by Elissa Daye
“This is beautiful, but….”
“I brought you here so you can see what life would be like for us without the shadows over us. It may not be as simple as what you feel here. There is still corruption in the world, but if we manage to absolve the darkness, we are left with more light. We have a chance.”
“I think I understand what you are trying to say, Hunter. Thank you for bringing me here. I’ve never been here before. It’s peaceful. Still.” Lyssa sat down on the bench overlooking the bluffs and crossed her feet under her. “I could stay here for hours.”
Hunter looked at her and smiled. “I know the feeling.”
“Hunter, do you see the images of the past down in those valleys? It’s like watching a caravan pulling through the hills. Amazing.”
“I knew you’d see it too. You’re so perceptive to spiritual imprints.” He turned back to look down in the valley. He reached for her hand and slid closer to her.
Lyssa was surprised that Hunter wanted to just sit there with her. Her idea of a date was being quickly redefined. Sitting here next to him was infinitely more enjoyable than sitting across from each other at a restaurant and picking at their food. “This is refreshing.”
“You’ve been working hard at the Watch Tower, Lyssa. Everyone sees the effort you’ve put in. You needed a break. Now you can find your way here any time you need quiet.”
“I feel like I have a lifetime of catching up to do, especially when you all seem so ready to take on the world. I wish it were that easy.”
“You’ll find your groove eventually too, Lyssa. The last puzzle piece will slide into place, and everything will make sense.”
“Thanks. But we didn’t come here to discuss shop, did we?” Lyssa smiled at him. “Tell me about Hunter. What makes you tick?” Up until this point, they had only spent time together on campus or at the Watch Tower. Now that they were here, he simply sat next to her. They talked about common interests outside of the Watch Tower. She wanted to know more about who Hunter was before he joined the Guardians.
“I was actually just starting college before I got the call. I had just chosen my major. I’ve always felt a kinship with animals, so veterinary science seemed like the best choice. Julius recruited me.”
“Were you practicing magic at the time?” Lyssa wondered how he had been drawn to it. Had it been a passing fancy, the way it had started with her? Did it call to him from afar, bringing him to it like an unusual force of nature? She felt that perhaps this might be too personal of a question.
“Yes. I was practicing healing, among other things. I wanted to bring holistic healing into my work, healing animals with natural remedies.”
“That explains that calm healing energy I feel when I’m around you. I bet you’ll be a fantastic vet.”
“I hope so, but my work as a Guardian will always come first.”
Lyssa smiled at him. His dedication to the Watch Tower was admirable. He truly did believe in making the world a better place, something they had already talked about at great length in their moments at the Watch Tower. “I love animals. I always wanted a cat, but we couldn’t afford a pet when I was a kid. Keeping a pet healthy is important. It was better not to have one than run the risk of hurting it with a lack of medical attention. Then, when I moved away from home, I got so caught up in forgetting my past that I just wanted to be free, more than anything.”
“I’m glad you found yourself.”
“I’m not quite what you expected, I’m sure.” She smiled up at him and pushed a lock of hair behind her ears.
“I’m not grading you on a memory, Lyssa.”
“Hmmm?” She was pretending to stare down at the valley below, but she knew what he meant. He’d told her over and over that their connection to the past was just that, and that the one he felt for her now wasn’t based on a memory. Lyssa might need to be reminded of this a few more times before it sank in, though.
“Yes. You may have been in my past, but the person you are in this life is not the one you were then. I’m not the same either.”
“But you said you loved her. That you were looking for her again.” Lyssa tried not to sound wishy washy, but she couldn’t help feeling that way. With other men, Lyssa had easily been able to keep them at arm’s length. She’d had relationships, small ones, but nothing that ever made her wish for a future. Where they were going had never concerned her. With Hunter, it mattered. She wanted more than she would ever be able to communicate.
“At first I was, Lyssa, before I found you. Not anymore.”
“Oh.” She tried not to sound disappointed. Perhaps he had decided that she wasn’t what he was looking for after all. “I get it. It’s okay.” Lyssa closed her eyes and tried not to let the moment of silence destroy her. Yes, she was already in way too deep if a simple turn of phrase hit her like a typhoon.
She felt Hunter shift next to her, and when she looked up, he was standing.
“Don’t look at me like that.” His eyes were almost burning through her, and it made her shake almost nervously.
“Like what?” His smoky eyes searched hers for her meaning.
“I don’t know. I’ve never had anyone look at me like that.” Lyssa looked away uncomfortably. Why did she feel so skittish all of a sudden? During the confusion, her guard over her thoughts fell.
“Lyssa, you misunderstood.” He sat back down, pulled her close to him, and made her look into his eyes. “It’s not a memory I want. I want you.”
She could feel the heat of his breath on her lips right before he kissed her. If anyone had told her a kiss could be so filled with tenderness and longing, Lyssa would never have believed them. It was as if her entire soul clamored to the surface in search of the light his nearness provided. Lyssa felt every inch of her nerve endings fire when her lips parted, and he slid his tongue inside her mouth. A slow mimic of other acts sent images of what this could lead to if they continued on this path, and for once, that didn’t make her feel like running. Hunter pulled her into his lap and cradled her body with his before continuing the assault on her senses. Soon, the time and space around them seemed to be twirling out of control, and while they hadn’t left their spot on the bench, Lyssa felt as if her body had been traveling at the speed of light. The moment his lips moved to the base of her neck, liquid fire replaced the calm sensual languor that flowed easily between them. Lyssa wanted more than she dared ask for.
As if sensing the stirring emotions inside her, Hunter moved his mouth back to hers. The kiss lasted a lifetime before they came up for air. Bringing her hand up to his face, she pulled him down for another kiss. The urge to hide from him would no longer rule her. She was more awake now than she had ever been. When the kiss ended, she put her head on his shoulder and tried to catch her breath. Lyssa inhaled his scent and closed her eyes. This was much more than where she wanted to be. It was where she needed to be, for however long it lasted. If she lost him in the end, at least she would have his memory to hold onto. The journey would be worth it.
When Hunter rose to stand, he reached for her hand.
“Where are we going?” Lyssa was not ready to return to reality.
“We need to go.”
“But—”
“If we don’t go now, I can’t guarantee I’ll have enough sense to put the brakes on.”
Lyssa slid closer to him and tried to bring his mouth back down to hers. Her whole body was awake, and she didn’t care about what consequences might be waiting for her in the morning. She craved his nearness.
When Hunter backed away from her, he let out a strained sigh. “Lyssa, please. I’m trying to do the right thing. This isn’t something we should rush.”
“I don’t usually. I mean, not like this. You?” Lyssa stared him down and noticed the way he looked away from her.
“I’m not going to lie to you. I have been in this situation before, but I re
fuse to walk the same path with you. When we decide to go to the next step, I don’t want it to be just about sex.”
Wow. How many men had ever treated her with this much respect? There hadn’t been tons, but plenty for her to measure him against. Even though she wanted to diffuse each and every excuse he offered, Lyssa knew deep down that he was right. If what they had was meant to be, it would be better to take their time getting to know each other. “Fine. But I don’t want to wait forever.”
“Agreed.” Hunter brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back side of it. “Now, let me get you home.”
When they returned to the apartment, her heart was still beating rapidly. Lyssa looked up at him. “Sure you don’t want to come inside?”
“I’m sure I do, but I know I shouldn’t.” Hunter leaned down and kissed her softly. “Good night, Lyssa. I’ll see you later.”
“Right. Good night then.” She let go of his hand and walked inside the apartment, for once glad that Jackson was nowhere in sight.
Chapter 13
For the next few weeks, when Lyssa was not studying or training at the Watch Tower, she spent her free time with Hunter. Each time she wanted more than he allowed, but she understood why he wanted not to rush their relationship. Lyssa was soon becoming a mess of pent up energy, for while they always separated each night before things went too far, it left her body aching for release. How in the world was Hunter dealing with it? She wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to last without moving forward.
Jackson constantly teased her when she came home with a flushed face, but she laughed it off. While he did not completely understand the dynamics of her relationship with Hunter, Jackson had resolved to be supportive. Thank goodness for that. Lyssa had a hard enough time without the pressure of his disapproval.
All her extra energy was put into her training at the Watch Tower and learning how to locate the shadows through astral projection. Keeping her ethereal tether intact each time she traveled to a new area was imperative. The trick was to get there without being detected, which so far had been easy. Shadow Walker, they called her. She’d cast her line into their world and seek out the answers hidden beneath its depths. Once there, her spirit roamed over the area, searching for the shadows she had detected.
In many cases, Lyssa found herself surrounded by deserted houses and buildings. Shadowed figures hid in dark corners, slight imprints to spirits that had long passed away. While these beings were haunting, they were not the shadows that the Watch Tower sought. These shadow people only seemed to cause trouble to those people who dared to enter their sacred domicile. These entities were not the ones that traveled around the surface world, wreaking havoc. So far, she had only astral projected. Lyssa had not attempted to teleport to those locations physically. While they had detected her in the past, she had been working on honing her abilities to block her energy from their radar. Until this was stronger, she would continue traveling with her energy.
As part of her responsibilities as Shadow Walker, she also was able to find them much easier than other Guardians. Lyssa was doing her best to refine her skills so that she would be able to detect them with high accuracy. If she could only find the energy they were looking for, it would be much better. The beings that rose from the Land of the Shadows were hell bent on destroying human life. Once she could do this with more accuracy, then she would be more helpful to her sector. From there, Lyssa had no idea where she was headed. She had learned to take each day one step at a time.
While she had been doing a lot of studying, she had also been on daily hunts with Julius. They were taking down more shadows together every evening when they came out to stalk the innocents. Sometimes they took Jackson with them so they could learn together, but for the most part, Julius wanted her to learn how to defend herself so that if none of them were available, she would still be able to take care of herself. If her role was to walk in the shadows, she would not always have back up with her. In preparation for those moments when she might be alone, Lyssa was learning how to create a shield of light around her that helped mask her identity. But if she was detected, any of the magic the shadows sent her way would rebound off her shield before it ever had a chance to reach her.
Trying to accomplish in a short time what had taken others a lifetime was not easy. If she’d had the years of training that others had, she would not feel so inadequate. From what she understood, when Julius and Serena had been taken under the Watch Tower’s wings, they had needed to complete at least two years worth of training before they were put into the field. However, times were changing, and the members of the Craven were finding ways to open more portals for the shadows to enter their world each day. The Craven was not as wide and extensive as the Watch Tower, but it was growing. Their need for destruction was something Lyssa would never understand. This desire made them a danger to everything the Guardians held dear. She’d had her own issues with people who exerted their power over others to last her a lifetime.
While most of them spent their time finding ways to take out the shadows, some of them had gone undercover, hoping to find a way to stop the shadows from the other side of the battlefield. Hunter and Logan were doing the best they could to infiltrate the Craven. Every single day, she worried that Hunter might not return. They were both trying to join the ranks of the Craven so that they could understand how they worked and figure how to take them down with the least amounts of casualties. She only hoped that whatever darkness they kept around them did not taint Hunter or Logan. Their pure hearts made them easy targets. Light was like that. Turn on a flashlight in a dim room, and it created a beacon for good and evil.
Lyssa was in her room reading one of the books from the library, hoping to find a clue that would help them, when her left arm started to tingle. Her tattoo was changing colors, the summons making it clear that something was up. She set the book on her bed and teleported to the library. Today, Hunter and Logan were coming back to tell them what they had learned, and Lyssa was anxious to see Hunter. His time away was making her feel like some lovesick puppy that was likely to flop her tail on the floor the minute he entered the room. She sat at the table with the others, waiting in silence for their men to return to them. When Hunter entered the room, Lyssa fought the urge to stand up and race into his arms. Every time he left, she worried that much more for his safety and she hated the way this made her feel. Hunter’s gaze penetrated her. He had not seen her since lunch earlier yesterday. She closed her eyes quickly and imagined the key turning in her head to lock out his probing questions. Locking it up at all times might be wise, but it took an effort to do so, and sometimes she just wanted to relax. She looked back over at him and saw the small mischievous smile light up his face.
“Welcome back.” Julius gestured for Hunter to sit. At that moment, Logan came into the room too.
“What’s up, everyone?”
Serena shook her head at him. “I see you’re no worse for the wear.”
“Not at all. I’m enjoying the perks of being one of the bad guys.”
“Is that a hickey on your neck?” Serena scrutinized him as he sat down.
“Gentlemen never tell.”
Lyssa shot an accusatory glance at Hunter, and he held his hands up. “Don’t look at me. I’ve kept my nose to the ground. That one, he wants the full experience.”
Julius cleared his throat. “Enough chit chat. We’ve things to talk about. Let’s get to it, shall we?”
Lyssa nibbled the inside of her mouth and took a deep breath. The anger inside her bubbled silently, forming a painful cramp in her stomach, and she massaged it with her hand. She ignored Hunter’s eyes and kept herself trained on the globe that was rotating before them.
“So, here is what we already know. The Craven is a group of people who work with the darkest parts of magic, essentially the complete opposite of what we do here at the Watch Tower.” Julius tapped his finger on t
he table as he spoke. “They seemed to gain more power from the shadows somehow.”
“I know they are making them somehow.” Lyssa couldn’t help interrupting him.
“How do you know this?”
Lyssa looked directly at Julius, ignoring the way Hunter’s mind tried to get past the wall she had put up to keep him out of her thoughts. “Because the night you found me, I was looking right at them. I don’t know if it was a random gathering or if this is the only place that they use, but in that moment, they were somehow manipulating the energy there to make that thing.”
“Those things, they’re like vampires, feeding on the energy of those around them and controlling those that were too weak to fend them off. I watched one of the Craven use his powers of persuasion to artfully make a woman break into another person’s house, just to see if he could.”
“Simon?” Logan interrupted him.
“Yeah. He’s mentally unstable. He used his psychic powers of suggestion to put an impulse into her head and watched from afar as the woman followed his orders.” Hunter shook his head in disgust. “I would have stopped him, but I can’t blow my cover. I watched as he laughed from the sidelines while that woman was carried away by the cops, completely out of her mind.”
“Was she okay?” Lyssa clenched her hands on the table in front of her.
When Hunter did not answer her, Logan cleared his throat and mumbled, “She died.”
“What?” Lyssa fought the urge to push herself away from the table. They were Guardians. Love, life, peace, balance. Someone lost their life while they stood by and watched.
“Another time, Lyssa. Right now, I want to hear what else they have to report.”
Lyssa sniffed in annoyance and nodded at them to continue. All the while, she felt her anger rising to a peak. She’d have to get it out somehow, but right now was certainly not the time.