Your Guardian Angel Uncut (The Guardian Angel Series Book 1.5)

by Skyla Madi

  “Oh, no.” She groaned, walking around to the front of her desk.

  Mrs Ploit crouched down to pick up the glass, allowing me to sneak around behind her and out into the girls’ courtyard. I felt a little guilty. Mrs Ploit would be in a lot of trouble tomorrow when they noticed I was gone, but if I ever survive this, I’ll explain how it happened and hopefully get her off the hook.

  I sprinted across the courtyard and headed for the car park. Surely there was a gate that led to a road. I crouched lower, moving as quickly as I could toward the huge cast iron gate in the distance. I drew closer to the gate and stepped out into the light.

  “Crap!” I swore, diving behind a car.

  To each side of the gate were two booths, each filled with two guardian angels. I didn’t see this coming. A huge spotlight flicked on and shined over the car park, forcing me to dive into some nearby bushes. I sat for a little while, ignoring the twigs that snagged at my beanie and scratched my skin. Just when I was about to give up and circle the school to try and find another way out, a back SUV rolled up to the gate. The driver, a very tall and masculine female, stepped out of the car and walked around to the back. She opened the boot and pulled out a basket before walking over to the booths, leaving the boot door open.

  This was my chance, I had to get into the back of the SUV and pray that it was leaving. I ran as low and as fast as I could. Rocks crunched and grinded underneath my feet, but I couldn’t slow down. With a sharp intake of air, I dived into the back of the car. A soft blanket tangled around my legs as I shuffled further into the car. I didn’t hesitate and immediately threw it over me, concealing myself from sight. My heart was beating off the charts and my skin beaded with anxious sweat. I prayed the woman drives out of the gates and not U-turn back into the school.

  I jumped, clamping a hand over my mouth as the boot door slammed shut.

  So far so good.

  Next, the driver’s door was opened then shut and the car hummed to life.

  “Please, please, please. Drive out the gates,” I whispered to myself, hoping it’d ease my nerves.

  The car started rolling and I breathed deeply, in and out, as the rocks crumbled under the tires. Only when I noticed we were picking up speed did I relax a little. We couldn’t be going through the school driving this fast, so I assumed we were on a road that ran alongside it. My body rolled to the side as we turned and shortly after, I was jolted as the car rolled to a stop. This can’t be right. We drove for barely ten minutes. The driver door opened and closed, but this time she locked it behind her. I waited a few minutes before flicking the blanking it off and popping my head up to look out the window. We were in front of a house—a house I immediately recognised, because I walked through its backyard not long ago. It was Mr Aleksandrov's house.

  “Shit!”

  I ripped my beanie off and wrung it my hands. I had to think of something and fast, before she decided to move the car through the gate of Mila’s house. I climbed over the backseat and unlocked the passenger’s side door. I stumbled as my feet hit the gravel and I flung my backpack over my shoulder, sprinting back in the direction we came.

  Shortly after, I reached a long straight road. I didn’t know which way Bridgewater was, but I needed to get off this road before anyone realized I was gone. I glanced over my shoulder and looked sadly back at pointed roofs of Sage Sanctum. It was depressing knowing I might never see it again.

  ***

  My legs ached. I’d been walking for hours and I was still on the same road. Either I was going the wrong way or Eli meant four hours by car. There were no cars and no hint that the road was going to end any time soon, so my only option was to keep walking.

  The sky grew lighter and I sat down on the side of the road, taking a well-deserved break. I finished a whole bottle of water as headlights beamed in my direction. My first thought was to dive into the bush and wait for it to go by. When that thought past, my second thought was to try and hail it down. What were the odds that it was a guardian angel? They couldn’t possibly know I was missing yet. I still had few hours before breakfast. Either way, it was a chance I needed to take—I would never make it to Camilla and Aunt Jen’s house otherwise. I stuck my arm out and thankfully, the car pulled over. As it rolled to a stop, I began to feel that maybe hitchhiking wasn’t such a good idea. I was an eighteen-year-old girl, alone, in the middle of the woods. Every inch of my body was telling me to run, but I didn’t—I couldn’t. I opened the door and almost sagged I relief. Luck was definitely on my side tonight because a pretty woman’s smiling face was on the other side and in the backseat, two small children slept. Immediately, I felt a lot safer.

  “I’m Sue, where ya headin?” she asked, flicking her short, housewife curls.

  Her voice was very American, quite possibly from Texas.

  “Ruby. Bridgewater?”

  “It looks like luck is on your side, honey. Hop in.”

  I climbed into the car and shut the door behind me. “If luck is on my side, then it’s definitely a first.” I mumbled, clipping in my seatbelt.

  She eyed me sideways.

  “What’s a girl like you doing out in the middle of nowhere so late? Where are your parents?”

  Would it scare her if I told her my mother was murdered by my stepdad—a vicious, blood-sucking vampire, who was now trying to kill me? That he’d kidnapped my cousin in order to get me to abandon the protection of my guardian angel and lure me from my safe magical school?

  “I go to a boarding school here and I’m on my way back home to visit my parents. Unfortunately, I forgot where the bus stop was,” I lied.

  She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “You poor thing, I would never leave my children alone in the woods.”

  “Yeah, well, such is life. Do you mind if I take a nap?” I asked, stuffing my beanie into the pocket of my jeans. “I’m kind of beat.”

  “Go ahead, sweetheart. It’ll be a while before we get there.”

  I sat back in my seat, angling myself for comfort and I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep. I needed more energy for what was about to come.

  ***

  I didn’t dream—I didn’t feel like I’d even slept. A warm hand touched my arm and I jumped, sitting upright and balling my hands into fist. Sue’s blue eyes watched me sympathetically. I glanced over my shoulder. Her kids were no longer sleeping and were looking at me like I was bat-shit crazy. Turning my gaze away from them, I looked out the window, cupping my hand over my eyes to block out the sun. I recognized the surroundings immediately. Bridgewater.

  “We’re here, honey, what’s your address?”

  I gave her the address and I got all nostalgic when we rolled up to Aunt Jen’s house. I unclipped my seatbelt and turned to Sue.

  “Thank you so much. I don’t have any money to give you, but—”

  “Don’t be silly,” She laughed, clasping a hand over her chest. “I’m just glad I got a young girl home safe. You can never be too sure these days.”

  “Right...” I cleared my throat. “Well, thanks again.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I slid out of the car and waved as she drove off—little did she know she’d actually driven me to my death. Slowly, I trailed up the driveway and turned the handle when I made it to the front door. It was unlocked and my stomach sunk into my intestines. It was all real. I glanced up at the sky. The bright sun guaranteed my safety until nightfall. I hoped.

  I entered the house. It was dead quiet. I checked every room, but there was no one here.

  I made my way up the stairs and into my room. I walked around the room, letting my fingertips glide over the furniture. Everything was exactly how I left it, except the window. It was boarded up with a thick kind of wood. With an exhale, I dropped onto my bed and stroked the ruby pendant on my necklace, unable to stop the few tears that escaped my eyes. I wished I hadn’t stayed here after the incident with my mother. Maybe that would’ve prevented all of this from happening. Better yet, I wished
Hank killed me when he had the chance. I wished a lot of things, but I guess it didn't matter now. What happened, happened, and what is about to happen will happen.

  I thought about the odds of Tay and Eli coming to save me. How long would it take them to figure out I’d come back to Bridgewater? If I survived here, would I ever be allowed to go back? Would I have a place at Sage? I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. There was no backing out. I had to do this.

  ***

  I sat in my room for hours and I ate all of the cold pizza and drank all my warm water. I pushed myself off of the bed and rummaged through my backpack for a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. When I found them, I went to the bathroom to prepare myself and changed into the clothes. I needed to be able to move around and these were the loosest clothes I owned.

  I peered out of the bathroom window. The sun was receding rapidly and I estimated that I only had an hour of sunlight left. Every inch the sun decreased, my fear increased. I didn’t actually know what I was going to do when the time came. I was hopeless with magic and I didn’t think punching Raina in the face made me a full-blown fighter. I was ninety percent sure I was going to die, but if it meant saving Camilla... I was okay with that. I don’t care what happens to me, my main goal is to get Camilla out of here safely.

  I stepped out of the bathroom, looking down at my shirt and adjusting it from its slightly twisted position.

  “I knew it,” growled a voice as I exited the bathroom.

  Startled, my neck snapped up. I looked up and my eyes fell onto mousy brown hair and busy eyebrows. Talk about deja vù.

  “Darren?” How’d he find me here?

  He crouched lower and began to circle each me. “I knew you’d come back.” He growled, moving to my left.

  I lowered my stance too, copying his low, predatory movements. I raised my palms to him, showing him that I wasn’t a threat. “I’m not a vampire anymore.”

  He frowned. “So? You can’t come back from the depths of hell and be normal again. You’re still something ungodly.”

  “Ungodly?” I spat, keeping my palms extended. “I’m a goddess, God is in the name.”

  Darren lunged at me and I dove to the right, barely managing to avoid his grasp.

  “Don’t speak His name, you evil creature!” he snapped, pinching his face into a dark scowl.

  I groaned. I didn’t have time to fight his religious beliefs. “Darren, you need to get out of here. Vampires are coming, and it’s not safe. Please.”

  “No, I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to take you and your blood-sucking buddies, down.”

  He drew a small blade from his back pocket and lunged at me for a second time. I dove to the left, avoiding the sharp, pointed tip of his blade. I smiled a little. So far So good, maybe I could pull this thing off and survive. I couldn’t fight and control my emotions all at once so there was no doubt Eli was aware of what I was going through.

  Darren launched himself at me again, and like twice before, I dodged it. As I eluded his attack, I swung my elbow and clipped him in the eyebrow. A sickening crack crepitated through the air as pain shot up my elbow. With a gasp, I withdrew my elbow, cradling it in the palm of my hand. Darren pivoted abruptly, blood streaming down his face from the split in his eyebrow.

  A strange, sadistic smile spread over his lips, making me frown. “You’re going to die, Rubes.”

  Sidetracked by the throbbing in my elbow Darren jumped at me, catching me off guard. I couldn’t move out of the way quick enough and the small knife sliced my forearm. A pained growl tore from my lips as my hand flew up to cover the wound. I didn’t look at it, not yet.

  “You’re a pretty sloppy vampire slayer,” I said through gritted teeth, making him angrier. A smile played over my lips. “Don’t get knocked out this time.”

  I tried to seem unfazed, hoping it’d somehow give me the upper hand, but deep down, I was praying for my life. Darren threw himself at me, knocking the both of us to the ground. I thrashed under him, not allowing him to get the upper hand on me. He tried to pin me, but I thrust my shoulders upwards, keeping him unstable. Somehow, during my panicked struggle, I managed to knock the knife out of his hand. Stunned, he let up and I broke free of his grip, unsteadily climbing to my feet. I wasted no time and ran out of the bedroom and made it as far as the lounge room before all of Darren’s came crashing down on top of me.

  He was heavy and he made sure to dig his elbows and knees into my back, completely immobilizing me.

  “Where are you going now, huh?” he gloated, smiling proudly.

  I felt him loosen up a little so I abruptly turned my body to the side, catching him off guard and throwing him off my back. I pushed myself up onto my knees and eventually onto my feet. His hand wrapped around my ankle and I stumble forward.

  “Get off!” I yelled, shaking my leg.

  He didn’t let me go. My blood began to boil. He was forcing me to waste all of my energy fighting him instead of saving Camilla.

  A growl ripped from my neck and I thrust my foot toward his face, hitting Darren in the nose. That was the break I needed. He let go, clasping a hand tightly over his nose and cursing intelligently. He struggled to his feet as I whipped around to the front door and ran to it. I tore open the front door with a glance over my shoulder.

  “Unf.” I grunted as I rebounded off a hard body.

  My gaze dragged up the black uniform and onto a set of blue eyes. He tucked a lock of long, blond hair behind his ear and smiled down at me.

  It was Tay.

  Angel Agendas

  “Oh, Tay. Thank god.” I gasped, fighting the urge to burst into tears. “I need your help.”

  He stepped into the house, tucking me safely behind his body. I peered around his large frame and watched as Darren climbed to his feet, wiping his bloody hand across his grey t-shirt. A wry smile curled Darren’s lips.

  “Good. You brought friends.” He sniffed, swiping at his nose. “Now I can kill both of you.”

  Tay’s body shook as he let out a loud laugh. “Just because your father hunts vampires, it doesn’t make you a hunter, kid.”

  Darren’s eyes flared behind their narrow slits. “I’m better than my father. I’ll show you.”

  He ran at us and my muscles tensed. I reached out, pressing my hands against Tay’s back as if the gesture would protect me. Under my hands, Tay was normal. His body wasn’t braced for impact, like mine was. I squeezed my eyes shut and heard Darren grunt. My eyes shot open and I watched Darren stumble backwards and fall to the ground. Casually, Tay stepped toward him as Darren shuffled backwards on the palms of his hands.

  “You showed me.” Tay chuckled, drawing back his foot.

  I clamped my hands against my mouth as Tay’s foot came down hard, connecting with Darren’s face. It all happened in slow motion... Darren’s eyes closed—blood from his nose and mouth gushed everywhere, and he fell backwards, his head slamming against the floor. Darren was down for the count. Tay watched him for a little while, before turning to me. I realized I was crying, tears rolled over the flushed skin of my cheeks and over my lips, leaving a salty taste in my mouth whenever I licked them. He stalked toward me and I glanced over my shoulder, wondering where Eli was. I looked back at Tay.

  “Thanks—”

  His large, warm hand wrapped around my throat and he slammed me hard against the wall. “Shut up.”

  I felt my eyes widen. What the hell? I kicked and gasped for air, my hands clawing at the ones that constricted my throat.

  “W-what are you doing!” I managed to choke out.

  Where the hell was Eli? His lips twitched, clearly pleased with himself.

  “Following orders.” A callous emotionless voice answered.

  The way his tongue wrapped around the words sent a chilling shiver down my spine. Only one person had a voice that frightening. Hank.

  I struggled to turn my head toward the door, but when I did, I fought the urge to flinch. I’d never get used to the way he looked.


  “Where is she?” I managed to squeeze out in a rasp.

  Hank tossed his head back, exposing white teeth and pointed fangs as he laughed. When he was done, he lowered his head to look menacingly at me. “I never had her. In fact, your aunt and cousin are on holiday.”

  I sagged in relief, closing my eyes. They were safe—that was all I wanted. I slowly opened my eyes as realization dawned on me, not telling Eli about the notes was a horrible idea. Regret flooded me, causing a new onslaught of tears to fall. The punishment for my mistake was death—a fate I could have avoided all together if I’d just told Eli about the letters.

  I give up. There was no way I was going to cheat death again and get out of this one. I’d sealed my own fate... I knew that, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

  I gripped Tay’s arms, bringing my knees up slightly. Before Tay realized what I was doing I pushed my legs, sending them crashing into his crotch. His hands released me as he hunched over to support himself. My body slid down the wall, but before my legs touched the ground, a new hand grabbed me mid fall—an ice-cold hand.

  Small ragged gasps escaped my throat. The pressure of his grasp was too much for me to handle. It reminded me of the night in our cabin when he grabbed my mother and I by our throats. I groped at his hand, desperately trying to force more air into my lungs. Tay unsteadily straightened himself and raised the back of his hand. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact.

  “Don’t,” Hank said and I opened my eyes. “I don’t want her damaged too badly just yet.”

  Hank stroked my cheek once, quickly, with the back of his index finger and I couldn’t flinch away from his long, cold finger. The pressure on my throat was too immense.

  “Kill her before the guardian angels show up.” Tay growled, suddenly on edge. “There’s no doubt they’re looking for her. She and Eli have a tattoo bond,”

  I greedily inhaled air as Hank’s hand released me. I hunched over, holding myself as he gripped my forearm and forced me over to an armchair. He shoved me into it and I tucked myself into a ball, trying to get as far away from his skin as I could.