The man rolled his eyes, then looked at her. “We have five minutes to get you out of here. You can have panties when you leave or not, I don’t really care. But when the demons show up, we’re leaving.”
She stopped arguing and tossed the clothes in the bag, watching as they disappeared. She added her toiletries as well, and he scooped up the bag. Why was he here for her? Was he part of some federal organization picking up its former staff to combat these things? Fighting horned monsters wasn’t in any part of her training, so she doubted that was it. A small cry escaped her lips when a loud crash from downstairs interrupted the silence.
“Time to go,” he said, looping the strap over his shoulder.
Before she could protest, he was at her side with his arm around her waist.
“This will be… uncomfortable,” he said.
And then, everything vanished.
Chapter 11
Seraphina
Uncomfortable was not the word she would have chosen. Blackness enveloped her, and it felt like her spine was being pulled up through her throat. When the world stopped spinning, the man’s arm still circled her waist. She pushed him away and opened her eyes, only to fall to her knees and empty her stomach onto the ground. She took a deep breath and threw up again. After four more episodes, she sighed, digging her fingers into the hot sand.
“Where am I?” she whispered.
The sound of soft footfalls drew her attention to the black boots approaching her. She rolled back on her heels, and the man knelt next to her, revealing a dusty, black t-shirt tucked into his equally dirty blue jeans. He handed her a handkerchief, his deep, blue eyes boring into hers.
“I’ll give you a few minutes before we move again,” he said but didn’t back away from her.
She wiped the vomit and sweat from her face, grateful for his thoughtfulness but not yet willing to voice it. She looked at her surroundings, and her eyes widened in surprise. A deserted beach stretched forever to either side of her, and the ocean waves lapped lazily against it.
“Who are you? Where are we and how did we get here?” she asked.
“I don’t think you’re ready for those answers,” he replied.
She looked at him, really looked at him, and her chest started to burn. He was maybe twenty-five years old, with light brown hair, and a square jaw. His wide shoulders blocked out the sun behind him. His blue eyes stared back at her, and she realized her hand had gone to her chest, covering the pain pulsing there.
“I didn’t think so,” he said when she didn’t respond. He rose and looked down at her. “We need to make one more jump when you’re ready.”
She shook her head, trying to sort out the pain and emotion raging through her. He was the reason for the pain in her chest. The thought scared her, but she knew it to be true. Just as she knew the sun rose in the east, and Julie was her daughter.
“I need answers,” she managed to say after a few more seconds.
“You’ll get answers,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “I just don’t think I should be the one to give them to you.”
She put her hand in his and fire surged through her. She tried to pull her hand free, but the darkness took her again.
She found herself on her knees, heaving her empty stomach onto the floor once more. Only this time, the floor had a weird, glowing star painted on it. It pulsed every time she left an unpleasant puddle. She rolled back onto her butt and leaned against the conveniently placed stone wall behind her. A small feminine hand held a wet cloth in front of her nose.
“Thank you,” Sara said, then looked up at her visitor.
Her eyes widened in disbelief when she recognized her friend, Eva. Or a really young version of her. Sara pushed herself to her feet as she stuttered. “Eva? Is it really you? What are you doing here?”
Eva pulled her into a hug. “It’s really me, and I’m glad Darian brought you to us.”
Sara’s emotional dam broke, and tears soaked her friend’s shoulder. Eva held her for several minutes before gently pushing her back. Sara’s mind raced. How was Eva here? Where was here? Why did she look so young?
“We need to let someone come in and clean up the portal,” she said. “Others will be arriving soon.”
“Oh, my.” Sara covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry!”
“It’s okay,” Eva replied with a sad smile. “Everyone reacts the same way on their first few trips. You’ll get used to it.”
Eva led her away from the stone chamber and down a narrow hall that opened into a larger room. This one was totally different from the last. Old maps framed in glass covered the stone walls, and tall open windows separated the maps, allowing a cool breeze to circulate through the space. An enormous table ran down the middle of the room, and two dozen faces stared at her in silence. Most of them were covered in the same fine dust as her rescuer. The man at the head of the table cleared his throat, and Sara turned to him. His long, blond hair hung around his shoulders, draping across the once navy-blue shirt hanging on his frame.
“Seraphina, welcome to Santuario,” he said softly, a British accent barely detectable as he spoke.
She stood there, stunned. Who were these people and how did he know her real name? Everyone called her Sara, even Eva.
“Please take a seat. A great deal has been revealed to us in the last few hours.” He motioned towards the opposite end of the table. “I wish we had more time to get you acclimated, but that will not be the case.”
Eva guided her towards one of the two empty chairs, and Sara frowned as her rescuer stood, pulling out the chair next to him. He refrained from touching her, but the pain in her chest flared once again regardless. She noticed him wince as he returned to his seat. It was definitely his fault.
She started to ask a question, but the blond-haired man’s voice silenced her.
“It appears that every major city across the globe was attacked with multiple bombs,” he began. “Two hours after the explosions, the same cities received an electromagnetic pulse rendering all electronic technology useless.” He pulled his fingers through his hair, and billows of dust cascaded onto the table. He curled his lip and continued. “The loss of life from the explosions was extensive, but incapacitating the local hospitals has caused even more deaths. Lives that could have been saved with today’s technology have no hope.”
The familiar sound of a HAM radio crackled in the brief silence, and Sara turned towards the noise. A man with short, dark hair crouched over an old model radio turning the dials slowly. It screeched again then a deep voice boomed into the space.
The dark-haired man turned to the group with an excited grin. “Got it!” He pressed the button on the ancient microphone and started speaking what Sara thought was Spanish.
She leaned towards Eva and whispered, “Can you understand what he’s saying?”
“Yes, they’re talking about the devastation caused by the explosions in Rio,” Eva replied quietly.
“Rio?”
“Rio de Janeiro,” Eva said. “We’re in Brazil.”
Sara’s hands trembled. Why was she in Brazil, and how did this man know so much about what happened? Who was the tall man who rescued her, and why her? Panic and confusion washed over her in waves. Several deep breaths later, her heart still raced.
She looked around the table at the group of people surrounding her. Most were watching the dark-haired man on the radio, but several looked at her. An Asian woman with a small face and delicate features smiled at her. Sara tried to smile back but failed. Next to the Asian lady sat another woman. Her long, blond hair fell across her shoulder in a tight braid. Her blue eyes stared deeply into Sara’s, and a wave of calm and reassurance washed over her. Something her breathing technique failed to do. Was this more magic, or was this her mind playing tricks on her?
Several men filled the next seats, but they all listened intently to the conversation on the radio, except for one. His light brown hair was coated in the same fine dust as everyone else, along with
his well-trimmed beard. The corners of his mouth twitched and rose into a smile. He winked at her and turned back towards the radio. Why would he wink at her? And how could he smile at a time like this?
Another woman sat next to him, but her large frame was in total opposition to the other two females. Her short, spiked hair was covered in muddy clumps, and streaks of dirt caked her bare neck. The woman’s gaze darted between Sara and her rescuer.
Silence filled the room, and Sara realized everyone was staring at her once more.
“I didn’t understand any of that,” Sara said, her voice higher than normal. She barely controlled her panic and shock. “Can someone explain what’s happening and why I’m here?”
“Let’s start with introductions,” the blond man at the head of the table said. “I’m Mikel, the leader of the Council.” He motioned towards her rescuer. “Darian is seated next to you, and you already know Eva. The woman on my right is Aneera, next to her is Magdelin. The man in the corner with the radio is Raphael. And our last team leader is Adalina.” The woman with short, spikey hair smiled. “They can introduce the rest of the team when we have more time. Raphael, explain to Sara what we just learned.”
Mikel sat back in his chair, and Sara noticed a tiredness about him she didn’t see before. Raphael moved away from the radio and stood behind the blonde lady with the kind eyes whose name Sara had already forgotten.
“Several theories are floating around regarding the EMP. They believe there were numerous pulses on each continent, rendering our technology useless. Hundreds of commercial jets were spared from the first pulse, but without air traffic control to guide them, many were lost to mid-air collisions or failed landings.”
Tears welled in Sara’s eyes once more. She’d managed to suppress her fears until now, and they threatened to overwhelm her. Did her husband’s plane land safely? Did her daughter survive the bombings in Baltimore? She considered asking, but they probably had no more answers than she.
“So, he’s intent on destroying humanity, isn’t he?” the bearded man asked.
“It would appear so, Stephen,” Mikel replied. “He had several layers of destruction planned this time.” His gaze turned to the Asian woman next to him, and Sara thought she saw affection in his eyes.
“Have we seen Orin or Victoria yet?” Darian asked from beside her.
“No, so we have to assume their role in this is yet to come.”
An eerie silence settled amongst the group. Sara absorbed the small amount of information, and anger replaced some of her fear.
“So, you know who did this?” Sara asked. “And you didn’t stop him?”
“We suspect it is the same demon who has plagued us for centuries,” Mikel answered. “But this time, he hid his plans well. We had no idea the attack was coming.”
“If you know who he is, then why haven’t you done something about him before now?” Sara snapped.
She looked around the table as rage replaced her grief. These people knew who created this chaos and did nothing to stop it. The demons weren’t alien to them like they were to the rest of the world. But why include her in this briefing? If she hadn’t seen the monsters on the TV, she would’ve thought these people were crazy. Except she couldn’t, not after her skip across the continents with Darian. Her mind whirled, and she pressed her palms against her temples. Did they think she would sit here and listen without reacting?
“There is so much you don’t know, my dear,” Mikel’s eyes softened and drifted to Darian for a second. “This would have been easier had you come to us years ago.”
She heard Darian growl next to her, stopping the sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue.
“I realize I’m to blame for her ignorance, but I will not apologize for refusing to drag her away from those she loved.”
What did they mean she should’ve joined them years ago? Did her rescuer just defend her or his decision to keep her ignorant? But ignorant of what? And what did he mean by ‘loved’ in the past tense? Did he already know her family was lost? Surely, not.
Her body shook as a wave a heat surged through her. She heard Darian’s chair scrape the floor next to her, and when she turned to look at him, blue flames danced along his arms. Small hands grasped her shoulders, and a cooling sensation ran through her. What the hell is that? Did his arms just catch on fire? She couldn’t pull her eyes away from the small blue flames racing along his skin.
“I’ll take her,” a soft feminine voice said from behind her. “Darian, keep your emotions in check. She is not yet strong enough for that.”
Sara was pulled to her feet and led from the room. She heard the conversation become animated as she left. Eva and the kind blond woman, whose name Sara still couldn’t remember, led her out of the meeting and into the stone hallway. They remained silent as they passed through an enormous set of wooden doors.
Sara’s breath caught in her throat as she emerged into a sunlit courtyard. The sweeping steps at her feet ended at paving stones placed in a herringbone pattern. Five streets branched off the courtyard in front of her. She stumbled down the steps, turning to look at the building she just exited. She fell backwards, landing hard on her tailbone but barely noticing the pain. A white stone tower hovered over her. Strange patterns etched in its surface reflected the sun’s rays, creating an entrancing pattern of light that almost felt alive.
She couldn’t move from her place on the warm walkway. Hundreds of thoughts flitted through her mind at once, but even so, Sara recognized she was in shock again. How could she not be? Her eyes rolled back into her head, and darkness replaced the bright sun.
Chapter 12
Seraphina
Sara awoke in a soft bed covered by a thin sheet that smelled of freshly washed linen. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but her body ached everywhere. A soft moan escaped her lips, and she fell back against the pillow behind her. A warm breeze caressed her face, and she looked towards the open window across the room from her bed. Thin, peach-colored sheers billowed away from the opening, then settled back into place. A tall armoire stood between the window and the door, its dark wood contrasting against the sand-colored paint on the wall.
Darian stood in the doorway with his arms crossed against his chest.
“How do you feel?” he asked, his tone expressionless.
“Like I’ve been kicked by a horse,” she replied. “I don’t remember any horses, only you and a strange group of people covered in dirt and sweat.”
“I am not responsible for your current discomfort,” he replied, leaning against the doorframe.
“You seem to use that word inappropriately,” Sara snapped. “Whatever you did to get me here cannot be described as discomfort.” She motioned towards her mid-section and gasped as she realized someone changed her clothes. “And the pain I’m experiencing now is a great deal more than uncomfortable. Who changed my clothes and why? What am I wearing?” She looked at the extra-large t-shirt draped over herself, and then at Darian. “Is this yours?”
His lips twitched. “I would assume so,” he replied. “Magdelin was too distracted to look in your bag for your clothes. I could have, but I assumed you wouldn’t want me digging around in your personal things.”
“Why was it necessary to change my clothes?” she asked, her voice rising, remembering the fire racing across his skin in the meeting room.
“The ones you had on were damaged,” he replied.
She frowned and gritted her teeth. “What do you mean by damaged?”
“Magdelin was a little slow reacting to my uncontrolled emotions. Your clothing suffered the consequences.”
She stared at him in disbelief. Had her clothes caught on fire because of him? How did she not know she was on fire before she passed out?
“Bring me that bag so I can find something to wear.” She bit her bottom lip and her face flushed with her harsh words. She wasn’t normally this grumpy, but he’d dropped her into a circumstance she couldn’t cope with. He’d also sa
ved her from a pretty gruesome death. She didn’t know how to feel. “Please.”
He nodded and disappeared for several minutes, eventually returning with the black bag they packed earlier. He dropped it on the edge of the bed but didn’t come any closer. His gaze made her uncomfortable, and she chuckled at that thought.
“What?” he asked, his blue eyes not leaving hers.
“I was thinking that your constant staring was making me uncomfortable, which is an appropriate use of the word,” she replied.
A range of emotions flitted across his face before amusement settled in his eyes. He laughed, and his genuine pleasure made her smile.
“Get dressed. Eva is going to answer your questions. When she’s done, we have a lot to do in a short period of time.”
She pulled the sheet around her body and dropped her feet over the edge of the bed. She swayed as she put her weight on them, and Darian rushed to her side.
“Don’t touch me,” she warned, pulling away from him. “I remember what happened the last time you did.”
He took a step back, and she thought she saw regret in his eyes.
“I want to find my family.” She stood on shaky legs and looked up at him. “There is nothing else I can deal with right now.”
“I understand and agree,” he replied. “Eva has those answers as well.”
The pain and sadness in his eyes nearly undid her. His constantly changing emotions were like a rollercoaster, making her stomach churn. She took a deep, ragged breath and turned away from him. When the door closed, she leaned against the bed and let her tears fall.
What was happening? Why wouldn’t he tell her? She tried to wrap her mind around everything they threw at her, but she couldn’t. Monsters ravaging her town, traveling by some miraculous portal, and watching fire dance along that man’s skin... none of it was supposed to be real. She understood the bombings and the EMP attacks, but the rest? The magic? Not so much.
Sentinel's Rise: Book 1 - The Watcher and the Sentinel Series Page 7
