by Simone Pond
“Well, I’m not ready for my calling. I just moved to the city. I’m starting a new job tomorrow. And you saw the house, right? It’s falling apart. I need to get that fixed ASAP. I don’t have time to be a Protector of Light.”
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice.”
“I thought all humans had free will.”
He smiled and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Yes, they do.”
And the reality of my situation crash-landed into the pit of my soul. I wasn’t like other humans.
“The Sacred Scroll your parents were protecting has been stolen by the Shadow Order and it needs to be retrieved.”
“Can’t you hunt it down? You seem to have some excellent stalking abilities.”
“That’s not my job. My job is guardianship over you.”
I bust out laughing. “So you’re protecting a Protector?”
“I’m your Guide. My job is to show you the path and be there when you have questions. Think of me as a lamp in the dark.”
“Like the one you smashed outside my window last night?”
He looked away, running his hands over his shaved head. “I did that for your own good. You have to be more careful with your words. Now that you’re twenty-one, things will be different. Very different. There will be demons and warlocks and shifters….”
“Oh, my!” I teased.
“You’re not taking this very seriously.”
“Yeah, yeah. I come from a long line of Protectors and now that I’m twenty-one, evil will be able to track me. I’m thinking if I don’t join the ranks, they won’t have any interest in me. Right?”
“Wrong. You need to learn how to protect yourself. And you’ll need your suit of Armor.”
Oh, yeah. The magical suit of Armor. How could I forget that? My parents had to wear their suits daily, though I never saw what they were talking about because it had been invisible to me.
Ezra continued talking. “The Shadow Order is gaining power. An incredibly powerful demon mage is trying to confederate the various supernatural factions. His name is Cagliostro and he’s by far the most skilled, intelligent, and ruthless of those who have challenged the Monarchy. He’s building an army to go up against us and he’s taken an interest in the Sacred Scrolls and their Protectors. He’s already procured two of the Seven—one from your parents. He will come looking for you.”
After this deluge of information, I stood up. “I’m not sure how to end this ‘call’ but this conversation is over. I’ve stated my case. Take it up with the Monarchy. Tell them until I have my parents back safe and sound, they’re not getting any help from me. Goodbye, Ezra. Click.”
That seemed to do the trick because his presence left my head, leaving behind a hollow space that quickly filled up with a seething cauldron of anxiety. I needed a distraction, and fast. As I left the park, I took out Asher’s card from my back pocket and dialed his number. I was relieved to get his voicemail.
“Um, hi, Asher—this is Fiona. You met me at the coffee shop this morning. The one with the gourmet scones with ingredients from their garden and the specialty coffee that was flown in overnight from Jamaica? Fiona with the house in Pacific Heights?” I wanted to stop and re-record, but my hands were shaking and the only way out of that hell was to keep walking through. I took an enormous oxygen-to-my-brain deep breath. “Look, I need a contractor. Badly. So I’m going to text you my address. Please let me know when you can stop by to look at my place.”
I hung up and quickly texted my address to Asher before I chickened out. Then I stared at my phone for ten minutes, jumping when the screen lit up.
The text from Asher simply read: How about now?
I did a little wiggle dance and let out a squeal. One of the dogs in the park—either a Boston Terrier or a Frenchie—perked its pointy ears and cocked its square head my way. I started typing a way-too-long message, then erased it and simply wrote back: Sure.
Then I ran all the way home and sat on my front steps to wait for Asher.
seven
About ten minutes later, Asher’s big black pick-up truck pulled into my driveway overgrown brush and weeds. He got out and studied the old Victorian like he was sizing it up for a battle, or getting ready to take on a demon—not a real demon, a metaphorical one.
“Looks like I’ll have my work cut out for me….”
“You’re not hired yet,” I teased, trying to keep our flirtatious banter going.
“Why don’t we do a walk-through so I can give you a proper quote?”
I led Asher into the house and let him do his contractor thing. I waited in the living room while he took pictures and spoke notes into his phone. It was nice hearing his voice echoing through the rooms. I had a good feeling about Asher, and not just physically.
He returned to the living room with dust smattered on his clothes and a little dirt on his face. I wanted to rub it off, but the thought of touching him was too surreal. Trying to control my hormones from that point of no return would have been impossible. And I was not about to lose my virginity on a threadbare couch from the early 1900s.
“I’m going to crunch some numbers and send you an email tomorrow. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect. Until we meet again….” I sounded like freaking Scarlett O’Hara, sending Rhett Butler away.
But Asher just shined his winning smile and sauntered out the front door. I waited until he was down the block before I started dancing around the living room with my phone, sharing the day’s happenings with Charlotte, who said she was coming over ASAP.
While I waited for Charlotte to arrive, I dug through the boxes, searching for my folders of decorating notes and ideas. I had stacks of photos, clippings, and color charts. I couldn’t wait to put together some vision boards for the remodel.
Charlotte grumbled when I showed her the folders, but she perked up when I Googled Asher to find a photo. Of course, my phone took forever, giving Charlotte her favorite brand of ammo.
“It’s like dial-up with that old-ass phone. How long have you had it? Is that the first generation? I think we’re up to 7 or 8 now.”
“It’s the 4S. And it works just fine,” I argued.
“Yeah, wake me up when you get his picture.”
Finally, a slew of images displayed on my screen. I nudged her arm, holding my crappy phone out inches from her face. Her big brown eyes lit up with delight.
“Okay, worth the wait,” she said, scrolling through the images. I wasn’t sure if she was referring to how long it took for my phone to pull up the images or losing my virginity.
I snatched my phone back and told Charlotte, “Asher Wells is going to take my virginity.”
“Like I said, he was worth the wait,” she smiled devilishly.
“I’m glad you approve. Would’ve sucked if you didn’t.”
“Approve? I condone it. Let’s make sure these vision boards rock so he thinks you’re amazing. I mean, you are amazing. But let’s make sure it comes through loud and clear.”
After searching through a bunch of musty drawers, I found some rusty scissors and tape, and the two of us got to work on the vision boards as the afternoon sun drifted behind layers of thick fog. I lit a bunch of candles so we could keep working into the evening.
“You realize you’re going to have to keep my sister away from him?”
“I’m not too worried about Lilith. It’s not like she lives in the city. It took you forty-five minutes to get here.”
“But you know how she shows up at the most inopportune times….”
“Doesn’t matter. By the end of summer, I will have lost my virginity.”
Charlotte laughed, rolling on the faded Oriental rug.
“What’s so funny?”
“The end of summer? I’m thinking more like the end of the week.”
We spent the rest of the evening putting together vision boards, drinking red wine, and eating pizza by candlelight. When it was time to go, Charlotte hugged me goodbye and a peculiar bur
st of energy sparked between us.
I jumped back. “Whoa! What was that?”
“What are you talking about?” Charlotte asked.
I had to blink a few times because the candlelight was messing with my vision. For a second, Charlotte’s eyes sparkled with an iridescent pink glow. She blinked and it was gone. I chalked it up to the candlelight and too much red wine.
“I better get to bed. I’m hallucinating,” I joked.
“Sounds like fun. Good luck tomorrow.”
With all the excitement of Asher and the vision boards, I had almost forgotten about—but not really—my first day at Lifting the Fog. I knew I’d never sleep, so I found my sleeping pills and crashed on the antique couch with a pile of clothes on top of me to keep me warm.
***
The next morning, a loud banging on the front door shocked me awake and I fell right off the uncomfortable couch onto the hardwood floor. I wasn’t sure how morning had arrived so fast. Oh, shit—it was Monday morning! I grabbed my phone to check the time as I stumbled to the front door. I had precisely twenty minutes to get to the office.
“Who the hell is banging on my door on a Monday morning?” I peeked through the curtains and stepped back, horrified.
A wretched woman with cracks in her pallid skin, glowing green eyes, and a freaking tail was standing on my front porch. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the effects of the sleeping pill. I knew better than to take those things. I looked again and Lilith—tall, gorgeous, and perfectly-coifed Lilith—was standing with two coffees. Always with the worst timing. Still, I opened the door and let her in. Mostly because I needed that coffee.
“Good morning!” she sang as she stepped into the foyer. She grimaced as she surveyed my living situation. “You’re actually living in this dump?”
I snatched the coffee and took a few gulps before answering her. “I hired a contractor.” That was sort of true. I hadn’t officially hired Asher yet, but I was planning to sign the estimate the second he sent it over. I didn’t care about the price—seeing him on a regular basis would be worth every penny.
“A contractor? That sounds spicy!”
I rolled my eyes and scrambled through my boxes for something to wear. “I’m kinda late, so don’t really have time for chitchat. Why are you in the city this early?”
“Oh, I stayed all weekend.”
“With who?” I buttoned my blouse and put on the same skinny jeans I wore the day before.
“That incredibly hot guy you introduced me to at the club on your birthday. Jared.”
“You mean the guy I was planning to take home?”
She let out a breathy laugh and flipped her blond locks over her shoulder. “Let’s be honest, you couldn’t have brought him back here. I did you a favor.”
Yeah, Lilith to the fucking rescue.
“I’m late, so I’ll see you around.” I shoved her out the front door, fighting back the urge to shove her down the front steps. But the thought made me happy.
“I’m actually staying right down the street,” she said, smiling.
My stomach did one of those triple flips and tied itself into a tight knot. “You’re moving in with Jared?” I practically yelled.
“Oh, no. Please, he was just a weekend boy toy. Good in bed, but no real potential. No, silly Fiona. I’m going to be housesitting for one of my wealthy friends.”
I power-walked up the street to the bus stop, getting sicker to my stomach by the second. The last thing I needed was Lilith living down the street from me when I was trying to score with my hot contractor. The bus was pulling up to the corner of California.
“I’ve gotta catch that. I’ll talk to you later!” I took off running, leaving Lilith behind.
Once I was inside with the doors closed, I felt safe again. I looked at my phone—exactly ten minutes to get to the office. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I rested my head on the window and caught my breath. Instead of thinking about Lilith, I thought about my new job. I would be working for one of the most influential women in journalism, Somer Barrett, so even if Lilith did steal away Asher, at least I’d have a really amazing job.
I took another sip of coffee and noticed a strange flavor. I opened the lid, and inside, rose petals floated along the surface. Rose petals? Why were there rose petals in my Sumatra? I figured Lilith was trying to poison me for my first day of work.
eight
As I rushed up the steps to my new office building, I spotted good old Ezra sitting on top of a mailbox by the front doors. We hadn’t exactly ended our conversation on a good note, and he didn’t seem like the type of Guide that would easily give up. By that point, I knew he wasn’t going to let me off the hook with the Protector business, but I didn’t have time to discuss demonic coups or Sacred Scrolls. I had less than a minute to get inside, so I ignored him and ran straight to the elevator.
When I rushed into the open-space office, none other than Somer Barrett stood by the front desk with her skinny arms crossed against her chest. A shockwave rolled through me—it’s not every day your editor-in-chief greets you. Somer’s glossy black hair was pulled up into a perfect knot, and her makeup was flawlessly applied over her exotic, almond-shaped eyes. She reminded me of Lucy Liu, only much taller.
“Welcome to your first official day at Lifting the Fog,” she said, reaching out to shake my hand.
Suddenly, I was morbidly aware of how shabby I was next to her. My sloppy ponytail. No makeup. But she didn’t seem to care; she just smiled and gave me a firm shake.
“We’re happy to call you a part of the family.”
“Thank you, Ms. Barrett. I’m happy to be here.”
“Please, call me Somer. We’re casual here.”
I nodded and tried to say her name, but my tongue was too thick.
“So, Fiona. I’ve been reading some of the research you did during your internship. I must say, your work is quite impressive.”
“I had great teachers.” I was obviously alluding to my parents because I planned on milking that cow as long as possible.
She nodded sullenly. “Yes, your parents…. It’s a shame about what happened.”
Since most people thought my parents were gone for good, I had to feign some sort of regret. “I believe their words are eternal. I hope to make them proud, wherever they are.” It was a cheesy thing to say, but that was the best I could do. I knew one day the Monarchy would bring them home or I’d find them myself.
“Why don’t we get you started right away? Nothing like jumping right in, I always say.” She led me to a small white Ikea-like desk in the back of the brightly-lit office. It was next to the emergency exit and had a view of a brick wall, but I didn’t mind. It was my first real desk. I pictured writing award-winning stories that would change the world from that tiny nook.
“This is perfect.” I put down my bag and sat quickly because I was still queasy from that poisoned coffee Lilith gave me.
Somer leaned against my desk, ready for business, which thrilled me even though I was about to puke. “I’m familiar with your grandmother’s house that you recently inherited.”
My stomached rumbled again. “How?”
“I know everything about everyone.” She winked.
“You are really good at what you do.” I smiled, trying to enjoy our friendly banter. She wasn’t as intimidating as she looked. She had a nurturing quality to her, something rare in successful women. It was refreshing, and my nerves started to steady.
“I’m thinking for your first assignment, I’d like you to do a piece on historical homes in San Francisco. Thought it’d be fun since you just moved into your grandmother’s house—there’s a lot of history tied into it. You could write the story from that perspective.”
Somer’s eyes gleamed with delight, but I felt like I just got punched in the gut. She wanted me to do a fluff piece? I had so many other areas I wanted to tackle. Who cared about historical homes? Not me.
But I forced a smile. “That’s an interest
ing idea. Did you see my notes on the homeless epidemic? I’d love to dig into that some more, interview some people at city hall. Would like to investigate where the funds are going….”
She held up her hand, cutting me off. “It’s a great idea. I agree. But let’s ease you into the position. See how you do with this first assignment.”
“Sure thing,” I said.
I didn’t want to piss off my editor-in-chief on my first day. I’d do the lame story and prove my worth—then she wouldn’t be able to refuse my real ideas.
nine
Around three o’clock, I checked my phone to find an email from Asher with a quote and a tentative timeline for remodeling the house. I had to do a double take on the price. It’s was so incredibly reasonable that I was sure he must’ve gotten the figures wrong. But instead of doing what I’d normally do—over-research and analyze—I sent him an email telling him he was hired. He responded almost immediately, asking to meet for dinner to discuss my plans so he could draw up a contract. I considered writing back that my plan was seeing him naked in my bed as soon as humanly possible, but I kept it professional and gave him the name of a restaurant close to my house.
I made myself a real cup of coffee and got to work on my story outline. I began scouring the internet for information on property fraud. I took Somer’s idea and kicked it up a notch. I wanted to impress the shit out of her, and prove I could take on the big guns. At the end of the day, I sent a rough outline to Somer, then rushed home to get ready for my “date” with my hot contractor.
***
The restaurant was too packed, so I waited outside for Asher. Of course, Ezra made an appearance, and I stupidly made the mistake of muttering, “I wish you’d stop stalking me.”
The second the words slipped from my mouth, everything around me went silent—no cars or buses zooming by, no laughter or people talking—and I could only see Ezra and those gleaming violet eyes.
“I’m not stalking you.” His voice swam around in my thoughts.
I refused to talk inside my head, so I blurted out, “You show up wherever I am; that’s the definition of stalking.”
