by Ali Winters
As she studied him, the nagging feeling of familiarity came back.
“What do you want with me, Guardian?” she asked after several long moments of silence.
She had lost her mind. That was the only explanation for her to sit with him and give him her time. To trust him enough to have a conversation.
“I understand your hesitation, but I seek only your friendship,” he said honestly, then added, “and you may call me, Caspian.”
Her brows drew together. “Why?”
He shrugged. “We are both tasked with protecting the balance. Does it not seem odd that your kind and my own do not work closer?”
That had been the last thing she’d expected. The simple, honest statement left her speechless, and it was a while before she found her voice again.
“Indeed,” was all she said. It was strange. A thought she’d had once or twice over the years, even despite the fear and mistrust she and the other Watchers always held toward the Dark Guardians.
“Well?” Caspian raised one dark brow.
Nivian frowned. “Well, what?”
“I have told you my name.” He chuckled and, though he tried to hide it, his entire body shook. “Will you not grace me with yours in return?”
“Nivian,” she said. Oddly, she found herself relaxing in his presence. Something about him felt familiar, like a pair of comfortable worn leather boots, or a friendship that began in her childhood. She found herself relaxing, leaning to the side to draw her legs out from under her.
“I’ve seen you before,” Caspian said.
Nivian stilled, then, slowly, she said, “Have you?”
“Yes. It was several weeks ago—I believe it was spring. I was following a mark in the city and you spotted me. And you smiled.”
“I smiled?” Nivian scrunched up her nose. She couldn’t ever recall smiling at a Guardian. Though it would explain why she seemed to know him. Or, at least, knew his face.
“You can imagine how taken aback I was. Until that day in the market, I had never been anywhere near a Watcher. And it was a stark contradiction to all the stories I’ve heard about your kind.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure it wasn’t a warning?”
Caspian laughed at that. “Perhaps it was. Though I still wish to think of it as a friendly gesture.”
They talked until the sun began its slow descent. Bugs crawled out of their homes, chirping with life now that the sun’s beating rays had lessened to something more bearable. Time had passed quickly. Not once had Caspian made a movement that was threatening.
Nivian stood abruptly as she realized how fast the day had gone by without her notice. “I must go. Thank you for your company.”
She nodded and turned her back on him. Something she never would have done hours ago. Nivian smiled to herself, surprised to find she had enjoyed her conversation with the Dark Guardian.
“Nivian,” Caspian said softly from right behind her.
Her heart sped up at the nearness of his voice. Cool fingers slid against her wrist, as if he almost grabbed hold, only stopping himself when he realized it could end badly. He let his fingertips linger, a tentative touch. She allowed it to remain, knowing she would only have to move her arm a fraction of an inch to end the contact.
She looked over her shoulder to meet his dark gaze.
“I will walk you home,” he offered. And for a second, she forgot how to breathe. He must have realized his mistake then at whatever expression crossed her face. “If you will allow me the honor?”
No one outside Kain or Eli had ever offered to escort her anywhere. Why, of all people, would a Guardian want to? She had enjoyed the last several hours with him. But what would her family say? No doubt they would be as wary as she had been.
Nivian pulled her hand from his and dropped her chin, shaking her head. “I am not sure that is the best idea… not yet.”
The disappointment in his eyes matched her own. “I understand.”
Something had changed in the short time she’d spent with him. Her suspicion had evaporated entirely. Logic told her it should have taken weeks, or months, or even years to reach that point. That there was no way he could prove himself trustworthy so quickly.
She knew, and yet she still found herself trusting him. A knowledge that came from deep within her marrow said, at least where this one Dark Guardian was concerned, that she could believe him.
“Nivian?”
She looked up when he hesitated. He had moved even closer, stopping only a few inches away. He pushed back a stray lock of black hair that had fallen over his forehead. It was a gesture filled with uncertainty. It was almost absurd to think one of his kind felt such a human emotion. Though, he had surprised her quite a bit since the moment she had laid eyes on him.
“May I come visit you again?” The barest smile formed on his lips.
That request she didn’t have to deny him.
“Yes, I think I would like that.” His grin stretched out, lips parting to show his perfect, straight, pearly teeth. Then she added, “I spend a lot of time here.”
Nivian swallowed the sensation of butterflies in her chest. It was a strange mixture of nerves and excitement. As she began to turn again, a cool hand caught her wrist.
“One more thing,” he said.
Caspian reached into his cloak and pulled out a closed fist. She listed her head to the side as she watched his fingers unfurl around a swath of black cloth. He unwrapped it then plucked it up into his other hand before she could see what it was. Nivian only caught the glint of light reflecting off polished metal.
“What is it?” she asked.
He took her hands and set it into her open palm, then he closed her fingers around it. “I believe this is yours.”
Small and flat, it was almost cold against her skin. Nivian looked up to question him, but he had vanished.
Her hands clasped the round, metal object, then, slowly, she opened her fingers. Glistening in the late afternoon sun, was a broach—a crescent moon with a howling wolf.
She had never seen it before but knew it was the thing she had paid for in the market, and lost. Nivian looked up and stared at the spot where Caspian had stood moments before, as if he might appear again.
How had he known?
NIVIAN
SHE WAS TIRED. So tired. Nivian tried to sit up but something held her down. Thoughts struggled to form, leaving her with only broken fragments.
Her eyes fluttered open, but all she saw was darkness.
Nivian tried again to move, but her muscles refused to respond. It was as though dozens of hands held her down. So many hands. Boney and sharp.
Her mind screamed out as she struggled to draw breath. The thin fingers dug into her flesh, spreading ice over her skin and freezing her and numbing her until she could feel nothing more than the unyielding pressure weighing her down.
The harder she fought to free herself from the grasp of darkness, the more it stole her strength—stole her will. Until all she had left was resignation.
Wavering shadows reached for her, wrapping around her throat.
She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
Sweat coated her forehead as Nivian fought to control her breathing. She placed a clammy palm against her forehead and pushed the dark strands off her face that had worked their way loose from her plait. She took in the small room that could fit little more than her bed and an armoire for her clothes.
The dream… no, nightmare, was hazy as she thought back on it. But the harder she tried to remember, the more the details escaped her grasp. Even now, the dream had left her feeling raw on the inside. Nivian pressed a hand to her throat and rubbed. The ghost of the hands that had strangled her still lingered, and as she swallowed, the inside of her throat felt scratched and bruised.
Nivian listened for sounds of her family stirring. If she had screamed, they would be up and in her room in no time, and her sister, Eloise, would have woken.
While pron
e to nightmares and intense dreams that felt all too real, it had been many years since she’d had one. She had thought them gone for good. Nivian pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and squeezed tightly.
She rested her chin on her knees and looked out her window. The moon hung heavy, falling nearer to the horizon, but it was still a while before dawn would arrive. She dropped back down on her pillow and closed her eyes, trying to get a few more moments of sleep before she had to be awake.
Minutes later, she groaned and sat back up. Her heart was still pounding too hard, her mind racing too fast, for her to go back to sleep, still struggling to grasp any sliver of the dream that had woken her.
It was too close to dawn for her to bother. Even if sleep did come again, she wouldn’t manage more than a few moments anyway.
Nivian slid her legs off the side of the bed and grabbed a pair of leggings, pulling them on, then she slipped her feet into her supple leather boots and laced them up.
“Nivian?” Eloise muttered, rolling over. “What’s wrong?”
Nivian crossed the room and brushed her hand over her sister’s head soothingly. “Shuush. Nothing’s wrong,” she said, pulling the blankets up over her sister’s shoulders. “Go back to sleep. It is not yet dawn.”
The girl mumbled something unintelligible then rolled back over to her side. Her breathing slowed again in seconds. Nivian waited several minutes before moving again, just to be sure.
Taking the tie out of her hair, she brushed her fingers through the long, dark strands before redoing the plait.
She tiptoed to the door then stopped, hand hovering over the door knob. Looking over her shoulder, she chewed her lip. Better to go out the window than to wake the others by walking down the creaking stairs out the front door.
Crossing the room, Nivian pulled open the window and climbed out. Holding onto the window ledge, her feet pressed against the stone siding. It was farther down than she would have liked but… She pushed off, twisting in mid-air, and landed in a hard crouch.
Nivian hissed through her teeth from the impact then rose slowly to full height. She winced slightly at the ache in her knees. It would fade soon enough. With each step, the pain lessened. It was times like these that made her glad of her Watcher’s abilities.
She walked along the old dirt path until she neared the tree at the edge of the forest. Her tree. Crossing into the field, she made her way inward. The crisp air cut through the unbearable heat of the day before, lingering even so close to a new dawn, and brushed against her cheeks. Soon the season would turn. And though she wouldn’t miss the scorching heat of mid-day, she hated to see the flowers and leaves wither and die.
Nivian dropped down at the base of the tree and leaned back against the rough bark. She tilted her chin skyward and watched the twinkling stars fade, serenaded by the lulling song of the river. A rare moment of true peace amidst the unease that had plagued her the last several weeks.
She pulled in a deep breath then let it out slowly. This spot had become more than just her personal sanctuary as of late. It had become a place to spend time with a Dark Guardian. The strange man who had done the job of a Watcher and had most likely saved her life by doing so. They had met several times each week, and now she had trouble thinking of this as her spot instead of their spot. And no part of her heart seemed to mind. She was glad to have the company of another.
Her fingers slid across the smooth metal of the howling wolf and crescent broach pinned to her high neckline. It had been kind of Caspian to return it to her, though she still wondered how he’d known. Warmth spread through her at the thought of him.
A unique friend indeed.
Nivian cherished the stolen moments they shared. Her teeth scraped along her bottom lip. She hadn’t told anyone about him. Not her friends within her clan, not her family… not even Kain, her most trusted confidant. It wasn’t as if she were ashamed. She wasn’t.
In truth, part of the reason she kept it to herself was because she had no idea how the others would react, and she didn’t want them trying to convince her that he was a villain to be feared. But the biggest reason was she just wasn’t ready to share it. To share her feelings… whatever they were. She wanted to feel them without judgment from her clan, wanted to figure out exactly what she felt and put a name to it, wanted to understand why she trusted him as she did when it was so against everything she’d grown to know.
She plucked a blade of grass and twirled it between her fingers before letting it flutter to the ground at her side, then another.
For now, this was hers, and whatever he was, friend or ally or… She didn’t know, but she wasn’t ready to share any part of it. Not yet.
She felt the chill of his powers before he appeared. Nivian looked up to find Caspian at the water’s edge, walking toward her. A wide, knowing smile graced his mouth and, for a moment, Nivian thought he appeared because he could hear her thoughts about him.
She couldn’t help the blush that bloomed, rising up her neck to her face.
When he was within speaking distance, he stopped, waiting for an invitation to join her. Always waiting for permission. Nivian patted the ground beside her and he took a seat next to her. His cloak spread out to the side, and his shoulder just close enough to brush up against hers as he settled.
“Morning,” she said quietly, tilting her head to the side to look at him from the corner of her eye.
“Good morning, Nivi.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, unable to keep the corners of her mouth from tilting up. “Nivi?”
Caspian cleared his throat and had the decency to look almost embarrassed. “I apologize, Nivian, I did not mean—”
“I think I like it,” she murmured and leaned her head on his shoulder. “You can call me Nivi.”
She let her hand fall to his, brushing the back of his hand and sliding her fingertips along his skin before weaving her fingers with his. She didn’t know what possessed her to do it, but it felt right. Caspian sucked in a breath, and she felt his body tense against hers, then slowly relax.
If only all Watchers could see the Dark Guardians as she saw Caspian. Their groups should work together—even he thought as much. Perhaps she would speak to Yeva about it when she got the chance. Together, their friendship could change everything.
The sun peeked over the horizon and, with it, brought the heat of the day.
Nivian pulled Caspian’s arm into her side and snuggled into him.
KAIN
Kain headed toward the end of the Watchers village near the river that jutted up against the forest. Summer would end soon, which meant the humans would be wandering nearer to the edges of the forest in preparation for the autumn celebrations.
If any ventured too far into the trees, they could stumble into areas not safe for such fragile bodies. The wards Yeva had set up within should prevent such things, but it still made him nervous to see them so close to their sacred grounds.
He stopped in the middle of the crossroads when he spotted a figure heading toward him. Finn. And he was coming from the direction of Nivian’s dwelling. Even from where he stood, Kain could see the annoyance rolling off the man. So he waited with his hands in his pockets and the toe of his boot kicking stray pebbles.
When Finn got within a few yards, Kain called out, “What’s gotten into you today? Nivian giving you problems again?”
Finn’s head snapped up, his scowl faltering. He harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest, averting his eyes. Then after a few heartbeats, he finally answered, “Nivian’s been acting different than usual.”
Kain arched both brows. “Oh?”
He’d been kidding. Nivian always teased the man, usually to some form of annoyance, but there had always been humor in it. Now, Finn had nothing but worry in his tone. He might not have teased Finn had he have known.
“She snuck out early, through her window, just before dawn.”
Kain waited for more. Nivian could come and go as she
pleased. They all could. So why would she feel the need to sneak out? It was unlike her to wander off without saying a word to anyone, but even more unlike her to sneak away.
“I thought she would have been with you—” Finn hesitated. “You know, given your… friendship.”
Kain frowned at what Finn’s tone implied. Of course he and Nivian were friends. There was no one in the world he was closer to. Everyone knew that. But that’s all it was. They’d once thought to become more, but the harder they tried, the more the world seemed to pull them apart. Eventually, they stopped trying and decided life would let them know when, and if, it was the path they were meant to walk.
“I’ll find her,” Kain said. He looked northward, at the forest in the distance. He didn’t need to start patrolling for another hour or so. “Don’t worry too much just yet. I’m sure there’s a reason she used her window instead of the door.”
“Thanks.” Finn nodded. “But if there is…”
“Then I will find out.”
Finn gave him a weak smile then walked away looking a little lighter. Kain rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He should try Nivian’s dwelling first, in case she had returned by now, then he’d see where her tracks, if any, led from there.
Kain jogged down the dirt road, slowing to a walk as he reached the front of a small stone dwelling. He lifted his hand to knock and froze midair as the door swung open to reveal Cora’s smiling face.
“Kain!” Nivian’s older sister threw her arms around his neck. “It has been too long. Where have you been?”
Kain shrugged noncommittally. “I’ve missed you too, Cora” She pulled away and he ruffled her hair. “I’m sorry to say I’m not here on a visit. I’m actually looking for Nivian. Have you seen her?”
Cora looked toward the stairs. “No, I'd thought she’d slept in but when I went to wake her, she was already gone. Perhaps she went on patrol early?”
