Guardian (6 page)

My fate as a Guardian was hanging in the balance. I had not only broken the vow to my very society, but to Trey. I had kissed Evan; I had allowed my feelings to overtake me in the midst of an uncertain situation. What was wrong with me, who was I? As the rain continued to fall and thunder rolled across the city, I walked through the darkness, the bright lights of the city that never sleeps guiding me home.

*****

The feeling arose again around me, the eyes…his eyes following me, watching me with fervor as a shiver ran down my spine. My pace sped up as I continued walking, block after block. I stopped to slip on my sandals, preparing myself to run if needed. I could dematerialize again. I could send myself spinning through the darkness and land within the confines of my own room if I wanted to. But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to face the fear that lingered at home. I wanted to walk home, to blend in with the world around me. I wanted to feel normal, even if only for a moment. To be an average eighteen-year-old girl who wrestled with her future and the passion she felt for a boy she had fallen madly in love with. I wanted that now more than ever. To be average…not an angel. I knew what waited at home for me. A scarred sentence for breaking the rules.

As I pressed forward, his hand was across my mouth instantly, stifling the scream that fell from my lips. His arms pulled me into a dark alley, my eyes straining to see the images of him, my hands pulling at fingers that pressed tightly against my face as I struggled to breathe.

Arching my back, I elbowed him in the gut, causing him to growl in pain and press me up against the musty-smelling brick wall of an abandoned building. I tried to fly, my wings surging forth, but he punched me in my side with full force, causing my wings to retreat and anguish to set in.

“Stop fighting, or I’ll make you stop,” he said gruffly, his breath smelled of stale cigarettes. His knee was pushed into my back; my left cheek now pulsing with pain as the taste of blood filled my mouth. Salty tears fell from my eyes out of sheer anguish, horror and affliction, as I came to terms with the familiar voice that spoke swiftly into my ear.

“I knew it was you, I knew something wasn’t quite right when I met you,” I said hoarsely.

He removed his knee, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around, smashing my head against the wall with full force, causing my breath to leave my lungs. His eyes, the very same eyes filled with wicked flames that burned a hole through my soul…Aaron. His gaze bored into mine leaving me woozy, a tranquilizer of sorts, as I fell helplessly into the depths of his beastly intentions.

He shook his head. “Such a shame. You’re so gorgeous and full of potential. But you let your heart win.” He yanked my hair back, causing me to yelp in pain, his palm slapping me hard across my face. “Shut it!”

His lips landed on the nape of my neck, his pungent breath burning my nostrils. The way he traced a trail across my skin with his mouth birthed horrific images of being taken advantage of by a complete monster. My cheek was writhing with a heated sting as the foul taste of bile crept into the back of my throat.

Somehow I managed the strength to pull my right arm free before he could move any further, punching him underneath his chin with a forceful blow. He flew back from me, wiping the blood away from his bitten lip, anger burning more intensely within his eyes. His hands were now outstretched as he sent my body tumbling to the hard concrete below, my head bouncing off the pavement. Not only did he possess a spirit of evil, but also the envelope of magic.

The images around me began to fade as he hissed the last words that I would hear him speak, “You’ve broken a sacred vow, Macy. I knew you weren’t capable of handling him. And now, he must die for what you’ve done,” he laughed aloud as he said, “and I get to be the one to finish you, to kill the fallen angel.”

Broken pieces of my life flashed through my mind, my breath quickened as colors turned a deep, monstrous black. Any sense of reality left me, and I fell into a world of bright light. My eyes closed as the rain fell, leaving me unconscious and vulnerable in an unforgiving world of shadows.

Chapter Nine

Secrets

Hazy shadows bustled around me; a soothing voice was singing my name, yet I couldn’t summon up enough strength to speak back. Blinking my eyes repeatedly, I finally caught sight of the distraught look upon my mother’s face as she sat next to me, her hand holding mine tightly.

“Carl, she’s awake. Get her some water, please,” she said, fear quivering in her voice.

Mom hung over me, her soft lips kissing my forehead as she gently stroked my hair. I moved my left leg and grimaced in pure agony, spasms of excruciating pain radiating through my body. I felt like my limbs had been twisted and torn, my breath slow and steady as tears fell from my eyes. My ribs ached, and my head pounded with an excruciating headache.

“Shhh…everything is all right, sweetheart. Lay still and rest, okay? Dad and I are here.” She dabbed my eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

As my father waltzed through the door with a glass of water, I recognized where I was. My surroundings suddenly became familiar and comforting. But how had I gotten here? The last thing I remembered was lying on the ground, rain falling gently on my cheeks, as the light of the world faded around me in the alleyway.

Dad propped up my head, laying the rim of the glass on my lips. “Take a sip, Mac.”

As I struggled to take a drink, I swallowed slowly, yelping in pain as it slid down the back of my parched throat. Every piece of my being hurt; I attempted to speak, to ask the millions of questions that were swirling through my head.

“Can…I please have some aspirin.” I said just above a whisper. I placed my hand upon my forehead, closing my eyes as I struggled to keep my composure. “How did I get here…home?”

Mom stroked my shoulder gently. “We received a phone call from the police around one in the morning two days ago, Macy. A woman found you lying on a park bench only two blocks from home, unconscious and unresponsive.”

I opened my eyes and focused on my mother’s solemn, scared face.

“Who did this to you? Who beat you? Do you remember, Macy?”

I did remember. He had warned me, his foul, hot breath speaking unforgiving threats into my ear. His eyes burned within my soul, as I recalled the blow of his fist into my side, the thrust of dark powers grinding me into the pavement as I lost consciousness.

“We spoke to Trey, Macy. He told us you left the restaurant before finishing dinner to tend to your Shomer. He swore that was the last time he saw you. As hard as it is to believe that boy, I don’t think he would ever hurt you. Touch you.” My father’s eyes were hardened and empty as he stared at me. His little girl had been beaten to a pulp, and not a single witness had come forward.

I shook my head
no
and glanced back at my mother. “Trey had nothing to do with this. And no, I don’t remember who it was that beat me. I don’t remember anything that night.” A blatant lie, but one that had to be told to safely harbor the mistake I had made. The promise I had forsaken as a Guardian. The curse of death I had handed to my Shomer…the man that I found I was falling, or perhaps had already fallen, hopelessly in love with.

*****

Thirteen days passed before I was able to summon myself out of bed. During my recovery, I had spent most of my time rehashing the violent details of Aaron. He remained a stranger still, but was a man whose face often surfaced within my dreams, leading to nightmares and constant fear of the unknown. I found it harder and harder to close my eyes, believing that he could swiftly steal away my life with the touch of his hand.

Evan’s spirit had been quiet. My Guardian symbol had remained still and lifeless; his heartbeat steady and smooth within my mind. He didn’t need me, and in a way, that wounded me deeply. I wanted him to summon me, to desire my presence even though I had endangered his life, the life that I had been given authority over to protect. As I thought of his foot hanging over the edge of the bridge that night, my wings unfolding to catch him, I scolded myself for following my heart instead of my intuition. It was as if he was deliberately staying out of trouble to avoid seeing me now.

Trey had come to visit me nearly every day as I recovered. Bouquets of fragrant flowers filled my bedroom, white roses with blooms as big as the sun, smiling at me, peeking their heads out from within a field of greenery and baby’s breath. Guilt loomed over my head as he fawned over me, kissing me gently on the nose, stroking my hair as he whispered sweet nothings in my ear. His feelings for me were confirmed and blatantly obvious; they were as genuine and as real as the moon and the stars that washed over the night sky. I had cheated on him…or had I? Were we an item? We had never really spoken openly about our relationship. I wrestled with the love triangle I was standing in the middle of. I wanted them both. Needed them both. Yet the one who filled my thoughts most often was the one who was sinful and forbidden.

Focusing my eyes on his, I smiled sweetly as he walked into my room. Gosh, he was so amazingly handsome. I sat up slowly, readjusting the pillows behind my back. The pain I felt within my ribs was now minimal, but it still hurt to make any sort of sudden movement.

Trey took a seat next to me on my bed, gently taking my hands in his. “How are you feeling today, Mac?” He brushed my hair over my ear, taking time to caress my cheek.

“Better. Much better,” I said kindly. I felt the rush of pink spread over my cheeks as I blushed. “I want to thank you again for being so kind to me, Trey. For all the gifts and the beautiful flowers. I really don’t think I could ever thank you enough.”

“Anything for my beautiful angel,” he said sweetly, kissing me lightly on my forehead.

Biting my lip, I looked down at our intertwined hands. I really liked Trey. How could I not? I was attracted to him; our spirits were incredibly similar. But deep down in the crevices of my heart I still longed for the love I knew I could never have, the tug of desire towards Evan.

Trey’s soft fingertips tipped my chin up, forcing my gaze to fall within his buttery eyes. “You okay, Mac? You’ve been so quiet these past few weeks. That’s not like you. What
really
happened out there?”

I longed to tell him the truth, how I had opened the world’s eyes to the secret facets of the Guardians in one swift move, letting my feelings show instead of my calling. But I let the notion pass quickly instead.

“I honestly don’t know what happened. I was walking home from the Brooklyn Bridge…”

“The Brooklyn Bridge? What were you doing there?” he said swiftly, concern bubbling within his eyes.

“I left dinner, my Shomer…he was there when I materialized. When the darkness faded and I reappeared, there he was…standing on the edge of the Brooklyn Bridge longing to…jump.”

I fidgeted in my bed, pulling my gaze away for a moment as I searched for the answers to what had happened to me after changing Evan’s mind. I would skip over the part of how I had shown my face, had spoken to Evan, and even kissed him passionately, knowing all too well every piece of it was completely wrong in the eyes of our society.

“I was walking home, it was raining…and that’s all I remember.”

Trey leaned in closely, speaking quietly as I strained to hear the words he was saying. “I know who did this to you, Mac.” He ran his fingers through my hair, his hot breath sweeping past my cheek, before leaning back and looking at me with hardened eyes.

The blood drained from my face as I felt my palms instantly become moist, the lump in my throat growing. I was a liar, a flat out illusive, disgusting liar, and he knew it.

“It was the Nightenbows,” he said flatly.

I shook my head. “Who are the Nightenbows?”

He swallowed hard, looking over his shoulder at my bedroom door before continuing. By his mannerisms, he was speaking of something that seemed forbidden or incredibly secret. “Those of the shadows, the ones who savor death.”

The puzzle pieces began to lock, and the realization of who I was and what I had done was becoming perfectly clear. “I still don’t understand, Trey. What would they want with me? Why have I never heard their name spoken before?” I asked coyly.

“Because it is wrong to speak of them, for they are always listening. Death lurks within the shadows. They seek the lives of those that fail. Lost souls, those that seek self-indulgence, average individuals, and even Guardians who trip up or simply wish to flee the society despite their honorable vow. They especially love to grasp hold of a Shomer from the hands of the one who protects them. They want nothing more than to steal these wandering, hopeless souls for themselves.”

I pulled my hands from within his and rubbed my temples; an agonizing headache was beginning to brew and a dull throbbing began to spread across my forehead.

“Hey, we really should talk about this later. Somewhere else. The only reason I know about it is because I overhead a conversation between Baron Griland and Lord Harrison a few days ago.”

I wasn’t willing to talk about this later. I needed to know where my life was headed now. The questions that bled from within me needed an answer. I needed to know how to fix, to undo what I had done. “But if we’re supposed to protect our Shomers…ourselves from these devils, then why can’t we know about them? You know, to stop them?”

“Because they can’t be stopped, Macy. Your father…he knows.” Trey’s face was washed clean of any hint of emotion. His emerald eyes were now dark and drawn with anger, leaving me frightened and agitated as I sat in front of him.

“It isn’t safe, it has never been safe. But the Nightenbows are growing desperate and are going to extreme measures to leverage their grip on the souls of the world. The only way to do that is to…exterminate the Guardians, one by one. I just think you were an easy target being new and all. Your beating was a warning.”

As I watched his mouth move, the words falling effortlessly on my ears, the truth bore into my soul. The truth that not only had Aaron been watching me, he was waiting for me to fail. My trip up had been fast and hard, making me an easy find. My failure would allow Evan’s soul to slip into their shadows and my life to vanish beneath the soil to rot. I felt the vomit rise within my throat as beads of sweat swelled above my brow.