The Guardian (Callista Ryan Series)

by Alexandra Weiss

  “That is not important right now,” he replied. “What I need to know is this: when you say that you ‘saw it,’ do you mean that you were there, in the room, witnessing the occasion?”

  Callie sneered at him, distracted. “The ‘occasion?’” she asked. “You mean, the murder of that girl? Yeah, I guess I was.”

  “When?” the man pried.

  Callie sighed and sank back against her chair. She was never getting out of here, not unless they let her go. She would just have to talk them into it. “Just now,” she said. “Only, I guess I wasn’t really there. I just saw it, like you see a dream. I don’t know. But please, please, let me go. My sister needs me. I have a life back home. I’ll do whatever you want, just let me go.” She was trying to work all the earnestness that she could into her words, even though her blood was bubbling with anger towards the men before her.

  The man sat back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of himself, his eyes squinted in thought. He stayed silent for an eternity before he finally delivered the verdict.

  “No,” he said certainly. “I think we may have a use for you, after all.”

  Chapter Three

  Deals with Devils

  The men had retreated to a distant corner of the room. Callie eyed them angrily as she tugged for the hundredth time against the rope, less from effect than for sheer rage. She hissed as the tiny woman, who had reappeared moments ago with a basket of odd-smelling plants and tonics, now blotted the cut on her elbow with a yellow liquid. Callie hadn’t even realized she’d been hurt as she had fallen out of the window.

  Suddenly, as she watched the woman work with effortless grace, Callie had an idea. Maybe they wouldn’t let her go, but this woman hadn’t been involved in kidnapping her. Maybe she could appeal to her.

  “Hey,” Callie whispered. The woman stopped working for a moment, but then continued without glancing up. Callie swallowed, her voice a little hoarse from yelling, and shifted in the chair. “I know you can hear me,” Callie said. “Listen. I know you’re not involved in this. In fact, I’ll bet you’re just as opposed to kidnapping as I am. Well, not just as opposed, considering you’re not the person being held here. But if you let me go now, I won’t tell anyone you were involved in this, okay?”

  The woman didn’t look up. Callie caught a movement in the corner of her eye, and caught her breath when she saw the black-haired man glance over in suspicion. But then he resumed his whispered conversation, and Callie sighed, determined to continue with the plan.

  “Come on,” she begged, “just undo the rope, and I’ll sneak out the door, and no one will be the wiser. You can just say I got away, okay?”

  The woman continued patching up the wound, though, and ignored everything that Callie had said. Callie realized that she wasn’t paying attention. She had no inclination to help her. Callie screamed in frustration, knocking her feet against the legs of the chair and tearing her wrists against the ropes. She felt her face flush with heat, her head light with a mixture of panic and wild disbelief. The world she knew had no place here; she had no place here. She needed to get out before she lost her mind.

  The men looked over in surprise. The black-haired man sighed, and walked towards her. She eyed him warily, breathing heavily from exertion. He sat across from her again, crossing his legs and settling in purposefully.

  “Alright,” he said. “Do it again.”

  Callie glared at him hatefully, knowing what he meant. She didn’t understand why he was so interested in a random sight she’d had. Sure, it was impossible. But then, so was everything else around here. “I can’t,” she spat.

  He nodded with understanding, as though he’d been expecting her to say so. “Tell me, do you know exactly what it is you did?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer, instead choosing to stare at him coldly. If she had known how she’d done it, she would have done it again now just so that he’d let her go. Surely he knew this. He didn’t seem to mind being ignored.

  “It is called Perception,” he continued. “It is a gift that very few in this world have. It is virtually unknown in humans,” he said pointedly. “In fact, there is only one human whom I have ever met who has been able to perform this, and she is sitting with me at this moment.”

  “She wouldn’t be if she had a say in the matter,” Callie snapped, exhaustion lowering her inhibitions.

  He smiled at her with strained politeness. “No. Which is why, unfortunately, we have detained you in such a manner.” He leaned forward in his chair, folding his fingers into temples and looking her directly in the eye. “It is very important that you help us, Callista.”

  Callie started. “You know my name?” she asked.

  “I know many things about you. But you see, the one that I am most interested in is your particular ability to witness memories. Specifically, memories belonging to Guardians. You see, not even Guardians can witness the memories belonging to other members of the species. We are limited to viewing those belonging to humans. So you must understand, your brand of talent is extraordinarily rare; I am even inclined to call it unique. We may have a very real need for such a talent. And I am sure that, once you see our side of the matter, you will be as eager to help our people as we are. Do you understand?” he asked.

  She felt the heat growing once again beneath her skin. “You killed that girl,” she said again, this time slowly, to make him realize the full extent of her hatred for him.

  “Yes,” he said unflinchingly.

  “How could you do it?” she asked, amazed at his attitude.

  “We considered her to be a security threat,” he explained calmly. With intentional gravity, he persisted, “We could be inclined to think similarly of you, if you do not begin to cooperate.”

  Callie bit the back of her tongue with her molars. The thought of doing anything for this monster was sickening. She had seen the brute strength, the icy adeptness with which he had torn through that girl’s flesh, watched the blood pour from her in rivulets. But the thought of Maggie, alone and uncared for at home, panicking at her absence, was enough to check Callie’s bitter refusal. And the threat of him doing the same to her was enough to make her consider his offer.

  She didn’t respond, but this time, he took her silence to be a form of acceptance.

  He nodded, as though they had come to an agreement. “Perception,” he explained, “is a form of subconscious exploration. Those who are capable can literally insert themselves into someone’s memories, and then learn to search through those memories as they would a filing cabinet. It is a tool which can come in quite handy, actually. Usually, it is an ability reserved solely for Guardians, and…ah, but wait. You don’t know about those, either, do you?”

  He leaned back in his chair and sighed, as though realizing the magnitude of the task before him. She studied his silver eyes, wondering what sort of a psychopath lurked beneath them. Not only was he completely devoid of emotion, but he seemed to be insane as well. His ramblings made little sense to Callie.

  He gestured briefly with his right hand, and suddenly the tiny woman appeared with a glass of water. She waited at his side as he stood and walked around behind Callie. Callie felt her heart speed as his hands touched her skin, though she knew that he was merely untying the ropes. Once her hands were freed, he leaned down and murmured in her ear.

  “You will not try to escape again, I trust?”

  She gritted her teeth together. “No,” she said, for it seemed to be the right answer.

  “Good,” he replied, and resumed his seat. The woman handed Callie the glass of water, which she took gratefully. Her throat felt as though it were on fire. She took several desperate gulps, and then managed to draw a breath and return her attention to the conversation.

  She saw the black-haired man watching her, and felt self-conscious. He nodded to the woman, who took the glass from Callie’s hands and disappeared once again.

  “Guardians,” he said in a practiced voice, reciting what must have been
an often told tale, “are a forgotten species. We exist now mainly in myths. Some call us angels, some have named us gods. We are a very old species, and yet we have managed to keep our existence secret over the years. As you would imagine, this has taken much effort and, yes, many deaths. Those privy to the knowledge of our existence must either be one of us, or must have something as precious to lose as we do by revealing us. Now, the cause for such secrecy should be obvious,” he said, gesturing to his wings with widespread arms. Callie swallowed nervously. “With all the suspicion which circulates around that which is…unusual, it is difficult to be so obviously different. In fact, our species went into hiding after a mass execution in the third century B.C.”

  Callie blanched. “The third century…B.C.?” she asked.

  He smiled with a slight nod. “Yes, it must be surprising. As I said, we are an ancient people. Today, however, our numbers are small. All of us exist here, actually.”

  He was about to continue, but Callie drew a breath. He paused, waiting for her to speak. “Where is here, exactly?” she asked.

  “Oh, forgive me,” he replied. “I have gotten ahead of myself. Where we are now is an extremely discrete section of the Daintree rainforest.”

  He waited for recognition to dawn on her face, but Callie drew a blank.

  “Australia,” he said kindly. He paid no mind to Callie’s suddenly wide eyes. “This is a sanctuary for us, a place where we are safe from the human species.”

  Callie felt her mind go blank again. Australia? How was it possible? She had been in a suburb outside of San Francisco not twelve hours ago, hadn’t she? Well, the time difference might have been a factor she wasn’t considering, but still….How could she be halfway around the world without even knowing it?

  “But enough about our history,” the man said. Callie tried to make herself concentrate, even though the word Australia was circling in her mind. “Callista, there is something very serious that has been building over the past few thousand years.” He spoke as though directing himself to a child. At this point, Callie didn’t blame him. “A small army has been growing in the Greek islands, and the numbers have grown large enough now that this army actually poses a threat to my people. Do you understand?” he asked.

  No, she wanted to say. She didn’t understand anything at all about what was going on. She didn’t want to try. But instead, she answered, “Yes.”

  “We have been looking for someone lately to help us tip the scales, just in case this army decides to attack. Our people are not violent by nature, and so we have allowed this enemy to survive over the years. But recently, times have become unstable, and certain threats have been made. We have been searching for a weapon to use to our advantage. Am I making myself clear?” he asked, his gaze piercing into her eyes.

  She returned the look with her own blank expression. He seemed to want something from her, she just wasn’t sure what that was.

  “We have been looking for this weapon for hundreds of years now, Callista. And today we have found you. You might be—well, we don’t understand exactly what you are. But I am willing to strike a deal with you, so to speak. I will give you what you want, in exchange for your cooperation,” he said.

  “What are you talking about?” she asked, beginning to grow uncomfortable. The fatigue had exhausted the fear and anger in her; now, she simply felt awkward, like an outsider. “Did you put something in my drink?” she asked dazedly, looking around for the small woman.

  “Callista, focus. There is not much time,” the dark-haired man said. She suddenly found his voice intriguing. Low, like a murmur, but authoritative and commanding. And now, as the sun was beginning to set, his eyes looked almost pale blue. “If you allow us to study you, if you consider helping us, then you have my solemn word that we will return you safely to your sister as soon as we are through. You would have to promise us your silence, of course, and we would obviously monitor that promise. However, other than these demands, I do not see why you would not be able to continue leading your life as before. If we can simply use you to hold this army at bay, we will be more than happy to help you.”

  Callie fought back a dopey smile. “You? Want to study me?” she asked, finding this somewhat hilarious. “You have wings!”

  “Yes, we do. Do we have a deal?” he asked soberly, unfazed by her belligerence.

  She swallowed, slipping back into serious thought for the moment. “What if I refuse?” she asked. “What if I don’t want to be a lab rat?” She leaned forwards, enunciating each new word with care. “What if I just want to get the hell away from you freaks?”

  The dark-haired man looked at her calmly, not flinching under her scrutiny. “Well, you see, we have strict rules with regards to dealing with security threats. I am sure you are aware of these rules by now. And, frankly, we’d really like to avoid the mess.”

  Callie felt fear well up as, for the first time that night, she saw cruelty behind the placid face. She knew what her fate would be if she refused them. What was worse, he knew that she understood. He was just biding his time until he got his way.

  Leaning forward, the man propped his elbows on his knees, and now looked upon her sympathetically. “You see, Callista, my way, everybody wins. This is really the best option for you at this point. So may I assume we have a deal?”

  She glared at him. Her hatred was still foggy now, but more present, pressing up through the drug-induced haze with fury. If she could have, she would have slapped him. But she knew that he was stronger, and she knew that she would likely pass out at any moment.

  “Do I have a choice?” she whispered, her voice breaking.

  He smiled as though he were a friend, and, patting her knee, he stood up. She looked down at her feet, unwilling to let him see the hot tears upon her eyelids.

  “That’s alright,” he said, stepping over to the doorway. “I am positive that, in time, you will come to regard us as good people, and you will be more willing to help us. We may even become friends.”

  Callie choked at the suggestion, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

  “But I am sure that you’re very tired now,” he said, and she could have strangled him for reminding her of the power he had over her, of the way that he had drugged her without her even knowing. “I will let you rest. Tomorrow we will begin to get to know one another. But for tonight, you will stay with the Healer. Shay?” he asked. “Will you make up the couch for our guest, please?”

  Callie looked to her left and saw the tiny woman reappear, nodding at the man’s request. The man stood in the doorway, looking curiously at Callie for the moment. At his left, there was a movement, and Callie saw the other man, the blond man, whom she had almost forgotten about.

  He stood in the shadows again, eyeing her cautiously, and again Callie felt as though she were some circus animal, on display for everyone to watch. But this notion was suppressed for a moment as that eerie glimpse of something familiar flashed again, and she narrowed her eyes at the blond man in suspicion. As she watched him, he looked momentarily surprised, and Callie wondered if he had felt it, too.

  But then, intimidated, Callie averted her eyes and looked at the ground.

  “Sleep well, Callista,” the dark-haired man said. She wondered once again how he knew her name. The rustle of wind drew her attention upward just in time for her to witness him leap out of the door, into the air, and catch himself on outstretched wings. She gasped as she watched him soar into the trees, disappearing behind the branches and leaves in a matter of seconds.

  The blond man followed soon after, but only after pinning Callie with another unnerving glance. Callie watched him leave with awe, unable to comprehend the picture before her. It was almost graceful, the way their wings, like a bird’s, maneuvered through space, undulating fluidly and filling the sky with feathers.

  But the shock could only last so long. Once the men were out of view, the tears returned, barely giving warning before rushing down her face once more.

 
She couldn’t understand what had just happened, what was still happening. It felt like a nightmare, like some hellish dream from which she couldn’t wake up. She sat in the chair because she couldn’t stand up; she needed to stand up because she needed to leave; she couldn’t leave because she was trapped in some fairy-tale tower in the forests of Australia. Only it wasn’t a fairy tale; it was a horror story.

  A picture of Maggie seeped into her clouded mind. What would she make of all of this? Would she even notice that Callie was gone? Would she only realize her sister’s absence when there was no one to wipe her mouth at night, or to put her to bed, or to bring her a glass of water when she woke up and was sick? Callie began to doubt that Maggie could survive another loss. The first two had nearly killed her.

  The woman walked away from Callie then, leaving the room. Callie wiped her eyes on her wrists, having forgotten until that moment that there was another person present. But she needn’t have bothered to hide the tears. The woman didn’t even spare her a glance.

  She looked behind her. The couch which she had noticed before was now made up with two long pillows and a cotton blanket. A fit of exhaustion consumed her at the sight, and she forced herself to stand up and trudge, barely seeing anything around her, over to the couch. She collapsed atop the blanket and pillows with a sigh and a sniffle, her heart sinking when she realized that this was where she would spend the night.

  Maggie’s face stared at her in her mind’s eye. She needed to get back home. The longer she stayed away, the more likely Maggie was to fall apart.

  The thoughts were crossing her mind at a sluggish pace now, and soon disappeared completely. Callie rolled into the couch, nestling into the deep cushions, and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long before the darkness consumed her.

  When Callie woke up, she didn’t recognize the white tweed in front of her. She ran her fingers along the bumpy fabric, trying to make sense of it. She rolled over, realizing briefly that she was on a couch.