Guardians (Seers Trilogy Book 3)

by Heather Frost

  There was nothing like that in his pale expression. His jaw was clenched and his posture stiff. But it was the moisture in his eyes that assured me he didn’t think me insane.

  “Kate,” he croaked at last. But he couldn’t continue. The sketch pad shook in his grip.

  I laid my hand over one of his. “It was after I got back from the hospital, after my parents died,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice from cracking. “I came home, and . . . I needed to draw. It was the only way I knew how to cope. It was the last thing I ever drew. I should have died in that accident. Died with them. But I didn’t. At the time, I . . .” I didn’t really need to finish. The picture spoke for itself. Quite loudly.

  He swallowed laboriously, blinking quickly. His mouth cracked open thinly. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  I watched as a tear escaped his eye, dashing down the cheek turned toward me. I reached up to brush at the wet trail the tear left behind and his head slowly twisted to face me.

  I was able to produce a thin smile, and I tried to keep my voice reassuring as my thumb traced light soothing trails against his skin. “That’s not me anymore, Patrick. Anything that remained of that girl . . . she died when I met you.”

  He let the sketch pad sink against the bed, and in a swift motion he was suddenly cradling my face delicately in his hands. “I will never let anything happen to you,” he promised. “You will never go through that again.”

  I followed my instincts and a second later we were kissing gently, his hands supporting my easy movements while my fingers smoothed over his face. I felt like we were sealing an unspoken promise, but I didn’t bother to stop and ask him if he felt the same. I just basked in his warmth and overpowering love, completely at peace with the world in that moment.

  Six

  Terence looked like a respectable state senator or, at the very least, a prominent businessman. He had silver hair, a warm gaze, and noticeably weathered features. I still had no idea how old he really was, but Toni had mentioned that the man had changed his name at least twice over the course of his existence. The rumor was he had to change it to keep it modern. I wondered how long he’d been using the name Terence, and how soon he planned to change his name again.

  He was a comforting sort of person. Easy to be around, calming with every word he spoke. He was also prompt; he was already sitting in a corner booth at the malt shop by the time Patrick and I walked in. Terence saw us immediately and waved us over, indicating he’d already purchased lunch for us. Patrick set a palm at the small of my back, guiding me carefully around the lunch crowd.

  Terence stood, like proper gentlemen do in old-fashioned movies, and he gave us both a smile and a nod. “Kate, Patrick—I’m sorry if I’ve ruined any of your plans for the day.”

  “No, not at all,” I was quick to assure him.

  Patrick didn’t bother to keep his voice low—no one was close enough to be paying us any attention, and the room was pretty loud with the distracted lunch crowd. “What news do you have about the Demon Lord?”

  Terence shook his head minutely. “All in good time. I thought we’d eat first. Pleasure before business, as the saying goes.”

  “I think you’ve got that backward,” I warned him lightly.

  He smiled and gestured to the food on the table. “A serving of cheesy fries and a cheeseburger might change your mind.”

  He was right. Patrick and I slid onto the bench opposite the older Guardian, and we followed his lead as he reached for a heavenly-smelling cheeseburger.

  While we ate, Terence asked how things were going, how my grandmother was faring, what the twins were up to, if I was looking forward to fall break. He worded the question tactfully, but he asked Patrick if Claire was driving him insane. He asked after the other Guardians and Seers—especially Maddy, Claire’s Seer. “She’s so young,” Terence sighed. “But I’m sure she’s perfectly safe. Claire is protective of her.”

  He also asked how things were going between us. I know he was genuinely curious, but I was sure he shared Claire’s opinion about our relationship: not so much that our love wasn’t right, but that it had no way of lasting.

  Though we answered him politely, Terence rushed to change the subject, and we didn’t stop him.

  We learned the antidote for the Guardian-killing virus was completely perfected now and had been successfully administered to all infected Guardians. That was about the only thing we learned from Terence. He seemed to be saving the rest for later—after the milkshakes. Patrick and I shared a look when we got those, because we knew he must be bracing us for something really big and most likely bad.

  We were just finishing up our milkshakes at a quarter to one when Terence finally straightened in his seat. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I’m not here to tell you all is well. I’m afraid the Demon Lord is still wreaking havoc, and he is still interested in you, Kate, though his inactivity suggests otherwise. The Guardian Council has been hard at work trying to find the best solution to our problems. Demons are controllable enough when they’re divided, but if the Demon Lord can finish uniting the majority of them, we’re in terrible trouble.”

  “Guardian Council?” I asked, hating to interrupt him now that he was finally starting to talk.

  Patrick answered for me, hoping to keep it short and simple. “A group of senior Guardians who serve as our organizers. Terence—along with other district leaders—are members.”

  I nodded once, and Terence continued. “We’ve tried to think of everything and anything. Another assassination attempt would be fruitless, we fear, now that the Demon Lord’s guard is up. Some members of the Council feel we should try and bribe the more powerful Demons to resist him, at least for the time being. Anything to give us an advantage. But he’s just too powerful. He has too many followers, too much influence. We considered many alternatives, but no option we could come up with was viable.”

  “You’re using past tense,” Patrick noted. “You’ve come up with a plan?”

  Terence hesitated. “Yes.”

  “That didn’t seem very confident,” I pointed out.

  Terence smiled just a little. “Wary might be the better term. It’s not my first choice, but it has been voted the best option by the council. And really, after all this stalling, I must get right to the point. Kate, I was sent here to enlist your help, if you’ll give it.”

  I blinked. “My help? What can I do?”

  Beside me, I could feel Patrick’s arm tense.

  Terence spoke quickly, his eyes locked on mine. “The Demon Lord is far too powerful. We’ve been driven by the need to find a weakness. It’s our only hope. The Council believes his only weaknesses lie in the past. We would like you to lead a group of Special Seers into the Demon Lord’s past and exploit a particular weakness that’s been brought to our attention by a Special Seer, a Dr. Radcliffe. If you do this, we may perhaps even stop the Demon Lord before he has a chance to become a Seer.”

  “You want me to lead an assault team into the past?” I asked slowly for clarification’s sake. The words seemed even more ridiculous when I said them.

  He nodded once. “Yes. If you’re willing. The Guardians have little knowledge of this special ability you have, and so we have little or no information to pass along to our Special Seers. Long ago, it was decided that meddling in the past was too dangerous—certainly not worth dying over. But you have been trained by the Demon Lord himself—the master at this art, if there is such a person. You know more about traveling through emotions than anyone else on our side. I won’t lie to you; we need you, Kate.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I said nothing. But my mind was working overtime.

  Patrick wasn’t saying anything either.

  Terence waited for some kind of reply, but when one wasn’t forthcoming, he dared to glance at Patrick—someone he’d been avoiding through the entire exchange. “I felt the need to ask you both at the same time, because of your unique relationship. Obviously t
his is something you will have to discuss together. But I’m afraid we’re running out of time. We know the Demon Lord is preparing to make a deal with a powerful Demon who reins in Romania. If our sources are correct, they’ll have a treaty finalized soon after Christmas. Once that’s done, the Demon Lord will have enough allies in Europe to distribute various strains of the virus in the States as well as overseas, simultaneously. He plans to annihilate the larger part of the Guardian population in one swift stroke, so we won’t have time to organize ourselves or combat the mutated infection with antidotes. We will continue to fight—it’s the Guardian way—but winning seems quite hopeless against such odds. There seems no way to stop him. He’s too heavily guarded. But in the past? . . . It might be possible to stop this all from happening.”

  I could hardly believe he’d just done that. The old “of course it’s up to you, but if you don’t help us, we’re all going to die” trick. How was I supposed to refuse when he put it like that?

  I wished Patrick would say something. I certainly didn’t know what to say. But Terence was obviously waiting for some sort of answer.

  I cleared my throat. “What would you want me to do exactly?”

  A spark of hope lit up his countenance. “That depends on how deeply you wish to be involved, of course, but we mostly need you to teach a handful of other Seers how to travel. We have volunteers who are willing to go back and attack the Demon Lord’s past. It would be up to you if you wish to join them for the actual mission, but we’re only asking that you help get them there. The Council recognizes you have already gone through more than most Seers, especially where the Demon Lord is concerned.” He leaned forward against the table, his eyes bright. “As for me personally, I wouldn’t ask this of you unless the need was urgent. I hope you realize that, Kate.”

  Patrick spoke suddenly, his words uttered with almost no inflection. “Terence, could I speak with you privately?”

  Terence’s expression seemed to waver, but he offered a thin smile at my Guardian. “Of course, Patrick.”

  Patrick stood swiftly, indicating that the private conversation would be happening now, and Terence followed his lead with only the slightest hesitation.

  “Patrick,” I started, but he interrupted me gently.

  “Please, Kate. We’ll be right back.”

  I bit my lower lip as I watched them walk away from the table. They moved for the front door, wandering between tables and people with ease. Patrick was in the lead but only just. I wondered what he was thinking, but then I figured I could probably hazard a pretty safe guess.

  Patrick held the door for Terence, inviting him to leave the restaurant first. Luckily the whole front of the building was glass, so I could watch them through the windows. They stood on the sidewalk, the sweeping breeze rustling Patrick’s thick brown hair. His back was to me, so I had to watch Terence’s face to try and catch the gist of the conversation.

  Surprisingly, they didn’t appear to be arguing. Terence was adept at keeping his emotions in check, so his face remained very smooth. His features weren’t distinct at this distance, but he might have been frowning.

  Patrick’s back wasn’t completely stiff. His shoulders shifted with movement as a result of unhelpful hand gestures. Terence didn’t say anything for a while, just listened as Patrick tried to convey his message. Or maybe a story of some kind? He was certainly talking for a long time without interruption or input . . .

  Since they weren’t trying to keep a low profile I assumed they’d shifted to invisible. Probably a good idea, since talk of time travel and Demons might scare a human innocently passing by.

  Finally Terence said something, his face still calm.

  Patrick shook his head in response, but Terence didn’t stop talking. His eyes were filled with understanding, but the set of his mouth was firm. Whatever Patrick had shared, Terence wasn’t moved.

  They continued to debate, and I was left to watch them, my mind wandering to Terence’s plea.

  If I did this, helped these Special Seers . . . I wouldn’t actually have to do anything risky. Teach them how to travel, that was all. If that could somehow stop the Demon Lord and save the Guardians, what was there to argue? It wasn’t like Terence was asking me to take on the Demon Lord personally. Why was Patrick so adamant I stay away from this?

  The more I thought about it, the more I realized how little Terence was asking of me. A bit of my time. An afternoon to teach the Seers who’d volunteered for this. I was almost embarrassed by my hesitation. If he thought me too delicate to handle that, what must he really think of me? All I had to do was show a group of people how to travel to the past. They’d take care of the rest. Simple. Not only would I be stopping the Demon revolution and possibly the Guardians’ extinction, but I’d also be securing the safety of my family.

  I’d become so absorbed in my own thoughts I didn’t see that the Guardians were on their way inside until they were almost back at the table. Patrick’s mouth was tight, but Terence was offering me a small smile. As soon as they stood beside me Terence spoke. “I’m afraid I must be going, Kate. I’m to meet with another Council member this evening, and I mustn’t be late. But I urge you to think seriously about this. We would be greatly indebted to you if—”

  “I’ll do it,” I interrupted easily. “I’ll just be teaching them what the Demon Lord taught me. It won’t be dangerous.”

  Patrick looked like he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. Maybe he was reluctant to argue with me in front of Terence.

  Terence glanced between us, his voice kind. “Why don’t I let you two talk it out? If you’re still willing to help after that, a simple phone call will do just fine. I can arrange for the Seers to come to you, for your convenience.”

  I nodded. “Okay. How soon could you get them here?”

  Patrick’s jaw flexed, and neither Terence nor I missed his restrained reaction, though we both ignored his obvious annoyance.

  The older Guardian didn’t answer my question exactly. “They could be assembled rather quickly. But I’ll be waiting for your phone call, either way. Until then, take care.” He reached out to shake my hand and I tried to make my grip firm. He gave me a nod, as if to let me know he got the message.

  He inclined his head to my stoic Guardian, who was not bothering to meet anyone’s eye. “Patrick,” he murmured in casual farewell, before slipping around us and heading back toward the door.

  I turned my attention to Patrick, since he was moving at last. He stepped closer to the table, snatching up our garbage and stacking it onto one of the two trays our food had arrived on. “Are you ready to leave?” he asked mildly, not looking directly at me.

  I nodded once and began to help him clean up the table without a word.

  We didn’t speak until we were in his car, driving back toward my house. I finally opened my mouth to free the words desperate to escape. “It’s not going to be dangerous. I’m not going to go with them.”

  “I know.”

  I glanced over at him, surprised at his quiet admission. He was focused purely on the road, so he didn’t meet my look. “Then . . . you’ll let me help?”

  He braked at a red light, let all the breath ease out of his tense body in a slow sigh, and then he turned to match my stare. “You’re going to do it anyway, regardless of what I say—we both know that.” He quickly added the last part, when I opened my mouth to offer a weak rebuttal. One brown eyebrow raised on his face until I closed my mouth and nodded once. He was right—I’d already made my decision.

  Patrick shook his head slightly, eyes lingering on the windshield before coming back to me. “I just . . . I don’t want you to do anything else. I don’t want you involved with the mission. After you’ve taught them how to travel, that’s the end. Can you promise me that?”

  “Wow.”

  His forehead wrinkled at my unexpected answer. “What?”

  I shook my head. “Just wow. I thought you’d put up a fight or something.”


  He snorted deep in his throat and then looked back out the windshield. The light was still red. He didn’t look back at me. “Believe me, I tried. Terence didn’t think my concerns were very . . . relevant.”

  I bit my lower lip, studying the side of his stern face. “Are you mad at me?” I whispered at last.

  His fingers were wrapped tightly around the steering wheel, his eyes focused straight ahead. But though outwardly he seemed upset, his voice was gentle. “Of course not. You want to do your part. I can respect that. It’s just . . .” His eyes slid over to me, almost of their own accord. “You know how I feel about you going back in time. The reasons why I think it’s a bad idea.”

  “I know. I can understand that. But if this is what it takes to stop the Demon Lord, so he never comes after us again . . . isn’t it worth it?”

  He swallowed hard. “Yes,” he agreed reluctantly. “I just wish it was a risk you didn’t have to be the one to take. I wish . . .” He hesitated and then disregarded whatever he’d been ready to add.

  I stretched out my hand, and though his fingers continued to grip the wheel, I sensed the muscles in the back of his hand relaxing at my touch. “I’m going to be fine.”

  He met my thin smile but was quick to look away, in time to see the car in front of us start to shift forward, and then we were driving again.

  I think we both realized at the same time that I hadn’t agreed to his terms. I hadn’t promised to limit my involvement to just teaching the Seers what I knew. But he wasn’t about to press me into an oath, thus rendering it empty, and for some reason I couldn’t make myself utter the words I knew he wanted to hear.

  ***

  “Hey, Kate! You have a second?”

  I turned around to see Aaron walking behind me, a small grin on his face. His bright aura was not quite as glowing outside as it would have been indoors, but his happiness and excitement were still undeniable.