by Cameo Renae
“You just knocked out. I’m not sure what else to tell you. One minute you were talking, and the next you were sleeping. You must have been exhausted. Did you even get any sleep before you came here?”
“No. We stayed up the whole night because we were too excited. But that was so strange. I hope we weren’t exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning. I’ve heard of people knocking out, and it could be deadly.”
“I don’t know, but at least you’re fine now,” I noted. “You are fine, right?”
“Yes, just still a little tired,” she said.
“Emma?” Jeremy said, entering behind us yawning.
“Hey, Jeremy!” I said, heading up to him.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. You both just completely knocked out.”
“How in the heck could we both fall asleep, at the exact same time?” Jeremy questioned.
“Were you up late?”
“Well, we didn’t sleep. We stayed up all night eating candy and drinking soda,” Lia said.
“Then that’s it,” Caleb jumped in. “You both had a sugar crash. It happens if you eat too much sugar. But combine it with lack of sleep and…bam! You’re out cold.”
“I guess that’s possible,” Jeremy agreed, with another yawn.
Phew. Maybe the fifth degree would end soon.
Caleb and Courtney really hit it off with Jeremy and Lia, so much in fact, I felt like – and was – a fifth wheel.
Lia and Caleb flirted with each other all night, and Jeremy and Courtney even hit it off. They weren’t flirting, but Courtney kept him busy with her many questions about LA. Jeremy was more than happy to give his detailed answers.
It was great to have help, and I started to believe we could actually pull this off. I really wanted them to have fun. Courtney and Caleb were my lifesavers.
It was nearly 2am when everyone said goodnight, and walked back to their rooms. I turned off my light and snuggled into bed, exhausted. It had been a long day, full of stress.
Exhaling loud and long, I closed my eyes, hoping to fall into darkness.
I awoke suddenly in a cold, dark room. A spotlight landed on a figure standing about a hundred feet in front of me. It was a boy with his back to me, and he was shirtless. His arms were listless and dropped to his sides. His head was facing downward.
“Hello?” I called softly. There was no answer. He didn’t even move.
As I walked closer, I noticed his hands were balled into tight fists, and his back was badly scarred and covered in blood.
My heart began to race, and I could hear the sound of my breath quicken.
I stepped even closer to the figure, and quickly covered my mouth to try and keep down the rising vomit.
Two gaping holes oozed slowly, but heavily, from either side of his shoulder blades. I could see bone peeking from beneath the open flesh. White feathers, stained with crimson, were strewn about the floor. Some were caught within the thick blood.
It looked as if he once had wings, but they had been ripped from his back.
“Can I help you?” I breathed, reaching out to his arm. When I touched it, his head whipped sideways.
No!
“Kade! What the hell happened?” I cried frantically. I reached out to grab his arm, and as soon as I touched him, his skin felt ice cold and he was unresponsive. His eyes glazed over, looking bewildered.
“How did you get here? Kade, we need to get out of here!” I yelled, tugging his arm. “Kade!”
Why would he be in this dark place? And why did he have gaping holes in his back? He was a Guardian, and Guardians didn’t have wings.
His body suddenly fell limp into my arms, and I dropped under his weight. I used every bit of strength I had to turn him on his side, and then carefully rested his head in my lap. I brushed dampened hair from his forehead.
“Kade. Please answer me. What happened? Why are you here? Where are we?” There was still no response, and his eyes remained closed. “Please, baby. Open your eyes. I need you,” I sobbed, pleading. I felt completely lost. Holding him in my arms, there was nothing I could do to help him.
Kade’s eyes flickered and slowly opened. The once hazel eyes I’d become familiar with had been tainted. Bright red veins snaked throughout them, making him look almost alien.
“For you,” he whispered. “I did it for you.”
“What? What did you do for me?”
His arm lifted and his weak fingers traced the side of my face, and then dropped, limp. His eyes went blank, and the corners started to change color. Slowly creeping inward, a white fog covered his eyes, until they were icy, dead white.
“Kade!” I screamed. “Kade!” I shook him, but he didn’t move or respond.
“No. You can’t die. You can’t leave me. Please. Come back,” I sobbed, rocking his limp body in my arms.
A boisterous, wicked laugh echoed through the cavernous room. I looked around, but could only see pitch black. The evil laughter made my skin crawl. I turned and looked behind me, and there, burning in the darkness were two bright crimson eyes.
“I hate you!” I screamed. “I hate you!”
I shot up, my breath hitched in my throat. Sweat trickled down my brow, and my face was soaked with tears. I glanced at the clock. 3:17am.
“Kade,” I whispered.
I had to see him. I had to make sure he was okay.
Chapter 13
I pushed the blankets off me, and jumped out of bed. I made my way to the door, quietly opening and then shutting it behind me. The hallway was eerily dark and quiet, but I continued, attempting to be soundless. My pulse was still racing, and I still had the lingering ache in my chest seeing Kade’s dead body in my arms.
I went down the flight of stairs and made my way to his door.
I knew if I knocked, I’d wake everyone up, so I decided to just enter. I hoped he wouldn’t think I was an intruder, and attack me.
I sucked in a deep breath and slowly turned the knob.
The latch was unlocked, so I opened it. The hinges squeaked a bit, but the room inside was dark. I pushed in.
“Kade?” I whispered. I hoped he would hear me. “Kade?”
A light clicked on.
“Emma?” Kade sat up shirtless, his hair in its perfect disheveled form.
“Yes. It’s me. I’m sorry. I – I just had a bad dream, and I had to see you.” When I heard myself say the words, I realized I sounded like an idiot.
He jumped out of bed and walked over to me, stopping inches away. His sweet, spicy scent filled the space around me, making me dizzy. He lifted his arm and quietly snapped the door shut.
“Come here,” he said, wrapping me in the warmth of his arms. “Is everything okay?”
“It is now,” I breathed into his chest, hugging him back. My heart was still trying to settle, after realizing he was here and alive.
He led me over to the bed and we sat. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
I paused. The nightmare was evil and horrifying, and I certainly didn’t want to give him the details or relive them.
“I just - I thought I’d lost you,” I whispered. “And, I felt so lost and alone.”
His beautiful eyes twinkled as they looked at me, and then he smiled, making my heart patter.
“So you came to make sure I was still alive?” His eyes studied mine.
“Yes. You didn’t let me know you made it home safely. I was really worried.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere,” he promised.
“Good. Because I need you. You’re the only one who seems to hold me together, and you are my Guardian.”
“I am,” he breathed, leaning over and lightly kissing my nose. “So what now?”
I leaned back and yawned, still exhausted. I’d only slept for an hour, and I knew I’d have a crazy day with Jeremy and Lia in the morning.
“You must be exhausted,” he noted.
“Very,” I answered, my eyes were now watering.
/> “Would you like me to walk you back to your room?”
“No,” I answered. His eyes narrowed. “Could I stay here with you for a while?”
“If that’s what you want. Of course,” he said.
“I just need to have you close right now.”
He leaned forward and cradled my face in his fingers. “Is this close enough?” He pressed his warm lips to mine.
“Mmmhmm,” I hummed into his mouth.
He smiled and then pulled back. “We can’t get too carried away. This could get out of hand way too fast,” he said with a smirk on his face.
“It could,” I agreed. I scooted back to the middle of the bed and sat crisscrossed. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he answered, lying down next to me.
“I know you were a Guardian, you came from Midway, and that they assigned you to be my Guardian. But aside from that, I don’t know much of anything about your past. I want to know more. I want to know about your parents, and about your childhood.”
He smiled and shook his head.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”
“No. It’s not that,” he said, turning to me. “It’s just that no one has ever asked me that before.”
“No one?”
“No.”
“Well, I’d really like to know about the first boy to steal my heart,” I smiled. His face brightened as his eyes fastened on mine. My insides felt like they’d melted into a puddle of warm mush. He found my hands, and I laced my fingers through his, joining us together.
He turned, lying prostrate on his back; his eyes, searching for his past.
I waited patiently, anticipating his story. I was finally going to learn about this magical, angel boy who was dropped into my life.
“Well,” he started. “I was born one hundred and seventy-nine years ago.” He turned and glanced at me.
Okay, maybe he wasn’t a boy. “One hundred and seventy-nine?” I swallowed. “I think you should know…at that age, on earth, you’d be known as a cradle robber,” I giggled.
“If I were that age in mortal years, I’d be buried six feet under,” he noted.
“Good point. So, in immortal years, you’re how old?” I asked.
“Let’s just say nineteen. I think two years your senior would work,” he nodded.
“Well you do look about nineteen.”
“Then we’ll stick to nineteen, and now that I’m mortal, we can go from there.”
“Do you have a birth day?”
“In the Otherworld we don’t keep track of the day, but every mortal year we are presented with a gold coin. Once one has collected five hundred coins, they get their wings; unless they earn them, and earning them is almost impossible to do. I have one hundred and seventy-nine of them.”
“You only had 321 years left,” I smiled. “So where did you live?”
“I grew up in a place called Meadow of Songs. My mother and father still reside there. The summers in Alaska remind me of home. It’s the most beautiful place, but there are no seasons. The grass, the trees, they are greenest green you could ever imagine. The sky is the purest blue. There is nothing imperfect in the realms. You could pick any fruit from a tree, and it would always be ripe and sweet. There is no shortage, and there is no evil.”
“So you lived in Heaven?”
“Yes, mortals call it Heaven. We call it Grandia, or the Great Beyond.”
His eyes suddenly swirled with memories.
“Tell me about your parents.”
The corner of his lips curled upward and his eyes became distant. “My mother, well, she is radiant. Beautiful. Her eyes are deep amber, with flecks of gold. When she smiles, it radiates like a halo around her. Her voice is magical and sweeter than honey. She’s a Worshiper.”
“A Worshiper?” I questioned.
He nodded. “Worshipers fill Grandia with beautiful music. When a Worshiper opens their mouth, beautiful melodies spring forth and float through the air like an enchanted medicine, touching and filling everyone around them with tranquility and happiness. I was charmed as a child, having her transcendental lullaby’s lay me to sleep each night.”
“It must have been magical.”
“It was. She would love you,” he said, turning to me.
“What’s her name?”
“Arella.”
“Arella,” I breathed. “That’s such a beautiful name. And, what about your father?”
“My father is everything I ever want to become. If Angels could, they would envy him. Where ever he is, there is laughter. Whenever you meet him, you feel as if you’ve known him forever. He is filled with truth and guidance, but he is also very gentle. His presence and touch bring healing. His constant missions kept him from home, but my mother and I never doubted his love.”
“What’s his name?”
“Raphael.”
“Why does his name sound so familiar? I’ve heard it before, from one of the few times we attended church.”
“You probably have. He is an Archangel.”
“An Archangel?”
“Archangels are the highest ranking Angels, chosen by the creator himself. Michael was the very first.”
“Michael? The one who’s dagger I have?” I gasped.
“Yes. He’s the leader of all the Archangels.”
“Wow, this world never ceases to amaze me. Your parents seem like the most amazing immortal beings. Now I know why you are so perfect. You were given the best of them.”
“I’m far from perfect,” he said.
“Not to me,” I answered. “I hope I’ll get to meet them one day.”
“Maybe you will,” he said. “And if you do, give them my love.”
“Why? You’ll have to introduce me.”
“Not as a mortal,” he said sadly.
“You mean you can’t ever see them again?”
“Not in this form.”
“Oh my God. Kade…” I exhaled. My stomach twisted.
“Don’t be sorry, Emma. Things will work out in the end. You’ll see. And my parents, they know why I chose this path.”
“They must hate me for it.” I couldn’t imagine them ever loving me, knowing what he gave up for me.
“Never. My parents could never hate, especially you,” he said, rising to his elbow. “I know they are proud of the decision I made.”
“Which decision?” I whispered.
“You,” he answered.
I tried to hold back the tears, but I couldn’t.
“I think that’s enough for tonight. You should get some sleep. You have guests to entertain and they’ll be awake in a few hours.”
I nodded and curled up next to him. He tucked me under the warmth of his blanket, and held me in his arms.
I knew one thing was certain. I could give my whole heart to Kade, and trust him with my life. His love and devotion had already been proven unwavering. The only downfall would be watching his mortal body age, or get sick and diseased, and eventually die.
One way or another, I would lose him. It would be much sooner than I’d ever want to, and the thought of that possibility, made my heart ache all over again. I didn’t think I could bear losing someone who had my heart.
He held me tightly. My body melted and molded into his side, his warmth soothed me. In his arms, I felt whole and complete. It was hard to explain, yet, so simple for my heart to understand.
“Don’t give up on me, Emma,” he whispered, so quietly I almost didn’t hear.
“Never,” I answered.
The soft thrumming of his pulse and steadiness of his breath, slowly lulled me to sleep.
The next morning I woke to sounds of laughter in the hall. I shot up and gasped.
Kade.
I turned, but he wasn’t there. As I glanced around, I quickly realized I was back in my own room, tucked in my own bed.
How the heck did I get here? Was I with him, or was it all just a dream?
I raised my arm to my nos
e and inhaled. A smile automatically formed on my lips as I caught his lingering scent.
It had been real.
Chapter 14
I quickly jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. I knew Lia and Jeremy would be up soon, especially with the racket going on outside. Knowing them, they were probably part of it. I quickly groomed myself and changed into some jeans and a long sleeved lavender t-shirt. I also grabbed a matching lavender hoodie, and as soon as I threw it over my head, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I called.
The door opened and Lia and Jeremy stood there.
“What are you doing out there? Get your behinds in here,” I said running up and throwing my arms around them. “So what’s the plan? Did you guys want to do something today?”
“Duh. We didn’t only come here to make sure your sorry butt was alive. We came for adventure,” Jeremy said.
“Adventure? You and adventure don’t really go together,” I said, with a raised brow. Jeremy was not the adventurous type. His adventure lied in slaying enemies from behind a controller or the pages of his books.
“Yes, that is true, but I’m living large in Alaska,” he winked.
“Whatever, Jeremy,” Lia huffed. “The only thing living large is your brain.”
“I’ll admit. My head is a bit larger than the normal human being, but that’s only because there’s too much awesome in it. My brain just needs a large container,” he said. Lia and I looked at each other started laughing.
“Jeremy, you are awesome,” I admitted.
He nodded with a smirk.
“Okay. So, Caleb was telling us about this lake not too far from here. He said it’s private and about a mile away. It has a swinging rope, a few boats, and a volleyball net,” Jeremy said.
“Yes! Doesn’t that sound like fun, Emma?” Lia chimed.
NO! Damn it, Caleb. He was supposed to be helping me keep them within the barrier. How the hell was I supposed to keep them safe a mile outside? We would have to gather everyone together on this one.
“Emma? If you don’t want to go, just tell us,” Jeremy said.
