The Protectors

by T. N. Simmons

  The lead singer had blond spiked hair with red tips and was wearing a pair of ripped up leather pants and a jean jacket with the word “fireball” written in red across the back. I assumed he would be singing a heavy metal song. To my surprise, the band started singing songs from multiple eras and styles. I could feel the bass booming throughout my body, almost like an unnatural heartbeat.

  I’m not much of a dancer, but that night I felt free. So much had happened in the last week since I moved out on my own. I walked out on the raised dance floor and started swaying with the music. The lights above me blinked assorted colors as they moved around the room. It felt so good to let loose. I danced song after song, not caring what I looked like or who was watching. In that moment, I was just me.

  The band stopped playing for a small break, so I went to get another tea from the bar. The bartender brushed his hand through his silver hair and smiled at me.

  “Unsweetened tea?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.” I smiled at him. “You have a wonderful memory, sir.”

  “It comes with practice. Enjoy.” He smiled then went back to work.

  “Well, hello there, miss.”

  I turned around to see Troy standing there, smiling. He looked handsome in his whitewashed jeans and form-fitting blue t-shirt. He had a beer in one hand and a mixed drink in the other. He attempted to pass the fruity mixed drink to me until he spotted my fashionable red X, then he quickly pulled the drink away.

  “It’s Jai, and it’s good to see you.” I replied.

  “Are you here alone?” he asked.

  “Yup. I don’t have many friends.” I took a sip of my tea.

  “Well, then would you like to be my friend, Miss Jai?” he said with a very charming southern voice as he grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on it.

  I laughed and replied in the best southern belle voice I could muster up. “I would be delighted to be considered your friend, Mr. Troy.”

  We both laughed. He asked me to dance, and I accepted. I just didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. I didn’t see him as boyfriend material for me. He was more Krista’s type. We danced to a few more songs before I decided it was time to call it a night.

  “Would you like me to walk you home?” he asked.

  “That would be very kind of you.”

  We walked along the street to my apartment, laughing at silly jokes and talking about cheesy pickup lines. The night was clear, allowing the stars to light up the sky above us. His company was easy, and I could tell we were going to be great friends.

  “Thanks for walking me home.” I gave Troy a quick hug while keeping a little distance between us.

  “Anytime.” Then he turned to walk back to the club.

  I walked into my tiny one-bedroom apartment and threw on some comfortable flannel pajamas and a baggy tank top while thinking about how much fun I had at the club. Putting my matchmaker brain to work, I wondered if Krista and Troy would make a good couple.

  Soon my attention turned back to my conundrum. I picked up my puzzling box and shook it to hear its unknown contents. Still with no idea how to open it, I placed it on my bedside table before I crawled into bed. My head was filled with questions of my parents as I dozed off.

  I woke from my normal reoccurring nightmare, sweaty and nervous. When I sat up in the bed, the first thing I saw was that blasted box—taunting me. What If the stupid thing held the secret to why I’ve had the same stinking nightmare every night for as long as I can remember? I picked it up and looked at it, and it suddenly made me furious.

  “Why won’t you open?” I screamed, and slapped the top of it.

  At my touch, the box let off a faint glow. Unsure what I had done, I touched it again. This time there was no glow. I knew I wasn’t crazy. I knew what I saw. True, I might have still been half asleep, but there had been no mistaking that glow. I sat there, frustrated, and tried to remember exactly what I had done the first time. I had touched it, and then I had screamed at it…

  I had screamed at it to open.

  Figuring I was crazy, I decided to give it a try. My palms were sweaty, but I laid my hand on top of the box again. As I was holding my breath, my voice came out as barely a whisper.

  “Please open for me?”

  The next thing I saw, the flowers started to move, and the box began to vibrate and it opened. What in the world just happened? It couldn’t be real. I pinched myself, and a tiny yelp escaped my lips at the sting. I wasn’t dreaming. My stomach tickled, and my heart skipped a beat.

  I looked inside the box and found pictures, letters, a birth certificate, and a bracelet with the initials JGW. I looked at the photos first. There was one of my mom and dad on their wedding day. My mother’s long amber hair was in curls down her back, accenting the beautiful lace-lined white dress. She was smiling at my father, and her smile was stunning. My father had dark hair which accentuated his black suit. He was so handsome, and his eyes were fixed on his lovely bride. There was no doubt they were in love.

  There were several pictures of her pregnant and one of the two of them holding me. They were staring down at me, both holding my hand. I could see their love for me in their expressions. Tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I dried my eyes and opened the letter.

  My dearest Jaime Grace Weaver,

  First and foremost, I want you to know your father and I love you so very much. We had to keep you safe. This is going to sound very strange to you, but I need you to understand it is all true and your life is about to change in ways you never imagined. I’m so sorry you are having to learn about this in a letter, but the odds were not in our favor. Something happened the day you were born. There was a cosmic shift that created an extremely large amount of energy. I was wearing the amulet of Aether, the fifth element, and somehow the amulet merged with you. It set off a red flag to every dark creature within a hundred-mile radius.

  We ran for days but feared they were gaining too much ground. With no more places to hide, we were forced to bind you from using your powers. We took you to the convent to keep you hidden. Obviously, if you are reading this, we didn’t make it back for you.

  You will soon find out that you possess certain abilities that will be difficult to control. You should have been in training for years, but the only way we could keep you hidden was to bind you. There are others out there who want to use you for these powers. This will prove a most arduous process for you, and I am so sorry we are not there to see you through it.

  We pray for the day you will free us. The enclosed bracelet will be your most valuable key to finding us. Keep it close to you always. We love you with all our heart. Please be safe, my sweet girl.

  Until we meet again.

  Your loving mother and father,

  Roberta and Jimmy Weaver.

  Chapter Three

  Secrets

  Until we meet again. The sentence kept circulating through my head over and over. They are alive. My parents are alive!

  I frantically started searching through the maps for any clue of where they could be. None of them made sense. The maps looked like they were drawn in the 1800s. I sighed and opened the book to find strange symbols and chants written on the pages.

  Witchcraft? Were my parent’s witches? That couldn’t be true. There was no such thing as magic. Maybe they were locked up in an institution somewhere. At least I had their names to aid in my search to locate them.

  I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head that there was much more to this story. I wasn’t even sure I was ready to find out anymore. I had been hoping for a normal life. Finding out I might possibly be insane by birthright didn’t quite fit my plans.

  I looked over at the clock. It was two in the morning, and I really needed to get some rest. I packed everything except the bracelet back into the box. If by chance this was all true and someone was looking for me, then I needed to keep it hidden. I stood up on my bed and removed one of the ceiling tiles, slid the box in, and replaced the tile.


  “There, not my first rodeo keeping secrets.” Then I placed the bracelet on my wrist. It fit perfectly.

  My head was heavy, and a yawn escaped my mouth. I turned the light off, fluffed my pillow, and slipped off into a deep sleep.

  ***

  I woke feeling well rested considering the night's events. I dressed in my usual work clothes and called my trusty new friend Troy the Taxi Driver for my daily ride to work.

  “You look different today,” Troy stated as he turned to watch me slip into the backseat.

  “I guess I just got some much-needed rest,” I replied, not wanting to elaborate on my new-found information.

  ***

  It was a perfectly normal day, but it seemed to be dragging by abnormally slow. I was starting to think it was never going to end when my relief arrived, and I was allowed to escape. Troy was right on time for my pick up, and I was grateful.

  “Hello, Jai, how was your day?” he asked.

  I climbed into the yellow taxi. “Boring, but productive nonetheless. How about your day?”

  “Eh, it was work. Nothing exciting.” He looked nervously at me. “Would you like to go to the club tonight? Not as a date or anything, just thought it would be fun.”

  “I’d love to go,” I said, as I winked at him. “My friend, Krista, will be with me. I think you’re going to love her.”

  He dropped me off at my usual location, and we said our goodbyes. I called Krista to ask her to come over in about an hour, but she was already on her way.

  Krista arrived about thirty minutes later, and we went over outfits and hairstyles for what seemed like hours before we finally settled on what to wear. I slipped on a denim mini skirt and a silver strappy backless top. Krista, a little bolder, decided on a tight, low-cut, little black dress. She was dressed to impress, for sure.

  Once our hair and makeup were perfect, we headed out the door—after taking about half a million selfies first, of course. Troy met us at the entrance to my apartment. He looked great. His brown sweater and khaki pants paired well with his hazel eyes and dirty blond hair. He was handsome, and I saw Krista blush as she glanced at him several times while we walked to Alan’s dance club.

  The club was packed. A new band was playing, and a lot of out-of-towners were there for the show. We practically had to push our way to the bar, and then stand there for what seemed like forever to get a drink.

  “So, Krista, what do you do for fun?” Troy stood closer to her and spoke into her ear.

  Her cheeks turned pink once again. I had a feeling she liked him from their first glance, because Krista usually wasn’t shy around boys she wasn’t interested in. I couldn’t help but give myself a pat on the back for that match made.

  “Not much, really. I hang out with this nut over here a lot. That’s about it.” She poked me with her finger, and we all laughed.

  The music was booming to a fun beat, sending vibrations throughout my body, and I really wanted to dance. Krista and Troy were engaged in conversation. I decided to give them some privacy, so I got up to walk around and look at the scenery.

  A guy standing at the bar caught my eye, and I found I couldn’t look away. I wasn’t sure any woman could. He was gorgeous, tall and muscular with thick chestnut hair that gave me the urge to run my twitching fingers through it. The tan button-down he wore over the tight white T-shirt didn’t cover up enough of his muscles. My fingers itched to touch his chest and, seriously, I could have kissed whoever made those jeans. I would have followed him anywhere just for the view.

  He turned and caught me staring, and I quickly averted my eyes to the picture over the bar. It was the ugliest piece of art I’d ever seen, but I hoped he would think I’d been admiring it—or trying to figure out if it was a guitar or a badly broken violin—rather than staring at his better assets in those jeans.

  Oh, my goodness! Was he walking toward me? He was. He had pushed away from the bar and was headed in my direction.

  “Okay, stay cool, Jai,” I whispered, trying to remember how to breathe. “You got this, girl. Just relax.”

  As he got closer, I felt the butterflies in my stomach flutter around. Please don’t throw up, Jai.

  “Hello, beautiful, would you like to dance?” He held his hand out to me.

  I just stood there like a rag doll, my mind a complete blank. All I could do was stare into his eyes. They were a sparkling blue that had me hypnotized by their beauty. I was certain they were laughing at me, causing me to snap out of my hormone-induced trance I had fallen into.

  “Um, sure,” I finally managed to blurt out, then stumbled forward as I tripped over my own foot. “I’m not a great dancer, but if you’re willing to take the risk, I'm game."

  “Well, you’re in luck.” He grabbed my hand to lead me out on the dance floor. "My name is Corbin Alexander, and I'm an excellent teacher."

  Once we were on the floor, he pulled my arms up around his neck and wrapped his around my waist. I rested my face against his chest to hide my rosy cheeks. He smelled wonderful, like sandalwood and coriander. When I finally got up the courage to look up at him again, he was smiling.

  “See, I told you I’m a good teacher,” he whispered.

  I just smiled back at him. He really was good. Too good, in fact. The music picked up, and we decided to find a table to talk.

  “Where are you from?” he asked once we were settled in a booth in the darkest corner of the club.

  “Well, I grew up in and out of foster homes, so I’m kind of from all over. How about you?”

  “I grew up in a small town not too far from here called Asher Grove.” He placed his drink on a cork coaster. “I tend to travel a lot for work, but I enjoy being home as often as I can. Was it tough growing up in the system?”

  “Well, I don’t know about tough, but I’m glad to finally be on my own, that’s for sure.” I took a sip of my tea.

  Krista and Troy walked up, and I started to introduce them to Corbin when I realized I hadn’t even given him my name yet.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m Jai, and these two are my friends, Krista and Troy. This is Corbin Alexander.”

  Krista gave me a thumbs up that only I could see, and I had to fight hard not to laugh.

  “It’s loud in here,” Troy said.“Why don’t we all go out for coffee where we can actually hear one another talk?”

  We all agreed and headed across the street to the Vanilla Bean, a small twenty-four-hour coffee shop that had the most amazing iced coffee.

  “I love the smell of this place,” Krista said. She made a loud sniffing sound as we entered the café. The shop was filled with the rich scent of ground coffee and fresh baked muffins. My stomach growled in response to the wonderful smell.

  “What kind of music are you guys in the mood for?” Troy asked.

  “Well,” I said, “I prefer Enya with my coffee, if that’s okay with everyone here.”

  Everyone agreed it was fine. Troy walked over to the juke box in the far corner of the room and dropped two quarters into the machine and selected the chosen album. We were the only customers in the shop, so we sat at the table closest to the juke box, and it didn’t take long for us to receive service.

  “What can I get you?” The short blonde waitress asked. Her nametag revealed the name Jan, although she didn’t introduce herself. I ordered a blueberry muffin and a caramel cappuccino. Everyone else gave her their orders, and she walked away.

  The silence unnerved me. Krista claims I have a lack of “man skills” and I was determined to prove her wrong, so I blurted out the first thing that came to me. “So, what do you do for a living, Corbin?”

  “I’m a bodyguard of sorts,” he answered.

  “Oh, that sounds dangerous.” Krista kicked me in the shin under the table.

  I rolled my eyes in response. The waitress delivered our orders to the table and I took a big drink of my cappuccino.

  “I’ll be your bodyguard, if you let me,” he said to me and bounced his eyebrows up and down
suggestively, causing me to laugh and choke on my coffee.

  “Oh, you will, will you? Because I’m a lot to handle.” We all busted out laughing.

  We had a wonderful time just talking about random stuff. I never thought I could feel this happy and perfectly normal at the same time.

  “Well, speaking of bodyguards, it’s getting late and the big bad wolf might be out there waiting for us,” Krista said—overdramatically, with a pouty lip. “Would you strong young men like to walk the two of us home?”

  “Sure,” they both said simultaneously.

  Corbin paid our bill even though we all told him not to. He was kind and mannerly, and I was secretly proud he was with me.

  The crisp wind was fierce outside, and it made me shiver. Corbin put his arm around me to warm me up. It was nice, being close to him, but weird at the same time since I didn’t typically want to be close to anyone.

  I’d never been one to warm up to people quickly, but there was something about him that made me feel safe.

  There were clouds in the sky, hiding the stars from our view, but I didn’t require their beauty. I had Corbin to look at.

  “I hear the fair is in town this weekend. Would you guys all like to meet up there tomorrow night at six o’clock,” Corbin asked?

  We all agreed. It sounded like fun, and I was glad to have another outing to look forward to.

  Too soon, we arrived outside my apartment. I hated for the night to end. I was having such a wonderful time with Krista and my new friends. Corbin picked up my hand and placed a soft kiss on it instead of saying goodbye. Troy gave Krista an intimate hug. Then the guys left, and Krista and I went inside.

  “That was quite a hug you got there,” I teased as we walked up the steps.

  “It was just a hug,” she said, but a huge smile formed on her face. I knew it was more than just a hug. I also knew Krista would probably talk my ear off all night about how dreamy Troy was.

  We opened the door and got settled in for the night. While Krista was in the shower, I lay in bed reflecting on the night. My memory was focused on every detail, from Corbin’s chest to his chiseled jaw line. My body tingled in response to my thoughts.