The Sentinel (29 page)

‘There’s no compromise. I won’t ever stop trying to protect you. Besides I don’t see why you are so hung up on this, you’re perfectly happy for the other Guardians to die for you.’

‘NO I AM NOT!’

‘Ok, ok, I’m sorry, I know you hate that they would throw themselves in front of a moving train for you, that you care about them, but the difference is that you haven’t sent them away from you.’

‘I would if it would make a difference. If I thought I could live out the remainder of my days in a hut in the Amazonian rainforest, and no one would ever need to be affected by my existence again, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But we both know it doesn’t work like that. Besides if I send my personal guard away, the Oraculum would just send me another personal guard.’

‘But I don’t see the difference between them dying for you and me dying.’

‘Really? How can you not see the difference? I love you.’ I reached up and kissed him. His lips moved against mine just for a moment before he pushed me away.

‘Eve, this isn’t fair. You can’t kiss me and then send me away again.’

‘I’m not sending you away. I want you with me.’

He stalked away to the window. ‘What and I move in here with you in your fairytale castle, get married, have lots of babies, live a happy ever after. It doesn’t work like that.’

I moved to his side and took his hand. ‘I can’t marry you or have children with you. Not yet. There’s still the small job of saving the world that I have to do first. And I can’t guarantee you a happy ever after. Nothing seems to be set in stone and many people have died already. We may only have a few years together, or a few months. But I would rather spend every moment of the time we have left with you by my side, than spend it without you. I don’t want you to just come to me when the going gets tough, when my life is in danger. I want you there always, for the good times and the bad.’

He looked down at me. ‘You’ll change your mind again, next time things look scary, you’ll kick me out.’

‘I won’t. You’re safer here with me. I can protect you here.’

This was obviously the wrong thing to say as his eyes flashed and he snatched his hand away from me.

‘I will not be babysat.’

He stormed away but I grabbed his arm.

‘Do you not understand what you mean to me, how much I love you. If someone shot at you, with a bullet aimed straight for your heart, wouldn’t you try to stop it? Even if your heart was made from steel, it was impenetrable, wouldn’t you try to stop it, just in case. Seth you are my heart, and I have to protect you as fiercely as you protect me, because without you… I would die without you.’

He glared down at me.

‘And I promise not to have you babysat anymore. And…’

He walked away shaking his head and a sudden panic ripped through me. I had thought if I asked him to stay he would. But it wasn’t enough.

‘You have to stay, the pledge…’

‘You can stick the pledge. I’m not staying because of some stupid promise I made fifteen years ago.’

‘I’ve hurt you?’ I said, hoping this was all it was and we could get past it.

He whirled round, his eyes blazing. ‘You humiliated me. Do you have any idea how it made me feel. I felt I wasn’t good enough to protect you, or to be around you. And the Guardians that were charged with my protection, God I could hardly bear to look at them. First of all they thought it was all a big joke, then when suspicion started to arise that one of us was betraying you, they all looked at me. Why else would Eli put me under lock and key? That made me sick, that anyone could think that I would be involved in a plot to kill you. Then when I saved you last night, proved I was finally worth something, it still wasn’t enough for you, you still sent me away.’

I swallowed, an ache spreading in my heart. ‘I’m sorry.’

His jaw clenched and he looked away.

Everything I wanted was slipping through my fingers and I couldn’t hold on to it. I reached for him but he stepped back away from me. Rejection and the fear of losing him consumed me in great waves.

‘So you’re angry at me, I get that. But please don’t let male pride get in the way of us being together. I love you.’

He folded his arms and stared down at the floor. He had to choose us, he had to. I couldn’t do it without him.

‘I’d like you to take me home now,’ he said, quietly and I could see he had made his mind up. My whole world seemed to crumble away from me. There was a pain in my chest, a burning tearing through my heart. I had lost him and there was no way back from this now.

I needed him gone; I wouldn’t cry in front of him.

My throat hurt from supressed tears as I stepped forward and took his hand, immediately sliding him to his bedroom. We had spent so many hours here playing as children, it made the ache worse being back amongst all those memories.

‘So I guess I’ll see you the next time my life is in danger.’ I tried, unsuccessfully to keep the wobble out of my voice.

He stared at me then shook his head. ‘You won’t actually. You have hundreds of Guardians at the Fort to protect you. The ones in England won’t be called.’

I bit my lip, tears smarting my eyes.

‘So this really is goodbye?’

He nodded.

I looked down. ‘I hope you are happy Seth.’

‘You too Eve, take care of yourself.’

We stared at each other for a moment and as tears welled in my eyes, I quickly slid back to my own room in the Fort.

I sat down on my bed and with my head in my hands, I cried.

I heard a soft swishing and knew it would be Lucas. He would have felt my heart breaking as painfully as if it was his own. Gentle hands were round my elbows pulling me back up. I looked up in to his face and yelped when I saw Seth holding me.

I wiped the tears from my face, but they were unrelenting and were coursing down my cheeks again a second later.

‘Why are you here?’

‘Why do you think?’ He pulled me against him, holding me tight.

‘Because of the pledge?’

‘No, I told you I wouldn’t stay because of that. I’m here because I love you, because I always will.’

My brain whirled with confusion. ‘But…’

‘I’m here Eve and I’m never leaving you ever again.’

Before I could speak he bent his head down to kiss me. And all reason went out of my head. He pulled me closer, tighter against him. His mouth was insistent at first as I kissed him back, but then it turned gentle. And my heart and my powers roared, a shimmering golden glow surrounding us.

This kiss was so much nicer than last night, it wasn’t urgent, panic filled, with the scent of our immediate death surrounding us, it was tender, soft, loving. It was like I was coming home, his heart, his lips welcoming me back. In truth I knew I had belonged here my whole life.

I blushed and giggled with embarrassment as I heard Lucas in my head. ‘
Thank goodness for that.’

Seth smiled, obviously he had heard it too, but he continued kissing me regardless.

*

Quinn, Persia and Izri arrived later that day. Persia got to me first as I heard Quinn stop outside in the corridor to talk to Eli. She passed me a letter from Clementine. I opened it and read it through. Clementine had decided to stay with her fiancé. She wrote saying she would always be loyal to me, and would be there if I needed her, but her place was by the side of the one she loved. I put the letter down and eyed Persia, who was determinedly not looking at me, her cheeks burning with shame.

‘Persia, it’s ok, having you give up your life for me is more than I wanted, I can’t expect your sisters to do the same.’

‘She pledged to you.’

‘And she’s still pledged to me, that hasn’t changed, but she can continue to live her own life whilst she’s pledged to me. There are hundreds of Guardians out there pledged to me that I haven’t even met, this is no different. I want her to be happy, I want you all to be happy, but since you and Izri are too stubborn to leave me, then I’m glad Clementine at least is happy.’

Persia’s scowl lessened slightly.

‘And your family, how are they with Izri?’

‘Mum cried when she realised Izri was staying away from them because she was scared of their reaction. Dad was upset about Edward, but I think he was more angry over the betrayal. Clementine has come round too. I think it was just a shock for her seeing her sister murder her uncle.’

‘Good, I’m happy everything has worked out ok.’

For the first time she noticed, where I was sitting, on Seth’s lap, his arm round my waist as he stared out of the window, trying to give me and Persia some privacy without actually leaving me.

The scowl slowly turned into a grin. ‘Are you happy Eve?’

I felt the smile split my face. ‘Deliriously so.’

Persia grinned. ‘I’ll leave you to it, Eli says you need to rest.’

I nodded, I was still tired.

She left and I looked back at the letter in my hand.

‘Are you ok?’ Seth’s arm tightened round my waist.

I nodded as I leaned back against him.

‘You’re not angry?’

‘Not at all.’

Seth wrapped his arm round the front of my shoulders, kissing the back of my neck.

I couldn’t be angry at her for not leaving her fiancé, how could I, not when I was wrapped in the arms of the one I loved with no desire to ever leave.

And that’s how Quinn found me a few seconds later, when he walked into my room brandishing my favourite red trainers, sitting in Seth’s arms on the window seat.

He couldn’t hide his delight.

‘Glad to see you’ve finally come to your senses,’ he grinned, as he passed me a bag of clothes.

‘Being with Seth does make a lot of sense,’ I smiled. Quinn gave me a quick hug and Seth a slap on the back before he ducked back out of the room to leave us in peace.

*

The next few days passed in a blur of happiness. I didn’t venture far from my room because of what had happened on that first night. The corridor leading up to my room housed all my Guardians, Quinn, Persia and Izri. There was also stairs leading up to the roof, which is where I spent my days in training. I think the rest of the Fort got used to the strange sounds and lights that came from the roof.

At night I was safely cocooned in Seth’s arms, and this was the cause of my sheer, unadulterated feelings of bliss. One night I lay warm in his arms, his soft kisses, sending me off to sleep and for a while I was on my beach in Mexico, feeling utterly at ease and peaceful. But then I saw a seagull swooping above me. It was unusual, because I was normally alone on my beach. I lay there watching it. How freeing it must be to fly wherever you want, to only stop when you need to eat or sleep. Sliding gave me a tiny part of that, but I always had to take my Guardians with me, and being on the land meant that I could always inadvertently run into a Putarian or a Reaper, being in the air meant being completely free.

I remembered going to Skomer Island once, and sitting on top of the cliffs, the wind tearing over the rocks and the great seagulls catching the air currents, soaring and gliding round me. As I lay on the beach now, I watched the bird soar into the path of the sun. I closed my eyes against the sun’s glare and when I opened them, I was there standing on the cliff tops of Skomer again, the icy wind ripping past me. I laughed loudly and my laugh disturbed the sea birds around me, who had been nestling on the rocks. They took off, flapping their wings in annoyance. But then as they swooped round me, they seemed to recognise me. Their squawks turned quickly from that of fear and anger to joy and pleasure. They seemed to call to me. I reached out to the mind of the nearest gull, a large bird with wings so black they blended into the darkness of the night sky, his chest and underside of wings glowed white in the moonlight.

‘
You came back,’
the gull laughed, he swirled around me, staying in the air with very little effort. ‘
I’m Solara.’

I frowned. ‘
You remember me?’
Had I inadvertently slid to Skomer? Mexico was better to slide to this time of year, Skomer was barren and cold. If I had slid, I really should call one of my Guardians to me.

‘Four years ago, you came, we were honoured we got to meet you, we never thought we’d see you twice in our lives, your powers are stronger now, can you fly yet?’
Solara asked as he swooped round my head

I laughed. ‘
I can’t fly.’

Solara laughed, and then I could hear the others laughing as well, not maliciously, but indulgently. ‘
Yes you can. Come with us.’
They suddenly swirled round me, circling close to me like they were caught in a mini tornado and I was the eye.

‘
Come with us Eve,’

‘Fly with us,’

‘Soar Eve,’

I watched Solara fly higher and I followed him. The birds laughed again and I looked down to see I was at least twenty metres off the ground. I laughed with them, I was definitely dreaming then, no need to call my Guardians to me.

‘
Come on Eve, follow us
,’ Solara called.

They took off over the edge of the cliff and I followed, the wind catching me. They dived down to the surface of the water, black and as shiny as coal, and I followed. The wind tore through my hair as we picked up speed, the birds swirled and danced around me. We had soon left Skomer behind and were heading out into the open sea, I roared with laughter as I span in the air, letting the wind rip through my fingers. The speeds we reached were amazing; I had never travelled so fast before, not in any mode of transport. But I wanted more, I wanted to rip through the sky like a bullet and the speed increased. Soon I left the birds behind, they called goodbye to me as they turned to head back home. I pressed on, laughing so hard, exhilarated. I was going so fast now, as I slashed through the night sky, I could barely breathe with the air rushing through me. I soared up and tore through the clouds, the condensation making my clothes damp. The clouds seemed to burst out of my way, dispersing then reforming again, as soon as I had left them behind. I dived back down to the surface of the water, skimming so close, I could feel the spray on my face.