The Wardens Boxed Set

by Heather D Glidewell

  “What do you mean?” my mother asked.

  “You need all four Wardens, as you call them,” he explained. “Instead of waging war, why not employ some secret ops tactics. Take out Miranda and save Wesley. You might need him, anyway, if his gifts are what you say they are. From there, flush out her mother. You take out the queen and the monarchy falls.”

  “He has a valid point, Mom,” I said. ‘Perhaps we can avoid all-out war.”

  Adam leaned over my shoulder. “Shawn could gather as many Carriers as he can muster and train them, show them how to survive. If he has lived five hundred years, then he’ll know how. Mrs. Weathers, can you let any of the purebloods know what’s going on?”

  I didn’t know if Adam had really thought about this or if was formulating a plan as he went along. The question was, would such a plan work?

  “How do we get a hold of Shawn?” I asked.

  “Leave that to me,” my mother said softly. “You remember when Nick said it takes someone with a tremendous amount of power to summon a demon?”

  I nodded.

  “Well, I’m going to do to him what Mr. No-Name did to you.” She stood up and left the room.

  “Do you think it will work?” I asked Adam as I pushed myself off the bed.

  “I don’t know. I was just trying to come up with something that didn’t involve a conversation about people dying. I reckon, it’s worth a shot,.”

  He followed me from my mother’s room and back into the living room, where Helen and Nick sat silent.

  “We heard yelling, and your mom just ran out the door. Everything okay?” Nick asked.

  “I have a brother,” I announced loudly. It felt weird to say it, but it was true.

  “You mean Shawn?” Nick asked, seemingly unperturbed by the news.

  “How did you know?” I asked, flabbergasted.

  Adam had his hands on my shoulders and was rubbing furiously.

  “No, I just heard his name come up a few times,” Nick said as a smile spread across his lips.

  “Ass.” I laughed as Adam dropped his hands and walked to the couch, shaking his head.

  “Alright, so, I was thinking we need to get everything out in the open here,” said Helen. “So far, the last week has been pretty much one ordeal after another. We can’t go anywhere, so we might as well get the whole story from you, Dawn; from start to finish. Leave nothing out.”

  “I think we should wait for Mom,” I replied, looking at her. The pang of misgiving was no longer there now that I knew she in no way threatened me.

  “Yeah, we can do that, but afterwards the floor is yours,” she answered, glancing at Nick.

  “Do I need to be here for this?” asked Adam. “I mean, I don’t know if I can go through all that again…”

  “I think you have a lot of insight, being an outside party,” Helen countered. “Not to mention knowing what a mortal sees could be key to a lot of questions.”

  Adam didn’t seem to like that answer and started to fidget.

  We sat in silence after that, Adam with his hand in mine, tracing the outline of my finger creases. Helen and Nick sat side by side, having a thumb war tournament. When Helen won she would throw her hands in the air and make whispered cheering noises.

  It seemed an hour or more passed before my mother re-entered the living room, with Shawn at her heels. He nodded at me and smiled at Adam before turning his eyes to Helen. He froze right there when their gazes locked. It was like seeing something out of a romance novel. Nobody else in the room mattered.

  “Shawn!” My mother called his name several times but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Helen.

  My mom gave him a smack on the side of his the head and he finally turned to look at her. Either he really hated to be touched or he just didn’t like being hit.

  “What, angel?” he yelled at her.

  My mother gave him a stern look and at once the anger on his face disappeared.

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

  “That’s what I thought,” she said.

  She talked to him just like she talked to me.

  “Why did you summon me?” Shawn asked her politely.

  “We would first like to know why you came here,” my mother said. “You see, nobody has seen or heard from you in decades, but now you show up from nowhere right here in Midvale.”

  “I came here because my father so nicely asked me to,” he said, looking at me. “He wanted me to see her.”

  “So he wanted you to see Dawn. Did he tell you who Dawn was?”

  She was using her power on him. I could tell from his hesitation when he answered her.

  “She’s my sister. Well, my half-sister,” he said, taking his eyes off me.

  “That’s right. Do you remember me?”

  “You are the angel who brought me to the pastor and his wife.” He looked pleased with his answer.

  “Do you remember why?” She was holding his gaze now.

  “My mother died. She died having me.” He said it almost robotically.

  “Do you know what your mother was?” my mother probed.

  “A witch.”

  My mother broke their gaze and Shawn shook his head.

  “Next time warn me before you do that,” he said, rubbing his face.

  “I had to be sure, Shawn. You did well.” My mother opened her arms to embrace him.

  “It’s been so long, Puriel,” he mumbled, hugging her.

  Here we went again with the angel names. I still wasn’t used to it.

  “Yes, it has,” she said tenderly, stroking his back.

  “Is there anyone else that I need to know about who’s coming to this party?” I said sourly, looking at Shawn. I couldn’t believe that this boy was my brother.

  “I think he’s the last unknown,” Helen said, standing up.

  Chapter Sixteen: Astral Planes

  I told my story right from the beginning to the present. I shared all the facts that I had accumulated over the last few months, along the way proving that Wesley was a harbinger, as my mother had stated before. I told them about John and his ability to render a gift useless, and how he had taken from me the last bit of innocence that I had left. I spoke of Miranda and her ability to hijack my mind and make me say things in a language that up until that moment I had no idea I could speak. I explained the weakness with Aaron and the calling deep in my gut, how I had wanted his soul to be mine and that when he handed it over, unknowingly of course, I had instantly felt guilt and fled.

  They asked me about the phone call and the urgency in Wesley’s voice. I replied that I didn’t understand what he was saying because this was all before I knew what I was. This meant he had seen it for himself and Miranda had confirmed it. I told them about Dracula’s castle and my visits there, firstly when I became acquainted with Krista and then later when the no-named demon told me he had put the fire in me. If my father was the keeper, I told them, then this didn’t make any sense to me at all.

  I shared with them all the anguish and fear I had felt when Wesley left, of the pain that filled me and still haunted me every day. Nobody spoke. Instead they all just listened as I went through every dirty detail that I had logged in my journal. Adam, sweet Adam, sat there and listened to it all, breaking in from time to time to share with them the things that he had seen. The whole conversation went on for hours, it seemed, with one story after another until we reached the present. The last concerned the birth of my unknown brother, the boy who was sitting on the floor before me, wild-eyed and confused.

  “So it’s true, then,” he said when I had finished.

  “What’s true?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

  “You are the fire Warden. You are the master flame.”

  “That is what they tell me, at least.”

  “So we have two Wardens, the Prophet, the pureblood, the human, and me, the Carrier.” He chuckled to himself.

  “Why is this so funny t
o you?” I asked, sounding defensive, which wasn’t at all the impression I wanted to give.

  “I met a girl in the late seventeenth century when I was on one of my many trips around the world,” he responded. “She was young in appearance, yet her eyes were old. She was very strong. I could sense that just by being near her. She could literally have crushed me if she wanted to, yet she didn’t. She was the master flame. Her reason for not hurting me was the fact she sensed the flame in me, too.” He looked at my mother. “Obviously the girl died, otherwise Dawn wouldn’t be here. It was a sudden death, but no one was sure what caused it. One day she was fine and the next she was cold.”

  “Some say that if the Warden shifts too much in one direction it can put the body into shock. If they are unable to fix the balance then they slowly die,” Nick muttered.

  “That could be what happened,” Shawn admitted. “However, this was the seventeenth century so there were many theories, but none of them turned out to be correct.” He sighed. “When she died the country turned against itself. If a core is lost the world loses that element. Fire would have ceased to exist. The lucky thing was that there was a shocking number of Carriers available to keep the world in balance until the next master flame was born.”

  “How many Wardens have you met?” I asked.

  “Just the one really. After her I couldn’t stand to watch another die. It’s one thing to be there when a Carrier is taken down, but it’s quite another when it is the Master.”

  “I understand that,” I said. “However, that doesn’t answer why you should find it so funny.”

  “The girl’s companion was a young man, mortal. He was knowledgeable in everything. I think he even knew history in more detail than the professors at any college I ever attended. With her traveled another master element. I want to say it was earth but I’m not sure anymore. The prophet was a woman, a rather old woman who must have received her calling long into her life. Either that or she decided to ignore it till she could ignore it no more. The pureblood that traveled with her was exquisite. He had a smile that could light up a room.” Shawn looked lost in memories. “I just find it funny how the last time I was in the presence of the master flame the same type of companions were present.”

  “What are you saying?” my mother asked.

  “History has a silly way of repeating itself,” Shawn answered, a smile forming on his lips. That sealed it for me; seeing that smile reminded me so much of my father it was uncanny.

  “So what do you intend to do?” I asked.

  “Well, to my understanding your friend has a plan. I’m not saying that it will work, but it is a good start. I have connections with both sides. I know that the Carriers I find will be willing to learn some arts of survival. I also know a white Carrier who can show you how to harness Heaven’s flame and I would like to think that I have mastered Hell’s fire,” he said, looking at my mother. “That is, if all this is okay with you.”

  She nodded. So that meant more people coming. Where were we going to put all these new guests?

  “First things first,” Shawn continued, switching his attention to Nick. “You have to raise the third Warden before you can find the fourth? You will only ever be able to find one at a time. Your third isn’t here, therefore you cannot find your fourth. You were able to bypass the originating order due to Krista’s infliction. Earth is always found first, wind is second, fire is third, and water is last. Do not think for one minute that this is listed from strongest to weakest. However, you know who wind is, so this is the Creator’s way of saying figure it out.”

  “That’s good to know.” Nick looked at Helen. “You see? My visions aren’t flawed. I just have to get Krista above ground before we find water.”

  “I never questioned your ability,” Helen protested. “I just said that you were having difficulty.” She laughed and punched him playfully on the arm. She seemed to enjoy abusing the prophet.

  “So when is the resurrection to be?” Shawn asked me.

  “Two weeks. They are adamant that I go to my senior prom,” I said slowly, feeling the misery sink in. I really didn’t want to go.

  “Just think of it this way,” Shawn replied. “The longer it takes for you to bring her back, the longer your water has before she’s found out.” He smiled at me like that was really something I needed to hear.

  “So water’s life is resting on me going to prom. That seems kind of half-assed backwards to me.” I groaned.

  ***

  “How are you doing with all of this?” Adam asked me that night.

  We were lying on my bed listening to music. His father had called, saying that he had found a place for them to stay, so this was Adam’s last night with us.

  “I don’t know. It seems like I’m lost in some dream. I have thought over and over again that this isn’t real.” I sighed and turned my head to look at him.

  “You’re telling me.” He laughed. “I never would have thought I would be mixed up with the likes of angels and demons.”

  “There is a whole other world out there now, Adam. Looks like you and I will be traveling it together.” I rolled onto my side.

  “I couldn’t think of anyone better to travel it with, though,” he murmured. That softness was back in his eyes as he reached over and touched my face.

  I smiled at him and felt my heart pounding.

  “So, I heard you and Aaron are going in for a limo for the prom,” I said, trying to change the subject. His expression altered and my heart slowed back to normal.

  “Yeah, it was his idea really. He wanted you to have this great experience. That boy has it bad for you, just so you know.” He blinked and the softness was gone.

  “Yeah, that I know,” I mumbled.

  “Explain this claim thing to me,” he said, squinting at me. “You mentioned it briefly and everyone else seems to understand what it is, but I don’t have a clue.”

  “Well, it isn’t complicated. Dad said that it’s simply someone giving themselves to you. So I would beware of phrases like ‘I would sell my soul for that,’ because in a way that means you’re handing your soul over to me. From what I gather, it usually happens in a sexual context. Intimacy, romance, heat-of-the-moment type stuff. Wesley was different for me because from the moment he kissed me till the second it happened I wanted to devour him. I wanted his soul, his breath, his everything. When he willed himself to me there was this blood-curdling scream that penetrated my core. It felt like someone was ripping out my nerves one at a time.”

  I paused to let it sink in.

  “With Aaron it was different. It started out innocent enough, then that same carnal urge took over. I wanted his soul, too. When he willed himself to me there was nothing but silence. Dad said that the claim creates a bond between a demon and a mortal. If anything tries to hurt him, I guess I will know.” I sighed and looked at Adam. He was just staring at me, with no expression really on his face.

  “So what happens when the contract is broken?”

  “With Wesley it felt like my world was shattering. I had this pain in my heart. It even stopped beating for a while. It was like he took all the life out of me.” I closed my eyes for a second. “Dad said that with Aaron it would probably be different since there aren’t any binding feelings.”

  “Maybe not on your end, but that boy is head over heels for you,” Adam said, frowning. “How do you feel about him?”

  “I like him. I enjoy being around him. I just don’t love him. I’m not saying that one day I won’t, but right now all I want is Wesley.”

  A pained look spread across Adam’s face. Even saying those words out loud made me wonder if I was telling the truth.

  “It all seems very complicated,” Adam said at last, looking up at the ceiling. I glanced at him, puzzled, then brushed it off.

  “If anything happened to him I don’t know what I would do,” I confided.

  “To Wesley or Aaron?”

  “Either o
f them, I guess.”

  Adam rolled away from me. “Well, I have to be up early so that I can meet my dad,” he said.

  I touched his back before getting up to shut off the light. I lay there for a few moments in the dark looking up at the ceiling. Why did things seem like they were different all of a sudden? I rolled onto my side towards the wall. Then I felt the bed beside me move and Adam’s arm came around my waist as it had done the last few nights.

  “Good night, Dawn,” he whispered. He said something else but I couldn’t make it out.

  “Good night, Adam,” I answered as sleep took hold.

  ***

  “I need you to open your eyes.” The voice was familiar but I couldn’t place it at first. It sounded weak and strained. I looked through the darkness and slowly Wesley stepped into view.

  “Wesley!” I exclaimed, running toward him. I touched his face, his shoulders, his chest, any place that my hands could find.

  “Dawn, I don’t have much time. She’s with her mother right now so I have a few moments.”

  He touched my face. His skin was so cold, it sent chills up my spine. He looked so sick, his skin was pale, his blue eyes were gray, and his lips were a fading pink. He was clearly not well.

  “What has she done to you?” I demanded, fighting back tears.

  “I’m dying, Dawn,” he said, turning his head and showing me two pinprick marks on the side of his neck.

  “No!” I gasped. “I’ll get you out of there.”

  “Don’t worry about me. As long as you are safe I have done my job.” He ran his fingers down the side of my face.

  “I do worry about you,” I said, my heart breaking just looking at him.

  “I worry about you, too. She’s just about completed her recruiting. I’ve tried to hold her off the best I can, but sometimes the visions come when she’s right there, and I cannot fudge my way out of them.” He sighed. “I have done everything I can in order to keep you safe. It was my fault she wanted you, anyway. If I had never fallen in love with you none of this would be going on.”

  “Don’t say that. I wouldn’t change anything about you and me. I will save you, Wesley.” I couldn’t fight the tears anymore and they were running down my cheeks.