Just then, she noticed a pucker on the skin of the pond. She craned her neck, looking for the source of this ripple, and a low, rumbling noise drifted into her consciousness. She stood up.
“No way,” she said, squinting to see through the trees.
Alex looked up, taken aback by her sudden energy.
“I don’t believe it,” she said, and without warning, began to run into the trees. She heard him calling her name behind her, but didn’t slow down. The branches struck her thighs and her calves, scraping her skin, but she didn’t mind. She was getting used to the hazards of these woods.
“Callie!” Alex called, and she heard the trembling of dry leaves behind her. She knew he was flying after her, but she kept running. She recognized this patch of forest. The rumbling sound grew louder, letting her know she was on the right track.
She parted the final branches, knowing before she saw this second clearing what she would find there. Here, in front of her, was the waterfall from the memory. It was odd to see it from this angle. She was lower here; she had to look up higher to see the top of the falls. But this was undoubtedly the right place. The stony face of the hill was interrupted only by the gushing stream of water, which trickled into a stream and flowed outwards into the pond beyond. She looked up, and saw, across the little stream, the flat wall of rock, camouflaged by leaves and moss. And there, in the rock, was a cave.
She heard Alex’s wings disturbing the air behind her, and felt the breeze at her back.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Callie asked, turning to find him landing behind her. “That’s the cave from your memory?”
He looked down at her oddly. “Of course it is,” he said, as though this was never a secret.
She looked across the stream in wonder. “It’s real,” she breathed. “I mean, I know that sounds stupid, I just…it’s never seemed real before.”
“It’s always been real,” he said, but his words were lent such gravity that Callie wondered if he was still talking about the cave.
She turned to him. “Take me there,” she said.
“Why?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Because I want to see it.”
“But you’ve already seen it,” he reasoned. She rolled her eyes.
“Fine,” she said. She turned on her heel and started traipsing through the forest again. “I think I see a path over there,” she called back over her shoulder. “Just over the waterfall—“
But she never finished that sentence, because right then, with her back turned to him, she felt his arms pick her up from above, and her center of gravity tilted sideways, and suddenly she was airborne. She gasped, clawing at his forearms with her nails. She wasn’t used to being carried this way—always before, she’d been held as though she were a child, in the crook of someone’s arms. Now, he had wrapped his arms around her from behind, lifting her against his chest, and if she looked forward it seemed as though she were the one that was flying.
She saw that he was taking her towards the cave. As they flew over the water, she was terrified he would drop her into the murky depths below. Her stomach flipped, and she had trouble breathing correctly. But then they were above the ledge outside of the cave, and then they were flying into the cave, and then he landed, and she was on her feet once again.
She felt bare when his arms unwrapped themselves from around her, but ignored the feeling. She studied the inside of the cave, running her fingers along the stone as she walked across the floor.
“It’s just as I remember,” she whispered. With a wry glance in his direction, she corrected herself, “Well, as you remember.”
Remembering now where he always sat, she walked out to the stone ledge once more, overlooking the river below. It was strange not seeing Alex sitting there, deep in thought. She turned to him now, and found that he was watching her curiously.
“This is so weird,” she said. With a glance back over the ledge, she asked, “Is that water deep?”
“Don’t even think about it,” Alex said.
“What?” she asked, turning back to him with faux innocence.
“I was there at your twelfth birthday,” he said, tipping his head with amusement, seeing right through her. “Let us not have a repeat performance.”
She thought back to her twelfth birthday, and at last recalled it. She and Maggie and their parents had been on vacation in Seattle, visiting their grandmother. On her birthday, they had all driven out to the cliffs. She and Maggie had been messing around, playing chicken, seeing who could get closest to the edge of those high rocks. Maggie always won, until, before her parents could stop her, Callie took a running leap and dived from the rocks, not knowing what was below. She smiled now, though her heart wrenched at the memory. She had been so carefree back then. Nothing could have touched her. The idea that the gesture might have hurt her had never crossed her mind.
She shivered, though, when she remembered how shallow that water had actually been. “The water wasn’t deep there,” she noted.
“No, it wasn’t,” Alex said, frowning, a haunted air about him now.
“I hit my head,” she said in astonishment, recalling the incident more clearly now. “On the bottom. There was so much blood, but by the time we got to the hospital, I didn’t even need stitches. No concussion, no bruising…nothing. It was as though nothing had happened.”
“I remember,” Alex said with disapproval.
“Why?” she asked, amazed. “Why wasn’t I hurt?”
“You were hurt,” he reminded her. “But you healed more quickly than a normal person would have.”
A thought occurred to her. She narrowed her eyes at him. “So why didn’t you save me?” she asked, challenging him again.
Alex didn’t reply.
“Oh, come on,” she went on. “You were there, you said. So why didn’t you catch me, if you knew I’d be hurt?”
He crossed his arms, seeing through the mocking inquiry. She laughed and took a step backwards, towards the edge of the cliff.
His eyes widened. “Callie,” he said slowly, warning her against what he knew she was about to do.
“Alex,” she said in reply. “You should know by now—I like to have answers. Tell me, did you ever try to save me? From anything? Before I came here, I mean.”
“Don’t you dare,” he said harshly. She felt the cliff edge at her heel.
With a smirk, she said, “Too late.”
Then she let herself fall backwards over the ledge, feeling the air press against her as she fell. She continued to descend like that, facing up, feeling the wind at her back. For a split second, when she didn’t feel his arms yank her back up to safety, she felt a twinge of panic that maybe he wouldn’t save her this time. Maybe he would let her fall all the way just to prove a point. Maybe he didn’t like that she had been teasing him, and he wouldn’t hesitate to let her crash into the river below.
But then, like a vengeful angel, he appeared over the edge of the cliff in a graceful swan dive. She watched breathlessly as he fell, his frustrated face growing nearer every second. She gasped as his beauty, noting the familiarity in it. He seemed so impossible, this creature who had known her all her life, who seemed to have a stake in keeping her alive. A word flashed in her mind before she could squelch it: mine.
And then he was on top of her, and his arms enfolded her gently. They continued to fall then, but more slowly, deliberately. His wings stretched out on either side of him, and she watched as the soft, frayed feathers fluttered in the fall. She saw that the entire length of those wings was longer than she was.
She pressed her palms against his warm chest, taking pleasure in the way that his skin was warmed by the sunlight. It was smooth beneath her hands, and she could feel his heart beating. In that moment, as they fell, turning slowly through the air, she caught her breath and realized something extraordinary: she felt safe here. For the first time in four years, she felt like she belonged again.
He righted them then, and she felt
cool water tickle the soles of her feet. He sunk them further into the water, the river rushing up around them until it was up to their necks. Alex let her go again, and she swallowed against the feel of him parting from her.
“You saved me,” she said, slightly dazed as they floated along, allowing the river to carry them downstream.
“What were you expecting?” he asked, looking annoyed with her.
“But you didn’t that day,” she said. “In Seattle.”
“I wasn’t allowed to,” he admitted softly.
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because if fate had dictated that you die that day, I would have had to let you go,” he said, his face empty. “It is the rule which every protector has to follow: be passive in the face of a charge’s death. Otherwise, we would be interfering with destiny.”
Callie didn’t know what to say, but then she found herself bursting with laughter. “Seriously?” she asked.
He smirked at her. “Superstition, I suppose,” he said. “But a great many potentials have died while still in human form.” Callie waded against the water, trying to concentrate on Alex’s voice around the sound of the rapids. “You see,” he continued, “as you begin to change into a Guardian, you become more resilient to injury, and are able to heal more quickly. But only once you grow wings are you impervious to death. If a mortal is bound to die, we can’t save them. We can’t interfere unnecessarily in the affairs of humans. Even if the human might one day be more than she seems.”
“That’s a little harsh,” Callie said.
Alex looked downstream, and Callie saw that, as they drifted further from the pond, there were miles of river ahead which stretched all the way out to the ocean. She sighed, and turned onto her back, floating with the current. She tilted her head back and let the sun soak into her face, enjoying the baking sensation. Other sensations, however, still prevalent, she was unsure about. She wasn’t sure how she felt in this moment, only that she was uncomfortable. She didn’t want to be around Alex anymore, as he caused her to feel things she didn’t understand. And yet the thought of leaving him now made her ache.
When the current gradually slowed, Callie opened her eyes and looked up. She blinked away the bright spots in her eyes, and when she was able to see again, she found that Alex was staring at her, vulnerability stamped on his hard features like she had never seen before.
“What is it?” she asked.
He blinked, and the expression disappeared. He asked unexpectedly, “Why don’t you talk about them?”
Callie frowned, confused. “Who?” she asked.
“Your parents,” he said.
She was taken aback by the sudden subject, unsure why he had brought it up.
He hastened to continue, “You never talk about them, not since the accident. Neither does your sister.”
Callie clenched her jaw, angry that he had brought this up when they’d been having a nice time. “I told you that I don’t want to talk about that,” she said.
“I know,” he whispered. “That’s the problem.”
Callie felt weak under his penetrating stare. “What’s it to you, anyways?” she snapped. “What, did Emeric want you to bring me out here? Get it out of me?”
“You shouldn’t feel guilty,” he murmured. “It happened too quickly, there was nothing you should have done differently.”
“I don’t feel guilty!” she cried. She felt her face flush, but refused to shed her tears in front of him. She took a deep breath, and said, with a forced calm, “Look. They were my parents. They died. People die sometimes, it happens. End of story.”
He frowned, though there was sadness there in his eyes. “That isn’t what you really think,” he said.
“You don’t know me,” she said harshly.
He looked at her for a long moment, seeming as though he had lost something. So quietly that she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly, he said, “But I do.”
She shivered under the intensity of his stare. At once, he broke free of his thoughts.
“You’re cold,” he said. “We should get you back to Shay’s house.”
Callie would have told him that she was fine, that she wasn’t that cold. But she wanted to get back to Shay’s house; she needed to get away from this place. She had a feeling that distance was necessary right now, since she didn’t seem to be able to think.
So she let him pluck her out of the water, dripping as they flew over the top of the canopy. On the way back, she couldn’t help but notice him, pressed against her. His scent engulfed her, the scent of sunshine and salt. She was upset with him, yes. But as he held her closely against him, she felt familiar to him, like she was a part of him. And so even with her anger fresh in her mind, she couldn’t hate him.
Once they were outside of the cottage, afternoon had drenched the sky in amber. Alex hesitated, his eyes narrowed, as he neared the house. Callie knew that he was listening to see if Serena was inside. But they heard nothing, and so he flew to the door.
He landed inside, setting Callie on her feet.
“Well, thank you,” Callie said, stepping away and turning to face him. “For saving my life. Again.”
He hid a smirk, though Callie caught a trace of it. “Goodnight, Callie,” he said, turning to go.
“Night,” she said, and watched him fly away, leaning against the doorframe. She crossed her arms, concentrating on his shrinking figure until he was completely hidden behind the trees.
“He is a dominant-looking specimen of male,” Shay said from behind her.
“Mm,” Callie said, sighing. But then she realized what Shay had said, and turned to face her. “Wait, what?” she asked.
Shay smiled knowingly. “Careful, human,” she said. “He may seem appealing, but he has killed more people than you have met in your lifetime.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Callie said, uncomfortable. She walked away from Shay, towards the couch. “I’m going to sleep. Goodnight, Shay.”
Shay snorted and Callie heard the clip of footprints as Shay walked to her room. With a fever singeing her skin, Callie laid her head upon the pillow, and stared into blank space. She had a difficult time falling asleep that night, her blood racing until early morning.
But when she did fall asleep, she dreamed about the accident once more. The difference was, she wasn’t afraid now. This time, all she saw were white feathers.
Chapter Ten
Siren Island
Days passed, and Serena did not make another appearance. Still, the threat that, at any moment, she could decide to fulfill her threat made Callie nervous. Every time sunlight caught a certain angle as it streamed through the window, and resembled strands of blond hair, Callie jumped. Every time a bird cried in the distance, every time the leaves rustled, she checked behind her to make sure that she was alone. Somehow, the more time that passed, the more uncomfortable she became, knowing that someday the breeze would mean Serena’s arrival. That knowledge taunted her in the quiet moments.
And something else bothered her as well. In the days that went by, Alex and Emeric continued to show up every morning, slowly training her to control her mind. The exercises seemed almost physical, as though she were strengthening a muscle that she had never used before. By the time the evenings fell, she was usually drained. But that wasn’t what worried her. Something Alex had said that day at the falls was clawing at the corners of her subconscious. Or, rather, something he’d never said.
He hadn’t answered her question about Addy, the woman Serena had mentioned. Whoever Addy was, Alex had no intention of speaking about her. Callie hated to admit that this bothered her. So what if Alex had his secrets? So did she. Well, actually, she probably had far fewer secrets than she’d like to think, as he had more than likely witnessed a good many of them. But still, she had no right to be bothered by his secrecy.
So why was she?
One morning, as Callie slowly awoke, feeling a familiar headache begin to set in from the
mental exertion of the past few days, a slight motion caught her eye. She looked toward the window, and gasped, her heart stopping as she shoved herself backwards, away from Serena.
Serena sat on the windowsill, her crossed legs swinging back and forth, staring coldly at her. Callie wondered how long she’d been there, watching her sleep. Fear gripped her to know that the woman thirsty for her blood had been so close when she’d been so vulnerable.
Serena smiled wickedly, and stood up with a disturbing silence. She walked towards Callie, crossing her arms in thought. Callie swallowed, trying to find her voice to scream. But her heart was beating too quickly, her vocal cords felt tangled. Serena perched herself on the armrest, too close.
“What is it about you,” Serena said in a calm, soft voice, “that is so precious to him?”
Callie couldn’t answer. She could barely breathe. She was petrified into stillness.
“Hm,” Serena said, cocking her head. “What is it, I wonder, that makes you different?” She looked at Callie with piercing, pale eyes, her beauty only adding to her fearsomeness. She was a predator; her appearance was meant to soften the prey, deceive it so as to hide the murderous nature beneath the stunning face. She laughed lightly now, and said, “So many mysteries about this one.”
She leaned in closer, and Callie inched backwards as far as she could.
“But don’t get too comfortable, human,” she whispered. “I intend to find out all about you.”
“Callista?” Shay called from the bedroom.
Serena’s neck snapped erect, her eyes shifting back and forth. With a sideways grin at Callie, she lifted her dainty hand in mock salute, and then turned smoothly and leapt from the window in one bound.
Shay entered the room, a towel wrapped around her head in a turban, her face flushed from the shower. “Callista, did I hear you say something?” she asked.
Callie drew a shuddery breath, trying to swallow. “N-no,” she muttered, because she hadn’t. But she didn’t tell Shay about Serena. She wasn’t sure she knew how to form the words. And anyways, right at that moment, the sound of bristling leaves came towards them. It was a sound that was becoming well-known to Callie, like that of a doorbell. It meant someone was about to arrive.
The Guardian (Callista Ryan Series) Page 11
