Personal Guardians

by Rachel A. Collett

  “And caused the death of my wife,” he interrupted.

  Her expression saddened as she regarded her friend. “No. Your ideas caught the attention of the Destroyer.”

  “But it wasn’t just that, was it, my lady? If you and my lady Healer are going to teach our Defender about the evils she will face, she also needs to know what attracts them.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. My muscles tensed as I waited for him to speak.

  “I had everything, my Defender. A beautiful wife, a brand new baby girl, and a successful career, but pressure to continue to innovate and create consumed me. I became obsessed with my success, convinced I needed more. More attention, more fame, more money. I forgot what was truly important.”

  “Payton,” Elisa soothed, but he ignored her.

  “Instead of creating the next big breakthrough in technology, I created a gateway into my family, allowing dark forces to penetrate our lives. My wife became depressed and began to self-medicate. Before I understood what was happening, she had become trapped by a demon that took over her weakened body. The demon threatened to kill her if I didn’t come with him. I didn’t understand what was going on. I thought my wife had lost her mind. When I refused—” Payton stopped, unable to continue.

  But he didn’t have to.

  “I understand,” I breathed, watching as he fought an inner battle to remain strong.

  A bang sounded and I inhaled a shocked breath. Yvette flew from the doctor’s office waving a sucker over her head.

  Dr. Maynes stood sentinel over his threshold.

  Payton shook his head. “I told you, doc. No more sweets for this monster.”

  “Then make sure she doesn’t interrupt any more of my exams.”

  Fiona tsked, sweeping the little girl into her arms. “But, Benito, look at this precious babe.”

  Dr. Maynes snorted, returning to his office.

  Payton scolded his daughter despite the Healer’s help. “Yvette, I told you no. You mustn’t interrupt people when they’re working.”

  The little girl shrugged. “Madi doesn’t care. She loves me.”

  “Of course, she does,” Fiona cooed, snuggling her captive. “Who could resist such a sweet face.”

  Yvette squirmed free of Fiona’s grasp. Payton playfully lunged for her, but she giggled and skipped around the group before exiting through a different door.

  Payton grinned. “I was guided by vision and came here with my daughter. Now the only things I create are beautiful gardens and machines that allow for better farming.” He plucked a bud from the nearby rosebush and smiled at the bright yellow petals that had yet to unfold. “The one that captured my wife was only a degenerate, but you will face even worse than his ilk.”

  He extended the rose to me. “You’ll need all the beauty and peace this garden can provide, because you will face far worse than the darkness I experienced.”

  Slowly, and with great hesitation, I reached for the flower, unsure I wanted the baton he handed me. He backed away and left the garden through another door at the other end of the strip.

  “That is where he resides with Yvette,” Fiona said, her thoughts far away as she watched him disappear.

  After an awkward moment of silence, I spoke. “What kinds are there?”

  She blinked at me, her expression blank. Had she forgotten I was there?

  “You experienced them both in the forest,” Elisa said, sitting down on the center of a multi-colored, stand-alone hammock.

  “Jonathan and John Stilmen.”

  “You knew their names?” Fiona regarded me with a queer expression, but it was Elisa that answered.

  “I told you. The demon Jonathan had been haunting Ava for a few months.”

  “Yes, I remember. Someday you must tell me more about that time in your life, my niece,” Fiona said, looking away.

  Elisa rolled her eyes. “Ava, a lesser demon is what you fought in the forest and what took over Payton’s wife.”

  I nodded, remembering all too well the sickening feel of the demon’s skin and the sound of his voice. “That night, I was with people who spoke of a man that haunted the forest, the butcher John Stilmen, who killed countless souls.”

  Fiona smirked. “You’d be surprised how often these ghost tales are based off real events.”

  I catalogued that piece of information “What confuses me is that Benjamin’s friends talked about him like he was just a ghost, but I fought him. He had a body.”

  Fiona shrugged. “He was a ghost. A shadow of a man. A demon by his own making from his choices while alive.”

  “Their physical form is unsustainable,” Elisa said. “They draw power from recognition and fear, which creates a temporary presence, or manifestation, strong enough to touch or to be touched. Lesser demons don’t usually have the strength, skill or, quite frankly, the attention span to take over the body of a human like the one that entered Payton’s wife. If they do, it’s only for a short time before they are kicked out by the human or a Fallen.”

  I sat next to her, the hammock swooping me up into a rhythmic swing. “Tell me about the Fallen.”

  Elisa tsked. “The Fallen. They are elite, in a sense. Powerful, cunning, and wise. Their strength comes from the direct line they have with their leader, the Destroyer.”

  “A lesser demon does not share that same connection,” Fiona interjected. “That limits their strength.”

  Elisa nodded. “That’s correct. The Fallen don’t normally lower themselves to deal with petty mortal haunting, but at times there comes a human worth their effort. Sometimes the Destroyer will send a Fallen to plague, kill, or take over the body of a stronger human.”

  “What makes a stronger human?” I asked.

  “A demon loves power. Incredible strength, massive wealth, ambition, unbelievable intelligence like Payton’s… anything they can use to extend their reach. But there are also humans that have special abilities, such as mystics or those able to talk to the dead. If you remember, at first Laith and I thought you were one of these powerful humans. Even if you were not the Defender, you would be an interesting target for sure. You’re incredibly strong, intelligent, a loner, thanks to your father—”

  “And you are incredibly beautiful,” Fiona said. “Demons are vain creatures. They prefer to inherit good looks. It makes them feel better about themselves and helps them attract prey and get into the private circles that they love.”

  “Once a Fallen has completely taken over, you can stab the heart, killing the demon.” Elisa plunged an imaginary knife into my chest. “You can also destroy a demon like John Stilmen without worrying.”

  I brushed away her hand in disgust. “Why would I worry? It is a demon.” But I did worry, in fact. It was the reason I wasn’t able to dispose of John Stilmen or my mother’s demon.

  “Because, what if it is a lesser demon who only haunts a body, but the human is fighting it from the inside? If you stab it, you may kill the human who still has a living soul,” Fiona answered.

  “Murder,” I whispered, feeling suddenly sick.

  Elisa cleared her throat. “Accidents have happened in the past, where it is really hard to tell. Murder is a strong word. Once you are around them long enough, you’ll recognize the signs of true possession or a temporary haunting.”

  Fiona tested the waters of her fountain, letting her fingers skim the surface. “Your stalker, Jonathan, was not just a demon. That physical form he enjoys is merely a body he has infiltrated. Through years of cunning and soul torture, he has killed that soul, leaving it free for him to permanently take over until its demise.”

  My insides rolled over again. Jonathan had not explained that part to me.

  “So Jonathan—Jonathan killed the soul of the body he is in now?”

  Elisa nodded once. “Mind you, the person that owned it before was pretty far gone, allowing him to infiltrate as far as he had. These are not innocents that the Fallen take over, not a single one.”

  Fiona walked over to the ha
mmock, dropping into it. Her body slid next to mine, squishing me into the middle. “Obviously, the Fallen are able to do a lot more damage when they possess a human. They often infiltrate politics, enter roles of great religious power; they can have children—”

  “What?” I sat up sharply, almost causing the hammock to flip over.

  Fiona and Elisa laughed at my reaction.

  “Oh, yes.” Fiona chuckled. “It has happened many times throughout history. The demon will lay with women, impregnating them. The children of a demon are powerful, but are very noticeable because they end up being quite—large. Giants, in fact.”

  “You’re lying.”

  She laughed again. “Not even a little.”

  “How is that possible?” I asked, but did I really want to know?

  I thought back to all my experiences with Jonathan and couldn’t help but blush. So many memories with him came running through my thoughts. He had told me, multiple times in fact, that he wanted me. Is this the way he wanted me? To lay with me and what? Have offspring?

  Elisa squeezed my hand. “Ava, it’s quite simple. Once the demon takes over the body, it continues its natural progression. Everything remains intact, including the reproductive system. A demon will take very good care of its host. Often, they will live in it until it gets too old for them to do the work they are asked of by the Destroyer. At that time, they will… dispatch of their host, but normally not until they have found a good replacement.”

  I carefully stood and walked toward the fountain. I steadied myself on its circular bowl, staring down at my reflection. Why was I so shocked? I was okay with the fact that Jonathan was a demon. I had come to accept it. Why hadn’t I thought about the person he had taken over and killed? Who was Jonathan’s host?

  I took a deep breath and looked up to the skies. A line of smoke caught my attention as it climbed above the complex, far off into the distance.

  “Violet,” I mumbled. Why did I feel so guilty knowing that my mother’s demon was being burnt? “Won’t that unsettle the others?”

  Elisa and Fiona stood. They moved to my side, watching the gray smoke rise into the sky. “Mortals cannot see beyond the veil as we can, remember?”

  “I forgot,” I said, but I still wondered how anyone could miss it.

  “There is so much for you to learn, my niece. The others are here to find sanctuary from the outside world, but we need to see what we face. We cannot afford to be blinded. That will be important for you to know this evening.”

  “Why?”

  Fiona’s brows lifted. “Because Hector will go to the veil and call upon a demon to trade places. Until we find the incantation necessary, or until we make connection with a demon, he will not be able to see what waits beyond, but we will. We will need to be his eyes and his protectors. You will need to be his Defender.”

  I could see the terrifying demon, the huge beast as it loomed over me, a look of death in its eyes, and I shivered. “I’m not strong enough to be his Defender.”

  Elisa took me by the shoulders. “But you are, Ava. The only thing that limits you is this lifetime thought that you are just Sarah Mathis. You are Ava Matthias.”

  “And Darius is incredibly strong,” Fiona said. A smile pulled at her mouth. “If you could damage him the way you did today, you have more power than you think.”

  My face burned red. “It was only his wrist,” I said, trying to avoid eye contact.

  Fiona scoffed. “You doubt my word, darling? Although minor, Darius suffered more than a sprained wrist.”

  “I—I didn’t know,” I said, feeling ashamed.

  Fiona sighed, looking back to the smoke-filled sky. “Darius hides his pain. He wouldn’t have told me if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.”

  “Darius didn’t tell you. I did.”

  She eyed me, one brow lifted high. “This afternoon, yes. But I also speak of your training with him this morning.”

  Again, she went to the garden fountain and skimmed her hand across the water top. “Do me a favor, Ava. I care for Darius a great deal. He is important to us all.” She flicked the liquid from her fingers then turned to leave in one fluid motion. “Try not to break him.”

  12

  Prying eyes

  Fiona had called it the witching hour. How appropriate her description was. As we left our vehicles, we crept toward the border of the veil. The moon cast an eerie glow upon the stone archway and gave us light enough to see, but I wondered why this interrogation couldn’t have occurred in the bright hours of the afternoon.

  I glanced at my compound mates and new family. Dressed in all black combat gear, they looked lethal. Elisa’s hair was pulled back into a tight bun, lending her a severe look, her cheekbones sharp, her gaze deadly. Laith wore a black tank top, exposing both sets of tattooed sleeves. I could just make out the angelic Chords in the light, but now I understood what some of them said.

  Fiona caught my gaze as she walked next to me. She scanned my appearance, from my black steel-toed boots, pants and shirt, to my hair woven down my back. She reached to pull my braid over a shoulder.

  “With your hair like that, you remind me of your mother.” She smiled and continued her march, matching the pace of her husband.

  For a moment, I watched her black hair. Unbound, it wafted in the midnight breeze. Cedric merely pressed along, content with his own thoughts, seemingly unaware of anything or anyone. I wondered what true feelings brewed beneath his calm façade.

  Hector and Charlotte flanked their Heralds. Darius shadowed me but kept his distance. He still hadn’t spoken to me since our afternoon lesson. I wondered what bothered him more, that I had lashed out at him twice, or the thought of me being more powerful than he previously supposed. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the residual guilt.

  The doctor stayed behind, refusing to entertain even the thought of putting himself into such ridiculous danger. I was thankful for his fear. I still hadn’t gotten over him stabbing me. Zane, Noah, and Roman remained back at the compound to watch over everyone—there wasn’t a single member of The Three that was willing to be left behind. The residents would be safe at home. It would be Hector that would need our combined strength when he contacted the demon from the outside.

  Ray was unable to find the incantation to allow mortals to see beyond the veil, and despite all arguments otherwise, was only permitted to come part-way, remaining with the trucks.

  Laith stopped beneath the archway. “You can still change your mind,” he said, but Hector only continued toward the veil. He patted his pockets, checking for his weapons.

  We took our positions in a semi-circle around our volunteer. My palms were sweaty as I removed my father’s knife.

  “What do you see?” Hector asked.

  “Just the orchards. No movement,” Laith answered.

  He nodded, taking a slow breath. His deep voice rattled my heart as he spoke the incantation that would open the veil to him and to the outside. “Show me the outer realm. I will be your key. Enter, blessed one and find peace within this haven. Until we meet again.”

  Darius shifted a step closer, but I remained fixed in place, watching for something—anything to move. After a moment, I had to remind myself to breathe.

  Why had I done this? What good could come from questioning a demon? What a stupid, stupid idea!

  I glanced over at Charlotte. Blind to the outside world, her anxiety began to seep through, beading into droplets of sweat upon her forehead. I did not envy her.

  A crack of a twig sounded from a distance and my heart seized. I stopped breathing, straining my senses, searching for the demon that lurked in the dark, but saw nothing.

  He is there, a voice spoke to me—whispered to me.

  My pendant pressed against my chest, seeking comfort. I crept noiselessly to the edge of the veil. What was I not seeing?

  A serpent in the grass, it warned.

  And then I saw it. Not a serpent, but something much bigger hid its form in the leaves, n
ear the trunk of a tree. A low-lying creature watched from its hiding spot, its body coiled and ready to spring.

  “Twenty yards. Ten o’clock. Ground-level. Do you see it?” I murmured low. I could sense the tension from the rest of the group as they searched the grounds.

  Hector’s response was only the slightest of a nod.

  “I don’t see anything,” Charlotte hissed.

  “Silence.” Fiona warned her with a glare.

  Hector angled his head, zeroing in on his target. His voice rang out through the night, calling to the creature. “Why do you just lie there watching me?”

  For a moment, I felt relief, thinking that I might have been wrong, that the voice had been wrong, but then it moved. Shifting to all fours, the wolfish creature arched its back, its head lowered as it lifted. It reared onto its hind legs, lengthening its body. I switched my blade open as the being took the appearance of a man. Tall and gangly and oddly formed, but yet, a man. His naked torso was thin and gaunt. Barefooted, he only wore a pair of ragged jeans, with patches and tears on both legs.

  “A shape-shifter,” Cedric murmured, a tinge of disgust in his voice.

  My body shuddered as the demon peered at Hector through blackened eyes.

  “The doorway is open once more, but you are not the mortal who came before. The house of angels must have an evil imp running amuck. How delightful,” he sang.

  Elisa quietly repeated the demon’s words to Charlie. The conversation echoed eerily through the night air.

  “You do not recognize me?” Hector asked.

  The demon shuffled a step closer, examining him with a critical gaze. “Why should I?”

  Hector crossed his arms over the expanse of his chest. “Do you know who came before me?”

  The demon merely shrugged. “Why would I?”

  “Do you know anything?” Hector asked.

  “It is not my business to know anything.” The demon smiled, exposing a rotten cluster of teeth.

  “What is your business?”

  The shape-shifter sneered. “To call my demon.”