She stopped speaking, folding her arms over her chest. A deep sadness filled her countenance.
“They are killed?” I finished for her.
She nodded, confirming my suspicion. “Dr. Maynes is the only surviving descendent of Fiona and Cedric. Due to his completely rational fear of the outside world, he rarely leaves the compound and when he does, he travels with heavy security. The others have reasonably sought their independence, but each of them has been hunted down and killed.”
“By whom?”
One eyebrow shot up as Elisa held me with a knowing look.
“The Annihilator.” I breathed, anger rising to my face.
“She is the main culprit, but they are hunted by demons and humans alike.”
“Humans? I thought we were here to protect them. Why would they kill your kids?”
“Because humanity has a history of destroying what they don’t understand. What they fear. This can make it… difficult to help them at times. We are not perfect. Each of my children’s deaths is just one of the dark marks on the history of The Three, and it is incredibly difficult to talk about them. Your mother knew more about dark marks than even I did.”
“My mother?”
“Sometimes I’m not sure if it’s wise to tell you so much, but I understand that it’s your right to know. Just know that this is not something we talk about easily. Your father was your mother’s second mate.”
My head twitched. A memory flashed into my mind. When I was watching over Benjamin in the hospital, Dad had told me my mother was married before. He had called him obsessive and controlling.
When I could do nothing more than gawk, she continued. “Nikolaos was her first Guardian. The Three are not perfect—heaven knows we try to be the best we can, but he was seduced by the other side and left. At first, we were unsure of how they got to him, but now we can only guess that the Annihilator had something to do with it. Your mother searched for him, but when she felt his essence disappear, we knew he had been killed.
“The Annihilator is a new player for us. We didn’t even know she existed until then. She keeps her work mostly in the dark, only surfacing when she gets the chance at something big. When she killed your mother, she did it so everyone would know who had triumphed over God’s chosen Defender. It was a great victory for her, and something that earned her enormous respect from other demons, pulling their allegiance away from her mate. It was a political strategy. She gained over a third of the Destroyer’s followers. More switch sides every day, and her power only gets stronger.”
“Which is why she needs to die.” My voice rumbled within my chest.
Elisa’s wary gaze shot over to me, but I ignored the angst in her eyes.
I needed information. I needed to talk to Jonathan. “None of this seems possible,” I said. “None of this sounds real.”
She picked up the sketch of my mother from off my nightstand. “After your father took you away, we spent years searching, but our efforts were always divided with that of our true callings. We use our gifts to guide us according to God’s will, but then He trusts us to do the rest and to do it well. Just recently, we were led to Arizona—”
Where they had met me and quickly became my best friends.
“Laith and I sensed you had suffered much in your young life, but you were so closed off, we knew we had to tread softly. We recognized darker forces moving in, but watched to see if you could handle them on your own or would require assistance. The night I witnessed you defend yourself in the parking lot was when I realized the battle was already raging—when I realized you were different from all other mortals.”
She paused. Mesmerized by my mother’s picture, she began to whisper.
“It’s amazing just how much you look like both your father and your mother. It’s almost as if they somehow chose the best parts of themselves to give to you, throwing all the rest away. I’m shocked and a little disappointed it took me so long to see it.” She held the sketch out to me, placing the frame in my hands. “There’s no going back, Ava Matthias. You belong to her world now.”
7
Too Familiar
I belonged to her world now. Rachel Matthias’s world of Defenders and Demons.
A world that made no sense at all, but only because I held too tightly to the one I was raised to know… a world that was a lie.
I patrolled my room, waiting impatiently for sunrise, to escape the gloom that surrounded me. I could not rest and was even more uncertain if I would ever sleep again.
How had the demons entered?
A traitor had let them in—that was the consensus from the others in my new reality—but who would do such a thing?
I stopped my pacing and pressed against my temples and the headache that had yet to ease.
I had done such a thing. I had let in my demon on the very first night awake in the compound, but it had been an accident… at least I believed so. And I had done it without trading places.
Call him. Call your personal demon.
But was that the safest thing to do? I questioned the voice.
I studied the boarded window, the damage the demon had left behind in his wake. It might not be the wisest of suggestions, but I needed answers.
“Jonathan.”
Barely more than a whisper, I meekly called to him, feeling foolish. When nothing happened, I tried again, only louder.
“Jonathan, where are you?”
“I am here, my Ava,” he replied.
I inhaled sharply, spinning on the spot. Jonathan stood directly behind me, so close that I fought against the instinct to pull away, but my pendant gave me no warning, no indication that he was a threat… at the moment, at least.
His eyes devoured me. The same longing intensity burned in his gaze, but another emotion flickered within.
“How did you get in here?” I asked, noticing he wore only sweatpants and a tank top.
“You’re alright.” He reached out both hands as if to grab my arms, but didn’t touch me as he scanned every inch of my body. “You’re not hurt,” he confirmed, but his voice still held doubt.
“Yes, Jonathan. I’m fine now,” I said, surprised by his concern.
His gaze narrowed. “You’re fine now? What happened?”
I gave him the account of the evening, grazing over the details of my healing from Fiona. By the time I had finished, Jonathan looked murderous. His muscled chest rose and fell with his accelerated breath. He cracked the knuckles of his fists.
His voice rumbled threateningly. “The assassin. Describe him to me.”
“It was dark, but most of what I remembered was his size. I’ve never seen anyone so large. Shaved head and a tattoo down the right side of his neck.”
“Good enough. Unless he disposes of his host, he shouldn’t be too hard to locate.” He paced my room just as I had moments before.
“You have a traitor in your sanctuary,” he said.
“We know, but how did you?”
He paused to peer at me. “I am forced to live amongst the most treacherous of traitors and tyrants. It is not difficult to spot one, or their methods.”
“Do you know who it is?”
“The traitor? No.”
“Do you know who tried to assassinate me?”
“Not yet,” he growled. “But I will find him. I can promise you that.”
His brows pinched together as he observed me. He scowled, his gaze severe and menacing.
I waited for him to speak, but after several moments I wondered if he were seeing me at all. Breaking the silence, I broached the subject that had lingered in the back of my mind since the attack.
“Jonathan, you—you saved my life. I would be dead if you hadn’t woken me.”
His head twitched, forcing himself back to the present. “Your point?”
“Why?” I asked.
“Why, what?”
I wrapped my arms around my waist as he regarded me. “Why did you save me? Less than a month ago, you tried to
kill me.”
One side of his lips tilted as he considered me. “I’m surprised you don’t know by now.”
“Know what?” What else could I have missed in this new reality of mine?
He paced again, walking a circle around me. His focus traveled down the length of my wavy hair, my floral silk robe, my bare legs. I refused to turn, refused to be intimidated by his scrutiny.
His whispered voice was suddenly at my ear and my breath caught, shocked by his undetected closeness.
“You are mine, Ava. You are my human, just as much as I am yours.”
Against every rational thought, every taught instinct, my body reacted wildly to his claim upon me. The flesh on my neck ached to be touched by his lips hovering so close. Nervously, I rubbed away the sensation, pretending displeasure.
He merely laughed at my response and moved a pace away. “To encroach upon another demon’s property without permission is looked down upon.”
“I’m your property now?”
One brow rose impishly. “To others of my kind, yes.”
He pushed his hands into the pockets of his sweat pants. His powerful arms drew my attention, but only briefly.
I sighed, looking away.
“You’re telling me demons have rules they have to follow?” I asked, crossing the space of my room to sit on the edge of my bed.
He merely shrugged. “Not necessarily. There is only one rule we must follow and that is to our leader, but there is a code of conduct, if you will, and there are consequences for those unwilling to comply.”
“And what are those consequences?” I asked.
His look went steely cold. A shiver traced up my spine, and I understood immediately what was waiting for this demon when Jonathan found him. Death.
Did I pity the demon? Not at all, but the idea made me uncomfortable enough that I changed the subject.
“How did you get in my room?” I asked yet again.
“You summoned me, did you not?”
“But there is a veil placed over the compound. You shouldn’t have been able to get in without… well, without…”
“Without a blessing upon me. Yes, I know.” He chuckled at the remark.
“Then how are you here, Jonathan?”
“I’m so surprised how little they have told you. Then again, I really doubt they could’ve guessed you already had your very own demon.”
He reached for me and I froze, waiting for the burning of flesh, the pain inflicted by his unnatural touch. I grimaced, but when his palm came to rest upon my cheek I sensed nothing more than a mere tingling as his hand passed through my face and down my body. Jonathan’s hand dropped to his side. My eyes grew large.
“Are you not real?” I whispered, although I wasn’t sure why. “Am I imagining this?” Had I fallen asleep? But even in my dreams Jonathan’s touch was painful, if to a lesser degree. I grasped for his shoulder, but my fingers experienced the same prickly sensation—as if my hand had fallen asleep—and nothing more.
“Oh, I’m real. When you summon me, Ava, I must come to you. While our bond remains, you command me. But in your sanctuary, I am not a physical presence. I am only an entity without material form. Sadly, I cannot touch you, nor can I go where you are not. While I can witness what is around me, this room of yours, and that amazing wrap that barely covers you, the location of your compound is still veiled, and no one but you can see me unless we want others to. I am, in a sense, here and not here.”
“So, the others in the compound could have their own personal demons?”
“I suppose so, but it’s highly unlikely. They are lesser humans. Lesser demons are the ones that attend to them. As I have said before, you are different. I knew you were special. From the moment I saw you.”
I shook my head, not wanting to remember.
“Jonathan, there is a reason I summoned you. The other day there was a dead body found outside the borders, and now this attack… I need to know if the Annihilator is the orchestrator.”
“Undoubtedly. While the Destroyer has lifted the ban on you, demons may attack you at will. It’s not, however, his focus. I know nothing about the body at the border, but Annie’s attention—”
I interrupted. “Annie?”
“Yes.” He smiled at my confusion. “We don’t know her real name, but to seem as menacing as the Destroyer, she gave herself a title she thought would incite fear upon the mere mention. She came up with the Annihilator, but it is so long and tedious to say.” He waved a careless hand, moving to sit next to me on the bed. “Annie’s attention is on gaining followers, and to do so, she needs to show her strength. What better way to do that than to kill The Three? She’s already succeeded with one of your deaths.”
“My mother,” I growled. And while she was not the one that directly killed my father, it was because of her that he had gone into hiding and had made a deal with the Destroyer. “She needs to die.”
“I agree. And now the Guardian is dead as well. This is only speculation, but I am guessing she understands that there must always be The Three. But the replacements”—Jonathan looked me over with a measuring eye—“are not of the same caliber until they are trained, and that takes time. If she can kill the original Three, the proxies would be simple to destroy, over and over again, throwing off the natural balance of good versus evil. This has already been proven. Since you’ve been gone, hidden by your father, she was able to promote this idea to many followers.”
“But the traitor can’t be a demon. It would have to be a human.”
“I can only assume she has found a sympathizer, someone that she can manipulate. It’s not uncommon for one of our kind to seduce a human to do our will, my love.” He smiled in a way that made my heart flip, not that I would ever admit it. “I will gather more information from my world, but you must seek out the wolf in your lair.”
I nodded my agreement.
“Also, go to your borders. There are demons from both sides that wait just outside. While they can’t see your sanctuary, they know it’s nearby. Question them, see what you can get, and don’t go alone.”
“Why don’t you do it?”
He smiled. “They will know me and my allegiances. You, on the other hand, might be able to get more from them, especially if you wear that.” He lay on his side, his head propped on his hand, biceps bulging.
“And why are you dressed like that?” I asked. “Still trying to seduce me?”
He laughed out loud and I had to remind myself that no one would be able to hear him. “Ava, this body is flesh and blood. While I do not need sleep, this form does. It is currently resting, as you should be.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. He was not the owner of the body he filled. Did that person still exist inside? I stood up, turning to meet his gaze. “I’ll call you when I’ve learned more. Until then, I’m going to ask you to leave.”
“As you wish,” he murmured before disappearing from sight.
By the time I left my room to meet Darius, rays of daylight had finally broken through the gloomy sky. As the sun rose above the horizon, I warmed to the exchange, to the long-awaited transition from darkness to light. The once obscured atmosphere transformed into lovely shades of peach and pink, wisps of clouds into a beautiful desert orange that reminded me of Arizona. Mesmerized by the breathtaking palette of color, I didn’t see Darius until he leaped from his post atop a nearby planter.
“Oh, good. You’re dressed appropriately,” he said as he inspected my appearance, from my tank top to my new training shoes. His approval was almost kind.
“Oh, good. You’re not naked,” I shot back, nearly earning a smile.
“And your knife?”
He eyed my skimpy running shorts as if doubting it was possible to carry anything in them. I reached back and unzipped the hidden pocket in the waistband. I showed him my father’s blade and replaced it. He sniffed, unimpressed, then set off into a run. I pushed my legs to catch up.
It had been a while since I
had exercised like this. The last time was with Cheryl, and my heart dropped at the thought. I missed her and her calming presence. I sighed, releasing a heavy-hearted breath and the memory that hampered my already downtrodden spirits.
Following Darius’s lead, we headed east, near the fenced-off farmland. Workers had risen early and were tilling the soil of the land. Several stopped in their work to watch us. Some waved and I called out to them in greeting. Passing by a two-story barn, I tried to glimpse inside the large opened doors, but Darius changed directions, running west along a flat embankment between fields. The crunch of the dirt underneath my shoes calmed my over-excited mind and pushed me to keep going. Darius slowed to allow me to run next to him.
“Where’s Charlotte?” I asked, curious as to why his lovely girlfriend hadn’t joined us.
He angled his head toward me, giving me a look. “Resting.”
“Still?”
His brows pinched together as he puffed. “And you still don’t get it, do you? You are the Defender. You will be stronger, faster, and quicker to heal. Fiona didn’t let you rest because she didn’t want you to believe that you needed it. Charlie, on the other hand, must.”
“Oh.” I breathed. “For how long?”
And while I felt bad for it, I couldn’t help but be pleased that I might be able to avoid her pointed stares and heated comments for just a bit more.
Again, his eyes narrowed at me and I wonder if he could sense my excitement. “I don’t know. Thankfully her injuries were simple and Charlotte is stubborn. My guess is she will only need until tonight, maybe even tomorrow before she’s back up again.”
My gut twisted. “Good.”
Well that just sucked. It twisted even more as I attempted to gather my wits about me for my next question.
“Darius, could it have been Charlotte that traded places with the assassin?”
He huffed out a breath. “Ava, yes, Charlie hates you, but she’s not a killer. She has an alibi and a witness.”
Personal Guardians: Book 2 in the Personal Demons Series Page 9
