Guardian Undone

by Tina Folsom

  “Where to?” Winter was waiting for him on the sidewalk.

  Logan pointed to the bus station. “We need to buy tickets.”

  Winter walked by his side as they headed for the glass-fronted entrance of the building. “We’re taking the bus?”

  “Something like that.”

  He felt her eyes on him, her brows raised inquisitively.

  “You’ll see in a minute.”

  Logan opened the door and let Winter walk inside ahead of him, while he looked around. There were a couple of short lines at the ticket counters, about two dozen people sitting on benches waiting for their bus, and a few lowlifes lingering near the restrooms. As he walked farther into the hall, Logan looked out through the side doors that led to the depot. More people were waiting outside, some boarding a bus. He read the destination listed on the side: Chicago.

  He steered Winter toward one of the ticket windows.

  “I need your credit card,” he said in a low voice.

  She looked at him. “But won’t the demons be able to trace us if we use a credit card? I mean, if they know how to use a computer.”

  “That’s the point. I want them to follow our trail.”

  Looking confused, she shrugged, then dug into her jacket pocket and pulled out her wallet. She handed him her credit card a moment later.

  The female clerk finished with the customer she was serving and called out, “Next.”

  Logan took Winter’s elbow and walked toward the window with her. “Good afternoon. Do you still have tickets for the bus to Chicago?”

  Bored, the clerk looked at the clock. “Bus leaves in eight minutes.”

  That didn’t exactly answer his question, so he went a different route. “Two tickets, please.”

  The clerk typed something on her computer, then looked up and said, “That’ll be $87 per person. $174 in total. Will that be cash or card?”

  “Card.” Logan tossed Winter’s credit card into the tray beneath the glass window that separated them, and watched as the clerk turned a handle to retrieve the card on her side.

  “Debit or credit?”

  “Credit.”

  While the clerk entered the transaction, Logan exchanged a quick look with Winter, then glanced over his shoulder to the door through which he could see the bus to Chicago. The bus driver was helping passengers load their bags into a compartment underneath the seating area.

  “Please sign here,” the clerk said.

  Logan looked back at Winter, pulled the credit card receipt, the pen, and the credit card from the tray and stepped aside. “Winter?”

  She took the pen and signed the receipt, then shoved both back into the tray for the clerk.

  A moment later, Logan held two tickets for the bus to Chicago in one hand, Winter’s credit card in the other. He stepped away from the window and brought his head close to Winter’s.

  “I want you to pretend to put your credit card back into your pocket, but drop it instead.”

  She stared at him, stunned. “What?”

  “Do it. This will be the last time you use it. It’s no use to us anymore. I’ve noticed a few guys in here that are just the type to pick it up and use it. That’s what we want. Somebody else using your card to cover our trail.”

  “But they’ll ruin my credit.”

  “That should be the least of your concerns. You’re running from demons.”

  Winter sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

  “I am. Now do it.”

  He watched as Winter attempted to slip her card back into her jacket pocket, but dropped it to the floor instead.

  “Good. Now let’s go. We’ve got a bus to catch,” he said and took her hand.

  He led her to the bus and walked to the area where the bus driver was loading bags into the luggage compartment. Logan handed him his bag and watched him place it inside the compartment. When Winter made a motion to hand her bag to the driver, Logan stopped her.

  “We’ll keep this one with us.”

  He smiled at the bus driver then led Winter toward the line of people getting onto the bus. But instead of getting in line behind the other passengers, he led Winter past them and around the bus.

  “But, the bus,” Winter protested, looking over her shoulder.

  “We’ll take a different mode of transportation,” he assured her. “The bus was just a diversion.”

  “But your bag—”

  “All part of the plan. My cell phone is in there. If they’ve locked onto my GPS, they’ll think we’re indeed on our way to Chicago.” Winter didn’t need to know that by they he meant his own colleagues and not the demons. It would buy them some time until he’d devised a plan for how to convince the council to let Winter live, and figured out where to go in the meantime.

  “Together with the fact that we bought tickets with your credit card, they’ll believe we’re headed to Chicago and will try to follow us.”

  Winter’s expression changed to one of admiration. “This is not the first time you’ve done this, is it?”

  “It won’t be the last either.” He steered Winter toward two parked buses.

  “What are we doing?”

  “Listen carefully.” He looked around, but nobody could see them here. And there were no cameras either. He’d checked. “I’m going to make us both invisible now. You need to keep holding my hand so I won’t have to expend too much energy. While we’re invisible, don’t talk unless there’s an emergency. People can still hear us. And they can bump into us. Understood?”

  “You don’t want any of the traffic cameras in the city to pick us up,” she stated, understanding.

  “Or the cameras on the SEPTA.”

  “SEPTA?”

  “The public transportation system here. The trains. We need to get out of here without being seen, without any of the cameras picking us up.”

  “Okay.” She nodded, then she bit her lip.

  “What?”

  “When I’m invisible, what will it feel like?”

  “How do you feel now?”

  She shrugged. “Normal. Why?”

  “Because you’re already invisible. As am I.”

  Her breath hitched. She looked down at herself. “But I can still see myself. And you too.”

  “There are different levels of cloaking. I made it so you can still see me, and I can still see you. But nobody else can.” Not even his fellow Stealth Guardians would be able to spot them now. And that was the whole point. He hated having to go against his own people’s rules, but sometimes a warrior had to refuse an order and follow his gut. Now was one of those times.

  “Okay then,” Winter said, a brave expression on her face.

  He had to admit he was surprised how much courage she showed. Another woman would most likely have turned hysterical by now. But Winter was strong. The council was wrong in thinking that she was unstable, that she wouldn’t be able to hold her own against the demons. Somehow, he had to convince them of it, so they would let her live.

  “This way,” Logan instructed. “There are several lines that converge in the city center. From now on, we’ll need to be silent until we reach our destination.” He squeezed her hand. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be.”

  10

  Holding onto Logan’s hand, Winter walked next to him, not questioning where he was taking her. He’d saved her from certain death at the hands of the demons, and he was protecting her now. Wasn’t that enough reason to trust him? It was for her. Life had suddenly become very precious, knowing that she wasn’t crazy, that she could live a productive life without having to worry that she would end up in a mental institution. Of course, that didn’t mean she was without problems. Only that her problems were of a different nature.

  Yes, she was now on the run from demons. But at least she had a supernatural protector, an immortal who could make himself and her invisible. That should help, though being invisible wasn’t quite as cool as she’d imagined.

  For starters, nobod
y could see them, which meant people walking on the sidewalk didn’t get out of her and Logan’s way. She and Logan constantly had to dodge people who would otherwise collide with them. It made for a very awkward walk through the busy downtown area. But she soldiered on without complaint, Logan’s strong hand providing guidance and security. She took strength from him, from the confidence with which he navigated the streets, the same confidence with which he’d laid the false trail for the demons to follow.

  They walked for several blocks, until Logan stopped in front of the entrance to a subway station. He pointed to it. She nodded and together they descended the stairs, dodging more people. Logan used himself to shield her so she could walk behind him and avoid crashing into people. She was grateful for it, because the obstacle course was tearing at her nerves, wearing her out. And who knew how long they would be on the run? She needed to preserve her energy until they could find a safe place to rest.

  When they finally arrived at the turnstiles, Logan stopped and turned to her. He made a motion with his hand, indicating for her to wait. Then he released her hand and walked through the turnstile without turning it.

  She blinked in confusion. How was that possible? Was it because he was invisible? She walked to the same turnstile and bumped against it. But she couldn’t get through. Without a ticket, it didn’t yield to her. Logan suddenly reached for her hand from the other side.

  She met his eyes, and he made a motion indicating that he would lift her over it. He set the bag he was carrying for her next to the floor beside him to have both hands free. A moment later, with his help, she cleared the turnstile and was now in the area reserved for paid subway riders. Logan took her hand again, her bag in his other hand, then dragged her toward the area where a train was just rolling into the station.

  There was no time to ask him how he’d simply walked through the turnstile, through solid matter as if he were made of air and not flesh and bone. But she wouldn’t forget the question. She would ask him later when she could speak again without drawing attention to them. Clearly, he hadn’t told her everything about himself. Who knew what other skills he had? As an immortal, a preternatural creature, maybe he could do all kinds of wild things, aside from making himself invisible and walking through solid objects.

  Then it suddenly struck her. What if he wasn’t all that different from the demons? After all, in order to fight evil creatures like the monsters who’d attacked them, wouldn’t he need skills that were out of this world?

  The subway train stopped, and people streamed onto the platform and toward them. Logan quickly pulled her toward the wall, pressing her back flat against it, while he covered her with his broad body. She couldn’t even see the passengers rushing past them, because he was so much taller than she, but she could feel whenever somebody bumped into him, because the action pushed Logan against her. She should feel claustrophobic, being sandwiched between the wall and him, but she didn’t. She felt cocooned instead. As if nothing could happen to her when she was with him.

  Don’t be stupid!

  He might be immortal, but that didn’t mean she was. She was still human—though a psychic—and therefore vulnerable.

  She looked up at Logan and found him staring at her. Was he aware of the intimacy of their situation? Could he feel her heart beating against her ribcage? Could he see that his nearness didn’t leave her unaffected? Because, yes, she could admit it to herself, though not to anybody else, that she found Logan attractive. That his body so close to hers ignited desires in her that had nothing to do with gratitude for him having saved her life.

  Logan’s head came closer, slowly, but undeniably. She swallowed hard, her pulse racing now. He dipped his head lower. Was he going to kiss her? She parted her lips, feeling a breath rush over them.

  “We need to get onto that train,” he whispered at her ear. “Let’s go.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks.

  Logan turned abruptly, clasped her hand and rushed toward the doors. A beeping sound reached her ears. The doors were starting to close. Logan jumped into the train, pulling her with him. Behind her, the doors closed and the train started moving.

  The train was relatively full. There was no spare seat, so they remained standing near the doors. At each station, they dodged the entering and exiting passengers, as the train emptied more and more the farther they got from downtown. Finally, they found seats away from the other passengers and took them.

  Winter didn’t dare look at Logan. What had made her think that he’d wanted to kiss her? How silly of her. He didn’t even know her. Had only met her a few hours earlier. And there she was imagining things. As if this was an adventure like Romancing the Stone where the heroine ended up with the man who was helping her. This wasn’t a movie. Or a book. This was life! Real life with real demons. There was no time for romance. There was barely enough time to escape.

  Several stops before the end of the Broad Street Line, they got off the train. But Logan didn’t seem to be satisfied with how far they’d traveled invisibly. He ushered her toward a regional rail line. Without questioning him, she walked alongside him, onto the first train out of the station. She didn’t even look where it was going. It didn’t matter.

  The regional train was less busy than the subway, and they were able to find seats quickly. Logan was still holding her hand, her bag now sitting on the floor between his legs. She sighed silently and caught Logan’s look. He made a motion with one hand while tilting his head and closing his eyes.

  She nodded. Yes, she was exhausted, could feel the tiredness in her bones.

  He angled his body, lifted his arm and pulled her toward him, so she could rest her head against his chest. Without protest, she accepted his offer and closed her eyes. The vibrations of the train and the warmth of Logan’s body allowed her to rest. She didn’t sleep, didn’t know whether she could ever sleep again, but she dozed, resting her eyes and her body as much as she could.

  She felt Logan’s steady heartbeat, but she knew he wasn’t sleeping. He was watching out for her.

  Like a sentry in the night. Like the immortal warrior he was.

  Like her hero.

  11

  Logan hadn’t put his arms around a woman in a long time. Not that this—sitting on a train, Winter’s head leaning against his chest—really constituted an embrace. All he was doing was providing support so she could rest for a few moments. Yet at the same time, he enjoyed feeling Winter snuggled up to him. It reminded him of a woman after sex, when she wanted to cuddle, and he wanted nothing more than to get out of bed and run. Only there hadn’t been any sex, and he felt no urge to run from Winter.

  For a few minutes, Logan allowed his mind to wander and follow a road that was paved with what-ifs. Many decades ago he’d chosen to become a warrior to serve his people and protect them. He’d gone into it knowing full well what it meant: sacrifice. All warriors were forced to live in compounds with five to ten other warriors as their constant companions. It was almost like living in a monastery, though there was booze and partying like in any place where more than two men were assembled. Nobody demanded that warriors be celibate. But the demands of their work and the living conditions had turned many a warrior into a monk.

  The opportunities for finding sexual gratification were few. Due to their birthrate being skewed toward males, there were much fewer Stealth Guardian women than men. And even fewer female warriors. His compound had one. But Enya was a prickly one. She wanted nothing to do with any of them, and he had to admit, he wasn’t interested in her in a romantic way either. He’d practically grown up with her. He knew the others felt the same way.

  The lack of women of their own race meant warriors had to sow their oats with human women. In general, it wasn’t an issue. After all, Stealth Guardians looked no different from humans, and no woman would know that she was sleeping with a preternatural creature. A creature who couldn’t even impregnate her, because a Stealth Guardian’s sperm wasn’t fertile until he’d gone through a bon
ding ritual with a woman. One-night stands were a popular option for any warrior who felt sexual frustration, but if he wanted more, if he wanted a relationship, things got difficult.

  For starters, no human was allowed in the compounds unless they were bonded to a warrior. Of course, that rule had been broken a few times by his own compound mates. However, a warrior trying to stick to the rules had a hard time making a woman trust him, when he could never take her home, home being his compound. And many women got suspicious of men who had to keep secrets like that. They could feel that the man was hiding something. Which led to the second big obstacle: a warrior wasn’t allowed to reveal that he was a preternatural creature until he’d made the decision to bond with the human.

  Logan sighed. Why was he even thinking about all this? The situation with Winter was entirely different. She wasn’t a woman he’d picked up in a bar or a chatted up in a supermarket. She wasn’t a potential one-night stand or fling, though had he met her under other circumstances, he would have asked her out and explored if there was a spark between them. If, at least for one night, they could connect. But that was impossible now. Winter was under his protection and he couldn’t exploit the situation. It would be unethical. Winter was his charge. He was her guardian, her protector. Even if the council had ordered otherwise.

  When the train slowed, Logan looked out the window. They were approaching the final stop: Trenton. He shook Winter’s shoulder gently, and she immediately sat up straight and looked at him. He motioned to the window, where the Trenton station was coming into view. She nodded, having understood that they would alight here.