Amethyst - Book One of the Guardian Series

by Heather Bowhay

  Leaning in close to my face, his expression was even more deadly serious than when he’d attacked Mr. Beady Eyes. I couldn’t read his thoughts, but his face indicated he was feeling something between total panic and raw violence. His unrelenting countenance and rigid body had me completely terrified. With my body producing extra doses of adrenaline and my heartbeat racing uncontrollably, I tried to imagine what could possibly be worse than Mr. Beady Eyes pointing a gun at everyone.

  In a strained, chilled voice, Jason said as quietly as possible, “Alex, you will not understand what is about to happen. But I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?”

  With my lips trembling and my eyes round with horror, I nodded sharply and said, “Yes.”

  “Good. I need you to follow my instructions. I want you to stay hidden behind this tree, and don’t make a sound. Do not come out and reveal yourself unless I specifically tell you to do so. You are going to hear and see some things that don’t make any sense. You need to open your mind to new possibilities, just like you did when Jessica told you about your Essence. Picture yourself in one of your fantasy books where the supernatural exists, and try to find some comfort there. What you see might scare you, but I don’t want you to interfere.” He stopped and waited.

  “Okay,” I whispered, frightened beyond belief.

  “You know how we keep referring to you as an Amethyst?” I bobbed my head once, and he continued, “There are others like you, but different. They have unusual abilities, and there are small groups who abuse those abilities and use them against Innocents, I mean ordinary humans. These people are dangerous Alex, more so than the men in the bank. They are evil. So I need you to stay hidden; it’s imperative they don’t find you. I will try to hold them off until Max and the others get here. No matter what happens to me, promise you’ll stay hidden.”

  I’m sure my face drained of any remaining color, and I said, “I can’t--”

  Shoving his finger against my lips, he said angrily, “You will.” He removed his hand and said, “I have to go now. Stay here and stay quiet.”

  I felt like my heart was being ripped out through my throat, and I had no idea why. As he withdrew his arms and started to move away, I grabbed him. I pulled him towards me and crushed my lips against his. His eyes widened in total shock, and his irises flared, but I persisted. Clasping his face firmly, I slowed my movements and traced every inch of his soft, supple lips with my own. Daringly, I nibbled on his upper lip, savoring the sweetness I found there – traces of salmonberry. His eyes fluttered closed, like I’d rendered him helpless. A flame ignited in my belly – spreading outward in a rush of heat waves until my fingertips tingled. The world ceased to exist; there was only him and me.

  My mouth on his mouth was fiery hot. I’d never felt more sure of anything in my entire life. Abandoning the slow, leisurely kiss, I tilted my head and forced his lips open. When I found his tongue, I ravaged it with my own. I demanded his surrender, yet begged for his acceptance. Deepening my kiss, I devastated him with weeks of pent up passion and longing. I provoked him until his body was shaking. With my hands clasped around his neck, I held on for dear life.

  Our kiss became even more frenzied and urgent, like we needed it, depended on it for sustenance, for survival. His velvet-soft lips and hot, moist mouth almost undid me. His Essence was intimately familiar – the heat between us sweltering. Rapturous. I felt like I was on fire in a way I’d never been before. I wanted to consume him, and I wanted him to consume me. I pressed myself against his strong, sturdy body until I could feel his heart beating. Still, I couldn’t get close enough, so I ran my hands through his hair, down his arms, and over his face. Shock waves of desire surged through my entire being as my tongue danced with his.

  Suddenly, he jerked, and a moan escaped his mouth. He gasped for breath, wrenched away from me, and staggered backwards. My eyes shot open, still burning with need. His aqua-marine eyes stared at me, completely stunned. He backed away slowly, shaking his head unhappily.

  In a whisper, barely audible, he said, “Oh Alex...you shouldn’t have done that,” before he stepped into the sunlight and walked several paces away from my hiding spot.

  Trembling, I touched my lips and drew a shaky breath. I’d never experienced a kiss like that before – one that invaded my senses and my logic, and consumed my soul. I placed my hand over my heart like that would stop it from pounding so loudly. Crouched down at the base of the tree, I pulled myself together as best I could. Eventually, I peeked through spiky sword ferns and listened intently. I didn’t see anyone except Jason. His very still figure stood alone in a circular clearing under the tree branches. Streaks of sunlight shot down sporadically over the forest floor all around him. Everything was quiet. Then I heard a voice – an unforgiving voice that left me panicked and horrified.

  Maliciously deep, it leered, “Well, well, it looks like we’ve found a Guardian out here in the woods. Looks like we’re in for some fun and games after all. What do ya say guys?”

  Guardian? What the… As I strained to see who was talking, I dug my fingers into the dirt to stop myself from tumbling into plain sight.

  “You got it Kieran,” responded a raspy voice. “Let’s see how long this fool can hold his own before he becomes lunch.”

  Loud, sinister laughter followed by piercing shrieks erupted through the woods and echoed harshly through the timber.

  CHAPTER 16 – RAY-PACS

  Raucous laughter claimed the surrounding forest, chilling me to the bones. But that was nothing compared to the shock waves ripping through my body as I stared at the back of Jason’s unyielding form. I realized, with unmistakable clarity, that they were talking about him. My Jason was a Guardian! And he’d been right in front of my nose the whole entire time!

  The big secret, the big reveal, was out of the bag. I was momentarily overjoyed. I closed my eyes. My friends were not vampires or psychotic closet killers; they were Guardians who had visions of the future like me. Except, I was still a Seer. Only now, I’d be able to link, and I could get their help with the mountain lions. Tidal waves of relief flooded over me, carrying my worries back out to sea – until I remembered Jason was standing out there alone facing…facing who?

  My eyes shot open. What had Grandma Rose written in her journal? Stewart had called the enemies of Guardians, the Ray-pacs.

  Scratchy ferns brushed against my face as I strained for a better look. I shuddered as three menacing figures, two guys and one girl, stepped into view only about 15 yards away from Jason. Why did they want him? And what had they meant about him being lunch?

  “Don’t you know it’s not safe to wander the woods on your own these days? You really should listen to the news out of B.C.,” taunted a shirtless guy, whose long, black hair was pulled back in a braid. His dark, olive skin and massive upper chest seemed disproportionate to the rest of his body. Some sort of tribal tattoo, with simplistic but bold designs, covered exactly one half of his chest and all of one arm.

  At that moment, memories came flooding back in a snarled mass of images: the thunderstorm, the Mastiff, and the tall guy with a ponytail. My heart froze over as I realized this bare-chested guy was none other than the psycho-maniac from the dark alley. And he was connected to the B.C. killings?

  “Andrew asked you a question. I suggest you answer,” said the shorter, muscular guy, who had an Adam Levine buzz cut and a black goatee. D-rings hung from the belt loops of his punk-looking bondage pants. Each one came equipped with a long, dangling rope chain.

  When Jason still didn’t say anything, the tall, skinny girl said snidely, “Maybe he’s deaf and dumb.”

  “He’s obviously dumb,” Andrew jeered, baring his teeth, “otherwise, he wouldn’t be out here by himself, with no protection.” As he shook his head, his long braid whipped around.

  I was startled when Jason responded in a smooth, confident voice, “I might be alone now, but my friends are due to arrive any time. We will have you outnumbered, so I suggest you consid
er leaving before they show up, or things are going to get ugly for you.”

  Andrew laughed loudly. The girl joined in, but the short guy continued to stare at Jason with a bored expression. I glanced around nervously, expecting to find the Mastiff hiding in the trees. Abruptly, Andrew stopped laughing and twisted his face into a massive frown. Kicking the dirt, he said in a whiny voice, “Kieran, I want permission to take him out. He’s a liar. And you know what, I plain don’t like the cocky son of a—”

  “His Essence belongs to me, Andrew,” Kieran said in a dangerously sharp tone. Without moving an inch he added, “But, I will give you first shot at him. If you succeed, I will share some of his Essence. If not, I’ll step in and finish him off, at which point his Essence is all mine. Understood?”

  I couldn’t tell if Andrew was satisfied with that answer or not. He nodded curtly, balled one hand into a fist, and smacked it into the palm of his other hand. “I got it,” he said roughly. Kieran and the black-haired girl took a few steps back, out of my line of vision. Jason took up a defensive stance with his arms out and his knees bent.

  What were they talking about? Could they really take Jason’s Essence from him? I waited with anticipation and worry as Andrew dug one foot deep into the ground and let out a snarl. I wasn’t at all prepared for his method of attack. With his palms facing out, he flicked his wrists and sent some kind of blast flying through the air. The clear, blue-fringed, two foot sphere was almost invisible and traveled rapidly, about four feet off the ground, straight for Jason.

  Right before the sphere reached him, Jason dodged to his left – moving so quickly his body blurred before my eyes. He stopped about 20 feet from where he’d been standing and remained in a crouched position.

  Hitting the ground with enormous force and emitting a loud “boom,” the obscure ball sent pine needles and dirt blasting through the air. Instantly, a dust plume materialized. When the cloudy haze lifted, a huge crater remained in the ground. It looked like a mini-meteorite had just struck the earth.

  Momentarily stunned by the blast, I hugged myself and slid across the hard earth. My heart pounded in my chest as I sat with my back against the tree trunk. I held my arm over my mouth trying to suppress the cries that wanted to escape. Mentally, I questioned what I’d just witnessed. Clearly, Andrew had some sort of crazy blasting ability. Splintering wood cracked through the air, and I swung around for another look.

  A huge branch hurtled downwards and crashed to the ground. On the move again, Jason’s body flashed through the forest, darting quickly left and right. He took me by surprise when he raised his hands the same way Andrew had done and loosed several small energy spheres of his own. Enraptured, I watched the action with sick fascination. Andrew dodged in and out of the trees to avoid being struck, all while throwing multiple blasts back at Jason.

  The once quiet forest was total havoc. Small craters erupted across the ground like a string of explosions. Entire tree tops rained down from above. Covering my ears, I squirmed in my hiding spot and pressed my cheek against the rough bark. A rouge blast hurtled towards my tree, so I grabbed my knees and curled into a tight ball. The shrubbery on my left blew to smithereens as sticks and mossy chunks pelted my body.

  Peeking under my arm, I gasped at the gaping, 10 foot wide hole that stretched almost to the base of my tree. The earth had been obliterated, along with the surrounding brush that had been my camouflage. My fingers dug into the crevices of the old growth. I had a hard time keeping my eyes on Jason as he darted to avoid Andrew’s explosive assault.

  Two simultaneous booms, accompanied by loud wails and a couple of dull thuds, brought me to my feet. The forest took on a spectral silence. The haze cleared and revealed both Jason and his rival lying a good distance apart, flat on their backs. Neither one of them was moving. Without a second thought, and forgetting my original promise, I sprang from my hiding spot and rushed towards Jason. Jumping over broken branches, I ran at full speed, dashing around craters. When I reached him, he looked unconscious, but he didn’t appear to be bleeding.

  Once I placed my hands on his forehead, I instantly yanked them away. His restricted flow of Essence startled me, but maybe that was normal after using his extraordinary abilities. Calmly, I touched his face again. I drew from my own energy and directed it into him with confidence. As a familiar tingling reached my fingertips, I could feel the strength of my Essence fortifying his, returning the energy to his body.

  His eyes popped open, and he sat up immediately. “Damn it Alex!” he said furiously. “I specifically told you to stay hidden. You didn’t listen to a thing I said.” He bounced to his feet, grabbed my arm, and shoved me behind him. Turning his head, he gazed at me with hard eyes. “Now stand behind me, and keep your hands on my back.” Stunned at his hostility, I nodded.

  “Well now, isn’t this interesting,” a voice drawled from across the desolated forest. Peering over Jason’s shoulder, I saw it was Kieran who had spoken. He was standing next to the girl, and she was kneeling beside Andrew who was still on the ground. Kieran’s eyes bored through to the core of my being, burning me with malicious intent. Then he looked back at Jason with an amused expression. “Looks like you were trying to hide something from us after all. Got yourself an Innocent, and you’re not too anxious to share, are you?” His laugh rattled my bones.

  “Told ya he wasn’t very smart.” Andrew seethed with anger.

  “I’ll make a deal with you,” Jason said in a clear voice. “You let her go, and I will surrender to you willingly. She’s hardly of any use to you. Once I’m sure she’s safe, I will yield and allow you to take my Essence freely.”

  “What?” I huffed and gave him a shove. “I’m not leaving you,” I said angrily.

  “Alex shut up! You’ll do as I say,” Jason said in his dagger-like tone.

  Completely bewildered, I shut my mouth. But I wanted to whack him over the head.

  “How very touching,” Kieran uttered. Looking down, he spoke quietly to the girl, ignoring us for the moment.

  That’s when I heard something that took me completely off guard.

  “Jason? Jason? What’s happening now? We’re probably 20 minutes away. Are you okay? Please answer me.”

  Okay, that freaked me out! That sounded like Madison. Was I imagining voices now?

  “Madison. I need you guys now! Alex ran out and now they’ve seen her, but they don’t know she’s an Amethyst; they think she’s an Innocent. I’m trying to make a deal that…”

  I let go of Jason’s back so fast, I almost fell backwards. Shaking my head, I slapped my hands against my face. The voices disappeared.

  In a low, barely audible voice Jason said, “Alex, put your hands on my back and don’t move again.” Following his command, I stepped closer. Only this time, I placed my hands on his shoulders and pressed my trembling body into his. He didn’t give me any more orders. In fact, he basically ignored me, so I stayed that way – close to him, where I felt a little bit safer. His Essence felt strong again, flowing with forceful vigor. My heart leapt. I’d been responsible for his quick recovery. No matter how mad he was at me, I’d been right to act.

  Madison’s angry voice started up again. “I can’t believe you’re in this mess. You never should have gone so far into the woods without us. How stupid!”

  “Madison, I don’t have time for this right now. Just tell Max to hurry. The tall guy with the braid is Andrew; he’s an Energy Handler. The short guy, Kieran, I don’t know what his ability is. They have a girl with them who’s not linked, so I don’t know her status. But listen, I’ll do what I can to keep Alex’s identify safe. They have no idea that her Essence is responsible for my quick recovery. I’m trying to convince them into letting her go in exchange for me.”

  “No Jason! She’s not worth it.”

  “Madison, you know she is – a hundred times over, so hurry up.”

  “What do you say? Do you accept my offer?” Jason shouted to Kieran.

  In that instant, e
verything clicked. Jason had been speaking telepathically with Madison. But why I could hear their conversation was a mystery. They were probably…of course, they were linked. That was the connection between them. This…this was the complicated working relationship nobody wanted to talk about. And now, for some reason, he thought because I was an Amethyst, my life was more valuable than his?

  “Here’s the deal,” Kieran shouted with a bemused expression. “And I’m only gonna offer it once, so listen up. Melanie here,” he nodded in the girl’s direction and grinned ruthlessly, “would like to get in some much needed exercise. As you can tell, she’s not linked, so the playing field would be even between her and your Innocent,” he chuckled. “Melanie is willing to give your girl a head start. Say 30 seconds or so. And then…well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see who’s still standing in the end. Meanwhile, I deal with you one on one. None of this surrendering stuff. I like to work for my kill, and ya never know, maybe you’ll take me down.”

  “Not a chance,” Andrew sneered.

  Kieran shrugged and continued, “It’s either that or the three of us go for your girl right here in front of you. You’ll try to protect her, but we have the advantage, and I can guarantee it won’t be pretty.” He unhooked one of his chains and whipped it around in wide circular motions. “So, what do you say?” Folding the chain in half, he smacked it hard against his hand.

  Jason’s next breath was as sharp and instantaneous as mine. His body shuddered, and despair seeped into my bones. If he was feeling defeated, we were surely sunk. Melanie rubbed her hands together, her eyes large with anticipation. Andrew, who’d finally made it to his feet, was leaning against her for support. Kieran watched us with undeniable interest.