Personal Guardians: Book 2 in the Personal Demons Series

by Rachel A. Collett

  I didn’t have time for guilt.

  25

  Beyond the veil

  “What in the world are we waiting for? We should be gone by now,” Ray said immediately after hearing the details of my conversation with Zane.

  I looked away to the window of the library. The sun was setting and the shadows lengthened across the landscape, blending into the darkening night. I took a deep breath against the desire to scream. Ray’s comments and anxiousness only made it harder to stay in place.

  “If the Annihilator is going to kill her, we have to act now. You moved the veil to transport me here—”

  “Wait. It was moved?” From the moment Zane had been brought from his prison cell he had remained quiet in the far corner of the room, but now excitement infused his voice. “That makes this all the simpler. I can direct the Defender where to go using her… connection. We drive the trucks out, sneak in to the encampment, grab Cheryl, and high-tail it back.”

  “Precisely,” Ray said.

  Darius eyed Zane from the other side of the room, his arms tight across the wide expanse of his chest. “What’s in it for you?”

  Zane threw up his hands. “Listen, man. I know what I did, what I caused to happen, and I know it is more than I can ever make up for, but that doesn’t mean I will ever stop trying. And if I happen to run in to a certain soul-possessing shape-shifter…” His voice trailed off suggestively.

  Fiona cleared her throat, drawing our attention. She picked at the cuticles of her nails. “I don’t know what we are even waiting for.” She spared Darius a pointed glance. “This is what we do, Darius. This is what we’ve always done.”

  “If we wait for Annie to show up on our doorsteps, someone will die for sure,” Elisa said. “This is our best option. What’s even better, she does not expect it.”

  Darius grunted his disapproval. “But moving the veil drained both Laith and Ava. Can we afford for them to be weak?”

  Laith’s brow shot up. “I’ve never been described as weak.”

  “And that’s why we have Healers,” Cedric said, eyeing the damage to the bookshelves. His fingers traced the splintered wood. “Don’t underestimate The Three, Darius, especially since you are a temporary one.”

  Laith placed a hand on Darius’s shoulder. “It’s not ideal, but what we can’t afford is for the Annihilator to have the upper hand. Besides, maybe this time it won’t be as bad. It had been over twenty years since the veil had been moved, and it didn’t have any effect on me when I moved it back, so…” He shrugged as if the matter wouldn’t be a matter at all.

  “If you will open to me”—I shot Darius an accusing glance—“I will show you all that Zane knows. Would that make the move any easier?”

  “It might,” Laith hedged, “but the true test will just be to do it. Hector,” he turned to the new second-in-command of security, who stood with his men at the entryway. “You, Roman, and Noah get everyone ready to go. Give us a fifteen-minute lead, then head out to the border. Brief the members of the mission once they’ve set up. Have them ready to receive us if all goes well, or prepared to fight if this mission fails.”

  Noah nodded once, but Hector’s gaze narrowed at his Herald.

  “With all due respect, sir, Roman and I request to go with you to guard the two traitors and to aid in the retrieval of the Defender’s friend. Noah can get the others prepped. Logan and Gerald have stressed their desire to help and will be capable enough to lead the others to the border with Noah. No one is to engage unless he says, and that will only be when it is necessary.”

  “Very well,” Laith said. “Ray will go with Noah. See that it is done.”

  A wounded expression crossed Ray’s features. “But I want to go. I can fight,” he said.

  Laith rubbed the back of his neck. “I know you can,” he breathed, “but we will need you to get everyone to safety if the sanctuary falls.”

  “Please.” Elisa took Ray by the hand, pleading with her eyes.

  Ray growled his disapproval, but followed Noah to leave. He stopped halfway. “Wait, I forgot.” He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. “I found it. The incantation.”

  “What incantation?” I said.

  “The one…” He went to Laith, placing it in his hand. “The one that will allow mortals to see beyond. It’s simple.”

  Laith cleared his voice and read the incantation. “See what must be seen. Hear what must be heard. Beyond the veil, I seek the truth my senses cannot tell.” He clapped Ray on the back. “Good job, my man. Memorize it, then get it to the others.” He handed the message to Ray. “And thank you.”

  “You’ll have to make this up to him,” Elisa said under her breath as she watched Ray go.

  “I know,” Laith answered.

  When the security team left, Darius turned to Laith, but before he could even voice a concern, Laith interrupted him. “It’s not as if we’ve never done this before. This is what we’ve been doing since the battle for Earth began. You cannot protect Ava from this; this is what she is for.”

  I tsked. “And I do not need your permission.” I went to him and gathered his face into my hands. “I need your help.”

  Darius frowned, the deepening lines making him look a lot older than his immortal age. He took my hands from his face, holding them in his grasp.

  “Fine.” He grunted. “We move the veil a couple of miles outside of the enemy’s camp, as close as we can without detection. Then we go in on foot.”

  “Precisely,” Laith said. “Afterwards, we relocate this sanctuary to the farthest regions of the earth.”

  Elisa took my arm as she passed, pulling me away. “Nothing more than a quick grab and go.”

  My heart accelerated as we entered the courtyard—the center, the heart of the sanctuary—my mind reeling. Hope and fear battled within my chest, constricting my breath. But there was no other option. This plan had to work, or Cheryl would die.

  Darius claimed my hand before the others filed out of the compound. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes dove into mine, searching for something he could not articulate.

  “First, why don’t we see if you can connect with Cheryl. That may make this a lot easier,” Cedric said.

  Closing my mind, I searched for her, but nothing came through. Frustrated I gave up. “Nothing.”

  “She’s probably still under heavy sedation. They will wake her up soon, so pay attention.”

  “Why could I hear her before and not now?”

  “In her semi-lucid moments, she must have called out for help.”

  “But how would she know to call for me?

  “She doesn’t have to call for you, remember? That’s not how this works. God sends us to help his mortals. Cheryl needed help. You heard her call.”

  “Alright. How much will Zane need to show me for this to work?”

  It was Elisa who answered. “It isn’t so much as knowing where it is, but feeling where it is. When a victim would call to your mother, when a victim calls to you, it’s like a homing beacon. A caller-ID. Your power can sense where they are once that call is made, and then we can use the sanctuary’s ability to travel within hyperspace.”

  “Correct,” Laith interjected. He joined the forming circle in the middle of the pitch and took Elisa’s hand. “All Zane needs to do is connect with the shape-shifter, then make a call to you. Show us what you see and we should all be able to direct the veil so it doesn’t completely drain you.”

  Fiona tucked a rogue strand of hair behind my ear. “Remember. The sanctuary is an actual entity. Speak to it as you would a friend. Open to it. Let it know your desire to find your friend. It will listen.”

  I nodded, turning to watch as Roman guided Violet through the double doors. She looked about her, admiring.

  “I’ve always loved these columns.” Her fingers skimmed the brick surface. “Everything’s just as I remembered.”

  Hector and Zane followed, Hector keeping a knife to Zane’s back. I not
iced that Roman didn’t hold a weapon on Violet, possibly trusting her affection for me to keep her contained. I wondered if I should tell him that of the two traitors, Violet was by far the more dangerous one. Maybe even the most powerful entity within the compound at the moment.

  Hector walked Zane to stand in front of me. “I am ready, Defender,” he said. Closing his eyes, his soul opened to me and I entered. Once there, I pushed my awareness out, enveloping the others.

  I heard someone gasp in shock and I made a conscious attempt to seal off their thoughts. Darius’s attentions were distracting enough as they all seemed to focus on one point. Me. I blushed crimson, more than happy to give everyone their privacy while letting them see what I saw.

  Zane dove into his subconscious, searching for the darkness that still lingered in the recesses of his thoughts. It wasn’t hard to find—the contact had been too recent to be so quickly erased.

  The black, shadowed figure—the soul of the shape-shifter, moved freely about his mind, a trail of inky filth following in his wake. I could sense Zane’s hesitancy at making the connection again, but before I could even comfort him, he reached out, passing a hand through the dark form of the demon.

  And then we were there.

  The shape-shifter walked the outskirts of the small village, his bare feet shuffling through the dirt, kicking up dust. He grumbled his frustration at being forced to do such a menial task. This job was for someone much lower ranking than himself. Someone far less important.

  We followed him as he continued his quick survey of the village border. He briefly scanned the area around the homes he passed, if you could even call them that. The shanties leaned either to the right or the left, had no windows or doors to support their pathetic frames and no carpet to cushion his weary head.

  The shape-shifter rolled his eyes. None of these so-called shacks had any basic comforts, except for one.

  As though drawn to it, the creature moved down the dark alleyway to the only solid infrastructure. His finger grazed the blue crackled paint of the rusted door and he leaned a cheek against the frame.

  Oh, what he could do to the woman’s mind if she would only allow him in.

  I inhaled sharply, withdrawing from Zane’s soul.

  “I found her.”

  “How did you do that?” Fiona’s voice was strained.

  I looked around me to my friends. They stared back at me, shock etched upon their faces.

  “I opened to you,” I said. The muscles between my eyes pulled together.

  “You opened to all of us,” she explained.

  “I told you she was strong.” Darius stepped down to the pitch. “We’re running out of time. If we do this, we do this now.”

  As the others joined him, I grabbed Elisa’s hand, stopping her. “I don’t get it. Why was Fiona upset?”

  Elisa shook her head. “Not upset, exactly.” She gave me a sideways glance, her brows raised. “Your mother was never able to do that—open to more than one at a time. Each of us has our own special powers given by God. We are finding that you have been given the same abilities as your mother, but you seem to have been given… more.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “Who knows. We have been so long without a Defender. Maybe He’s making up for lost time.” The corners of her mouth twitched upward into a weak smile.

  I took my place by Darius. My friends completed the circle, grasping hands with their mate and the person next to them. The others stood behind, watching with wide eyes.

  Again, Darius’s touch sent chills zinging through my body.

  “We know Cheryl is within the vicinity, maybe only a few hours away by car, so it shouldn’t be much of a strain,” Laith said.

  “In theory,” Elisa clarified, clearing her throat. “But if everyone focuses their energy on the place Ava showed us, this should be a piece of cake.”

  Despite her efforts to calm my nerves, they spiked to a frightening level. Darius squeezed my sweaty hand.

  Laith began to whisper in Chords, and this time, the others joined.

  I listened closer, trying to make out the words I had yet to be taught. I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching every muscle in my body, and envisioning the hut with the blue rusted door.

  My breath tightened as the sand beneath my boots vibrated with energy. My body swayed, the sanctuary careening to its destination. My head grew light and my legs threatened weakness, but I remained standing when our world slowed to a stop.

  I could swear Darius’s face was as green as mine, but I didn’t tell him as much. Knowing him, he would deny the sickness threatening at his stomach but make me lie down to rest.

  Fiona pawed at me, scanning my eyes. “How are you feeling, my niece?”

  I gently pushed her hand away. “I’m fine.”

  “So much for your piece of cake.” Cedric slid his fingers down his face. “I feel like I just stepped off a rollercoaster.”

  Laith shrugged. “But it was easier as a combined unit, and at least we are mobile again. When we become the complete Three, I would assume the veil to move as smoothly as it once did.”

  My stomach flipped over. Even if we did come out of this alive, I would still have to select a Guardian, and even more daunting… a mate.

  Darius tugged at my hand. “Let’s move out.”

  We sped along the dirt path toward the archaic archway and the veil. Inside the truck, Darius avoided my gaze, his focus on hidden dangers elsewhere, but the others constantly peered over and gave me nods of encouragement. No one wanted to say it, but we were very likely heading to our deaths.

  A wave of sickness hit, but I swallowed my anxiety and grasped my mother’s pendant for support.

  The trucks peeled to a stop yards before the stone archway.

  I watched my compound warriors and family. The moon gave light to the encampment but the dark hid the anxiety growing. On the outside, they looked battle-ready in black combat clothes. Elisa’s steely gaze was foreign compared to her usual disposition; Fiona lethal and half-wild. The men wore matching stoic expressions as they assessed their gear, examining weapons and testing equipment.

  Fiona handed me an earpiece and clipped a microphone to my shirt. Once again, I went under surveillance as she tugged against the strap on my waist and thigh. Darius maintained a silent sentinel by my side, his demeanor calm as his Healer inspected his original work. After she was satisfied my weapons were sharp, her fingers went to my hair. Dragging it to the side, she quickly and expertly braided it, securing it at the end. Reaching behind me, she tugged at my mother’s chain, pulling it from my turtleneck. She tapped the black stone. “That is a weapon as well as a powerful talisman.” She nodded her approval and moved to inspect Zane.

  Violet watched me, her eyes ever curious. “Come speak with me, my Defender,” she called.

  Hesitant at first, I looked to Darius, but he avoided my gaze. I wondered if he was bothered that I had been a witness to his one-track train of thought—but then again, he had warned me he would become obsessive over me. Was this a part of his calling?

  Violet opened her arms when I came near, but I stopped short of her embrace. “You look nervous,” she said, lowering them back to her side.

  “I am.” I toyed with the handle of my knife in my pocket.

  “It will be okay, my darling,” she soothed.

  My mouth opened and closed. My heart twisted into a painful knot. Roman and Hector looked away, unease thick upon their faces.

  My brows constricted as I regarded my mother’s demon. Set inside my compound nemesis, Violet had practically made me forget the harsh feelings I had to the person she held hostage. I should be upset that a demon now resided in Charlotte—furious as the others of the residents seemed to be…

  But I wasn’t.

  Charlotte came to the sanctuary as a spy years before and now wanted to retreat into the arms of the one that sent her to kill me and my friends. Violet was an improvement over Charlotte.

  Despite th
e natural warning that should have been there, I grasped Violet’s hand. “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to come,” I said urgently, speaking to both Violet and Charlotte.

  Violet smiled, drawing my hand to her cheek. “It’s worth it.” And then she inhaled the skin at my palm. I pulled away, almost rudely, but she didn’t seem to mind. “Besides,” she continued, “it’s been a while since I got to play a little. It should be fun.” She smiled and the sight of it on her host made me uncomfortable enough to move away.

  Darius arrived at my side. Adrenaline spiked as we marched to the edge of the sanctuary and my gaze adjusted to the new sight awaiting us.

  Instead of a beautiful landscape of orchards, there was a large uneven field where crops may have grown at one time or another. Clouds gathered together in thick masses. My eyes narrowed at the building storm that would either help in our efforts or hinder them.

  Darius handed me binoculars to view the darkened neighborhood on the opposite side, with homes no bigger than a small shed, and with even less strength to them. Some were lucky to be made of large gray brick, but most were either odd sizes of nailed wood or corrugated sheets of metal. Cramped together with barely a space big enough to walk through, they leaned upon one another for support.

  No wonder the Annihilator had been able to take over such a run-down area. The residents were far removed from society and the poverty was so high. It wouldn’t require much to overpower any resistance.

  A single dirt road led through the village, lined with water barrels, bales of hay, weeds the size of bushes, and gathered trash. The wind blew through the street, kicking up a crumpled newspaper, but other than that, the area was still.

  Laith cleared his throat. “We are working with a lot more players than we’re used to. That complicates things, but you know the drill. Ava, follow Darius’s lead and stay close to him. He is your Guardian. Position yourselves on the outside of the neighborhood on the east side of the main road. Roman and Zane, the other side. Zane, watch your shape-shifter. Ava, stay open to Zane and Cheryl. Alert us of any change.”