by Last, K. A.
I leant against the thick trunk of a tallowwood and attempted to make myself invisible, but I wasn’t the one with the super powers. Seth stood off to one side with a smirk on his face, watching everything unfold. Suddenly, the ground fell away and I was lifted into the air and shoved against the tree. A pair of death black eyes stared at me. They were the ones I’d seen in the cemetery the other night, which was definitely not good.
Grace was busy fighting Seth, or at least I think that’s what she was doing. From my elevated view point I caught glimpses of them both coming in and out of their mist. Archer was off fighting the other guy, and me? Well, I was busy being shoved against a tree. I tried kicking out a few times but my attacker was really strong. I thought I could hold my own but it looked like I had no chance. Things started to go a little blurry due to the hand around my throat, and a little help would have been very much appreciated.
Since Archer and Grace were both busy, that left Charlotte to come to my defence. Where was she anyway? It’s funny how things seem to move in slow motion when your life’s in danger. Charlotte appeared from nowhere and grabbed my attacker. Something snapped and it echoed into the morning. He screamed then released me, and I fell to the ground as he retreated nursing a broken arm.
Grace appeared beside Charlotte and both of them stood over me. Great, I was being protected by two girls. How humiliating.
“The sun is almost up, Seth. Better get what’s left of your boys inside before it gets too hot,” Grace said.
“This is not over.” Seth grabbed both the vamps—the guy who attacked me screamed again—and they all turned to mist before us.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before. Everyone ok?” Grace asked, looking around.
Archer walked over to where I sat in the ferns. “I’d be better if Cain had a stake in his chest,” he said.
I stared at Grace. “They were the vampires you told me about?”
“I thought I told you to stay out of trouble.” She put her hand out to help me up. I gave her a quick kiss and my neck hurt from the movement, but she was worth the pain.
“Why were Arch and Charlotte tied together?” I said.
“They couldn’t work on Charlotte without me incapacitated. But we had it under control,” Archer said.
“I want to know what you gooses were doing out here in the first place,” Grace said.
“Eating.”
“Hunting.”
Archer and Charlotte spoke at the same time. Eating, I thought. Gross. What had I got myself into? This was all too freaky, not to mention my throat was really aching from being squashed by Mr Iron Fingers.
“Ok, holdup,” I said. “I may not want to go there but, working on Charlotte?”
“Blood siphoning.” Grace turned to Charlotte. “Did they get much?”
“A couple of vials, then you showed up.” Charlotte rubbed her arm. “Thanks for that by the way.”
I shuddered. “Do I even want to know any of this?” Suddenly, I was very aware of how cold I felt, which was odd as the morning was already quite warm. The sun peaked over the horizon, filtering its early light into the trees and turning the sky a pink orange.
“It’s just the shock,” Grace said.
For a moment I was puzzled then remembered she could hear my thoughts. I think I went a little numb at that point. The gentle pressure of Grace squeezing my hand brought me back to the present, and I cast the feeling of uncertainty from my mind.
“Um, Arch?” I pointed to his leg. “You’re bleeding.”
“Grace will fix it,” he said, flinging his foot up to rest on her hip.
“Get off me you oaf,” she said, pushing him away. She took his hand and we all watched as nothing happened. Grace’s eyes darkened and she furrowed her brow, she didn’t look too happy.
“What are we waiting for?” I dared to ask. “You guys hold hands in the bush all the time?”
“Ha, funny.” Grace released Archer’s hand. “Must be another thing that’s changed,” she mumbled.
“You’ve lost your healing power?” Archer said.
“Looks that way.”
Now I remembered the part where she told me she could heal people. It was one of the main reasons she’d been assigned as Archer’s Protection Angel, to keep him alive for the next Tate family generation. I wondered what was going to happen with that. Grace scowled at me. I wasn’t really liking the knowing all my thoughts thing, but I didn’t protest.
“How did that happen?” Archer asked.
“I fell this morning. Didn’t you notice me misting all over the place. A lot of things have changed,” she said.
“Sorry, Gracie, I was a bit busy fighting the bad guys. That sucks.”
“You have no idea.”
Grace and Archer stared at each other for a moment. I assumed they were doing their twin connection thing. Archer pursed his lips but didn’t say anything else.
Charlotte moved to Archer’s side. She bared her teeth and a small hissing sound came from her mouth as her fangs extended. I couldn’t help flinching. She pierced the end of her finger with one sharp point, drawing blood. She crouched down and smeared it over Archer’s wound. Double gross. I had to look away, but not before I saw the cut on his leg begin to heal.
“Well, thank god I have you now,” Grace said to Charlotte. “Fat good I am as a protector if I can’t even heal anymore, this just blows.” She stormed off through the trees. I went to follow but Archer held me back, shaking his head.
My watch told me I had exactly ten minutes before training started. Running around an oval twenty times and being subjected to who knew how many push ups was the last thing I felt like doing. Sleep seemed like a better idea. The three of us headed after Grace and back to the clearing. It looked different in the early morning sunlight, not as creepy.
“Grace is probably in the shed,” Archer said as we walked across the dew covered grass. “She can take you back to school.”
“You live here?”
“You sound surprised.” Archer stopped by a door in the side of the building.
“It’s just, when Grace said you lived in a shed, I didn’t think it would be this … big.”
Charlotte giggled and I jumped. She’d been so quiet I’d forgotten she was there.
“I’ll show you around this afternoon.” Grace opened the door and stepped outside, closing it gently behind her. “I think we should come back and maybe figure out a plan.”
Grace circled her arms around my waist. I had no time to protest before we were back in my dorm room. I was exhausted, like I’d travelled from one side of the country and back again all in one night. Grace told me to go to training, let off some steam and clear my head, she’d see me in class in a couple of hours.
The past day or so had sent me on a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, physically and emotionally, and I was worried about Grace and the others. She assured me we would all be fine during the day. Our main threat was Seth, and Grace said she could handle him. But we’d soon find out Seth was the least of our worries. Our problems were only just beginning.
NINETEEN
GRACE
Thursday Morning
Losing my healing power sucked. What use was I as a Protection Angel if I couldn’t heal those I needed to protect? Charlotte was fine; she could heal herself, but Archer, and Josh? What had I done?
When I arrived back at the shed I scolded myself for getting not only me, but the others into this mess. Thank goodness Emma had no idea about my double, now pathetic, super hero life.
Archer sat at the Formica table, chin on his hands, staring at me. I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking, I knew he wasn’t impressed, but I also knew he’d stick by me.
“It’ll work out,” he said. I sat down across from him. “Our family has survived this long, we’ll be fine.”
“That’s just it, Arch, after all these years of fighting as a Tate, I’m now the one who has ruined it all. I’ve betrayed you a
nd the family name.”
“Would you snap out of it,” he said, sitting up straight and clenching his fists. “You have not betrayed me, you’re fighting for what you believe in, and I admire you for that.”
I smiled, but in my emotional state I suddenly felt really tired. As a result, I was totally unprepared for what happened next.
A knocking sound echoed through the shed.
“Are you expecting someone?” Archer asked.
The knock came again. I shook my head and gave Archer a baffled look. Neither of us was in any state to accept company. The back of my shirt had two gaping holes in it, my jeans were smeared with mud, and I’m pretty sure twigs were tangled in my hair and my face was streaked with dirt. Archer’s face was dirty, his shirt was torn and there were traces of blood and muck on his leg.
All I wanted was a hot shower and to get ready for school, but I got up and walked unenthusiastically to the door with Archer following. My next mistake was the result of fatigue and letting my guard down. I should have noticed there were no thoughts on the other side of the door, and that could only mean one of two things. There was no one there, or it was another angel blocking me. Unfortunately it was the latter.
When I opened the door I didn’t know what hit me. There was a moment of weightlessness as I flew through the air and landed with a thump on my butt, narrowly missing the coffee table in the centre of the shed. Archer was flung sideways when my arm hit him. We both scrambled back to our feet.
Framed by the doorway and bathed in a soft golden glow was the most beautiful girl you’d ever seen. I used to glow like that, I thought, but now she put both Charlotte and me combined to shame. Her eyes were a sparkling washed out blue, and her hair was like golden silk. She was dressed in white linen pants and a flowing white top, playing the part well. Her light blue topaz ring glistened on her right hand. The stone matched her eyes perfectly and was surrounded by a large intricate wing pattern in two tone gold.
“Angelica.”
“Grace.”
“You two know each other?” Archer asked.
“You could say that,” I said. “Angelica was one of my best friends.”
“Angels have best friends?”
We ignored him and stared each other down. In my peripheral vision I saw Archer’s head moving back and forth, like watching a tennis match.
“From the looks of you we’re going to have to do this the hard way,” Angelica said. “What happened to you?”
“I stood up for what I believe in.”
“And look where it got you.” She shook her head and looked down her perfect nose. “Consider this a warning; we will go after Charlotte…”
“We?” Archer jumped in.
I caught a slight hint of smugness in Angelica’s expression, and that’s when the next surprise of the morning hit me smack in the face. Angelica made her way across the threshold and into the shed, and Annie Sage, our social worker, stepped into view. Gasping in shock was becoming a habit of mine.
When Archer realised who it was he quickly moved to my side. He never liked Annie, and now I think he liked her even less. She took Angelica’s place in the doorway, dressed in her crisp cream suit. Something glinted on her hand and I saw she was wearing her ring, no longer hanging from the delicate chain around her neck where it must have been all along. The smooth Tiger’s Eye stone was set in the centre of diamond encrusted wings.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were one of us?” I said.
“You never asked. Besides, someone had to protect the protector,” Annie replied.
“Are you serious, I don’t need protecting.”
“Maybe not, but you obviously needed guiding. I’ve been with the Tate family in some way, shape or form for almost as long as you, Grace, whether it was a family friend, your aunt or your social worker, even your step mother on one occasion.”
“Get out of my house,” I said, “before I make you.”
“You’re no match for us. You’re weaker now you’ve switched sides,” Angelica said.
“She hasn’t switched sides,” Archer said.
“In our eyes she has, she’s lucky she was only cast out and not completely stripped of her wings.”
That was new; I didn’t know the fallen could be stripped. I took a few steps towards Angelica and Annie and threatened them again, but they didn’t budge.
“If you’re after Charlotte so badly why are you standing in my shed?”
“It will happen all in good time,” Angelica said.
I couldn’t get past their mental walls which meant getting any information from them was impossible.
“You really have no idea, do you?” Annie asked.
“About what, that you’re a two faced bi…”
“About Charlotte,” she cut in. “She’s not who she seems. You should be careful who you decide to protect. But you can’t say the Council didn’t warn you.”
“Warn me about what? They want me to kill her!”
“No, release her soul.” Angelica smiled sweetly and I cringed.
“Well, that’s not going to happen,” I spat. “And, like I’ve already said. Get. Out.”
They both stared at me in their perfect angelic way. My temper got the better of me and I drew my hand back ready to strike, knowing it wouldn’t harm them much. To my utter shock and dismay, as I extended my arm, a ball of fire sailed across the room. It just missed the orbs of light spinning in the door way before landing outside on the grass. I watched, speechless, as the fire spread until Archer ran and stomped it out. He looked back through the door with his mouth hanging open. When I thought about it, balls of fire actually made sense. I’d forgotten Seth fought that way, too, and now there was another thing Josh could add to my growing list of changes.
TWENTY
JOSH
Thursday Afternoon
Training had been a nightmare. Not only was I out of form, but Mr Bruner grilled me in front of everyone for being late. Ryan knew something was up and had given me sideways glances all session, but he didn’t press the issue. The only thing I really wanted was some sleep.
The atmosphere at lunch was kind of weird. Archer gave us the run down on what happened after I’d left this morning, and we all agreed to keep a better eye on Charlotte.
With so many eyes and ears at Hopetown Valley, it was difficult to talk about what we were going to do. And not being able to bring Ryan and Emma into the loop was hard, but I knew it was for the best, for their safety and ours. I hated not confiding in Ryan when he knew something was wrong. I also hated knowing Grace knew how scared I was. It was just one more thing she had to worry about.
The rest of my classes passed in a blur. When the last bell finally rang I was glad the day was over, but I wasn’t looking forward to the night ahead. The bad guys came out at night, and the ones after Charlotte could strike at any time. The whole situation confused me a little. I would be safe; Grace assured me no angel would harm a human, but Charlotte was now a target from both sides. Things were so messed up, and after not even a week back at school it felt like an eternity since I’d said goodbye to my dad.
The four of us stood at the school gate and went through our plan one more time. It wasn’t much of a plan. Grace and Archer would go home as usual; then Grace would come back for Charlotte and me, simple.
“Fifteen minutes,” Grace said. “Will you be ready?”
“Grace, I’m a guy, I can be ready in two.”
“What about them? Have you said anything?” Grace glanced towards the dorm stairs.
“Who, Ryan? He’s so preoccupied with Emma he won’t notice I’m gone,” I said.
“And no one cares enough to notice if I’m not here,” Charlotte said. “I don’t see why I have to leave.”
“People won’t notice because you’re so quiet, not because they don’t care, and I just think you’ll be safer with us.” Archer kicked a stone along the ground.
“Let’s do this then. See you in a bit,” I said.
>
I gave Grace a peck on the cheek and watched her walk to the car with Archer. When I looked at Charlotte I couldn’t help but feel a bond forming between us. We were in this together and it was nice to know we had each other’s backs.
“I guess we just go and wait for Grace to come get us,” I said.
Charlotte nodded, but neither of us moved. It seemed like she had something to say, so I waited. Charlotte was a beautiful girl but I’d never really taken the time to look at her properly, I was always looking at Grace. Charlotte’s eyes were black as coal but deep as the ocean. They were filled with anguish and it made her near perfect face seem tired. When she spoke I knew she was on the verge of tears.
“You have no idea how sorry I am, Josh.”
“Sorry, what for?”
“For getting you into this situation, coming here and tipping the balance in your life.”
“I don’t think you can blame yourself for what’s happened, besides, my life was far from balanced.”
“Sure I can blame myself, Grace fell because of me, protecting me, and now you’re all in danger,” she said.
I couldn’t help thinking, you’re a vampire, you’re supposed to be stronger than me, but emotionally I don’t think she was.
“I can’t handle losing someone I care about, again,” she whispered.
Gently, I squeezed her arm for reassurance and told her that everything would work out. I felt sorry for Charlotte, for what she was, but I’d discovered after my mum died that feeling sorry gets you nowhere.
I walked Charlotte to the stairs then headed to my room. When I passed the common room Emma and Ryan were inside. He gave me a nod; he definitely knew something was up, but I appreciated him not asking. Under normal circumstances Ryan knew I’d tell him what was wrong eventually, but these were not normal circumstances.