The Harbinger (A Fight for Light Novel Book 2) (18 page)

One afternoon, soon after we returned, Kellen and I were on the living room couch. I was lying down with my head on a pillow on his lap. We were talking about the tournament, enjoying a quiet moment together. Gran came in and sat down across from us on the loveseat. She cleared her throat and smiled, immediately drawing my attention.

“I never had a chance to talk about your trip with you. It’s been so busy lately. How did things go?”

“Gran, it was wonderful. I met Kellen’s parents and his twin sister Kayleigh. We rode horses around the countryside. It was so beautiful, and the waterfall…” I looked at Kellen and he smiled. “It was the most amazing place I have ever been.”

“It sounds like you had a nice time.” She looked at Kellen. “Was anything decided?”

“Yes, we are increasing our patrols and security on both sides of the portal, reinforcing the wall, making preparations in case of attack, and sending word to the outlying cities. We will be ready,” Kellen replied calmly.

Gran nodded her head. She seemed thoughtful. I got the impression there was something more that she wanted to know.

“You seem very…close since you have returned. It must have been an interesting trip,” she told us slowly.

I raised an eyebrow. What was she getting at?

“Yes,” Kellen told her, “we spent a lot of time together.”

“I would be failing in my duty as your grandmother if I didn’t show my concern for your safety in all areas, Hun. I’m not implying that anything has happened, but I was young and in love once too.”

I bolted upright on the couch. Was Gran giving me a…
sex
talk?

Oh.

My.

God.

My eyes opened wide at her.

“Rhiannon, I know I can trust you to do what is right. I actually feel a little silly right now but I needed to voice my concern. Kellen, you know that I trust you. I am hoping that you are being…careful in…your relationship.”

My jaw dropped at Gran’s speech. I just stared at her. Kellen shifted in his seat, slightly uncomfortable.

“Things did start to get a little…physical for the both of us so I promised Rhiannon I would cool it down before we came back. I value her innocence, more than I can say. I won’t betray your trust, Gran,” he told her sincerely, his voice reassuring, despite the way he was clenching my hand in nervousness.

Gran nodded at him, smiling and looking relieved. I stared at both of them, completely embarrassed. I could feel the heat burning in my cheeks.

Did this really just happen?

I couldn’t believe we all just sat here and discussed my sex life, or lack thereof, like we were talking about what to have for dinner or something. Neither of them said a word to me, keeping a careful distance by avoiding direct eye contact, but they both looked mutually amused for quite some time. Gran got up to make dinner not too much later and I turned to Kellen.

“That was so mortifying,” I told him blushing again.

He laughed lightly and tilted my chin up to see into my eyes. His face was thoughtful as he lowered his lips to mine. He kissed me gently, sweetly. A mild pressure that lingered, in no hurry, to separate from mine.

“I told you while we were camping that I value you too much to take anything from you Rhiannon. Your Gran needed to hear that too. She is only looking out for you, especially now.”

I knew he was right. I stared into his deep green eyes, getting lost, filling with warmth at the tenderness I saw there, and forgot all about my embarrassment.

“Maybe you should kiss me again so the memory is fresh in my mind,” I told him, my voice low and husky.

His arms came around me tighter as his lips touched mine, stronger than before, and we ended any further discussion.

Later that night I had a new nightmare…

A dense, foggy cloud was reaching for me across the open meadow. I stood immobile, awaiting it as it approached, unable to move my legs despite the urgency I felt to back away. The edge of the fog had transformed into a hand that was reaching out for me, grasping. It seemed to resemble a claw, with long sharp fingernails.

I had an overwhelming sense of evil as it stretched and clutched at the air, not quite reaching me. I knew it was close, determined, desperate, and coming closer by the second. It would eventually catch me. I finally managed to run along the meadow and through the tall grass until I reached the cliff edge trying to escape it.

The fog closed in, encircling me, rising higher, until I couldn’t see. I slipped off the ledge as I felt myself falling, plunging down, grappling at the air above me, clutching at the nothing that loomed above, a terrified scream erupting from my throat…

My body jolted me awake with a huge shudder. I was covered in sweat and still trembling. It was the first time I had dreamt of my sanctuary in the forest, the cliff edge, or danger like that in a long time. All of the memories, the attacks, the Minotaur, the witch, and the werewolves, and a new sense of evil filled my head. I was terrified.

“Kellen!” I called frantically. “Kellen!”

He ran into the room and to my side, gathering me into his arms and soothing me. Kellen knew my nightmare routine by now. I didn’t have to tell him when I had one. He recognized the way I called him when it happened. Shaking, I thought about the dream and its meaning. I was getting better at interpretation. I understood the warning and implication. I knew what it meant.

Something ugly was inching its way toward me, something evil, that threatened to destroy everything and everyone that I loved. It was frightening in its intensity and the surety that I would have to face it. Soon now. It would not be long. Terrified, I gripped Kellen’s shirt, wrinkling the material in my hands.

As I thought about it for a few minutes, resolve came over me. I would have thought that the knowledge would crush me underneath its brutal feet, but instead it gave me an inner strength I had not imagined possible. I would fight this evil, I couldn’t let it win, not now. Not after my parent’s sacrifice. Not after finally learning the truth. Not after all these attacks and surviving them despite the numerous attempts to dissuade me.

There wasn’t any other choice.

We had done that once, Kellen and I, before we crossed the portal. We fought the demon that tried to kill me. He had saved me, defeating and destroying it, before the evil thing had a chance to do any real harm. The memory of it though, the horrific way it changed form into my dead grandfather, still haunted me. I shivered.

No, this evil could not be allowed to succeed.

“Are you ok?” He asked me.

“Yes, something evil is coming Kellen. Closer now, it’s coming soon,” I told him anxiously.

He looked at me intently, believing me without question. We needed to prepare.

“I need to go to the portal and send a message back home. The army needs to assemble-”

“It’s going to be here on my side, Kellen. At least that is what they are going to try to do,” I interrupted him.

His eyes widened as the new plan formed in his head.

“We will have to amass the Guardian army. We must be right in front of the portal so we can intercept them. They can’t cross over and fight here on this side. It would mean disaster. Can you imagine the news cameras and cell phones trying to get coverage?” He spoke in a rush, not really expecting an answer. “I need to speak to Tristan. Rhiannon, I won’t leave you here. Will Gran be all right for a few hours?”

“I think she’ll be fine,” I told him truthfully.

He nodded and told me to get ready. I showered and dressed quickly so we would not waste time. Gran was fine with us leaving and we made our way into the forest toward the portal. Kellen twisted his ring and opened it. I immediately saw a handful of the guard come rushing toward it, in their full armor, swords ready. They stopped when they saw it was us.

Tristan and Seasnan jumped through, exchanging a greeting as they emerged. Kellen and I walked right up to them, holding hands, even as he pulled me slightly behind him. I nearly rolled my eyes. He was entirely too overprotective sometimes.

“Rhiannon had another premonition. The enemy is coming and they will be here soon to wage an attack. We believe they will try to breach the portal here and cross into the human world to fight,” Kellen explained quickly.

Tristan and Seasnan nodded to us in unison.

“I am glad you came Kellen. We have seen signs of this in the last few days. I already sent word to your father two days ago and asked for the guard to send men ready for battle. They should be here tomorrow. We will be ready,” Tristan announced.

“Good, my father will know what to do. They will keep enough to protect themselves and send the rest to us to ensure we have enough men. I will return tomorrow afternoon so we can plan. Let us hope we are overreacting and it is not as bad as it seems,” he told them, sounding more confident than I knew he was.

They said their goodbyes and jumped back across, closing the portal again.

I looked at Kellen. “That went well. I guess Seasnan got over everything.”

Kellen looked back at me sharply, shaking his head. “No, Rhiannon. He has not. We are soldiers first and foremost. He is performing his duty right now because that’s what we do. But…it’s not over,” he said stiffly.

I blinked at him in surprise. Well, all right then. How did I respond to that? I decided to change the subject. He wasn’t going to like what I had to say.

“Kellen,” I began quietly, “I have to be here during the fight.”

He reacted just as I thought he would. His whole body went rigid and he turned to me, grabbing me by the shoulders.

“No, Rhiannon,” he told me strongly.

“Yes, Kellen, I do.” I was patient. He would see.

“No, NO!” He growled at me.

I put my hands on either side of his face and looked deep into his eyes. “Kellen, I
have
to be. I am
supposed
to be. Do you understand?”

He tightened his hands, gripping almost too hard, and struggled against the terror I saw creep into his eyes.

“It will be all right. You’ll see. Things will work out the way they are supposed to,” I told him softly as I lifted my mouth up to his.

He kissed me urgently, forcefully, as if he could stop it from happening. He pulled away leaving us both breathless and our chests heaving.

“Let’s go home,” I told him when my breathing was more normal.

We were silent the whole way back. He held my hand tightly and every now and then he squeezed it, just a little too tight. I knew better than to continue the discussion.

That night he entered my room quietly, pacing several minutes, agitated and frowning in the moonlight. It was already very late and I was sleeping restlessly. My dreams had awakened me only moments before, the same sense of urgency and evil surrounding me, until I could no longer rest. I was about to call to him when he suddenly climbed into the bed with me and slid his arms around my waist.

“I love you Rhiannon,” he whispered to me softly as he kissed along my neck and up to my ear.

“Kellen,” I whispered back and wound my fingers across his chest and up into his hair, at the nape of his neck as I heard him sigh.

He kissed me long and slowly, in no hurry to stop. It made me wonder what he was thinking. He usually did not linger for so long, not after the conversation with Gran. He kept his promise to honor my innocence and virtue, no easy task, but he made it seem effortless.

A few minutes later he pulled away and lowered his head onto my chest, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I ran my fingers through his hair again, ruffling the dark curls, and silently enjoyed him holding me, so close, so safe, as if he could keep the entire world at bay, and protect me forever from the evil that threatened to confront me. I fell asleep that way, wondering if he was up to something, and knowing deep inside that he certainly was.

The next morning I awoke alone as usual. Since our return I had become accustomed to it again. The air inside was cool and the outside hot and muggy. My sliding glass doors were foggy. I slid from my bed and walked toward them when I noticed an infinity symbol etched in the middle of the door.

My heart began to race. Only one person knew about that symbol. I don’t even think Kellen knew. I had never mentioned it. Only Lord Baylor had seen it when I drew it in the dirt across the portal.

Bae.

I flung the door open and ran onto the balcony, spinning in every direction, a huge smile plastered on my face.

“Bae!” His name tumbled from my lips in surprise.

A single red rose lay in the center of my balcony. He had been here. He had come to see me. Joy leapt into my heart and I smiled.

I raised the rose to my face and inhaled the delicate fragrance. So beautiful. So sweet of him.

“I remember,” I whispered, “I haven’t forgotten.”

I knew he could not hear me. He was not close enough. I smiled again and pressed the rose close to my heart as I entered my room and closed the door. I left it on my desk and entered my bathroom, taking a long hot shower as memories of Bae entered my head. I let myself have a few minutes and think of him. Emotion ran along the surface and tears filled my eyes.

I missed him. I wish he would have stayed long enough to say hello. Just a few minutes.

Once I was dressed I went downstairs to find Kellen, determined to leave Bae where he belonged, in the back of my mind.

“Hi Gran,” I greeted her as I kissed her on the cheek and looked for him.

I didn’t see him anywhere. “Where’s Kellen?”

“He left early and said he had some surveillance to do. I think he might be gone for a while.”

“Oh, ok. Would you like to do anything today? You haven’t been out in so long,” I told her, my voice concerned.

“I’m ok, Hun. Why don’t you call Emily or Mariah today? It would be nice to see them.”

Gran was right. I hadn’t had any quality girl time with them since graduation. We had all gotten busy. I called Emily first. She was out of town with her cousins for the day shopping. Then I called Mariah but she was busy too. Chad was taking her out for the day with his family. They were getting pretty serious. I was happy for her, knowing she really cared for him but disappointment pervaded me.

So, it ended up that I had the day to myself. I quickly became bored and decided to take a drive.

“Gran, I’m leaving for a few hours. I have my cell. I’ll see you later,” I called to her as I grabbed my keys and left.

“Ok, dear. Love you!” She called after me.

“Ditto!” I yelled back, smiling.

I jumped into the front seat and rolled the windows down. The car was blazing hot in the late summer sun. I left the driveway with my radio blaring and my mood light. It had been a long time since I was out alone. Deciding to give myself a treat, I headed to the mall. I should be safe enough there.

Macy’s was my favorite Department store. Inside, I was pleased to find a huge sale and an additional twenty five percent off of the clearance rack. Woo hoo. I loved a good bargain. Combing through the racks, I expertly picked out a few tops, a skirt, and some jeans, and a baby doll nightie. I smiled as I thought of Kellen’s reaction to it. In the changing room, I had success as everything fit me
and
looked good. Wow, that never happened.

No shopping trip would be complete without a stop at the shoe department and jewelry. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found boots on sale so early in the year. I bought two pairs of long boots, in black and brown. I also found sandals and some ballet flats. There was a beautiful long silver chain in the accessories aisle that had silver rings and baubles on it. I loved it.

When I finally walked up to the register, I was loaded down with goodies. The final bill was a steal, under a hundred and fifty bucks. I decided to check out the dresses and found another deal when I grabbed an empire waist knee length navy dress and a grey short sleeved cardigan. Tights were on clearance and I snagged several different colors, knowing they would look awesome with the new boots I just bought.

By the time I left the store I was laden down with bags and feeling good. Shopping was a natural high, especially on a day like this. I was so girly. Smiling, I headed over to the coffee shop and grabbed a tall caramel macchiato, my favorite. Just as I was leaving, I spotted Items to Remember. I loved that store. They were known for their personalized gifts. I wanted to get something special for Kellen, a memento of us, our relationship, and our devotion.

The store was packed, so the sales girl was occupied helping other people. I looked around forever before finding the perfect gift, a set of silver and black dog tags. I took them up to the register and had them engraved. He was going to
love
these.

I decided to have one tag printed with ‘Kellen + Rhiannon’ on one side and the year on the other. The second tag I had engraved with a fleur de Lis on one side (I thought it would remind him of home) and the word ‘Warrior’ on the other. I thought it would be fitting since it was the meaning of his name. I had to wait an hour for the engraving but it was worth it.

Totally happy and depleted of my saved allowance, I left the mall and headed into the parking lot. Not quite ready to go home, I decided to take a drive after all. I didn’t have any idea where I was going so I just took the scenic route through the mountains and enjoyed the afternoon. The road was mostly empty of cars as I drove, suddenly deserted. I was coming to the place where the road turned into a dead end and was going to flip a U-turn when something caught my eye.

Up ahead, there was an object on the road. I kept driving, squinting to see what it was. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw an enormous winged creature stand up and face me.

It was a loathsome, voracious looking monster with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail, wings, and talons of a bird. It had long, flowing jet black hair that swirled around it in the breeze. I tried to remember my mythology again. I was pretty sure it was a harpy. They were not friendly creatures, and they were known for snatching people and objects.

I got that far in my head and slammed the brake on my car, causing it to spin around in circles before it stopped. At least I was facing the opposite direction. My foot hit the gas pedal hard as I screeched away, burning rubber against the pavement. I hit the locks and rolled up the windows, my heart hammering in my chest.

I didn’t bother to look if it was in pursuit since I just wanted to get the heck out of there as fast as I could. I thought I heard wings flapping occasionally but by the time I was pulling in my driveway again I knew I was alone. Holy crap.

I sat there trembling for several minutes trying to collect myself before I went into the house. What was that thing doing here? What was it after? Would I see it again? I opened my door hesitantly and looked around me and up into the sky. I didn’t see anything anywhere but that didn’t mean a thing, especially with my track record.

Grabbing my bags, I turned and ran up the steps looking all around me and smacked straight into a hard muscled chest. I looked up instantly and saw Kellen’s amused expression. I took his hand and ran into the house, slamming the door behind us and locking it. Not bothering to stop, I pulled him upstairs with me and into my room where I threw my bags on the bed, closed my door and ran over and locked my sliding glass door to the balcony. I stood there with my chest heaving, more frightened than I had been since the demon.

Kellen scooped me up in his arms and sat down on the bed with me in his lap.

“Rhiannon, what is it? You have me scared to death right now. Are you all right?” His voice did sound frightened.

“There was something on the road while I was driving. It was big and awful. I think it was a
harpy
. Kellen, I was so scared. I’m totally freaking out right now.”

My voice was shaking as hard as my body.

“What?! A harpy? Are you sure, Rhiannon?”

He looked into my eyes and I nodded, swallowing hard. He threw his arms around me and practically crushed me to his chest.

“What is going on Kellen? I don’t think I can take any more surprises right now.”

“Rhiannon, I think the enemy is trying to capture you not destroy you. I don’t know all of the details but strange things are happening everywhere. Promise me you won’t go anywhere alone anymore. I can’t lose you…”

He kissed me fiercely, not giving me a chance to respond, and looked into my eyes again.

“I’m sorry Kellen. I thought it would be safe with the portal guarded.”

“Yes, I did also. The enemy has obviously found a way around our defenses. We must be watchful at all times now.”

I agree. No more surprises. Not now. Not with all the danger and uncertainty.

“I can’t be alone anymore. You can’t leave me. I’m not staying here without you. I have to be there when the battle starts.
Please
,” I begged him.

“Ok, Rhiannon,” he agreed quietly, “I think you’re right.”

“Thank you,” I sighed in relief and kissed him.

I suddenly remembered his gift. Now was as good a time as any.

“Kellen, I have something for you,” I told him excitedly.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and smiled. I took out the box from Items to Remember and handed it to him, nearly jumping up and down in excitement. Kellen’s face was curious as he opened the box. His face lit up with joy when he saw the dog tags. Carefully he inspected each one. I noticed his eyes grow soft when he saw the engraving. He looked at me in wonder.

“Rhiannon, darling, did you have these engraved especially for me? Wow, these dog tags are awesome. I
love
them. Thank you so much,” he gushed, his voice wavering slightly.

I gently took them out of his hands and slipped them over his head. They gleamed in the light against his tan skin. A perfect fit, even the length was just right. I beamed a huge smile at him.

“Wow, these look amazing on you. A perfect fit,” I told him.

“Rhiannon, no one has ever given me such a thoughtful gift before. Thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart.”

He hugged me tightly and glanced in the mirror, smiling at his reflection.

“I spent the afternoon shopping. It was a blast…at least until my drive home. Anyway, I found a lot of great deals. See?” I pulled him back over to the packages.

Making him sit, I showed him all of my deals. He gulped loudly when he saw the nightie, but didn’t say anything. His eyes roamed over me appreciatively when I tried on the new jeans for him. I decided to keep them on, knowing they fit my figure nicely. His eyes strayed to my backside often. I noticed with humor that he had a hard time
not
looking at me in those jeans. I made a mental note that these were a great distraction for Kellen.

Hand in hand, we walked downstairs to spend some time with Gran. We spent the evening playing cards and laughing, having more fun than we had in a long time. I walked upstairs to bed, flopping on my bed, and climbing under the covers. My eyes fell on the wastebasket on the floor next to my desk. Sitting on top, half crushed, was the rose from Baylor.

I sighed and lay on my back staring at the ceiling. Kellen found it of course, probably while I was out shopping. Why did he not ask me about it? And why did he continue to remain silent about anything regarding Baylor, especially considering his very vocal and obvious jealousy whenever Seasnan was near? How could he be so openly jealous and suspicious of one and not the other? It made no sense.

I was still thinking about it when I fell asleep…