02 Eternity - Guardian

by Laury Falter

  My breath caught as he admitted it and my smile returned.

  He started the car and pulled into traffic on the side street outside the school, leading us back to the house.

  “If you still refuse to leave the city,” he stopped to sigh in frustration at my decision which he knew remained unchanged. “I have a solution.”

  My head snapped towards him, excited that an argument wouldn’t ensue after all. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  “Well…what is it?”

  “Oh…” A smile played on his handsomely curved lips. “You’ll find out shortly…”

  My brow creased in curiosity. “When?”

  “The moment you get home,” he stated.

  From then on, until we reached the back door of our house, my eagerness increased exponentially.

  CHAPTER FIVE: ALTERUMS

  As Eran parked the car at the back of our driveway, I noticed two things at once: our kitchen light was on, glowing like a beacon against the darkness of the stormy day, and a stranger stood under the eaves against the window, frowning.

  The man was tall with a slender build. His closely cropped bold white hair, silky smooth swarthy skin, and clear blue eyes stood out in direct contrast to each other. He would be hard to miss.

  I didn’t sense any measure of panic so I determined he wasn’t an enemy. Eran didn’t offer any explanation but simply got out of the car and moved towards the man. I followed.

  “Campion,” said Eran, genially.

  “Sir,” he replied in a more submissive, respectful tone.

  My curiosity was clawing at me from the inside.

  “Enjoying the rain?” Eran held back a smile at some private joke.

  “Not very much, sir,” Campion grumbled.

  “Sir?” I inquired but it wasn’t until we were inside the kitchen with the door closed against the rain did Eran clarify.

  “Magdalene, as your memory won’t allow it, I would like to reintroduce you to Campion, my first lieutenant.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Your…” I heard myself trail off as I was left in bewilderment.

  “Campion will be watching over you while I am away.”

  “Away?” That thought I understood immediately. “You’re going away?” I asked a little too loudly.

  “Intermittently.”

  That didn’t help much.

  “You’re leaving?” Ezra’s voice came from the doorway. She seemed nearly as distraught as I was.

  “Ezra, I’m glad you are here. I’d like you to meet Campion.”

  Campion stepped forward and extended his hand. Ezra took it, hesitantly. “What’s this all about, Eran?” Her ability to see beyond the situation was coming out.

  “I’d like to explain it to Felix and Rufus as well.”

  “Explain what?” Rufus said entering the kitchen. Unruffled at seeing a stranger standing in our house, he gave Campion a quick look up and down and a cordial nod. No introductions were needed with him. He pulled a soda from the refrigerator and popped the top before leaning against the sink intending to wait for Eran’s answer.

  “We’ll need Felix-”

  Rufus bellowed for Felix, prompting a shudder from Ezra and me. It worked and Felix fled down the stairs and into the kitchen, stopping just as his eyes landed on Campion.

  “Well…” he said, surprised. “A dinner guest?”

  “More along the lines of a new roommate,” said Eran.

  That made everyone’s eyebrows rise.

  “Shall we sit?” Eran offered.

  We each took our seats and Eran went in to explaining that we’d learned of the Fallen Ones arrivals and of the impending battle, keeping his briefing in chronological order and succinct. Listening to him, I saw the military leader in him emerge, a persona he felt completely at ease in. It left me in awe.

  In the end, Eran summed it up with, “I have strategically placed my army with you at all times. You won’t see them or hear them but they will be watching over you should you need their protection.”

  Ezra was nodding her head thoughtfully. “So…you’ve given each of us our own guardian,” she summed it up.

  “Correct.”

  “Blimey…” Rufus leaned back with a distained scowl. “I don’t need a guardian. What I need’s a pint o’ beer.”

  Felix rolled his eyes in response. “That’s…thoughtful,” Felix condoned. “Although it’s also unnecessary.”

  Eran was not going to be dissuaded. “I’m sorry if you disagree. It is in your best interest. More so, it is done. They are in place and carrying out their orders as we speak. They will not be a disruption, I assure you.”

  Ezra, Rufus, and Felix exchanged looks that conveyed their reluctant agreement.

  “While I will watch Magdalene throughout the day,” Eran continued, “Campion will need to watch over Magdalene during the evenings. This requires him to take up residence here.”

  Campion watched, slightly doubtful, of what their reaction might be and appeared relieved when Felix and Rufus shrugged, untroubled by the idea. Even Ezra agreed.

  “I believe we have a cot in the downstairs closet we can prepare for you,” she offered.

  “I would appreciate it,” said Campion graciously.

  The discussion seemingly over, I leaned towards Eran and spoke softly into his ear. “Where will you be going?” I asked, nervous about what his answer might be. With his army watching over us, who would be watching over him?

  “I need to gather intelligence, know who’s coming for us, how many, where they’re coming from, when they’ll be here. There are a lot of unanswered questions.”

  His plans sounded treacherous. “Can I speak to you alone?” I whispered to him, unsure my voice could rise any higher.

  “Yes,” he replied, as serious as I felt.

  He then followed me down the hall and into the parlor where we found ourselves standing next to the hearth. A fire had been lit to warm the house, sending dancing shadows across the walls. I vaguely noticed that it gave the room the scent of cedar.

  Eran stood close to me, far closer than usual. I soaked up the image of him and felt every inch of his presence just inside my reach.

  “Stay,” I pleaded.

  He drew in a shaky breath and then for the first time that day, Eran reached out and touched me. His hand gently pressed against my cheek, his thumb caressing me. It sent a shudder through my body so vehement that I had to close my eyes against it.

  I was on the verge of tears, struggling to contain myself, when I felt his lips softly brush against mine. They lingered there, pliant and welcoming as I tilted my head to meet him.

  Then our passion, all the weeks of tense distance, came roaring to the surface. He wrapped his arms around my waist in an iron hold, pressing me to him. My fingers dug into the contours of his back. Our bodies clung to each other, our lips crushing against one another.

  The next thing I knew, he was holding me by my hips and the back of my head, my body limp against him.

  “Did I…” I started, still getting my bearings straight. “Did I…faint?”

  “You did,” he replied, bemused.

  I was appalled.

  “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s happened before…”

  My humiliation deepened so he restrained his smile for my benefit. “You probably don’t remember it.”

  I didn’t and I wasn’t interested in recalling it at this moment either. Instead, I concentrated on standing.

  “Careful,” he warned. “You’re still ashen.”

  I groaned, and placed my feet under me, but Eran kept his arms around my waist for safe measure.

  “I’m sorry that I ruined…”

  “You didn’t ruin anything,” he reassured me. “It was beautiful. It’ll keep me company while I’m away from you.”

  “Do you really have to go?”

  “You know I do,” he muttered.

  “Can’t you send someone else?” I whispered.

  Eran’s face
contorted in insult. “Magdalene, this is my job.”

  “I know but isn’t your job also to protect me?” I reminded.

  “Protecting you is what I am doing.”

  His arms were still around my waist, our hips intimately pressed together. He pulled me even closer. It was a significant and unfair distraction and he knew it. The grin on his gorgeous face told me so. Then he grew solemn. “I hate the thought of leaving your side. I know your safety won’t be in question, but it’s the fact that I won’t see your stunning face until the morning or be able to listen to the sounds of you getting ready in the evening.”

  My mouth fell open. “You do that?” I hissed.

  His grin returned, mischievous, and he continued on, “The opportunity to hear your melodic voice will be cut short, your beautiful voice which is such a comfort,” he sighed, “…when you’re not opposing me.”

  I drew in a quick breath in insult and he chuckled, pulling me closer. My forehead landed softly against his chin where he murmured into my hair, “Trust me.”

  “I do…implicitly. It’s who you might encounter that I don’t.”

  He moved his lips across my forehead, leaving an arc of feather-light kisses in their wake. I struggled to catch my breath. Then, he slowly leaned back. “You have nothing to worry about, my love. They aren’t expecting me. They’ll never see me coming.”

  The inherent confidence in him settled my nerves, somewhat.

  I placed my cheek against his shoulder, nestling my nose against the curve of his neck, settling into him. I could hear his heartbeat, powerful and defined. His breathing was steady and calm. We stood this way for a very long time, neither of us willing to move away from each other. It wasn’t until dishes began clinking in the kitchen and Felix peeked around the corner to ask if we’d be interested in pork chops brined in fish sauce did we leave each other’s arms.

  Eran’s absence was not brought up at dinner, though we sat as close as possible. My concerns weighed heavily on my mind, knowing that Eran would leave as soon as dinner was over.

  I attempted to keep my mind off Eran’s departure by trying to engage in conversation and watching others around the table. Although it went unmentioned, we all secretly wondered how Campion might react to Felix’s cooking but, to everyone’s surprise, Campion eagerly finished his plate and asked for another. Felix was supremely delighted.

  When the plates were cleared, Eran stood and I followed. We stepped out under the eaves where the rain had become a drizzle now.

  “Promise me that you’ll be safe,” I said.

  “I will.”

  “Promise.”

  A flicker of a smile rose up and fell away. “I promise.”

  Because I still couldn’t find the words to convince him to stay, I remained silent.

  “Try to get some sleep tonight,” he suggested.

  “Come home tomorrow,” I whispered.

  He lifted his hands and placed them on each of my cheeks, his warmth comforting against the chilly air, and then he guided our lips together. Unlike before, this kiss held a different passion. It was full of purpose and reassurance.

  When he pulled away, his eyes were intense; leaving no doubt that he wouldn’t leave me unless he knew it was necessary.

  “I’ll need to speak to Campion alone. Will you-”

  “Yes,” I sighed. “I’ll send him out.”

  Our hands never separated until I stepped inside and left his reach.

  The moment Campion closed the door behind him I headed for my balcony.

  Despite three other individuals in the room, the house seemed unbearably empty now.

  Once in my room, I flung open the French doors and leaned over the far edge for any sight of Eran. Then, through the broken clouds, the silhouette of massive, powerful wings moved through the moon’s rays. I watched them lift Eran higher and farther across the horizon, amazed at his virility. Suddenly, a boom reverberated through the sky and Eran disappeared. To anyone listening, it would have sounded like a clap of thunder but I knew it was Eran moving at nearly the speed of light.

  “How did you know Eran needed you?” I asked, sensing Campion standing behind me.

  “He called out to me.”

  “Called out?” I asked, unable to move or take my eyes from the sky.

  “Yes…” he paused and I could feel him evaluating me. “We can hear you on the other side. You simply need to call out our name and we listen.”

  I considered this and wondered how many customers would stop seeing me if they knew this to be the case.

  “So…” I said, taking a seat in my chair. “How long have you been on earth?”

  Campion answered so quickly it made me think he was counting the minutes. “In your time, just under five hours.”

  I froze, knowing that my casual conversation had just taken a serious turn. A realization had come over me so quickly I didn’t have time to process it before muttering to myself, “You fell to watch over me…”

  “Yes,” he replied, and I groaned.

  “No…”

  “I fell because Eran asked it of me, Magdalene.”

  I appreciated him trying to absolve me from my guilt but his admission told me something more. The declaration of that statement, the sacrifice he had made reinforced in me the strength of the relationship these two shared.

  Still, I couldn’t shake my culpability and felt compelled to ask, “How often can you fall? I mean…you must be able to die and fall…as often as you’d like, right?” I asked, hoping this would be the case.

  Campion explained, “Once we are on earth, we stay on earth until our bodies give out.”

  I cringed at hearing those words. They meant that Eran and Campion were now here, locked in this dimension and unable to return at will – and both were here because of me. It was too much, they had given too much. They had chosen to forgo the feeling of comforts the afterlife offered, the familiarity, the relationships with loved ones there. It felt like so much time away, so much to sacrifice, and never before had it been so evident to me that my ability to visit the afterlife at night was a gift - a gift that Eran and Campion had come here to protect.

  Campion shuffled restlessly.

  “There’s another chair here,” I offered.

  He accepted it and quietly gazed across the rooftops before adding, “Falling is excruciating, nearly unbearable. It can be compared to the process of birth from what I understand. Though I’ve never personally experienced birth as I’ve only come here in…other forms…but I’ve been told of its agony. Falling is similar and thus we try to avoid falling if possible. Had Eran not come down as an Alterum, I would not have followed.”

  I looked at him, perplexed. “An Alterum?”

  His eyes squinted back at me. “You don’t remember anything at all do you?”

  “No…I seem to hear that regularly.”

  “Hmmm, that’s a good reminder never to be reborn,” he muttered before continuing. “The fallen come to earth because they have either been banished from the afterlife for committing an act against humanity – for which they have been given the name Fallen Ones. Or, we come to earth by choice, as is the case with Eran and myself. We are called Alterum’s, which means the other life.”

  “So there are Fallen Ones and there are Alterums…” I mused. “How do you tell the difference?”

  “Well…both have capabilities far beyond ordinary humans and both retain the appearance of a human – commonly taking on the same facial features and body structure across lifetimes.”

  I groaned. “Oh, I understand…That must be how Marco identified Eran and me…because we have the same face as when he last saw us.”

  Campion pointed a quick finger at me. “Correct, but that is where the similarities end. While Alterums attempt to live peacefully, Fallen Ones are intent on satisfying their own malevolent needs and will destroy anything that inhibits them. Most humans are unable to detect them…You are the exception, able to identify them within a few yar
ds away.”

  “Campion…” I waited until he looked in my direction. “How do you know so much about me?”

  He tilted his head back to release a quiet laugh. “I’ve known you for some time now,” he explained, not bothering to elaborate further.

  “I see,” I said plainly.

  We fell silent, him diligently keeping his attention on his surroundings and me still watching the sky where I last saw Eran.

  “You mentioned that you wouldn’t have fallen if it weren’t for Eran. Why is that?” I asked, sensing there was something more behind his statement.

  He grimaced. “It’s the skin mostly. I can liken it to the feeling of being covered in burlap sacks and lugging them around. On the other side we are weightless…free and unencumbered. That…I miss already. But then there is the cold, the heat, the hunger, the requirement to use a bathroom…” he pondered further. “There are other reasons but the ones I’ve given are at the top of my list.”

  “Huh…I’ve never considered how it would feel for the fallen,” I admitted. “For the Alterums.” I was again amazed at the sacrifices Eran had made for me, and now that Campion had made. “Are there any perks? I mean…what’s the impetus for other Alterums to fall if they aren’t doing it to act as guardians to humans?”

  “The powers we bring with us,” he hinted, grinning broadly.

  I smiled. “Of course…So what powers did you bring with you?”

  “Telekinesis, regeneration abilities, flight, and…this one you may not like as much…the power to induce sleep.”

  I glanced at him confused. “Why wouldn’t I like…” I began to ask but never finished my sentence.

  Suddenly I was seeing Campion at the end of a long tunnel, his voice echoing towards me. “Sorry, Magdalene. Eran made me promise to put you to sleep so you wouldn’t worry about him throughout the night.”

  I opened my mouth to protest and then the darkness closed in.

  CHAPTER SIX: SLEEP

  When I awoke I was no longer in New Orleans.