Smoke & Ash (Wardens Series Book 2)

by Heather D Glidewell

  “Helen?” Nick said, interrupting the conversation she was having with Adam.

  “What’s up, Nick?”

  “You said you were attacked and that was why you came here sooner than you were supposed to.”

  “Yeah, some red-headed bitch busted through the front door of my apartment. She had two boys with her.”

  I felt a sudden chill.

  “What happened?” asked Nick.

  “The taller boy looked extremely ill. He was pale, and his eyes were glazed over. He looked like he would blow away if the wind hit him just right. He left as soon as the door was busted. However, the other boy was intimidating. He had the darkest eyes and the cruelest smile. When he lunged for me, I moved out of the way before he could get me, but my powers wouldn’t work against them. I ran out the door and straight into the other boy. Before the redhead and her henchman came out, he grabbed me and said ‘Midvale, find Dawn in Midvale’.”

  My pulse quickened. She had talked to my Wesley!

  “I made it out of there by the skin of my teeth. When I looked over my shoulder, the redhead grabbed the sick boy by the back of the neck and flung him to the ground. I turned away and just ran.” She shivered. “I did think it odd that he mentioned Dawn’s name, but I didn’t know quite what to make of it.”

  “He’s found a loophole,” Nick murmured, looking at me. “The boy is a genius.”

  “Who was he?” Helen asked, glancing at me.

  “That was Wesley.” I tried, but I couldn’t keep the longing out of my voice.

  “I’m sorry, he didn’t look too good, Dawn,” she said sorrowfully.

  I tried to hold back my tears. “Yeah, Krista told me that Miranda takes what she wants from him without letting him be replenished first.”

  “How does Wesley fit into all of this?” Adam chimed in.

  “Wesley is a Harbinger,” I said, rubbing my eyes.

  “What’s a Harbinger?”

  “A Harbinger’s like a seer,” Helen answered. “Only they don’t see the future by reading palms, they have visions like Nick, in picture form. When he has a vision, he draws.”

  “That explains a lot,” Adam said under his breath.

  ****

  Aaron didn’t show up that day. I waited till long into the evening, listening for the sound of his truck coming up the drive. When I heard nothing, I tried calling, but it went straight to voicemail. I kept thinking that the vampires had gotten him. I was still awake at midnight when my phone started to buzz on the coffee table.

  “Aaron!” I exclaimed the moment I picked up the phone.

  “Calm down, babe.” He laughed on the other end.

  “Are you okay?” I demanded.

  Of course, he was okay! He was talking to me.

  “I’m fine. I just forgot to charge my phone. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to get out there to see you. My mom won’t let me leave the house.” He groaned.

  “Thank goodness. I thought that you were out there in the dark. Horrible thoughts.”

  “No, I’m just under house arrest,” he assured me.

  “I’m just glad you’re okay,” I said, calming down.

  “I’m headed to bed, Dawn. I suggest you get some sleep too. Sorry for keeping you up so late.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll talk to you later, right?” I said, stretching my legs.

  “Of course. Love you, beautiful.”

  He hung up. At least this time there was no awkward pause while he waited for me to say it.

  Chapter 14

  Surprise

  It was quiet the next few days, but I had a nasty feeling that my entire world might be blown sky high come the weekend. School had been canceled for the week after the body found there was identified as that of the principal, Mr. Walsh. In respect for the passing of our late executive the school board had agreed to cancel all classes until further notice.

  Police were all over Midvale. You couldn’t go anywhere without running into one of Missouri’s finest. They were cordial enough, opening doors at the local grocery store and walking young kids across the streets during the day. When night hit Midvale, it became a ghost town. Businesses closed early, and nobody was on the streets past dark.

  There was talk of canceling the Junior/Senior Prom, which of course would have been a relief to me. Then I wouldn’t have to parade around in a skin-tight red formal dress with my hair raised six inches in the air. However, after protests from parents and bearing in mind the venue for the prom was in the city, the board decided to keep it on. I’ll admit I was disappointed by this.

  When Saturday arrived, Adam and I went into town to pick up supplies. While in the grocery store, I was rounding the corner of the cereal aisle when I found myself coming literally face to face with the ghastly Shawn. He backed off, rubbing his chin where I’d hit him.

  “You again? Are you stalking me or something?” he asked scornfully, pushing me out of the way.

  I glared at him. “You know, I’m not really sure what’s going on here,” I said.

  He gave me a nasty smile. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you have something for me.” He laughed, and I felt like I was going to be sick.

  “Yeah, keep dreaming,” I snapped.

  “No, I’ve got better things to dream about.” He glanced around the store for a second. “Well, it was lovely to see you again, Dawn. Maybe next time we can have a conversation that doesn’t start with your nose sticking into me.” He laughed and walked off, leaving me to stomp away grumbling.

  “What’s wrong?” Adam asked when I found him rummaging through the meat section.

  “I ran into Shawn again,” I told him, groaning. “How does he keep getting in my way?”

  “Meaning you ran into him again?” He was trying not to laugh.

  “Yeah, that is exactly what I mean,” I said, checking that Shawn was nowhere near.

  “You know, I’ve heard quite a bit about this new guy though I’ve never met him. Is he a senior?”

  “Yeah, at least I think he is. He is in most of my senior classes.” I stopped for a moment and realized that he was in fact in almost all my classes. “Consider yourself lucky to have avoided him. He’s an asshole.”

  “Again, most of the girls would disagree with you on that.” He grabbed the cart and started pushing it.

  “And again, they are mistaken. He’s a prick.” I looked back over my shoulder. I had this distinct feeling I was being watched. My senses were going crazy.

  My phone buzzed, and I looked at the screen. It was a text from my father.

  Dad: I have a surprise for you.

  The text was simple, yet vague. What could he possibly have for me that would actually surprise me?

  Me: What?

  I waited a second. Adam stopped, waiting for me to catch up.

  “Who you talking to? Is Aaron sending you more messages about how you better not be on your own? You can tell him that I’m taking good care of you, not that you need it.”

  “No, it’s my Dad. Apparently, he has a surprise for me,” I said as my phone buzzed again.

  Dad: Have you met Shawn yet?

  He had to be kidding me! My father knew who Shawn was? Again, why didn’t that shock me? The man could read my mind after all.

  Me: Yeah. I keep running into him. He is starting to think I have a thing for him.

  I had no clue why I felt I needed to share that with my dad, but if this was some ploy to get me to forget about Wesley, it wasn’t going to work.

  Dad: I hope you don’t.

  Me: Why would I? He’s a complete prick.

  I’d just said the same thing to Adam, but it gave me pleasure to repeat it to someone else.

  Dad: Because he’s your brother.

  I felt numb. My head hurt. The room swam about me as Adam reached out to stop me from crashing to the floor.

  “What is it, Dawn?” he asked, holding me up.

  I held my phone, so he could read the message, and he broke out into
hysterics. My phone buzzed again, and I forced myself to look at the screen.

  Dad: I will be there in a few days. Your mother is not going to be happy with this.

  After I had regained my composure, we finished our grocery shopping. I kept looking around for Shawn. I could only assume that he knew what he was to me. It would explain why he had toyed with me so. His issue wasn’t the fact that I kept running into him; it was the fact that I was his little sister. I didn’t see him anywhere; however, the feeling of being watched had lifted.

  I didn’t say anything further to my dad about the run-ins I’d had with Shawn. Neither did I tell my dad that I couldn’t wait to see him. I knew that once I told my mother he was coming to visit, she would react like a giggling teenager. Something had definitely sparked in her when he was there last. She had been like a schoolgirl whenever his name was mentioned. I was beginning to think she had forgotten he was married to Mona, the sweetest woman I had ever met.

  ****

  “You going to tell her?” Adam asked me as we pulled into the drive.

  “I really have no choice in the matter, do I?” I said, rolling my eyes. “It’s one thing to tell her that my father is on his way back to town, but quite another to tell her that some strange boy living here is, according to my dad, my brother.”

  “The question is this, is she going to ignite anything?” Adam joked. “Because if she is, I think I might be better off outside.”

  “You know, this time last year I knew extraordinarily little about my mother’s power. She had never shown me the fire inside of her. I didn’t know that she was able to force the truth out of lying beasts.” I sighed. “So, to answer your question, I have no idea what she will do when I tell her about Shawn.”

  Adam broke out into hysterics once more. “Your dad has a thing for rhymes, doesn’t he!”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Dawn...” He paused. “Shawn...” He laughed even harder.

  “Oh, God!” I whimpered. “You’re right.”

  Adam dabbed at the tears of mirth that had rolled down his cheeks. “Well, mustn’t waste any more time. The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to get.”

  “Don’t remind me,” I said, reaching for the door handle. “Let’s get the food in and put away before I tell her.”

  “Good idea. Let’s not leave her anything to throw around,” Adam said as we got out.

  We gathered the bags and as many loose items as we could and walked into the house. My mother had her head down on the table, and Nick and Helen were in the living room, having a noisy debate over which was better, Pikachu or Charmander. I sighed. Of all the things available to have a heated discussion about, they chose Pokémon.

  Aren’t these guys in their twenties?

  Putting the bags down on the counter, Adam and I commenced putting everything away while my mother quietly groaned and smacked her forehead over and over on the table. I tried to ignore it. She didn't look like she was in any mood to be bothered. Finally, I put the last items away in the cabinet and rested my hand on her shoulder.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  She looked up at me and frowned; her eyes were red-rimmed like she had been crying.

  “Your father called.” She sniffed.

  “Why are you banging your head on the table?” I asked quietly. I wasn’t ready to inquire about what they had talked about.

  “Those two haven’t shut up since you left.” She groaned as the argument in the living room increased in volume. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to handle the demons we’re going to have to face sooner or later. If they are like those two, I’m going to run away.”

  I laughed. “That bad, huh?”

  “You have no idea how much those two can talk.” She shook her head. “Did you kids have fun?”

  “We went to the store, Mom,” I reminded her. “We had as much fun as shopping allows.”

  “I had fun,” said Adam, laughing.

  “Of course, you did.” I groaned.

  “Your father said he messaged you,” said my mother, changing the subject.

  “Yeah, we talked by text briefly. What’s going on?” I asked coyly. I didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. I didn’t want to tell her what Dad had said, just in case he hadn’t mentioned it to her first.

  “I think we need to have a talk,” she said, standing up. She looked worn.

  “Yeah, okay.” I shrugged at Adam as my mother left the room, motioning for me to follow.

  “Come on, Adam, you too,” said my mother. “If you’re going to be part of this group it’s best you hear it from me first before hearing it from Dawn. She’ll make it sound like the end of the world is coming.” She flashed Adam a smile.

  “If you say so, Mrs. Weathers.”

  She walked us to her room, where she opened her closet and pulled out an old photo album. The front cover had my dad’s mortal name engraved on it. She opened the book to the center page and sat it on the bed. I hesitated just a second before taking a peek at the ancient, dog-eared picture that was revealed. There, clear as day, standing with his hand on the shoulder of a blonde-haired woman, was Shawn.

  “I don’t get it,” I said, running my finger along the edges of the picture.

  “Is that Shawn?” my mother asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

  “It can’t be. This picture is so old,” I said, looking at her.

  Adam looked over my shoulder and let out a laugh. “It just keeps getting better and better. Just when I think that I have learned all that I need to, I find out there is even more to this world than I ever thought.” He shook his head and put his hands on my shoulders.

  “Does it look like him?” my mother asked, annoyed.

  “Yeah, it looks exactly like him,” I admitted, not understanding why she was instantly so irritated with me.

  “Then sit down, you two. We are about to learn a little family history.”

  She moved the book out of the way and motioned for us to sit.

  I took the center of the bed, while Adam sat behind me with his legs open so that they fitted around me. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. I could feel his heart pounding against my back. He was ready for more stories.

  Chapter 15

  Family History

  “Long ago, before your father and I were banished, there was a human girl that he took claim of. She was beautiful and sweet, harboring within her the power of the fire element. It was never found out what being she received the element from, for she grew as if she was human.

  “Your father was enamored of her. He would spend hours talking about her, sharing the times that they had spent together. She had no idea that your father was the bearer of Hell’s flame. She fell in love with him, knowing full well that he was demon-born. He never told her otherwise.

  “One evening while she slept your father went to see her. You see, he has always found human sleep patterns to be fascinating. We would spend so much time discussing mortals and their dreams. Let me mention he was there to protect her from the hands of her father as well. He was a brutal man who enjoyed beating his daughter for any wrong that he could come up with.

  “Your father convinced her to run away with him to escape the evils of her father. She ran with him halfway across the earth until he felt she was safe. After that, I didn’t see your father for several years, and when he did return, he carried with him a small babe.

  “I was repulsed by his actions. He had left me for this human, only to come back with a child. The baby was his, he admitted up front. I took one look at the infant and fell instantly in love. He was the first real baby I had ever held in my arms.

  “Your father informed me that the young woman had died giving birth and he could not leave the child unattended in the mortal world. I convinced him to leave it to me. He would still be allowed favorable visitation if he so wished. I ascended, for the first time, to the mortal Earth. Hiding my wings away from h
uman eyes I carried the baby, which your father had affectionately named Shawn, to the door of the first church I came to.

  “I knocked loudly on the door, and this tiny little man and woman answered, looking at me with clueless eyes. I could tell it wasn’t the norm for a woman to appear on the doorstep of a church with a small baby in her grasp. They were good people though, I could sense it. I asked them if I could enter the church, which they allowed me to do. I must have looked odd with my white dress, bare feet, and loose hair because the little man would not stop staring at me. Not to mention the fact that it was the middle of winter.

  “I pleaded with them to take Shawn. I told them of his blood lineage, who his father was, and what I knew of his mother. At first, they would not listen until I stepped back, and in the middle of their church spread my wings. After that, they pretty much said yes to anything that I suggested. I told them that the money would always be there and that Shawn’s father would still like to see his son from time to time. When I mentioned the concept of a demon visiting their parish, they were not too thrilled with the idea.

  “I had to agree to come with him whenever your father decided he wanted to see Shawn. So that is what we did every year. On the anniversary of Shawn’s birth, we would both ascend from our homes, and he would spend a few hours with his son.

  “When Shawn turned sixteen, we learned that he was a Carrier. The fire in him was so intense that the couple that took him in was scared that he was going to burn the church down. So, your father decided it was time to stay with Shawn until he was old enough to take care of himself.

  “Shawn ran away two weeks later after burning the house that your father had purchased for them to the ground. Shawn resurfaced ten years later in London. He had your father’s grace, his mind-reading ability, and he was ruthless with the fire. The amazing thing is, Shawn looked exactly the same as he did when he had disappeared ten years earlier. He had not aged a day, it seemed.