Watch Over Me (Guardians Book 1)

by Shane Morgan

“Because she is also of Gargouille,” Lars fired back.

  Whispers bounced off the stone walls of the great hall. Disbelief and confusion twisted everyone’s features.

  I waited for him to tell them more. That demon blood was already flowing through my body before I got cut. But he didn’t mention it, nor did Obel.

  Why are they holding back?

  Should I speak up?

  King Deo moved closer to me, eyes narrowing as he glided over my face, studying me. This was the closest we’d ever been. I wiped my palms on my leggings, feeling uneasy beneath his piercing gaze.

  What was he doing? It looked as if he was trying to place me in his memory.

  “Obel, how is that possible?” Luuk questioned, pulling my attention. “She’s clearly human.”

  “Only the pool will tell us more,” Obel replied. “Please, great leaders, allow Calissa to enter now.”

  They all deliberated, trailing over my body with curious expressions.

  Queen Vaira edged forward and touched the king’s shoulder. “What say you, my king?”

  He straightened, shook his head, and exhaled roughly. “If the elders approve, then so shall I.” He waved toward the passage on the right side of the throne. “Come, Calissa.”

  Lars lightly touched the arch of my back. It gave me the courage to move.

  We shadowed King Deo and Queen Vaira as they walked out of the hall and went down the long passage. Members of the council followed behind.

  I could hear running water as we approached the end of the stone passage. We filed into a spherical room with a small cascade on the left side of the wall, pouring in from a crevice and flowing under the floor.

  A pool laid in the middle of the room, filled with crystal-clear water that showcased its azure interior. The dazzling water created shadows along the walls.

  King Deo went to the other end and turned into his intimidating gargoyle form.

  He was much larger than his human cloak. He pulled out the long silver sword that was always at his back and placed it inside the pool. The water rushed toward the other end, stopped, and settled back into place. Eerie voices whispered around us.

  “Remove your shoes and step into the water,” Queen Vaira instructed. She withdrew from me with everyone else.

  I gulped and looked behind at Lars as he meandered to the wall with the others. He offered a supportive half-smile. It calmed my nerves to an extent.

  Turning, I slipped off my sneakers and moseyed to the edge of the pool. King Deo remained at the other end with his sword still inside the water.

  He nodded for me to enter.

  Breathing deeply, I stepped into the cold water. It reached up to my waist. The whispers stopped suddenly.

  King Deo motioned for me to walk to the middle. The water started to feel warm, the more I moved.

  I reached the center of the pool and waited. He pressed his eyes shut. When I glanced behind at the others, they’d also closed their eyes.

  “Okay,” I murmured, unsure of what to do or what would happen next.

  Then a bizarre feeling slithered over me. Panic set in as my body became paralyzed in the water. I tried to lift my hands but couldn’t. The whispers started again, louder and more terrifying.

  To make matters worse, the water began to rise.

  “Ah!” I cried as fear bloomed. It felt as if my heart would burst through my ribcage. I tried to move again but was still paralyzed in place.

  “What the hell is this?” I shrieked, hating how powerless I was. “Lars! Help me!” But he wouldn’t. “Lars!” No one was even looking at me. They still had their eyes shut. Heads bowed.

  The water came up to my neck. I inhaled a deep breath and held it as the water finally covered my head.

  When I opened my eyes underneath, a pale creature appeared suddenly, startling me. I screamed, realizing then that I could breathe underwater.

  “Oh…crap! I’m not drowning!” I laughed in amazement. “What is this?”

  “Calissa,” the female said sweetly and trancelike. It sounded as if two people were talking at once. “Human, demon, and gargoyle.”

  “I already know that,” I huffed. “Who are my parents? What do the demons want with me?”

  “You are the offspring of a forbidden union. A human woman and a gargoyle guardian.”

  Strangely, this revelation made me hopeful. I shook it away. “But why is there demon blood in me?”

  Her blue eyes brightened. “A demon attacked the woman. She turned before your birth.”

  Sorrow filled me. “My mother…became a demon?”

  “Yes,” she drawled, sending fear all over me.

  I calmed my nerves and asked, “Is she still alive? Is my father?”

  “No. The guardian met his end. Your mother’s soul is also lost. She died the moment she turned. You were kept a secret from the Gargouille kingdom all this time.”

  “Then, why now? Why are demons coming for me now?”

  “They’ve been watching you for a long time. You are ready now.” She pointed a long and bony finger at me. “Darkness grows within you, Calissa. If you’re unable to control it, you will destroy your world and the Gargouille kingdom.”

  “No!” I gritted out in defiance. “No, I won’t!”

  The creature studied my face intently. “But it has already begun. No one can save you.”

  I looked up at Lars. The water danced above my head.

  “I’ll save myself,” I countered, clenching my fists. It hit me then that my body could move. I was no longer stuck.

  She chuckled. “Interesting. You are strong. Perhaps you can fight the demon master’s control.”

  “What does he want with me?” I asked again, growing impatient.

  “To wake the beast.” She swam away before I could ask any more questions, vanishing within the pool.

  A powerful force propelled me above the water and resettled it at my waist. I coughed and quickened to the edge of the pool, trying to climb out. Relief shot through me when strong arms pulled me up.

  Lars gazed down at my exhausted and drenched body. “Are you all right?” he asked, remorse in his kind eyes. “I heard you calling for me, but I couldn’t move. I’m sorry. We had to allow the elder to show herself to you. That is the way.”

  “You!” King Deo bellowed. He lifted his sword from the pool and marched up to us. “Demon offspring!”

  The rumble in his deep voice made me quiver in fear.

  Lars straightened before his father. “She is human and of Gargouille blood. We made an oath. I must protect her.”

  “Protect her?” King Deo grated out on a growl. “Your judgment is clouded, my son.” He pointed at me. “She will bring about our destruction.”

  Queen Vaira shouted from behind, “She’s the child of a traitor.”

  “Yes!” King Deo continued his rant. “A guardian who abandoned his oath and Gargouille. He mated with a human who became dark, and instead of killing the cursed being, he allowed her the chance to give birth to this atrocity.”

  Terror rocked me to the core when he pointed at me. The gargoyle king looked as if he wanted to chop me into pieces. I got up from the ground and sidled closer to Lars. He gripped my hand.

  “She must be dealt with!” King Deo commanded.

  Lars grunted, “Father, you cannot! I won’t allow it!”

  They gasped at his determination.

  I looked at him, heart grateful by the way he stood up to his father—the king—on my behalf.

  “My king,” Obel interjected, coming to my other side. “Please, you heard the elder. Calissa must remain here. If the demons get ahold of her, they’ll awake an ancient evil. And I may have an idea of what that is.”

  We focused on him then.

  King Deo asked, “What is this ancient beast?”

  Obel exhaled dramatically before answering, “Tarekt.”

  The room instantly went still.

  Was that fear?

  Did gargoyles fear anything?


  “Impossible,” Queen Vaira sputtered. “Tarekt cannot enter the human world. Or ours. No power can free the beast. Our ancestors made sure of it in their battles.”

  “Yes, that is true, my queen. No human, demon, or gargoyle can free the beast.” Obel stared pointedly at me. “But one whose blood possesses all three can.”

  Yikes! He was not making the situation any better for me.

  “Even more reason to be rid of her,” Anya spat. “My king, execute her before she falls into the hands of the dark ones.”

  I spun my head and glared at the heartless bitch. “You would love that, wouldn’t you?”

  She screwed up her face and transformed into her petite gargoyle form as if trying to intimidate me. It didn’t work.

  “Father, we made an oath to protect humans,” Luuk said aloud. “Calissa is human, even if she also has demon blood in her veins. And she’s also part of us.”

  I bobbed in appreciation and turned back to the king.

  He huffed and clenched his jaw. “Not a good part.”

  Queen Vaira walked to his side. They passed a look between one another.

  “Father, Mother, please,” Lars implored. “Spare her life and allow me to protect her within our kingdom. I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens.”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  Why did he feel so strongly about protecting me?

  The elders in the mountain said we had a connection. What did that mean?

  “Have mercy,” he said respectfully, jolting me from my thoughts. “Calissa may have demon blood in her, but I sense she is strong enough to overcome the darkness.”

  His pleas tugged at my heart. I admired him even more.

  “Hmm.” King Deo pondered a moment then morphed back into his human form. He spoke in a softer tone. “Indeed, we made an oath to protect humans.” He paused, sighed heavily, and concluded, “You are correct. I cannot harm her. I will grant Calissa refuge for the safety of the human world and the Gargouille kingdom.”

  “The safest thing to do is toss her over the great falls,” Anya blurted.

  Lars spun and fired at her through clenched teeth, “You will do no such thing! Calissa is still human, and she needs my protection.”

  Anya flinched. “You mean our protection, right?”

  Chest rising and falling quickly, Lars blinked away from her and looked at me. He swallowed hard.

  “Enough!” Queen Vaira chided and twisted to her mate. “Are you certain?”

  King Deo nodded to her before declaring to the room, “The decision is made. Calissa remains here, alive until I see fit.” Pointing at Lars, he added, “She is your responsibility. If she succumbs to the dark side, you will be the one to end her.”

  I stiffened and gripped Lars’s hand. He’d have to kill me if I turned into a demon. How terrible.

  King Deo gave me another glance-over, grunted, and stomped out of the spherical room. Queen Vaira followed him, along with Luuk, Ilris, and the guards. Sarayas and Ezio stayed behind with us.

  Anya fired death glares at me before marching out of the room. She was so angry. It wasn’t my fault her betrothed had no interest in her.

  Suddenly cold, I hugged my drenched body and stared at the pool. The water was still. No spooky elder inside.

  “Get some rest,” Obel encouraged. “I will tell you more about this ancient beast in the morning, and about your father.”

  I spun at his words. “You know who he is?”

  He nodded. “I have an idea, and so does the king.” He patted my arm when I was about to ask more. “Tomorrow, Calissa.” He turned and started away from us.

  “We will meet at noon,” Sarayas cut in. “To begin your training.”

  “Good thing, too,” Ezio approved. “Someone like you should know how to defend herself. Perhaps training will give you more strength to suppress the dark.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured, looking from one to the other with a genuine half-smile.

  They headed from the room. I suddenly felt shy and uneasy being alone with Lars.

  Lightly, he touched my shoulder. “You’ll end up ill if you stay in these clothes any longer. Let’s go.”

  I lowered my eyes to his waiting hand and slipped my trembling fingers into the warmth of his palm. He led me out of the sacred pool room and into his own minutes later. I changed into a nightdress left by Ilris.

  Lars returned while I was drying my curls, making sure to knock on the door that time instead of flying in again.

  He observed my nightdress, harrumphed, and moved to the opening. He sat with his legs hanging over the edge. I strolled up to him and did the same, no longer fearing that I’d fall.

  “Thank you for defending me,” I muttered, staring into his eyes. “I know it must have been difficult, standing up to your leaders like that, especially when they’re also your parents.”

  “Hmm.” He looked away from me. “I do not quite understand it. I feel as if protecting you is the most important thing to me.”

  My breath hitched. I struggled to calm the rising emotions. That was hard because bit by bit, I was beginning to see this man—gargoyle—in a new way. Everything about him appeared greater. More beautiful.

  A soft moan seeped from my lips when Lars looked at me again. “You should rest,” he urged. “Sarayas won’t go easy because you’re human.”

  No matter the two other elements of my existence, something about being human in this world made me feel less than. Small. Not good enough for Lars.

  I pushed to my feet and mumbled, “Goodnight.” Then I moseyed to the bed and climbed in with my back facing Lars in the opening.

  After some time, I heard a rustle and the flapping of his wings leaving.

  I turned to confirm it. A sudden ache burned in my body when I saw the empty area where Lars’s stone sculptor would be. On this night, it seemed he didn’t want to keep watch over me.

  13

  I’d felt a gentle touch on my face in the wee hours of the night and a protective shadow looming over me. I knew without opening my eyes, it was Lars. He’d returned to watch me sleep. But he’d already left the room when I woke.

  After a bath, I dressed and walked to the dining hall, hoping to at least have breakfast with him. But Lars was nowhere in sight. While he swore to protect me, I couldn’t expect him to tow me around with him. He had a life. Other duties. It was enough to be safely inside the kingdom.

  Still, eating alone under the prying eyes of gargoyles in the dining hall was beyond awkward. I quickly finished and went in search of Obel for answers.

  I halted my trek at the sound of my name. When I glanced across the courtyard, I spotted Obel sitting on a stone bench shaded by a tree. He waved me over.

  “You look like a woman on a mission,” he joked, smiling kindly.

  Face serious, I sank down beside him. “You said you’d tell me about my father.” I was eager to learn everything.

  A sympathetic look masked his features. “Yes. His name was Bejo. We trained together as boys. But obviously, he went on to become a guardian, and I took a different path.”

  “Bejo,” I repeated softly, memorizing my father’s name.

  Obel patted my hand. “He was a great guardian on the path to becoming general. Others praised his integrity and skills. But a time came when he began acting differently.”

  I scowled. “What happened?”

  He stared off into space as he explained, “Your father became secretive. Then one day, twenty-five years ago, he left for a mission in your world and never returned. Our leaders at the time never spoke of him again. And it remained that way until now.”

  That upset me. My pitch heightened. “So, they just forgot about him? I thought gargoyles were all about unity?”

  “We are, Calissa. But once a gargoyle breaks his oath, it is the law to shun him or her. That is our way.”

  Agitated, I ruffled my curls and drew air through my teeth. “I don’t like your ways. You could’ve help
ed him and my mother if it weren’t for your so-called laws. They’d still be alive now. And maybe…”

  “The union between a gargoyle and a human is doomed from the start. Neither world would accept it. Gargoyles are given mates. It is our way of—”

  “Growing the kingdom,” I finished, irritation evident in my voice. “Yes, I know. Ilris told me all about that.”

  Lars entered my mind. At the thought of never being together, I felt a jab in my chest.

  Why am I thinking such a thing, anyway?

  He was a gargoyle, and I was…

  I had no idea who the hell I was.

  “You seem deeply upset by this,” Obel discerned, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Why? Does it have anything to do with Lars?”

  A sly gleam was present in his grey eyes as he narrowed them on me.

  I wobbled my head, pretending as if something wasn’t growing inside. A sweet emotion meshing with all the fear and pain.

  Clearing my throat, I answered, “No. It’s nothing. Back to Bejo. How do you know he’s my father? He never told you or anyone else he was seeing my mother.”

  “Because he’s the only guardian to have vanished around that time. If he did have a child, Calissa, you are the right age.”

  Allowing that to sink in, I asked, “Is there anyone at all he would have confided in? Not even the king? Deo would have been a guardian at that time as well.”

  Perhaps that is why he was looking at me like that in the great hall. He noticed a resemblance.

  Obel sighed. “No. Sometimes, gargoyles keep their true feelings to themselves, fearful of breaking laws or disobeying their leaders.”

  My shoulders drooped, and any hope I’d had wavered. “So…no one knows her name? My mother?”

  He frowned, seemingly regretful. “I’m sorry, dear. We do not.”

  The air became quiet. I watched as gargoyles went about their lives. Adults and children alike. Some in their pure form, and others with charming human features. All looked happy.

  I realized something then. “Obel, where’s Ezio’s mother? Where’s your mate?”

  Sorrow filled his eyes. “Kiah. She was a guardian. Killed when Ezio was a child. Demons ambushed her in your world as she tried to save a human.”