen Laith since he bounded from my room after the attacker, but his usual appearance set my mind at ease. His short-sleeved white t-shirt contrasted brightly with the dark ink covering his strong arms. Elisa sat next to me, squeezing my hand—a supportive gesture. Darius chose a seat at end of the row, acknowledging Cedric as he passed.
“Alright. Thank you for being here at this unearthly hour,” Laith said, addressing his audience. “Due to the urgency of the situation, no time could be lost. As most of you have probably heard by now, our compound was infiltrated and there was an attack.”
Murmurs erupted, causing him to pause in his briefing. I tried not to squirm in my seat, to control the nervous twitch that sent my legs juddering. He waited until the reaction from the group died down.
“This council, this meeting, has been a long time in coming. This day was supposed to be a grand celebration. We only awaited the arrival of a few missing members to officially announce the return of our Defender. It would have been a day to celebrate, but also to pause and reflect on the passing of our Guardian, the once great Alexander Matthias.”
More murmurings thrummed through the room. Elisa set a reassuring hand over my jumpy knee—ever my calming angel.
One daring member of the group shouted from among the growing voices. “But he abandoned us and his calling. Kept her hidden. All these years he was gone, leaving us without a Guardian. And now something has entered our compound.”
Like a solid hit to the solar plexus, the breath knocked from my lungs. Sparks exploded in my vision, flashing unwanted images, memories, into my mind.
Stay calm, Elisa had warned.
Stay calm, I breathed through the rising panic.
I couldn’t retaliate, couldn’t protect my father from harm now—or then, when my world had shattered to pieces. When my father had dropped to the ground. I wasn’t able to stop his murder. To stop the Destroyer from plunging his knife into his heart. To defend him, as my calling required.
If I couldn’t save my father, how could I save these people?
I shot to my feet, scanning for the quickest escape route, but Elisa and Fiona were at my side in an instant, grabbing me by the arms. Anger flared. But even as I jerked away, to warn Elisa with a murderous glare, it was compassion that reflected in her expression—compassion that caused me to melt.
Elisa’s eyes narrowed at the crowd, but it was Fiona who responded. She stood next to Laith, her deep voice clear and strong, calling the member by name.
“Logan, I recognize you and understand your fear. While all that you have said is true, I ask you—all of you—to put this perplexing situation into proper perspective and compare the past nineteen years to the lifetimes our Guardian spent in service of humanity. Surely you can empathize with his fears and maybe even appreciate his choice. His one and only eternal companion was murdered, his newborn daughter left motherless and marked. Even a Guardian has the gift of agency, and his decision, whether right or wrong, was to turn from this life and protect his child.” No one argued with their Healer when she paused. She retook her seat. “Alexander was a good man and I will miss him,” she finished.
“And I,” Laith said in agreement.
Then Cedric, then Elisa, and even Darius, followed by a round of separate voices in agreement from a multitude of nameless faces. I scanned the room. While not all had responded, including Logan, and not all looked upon me in favor, the ones that did nearly overwhelmed me.
“And I,” I whispered, allowing Elisa to guide me back to my chair.
Laith continued in his briefing. “We understand there will be a lot of questions, and we will do our best to answer them. You all know that our compound has been a sanctuary for those seeking refuge. We are not sure how it happened yet, but only a few hours ago, around twelve-thirty this evening, a demon entered the building and attacked our new Defender, nearly killing her in her sleep.”
The commotion in the room erupted again, disrupting my newfound peace.
“Then someone let him in,” a voice yelled out.
“But who would do that?” another one asked.
Laith raised an arm. “We don’t know much at this time. Our head of security heard the assault, sounded the alarm, and entered the Defender’s room, engaging the attacker. Elisa and I ran to assist, witnessing the battle and the assailant, but he fled. I pursued, but was unable to catch the demon.”
A wave of energy flushed over me and I bounded from my chair, sensing something wrong even before the others.
“And that’s where I come in,” a voice shouted above the din.
“Charlotte—” I called to her, assessing her movements, her injuries, her untamed rage. Zane cursed beneath his breath.
All eyes flashed to Charlotte as she limped into the room. Noah shadowed her, worry deep upon his brow. Sharp inhales and acclamations sounded as the space burst into confused clatter.
Blood trickled down her face from a nasty gash over her left eye. Clothes disheveled and shredded at the arm, Charlotte trudged down the aisle.“You’ve started the meeting without me. How odd. Do I not have a right to participate in this council?”
“I found her by the lake. I thought she was dead,” Noah said. His voice shook with trepidation. Charlotte waved him away.
“What happened, Charlie?” Darius asked, confusion clear in his expression. “Hector said you were checking the border.”
“And I was. The demon had eluded our Herald and slipped away toward the lake. I caught sight of him, and chased him, fought against him, until he fled our borders. He is gone.”
Noah stepped forward. “I thought I saw someone fleeing the scene, but I’m not sure. It was too dark and I didn’t follow. I had to get Charlie…”
Cedric slowly rose from his seat. “You are injured, Charlotte. Let me—”
“I’m fine,” she cut in, even laughed off the attention from the Healer, clutching the side of her ribs. “I’ve been worse. I’ve battled worse. Protecting, defending, our people from others of his kind.”
“Yes, you have—”
“But Ava Matthias hasn’t. She can’t even protect herself from those that seek to destroy us all.” Grabbing the back of an occupied chair, she leaned forward, grimacing from pain. Blood coated her fist. “So, is that it?” she asked. “We all have to agree that this—this girl is our new Defender?”
“You know the consequences, Charlotte. You have a choice, and we will respect that choice,” Laith said warily.
“But what if we all do not accept her?” Charlotte’s eyes met mine, filled with such hatred, such unconcealed anger, that I should have recoiled; but I didn’t stop, couldn’t stop, as I launched myself down the aisle.
Panting heavily, Charlotte bellowed. “I do not accept Ava as my Defender.” Her eyes rolled as she toppled unconscious to the side and into my arms.
6
Dead weight
She was heavier than I calculated. I fell to my knees from the dead weight of Charlotte’s body, straining to keep her from hitting the ground. The room was abuzz with commotion as my compound mates surrounded us. Murmurs assaulted my ears, questions and speculation already in full swing.
“Step back,” Laith ordered from above the confusion. As my friends pushed through the crowd, I overheard someone ask if Charlotte would have to leave.
“Not at this time,” I answered, projecting my voice to the room. “I have been informed of your rules concerning The Three, and I will honor your choice whether or not you accept me as your Defender. However, Charlotte has been attacked.” I needed to protect her. Defend her as I could. Securing her in my arms I stepped one leg forward, then the other, lifting Charlotte as I stood, trying not to grimace from the exertion. The crowd made space around us, watching with wide eyes “She will not be held accountable for things said at this meeting. When she is of a sound frame of mind she can make that decision.”
No one argued with my statement, an
d when my friends reached me, they made a path for us. Laith’s gaze met mine, communicating a silent question—an offer of help—but I shook my head. I would take care of her.
Darius hurried to the library doors. Roman and Hector threw them wide, letting us pass. Cedric moved with me as I walked, checking Charlotte’s pulse and pupils and inspecting her wounds. Fiona rushed off down the hallway, I could only assume for her candles.
“Is she okay?” Elisa asked, her face pale.
“She will live,” Cedric answered, examining underneath Charlotte’s fingernails.
“Well done, Ava,” Laith said appraisingly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Elisa and I will stay behind and end the meeting. We will meet with you as soon as we can.”
Cedric nodded but mostly ignored them as they turned back to the gawking crowd. My arms and legs strained from the burden of the extra weight, but I felt stronger than I ever had before.
“We need to get her to the medical room,” Cedric mumbled.
Darius grunted a rejection of the idea. “Believe me, that would only make her angrier.”
I hummed in agreement. That was the last thing we needed when she woke up.
Cedric continued to press the issue. “But I would like to examine her wounds in better light. She—”
“Oh, for the love. Will you just tell me where her room is,” I groused.
Darius reached for Charlotte. “Alright, Defender. You’ve done your part. I can take it from here.” But I blew off his lackluster offer of help, moving past him in a huff. When I finally could dump the second-in-command onto her bed, my arms, back, and even face felt the relief of her weight, but there was no pain, not even a bead of sweat from the task. Her blood coated my shirt, but I ignored it, watching as Cedric examined her injuries.
“No candles?” I asked Fiona as she stood across the bed from her husband.
Her mouth twitched, fighting a smile. “No. Cedric has no need of them. Neither do I, for that matter. I just find it helps to sooth the nerves of the wounded. Cedric, on the other hand, finds them distracting.”
Personal Guardians Page 7