“Told you so,” came Xavier’s cocky reply.
“You’re hurt. You’re bleeding,” Emily commented aloud as she sized up his wounds.
Two spots on Alexander’s shirt were covered in blood. The fabric was slit on his side where Emily had seen the knife go in. His shoulder was where the bullet must have hit because she could see the small circular tear and the dark stain that flowed from it. There was also a small cut on his forehead. Other than that, he looked untouched. No bruising or red marks on any part of him, like he had never allowed a blow to successfully hit him.
“Emily, calm down,” Alexander said in his soft baritone voice. “I am fine.”
“I’ve been trying to tell her, friend, but it’s like trying to control a sail boat in gale force winds.” Xavier laughed.
“How can you be fine? You’ve been stabbed and shot!” Emily exclaimed, ignoring Xavier completely.
“It looks worse than it really is. Believe me, I’ve had worse.” Alexander didn’t even grimace or wince as he shifted his weight forward to talk to Xavier.
“Told her that too, Brother,” Xavier said as he effortlessly maneuvered the car through traffic.
“We need to get her back to her apartment so her dad doesn’t worry. Then I have to go back to the Guardian Realm and figure out what just happened.”
“You can’t leave; you’re hurt. You need a hospital,” Emily demanded.
Alexander gave a slight chuckle. “Seriously, I’m fine. I’ll heal up quickly. And I’ll heal even faster in the Guardian Realm.”
“Don’t leave, please don’t leave me. I’m so scared,” Emily rambled as she began to cry again.
Alexander’s expression went soft, his eyes filled with pain. Seeing Emily so upset was worse than any physical ache brought on by the fight.
“Emily, look at me…” He waited for her eyes. “I know you’re scared. I’m sorry you had to experience that back there, but everything is going to be okay. Nothing will happen to you.” His voice turned to a whisper. “I will give every breath in my body to ensure that you stay safe. And as you can see I have a lot of air left in these lungs,” he assured, patting his chest a few times. He then drew her into him with both arms, being careful not to place her on the side where he was stained with blood.
“Xavier will look after you while I’m gone, and I will not be gone long. I just need a little time to figure some things out, which means counseling with the Five, seeing if they have any new information… Cyrenna undoubtedly has seen all this,” Alexander added, now looking into the rear view mirror at Xavier’s reflection.
“Yeah, I bet Eden is experiencing quite the commotion right about now, or at least the Five must be.” Xavier glanced back into the mirror to meet Alexander’s gaze.
“Why is this happening?” Emily sobbed as she cuddled into Alexander’s solid chest.
“I don’t know but I promise you I will find out. And don’t assume this has anything to do with you. Do not start blaming yourself.” Alexander stroked her hair rhythmically.
“How can you say that? This is all because of me. If it wasn’t, then why did those men want to attack me? You can’t tell me that was all coincidence. Not after what you told me earlier tonight.”
“No, it wasn’t coincidence but what happened back there wasn’t your fault. If anyone were at fault it would be me. If I wouldn’t have interfered with your life and been so selfish and broken the rules, I’m sure you would be perfectly safe right now,” Alexander said remorsefully.
“Don’t say that. My life is better because of you. My heart started beating again because of you. What…” She paused, suddenly fearful. “What are you implying is the solution then? Do you think we shouldn’t be together, like if you weren’t around that would fix everything? I couldn’t handle that.” Emily wept; the panic she now felt was for a different reason. The thought of not being with Alexander scared her more than the incident in the parking garage.
“You know very well I can’t do that. Emily, I could never just leave you, it’s absolutely impossible. I’ve waited my whole existence to love you and I’m not going to give that up. But I do need to find out how to stop all of this.” He held her in silence for a few minutes, allowing her to overcome her intense emotions and tremulous nerves.
The car came to a stop; Xavier got out and opened the back door allowing Emily to exit before Alexander. They had arrived at her apartment building and were parked in her usual spot in the garage basement. Getting out of the car sent shivers through her body. She wasn’t sure if it was because it was cold or if it was that the scene was similar to the one they had just sped away from.
Xavier tossed Alexander his suit coat as they approached the elevator. Alexander placed the coat over his shoulders and let it hang so that it covered the wound marks on his shirt. It was a precaution, a smart measure to take, just in case they saw someone on their way through the building.
When they reached her apartment Alexander quickly locked the door behind them and then went to search each room and check the doors leading out to the terrace. When he was certain the place was secure, he went back to where Emily was standing in the living room.
“I won’t be gone long, I promise,” Alexander said as he pulled Emily tightly into his arms.
She looked up into his bright green eyes and knew she could trust him. “Please hurry,” was all she could say without falling apart again.
“I will,” Alexander responded and gently kissed her once, then twice.
He turned to Xavier. “Do not leave her side until I get back. Understood?”
“Yes, General,” Xavier replied without hesitation.
Alexander’s voice softened a bit now. “Thank you for tonight, for helping protect her. I owe you, Brother.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Xavier responded. “You better get going before you bleed all over this place. I don’t want to be mopping floors.”
“You’re right, I can’t waste time,” Alexander concluded then turned back to Emily. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” Emily said out loud, but Alexander wasn’t there to hear it.
*********
Alexander took the steps to the top of the Gathering Stone two at a time. “Damarus,” he called out before reaching the top. “Damarus,” he urgently shouted again. As soon as he cleared the last step he could see that Damarus wasn’t there. Neither was Aldara.
“See? There is no reason to call him, Mathaius. I informed you he was on his way,” Cyrenna nodded her head toward Alexander.
“What’s going on? Where are Damarus and Aldara?”
“They are meeting with The Seer,” Athos explained.
“I hope they are getting answers because something is going on and I need to know what it is. Five men just tried to attack Emily, and I believe they had every intention of killing her,” Alexander said, a bit heated.
“Yes, Alexander, we are aware. I saw the entire event. When I relayed it to the others, Damarus and Aldara immediately left to meet The Seer.” Cyrenna tried to calm Alexander.
“Why would they go after Emily? When you all mentioned that the Opposition was mobilizing, I didn’t think you meant against Emily alone. You implied a war. Did any of you know they would come after Emily?” Alexander had forgotten all the formal rules of addressing the Governing Five and was letting his frustration clearly show.
“Alexander, I assure you that we hadn’t the slightest idea who the Opposition would go after. We told you all we knew. If we had known that their target was Emily, we would have informed you,” Athos explained in his tuneful voice.
Alexander believed them; they had no reason to lie. But, that didn’t ease the turmoil he was feeling inside. The feeling of helplessness was foreign to him.
“Perhaps you should see to your wounds. We will call you when the others arrive,” Mathaius said in a surprisingly gentle tone. Alexander expected a scolding but Mathaius’ eyes seemed to be filled with more compassion tha
n their last encounter.
Mathaius could be hard and stern, but overall he still cared about protecting humans. The Opposition going after Emily must have softened him to the point that he no longer felt the need to focus on the laws that were broken.
“I’m fine. The wound in my side is almost closed. I am sure the one in my shoulder will heal just as quickly,” Alexander responded. “I need to be here the second they return.”
“Have you removed the bullet?” Cyrenna asked, even though she knew the answer.
“I have not,” Alexander suddenly remembered.
“Athos, call for the surgeon. We should get the bullet out before Alexander heals completely over it. We all know how troublesome it can be to remove solid objects after we have healed over them,” Cyrenna warned.
Alexander didn’t protest, he knew it was necessary to remove any foreign objects that had impaled him or lodged within his material body. Up to this point, all of Alexander’s thoughts were centered on Emily. He wasn’t concerned about his wounds or well-being.
The surgeon arrived promptly with his bag of steel tools. Alexander sat down on a small wooden stool placed on the Gathering Stone for his use, and removed his shirt. Enough time had passed that the bullet wound was almost completely closed. This wasn’t a surprise, especially since Alexander had entered the Guardian Realm without first removing the bullet.
“Alexander, I didn’t expect such neglect from you.” The surgeon gave him a disappointed look. “You know better than to leave objects within your human form.”
The surgeon removed what looked like thin flat pliers from his bag and slowly inserted them into the small hole in Alexander’s shoulder. In one quick motion he cranked the handles open, causing the wound to spread. Alexander scowled, but did not make a sound.
The surgeon locked the device in place so that the tension was strong against Alexander’s skin. He then removed a much smaller pair of tongs from his bag that came to sharp points at the end. He inserted the tool deep into the cavity, twisting and turning it as he searched for the metal bullet. It was obvious that Alexander was uncomfortable, but he remained silent throughout the procedure. Soon the surgeon found what he was hunting and pulled the bullet from Alexander’s shoulder.
“There we are. All finished,” he said as he released the small clamp holding the wound open.
From his bag, he pulled out a small wooden box covered in carvings of the sun and delicately placed the bullet inside. Closing the box he placed it back in his bag with his tools and departed.
Alexander put on his shirt without even examining the surgeon’s work. He stood up and impatiently began to pace around the Gathering Stone while three pairs of green eyes silently followed him.
Alexander was trying to make sense of everything. He was determined to figure why the enemy would focus on Emily. He was rehearsing different scenarios in his mind when Damarus and Aldara finally appeared.
“Damarus!” Alexander exclaimed, taking a few steps to be by his elder’s side. “What’s going on?”
“Peace, Alexander,” Damarus responded smoothly.
Alexander could now see the slightly confused look on the elder’s face. He then looked to Aldara to see if she, too, was out of sorts. But, her face was a pillar of strength, in no way showing any sign of distress.
“We have counseled with The Seer and he has given us the knowledge we sought,” Aldara explained, as if it were not an urgent matter.
“What did he say? Did he tell you why the Opposition is attacking Emily?” Alexander asked impatiently.
“We received some answers Alexander, but I am afraid we do not have all of them.” Damarus sat down in his chair, deep contemplation masking his features. “It is now known to us that the Opposition is truly combining efforts as we first thought.” Damarus now looked up to meet Alexander’s gaze. “Your relationship with Emily has sparked fear in them. Though they are not preparing for a battle against the human race, they have one purpose, and it is to destroy Emily …or you…. The pair of you are their target,” Damarus said, slightly breathless, as though he could not believe the words he spoke.
“It still does not make any sense. Why would my relationship with Emily cause them alarm?”
“The Seer did not reveal why, specifically. He only said that it was of the utmost importance that we prevented the Opposition in succeeding. He said that each of our fates is tied to whether Emily and you live or die.” Damarus looked to Aldara for support, but she stood still as stone just watching the proceedings with a sense of peace that could only come from knowing something more.
“Did The Seer reveal what their plan of attack will be? I believe we just experienced their first wave. When is to be their second?” Alexander went into military mode, wanting to know everything he could about his enemy and their strategy for battle.
“Yes, tonight was the Opposition’s first attempt. They wanted to assess how strong you were, if they could take care of things with a small force. But, now they have witnessed your power, and are making preparations for a second attack.”
“How many does The Seer estimate will take part on their side?” Alexander asked.
“He said their number will range between fifty and one hundred and fifty, we are not certain of that detail.”
“When is all of this to occur?” Alexander was making mental notes of all the facts so that he could thoroughly plan his defense.
“We do not have a specific time. It will be anywhere from two to three weeks, at the maximum. But The Seer assured us that you would receive a vision and know a more precise time as it approaches,” Damarus said.
Alexander inhaled deeply. “I think it important that you know something. I received a vision tonight, but it was in no way clear. It lacked a time line and a firm picture of the environment in which it was to occur. That has never happened before. How am I to rely on my visions if they are not precise?”
Aldara finally spoke. “Alexander,” she said softly. “Your visions will not fail you when such high stakes rest upon your success. You must have more faith in yourself.”
“But because my vision was not clear tonight, I made a decision that led us directly into the Opposition’s hands. I cannot risk Emily’s life because I think I should do something, I must know for certain. Why would my visions not be clear earlier? Her life is at risk, is that not important enough?” Alexander seemed more confused than ever.
Aldara smiled as though what Alexander had said was somehow amusing. “My son, when you made the choice to give your heart to Emily, you entwined your fates. You now see visions for Emily that will only include you. And, because a Guardian cannot receive visions for themselves, it will blur what you view from now on. You must rely on your judgment, and the feelings within you to be your guiding star now.”
The uncertain visions now made sense to Alexander. This new conclusion was indeed fact. But, he still couldn’t comprehend what was so threatening about his relationship with Emily.
As if Aldara were reading his mind, she spoke again. “You and Emily have a very important mission together, one that will bring about a new dawn. It is a fate that the Opposition fears greatly. They will exhaust all efforts to see that this mission is not accomplished. All Guardians as a combined force must protect this treasured fate.”
Alexander now knew why Aldara had asked him such strange questions the other day. She had known then what their relationship was meant for. He made a mental note to speak with her in private as soon as possible.
“Aldara speaks the truth. The Seer said that this was now imperative to us all. We must see to it that we protect Emily and you, my son, at all costs. This of course will be complicated because we will not have a mass of humans involved; therefore we will not have large numbers of Guardians available. Emily is the only human who concerns the Opposition and so that would only provide for you to be present. However we will find a way to bring other Guardians to your aid… we must.”
“Don’t assign them t
o protect me, just worry about Emily. I can take care of myself,” Alexander responded with confidence. “If this is all you know, then I need to be getting back to Emily.” Alexander looked directly at Aldara, searching her face.
“There is one more thing… The Seer said that those from the past will manifest themselves,” Damarus said, clearly bewildered by this caution.
“What does he mean by that?” Alexander asked.
“I am not sure, but he delivered those words as a warning. So proceed with supreme watchfulness in all your doings, and in all your decisions. Hopefully his warning will become clearer as the time for battle approaches,” Damarus concluded.
“I am grateful for your wisdom. I will begin to make preparations immediately and wait for further instruction and aid from you, as the time nears.” Alexander bowed to each of the Five.
“Go in peace, Son of Eden, with faith that all will be made well,” Aldara said with tranquility in her voice.
It brought a small amount of comfort to Alexander to witness how calm and collected Aldara was. But there was no way to suppress all his fears concerning the insurmountable task that had just been placed upon his shoulders.
Chapter 13
* * *
The Ripple
Sitting silently on her bed Emily picked at her fingernails nervously. It had only been forty-five minutes since Alexander left, but it felt like much longer than that. Xavier had made himself comfortable and was resting in her oversized chair by the window. He busied himself reading a book.
Deciding that she had to distract herself, Emily went to her dresser and removed a pair of pajamas. She went to the bathroom and closed the door. Fumbling with her hair she attempted to remove the bobby pins but her hands were still shaky. Once she had her hair fully down and brushed, she changed into her pajamas. As she brushed her teeth, she let her mind wander.
Son of Eden, a Paranormal Romance Page 19
