The Guardian

by Elicia Hyder

  “Only if we start making up some time,” I said. “So you’d better hurry up.”

  We walked for another forty-five minutes and started seeing signs for Cambugahay Falls. Then we reached a trailhead with a giant red welcome sign and scooters parked along the road. “Warren! Can we stop?” Ionis called.

  I looked at my watch and sighed. “Fury, what do you think?”

  “They probably have public access to drinking water,” she answered with a shrug.

  “We’ll stop, but make it quick!” I called back as Fury and I turned off the main road.

  I followed her down the uneven path, and I caught a flash of turquoise through the trees. “Fury, look at the water.”

  She stepped to the side and pulled the gnarly vines apart. “Wow. That’s gorg—” Her foot slipped on the mud, and she went down hard on her thigh.

  I grabbed her with my power before she slid off the bank. Thank the Father she was laughing. “You all right?”

  “Oh god,” she whined, rolling to the side. The back of her shirt, her entire left ass cheek, and her whole leg were covered in thick brown mud.

  I offered her my hand, and she took it, leaving mud prints around my thumb. “Couldn’t let Ionis be dirty alone, huh?”

  “Ugh. It’s cold and sticky.” She took a few steps and stopped, her face melting with disgust. “It’s up my shorts.”

  I laughed and walked past her. “Come on.”

  The base of the trail opened to one of the most beautiful scenes I’d seen outside Eden. The large lagoon, with water every bit as blue as the Eternal Sea, lay at the base of a semicircle waterfall. A boy swung out over the water on a rope swing and squealed as he splashed down.

  “I’ll put my winter home right there,” Ionis said, pointing at the other shore as they caught up with us. “What are you losers waiting for?” He walked past us toward the water, his massive backpack bouncing up and down on his shoulders.

  Fury looked up at Reuel. “You can swim?”

  He smiled, probably because she was talking to him again. “No swim. Sink.”

  The three of us laughed. Fury shielded her eyes from the sun cutting through the rainforest trees. “Is that more falls at the top?”

  “Looks like it,” I said.

  “Let’s go up there. I don’t see as many people.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “You’re going to climb that embankment?” I let my eyes fall to her muddy half.

  “It’s not like I can get any dirtier, right?”

  “Right. Lead the way.”

  Thankfully, no one fell on the way up to the top set of falls—or the middle set of falls as we discovered when we reached them. A third set was above those, and it created a small pool before the edge of the big falls. And she was right. There were zero people other than us. We piled our bags on the driest bit of rocks we could find.

  Fury had never been one for modesty, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when she kicked off her hiking boots and stripped down to her low-cut sports bra and boy shorts. But after our conversation that morning, the sight of her so scantily clad stirred a hunger I’d kept beaten down since her sudden reemergence back into my life.

  For a quick second, I allowed my eyes to skim the delicious length of her body. Fury had always been sexy. Tight body. Full breasts. Dangerously seductive eyes. But now…

  She was all that and more. Smooth curves had replaced her sharp edges. Made her touchable. Inviting. Supple and soft. Her breasts jiggled playfully, and a few silvery lines streaked what were once hard, sculpted abs. It was all I could do to restrain my fingers from tracing them.

  Good god.

  I forced my eyes away before things got embarrassing.

  On her ribcage was something I hadn’t seen before. A tattoo. Words in black script, but I was too far away to read them.

  She carried her shorts and tank top to the water’s edge and knelt down to wash them against a submerged rock. “It’s warm.”

  “Aren’t waterfalls usually ice cold?” I asked.

  “They are in North America,” she said. “Are you getting in?”

  “Don’t want to swim in my shorts.”

  “So take them off.” She wrung the water out of her tank top and draped it around her neck. “I saw your underwear this morning. They’ll dry fast.”

  Reuel looked at me with wide eyes.

  “It’s not what you think.” I took a step backward. “I’ll keep Reuel company.”

  She dunked her shorts under the water, then scrubbed them against the rock. “You are about to visit Hell, Warren. Live a little. Besides, where else will you find water like this?”

  “Eden.”

  “Oh.” She smiled and dunked her shorts again. After a few more rounds of dunk, scrub, and repeat, she looked at her shorts with defeat. “It’s like supernatural mud. They’re ruined.”

  I looked at Reuel. “Could it be supernatural mud?”

  He lifted both his shoulders.

  Fury tossed the shorts at my feet, then walked over and spread her tank top on top of her rucksack.

  “Uh, Fury.” I patted my own backside. “You missed a spot.” Her leg was still covered in sludge.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got this under control.” She started up the rocks to the riverbank. Then she carefully waded across the top of the waterfall. On the other side was a boulder and a rope swing.

  “How deep is the water?” I called up to her.

  She grabbed the rope. “You sound like such a grandpa. It’s deep enough if there’s a rope.”

  I shook my head. “Reuel, can we take turns carrying her to Nulterra?”

  He grunted.

  Fury toted the rope back onto the bank behind her, then jumped. She sailed over the water and let go. Her head completely disappeared below the surface, then bobbed back up. She was laughing. “That was amazing!” She dipped her head backward to smooth her hair away from her face.

  I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  “Come on, Warren. You’ll love it. Trust me!” she yelled.

  Reuel shoved me sideways.

  “Oh, what the hell.” I unlaced my boots and stripped down to my black boxer briefs.

  Someone at the lagoon below let out a whistle. I turned and saw Ionis with a mocking smile, fanning his face. I shot him the bird, then scaled the bank up to the top of the falls.

  The water was warm as I navigated through the current to the boulder on the other side. Fury was still treading water below.

  I peered down at the water as I grabbed the rope. “You sure it’s deep enough?”

  “Bwooock, bwock, bwock, bwooock,” she teased.

  Less motivated by Fury’s taunts, and more so by the fact that the swimmers down below had spotted me in my underwear, I swung out and let go. Opening my eyes underwater, it was crystal clear. I could see Fury’s perfect legs within reach, so I grabbed her knee.

  When I broke the surface, she splashed my face. Laughing, I splashed her back.

  She turned back toward the shore and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Your turn, Reuel!”

  He shook his head.

  “It’s not too deep!” I called back over the noise of the falls. “Look! I’m standing!” Granted, I was dancing rock to rock on my tiptoes, but still.

  He shook his head harder.

  “Come on! All will be forgiven if you jump in this water.”

  “Ooo, manipulation.” I clicked my tongue. “That’s dirty.”

  “I promise,” she added.

  Reuel scowled. But then he stood.

  Fury slapped my shoulder. “It worked!”

  With an angry huff, the angel pulled off his T-shirt. Then he dropped his shorts displaying shockingly bright green boxers. Fury swam toward me. “Is that Bigfoot on his underwear?”

  I chuckled. “I think so.”

  Reuel started up the bank, and Fury grabbed my arm. “Oh my god. His ass says ‘Sascrotch.’”

  She was right. The word “Sascro
tch” was scrawled across his ass in giant white letters. I laughed out loud. Correctly sensing he was the butt of our joke, Reuel covered his backside with his hands the rest of the way to the top.

  “I love that guy,” I said, watching him cross the falls.

  When he reached the boulder, I realized how tiny the rope—and the tree that held it—looked by comparison. “Maybe you should just jump!” I called up to him.

  “Smart,” Fury said. “He would snap that tree like a toothpick.”

  Reuel looked over the edge. Then he shook his head and took a few steps back. Fury and I both started cheering for him, chanting as we slapped the water. “Sascrotch! Sascrotch! Sascrotch!”

  He broke into a run and leapt off the edge, curling his legs up into a cannonball. When he crashed through the water, the tsunami knocked Fury back into me and sent a wall of water over us both. As the wave toppled her over me, I grabbed her around the waist to keep her from being thrown into the shallows.

  Obviously dazed by the water and coughing violently, she hooked an arm around my neck and ran her free hand down her face.

  “Are you OK?” I asked when I could talk.

  She laughed and coughed again. “That was the best near-drowning experience I’ve ever had.”

  I held onto her, letting our bodies slide against each other with the current. And she didn’t immediately let go. When she did, she swam toward Reuel, who was now easily standing in the pool. She jumped into his arms. “You did it!”

  He pushed her back to arm’s length. “All is forgiven?”

  “A promise is a promise. I’m sorry I got so angry with you.” She sighed. “I know you were just trying to protect me.”

  He pulled her in for a tight hug and kissed the top of her head.

  I waded out to them. “Nice shorts, Sascrotch.”

  With a laugh, he skimmed his giant arm over the water, dousing us both again. When the water war ceased, I saw Ionis standing on the shore with his hands on his hips. “What is this? Angels playing?”

  Reuel and I exchanged a mischievous grin, then both turned and grabbed him with our power.

  “Oh no!” he squealed. “Warren, Reuel, don’t you dare!”

  His white shoes once again dragged through the mud as we pulled him toward the water. He strained and strained but it was no use. “My jacket!” he wailed as he tumbled off a particularly tall rock into the current.

  Once Ionis went under, Reuel gave me a high-five.

  Ionis stood, his white-blond spikes now flat and mascara dribbling down his cheeks. “You both deserve Hell.”

  Reuel splashed him again.

  It was a much-needed break from the tiring and stressful week we’d all had. Even Ionis enjoyed himself, despite what he’d have us all believe. Fury looked downright refreshed. And as we hiked back out to the road, I realized I’d never heard her laugh so much.

  “So are we not going to talk about Reuel’s underpants?” Ionis asked a few minutes down the road toward Nulterra.

  “Avarkai doro,” Reuel said with a curious smile.

  Ionis looked up at him, surprised. “A gift from whom, might I ask?”

  Reuel shook his head.

  “Yeah, Reuel. Who do you know on Earth buying you underwear?” I asked.

  Fury stared straight ahead. “I bet I know.”

  “Who?” Ionis asked.

  Reuel growled at her.

  “You know the owner of that bakery in Asheville that he and Nathan like so much?” she asked, grinning.

  My face whipped toward him. “Shut up. Are you serious?”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Damn,” I said with a laugh. “What’s her name?”

  Ionis tapped his fingers on his lips. “Something very Game of Thrones-ish.”

  “Brienne. That’s right. Wow.” I shook my head in awe. “I’m impressed. How long has that been going on?”

  “En nan,” Reuel said, his eyes fixed on the ground.

  “You are lying. Something is going on if the girl is buying you underwear,” I said.

  “He means he doesn’t get to see her because he can’t be that close to Iliana.” Smiling, Fury looked across me at Reuel. “But they are quite friendly whenever he pops into town.”

  I slapped him on the back. “So I guess I’m not the only one whose love life got screwed up in Asheville, huh? Sorry about that.”

  Reuel shrugged his hulking shoulders, and we walked on.

  All signs of civilization began to fade away. Roadside houses dwindled to none. The road turned to dirt. And cars passing by became so infrequent, I began to wonder if it was shut down up ahead.

  We turned a corner, and my suspicions were confirmed. In the distance, yellow barricades blocked the road with what I suspected were “No Trespassing” signs written in the native language.

  “Anybody else getting a real Stephen King vibe?” Ionis asked as we neared it.

  Fury slowed to walk beside me. “Pretty sure that’s our inner compass telling us we’re in the right place.”

  Ionis gave a nervous whimper. “This is such a bad idea.”

  “Come on.” I quickened my pace, taking the lead. “Let’s get it over with.”

  After another mile, the rainforest closed in around us. The winding road narrowed until only a faint path remained through the twisted palms and thick foliage. We trudged through the undergrowth as water dripped from the trees above, plunking our heads in almost a constant rhythm. The air was hot and thick and laced with a euphonic menagerie of sound.

  Birds whistling through the high canopy.

  Frogs croaking and squeaking.

  Insects buzzing around my ears.

  “Fury, did you put on bug repellent?”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  I took out my sword when the vegetation began to overtake the path. “Watch out for snakes,” I said over my shoulder as I sliced through a massive fern blocking our way.

  “How much farther?” Ionis whined behind Fury.

  “He’s great training for having a toddler,” Fury said.

  “Or a hemorrhoid.” Light glistened through the trees up ahead, and dread bubbled like hot black tar in my stomach. “We’re almost there.”

  When we stepped out into the bright sunlight, we were almost at the salt-mirror’s edge. Fury stopped beside me. “This is it?”

  “This is it.” I took off my rucksack and dropped it on the ground. The others did the same—and Ionis added a melody of profanities.

  I pulled out my cell phone and dialed my father. He answered on the first ring. “I was beginning to get worried,” he said without a greeting.

  “We’re here. Had a long hike in this morning, and cell service is hit or miss.”

  “So this is it?”

  “This is it.”

  “Take care of yourself.”

  “You taught me well, Dad.”

  There was a pause on the other end of the line, which was Azrael’s equivalent of getting emotional. After a second, he cleared his throat. “Let me know as soon as you’re back.”

  “I will.”

  Then he ended the call without a goodbye.

  I put the phone away, then pressed my finger to my ear. I called out to Samael. “Samael, it’s Warren. Can you let everyone know we made it to the gate?”

  “Cassiel’s already here with me, waiting for word. Good luck down there.”

  “Thanks. If you don’t hear from me again, assume we made it inside.”

  “Roger that.”

  I laughed.

  “What is it?” Fury asked.

  I pointed to my ear. “Samael just said ‘Roger that.’”

  Reuel shook his head.

  “That’s funny,” Fury said, walking toward the circle. “It’s so blue.”

  “It’s a mirror.” I pointed up. “It’s reflecting the sky.”

  “Really?”

  I offered her my hand. “Come on.”

  She took it and followed me as I walked out on it.

>   “Eshta!” Reuel shouted, reaching to snatch Fury back.

  But it was too late. Her boot settled on the circle, and the Earth gave a thunderous shake. The entire circle shifted under us.

  I grabbed her and launched high into the air. The rumbling stopped and the glowing purple gas dissipated. I blew out a sigh of relief and swore.

  Her back was against my chest, and both my arms were locked around her. I felt her laugh against me. “I guess we don’t have to wonder how to open it.”

  “Shit. You think?” My heart was thumping in my ears, and I rested my forehead against the back of her head. “I’m sorry. I completely forgot you were the key.”

  “I’m safe. Relax.” She patted my arm, then pointed at the ground. “Look! I see us.”

  I tilted forward. As the ripples on the salt water calmed, our reflection became clear. I tightened my arms and took a deep breath, realizing fully how thankful I was that she was safe and that she was not going with us.

  “It’s so huge. And it’s a perfect circle.” Her eyes scanned the island. Then she jerked. “Warren, what’s that?”

  I looked in the direction she was facing. On a large rock, at the far edge of the circle, something shiny reflected the sunlight…

  The blood-stone case.

  Chapter Twenty

  “You asked Ariel for help?” Ionis asked, dumbfounded.

  Fury had opened the case. It was a bit waterlogged, but all the pieces were there. Reuel looked far from relieved, and I completely understood.

  “Yeah. She refused, but I guess she changed her mind.” I grimaced. “I did give her a lot of shit about it.”

  “That’s impressive. She hated coming to Earth even before Iliana’s presence threatened to unravel our existence.” Ionis grinned. “Did you ask her to be part of our world?”

  Fury rolled her eyes.

  “Or did you just ask her to go under the sea and get them?” Ionis snickered.

  “You are an idiot,” Reuel said in perfect English.

  Fury carefully picked up one of the cuffs, but my hand shot out to stop her. “Wait. Why don’t we try to open the gate and let me inspect the situation first?”

  “So you can leave me here?” she asked.

  I took her hand and turned her arm face up. “How would I do that? You have the key, remember?”