The Guardian: Paranormal Fantasy New Adult Young Adult Angel Romance (A Fight for Light Novel Book 1)

by Nikki Landis

  I wondered if I had done something wrong. “Kellen?” I asked timidly.

  He faced me slowly. Walking over, he took my hands and helped me up on the couch. He sighed and held my hand, his fingers entwining with mine slowly.

  “Rhiannon…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to concern you Hun. It’s just-”

  Right at that moment the doorbell rang. I sighed, slightly frustrated at the interruption. Kellen answered the door and paid for the food, setting it down on the dining room table. I walked over to him and put my hands on either side of his face, tilting it down to look at me.

  “Whatever is bothering you…whatever is going on…it’s all right. Let’s just have a fun evening. Nothing else matters,” I told him softly.

  I stood up on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss against his cheek and smiled. Taking his hand, I sat him down. Then I set the table with Gran’s best china and lit a couple of taper candles. He watched as I served him a heaping plate and then served myself. We sat across from each other and enjoyed our Chinese. My orange chicken was amazing and the hot-n-sour soup was perfect. I looked at Kellen, watching him in the flickering candlelight, as it bathed him in a warm glow. He was focused on his food, completely unaware.

  I had always thought Kellen was handsome and charming. As I got to know him, I realized he was also a good person. Truly and genuinely, he was good. He had character, pride, and depth. He wasn’t shallow, he was complicated and interesting. His emotions ran deep, he felt things strongly, and he wasn’t afraid to be himself. Confident and sure, he kept his word and treated other people fairly. He had manners and grace as well as the conviction to believe in something greater than himself. I really liked that about him. He was inspirational.

  Kellen looked up and caught me watching him, a thoughtful expression on his face. We sat there several minutes, neither of us talking. After dinner, I took his hand and led him to the couch, where we finished the movie. Kellen put his arm around me and I snuggled against him contentedly.

  Sometime later, I felt him shake my shoulder softly.

  “Rhiannon, darling? It’s late. Time for bed.”

  “Hmmm?” I mumbled. I was sleepy and couldn’t wake up.

  “I’m going to take you to bed. It’s very late.”

  I felt him pick me up and carry me up the stairs into my room. He laid me gently on the bed and spread the blanket over me. I sighed and rolled on my side.

  “Kellen?” I murmured sleepily.

  “Yes Hun?”

  “Kellen…will you…stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone…just in case.” It took me a minute to ask him since I was half asleep.

  “Yes darling. I’ll stay. Don’t worry….sleep now.” He promised.

  I didn’t respond, I was already asleep and dreaming…

  I was falling…faster and faster, propelling myself toward the ground. In my dream, I needed to hurry, spurred on by some instinctive drive. Urgency catapulted me forward, as if it was life or death. Suddenly, I smacked right into a tree, slamming my body in the process. Landing on the ground, I screamed and writhed in agony, sudden pain gripping my body in agonizing horror…

  I awoke with a start, jolting my mind into consciousness. I sat upright in bed, panicked and scared, until I realized I was in my room. This wasn’t just a dream or nightmare. I could tell by the fluidity, the clarity of the circumstance, and the intense feeling of realism that it was a premonition. I was getting better at recognizing them. I knew by the way a vision made me feel.

  Why would I dream about falling like that? More than the confusion was the feeling that I somehow wanted to be falling. It almost felt like I needed to be. The danger in the dream was secondary to the way I felt. I didn’t understand at all. Why in the world would I want to smack into a tree and fall to my death?

  Looking around, I noticed my bedroom door was closed and Kellen was resting against the bed. His head was lying on his arm and he was sleeping soundly. He had kept his promise to me and stayed the night. I dismissed the premonition for now and lay back down, watching him for a long time.

  About a half hour later, he blinked his eyes open and looked at me.

  “Good morning Kellen. Thank you for staying,” I told him quietly.

  “Hi…you’re welcome.” He jumped up and stretched and headed toward the balcony doors. “I’ll be back in a minute Rhia. I haven’t been out in a few hours so I need to do a quick run.”

  I nodded and he was gone. Knowing he would return soon I decided to brush my teeth and get dressed. I put on some jeans and a red V-neck shirt and pulled my hair into a ponytail. When I walked out of the bathroom, Kellen was sitting on my bed. He patted the seat next to him and I sat down.

  “Rhiannon, it’s been an interesting night. I don’t want to alarm you but I have seen some…disturbing signs. I think I am going to have to stay outside and watch things for most of the day today. I did want to spend some time with you, but it’s going to be sporadic today. Ok?” He asked me, concerned.

  “Yes, that’s fine. I understand…and I trust you. But won’t you get some breakfast first? I can hear Gran downstairs cooking. Why don’t you wait ten minutes and then ring the doorbell? I’ll tell her that I invited you.”

  He smiled that amazing grin of his. “Sure, thanks, I will.”

  I got up and turned to say something, but he was already gone. I closed the balcony doors and locked them before walking downstairs.

  “Hi Gran! Good morning Gramps. How was your day yesterday? Did you enjoy the picnic?”

  “Yes, we saw the Johnsons and the Humphreys were there.” Gramps told me.

  “Oh yes, it was a very nice day. Did you enjoy yourself dear?” Gran asked me.

  “Yes, Kellen and I spent the entire day outdoors and watched Star Wars. I invited him for breakfast this morning. Is that ok?” I asked hesitantly.

  “I thought that might be a possibility. I already made extra pancakes and sausage.” She told me smiling.

  Gramps laughed loudly. “I think he eats more than I did at that age. Quite the nice young man. Don’t you think Hun?” Gramps asked me, winking.

  “Um yes I do.” I blushed at the thought of Kellen hearing that.

  A few minutes later the bell rang and he joined us for brunch. I thought about what Gramps had said. Kellen was a very nice young man. In manners. In physique. I shivered. Nothing about him was unpleasant. Kellen was nearly perfect. He left a little later, making his excuse to Gran and Gramps. True to his word, he was in and out all day, spending what time he could with me.

  The rest of the day I worked on homework and read a little, bored to death. I realized how much I enjoyed his company. All of this time together had spoiled me. We talked and laughed together, shared memories and experiences. Kellen was never at a loss for words and his sense of humor was fantastic.

  As the prom approached, the days passed quickly. Emily, Mariah, and I would go shopping soon. We didn’t want to miss out on the best dresses. The selection was always best in April and early May, after that the mad rush left hardly anything desirable or unique. I started seeing Kellen more often, almost daily, as he was coming over a lot to study. I think it was his excuse to Gran so he could protect me. It seemed like maybe the enemy had forgotten all about me. That was too good to be true, of course.

  I was driving in my car on the way to the store for Gran. At the last minute, she needed more flour for the dessert she was making. I had laughed and volunteered to go to the local market for her. It was nice to be able to hop in my own car and go run an errand. I was feeling pretty good and not paying attention to the world around me. I was so easily distracted lately.

  I pulled into the parking space and went into the store. I came out with the flour only minutes later. Circling my car was a bunch of big, black birds. They looked like buzzards. These were huge and as I walked up they started flying after me. I had to run back into the store and call Kellen on my cell phone. They scratched the paint on my car and broke a window. I was going to h
ave to pay for that out of my savings. I wasn’t very happy. It made me wonder if we should go to prom. He had given me a hug, reassuring and putting my mind at ease.

  “We will go to prom anyway, sweetie. Let’s keep normal life going for whoever is watching. Maybe it will work in our favor. Don’t worry. Worry changes nothing.”

  I had reluctantly agreed. If nothing else, at least I had the comfort of a handsome Guardian to keep me safe. With his arms around me, I felt like I could handle anything.

  Chapter Twelve

  Shopping with the girls was always an experience. You couldn’t just go and buy one thing. No quick in and out. It was an all-day affair, with many stores and endless hours of accessorizing. I absolutely loved it. Mariah had a knack for details, always able to spot the perfect item needed to finish an outfit.

  Jokingly, I had told her that she should apply for a job as a personal shopper at Macy’s. To my surprise she had applied for the job and was hired on the spot. She was so excited to be working and making her own money, all of which was spent with her employee discount. It was fine with me and Emily, we only benefitted from it. Macy’s was our first stop for dresses just for that reason.

  Now that I was going to the prom too, I was invited to all of the shopping and girl functions included with it. I know they would have wanted me with them anyway, but it was nice to finally have a date. And it wasn’t just any date, it was Kellen.

  We decided to get manicures and pedicures while we were at the mall too. I was really looking forward to the day out with the girls. Graduation was getting closer, it made me wistful thinking of how much our lives were going to be changing. I wanted this last big trip together. We decided to make it an all-day event, ditching what classes we could.

  Emily, Mariah, and I were all set to go the mall after school on Thursday. We were going to leave early, after lunch, and skip chemistry and study hall. Gran had given me her credit card and told me to get whatever I wanted. She told me that senior prom only happened once. I had hugged her with tears in my eyes.

  Kellen was walking me to the parking lot with Emily and Mariah. He was anxious about leaving me alone for the day. I reassured him, letting him know we would be safe in a big mall together. In the parking lot, they climbed in the car so he could say good bye to me. Kellen pulled me into his arms and hugged me close.

  “Be careful, please. I’ll be anxious until I see you again. Have fun,” he whispered in my ear.

  He leaned down and placed a kiss against my cheek. Then he let go of me and walked away. As I got in the car, my heart was hammering. I smiled at Emily and Mariah and they giggled. We drove the hour and a half away to Mason to go to the mall there. It had a much better prom dress selection than here. We tried on dresses for hours. The process was slow but we were all fine with that. I wasn’t leaving until I found the right dress.

  While looking for a different size for Emily, I found the perfect dress. It was a dark red full length style that was strapless. I looked and it was exactly my size. I ran with it to the dressing room and tried it on before the girls could see. I pulled the zipper up and looked in the mirror. A big smile spread across my face. I opened the door and stepped out in front of Amy and Mariah.

  “Wow,” Emily said. “That is awesome.”

  “It’s perfect Rhia,” Mariah told me smiling.

  “I hope he likes it because I love it,” I told them, grinning from ear to ear.

  I picked up jewelry, heels, long white gloves, and a small clutch purse. The final bill was a little high but so worth it. It was hard to contain my excitement. I had a feeling that prom would be an important night for us so I wanted it to be special. I also wanted to completely blow him away with how I looked. This dress was perfect.

  On the way home, I had the sudden feeling of being watched come over me again. I kept glancing out the windows, half expecting to see some large beast on our tail. There was nothing there, and nothing followed to my knowledge, but the feeling was incredibly strong and I couldn’t let it go.

  Later that night when I returned home, I modeled the dress and accessories for Gran. She loved it. I modeled my French manicure on my nails and my pedicure for her too. She laughed and shook her head but her eyes filled with tears. I knew she was thinking of my mother again. I understood since a part of me really wished she were here too. I took comfort in the fact that maybe she was watching and somehow her spirit could see everything.

  Taking my dress and accessories up to my room, I organized it all in my walk-in closet. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Kellen grabbed me from behind and swung me around. I gave him a big hug.

  “Look…all in one piece. I told you I would be fine.” I chided him, smiling.

  “Yes, so you did. Have fun?”

  “Of course, I was shopping silly. I love my dress. I’m going to wow you on prom night.”

  He laughed and squeezed me before letting go. I thought of something while he was standing there.

  “Kellen…I was wondering. Do you often come in through the balcony?”

  “Yes, it’s the fastest way to get to you unless you are downstairs. A Guardian’s job never ends babe. I often watch you sleep.” He told me, grinning widely and completely ornery.

  I gasped. “You watch me sleep?”

  “I have to take breaks sometimes. It makes sense to come and check on you. I’m only doing my job.” He was sincere but there was a glint of humor in his voice.

  I snorted at him. “Ha, I bet.”

  Prom was only a few days away now. It was all everybody talked about at school besides graduation. I told Kellen that my dress was dark red so he could match it if he wanted to. He smiled and told me he would. I was impatient for the week to end. It dragged by slowly, until finally the day arrived.

  Emily, Mariah, Brittany, and I were all going to Charles Penzone to have our hair done professionally. Brittany had finally apologized to me and admitted she had been jealous. She was dating a new guy now and things were back to normal between us. We were going to do our own make-up but get ready together at Mariah’s house. Her place was huge and probably equipped better than a salon anyway. Kellen was supposed to be at my house at seven. We were meeting at Charles Penzone at two. We should have plenty of time to get ready.

  I drove to Charles Penzone in my little beetle totally excited for the evening to arrive. I was the last one there. I guess we were all impatient to have the evening start. We were sitting in a row having our hair done and talking loudly to each other. The lady doing my hair asked me what I wanted. I had her put it in a French twist and pull the hair up through it, in the middle. She curled it into a mass of small curls that fell over the twist and down my back. She left a few curls to dangle around my face. It took a long time to do my hair since it was so thick and heavy. When she finished I looked in the mirror. Perfect, I thought. I was thinking that a lot these last few days.

  At Mariah’s house we helped each other with our make-up. When we were finished and dressed, I looked around at my friends. We made a pretty good looking bunch tonight. I was hoping the guys would agree with us. I drove back home just minutes before Kellen arrived. I went upstairs to put some things away when I heard the doorbell ring. My stomach twisted into a small knot. I couldn’t wait to see him. I heard Gramps answer the door and let him in.

  “Good evening,” Kellen told him.

  “She’ll be right down,” I heard Gramps reply.

  I paused in front of the mirror one last time to make sure everything looked right and then I stepped out of my room and headed down the hall. I’ll never forget that moment, when our eyes met, and time seemed to stand still. Kellen was breathtaking in his tux. I spotted him the moment I started walking down the stairs. The black of the tux was a sharp contrast to his tan skin. His cummerbund matched my dress, a deep red. He looked so handsome and graceful. I knew I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off of him the whole night.

  I noticed with satisfaction that his eyes widened and his jaw dropped sligh
tly when he saw me. He recovered quickly and his slow, wide grin spread across his face. His eyes swept me over from head to toe, taking in every detail. He straightened up and offered me his arm when I got to the bottom stair.

  We walked into the living room where Gran and Gramps were waiting. Gran’s eyes filled with tears instantly when she saw me. She held a camera in her hand. Kellen took out the corsage he got me and slipped it over my wrist. I took out the boutonniere I got him and pinned it to his lapel. Gran snapped a ton of pictures before she would let us go. We were soon saved by the honk of the limo.

  Kellen held the door open for me as we got in. He sat next to me, holding my hand while we drove to pick up Emily and Jarrod and made our way to the Marriott. I looked over at Mariah and she grinned as she held Chad’s hand too. We were all talking excitedly as we pulled up and got out.

  It was loud in the banquet hall. The dance committee had decked it out in the traditional high school dance decorations. These were only slightly better since it was senior prom. None of us really cared about the decorations that much. At least it was nice.

  Dinner was being served first before cocktails and dessert. We were ushered into a huge dining area with balloons and vases full of silk flowers. Each table had prom booklets and numbers for your photo. We were going right after we ate so we could enjoy the evening without interruption. We ate roasted chicken and vegetables, soup and bread, and huge salads. Every table had little petit fours and chocolates for dessert. There was sparkling white and red grape juice and soda filling our goblets. Our table had all of our friends together, making the evening almost perfect.

  Kellen and I waited in a long line and finally had our picture taken. The photographer had insisted on individual and couple photos, just in case. It was fun. I knew I would be buying them. Slowly we made our way to the ballroom where the live band was already playing.