Sun Kissed (The Guardian Angel Series Book 2) (13 page)

“I don’t think you understand the severity
of your actions,” Eli replied.

I dropped my head into my hand. The minor
ache at the back of my head had turned into a full blown headache and was getting
worse by the minute. The words that filtered through my ears became painful,
intolerable.

“Please, can I go?” I spoke through
clenched teeth.

Every word that left my mouth caused my
brain to throb harder against my skull. I did understand. I attacked a student
with a power I have no control over, a power that I didn’t know how to stop.
The only information I had was that if I got too angry, there was a possibility
I might explode.

“If you’re not feeling well, perhaps we
should get you down to the medical wing…” Mr Aleksandrov thought aloud.

“No. I just need to rest. I need my bed.”

“I’ll take her.” Hunter grasped my arm,
pulling me gently to my feet. I wobbled momentarily but found my footing.

“Good. Mr De Luca and I have things we need
to discuss, anyway.”

Hunter began walked me toward the door. I
glanced back over my shoulder towards Eli, who was watching me intently. I
could tell by the way he looked at me, he wanted to take me back to my dorm, he
wanted to look after me, not leave me in the arms of someone else. I gave Eli a
reassuring nod and he turned back toward Mr Aleksandrov.

It was dark outside. Clouds cluttered the
sky, blotting out the stars. I pulled up the hood of my jacket, stopping the
wind from whipping me with my own hair.

“He likes you, you know?” Hunter said as
our feet came into contact with the grass opposite Eli’s house.

My head groaned in agony. “Nah, He’s just
protective. He wants me to make the right decisions and — I don’t know … I
guess he just worries too much.” I could feel a slight smile hint at my lips as
I thought about Eli and I bit the inside of my cheek to hide it.

“I guess I should apologize. I shouldn’t
have assumed that it was true. I’m sorry.” I added.

Hunter’s lips smiled, exposing his perfect
teeth and cute dimples. He ran a hand through his unruly hair, slowing his pace
and coming to a stop before the booth and gate that separated the students from
the teachers.

“It’s okay. I would have done the same
thing. Sure, it was hell not being able to talk to you, but I knew you’d find out
it was Rylan eventually. You can make it up to me, though.”

“How?”

“Breakfast tomorrow morning. It’ll be just
you, me, and the rest of the school in the dining hall.”

A laugh fell from my lips. I didn’t realize
how much I missed Hunter’s witty charm. It was the least I could do after
everything. It wasn’t romantic in any way, so I didn’t feel guilty because of
Eli. I just wanted a chance to make it up to Hunter.

“Done.”

The roaring sound of the students gossiping
filled my ears as soon as I entered the dining hall. It was unbearable from the
steps, let alone inside. I glanced around at the student body, each face telling
a different story. Some were excited, some terrified, and some were sad. My
actions affected everyone in different ways, none of which I was proud of.

“Over here, Rubes!” A voice pulled my
attention to the left side of the room.

There Hunter sat, his hair an unruly black
like crow's feathers, and a dark blue shirt clinging tightly to his torso.

“Good Morning,” I greeted as I sat down
next to him.

On the table was an assortment of breakfast
foods; fruit, yoghurt, coffee, juice, toast and muesli.

“I didn’t know what you prefer, so I got a
bit of everything.”

“Fruit is good.”

He slid a bowl of fruit salad over to me
and my stomach growled with hunger. I stabbed a piece of watermelon with my
fork and brought it to my mouth. As I took a bite, my glance fell onto Eli, who
was watching us curiously. I looked awkwardly into my bowl. Why was I suddenly
feeling guilty? Eli and I weren’t dating, and Hunter and I were only having
breakfast together. It was the least I could do for him.

“Let’s go to dinner together on Friday night.”

I raised a glass of juice to my mouth and
took an extra-long gulp to buy myself some time. I was going to tell Hunter I
was leaving, but I didn’t want to do it at breakfast. I didn’t want to ruin
another meal with him. However, I didn’t have a choice.

“I, uh, I’m leaving.”

“But you haven’t finished your fruit salad.”

“No, I’m not leaving now. I’m leaving on
Friday.” I lowered my voice so only Hunter could hear. “The higher power is
here, he’s staying off campus. He’s requested that I work for him for a while.”

His mouth had dropped slightly and he
slowly rose from his chair.

“Hunter, what are you doing?”

He didn’t respond, he pursed his lips into
a line and I followed his line of vision as he narrowed in on Rylan, who
sitting with Zavion on the other side of the room. His jaw flexed as he
clenched his teeth.

I threw Eli a panicked expression and he
understood. He left his chair and walked hastily over to us, trying not to draw
any attention.

“Hunter,” murmured Eli, his voice low.

Only Eli could sound so calm yet so
threatening at the same time. Hunter didn’t see Eli, he only saw Rylan.

“Hunter, please?” I whispered.

He turned and headed out the door, leaving
Eli and I staring after him.

“Well, there goes another meal ruined. Now I
only need to ruin lunch to complete the collection,” I groaned.

I rested my head on my arms in defeat.

“Don’t stress yourself out with this stuff.
You have a lot on your plate already.”

I nodded and he returned to his chair.

Love

The rest of the week went quickly, too
quickly. It was Thursday, and the predicted storm had arrived. I spent most of
my time in my dorm room. After the incident with Raina, I wasn’t allowed to
attend classes or hang out in between meals.

It was late, my clock said it was eleven p.m.
and I was alone. Mila had gone to spend the night with Ava in her dorm and I
was left with the storm for company. The wind whistled, causing my window to
rattle relentlessly. The sky was black with menacing rainclouds until the
cracks of lightning broke the darkness. The wild storm matched my mood
perfectly; tomorrow night Eli and I will be officially working for a vampire.

I’d been in bed for hours now and sleep
still evaded me. Fang-filled faces were painted across the sky with every
lightning strike and each time it made my heart quicken, sending shivers down
my spine.

Eventually sleep came. It wasn’t a full
sleep, it was constantly broken by images of fangs, blood and pale skin.
Nothing truly sank in until I saw yellow rays of light creep upwards. The sun peered
over the horizon, its light dimmed by the blanket of clouds. The rays that
managed to break through the clouds covered the grass and covered the leaves of
every tree. Night fled and a new day dawned, but I didn’t feel good about it.
This new light didn’t bring me joy, it didn’t give me relief. It condemned me
to a new life. A life I didn’t want, one that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I took
my eyes off the early morning sun and stared at the digital clock sitting on my
bedside table. It read 5:30. I really didn't need to be awake right now. I
sighed, frustrated by my insomnia, I climbed out of bed and headed to the
shower. It was the only thing that could pull me from this groggy state.

I hadn’t seen Hunter since breakfast on
Tuesday. He could be mad at me, although I wasn’t sure what for. I was the one
leaving. In the past few days, Raina’s sunburn had turned to a deep tan with
ridiculous amounts of peeling. I couldn’t help but smile every time I saw her.
Mila and Ava seemed to be getting closer by the second and they even had their
own personal jokes. Granted, it’s annoying when I have no idea what they are
talking about, but I knew it was for the greater good. Ava looked like she
would look after Mila and that’s all I wanted.

My thoughts have kept me in the shower long
enough, so I got out and got dressed. A pair of skinny denim jeans, a grey top,
and a black leather jacket was a perfect outfit for me to wear; it matched my
dark mood and the dark weather. I decided to go for a walk and see the grounds
a bit before I left. Who knew when I’d be back — if I’d be back?

I exited the girls’ dorms. The weather was
as depressing outside as it was inside. There were no patches of blue sky, no
birds. It was so early in the morning there were no students loitering around
the place. Only me. Already, today seemed so lifeless and bland. I made my way
down to the sports oval. In the misty fog I saw a face, a familiar face, Eli’s.
He must’ve had a hard time sleeping as well. As I got closer, the slight bags
under his eyes confirmed my suspicion.

He stood in the drizzling rain without an
umbrella or coat and his hair, that had once been sculpted to perfection, was
now lying in strands against his forehead.

“You couldn’t sleep either?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“Today is the day.”

“Are you ready?” His green eyes pierced
mine.

“I don’t have a choice.” I uttered. “But
you do.”

“Is this your last attempt to talk me out
of this?”

“I wasn’t planning on it, but seeing as we’re
both out here, it’s worth one last shot.”

A lazy smile curled his lips. “No.”

I exhaled in defeat. “At least we’re dying
together.”

Eli laughed melodiously. It was a sound I
hadn’t heard in so long. My legs felt like jelly as I replayed the laugh over and
over in my head. It was uplifting and beautiful.

“I have something for you.”

The wind howled through the trees
surrounding the oval. The sky overhead churned, thick with rolling clouds. I
brushed my windswept hair from my face as Eli pulled out the gold whistle he’d
given to me when I first arrived at Sage Sanctum.

“I-I thought I lost this?”

“No. I kept it safe.”

He gestured with his finger for me to turn
around. My neck was bare, I had taken the necklace that Aunt Jen and Camilla
got me off months ago and had forgotten to put it on since. The cool gold came
into contact with my skin, sending a wave of goosebumps over the surface. The
heavy whistle hung on the outside of my shirt. I ran my index finger over the
golden necklace; it was still as perfect as I remembered.

“I don’t know when we’re going to be bonded,
but this will help you if you need it.”

“Thank you.” I turned and threw my arms
around his neck. He tensed at first but then relaxed into me, wrapping his arms
around my waist.

“Let me walk you back to your room. People get
suspicious when you’re out and about at random hours.”

His voice was alight with humor. The day
that started out so depressing brightened a little bit and I was happy being in
his company.

We entered the dorm lobby and Mrs Ploit
sighed loudly as Eli escorted me in through the door.

“Up to no good again, Miss Moore?”

“No, Ma’am ,just an early walk before
breakfast.”

“Sign,” Mrs Ploit demanded as she handed me
a pen. “Before you go, there’s a letter here for you.”

She handed me a black envelope and I paused.
My heart sank so far into my stomach it hurt. When did I become so afraid of
receiving a letter?

“I can open it for you,” Eli suggested as
he took the letter from Mrs Ploit’s aged hands.

He opened it and I watched his face as his
jaw clenched tightly. “It’s about our arrangement.”

I figured as much. He handed me the letter
and I blinked fast, trying to clear my flooded eyes. The letter shook in my
trembling fingers, and my heart pounded like a drum.

Ruby,

It’s Friday and you know what that means! Today
is a good day, I can feel it. We leave tonight, so please meet me at my tent at
six p.m. with your angel and we will go from there. NO LATER or I will have to
kill someone you love.

Oh and by the way, I know you love keeping
letters from Mr De Luca so I took the liberty of having one sent to his house, just
in case.

Lucian  :)

Just reading the tone of his letter made me
wish he’d killed me the first night I had seen him.

“I was going to go and finish packing my
things, but I can stay with you, if you want.”

“I’m sorry, Mr De Luca, but I cannot let
you stay.”

Eli leaned on her desk, hands spread. Mrs
Ploit narrowed her eyes. Although she was trying to hold her serious demeanor,
I could tell by the way her lips twitched that even she was not immune to Eli’s
looks.