Guardians of the Dead

by S. L. Wilson

  ‘The Dragovax are native to Phelan, these are the demons that are killed and imprisoned by the Guardians. This confirms it, neither a Guardian nor human killed your friend, the Dragovax did.’

  ‘But the town pact was put in place so that Guardians prevented the demons from wandering our streets.’

  ‘Yes, yes that’s true. I’ve never read of a demon ever getting past the Guardian defences, unless…’

  ‘Unless what?’

  ‘We know the Guardians are recruiting, we believe they have their first young man. This means they are distracted. It’s possible that a necromancer is using this to their advantage.’

  ‘A necro-what?’ It was Tom who asked the question much to Amber’s relief. She was having difficulty holding it together with the little she did know, without adding any more supernatural beings into the mix.

  India picked up a red paperback and handed it to Tom. ‘Necromancers are evil practitioners who work with very black magic. They perform dark rituals of suffering, but they also have the ability to animate the dead and create undead servants.’

  Tom’s eyes grew wide as he turned the pages of the book.

  ‘The demons aren’t dead though, they are only imprisoned.’ Amber had remembered that much from her earlier evil history lesson.

  India nodded. ‘True, but the passage from Phelan to the cells puts the demons in a comatose state similar to a human death. The necromancers have discovered that their unique skills can raise these demons. They just have to get past the Guardians, which has never been possible in the past. If a Dragovax escaped then its natural instinct would have been to kill first and ask questions later.’ India pressed her fingertips against her temples as she spoke. ‘But the only way this creature could escape is with the help of a necromancer.’

  Connor picked up where India left off. ‘It looks like the Guardian was hunting for a new recruit and came across the demon after he had beheaded your friend, which means the boyfriend became recruit number one.’

  India shrugged her delicate shoulders. ‘As awful as this situation is, we don’t think there will be any more deaths by decapitation. It looks like the demon’s release was only fleeting.’

  Amber pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘So the demon escaped, it killed Kelly and the Guardian killed the demon and then took Dan off to Guardian world. Is that everything?’

  ‘Pretty much.’ Connor shifted his position to face Amber. ‘The only drawback is that the Guardians recruit three at a time and as far as we know, your friend Dan is only recruit number one. There will be two more disappearances before we can sleep easy.’

  There was a loud bang on the shop door which made everyone jump. India opened the door and, after a brief exchange, she let the visitor enter.

  ‘Dad!’ Amber walked in front of the demonology books before her father could see them. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘I was going to ask you the same question, young lady.’ He ran his fingers through his hair, nervously glancing around the shop, eyeing up the small group. ‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you, I was worried and the coffee shop was closed.’

  Amber felt a sudden pang of guilt over their recent arguments. Her dad looked so tired and she hadn’t made it easy on him. There were dark circles beneath his eyes and his hair looked slightly greyer than it had the previous week. He fumbled with his car keys and shifted from one foot to the other. He looked uncomfortable in their company, which was unusual as he had always been such a people person. She wanted her old dad back, not the pathetic man that stood in front of them.

  ‘India invited us to stay here after…after the trouble at the cemetery.’ She pointed over to India who nodded her head in greeting. Her father’s tight lips attempted a smile but he gave up and met Amber’s gaze with a vacant expression, his eyes sweeping around the shop and over her friends.

  ‘I’m waving a white flag,’ he said raising his hand to mimic the action. ‘I want us to have a family dinner tonight.’

  Amber was always apprehensive when her dad suggested a family dinner. They rarely sat together anymore, and she always made up some excuse to be out at mealtimes. Making small talk with Patricia wasn’t her idea of a good time.

  ‘Tom can come too,’ her dad continued, looking briefly in Tom’s direction. ‘It was Patricia’s idea. She said you two would be upset after what happened to your school friend and we should talk about it.’

  Alarm bells were ringing in Amber’s head, but before she could graciously decline, Tom was shaking her dad’s hand. ‘Great, Mr N, we’ll be there at seven.’

  Her dad backed away quietly, anxiously glancing around the store until he made it to the door. He mumbled a thank you to India and left.

  Amber turned around slowly. ‘What the hell was that?’

  ‘Oh come on, cutie, you know I can’t resist food let alone the opportunity to wind up Plastic Patsy, it’ll be fun…honest.’

  She rolled her eyes and threw up her arms in a gesture of defeat then noticed the peculiar look that India was giving her.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Your dad…’ She fiddled with her necklace as she spoke. ‘What does he do for a living?’

  ‘He’s in sales and marketing.’

  India’s brow furrowed as she exchanged a strange look with Connor, who remained unreadable. After the longest pause he smiled. ‘He seems great.’

  She nodded and wondered if they had picked up on the whole neurotic-dad-bad-daughter vibe. She vowed to try a little bit harder to get along with him.

  WHEN THEY walked through the door of Amber’s house that evening, they were hit with an amazing array of sounds and smells.

  Coldplay filled the house, the beats pumping out of the stereo in the living room, and the whole house smelt of home-made pizza and garlic dough balls.

  ‘Ten out of ten for presentation,’ Tom whispered, as he dug Amber in the ribs.

  Patricia appeared in the kitchen doorway, her bleached blonde hair piled high in a ponytail making her look like a schoolgirl at sports day. She wore her trademark Juicy Couture tracksuit and a pair of white leather Chanel trainers.

  ‘Just in time.’ She smiled at the pair and ushered them through to the dining room.

  Amber had never seen so much food; the table cloth – white of course – was covered with three varieties of pizza, an array of salads and vegetable kebabs. Her dad sat at the head of the table with a satisfied smile on his face. She thought how much brighter he looked compared to earlier that day.

  ‘This looks great, Mr N.’ Tom grabbed a chair and reached for a plate. ‘Patsy, this must have taken you all day.’

  Patricia visibly convulsed. ‘It’s Patricia,’ she snapped, ‘and yes it took me all day, but I’m sure you both appreciate the hard work.’ Her face relaxed and her tone softened as she handed out the plates. ‘We just wanted to make sure you were okay after such a shock.’

  They ate in relative silence for a while, Amber finally feeling guilty enough to make a comment. ‘This is lovely, thank you.’

  Patricia beamed and with a tiny wave of her perfectly manicured hand she said, ‘Oh it was nothing.’

  Slowly the conversation began to flow, and before Amber knew it she was telling her dad all about the body at the cemetery.

  Alan spoke between mouthfuls. ‘It’s such a dreadful shame, her parents must be heartbroken, is there any news on the boyfriend?’

  Amber and Tom exchanged looks, but she shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to tell her dad about Hills Heath’s alternative history. ‘It’s not looking good for him. The police think that it could have been a lovers’ tiff.’

  ‘I’m sure he’ll turn up soon enough,’ Patricia said as she began to clear the empty plates. ‘Boys that age are always getting themselves into trouble.’ She winked at Tom and he recoiled. ‘He probably didn’t have such a beautiful charm bracelet to protect him.’ She ran her finger along Tom’s forearm, stopping at the talisman India had made for him. ‘So pretty.’


  ‘Thanks, it was a gift from India Saks.’

  ‘Aaah, a special gift indeed if the resident witch made it for you.’ Patricia chuckled as she weaved around the table clearing dishes. ‘Not that we believe in that rubbish in this house, eh, Amber?’

  Amber shook her head. ‘Life would be so dull if we all believed in the same things.’ She brushed her fingers along her own talisman as she tucked it under the sleeve of her shirt. She certainly wasn’t about to confide in this woman that her beliefs had been tested today.

  The conversation steered to schooldays and they began to reminisce about Kelly and Dan’s school life as Patricia tidied up around them.

  ‘Can I smell apple crumble?’ Tom shouted through the open door.

  A voice drifted back from the kitchen, ‘Yes, I heard it was your favourite.’

  Tom grinned and jumped up from the table to follow the delicious smell of baked apples and cinnamon emanating from the kitchen and permeating the entire house.

  As her dad cleared his voice to speak, Tom burst through the door.

  ‘Just popping to the shop. Pats…Patricia has run out of custard and you know how I am with my puddings.’ He laughed, but Amber frowned at him.

  ‘The shop’s right by the church, it probably isn’t the safest place to go.’ She looked pointedly at Tom but he dismissed her with a wave.

  ‘Patricia said it’s probably THE safest place to be with all the police around. I’ll be fine, cutie, I’ve got my protection.’ He wiggled the talisman India had made for him at Amber, then pushed it under his jumper. ‘Don’t eat all the crumble before I get back.’ With that he bolted out of the front door and into the night.

  Amber did worry though. She couldn’t help it. India’s warning repeated over and over in her head. ‘Stay away from the church.’ She hadn’t thought the police made it any safer, maybe because it was an otherworldly creature they were dealing with and not a lovers’ quarrel. She was pretty sure the police department didn’t have a crack team of demon hunters on staff.

  Her dad broke her concentration as he shuffled in his seat. ‘How are you enjoying your summer so far?’

  Amber looked over at her dad incredulously. The summer holidays had only just started and he knew that she had chosen to take as many shifts at the coffee shop as she could. Did he not realise it was so she didn’t have to stay in the house with them?

  She wondered again when they had drifted so far apart; she missed him. She missed his smile and his funny stories and she missed hearing him laugh. He seemed to be besotted with Patricia but over the past ten years she hadn’t seen him relax or laugh. He was like a robot in denims and a flannel shirt.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket, allowing her a reprieve from answering her dad’s question.

  [No custard at shop, feeling a bit under the weather so going home.T.]

  Using this as her cue to leave, she excused herself from the table and went to bed; it had been a draining day both physically and emotionally. She replied to Tom’s message telling him she’d call round in the morning, then she crawled under the covers and drifted straight off into an uneasy sleep.

  THE RED-EYED Guardian stood outside her house, watching the door with his curved blades drawn, each one dripping with blood. The front door of the house opened, and Tom walked down the path to the street. She was shouting from the window and banging on the glass with her fists, but as Tom turned to look back at her the Guardian thrust his blade into Tom’s stomach and grinned up at Amber as her best friend crumpled in a heap at his feet.

  When Amber crawled out of bed she felt like her head was full of cotton wool. The dreams she was having were getting more and more realistic, and it was draining her energy. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, and she realised she had been crying in her sleep.

  Grabbing her phone, she sent Tom a quick message to see if he was feeling better, then jumped in the shower.

  Once she was ready, she managed to escape the house unseen. She had uncharacteristically enjoyed herself last night, but she wasn’t ready for full-on family bonding over breakfast too.

  TOM’S HOUSE was all quiet when she rang the bell. His parents weren’t hands-on with his upbringing and had left him to fend for himself since he was about eight. It was no surprise to find them out so early in the morning. What was surprising was that Tom didn’t seem to be home either. As a typical sixteen-year-old he could always be counted on to lounge in bed until well past lunch.

  She sent another message telling him to meet her at the magic shop when he dragged himself out of bed.

  India was dressed in a long green velvet dress when she opened the door for Amber, her long hair was braided down her back and interwoven with green ribbon, and Amber thought she looked like an extra from a Robin Hood movie. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes though, and she had faint bruises showing a lack of sleep.

  Connor was stretched out on the floor, surrounded by books and parchments; he gave Amber a warm smile as she set her rucksack down beside him.

  ‘Have you guys been to bed at all?’

  Connor was still in his dark jeans and navy T-shirt from the previous day, his dark hair was slightly unkempt in a sexy kind of way, and he had a faraway look in his eyes that told Amber he could nod off at any moment.

  ‘Nah,’ he said, rolling over onto his back. ‘Sleep is for the weak, and this warrior is primed and ready for action.’ He yawned and stretched his arms above his head.

  ‘Warrior!’ Amber laughed loudly. ‘If you don’t mind me saying, you certainly don’t look ready for action, you look ready for bed!’

  Connor winked. ‘Is that an invitation?’

  Amber’s cheeks turned crimson as he laughed and pulled himself up to a sitting position. She flopped down next to him, ignoring the heat running through her veins, and reached for a book.

  ‘How was the family dinner?’

  ‘Better than expected. Tom wasn’t feeling so great though, so he went home early, but I haven’t heard from him today.’

  She felt the atmosphere change around her and glanced up to catch India looking pointedly at Connor with an unreadable expression.

  ‘What is it? That’s the second time in two days you’ve both looked like that when I’ve mentioned anything to do with my family, and it’s freaking me out.’

  ‘Sorry, Amber, I didn’t mean to worry you, it’s nothing honestly. I just sensed…great sorrow from your dad yesterday.’

  Amber was shocked. She’d never associated sorrow with her dad, and he had always just got on with things in his matter-of-fact way. Miserable, moody and argumentative yes, but not sad.

  ‘How old is your dad?’

  ‘He’s forty-two.’

  ‘Where’s your mum?’

  ‘She walked out on us when I was six. Why?’

  ‘Just curious.’ India fiddled with the hem of her velvet dress.

  ‘If I didn’t know better, Indi, I’d say you were crushing on my dad.’ She laughed out loud and was relieved that they both joined in, the oppressive atmosphere lifting slightly.

  ‘Well, he is hot,’ said India, winking at Amber as she stood.

  ‘Ugh, that’s just wrong, old people romance is never a fun topic.’ She and Connor laughed as India made a mock-insulted noise at being referred to as old.

  The little bell chimed as the shop door swung open. A stout figure stood framed in the doorway, her auburn hair hanging in an uncombed mass of curls. Her face was rounded with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Amber recognised her and stood up to dust off her jeans. ‘Hi, Mrs Cassidy, how are you?’

  Mrs Cassidy had twins in Amber’s year at school, although they were much thinner versions of their parents.

  ‘Have you seen Carl?’ She walked further into the shop and Amber noticed she’d been crying. Her face was red and blotchy, and she clutched a small handkerchief in her plump fingers.

  ‘He went out with Cleo last night and they got separated. Cleo looked everywhere but c
ouldn’t find him so she came home on her own. Carl still hasn’t come home.’ She rushed over her words as they fell as fast as her tears. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t seem to stop crying, silly old fool, eh? It’s just not like Carl to leave Cleo on her own and vanish like this.’

  Amber wrapped an arm around her ample shoulders and steered her towards the open front door.

  ‘I haven’t seen him, Mrs Cassidy, but if I do I will get him to call home straightaway. I’ll ask around and see if anyone else has spotted him. He’ll show up soon.’

  Mrs Cassidy looked up at Amber through watery eyes and smiled. She nodded her thanks and walked off down the street, stopping the first person she came across, obviously asking them the same questions.

  Amber’s eyes were shining with unshed tears when she slowly turned to face India and Connor; they both shook their heads.

  ‘Please step forward, recruit number two,’ Connor said, his voice barely audible.

  ‘This is too hard,’ Amber shouted. ‘These are people I know, India, not just unknown faces that I read about in the newspaper.’

  India wrapped her arms around Amber’s shoulders and hugged her tightly.

  ‘I know it’s difficult to accept, but this pact has held for hundreds of years, it’s in place to keep the rest of the human realm safe. If the Guardians didn’t take their quota, then the demons could roam free and it would be a slaughter.’

  Amber broke down on India’s shoulder. ‘I know, I do understand but I don’t have to like it. These are my friends that are being taken, isn’t there another way?’

  India sighed deeply. ‘I wish there was. As the coven leader it falls to me to ensure the pact is honoured as my ancestors did before me, but when Connor’s parents died and he came to live with me, I began to question the pact myself. Connor is sixteen and can be targeted by the Guardians that I am supposed to assist…’

  Amber pulled away. ‘What do you mean…assist?’