Decimate: The Guard Trilogy

by Sheridan Anne

  I strip off and climb in with her, washing her hair and body free of the dirt and blood that coats her. Her face brightens once the clean feeling settles over her and she snuggles into my chest. I hold her as tight as I possibly can without hurting her as she rests against me. “You’re hurt,” she says, noticing the wound on my shoulder.

  “I’m ok,” I smile, trying to reassure her.

  This girl has been through absolute hell and here she is worried about me. God, how did I ever get so lucky?

  Ten minutes later, I wrap her in a towel and help dry her off. I study her clean body, finally able to make proper sense of her injuries and am relieved that the majority is just bruising and nothing too serious. Though, I don’t know what could be said for her current state of mind after what she’s been through, but I know she will tell me when she’s ready.

  I wrap her ribs to help soothe the bruising and rub cream into her wounds. Jacinta knocks at the door and hands me a pile of clean clothes. I get her dressed and lead her out into the room.

  Jacinta sits with Bianca and quietly brushes her wet hair before braiding it so it is out of her way while Daniel hands her something easy to eat. As soon as she’s done, Jacinta lays her down on the bed and snuggles in behind her. The two of them instantly fall asleep.

  I watch as she settles into a restless sleep then focus my attention on Kaylee, I study her injuries which so far seems to have nothing on Bianca’s. Relief washes over me that she’ll be ok.

  “She has a nasty lump on her head,” Trey explains as he notices my gaze on Kaylee. “I’m sure she’ll wake up soon then we can get her cleaned up and out of here.”

  I nod in agreement.

  Trey eventually falls asleep on the couch while Daniel sprawls out on the floor with a blanket. I take a seat at the too small desk and watch over the people who have, in the space of 24 hours, earned my utmost respect.

  Chapter 19

  I wake to the sound of hushed whispers around me and I keep my eyes closed as the memories of the last two days come rushing back. I am so thankful to be alive.

  “I know you’re awake,” my favorite voice whispers from beside me.

  I open one eye and a headache instantly makes itself known as I squint into the brightness of the room. I find Rylan crouching down beside the bed. “Hi,” I whisper to this beautiful man who risked his life to save me. “How’s your shoulder?”

  He shakes his head and I let out a giggle, knowing just how frustrated my question would make him.

  “How are you feeling?” he asks, running his fingers ever so gently down my face.

  “Ok,” I say. “My throat is a little sore and I have the mother of all headaches.”

  He nods and reaches over to the bedside table, finding me some pain killers and a glass of water. He helps me sit up and I do my best not to cringe as my body screams in protest. Rylan hands me the water and tablets and I throw them back, my throat stinging as the lumpy tablets make their way down.

  I look around and notice someone is missing, panic starts fluttering inside me. “Where’s Kaylee?” I ask, praying she’s ok.

  “Shower,” he responds. “She’s alright, just a few bumps and bruises.”

  “Oh, good. I was so worried. They took her away from me and I couldn’t help her,” I say as a tear escapes my eye at the memory.

  “It’s ok,” he soothes, climbing onto the bed and wrapping me in his strong arms. “You’re both safe now.”

  I take a deep breath, knowing Rylan is still worrying about me and make a vow to myself that from now on, I will be strong. I will not break down. I will not reduce him to the pain of seeing my tears. Never again.

  I glance around the room and find Jacinta’s questioning eyes on me. I pat the bed beside me and watch as excitement lights up her face as she bounds across the room. A huge grin creeps across my face as she lands in the empty space beside me. “Tell me all about it. I bet you were badass.” Rylan scoffs beside me and I realize this is a story I don’t want to miss.

  Twenty minutes later, I’m in absolute awe of my best friend. “Wow, I thought I was the only one who could get away with talking to him like that.”

  “Believe me, you are,” Rylan cuts in. “In any other situation, I would have laid her ass out. Which reminds me,” he says, glancing up at Trey and Daniel. “You two and I need to have a little talk.”

  The boys cringe as Jacinta laughs from beside me. “Eh,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders. “I did what I had to do.”

  I glance over at the guys who have been listening intently to Jacinta’s story, throwing in their own little comments and remarks along the way. I grab hold of Jacinta’s hand and give it a squeeze. “Thanks, guys. I really didn’t expect you all to risk your lives for me like that. Coming after me and into the Fairy Kingdom is honestly the most stupid and dangerous thing any of you have ever done and I kind of hoped you wouldn’t. I couldn’t bare it if anything had happened to any of you and for that, I’ll never be able to repay you guys.”

  “There’s nothing to repay. We would have done it a million times over,” Trey says.

  I send them all a grateful smile. “I second that,” Daniel comments. “But let’s not forget that it’s not over yet,” he grunts.

  “Huh? Why not?” I ask.

  “Your ah… ‘boyfriend’ over there, kind of killed their Queen,” he says, surprising me with his reluctance to still acknowledge Rylan as my boyfriend.

  Trey scoffs. “Kind of? He got her right between the eyes. There was no ‘kind of’ about it.”

  “WHAT?” Jacinta and I both screech with our gazes heavily locked on Rylan.

  He cringes under our scrutiny but nods in confirmation.

  “Shit,” I say. “What are we still doing here? They’ll be searching everywhere for us. They won’t stop until they have every last drop of our blood. Especially yours,” I say to Rylan.

  “Trust me, I know. As soon as Kaylee is good, we’re leaving.”

  Kaylee chooses that precise moment to exit out of the bathroom, looking as fresh as a daisy, minus the few bruises that frame her face. Though, I’m pretty sure we have matching ones on our hips and ribs. My heart swells seeing her before me, alive and ok.

  I attempt to hop up from the bed, but the pain is just too much. Rylan lifts me from beside him and places me down on my feet, keeping a hand at my elbow for support. I send him a grateful smile and assure him I’m ok. I move across the room on shaky legs and throw my arms around Kaylee. “I’m so glad you’re ok,” I cry, giving her a gentle squeeze, hoping her bruising isn’t nearly as bad as mine.

  “Me?” she scoffs, holding me tighter. “It’s you I was worried about. I heard the whole thing. I could have sworn you were dead. I don’t even know how you’re here right now,” she says, practically sobbing.

  “Come on,” I say, letting her go and grabbing her hand. “We’ll explain in the car. We’ve got to get back to The Academy.”

  “What?” she stutters, ripping her hand from mine. I turn to face her and see the worry etched into every crevice of her face. I look over to Rylan for a little help, but he looks just as clueless as I. She backs herself against the wall. “I can’t go back there,” she says, shaking her head in fear.

  “It’s been years Kaylee,” Rylan soothes stepping towards her. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  She glances around the room, each and every set of eyes on her. Jacinta moves forward and I know she’s got this in the bag. If anyone can bend someone to their will, it would be my best friend.

  “Kaylee,” she starts. “It’s too dangerous for us here. We have to get back to the Academy, back to safety.”

  She shakes her head a little more vigorously. “I can’t,” she says then focuses her attention solely on Rylan. “Please, forgive me,” she begs as her right pointer finger begins to descend on her left wrist.

  “Stop her,” Jacinta yells from across the room.

  With instinct taking over, I leap for Kaylee, using ev
ery last ounce of strength I possess. I reach out and snatch her wrist firmly into my grasp. I tackle her to the ground, pinning her arms behind her back as I desperately try to make sense of what’s happening.

  I glance up to Rylan to confirm my thoughts, but he stands motionless in shock before me. My gaze swivels around to meet Jacinta’s, who now has a protective Trey standing in front of her. “What’s going on?” I ask her.

  “She’s a Fairy,” Jacinta responds equally as confused.

  “No. That’s not possible. She’s Rylan’s sister,” I demand from above the person in question.

  “I don’t know,” Jacinta replies looking flustered.

  Kaylee bucks from under me. “Get off me,” she growls.

  Rylan rushes forward and pulls both me and Kaylee to our feet, being incredibly gentle with us both in the process, but making sure to always keep a hand on Kaylee. He grabs a chair and sits her in front of him. “What’s the meaning of all this?” he demands in his instructor's voice. The voice that has anyone on the receiving end shaking in fear.

  She takes a deep breath and raises her eyes to meet his. Looking as resigned as ever, she sighs. “I’m part fey,” she explains.

  “No, we have the same parents. If your part fey, then so am I and I know for damn sure I’m no fairy. I don’t believe you for one second,” he seethes with rage pouring through him. I come up beside him, curling my hand around his forearm and giving him my full support. He grabs my hand to entwine our fingers and I watch in amazement as he visibly relaxes.

  Kaylee looks down at her lap. “We have the same mother, not the same father. Mine is a manipulative Fairy Knight who seduced mom then took off. The Guard found out and that’s the reason I was kicked out of school. I had nowhere to go, I was out on my ass. I didn’t know a damn person or how to even survive in the real world. I was only 17 so I did the only thing left for me to do which was to join the Fey.”

  Rylan takes a shaky breath. “Why did you never tell me any of this?”

  “Rylan,” she sighs. “I always knew you were going to turn into the man you are now. Even as a child, you were always so determined, so passionate about The Guards cause. You used to run around pretending Mom and I were vampires and you’d show us how easily you could take us out. Hell, you once chased this ladies dog in the park, pretending it was a werewolf. You tackled that poor retriever to the ground,” she smiles at the fond memory. “I couldn’t take the chance that you would have looked at me differently, like the way you’re looking at me now.”

  Rylan stands looking down at his sister with pain in his eyes then suddenly jerks away, pulling on my hand to follow. “Come on,” he commands.

  “Wait,” I say, holding my ground. “Something’s not adding up,” I say, glancing back down at Kaylee who plasters a cringe on her face. Yep, she’s definitely hiding something.

  “What are you talking about?” Rylan asks me with his eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

  “It just doesn’t make sense. If she’s one of them, how come she was taken too? How come she’s now covered in bruises and ended up unconscious?”

  The whole room immediately focuses their attention on Kaylee. A silent tear escapes her eye and slides down her face before splashing on her lap. “I wasn’t taken,” she says.

  Jacinta scoffs from across the room. “Ah, yeah you were. I saw the whole thing.”

  “I was being tested,” she explains so quietly I have to strain to hear her. “The Fey knew I had a relationship with Bianca and they wanted her. I was the one who gave them the information on her ranking and popularity within The Guard. I set up the meeting at the mall and as soon as I got her alone, they acted. They only kept me down there for show.”

  Rylan clenches his fists, which as his hand is still in mine, is actually quite uncomfortable. “How could you do that?” he rages. “They almost killed her.”

  “I’m sorry,” she says, lifting her gaze to meet mine. “Had I denied them, I would have been labelled a traitor and killed on the spot. I had no other option.”

  “Right,” I say, nodding my head. “My life for yours. Sure. Seems fair,” I grunt.

  She cringes once again. “I truly am sorry, Bianca.”

  Rylan shakes his head, deciding he’s heard enough betrayal for one day. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I whisper as I begin following my friends out the door.

  “Wait,” Kaylee says. “There’s more.”

  I turn on my heel and fix the woman with a hard glare.

  No one says a word as we wait for her to come out with it. “Their plan was to kidnap Bianca and have The Guard slaughtered when they came after her, however, being the careful planners they are, they have a plan B.”

  “And that is?”

  She takes a nervous breath. “The Fairies are in league with the Vampires. They’ll come together to invade The Guard. It’ll be a massacre. And now that Rylan has murdered the Queen, there’s no doubt in my mind that this plan will be put in motion a lot sooner than originally planned.”

  I hear Trey and Daniel both cursing under their breath. “How do I know I can trust you?” Rylan demands her.

  “I’m going to be killed on sight when the Fey finds me. It was my plan that ultimately lead to our Queen’s death, therefor, It’s on my shoulders,” she says then fixes Rylan with a look. “Giving you this information is the least I can do for you, after everything I’ve put you through, hopefully, you can use this information to be prepared and save your people.”

  Rylan turns and heads for the door in urgency with the boys following behind. “Where are they attacking?” I ask, halting Rylan’s movements as he listens in for an answer.

  “They plan to take down The Academy.”

  “We got to move,” Rylan orders.

  “We have to take her with us.” Jacinta suddenly says.

  “What? Are you nuts?” Daniel replies, saying what everyone was thinking.

  Jacinta looks back at Kaylee then turns to Rylan. “She’s part-fey. She’s connected with them. I think, if she’s with us, she’ll be able to warn us when they decide to make their move.”

  “I like it,” Trey says. “Besides, they’re going to kill her anyway, we may as well get some useful information first.”

  “Hmm,” Rylan grunts. “Grab her,” he orders Daniel, who immediately strides over to her and flings her over his shoulder. She squeals in protest and bangs against his back. We all follow them out to the car and I cringe as Daniel tosses her into the boot of the SUV.

  We pile into the big car and Rylan hardly waits for all our doors to close before he’s peeling out of the parking lot. I sit up front with Rylan and glance over to him to find his jaw clenched in anger. I reach over the center console and place my hand in his, he glances towards me with pain in his eyes. “I’m so sorry,” he says quietly, only for me to hear. “This is my fault. If I’d never taken you to meet her, this would never have happened.”

  I squeeze his hand in reassurance. “No, I was the one who was so persistent you find your sister. I was the one who jumped at the opportunity to meet her. I was the one with a big mouth who told her all about the midterms and I was the one who wanted to have a girl’s day at the mall,” I say. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This is on me and me alone. You’ve been nothing short of amazing, sweeping in and saving my life when I had all but given up. You’re my hero and I am so desperately in love with you, it hurts.

  He cuts his attention from the road and looks deep into my eyes. He reaches across and runs his knuckles down the side of my face. “I love you so much, Bianca. I’ll never let anything like this happen to you again,” he vows.

  “I know,” I respond, gently removing my hand from his and subtly placing it on his thigh. He glances over at me in curiosity and I lick my lips seductively. “I need to thank you properly for swooping in and saving my life,” I whisper, slowly sliding my hand up his thigh.

  He raises his eyebrow at me as a
cheeky grin takes over his face. “Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?” he questions, his eyes sparking in mirth.

  I send him a wicked grin as I turn to face the back seat. “Jacinta?” I call. “Whatever happened to all our shopping?”

  “I don’t know,” she responds in confusion, unsure why I’d possibly be worried about my shopping at a time like this. “Why?”

  “Oh, you know,” I smirk. “I bought that little red outfit, I’d really like to try it on.”

  She grins at me, knowing exactly what ‘little red outfit’ I want to try on and why.

  Rylan groans beside me, clearly remembering the image of me holding up the little red lacy items or maybe he’s picturing me in them. He squeezes my hand which sits dangerously high on his thigh. He makes a note of focusing solely on the road in front of him rather than the sultry wink I send in his direction.

  Twenty minutes later, Rylan screeches into the Academy parking lot with no sign of the playful Rylan anywhere in sight. It’s all business now. I hop out of the SUV and meet him around the back. He takes both my hands in his and gives me a quick kiss on the lips. “I have no idea what’s going to happen when we get in there, but there’ll be a lot of questions thrown your way. A lot at me for taking students off school grounds and allowing them into such a dangerous situation, there may even be some about why I went after you. If it comes to a point where you have no choice but to tell the truth of our relationship, then do it. We’ll sort it out later, we will make this work ok,” he says, pulling me into him once again.

  I give him the smallest nod of understanding, completely freaked out over what could come of this, but all I know is we have to get in there and warn The Guard about our impending doom.

  “Let’s go,” he says reaching into the boot of the SUV and helping Kaylee to her feet with her hands bound behind her back.

  Trey, Daniel, and Jacinta all swarm around us as Rylan leads Kaylee towards Ms. Peterson office. Student’s gawk at us as we pass, obviously knowing I was not long ago held prisoner in the Fairy Kingdom and if they’re not looking at me, then it would be the woman who looks a lot like Rylan and is currently being escorted around by her binds.