See How She Runs

by Michelle Graves

  He reached over and pulled me against his body, kissing the top of my head as he did so. My heart sped up, and I hoped that he couldn’t feel the frantic beating against his arm. “I think you just may save me yet, Red," he mumbled as his breathing became steady.

  I lay there wide awake wondering how he could be so cool laying so close to me when I was about to crawl out of my skin. Then a thought occurred to me, maybe he didn’t see me the way I saw him at all. Oh great, that would just be super. I must have laid there for hours in a state of confusion, arousal, and frustration.

  Eventually sleep came for me and it was filled with graphic dreams of Kennan. I wondered, for the first time, if they were of my creation or his own. Or whether it even mattered which of us had thought them up. I reveled in the feel of his body against my own as his lips traced my collar bone. I felt every mere brush of his skin against my own as he took his time worshiping my body. He moved his mouth lower toward my hip bone causing me to raise my hips to meet his sinful lips. Suddenly I pulled myself from my dream.

  I was awake and my body hummed. I tried to calm my breathing. I was surprised to feel the weight of someone behind me and remembered that Kennan was in bed with me. I turned to face him and found him staring at me with a look of pain and lust, commingled. I looked at him, not knowing what to say. I had to suppress the urge to kiss him violently.

  “This was a bad idea. I’m going back to the living room," Kennan growled breathlessly before heading out the door, while adjusting a rather impressive mound in his boxer briefs.

  I fell back on the bed forcefully, wishing for a cold shower or some electronic aid. Either would suffice at the moment. Instead I was left wanton. I looked over at the clock, giving up any hope of further sleep, when I saw that it was only four in the morning. I grabbed my tablet and decided to distract myself with some Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen never failed to provide a welcome distraction. There was nothing like an English period piece to douse some hormonal flames with civility.

  I lay back against the pillows and tapped on the book’s image. I immersed myself in the story, and by the time I had reached the halfway point, I was finally more composed. I got up and put some hiking clothes on. I hoped that I could head out and work on another escape route today. This time, I would use the hike to blow off frustration of an entirely different sort. I tried to quietly sneak to the bathroom to brush my teeth with no luck.

  “Walk of shame, it really is a shameful thing," Ian said with a snicker.

  “What are you talking about? I was just trying not to wake anyone up." I said as my face flamed scarlet. Not for the first time, I cursed my fair skin for betraying me so readily.

  “Yeah, yeah, big man already left. He said he had some errands or something. Looked to me like he was escaping. So what happened? Did you two finally bump uglies?" Ian said, raising his eyebrows up and down.

  “Ugh, no, and you are disgusting! We slept, he left, totally normal," I said, closing the bathroom door to prevent any further comments from the peanut gallery.

  I came out a few minutes later with the objective of distract and redirect. I thought the plan wouldn’t take much effort with Ian, considering how flighty he seemed to be most of the time.

  “So, can we hike then? I mean, he didn’t say we had to stay in the cabin did he?" I asked, hoping that we could escape and I could walk off some of the steam.

  “Nope, he just sort of grunted and shoved himself in some clothes before leaving," Ian said with a knowing smile.

  Alright, so, maybe he was not so easy to derail. Appearances were apparently quite deceiving where Ian was concerned. Speaking of appearances, someone seriously needed to host an intervention on his wardrobe. Today he was wearing a kilt with a long sleeved striped shirt and flip flops. I just shook my head, not having the energy to do a makeover on him, and knowing he would fight it if I tried.

  “Well, do you know how to do the whole mind woo woo thing to keep me from being tracked?" I was really hoping he would get on this change of subject train and just go with it.

  “Yep, I can do the mind woo woo. Hey, do you mind if I use that? Mind woo woo, I like it," Ian said as he put four sausage biscuits in the microwave.

  “So, you want to go for a hike then? I’m supposed to be planning my big escape, and I need to practice all of the trails before Kennan will let me do the solo runs."

  “Sure, we should probably leave a note though. He gets awfully testy where you are concerned," Ian said with a smirk.

  “He’s my Guardian person, of course he is worried about my safety," I said, trying to sound detached.

  “Right," Ian said sarcastically. “Well, you ready there, Little Bit, or do you need to powder your nose and put on your face?”

  “Hardy har har. I’m ready whenever you are. But maybe you should change first?" I asked hopefully, and also fearfully. There was no telling what he would replace his current attire with.

  “What are you the fashion police? I’m quite happy with my clothing choice for the day. It distracts the bad guys you know?" So that was his reasoning. Well I guess it beat insanity.

  “Um, at least change the shoes. Flip flops are not conducive to mountainous hiking, you know? I’m pretty sure Kennan will kill you if I have to haul your heavy butt out of the back country. In fact, I’m quite sure hauling your heavy self out of the back country would kill me," I said with a giggle, to which Ian smacked my arm playfully.

  “Fine, your wish, my command." He headed over to his duffel bag and pulled out his hiking boots. I was hoping to heavens he was wearing something under the kilt as he lifted his leg to put on his shoes. Thank God he had on some boxer briefs. I supposed a utility kilt didn’t call for the traditional commando status.

  Once he had his feet properly attired, we headed to the door. Before we walked out he reached down and grabbed my face. He chanted the words that had become synonymous with safety and we headed out. We trekked the rainforest, joking the whole way. I told him how I thought the ferns were man-eaters, and he proceeded to pantomime being eaten by one of them. He struggled valiantly before the fern brought him down and ultimately took his life. It was sad really. When we stopped for lunch I finally felt like I could ask him something a little more serious.

  “What was she like? My mom, I mean. I only got to know her until I was eight and that just seems like a lifetime ago. I can see the memories more clearly, but I just kind of want to know what she was like from someone else’s perspective, you know?" I asked with my eyes on the ground, afraid he might turn it into a joke.

  “Your mom, well she was amazing. She was like this otherworldly creature. I have never met someone as loving or forgiving in my life. I swear, I couldn’t rattle her at all. No one could. She was unshakeable. Even with you she was that way. She was steady and strong and the best person I have ever known. I saw you quite a lot when you were little, you know? Back before they figured out what would become of them. They would have Kennan and me over all of the time. I think your mom felt sorry for us, like she somehow had caused your father to leave us behind. So, instead, she made us part of her family. But when Kennan left, it just wasn’t the same," Ian said with a sigh as he picked at his sandwich.

  “Do you think I can be as strong as her?"

  “You already are. You’re so much more of a fighter than she was. You get that from your dad. She was always one to take the path of least resistance. As long as it would keep the people she loved safe, she would journey into the jaws of death itself. Which was ultimately what she did. But you, you have fire Izzy. You have her goodness and her light but you have something more. You have a fierceness the likes of which I’ve never seen before. I pity anyone that gets in the way of what you want. You can move mountains, Little One," Ian said as he shoved his sandwich in his mouth with a nod.

  “I don’t know how," I admitted weakly. It felt strange admitting to Ian something I couldn’t even tell Kennan. I was struck with the rightness of my mother sending him onc
e more. She might not have been a fighter, but her love shaped me even now.

  “Yeah, you do. Don’t get all emo baby on me. Suck it up, set an objective and figure your shit out. No one can do it for you," Ian said with finality. How about that for a vote of confidence? But I knew he was right. I had to stop worrying about how to do it and just start working at it.

  “Alright then, what should I do? I mean, I know what I would like to do, but I’m not sure if it will work," I said with caution. I hadn’t even discussed my plan with Kennan, afraid he would balk at it.

  “Well, what do you have in mind Pip Squeak?"

  “I’m not short," I said defensively. “I was thinking that I want to take down Xavier. I know that he and Kennan are brothers, but he seems like he is a key player in the whole Corporation thing. The trick is to figure out how to get him. I can summon him in dreams, but I’m not really sure how to find him yet. Then there is the other small thing. I really want to make him suffer slowly before I take him down. I know it sounds horrible and maniacal, but he doesn’t deserve a quick fall. He deserves to feel the pain he has inflicted on thousands of others. So we should hit him where it will hurt the most, financially.”

  “Mwahahaha," Ian said while rubbing his hands together. “You’re a dubious thing aren’t you? Well, you ready to head on out?"

  “Yep. I’m ready when you are. Hey, did you happen to grab the keys to whatever vehicle we are picking up?" I asked, suddenly realizing my stupidity in not thinking of it sooner.

  “Ummmmm keys," Ian said patting his pockets and making a big show of it. “You mean these?"

  Utility kilts have far too many pockets.

  I punched him as I passed checking the map to make sure I was still heading in the right direction and thanking God that Kennan plotted most of my escape routes to follow hiking trails. We hiked on with the same lightness that accompanied us that morning.

  “I’m glad you came Ian," I said, surprised by just how true the sentiment was.

  “Me too kiddo. We weirdos have to stick together," he said with a knowing look.

  I shook my head at him and noticed the concealed car a few hundred yards away with a very unhappy looking Kennan leaning against it.

  “Gone for a walk? Really, Ian?" Kennan bellowed.

  Instead of looking cowed, Ian looked like he was about to laugh. I looked between the two of them. Kennan, ready to rip Ian’s head from his shoulders and Ian, ready to die of laughter. I turned toward Ian.

  “You said you would leave him a note.” Ian started to interrupt and stopped when I gave him a raised eyebrow. “A note explaining where we were going, you jack in a box.”

  “This is totally not my fault so don’t get mad at me Kennan. I told him to leave a note." I suddenly felt like a child explaining why the family heirloom was lying in pieces on the floor.

  “You, I will deal with later," Kennan said to me before turning on Ian. “And you, you should know better. Luckily there were only two trails she hadn’t taken yet. And you would have been at the last one hours ago which gave me time to reach this one. I should bash your skull in. She is not a joke Ian, not her. Do we understand one another?”

  Ian finally looked serious. He patted Kennan on the shoulder and said, “I got it man. I didn’t mean to scare you, honestly. Next time I will leave a detailed itinerary. Bathroom breaks and all. Now, let’s head home. Little Bit there didn’t pack enough for me to eat and I’m starving."

  Ian, king of distraction.

  Kennan shook his head and motioned for us to get in the old beat Jeep that was parked behind the concealed car. I supposed it would be better to take a car we had already used instead of adding to our increasing collection. That many vehicles might start to look conspicuous. Between Ian and Kennan’s cars and the two we had brought down from the other trails, it was starting to look like a used car lot. Maybe more of a junk yard, but I wasn’t going to harp. Fleers couldn’t be choosers, or something like that.

  “So guys, do you think that maybe we should get my getaway cars back to where they belong? It won’t do me much good to have them all parked in the same place." I looked at the stock of cars and wondered, not for the first time, where Kennan had found such junkers.

  “Yeah, probably. Ian and I can move them back tonight after dinner," Kennan said as he grabbed the packs from the car handing me my own.

  “Hey, how did I get volunteered to be a valet?" Ian asked. “I’m just here for the beautiful scenery and spectacular meals." He finished with a wink in my direction.

  Kennan smacked him upside the head and said, “You better not be enjoying the scenery bro.”

  **********

  SEVENTEEN

  We walked back up to the cabin in companionable chatter, discussing what we could do as a memorial for my mother. Something, which I was ashamed to admit, had slipped my mind. We all agreed to hold a ceremony of sorts the following day. Each of us would say our fondest memory of my mother and we would wish her well in the afterlife. Kennan told me that whispering the memories into fire was part of a tradition that went back many generations. I wondered what other traditions I’d missed out on growing up apart from other Guardians and Seers.

  When we reached the clearing Kennan and Ian stopped abruptly. They pushed me back into the cover of the forest and turned me into an Izzy sandwich.

  “Something feels off man. I’m not sure what’s going on here," Ian said in a tone I rarely heard him carry.

  “You stay here and keep her safe. Do you understand me? You make sure she is safe, or I’ll kill you myself," Kennan said, drilling Ian into the ground with his stare.

  “Where are you going?" I all but squeaked.

  “Down to the house to see what’s wrong. Something feels off. The wards have been tampered with. I need to make sure nothing is down there waiting for you." Kennan said before sprinting across the clearing in a blur. I would never get used to how fast these guys could move. Quicker than I could track he was back with us.

  “So?" I squeaked. I was suddenly a bundle of nervous energy. Since I was still blocked off from the outside, I had no way of searching for an answer. I wondered if I were still connected to the visions if I would have been forewarned about any impending doom.

  “Everything is clear. The wards are down though," Kennan said.

  “Umm,” Ian said sheepishly, “I think that is my bad, dude.”

  I looked at him with confusion in my eyes.

  “Why would you take the wards down?" I asked, hoping that he wasn’t about to come out and tell me he was really a bad guy sent to bring me down.

  “Well, you see, the thing is, well, maybe I’m not so good at the whammy. I think that I accidentally unwhammied the cabin when I put the block on you. It’s all old magic that isn’t used very often, okay. I haven’t exactly had much practice, seeing as I’m without Seer.”

  Kennan and I just gawked at him. I was more amused than alarmed. Kennan looked ready to throttle him, which was nothing new.

  “I swear you are a walking disaster, man. Let’s get back to the cabin and I’ll show you how to properly put the wards in place," Kennan said as we walked.

  “Sorry," Ian said, looking down at me.

  “Hey, you protected my head from outside interference. That’s a start," I said hopefully. I didn’t want Ian to feel badly about leaving the cabin without wards. After all, I wasn’t even inside of the thing, so no harm done as far as I was concerned.

  He looped his arm over my shoulder and we made our way inside.

  “I like you, Little Bit," Ian said before squeezing me into his side.

  “I like you too, even if your sense of style would insight a riot at Fashion Week," I said, pulling myself out from under his arm, fearing retribution.

  “They would drop their jaws in amazement at my bold choices," Ian said haughtily.

  “You two are ridiculous. Get over here and let me show you how to put a proper ward in place. And please let me take the one off of Iz
zy. I’m afraid you might permanently scramble her brain and she’s already unbalanced enough," Kennan said with a smirk in my direction.

  “Hey, don’t the two of you start ganging up on me. It isn’t fair!" I said as I moved with Ian toward Kennan.

  “It’s all part of the training. Now come here so I can open your brain back up," Kennan said.

  I moved toward him, stopping about three feet away. I was afraid of getting too close. After last night, I wasn’t sure how to be close to him without jumping on him. He looked down into my eyes with a heated stare. It was a look that I was becoming well acquainted with. He grabbed my hands and pulled me so that my body was practically flush with his own. He looked down at me and raised his hands to my face, gently brushing his thumbs over my cheeks.

  We stayed that way, entranced with one another until we heard Ian clear his throat. Kennan shook his head slightly, as if to pull himself back to the objective. He closed his eyes and bent his head forward whispering, “srianta a tharscaoileadh.”

  As soon as the final word was out of his mouth, I felt the world rush in around me. I didn’t think I would ever become accustomed to the feeling of my brain being reconnected to the fog or whatever it was.

  “Can I do that to myself? And just what did you say?" I asked, wondering if I would be able to protect myself if I ever needed to cut the mental ties.

  “You can. It takes a lot of practice, but mostly it is all about intention. The wards are a fickle thing. The slightest fluctuation and they won’t work. Hence, there are now a lack of wards on the cabin," he said with a sharp look in Ian’s direction.

  Ian was performing a thorough examination of floor.

  “So how do you put the wards up again? What language are you using?" I asked, suddenly curious.

  “It’s Gaelic. It isn’t so much the words or phrases either. The most important thing is focus and intent. When I lifted the protection from your mind what I said literally translates to lift restrictions. The ward is put up with the words ‘in safe keeping.’ You have to mentally bend the words to your will."