The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘No,’ he frowned, ‘why? Can you?’

  ‘Of course I can silly, I thought you could too.’

  Theo’s brow creased thoughtfully as he studied her.

  ‘Let me have a turn,’ she jumped down off the cask and walked over to where Theo had been standing.

  James hesitated as he looked down at the small dark haired child who looked so much like her mother.

  ‘It’s alright Mr Wilkins you won’t hurt me,’ she assured him.

  He picked up another apple and drew in a deep breath.

  ‘Well alright then,’ he replied quietly.

  Temperance closed her eyes.

  James threw the apple and Theo held his breath. He’d thrown it softer than he had with Theo but his eyes still widened slightly in surprise as Temperance’s hand shot out and caught the apple with ease.

  ‘What?’ Theo breathed, ‘how did you do that?’

  Temperance opened her eyes focusing slowly on the apple clutched in her tiny fist.

  ‘How did you do that?’ Theo asked again.

  She looked up at her brother and blinked slowly. ‘It’s hard to explain,’ she frowned, ‘it’s like reaching out but not with your hands.’

  ‘With your mind,’ James supplied helpfully.

  ‘Yes,’ she nodded.

  ‘But I was doing that,’ Theo frowned.

  ‘Were you thinking about the apple, or about Mr Wilkins?’ she asked after a moment.

  ‘The apple.’

  She shook her head. ‘But the apple doesn’t decide where it is going to end up,’ she tilted her head slightly.

  A small smile curved the corner of his mouth, could it really be that simple? Instead of focusing on the apple he should have been focusing on the intent before it was thrown. He should have been focusing on James.

  ‘Again,’ he told James as Temperance skipped towards the cask and Theo moved back to his previous position.

  James nodded and picked up another apple. Theo closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. He let go of the frustration and annoyance and for the first time relaxed enough to really open his mind. It was incredible, it was like walking through an open door into a completely different reality. He could feel everything around him as he breathed in the sharp scent of apples, the slightly damp smell of the hay and the earthy wood tones of the barn itself. Outside the air above them felt heavy, laden with the promise of an oncoming storm. He could feel his sister watching him with curious eyes and a few feet away was James.

  Theo pushed out further with his mind, this time it was slightly easier. Although his eyes were firmly closed and he could physically see nothing, in his mind the picture of James stood out in sharp relief and exacting detail. He could feel the strength of his muscles moving and contracting as he tossed the apple thoughtfully back and forth between his hands. Theo reached out further and his lips parted on a silent gasp, he could feel James’ thoughts weighing his indecision, felt the muscles in James’ arm contract seconds before he subconsciously made a decision. Just for a split second Theo saw the apple fly through the air towards his left shoulder and his hand close around it. A few seconds later his body seemed to react instinctively and as his fist clenched he felt the small hard orb in his palm. Opening his eyes he looked down, his fingers slowly unfurling. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the apple in the palm of his hand.

  ‘You did it!’ Temperance clapped happily.

  Theo glanced up at James who was looking at him with a strange kind of expression. Was it pride?

  ‘Again?’ James smiled.

  ‘Again,’ Theo grinned as he tossed the apple back to him.

  Each time it got a little easier to focus and Theo got a little faster. After a dozen times or so he found he could predict easily when, where and how James would throw.

  ‘Let’s try something a little harder,’ James bit into one of the apples watching Theo and Temperance.

  ‘A game?’ Temperance asked.

  ‘Of sorts,’ James replied. He dug into his pocket and came up with a metal coin flicking it towards Temperance. ‘Take it and hide it.’

  She grinned as her tiny hand closed around the coin and with a small delighted laugh she disappeared into the shadows of the huge barn.

  ‘Hide and seek?’ Theo raised a brow questioningly.

  ‘Just wait a moment.’

  They stood in an easy companionable silence until Temperance suddenly reappeared.

  ‘Right,’ James turned to Theo, ‘find the coin, but there will be no physical searching. You have one chance; you have to go to the exact place it’s hidden. You have to know where it is, not just look. Do you understand?’

  Theo nodded and turned towards the vast barn. It really was big, filled with stacks of cider filled casks and barrels of apples. Stacks of hay were neatly piled throughout the barn and two ladders led up to a loft above. If he had to search the regular way, there was a chance he would never find the small coin. No, he had to see it, but how? He closed his eyes and relaxed. At first he tried to reach out towards Temperance, focusing on his little sister as he tried to see where she would go to hide it, but it wasn’t working. Instead he tried a different approach and drawing in a deep breath he focused inwards. The images flashed through his mind as clear as day, he saw himself standing in the farthest corner leaning down behind a cask of applejack. Sweeping the straw aside he saw the coin jammed down between the wooden planks of the floor.

  Opening his eyes, he threw an amused smile at his sister and disappeared towards the back of the barn reappearing a few minutes later with the coin in his hand. Temperance laughed in sheer delight clapping her hands once again.

  ‘Me now, I want a turn.’

  James jumped up onto a large cask taking another bite of his apple.

  ‘Go ahead,’ he smiled at Theo, ‘you hide it and give Temperance a chance to find it.’

  Hours passed, darkening clouds swept across the sky as the sun reached its peak in the midday sky and began its slow descent towards the horizon, giving way to late afternoon. Theo and Temperance smiled and laughed as they took turns in hiding a plain old coin and trying to see if they could find it. For a few precious hours they were free, able to be who they truly were with no fear of consequence except to delight in the strange gift of foresight which burned through their veins. Taking such simple pleasure in each other’s company neither Theo nor Temperance noticed how James watched them with intense eyes and an unfathomable expression.

  Chapter 7.

  Olivia opened her eyes slowly. The massive pounding in her head seemed to have subsided into a dull ache and her eyes felt like they were full of grit. Rolling over onto her back she glanced around the room, light was pouring in through the window which had been opened slightly to let in the crisp fresh air. The sharp tang of ozone wafted in on the breeze indicating that a storm was brewing.

  Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her stomach growled loudly causing a shaky laugh to escape from her lips. Her body was so out of sync after her trip to the Otherworld and the Underworld, and then being thrown back three centuries into the past, that half the time she didn’t know if she wanted to eat, sleep or just plain throw up.

  Standing slowly, she smoothed down her plain linen shift and reached for her petticoats. There was no way she could stay in bed all day, she definitely needed something to eat and she wanted to check on Sam. The longer they stayed in the past, the greater the chance that they would irrevocably damage the time line and as far as she knew Sam was the only one who could leapfrog them through time. After all they still needed to track down her mother and the Nathaniel from her time, before they could cause any damage of their own.

  She sighed in annoyance as her fingers once again fumbled with the ties on her petticoats. Her hands shook slightly and her body still felt weak. Reaching for her dress she yanked it over her head and buttoned up the bodice. Makin
g sure the compass was safely nestled between her breasts and hidden from view she left her dress unbuttoned at the throat, foregoing the severe collar and apron. She also ignored the tight fitting cap, instead opting to leave her hair loose so it fell in deep dark midnight waves down her back. Although her headache was nowhere near as bad as it had been, her scalp still felt tender and she simply didn’t feel like scraping her hair back into a tight uncomfortable bun. She just hoped she didn’t run into anyone other than Theo or James. Then again she had no real need to leave the house. Her first priority was helping Sam recover otherwise they would be trapped, going the long way around to 1695 by waiting ten years, instead of having Sam jump them forward instantaneously. She closed her eyes and sighed, she really didn’t think she had it in her to do ten years of mutton stews, pigeon pies, no indoor plumbing and most importantly no toothbrush. She was forced to reluctantly conclude that history was much more fascinating when looking through the eyes of a historian. The reality of it was fascinating but really uncomfortable for someone who’d grown up in a world of modern comforts.

  Smoothing down the deep blue material of the new dress James had provided for her she tucked her hair behind her ear. Her hands felt strange, prickling like she had pins and needles. She splayed her fingers and held up her trembling hands in front of her. A gasp of shock escaped as a strange green glow wrapped itself around her fingers and palms like an eerie phosphorescent mist. Then as quickly as it had come it was gone again. She blinked and stared hard at her hands wondering if she’d imagined it. A low sound suddenly caught her attention, a harsh guttural whisper. She tilted her head, her brow frowning as she strained to make out the words. Turning slowly, she tried to pinpoint the strange voice. It seemed to be coming from somewhere near the bed. She took an unconscious step closer, the voice seemed to fade in and out like a badly tuned radio station. She strained harder but the voice faded away until she was once again alone in the silent room.

  What the hell was going on?

  Her gaze dropped down to her hands once again but as she turned them over and studied them carefully she could detect nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps the stress was finally getting to her, maybe she was going crazy. She laughed self-deprecatingly. Poor Theo, he’d just got rid of one mad wife and now he was going to be saddled with her wild hallucinations. Shaking her head lightly she cast the thought aside, it was probably nothing and just the strain of everything that had happened recently. She wasn’t kidding when she’d told Theo she wanted a break, if they ever got back home in one piece she was going to drag him to the nearest tropical island and not move for a month…possibly two.

  She slipped her stockinged feet into her leather shoes and turned towards the door. She stepped out into the main room, it too was silent apart from the odd crackle of the fire which had begun to bank low. She shivered slightly and wandered over to the fire, longing for the warmth and familiarity of the gold and red flames.

  ‘Wake up,’ she whispered, ‘it’s getting cold in here.’

  The fire burst merrily into flame bathing her in its warmth and light. She sighed in pleasure, feeling it seep into every pore in her body. For the most part it wasn’t that cold out yet, but the summer was dying. Although they may snag a bit of Indian summer yet, Fall was snapping at its heels and there was a slight bite to the early evening air which seemed to echo down into her bones. If she were honest though, it seemed to have little to do with the weather, it was something else. Something dark was out there casting a shadow over everything, she could feel it.

  Shaking off the morose feeling crawling slyly up the back of her neck she headed up the ladder into the loft. She stopped suddenly and glanced down at the figure huddled up in a blanket on a bed roll. A small smile tugged at her lips as she dropped down next to him and smoothed his jet black hair from his forehead. His skin had lost some of its sickly grey pallor and was once again a healthy color. She wished he’d open his blue eyes and smile at her again so she could see those dimples of his. She sighed and tucked the blanket tighter around him, he looked so young. He was not the same Sam she’d known from her time, the Sam who’d brought Theo to her. That Sam had been around her age, well he’d looked about her age she amended her thoughts, although she suspected he was far older than she could imagine. He’d exuded strength and power and seemed to have this unshakable faith about him. He was a man who knew his purpose, his destiny and was confident in his abilities. But this Sam, curled up in front of her sleeping peacefully for the first time in days, was so much younger. They’d spent a great deal of time together in the Otherworld and she’d become extremely fond of him, in fact she cared a great deal for him. She was glad he would recover, for a while there she’d been so afraid he wasn’t going to make it. Now she just hoped to high hell that when he woke up he had enough Mojo to jump them ten years into the future, that is of course if he could figure out how to do it as the ability to jump through time was something this younger version of him had yet to attempt. God, she rubbed her eyes tiredly, it was never simple. Why did it always feel as if the odds were stacked against them?

  She looked up suddenly and frowned. Something didn’t feel right. She turned and looked towards the window, as all of a sudden the light seemed dimmer somehow. She could feel something dark, something cold lurking nearby. She stood, slowly reaching out with her mind, past the house, beyond the boundaries and the orchard. There was a blackness, that was the only way to describe it. It was like a small void of nothingness, not like the void between worlds she’d experienced in the Otherworld. No, this blackness was filled with a cold evil. She shivered, her eyes narrowing. Whatever it was, was moving towards the house.

  Theo swung open the door and stepped into the main room followed closely by Temperance who was glancing around in curiosity.

  ‘I’ve never been inside Mr Wilkins’ house’ she frowned, ‘are you sure?’ The small girl covered her mouth and began coughing once again.

  ‘It will be fine, James said he would join us back at the house,’ Theo assured her as he listened to the persistent racking cough with a concerned frown.

  ‘Well if you’re sure,’ she replied softly.

  ‘Why don’t you sit by the fire,’ he picked a chunk of apple from his hair and laughed lightly shaking his head. ‘I’m going to wash up and check on Olivia.’

  Temperance nodded, watching him disappear into one of the back rooms. Instead of moving to the small wooden stool by the cheery fireplace, she moved further into the room curiously drinking in her surroundings. She’d never left the farm except for exploring the land surrounding their property, in fact the furthest she’d ever gone was Mr Wilkins’ orchards, so being invited into his home was something of a novelty. It was scrupulously clean she noticed, but welcoming. She was so busy staring around the room she wasn’t aware of the sudden movement behind her until it was too late.

  The muffled scream died in her throat as a slender hand clamped tightly over her mouth roughly pulling her backwards. She struggled as an arm wrapped around her middle, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. She felt herself pulled back against a body and struggled as she looked up at the person holding her.

  Olivia looked down at the writhing child in her arms, watching as the recognition slowly dawned in her eyes. Temperance stopped moving and Olivia removed her hand from her mouth slowly pressing her finger to her own lips, warning her not to make a sound. Olivia’s gaze shot across to the window. Her arms tightened around Temperance as she dragged her quickly across the floor and pressed them both back against the rough wooden front door, holding her breath tightly as a face suddenly appeared at the window. She didn’t move an inch, she didn’t dare even breathe, her fingers trembling slightly as she held the small girl.

  A wave of nausea swamped her, the darkness she’d felt before pressed up against the window, she could sense him. Her brow furrowed as her vision narrowed, everything was suddenly brought into sharp relief. She could feel Temperance’s heart th
under beneath her hand like the wing beat of a small bird. Her breath caught in her throat, she could feel the wind ripple ponderously through the trees outside the house. The ominous dull squeak of long spindly fingers trailing down the glass of the window. Edging away from the door, as slowly as she could she tried to keep them away from the piercing beetle-like eyes peering through the glass.

  The face disappeared and Olivia almost breathed out a sigh of relief until suddenly the door handle at her back began to turn slowly. Her eyes widened and her heart jolted in her chest. Grabbing Temperance, she pushed her forward towards the back of the room as the sound of the latch lifting echoed through the room followed by the slow creak of the hinges as the door inched open.

  Olivia pushed Temperance through the door into the bedroom. Theo looked up as they entered the room, his hands still in the small basin of water perched atop a heavy wooden chest, his hair clung damply to his head and small rivulets of water slid down his naked chest as he grabbed a clean linen shirt and pulled it roughly over his head. Glancing at Olivia in confusion he opened his mouth to speak but paused, holding his breath as Olivia held her finger to her lips and shook her head vehemently. Registering the slight panic in her widened eyes he stepped forward.

  ‘Nathaniel,’ she mouthed silently.

  Theo scowled cursing under his breath as he pulled them both behind him protectively and peered carefully around the doorway.

  The door swung open slowly and Nathaniel’s black eyes narrowed. He lifted his face slightly, a barely perceptible tilt of his head as if he was sampling something in the air. His black hair hung to his shoulders beneath the wide brimmed felt hat which cast his unmarred face partially into shadow, giving him an even more menacing appearance, if such a thing was possible. His long thin tapered fingers flexed and curled into fists against his coat and the muscle in his jaw tightened. Stepping forward into the still room the heel of his leather shoes echoed hollowly against the wooden floor. He paused, his head turning in the direction of the roaring fire as it hiccupped and danced drunkenly in the large fireplace. His gaze narrowed and once again he drew in a deep breath as if tasting the air. He took an ominous step into the room and then another, scanning his surroundings with intense scrutiny.