The Guardian Trilogy

by Robin M Helm

  The patrolman, who knew David, returned to tell them that Tom Wilkins’s license had been suspended for the last ten years. He had a DUI on his record and had never bothered to have his license reinstated when his suspension had been completed. Once the EMT had bandaged the cut on his head, Wilkins was arrested, handcuffed, and put into the patrol car.

  Janna and Lynne declined to have an ambulance called for them, but they agreed to let David take them to the hospital. He and the EMT helped them to get into David’s car, but just before they left, Janna remembered Chance’s gift in the smashed trunk.

  “Sir!” she called from her open car door to the man who was hooking her car up to his wrecker. “I need something in the trunk. Can you open it?”

  “I can pry it open if you want,” he answered, taking a crowbar from his truck.

  David went over to help the man, and together they forced the trunk open. Chance’s present, a huge beanbag chair colored like a basketball, was popped open and firmly wedged in the right side of the trunk, directly behind where Elizabeth had been sitting. The Styrofoam packing had absorbed some of the impact of the crash, probably saving her from severe injury.

  “I’m afraid Chance’s present is not salvageable, Janna, but it appears to have served a higher purpose,” David told her, chuckling grimly as he got back into the car.

  Elizabeth went with them, their angelic escort gliding overhead.

  Evil thwarted by a beanbag chair – my Master always has a plan, thought Xander, smiling.

  Tilting his head to one side, another thought escaped his mind. Perhaps the Almighty has a broader strategy which includes me. He told me, ‘I will ask more of you when the time is full, and what I ask will not be easy for you.’ He knows all. He knows of my struggles. Maybe it is all somehow part of His perfect will.

  Chapter 11

  “Bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!”

  Psalm 103:20

  Fall 2004

  Nyx and Hadrian met privately in the abandoned strip mall. None of Nyx’s schemes to kill the girl had gone according to his plans, and he knew that his time was running out. Lucifer would soon take matters into his own hands, and that would spell the end for him.

  “Hadrian, I have been watching the Bennet girl personally, and I think I have a way that we can finally finish this business once and for all. The underdemons are too stupid to follow instructions, so we need to do this ourselves,” Nyx said angrily, his fists clenched, watching Hadrian for his reaction.

  Hadrian rubbed the underside of his chin with his thumb as he carefully considered his words before making his reply, “Ummm . . .you want me to help you – just the two of us against Xander?”

  Nyx nearly exploded with his rage. “Xander!” he sneered and pushed the long nail of his index finger into Hadrian’s chest repeatedly, emphasizing his words. “I do not fear him, and you had better not either. Xander is not the one who holds your future in his hands. If you think that Lucifer will hold you blameless for our failure to carry out his orders you are mistaken. You are, after all, my captain. It would be in your best interests, as well as mine, for my plan to succeed. Even if you should escape the Dark Lord’s wrath for my dearth of success during the last few years, consider this: should he eliminate me, he will make you underprince in my place. Then you will face Xander alone. Think on that.”

  Hadrian stiffened and drew himself up to his full height. “You are right, of course, underprince. What is your idea?”

  “I have several ideas that come from the same root.” Nyx grinned impishly and both released wicked cackles which echoed off the walls of the empty building.

  ~~oo~~

  Xander and Niall walked behind their charges as they entered Peniel Christian Academy on the first day of Elizabeth’s senior year. She was fourteen, and had been gradually realizing over the past six and a half years that life could be difficult for those who were gifted.

  Elizabeth gently shook her head and let out a ragged sigh. Sometimes, I wish I were just like everyone else. They seem to have so much fun. I never feel that I belong. I’m too young to be accepted by my classmates, and I don’t fit in with the kids my age because I’m a junior and they’re in the ninth grade. At least I’ll have a few classes with them this year. We’ll all be in high school, and we’ll be in P.E. and chorus together, she thought wistfully as she walked the familiar halls.

  Xander looked at her with a small frown, drawing his brows together. Her thoughts are like this so often now. She wants to fit in so badly. I would rather she would be happy as she is.

  ~~oo~~

  Lynne had stopped homeschooling Elizabeth through the summers after she had completed fourth grade in the hopes that life would be more normal for her if she was not too far ahead of her age group. Nearly every day after school, Lynne drove Elizabeth to Converse College to take piano and voice lessons, as well as classes in music theory and composition. The college had agreed to use the class hours toward her college degree if she chose to attend Converse after her high school graduation. So far, patrons of the Petrie School of Music had paid for her lessons and classes. In return, Elizabeth had entered, and won, multitudes of vocal and piano competitions, and was developing a following in the music world. Her success had bolstered the reputation of the college’s music department and had brought them many talented students. She was at her happiest when she was performing or composing, a fortunate circumstance, for most of her time was spent in honing her skills and using them.

  Janna had attended Anderson University on a full scholarship as a S.C. Palmetto Fellow and had graduated with honors the previous spring. She and Chance Bingley, who had continued to date throughout their college years, had married in the summer. The young couple had chosen to live in Spartanburg, about a half hour’s drive from their families. Janna was teaching elementary school and Chance had taken a position in a local bank while working on his MBA online.

  While Elizabeth missed her sister, they were too far apart in age to be best friends. As it was, the Bennets and the Bingleys saw each other quite often on the weekends when the Bingleys drove back to Bethel to attend Tabernacle Church and have Sunday dinner with the Bennets.

  Chance’s sister Caroline was sixteen and a junior at Peniel. She and Elizabeth had been acquaintances in the elementary grades, but as Elizabeth had moved ahead and passed Caroline in school, their friendship had waned. Elizabeth hoped that she and Caroline could be closer again this year, and she was determined to work toward that end.

  A few weeks into the school year, Elizabeth, with Xander ever present beside her, saw Caroline in the hall at school after they left Bible Doctrines and decided to make an effort at reviving the relationship. Because the school was small, juniors and seniors shared some courses; consequently, she and the older girl were in Bible Doctrines, physics, and chorus together for the first semester.

  Caroline’s guardian acknowledged Xander with a palm forward, and Xander returned the gesture.

  “Hi, Caro,” she said to the older girl, coming up to walk beside her. “How do you like physics?”

  Caroline arched a finely tweezed eyebrow. What could the perfect little twit want? “It’s okay, I guess,” she answered without enthusiasm. “You don’t seem to be having any problem with it. Of course, you never have a problem with any subject.” Her voice was whiny and a little nasal. Xander flinched at the sound of it. He had been hearing her thoughts for many years, and had found nothing to admire in them.

  Why would sweet, intelligent, gifted Elizabeth desire a friendship with this shallow girl? Xander sighed. There is much I do not understand about teenagers in this age.

  The popular, older girl was tall, slender, and beautiful with caramel-colored, perfectly highlighted hair and eyes as brilliantly green as contact lenses could make them. Academics were not high on her list of priorities, but she saw an opportunity present itself with Elizabeth’s overtures, and she was never one to wa
ste a chance to better her position. She might not have the best grades in her class, but she was shrewd and manipulative. She managed to keep her scores just high enough to stay on the honor roll and be in the Beta Club.

  Great. I hate being the ‘smart one.’ “Well, some are easier than others. Physics isn’t my favorite class, but I manage to do okay, I guess.” Elizabeth looked down at the floor. She would never admit to anyone that she had a one hundred or above average in all of her classes because she always answered extra credit questions correctly, and she turned in every extra project. In fact, Elizabeth had taken the PSAT with the other juniors in the previous year and had scored a perfect sixteen hundred. I seem to be congenitally unable to do poorly in any academic subject or on any test. I wish I was as adept in my social skills.

  Caroline paused, as deep in thought as it was possible for her to be, and Elizabeth stopped beside her. “Maybe you could help me with my homework at lunch today, El. There are a few problems I didn’t understand. Why don’t you sit at my table?”

  Elizabeth, see this girl for what she is – a self-absorbed, narcissistic individual who seeks only to use you. A friendship with her will bring you nothing but pain. Xander disliked for anyone to take advantage of Elizabeth and her gifts.

  “I’d be happy to help you, Caro. I’ll see you at lunch,” Elizabeth said, smiling broadly. Yes! I’ve always wanted to sit at that table with the rest of the cheerleaders and some of the jocks. Maybe now I won’t be as lonely at school as I have been for the last couple of years.

  Exasperated, Xander threw his hands up in the air. There are worse things than being lonely.

  The girls continued toward their next classes. Caroline had Algebra II while Elizabeth was one of four students in AP Calculus. I wonder what else El would do to be my friend? thought Caroline, looking smug.

  Xander was not at all pleased as he read Caroline’s thoughts, for he knew that she had no desire for a friendship with Elizabeth. The imposing protector fixed his eyes steadily on Ros, Caroline’s guardian from the lower ranks.

  Can you do nothing to restrain your charge? Xander asked, not unkindly. He knew that guarding Caroline would be a joyless assignment.

  My Chief, she has been this way from the time she was a toddling child. She has accepted the Master, but she does not live by His precepts for the present. Caroline does not listen to me. In fact, as her parents are non-believers and her brother is gone, I have no assistance with her from them or from other guardians, and she is influenced by dark ones. She does what is right in her own eyes.

  Xander remembered the verse to which Ros referred. Judges 21:25, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

  Ros inclined his head respectfully as Xander passed by with Elizabeth.

  Caroline is not a good friend for Elizabeth, Xander said to Ros as he continued to walk. Ros nodded in agreement and hurried to catch up with Caroline.

  Elizabeth was practically giddy and could hardly sit still through her classes until lunch.

  Finally, the endless morning was over, and it was time to go to the cafeteria. Elizabeth stopped by the restroom to check her hair and the minimal makeup her mother allowed. She looked in the mirror and was glad she had on her best jeans and her favorite American Eagle hoodie. Looking at herself critically, she thought, Well, I’m no Caroline Bingley – that’s for sure – but I don’t look too bad today. Now if I can just keep from sounding different from the others. Maybe I’ll just smile a lot and keep my mouth shut unless someone asks me a question. Sounds like a plan. She smiled and gave a “thumbs up” sign to her reflection in the mirror before turning to leave for the cafeteria.

  Xander shook his head. She never saw herself clearly. He could hear what the boys were thinking when they looked at her, and more than once, he had forced himself to calm down before he hurt one of them. She is maturing into a beautiful young woman. Her face is perfectly symmetrical with her pert nose, high cheekbones, and large brown eyes. Her smile is a photographer’s dream – brilliant white, straight teeth and that double dimple! She is altogether adorable.

  Elizabeth had no idea of her power over human males, and Xander wanted it to stay that way indefinitely. While Xander’s thoughts never strayed beyond admiring her beauty and goodness, the minds of the boys jumped easily from noticing her stunning appearance to having daydreams of a more intimate nature, featuring her engaging with them in various activities. Xander feared that he might one day seriously injure a hormonal teenaged male mentally undressing Elizabeth. So far, luckily, the boys had been afraid to approach her. She was young, the daughter of a minister and a faculty member, highly intelligent, and beautiful. Up until now, those things had been enough to make them think she would not welcome their advances, but he knew that someday soon, males would vie for her attention. He slowly let out his breath, rubbing his temples. I wonder how her father would feel about being a pastor in Antarctica?

  ~~oo~~

  Caroline and her crew were already seated when Elizabeth joined the lunch line. She loaded her tray and looked over at them. Caroline caught her eye, waved, and gestured to the seat between her and Grant Willoughby. Relieved that she had not been forgotten, Elizabeth carefully navigated the crowded cafeteria and shyly took the offered seat. Xander stood at her shoulder with his arms crossed over his chest and an inscrutable expression on his flawless face.

  “Hi, El. Do you know all these losers?” Caroline asked teasingly, glancing around at the assembled group.

  “I think so, Caroline. Thanks. Hi, guys,” Elizabeth answered, smiling timidly and allowing her long, thick hair to partially hide her face.

  “El!” A general chorus of welcome went up.

  “El is going to help us with our physics homework. She’s a hardcore nerd, you know.” Caroline giggled, and gave Elizabeth a little punch on the arm. Elizabeth started. Xander frowned.

  “Great. Break it out so we can copy it. I need to pass that class if I want to keep playing football,” said Grant, the team captain, with a grin and a wink. She’s really hot. I’ve never noticed her much before. Hmm . . .Maybe I should give this a try. I’ll bet she’d look even better without that big hoodie on. I could probably help her out of it. She looks good coming or going, too. Very nice rear view.

  Xander’s gasp was noticed by the angels near him, and none of them missed the look of fury on his face. They had all heard much worse thoughts from the boys around them, so they failed to understand why Grant’s appreciation of a girl’s body merited his scowl.

  Niall, across the room with Lynne at the faculty table, knew the difference only too well. The lustful thoughts were directed toward Elizabeth. Niall caught Xander’s attention with a slight motion of his head and raised his eyebrows at his Chief, thinking so that only Xander would hear. Xander, you are drawing the notice of every guardian in the room. Is that what you want?

  Xander resumed his dispassionate mien but retained his protective stance.

  Elizabeth gulped. Grant was smiling, all those considerable charms and amazing good looks aimed right at her. Did he just wink at me?! But she couldn’t just let them copy her work; that was dishonest. Besides, the teacher would notice if all their work was right for a change, and cheating was an expellable offense at Peniel.

  “How about I answer your questions instead? Get out what you’ve done, and I’ll help you with it,” Elizabeth answered, forcing a smile she didn’t feel. Caroline snorted. Ros looked away, embarrassed.

  “That’s going to be tough for some of us. We can’t get it out if we haven’t done it,” replied Lydia Henderson, another of the cheerleaders, sarcastically. The other teens at the table laughed derisively.

  “Then get out your book and some paper, and I’ll help you get started.”

  “Why can’t you just give us the answers?” Lydia challenged.

  Though Grant and Lydia had no protectors, many of the other students in the group did. Xander raised his eyebrows and looked at
each one of the guardians. They shrugged in response. Xander had never had a normal, modern teenager as his charge. Guarding Deborah, Esther, Ruth, Michelangelo, George Washington, Queen Victoria, and Jackie Robinson had not prepared him for this, and he was getting a fast education. If some of these are Christians, what are the unbelievers like?

  Elizabeth wanted to be friends with these people, but enough was enough.

  “Because if you show up with perfect homework after not doing any since school started, Mr. Blake will be suspicious, and if anyone sees you copying my work, we could all be expelled,” Elizabeth said evenly, looking Lydia squarely in the eye.

  “Burned!” said Grant, laughing loudly and pointing at Lydia.

  She glared at him and held up three fingers. “Read between the lines, Grant.”

  Xander raised his eyebrows in question at Ros, who lowered his eyes. The meaning of the gesture is a profanity, he answered.

  Though Elizabeth hadn’t realized it, standing up to Lydia was the best thing she could have done. While Lydia would never like her, Elizabeth had gone up a notch in the boys’ opinions.

  “You can help me, gorgeous,” Grant said, smiling at Elizabeth while everyone else was picking at Lydia. He moved closer to her and dropped his voice to a whisper, leaning in and speaking into her ear, “In fact, I think I’d like to become your special physics project. How about it? Want to be my private tutor? You can teach me, and maybe I can teach you some things, too.”

  Xander put his hands possessively on Elizabeth’s shoulders and stepped closer to her. You want to be taught, boy? I can do that. I think you need lessons in how to treat a young lady.

  Is Grant actually flirting with me? He can’t be. He can have anyone he wants, and I’m nobody. Elizabeth smiled at him and reached for her physics book.