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

by Wendy Saunders

  As if all of that wasn’t bad enough even her craft had suffered. Through everything else that had happened to her in her life leading up to this moment she’d always had Witchcraft. She was a witch, it was her first and truest love, it had completed her in a way nothing else had come close to. Her love of the craft and of the Goddess she’d chosen to serve had filled her with a deep sense of belonging, at a time when she’d felt adrift. It had centered her, kept her grounded, made her feel powerful and confident. Slowly all of that was slipping away from her and she felt powerless to stop it.

  Her faith had been so simple. Walk the path of the Goddess, do no harm, embrace nature, and love, and healing. Now she was surrounded by murderers, psychopathic demons and angry Gods. When had her life become so complicated? Even though there was no definite evidence to prove that Nathaniel and his brother Seth were indeed Castor and Pollux from Greek Mythology, there was an uncomfortable feeling churning in her stomach. It weighed down on her, the question ‘what if’ hanging over her like a dark cloud.

  What if they really were dealing with Castor and Pollux? What if one of them really was the son of Zeus? Although she’d come to know Hades, and admittedly had become very fond of the contrary and often temperamental God, his brother was an entirely different story. They were talking about Zeus. Thundering voice and Lightning bolts; who the hell was she to go up against a God?

  Although, she had to remind herself, she’d mouthed off to plenty of Gods, especially if they got her angry enough, including Hades. She’d gone head to head with him several times. Curiously, she’d never really been afraid of him.

  With that startling realization, she started to mentally pick apart her memories of Hades. It was true his presence was overwhelming for a mortal, he was after all a God, and there had been plenty of times when she’d been in awe of him, but she’d always sensed that for some reason he wouldn’t hurt her.

  She knew she frustrated the hell out of him and had pissed him off plenty, but there remained something between them, some kind of connection or bond. She wasn’t really sure how to describe it and she wasn’t entirely sure she understood it.

  Maybe Zeus wouldn’t be as bad as she thought? Then again, she was contemplating potentially killing his son…maybe…depending on which one it was…if they could…

  Urgh, she dropped her head in her hands and groaned at the headache throbbing behind her eyes. She was driving herself insane. This whole situation was insane. She wished for just one moment it would all just disappear so she could breathe or maybe she could just disappear along with Theo. They never did get that vacation on a white sandy beach.

  She felt a sudden throb and a warmth blossom against her chest and looked down. Pulling the Time’dhal from beneath her shirt she smiled as it pulsed in her hand. The compass Hades had given her so long ago had turned out to be no ordinary compass. It was an ancient artifact which could pull its master back and forth, not just across land mass but across time too.

  In fact more than that, it was capable of changing its shape. Now that she had mastered how to use it she’d changed it from its bulky tarnished compass shape and it now lay against her breastbone as a delicate little golden locket edged in tiny elegant filigree, with a star chart etched into its face. Once opened it revealed dozens of tiny little cogs and wheels like the innards of a clock.

  ‘I wasn’t seriously thinking about going anywhere,’ she admonished it softly, ‘you can go back to sleep.’

  It throbbed sulkily like a teenager and then settled back down. The metal cooled against her skin and it once again resumed its low hum of power, like a TV set to standby.

  She tucked it back inside her clothes and glanced up at the circle she’d cast. In an attempt to calm her mind and reconnect with her craft she’d decided, once Theo had left the house, to spend some time performing her favorite rites. In the past these had always, unfailingly, calmed her and allowed her to center herself, finding her own balance.

  She glanced down at the burning candles, their flames now blurry underneath the sheen of frustrated tears. It wasn’t working, but more than that, it felt different…she felt different. The craft that had once brought her so much joy now felt flat and two dimensional.

  ‘You’re trying too hard daughter,’ a smooth familiar voice washed over her.

  Suddenly the scent of warm summer forests and lush flowers in full bloom filled the room. Olivia looked down to see a thick green turf spring up beneath her folded legs, the fragrant grass carpeted with tiny little wild daisies.

  Beau, slightly startled by the sudden appearance of the outdoors inside the house, barked in delight, rolling across the verdant ground and sniffing out all the new and delightful scents. She glanced around the room only to find thick vines of gorgeous colored flowers trailing down the walls and winding across the book shelves. The air inside the room felt dusty and fragrant, filled with summer heat even though it was now autumn.

  Brightly colored hummingbirds dodged between vines and butterflies flickered through the air in a mad swirl of orange and yellow, setting Beau to barking madly at them as they danced playfully just out of his reach.

  She could still see the outline of the room underneath but it was as if her library now contained a magical ecosystem all of its own.

  She turned back to find a familiar woman kneeling on the grass before her. Diana smiled, her thick dark braid tumbled artlessly over her slender shoulder, a pleasing contrast to the deep forest green tunic she wore. It was belted at the waist with a wide brown belt, to which was affixed a simple dagger. Her bow and full quiver of arrows, as always, was strapped diagonally across her back.

  ‘Mother,’ Olivia greeted her respectfully.

  Diana smiled warmly, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners as Beau leapt into her lap. She reached down and stroked him softly, and he collapsed into a paroxysm of delight, rolling over so she could rub his belly.

  ‘My, what a fearsome little warrior you have here,’ she cooed to the small dog.

  ‘Fearsome is not exactly the word I would use,’ Olivia smiled as she watched the Goddess stroke his long furry ears.

  ‘He is too, aren’t you beautiful boy?’

  Beau leapt up pressing his paws into her thighs and stomach, padding all over her trying to lick her face.

  ‘He’s completely devoted to you,’ Diana looked across to Olivia. ‘He may be small, but he will follow you anywhere and defend you to the bitter end. That kind of loyalty deserves to be rewarded.’

  ‘Rewarded?’ Olivia frowned in confusion.

  Diana smiled looking down and cupping Beau’s adorable face in her palms. For a second Olivia could’ve sworn she saw a strange pulsing blue light between her hands and Beau’s fur, but as soon as she glimpsed it, it was gone.

  ‘What was that?’ she asked. ‘What did you do?’

  ‘You’ll see,’ she smiled mysteriously, ‘in time.’

  Olivia glanced down at her little dog only to find him gnawing on a huge bone. Where the hell had that come from?

  ‘May I?’

  It took her a second to figure out what Diana was asking, but finally she nodded, watching as the Goddess leaned forward and placed her slender hands on Olivia’s protruding belly.

  Now Olivia had stood in the presence of the Goddess several times but this was the first time she’d touched her and nothing could have prepared Olivia for how she would feel.

  A wave of heat flushed through her body, her heart sped up and her ears buzzed. It was like channeling pure electricity. Her skin tingled like a live wire and she was sure if she looked down she would see the tiny hairs on her arms standing on end.

  The heat spread to her stomach and she watched in rapt fascination as the Goddess focused on her swollen belly, a small smile tugging the corners of her perfect lips.

  ‘They are so content,’ she murmured.

  ‘You can see them?’ Olivia asked in surprise.

  ‘It’s slightly more
complex than that,’ she replied, ‘let’s just say I am aware of them.’

  Suddenly Olivia felt a strange fluttering in her womb, almost like a bubbling sensation.

  ‘Oh,’ Olivia gasped, her face breaking into a smile as she placed her hands on top of Diana’s without thinking, so that they both cradled her unborn children. ‘I can feel them moving?’

  ‘Yes,’ Diana smiled widely. ‘It is like the wing beat of a small delicate bird, is it not?’

  ‘It’s incredible,’ her eyes teared up. ‘I mean obviously I knew I was pregnant. I’ve seen the scans, I’ve heard their heartbeats and I’m getting bigger everyday but it almost didn’t seem real…until.’

  ‘There’s nothing like the moment a mother first feels her child move inside her body. It’s the miracle of life, for you doubly so.’

  Olivia nodded, unable to find the words.

  ‘You will become more and more aware of them as your pregnancy progresses.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I am not yet sure in what way that awareness will manifest itself, but your children are different, they’re special,’ her dark eyes fixed on Olivia. ‘Surely by now you’ve realized that your children were not conceived in this world?’

  Olivia nodded.

  ‘I suspected,’ she whispered, ‘but I didn’t want to admit it.’

  ‘You were afraid of what that could mean?’

  ‘I still am,’ Olivia replied quietly. ‘But you can see them, or at least you are aware of them. Please tell me…is there anything wrong with my children?’

  ‘No,’ Diana splayed her fingers, stroking Olivia’s belly softly, ‘they are perfect, but they are incredibly powerful. Born to a witch and a seer, for make no mistake, your husband has the ability to become an even more powerful seer than his mother, should he take the time to hone his gift. Your children were conceived in another realm, but born into this one. We have yet to see what they will be capable of.’

  ‘I don’t feel much like a witch at the moment,’ Olivia sighed, dropping her hands from her belly as Diana did the same.

  ‘I know,’ the Goddess agreed.

  ‘It just seems like everything is so far out of my control right now. I tried to go back to my roots, rediscover my love of the craft, but it’s just not the same.’

  ‘No, it is not the same,’ she smiled softly, ‘because daughter, you are not the same. You cannot go back, only forward. The craft was what you needed when you were younger. It brought you peace and great joy, but it is no longer your path. You have moved beyond it, you are more.

  There has never been another mortal who can conjure five of the ancient elemental fires and this is only just the beginning for you. How many witches do you know of, who have the strength and will to converse with Gods, as an equal? The path of the witch, the path of your ancestors no longer serves you. You must be brave enough to strike out on your own, to forge your path and discover your own destiny. Do not carry the weight and failings of those who came before you.’

  ‘That’s what Theo keeps telling me,’ she smiled wryly.

  ‘He is a very intelligent young man who has overcome many of his own obstacles.’

  ‘I know,’ Olivia sighed. ‘What is my path mother?’

  ‘You have to figure that out for yourself,’ she smiled.

  ‘What about my children?’ Olivia frowned. ‘I always imagined I would raise them in the craft as I was.’

  ‘They too will find their own way. They will either walk the path of the witch or not, but it will be their choice.’

  Olivia looked down as she softly stroked her belly, once again feeling the soft fluttering. Smiling she glanced up to find she was once again alone.

  The front door banged loudly and she heard Theo in the hallway calling out to her. Closing the circle quickly and extinguishing the candles with a flick of her hand, she turned her gaze to the doorway.

  ‘Livy, I picked up Miller’s baptismal gift while I was out…’ he stepped into the room his words drifting off as he glanced around.

  The vines had begun to dissipate and the grassy carpet slowly disappeared but not quickly enough for Theo to wonder why the library looked like a secret forest from a fairy tale.

  ‘What did I miss?’ he asked curiously.

  ‘The Goddess Diana stopped by to see me,’ Olivia shrugged.

  ‘Why am I even still surprised at stuff like this?’ he shook his head in bewilderment.

  Beau glanced up from his bone, his tail thumping as he tried to drag it over to Theo to show him.

  ‘Hey boy,’ he hunkered down and rubbed his back vigorously, ‘did you watch over Olivia for me?’

  Beau barked happily and rolled over Theo’s feet, managing to hit him in the shin with his oversized bone.

  ‘Where did he get that?’

  ‘It was a gift from Diana,’ Olivia smiled up at him as he stepped over the dog and leaned down to help her to her feet.

  ‘So what did she want?’

  Olivia grasped his hands, unfolding herself from the floor, bumping him with her belly as she stood.

  ‘Sorry,’ she chuckled as he smiled and placed his hands over their children, stroking her belly softly. ‘I felt them move today,’ she whispered.

  ‘Really?’ he grinned.

  She nodded.

  ‘It’s like a fluttering,’ she told him.

  ‘I wish I could feel them,’ he sighed.

  ‘You will soon.’

  ‘So what did Diana want?’ he asked after a moment.

  ‘Oh, right,’ she shook her head, recalling his earlier question. ‘I’m not sure exactly,’ she frowned. ‘It seems no one wants to leave me on my own these days.’

  ‘We can’t help it,’ he replied, ‘we all want to protect you and I for one am glad you’ve got Hades and Diana watching out for you.’

  ‘I get the feeling they’re not the only ones,’ she frowned.

  ‘How is that a bad thing?’

  ‘Because I’m beginning to felt like a science experiment,’ she replied sourly, ‘like I’m behind the glass and everyone’s just watching, waiting to see what’s going to happen.’

  ‘It’s not like that at all,’ Theo shook his head and took her hand. ‘Come on, let’s go for a walk down by the lake and get some fresh air. You’ll feel better for it and you can tell me what Diana said.’

  Nodding slowly in agreement she followed him from the room as he whistled for Beau, the young dog leaping up and scrambling after them.

  ‘So?’ he asked as they wandered out the back door and down the steps, bypassing the back yard and heading straight for the shore of the lake. ‘What did she say?’

  ‘It was just more of the same. Don’t make the mistakes of your ancestors, live out your destiny, yadda, yadda, yadda,’ she blew out a breath.

  ‘She said I wasn’t a witch anymore…’ she stopped abruptly and turned to him, ‘well not just a witch. She said I was more.’

  ‘Olivia,’ he cupped the back of her neck, his lips brushing hers slowly, ‘you’ve always been more.’

  She kissed him gently, pressed her forehead to his.

  ‘She also said you had the ability to be a great seer, just like your mother.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Yeah,’ she nodded, ‘and there was something else.’

  ‘What’s that?’ he tugged on her hand and they began walking again.

  ‘She said that our children were special, because they were conceived while we were in the Otherworld.’

  ‘The Otherworld?’ he frowned. ‘You’re sure?’

  She nodded.

  ‘I suspected, although I couldn’t be sure but Diana confirmed it.’

  ‘What does she mean by special?’ he asked.

  ‘She wasn’t sure, but it’s almost certain they’ll be gifted in some way, but we probably won’t know until they’re much older.’

  ‘But they’re okay?’

&
nbsp; ‘Yeah,’ she smiled, her hand unconsciously going to her belly again, ‘they’re good.’

  ‘Of course they are,’ a familiar voice suddenly interrupted. ‘How could they not be with you two as their parents?’

  ‘Sam!’ Olivia laughed in delight, letting go of Theo’s hand and jumping into Sam’s arms.

  He wrapped her up in a big bear hug.

  ‘Wow, you’re starting to get big,’ he patted her belly affectionately.

  ‘Where have you been?’ she asked curiously.

  ‘The answer would only complicate things,’ he shook his head, stepping forward as Theo embraced him.

  ‘How you doing Theo?’ he smiled.

  ‘Good,’ he nodded, ‘not that I’m not happy to see you Sam, but why are you here? You usually only turn up when there’s trouble, or about to be trouble, or you are the trouble.’

  ‘No reason,’ he shrugged grinning, ‘just checking in…you know, see how things are.’

  ‘Checking in…or checking up?’ Olivia’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  ‘Ahhh…’

  ‘I knew it,’ she turned accusingly to Theo as if he were in on it. ‘Does no one think I’m capable of taking care of myself?’

  ‘Olivia,’ Sam laughed, slinging his arm around her shoulders companionably as the three of them continued to walk along the shore. ‘I’ve seen you mouth off at the Judges of the Underworld, dunk a Goddess in her own contemplation pool and defy Hades himself. Honey I wouldn’t mess with you.’

  Olivia harrumphed, slightly mollified.

  ‘Then why are you here, really?’

  ‘The pleasure of your company my love,’ he laughed in delight, ‘the pleasure of your company…’

  Nathaniel watched silently from the tree line, his pale eyes narrowing as he watched the three of them walking along the water’s edge as it lapped quietly in the early evening breeze.