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

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘Well that’s comforting,’ she frowned.

  ‘I’m not trying to comfort you; I’m trying to prepare you. There are dark days ahead Olivia.’

  She turned her eyes thoughtfully to the Hell mouth which was basically situated right outside her house.

  ‘I know…’ she murmured as the storm cracked with a loud whip and snap of lightning, followed by a roar of thunder so loud the jetty, this time, began to shake beneath her feet.

  Theo jolted awake as lightening split the air, but the storm wasn’t the only thing which had woken him. Beau was on the floor next to his side of the bed, bouncing up and down, barking frantically. Theo rolled over to find Olivia’s side of the bed empty. He tore the covers off and leapt out of bed. He wasn’t sure what made him go to the window but he did and glancing down towards the lake he saw Olivia standing alone at the end of the wooden jetty.

  He didn’t stop; he didn’t even pause to pull his boots on. He ran down the stairs, leaping down the last three or four and headed through into the kitchen and out the back door. The second he hit the ground, he took off running, his tee shirt and pajama pants soaked through almost instantly in the downpour. Beau was right behind him.

  ‘Olivia,’ Rhys turned to her suddenly, ‘you’re not alone.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘There’s something out there, run now!’

  She blinked as he flickered and disappeared. Turning her back on the lake she had barely taken a step when a jagged spear of lightning smashed down into the ground at her feet. All she saw was a blinding flash of white and she was violently thrown back in a high arc, out over the icy water in a shower of exploding splinters from the dock. She hit the surface hard and was sucked down into the black water, her body limp and unconscious.

  ‘OLIVIA!’ Theo screamed as he watched her hit the water and disappear.

  Before he could make it to the end of the dock he saw a blur, a flicker of pale hair and a body, as someone else dived into the water after her. He neared the end of the damaged dock ready to dive in when a head broke the surface with Olivia’s limp body and towed her back to the shore.

  Theo bypassed the dock and headed for the edge of the water, splashing into the icy depths as the rescuer emerged dripping from the water, gently carrying Olivia.

  ‘Davis?’ Theo pulled Olivia into his arms and headed back towards the shoreline, ‘what the hell?’

  ‘Never mind that now,’ Olivia’s uncle replied as they laid her out on the ground. ‘She’s not breathing.’

  ‘What do we do?’ Theo asked in panic as Beau laid his head down on the sodden ground and began to whine loudly.

  ‘CPR,’ he answered as he tipped her head back and breathed deeply into her mouth, ‘but we need to be careful we don’t harm the babies.’

  Theo watched, his heart pounding in his throat and his eyes wide with panic, as Davis calmly began chest compressions, pausing every now and then to breathe into her mouth. It felt like an eternity, every second that slipped by choking him with dread. He prayed; he prayed like he’d never prayed before, that his God would not be so cruel. That he would not take Olivia and their children from him, not now. Not after everything they’d been through.

  Suddenly she coughed, expelling the lake water from her lungs as she drew in a loud racking breath. Davis rolled her onto her side, to help her bring up the rest of the water.

  ‘We need to get her back to the house,’ he breathed heavily; ‘there’s something out here Theo.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Theo frowned.

  ‘I mean it was no freak lightning strike that took out that jetty. There’s something out there in the woods. We can’t risk taking her outside of her protective wards while she’s vulnerable, not even to take her to the hospital.’

  Nodding in agreement, Theo lifted her carefully, cradling her in his arms and they headed quickly for the house with Beau trailing alongside them.

  ‘How is she?’ Theo asked anxiously as Louisa walked calmly down the stairs and entered the library.

  ‘She’s sleeping, she’s fine and the babies seem to be too. We’ll just need to keep an eye on her over the next couple of days.’

  She scanned the room, her eyes resting on her husband who was pacing the library with their newborn son tucked into a sling that was strapped across his chest.

  ‘I’m sorry we had to drag you out in the middle of the night,’ Theo frowned. ‘You should be resting, but I didn’t know who else to call.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she waved away his concerns, ‘like I’d let anyone else look after Olivia. I don’t trust anyone right now, not after what happened to her at the hospital.’

  ‘Tell me about it,’ Theo muttered darkly.

  ‘Now,’ she glanced at Davis who was rubbing his wet hair vigorously with a towel, ‘does someone what to tell me what the hell is going on?’

  ‘I’d like to know that myself,’ Theo turned to Davis.

  ‘Charles has us all taking turns watching the house,’ Davis told him. ‘Danae was working tonight so it was my turn. All I know is Olivia came wandering out of the house and down to the dock. She spent ages just looking out across the lake. I thought she was just restless and thinking, but I got the feeling a couple of times it was almost as if she were having a conversation with someone.’

  ‘You didn’t see anyone else?’

  ‘No,’ he shook his head, ‘I didn’t see anyone. As I said she was just standing there staring out over the water when the storm came out of nowhere. Next thing I knew that lightning strike took out the dock and she was thrown into the water.’

  ‘You said someone was out there,’ Theo frowned, ‘that the lightning strike wasn’t an accident.’

  ‘It wasn’t, I could smell it on the air; magic. Whoever called that storm was using it to go after Olivia because they couldn’t get to her directly.’

  ‘Because of the wards around the house?’ Tommy asked, as he rocked his son gently.

  ‘Exactly,’ Davis nodded. ‘I could sense a presence nearby in the woods, but I couldn’t identify them.’

  The front door suddenly banged and Charles appeared breathlessly in the doorway of the library.

  ‘What happened?’ he asked worriedly. ‘Is she okay?’

  ‘She’s okay, Mr Connell,’ Louisa told him. ‘She’s resting now.’

  ‘You took your time,’ Davis frowned.

  ‘Storm knocked out my signal,’ Charles replied, ‘only just picked up your message.’

  ‘A word if you don’t mind Charles,’ Davis glared at him.

  ‘I’m going to go check on Olivia,’ Theo ducked out of the room.

  ‘We’ll go put some coffee on,’ Louisa reached for her husband. ‘It’s nearly dawn anyway, I doubt anyone will be going back to sleep. I’ll see if I can rustle up some breakfast for everyone.’

  Davis nodded, waiting for the others to clear the room before turning back to his brother.

  ‘Okay, tell me what’s going on Charles.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he replied innocently. ‘I came over as soon as I heard what had happened.’

  ‘Bullshit,’ Davis’ eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘You’ve been ducking my calls for two days, and you’ve been pretty much MIA for the last twenty four hours.’

  Something in Charles’ guarded expression obviously gave him away, either that or Davis just knew him too well.

  ‘Shit,’ he swore, ‘you found her didn’t you. You went after Isabel?’

  Charles’ jaw tightened uncomfortably.

  ‘You went after her alone? For God’s sake Charles, you know how dangerous she is, especially now. Why the hell didn’t you call me and Danae?’

  ‘Because it’s private,’ he snapped. ‘It’s between me and Isabel and no one else.’

  ‘So what happened? You obviously lived to tell the tale.’

  ‘Nothing,’ he replied tightly, ‘nothing happened.’


  ‘Of course something happened,’ he probed relentlessly. ‘You’ve never been able to think clearly when it came to Isabel; she’s like Kryptonite to you.’

  ‘Just leave it will you,’ he growled.

  ‘No,’ he shook his head. ‘There’s no way you two sat down, had a cup of tea and a mature conversation, then went your separate ways.’

  ‘Davis,’ he warned.

  ‘I take it that’s her handiwork?’ he lifted his chin, indicating the large bruise along his jaw. ‘You two had a fight then?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ he muttered, his cheeks coloring.

  ‘You’re acting really weird, it’s almost as if….’ Suddenly he understood. ‘Jesus Christ Charles, you fucked her, didn’t you?’

  ‘This isn’t funny Davis.’

  ‘I beg to disagree,’ he smirked, ‘I think it’s fucking hilarious. Only you could go galloping off on your moral high horse intending to kill your murderess ex wife and end up sleeping with her instead.’

  ‘Wife.’

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  ‘Wife,’ he sighed, ‘not ex…we never divorced. Technically our marriage is still legally binding.’

  Davis threw his head back and laughed.

  ‘I’m so glad you’re enjoying yourself,’ he replied flatly.

  ‘Come on Charles, even you have to see the irony here.’

  ‘What irony?’ Theo walked back into the room.

  ‘How is she?’ Charles asked, quickly changing the subject.

  ‘Sleeping now,’ Theo rubbed his eyes tiredly. ‘Charles I need to speak with you about Isabel.’

  ‘What?’ he shifted uncomfortably, ‘what about Isabel? I don’t know anything…Why is it, all of a sudden everyone wants to talk about Isabel?’

  ‘Okaay….’ Theo replied slowly, frowning at Charles’ strange behavior. ‘Look, I know the last couple of times you and Olivia have been together you’ve clashed over her involvement with her mother, but there are things going on with Isabel, things you don’t know about.’

  ‘I do know,’ Charles sighed.

  ‘What is it you think you know?’ Theo asked suspiciously.

  ‘I know that she didn’t kill those men back in 1994, that it was her mother.’

  ‘And you didn’t think Olivia deserved to know that?’ Theo snapped angrily.

  ‘Hold on a minute,’ Davis interrupted. ‘Why am I only just hearing about this?’

  ‘I only found out yesterday,’ Charles replied. ‘Trust me; it came as a complete shock to me too.’

  ‘Look Charles,’ Theo reached down deep for his patience, ‘I get that you want to protect Olivia but you have to understand, right now, what Olivia needs is her mother. No one else knows as much about Nathaniel or the book as Isabel. You need to stand back and give them both space to reconnect.’

  ‘I don’t trust her.’

  ‘I don’t either,’ Theo replied. ‘I have no doubt sooner or later she’ll betray us, it’s in her nature, but right now she’s what Olivia needs.’

  ‘I know,’ he muttered. ‘I never thought I’d say this but I’m afraid you’re right. As much as it pains me immensely to say this but…Isabel may be the answer.’

  17.

  Nathaniel strode down the street, through the bustle and press of people on the crowded sidewalk. He used to enjoy cities; he’d spent many centuries in Paris and London. Rome had especially amused him with its vice and corruption, and the stench of humanity, but that was no longer the case. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it had changed.

  Perhaps he could date it back to before Hester West had tricked him into the Devil’s trap, or maybe from the moment Isabel West had lifted him out of his prison only to trap him in a worse one. Maybe, he mused, it was being trapped inside one of the stinking pig suits the humans wore so proudly. The cringing feel of the rotting human flesh against his body had been enough to turn his stomach. Now he looked upon the humans as nothing more than stupid cattle. Nothing about them amused him anymore. He wanted to burn them all.

  Someone knocked into him in their haste and he curled his fist, willing himself not to turn around and snap its neck. He wasn’t in Mercy anymore he had to remind himself, he was in New York and someone was always watching. Continuing on grimly he passed by a one storey, corner building of red brown bricks and suddenly his nostrils were flooded with a delicious scent. It wasn’t coming from the building that he was passing by, which the huge signs proclaimed as a delicatessen named Katz. No, this scent was human and it was coming toward him.

  He looked up and his eyes locked onto her. Long, inky black hair fell almost to her small waist and her skin was pale as porcelain. Her eyes were blue, so light they looked like ice. His mouth flooded with moisture as he watched the slow throb of her blinding white aura. She was a pure soul.

  He could feel his body tightening with expectation and the thrill of the hunt. He wanted her. There was a terrible pain in his gut, a hunger that he couldn’t even begin to describe. It was so terrible but she would sate it, he was sure of it. He watched her walking along the sidewalk, unaware she was being stalked. He saw her hitch her purse up on her shoulder and head toward the building he’d just passed. He adjusted his direction slightly to take him directly into her path, knocking into her forcefully.

  ‘Sorry,’ she apologized looking up into his eyes.

  The hunger was now a painful ache crushing his throat as he gazed down at her, his entire body tensed, his hands reaching for her before he could stop himself. Suddenly his view of her was blocked by two young men, who stared at him coldly. The woman behind them, slightly startled by their appearance and the dangerous intensity of Nathaniel’s gaze, gripped her bag tighter and hurried away, disappearing into Katz’s Deli.

  ‘Leave…’

  ‘The girl alone…we know,’

  ‘What you have been…’

  ‘Doing…’

  Urgh, Nathaniel grimaced inwardly. Fucking Ravens, for once he wished they’d just speak in complete sentences instead of finishing each other’s.

  ‘The Hierophant has…’

  ‘Summoned you…’

  ‘I know,’ Nathaniel replied coldly, furious that the two emo boys had interfered with his plans for the woman. Still, he had her scent now; it wasn’t as if he couldn’t come back for her.

  ‘We know…’

  ‘What you are thinking…’

  ‘We’ll be watching the…’

  ‘Woman, so stay away…’

  ‘From her…’

  Nathaniel gritted his teeth and glared at them with furious eyes, knowing he didn’t have a choice. He needed the Hierophant more than he needed the woman right now.

  ‘Fine,’ he grated, his jaw clenched, ‘where is he then?’

  One of the boys dug into his pocket, the silver chain hanging from it swinging slightly as he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to Nathaniel. Taking it he smoothed it out and glared at it.

  ‘Is this some sort of joke?’ he asked coldly.

  ‘No, that’s…’

  ‘Where you’ll find him…’

  Nathaniel looked back down at the paper; it was a flyer for Coney Island. ‘One of the oldest and largest amusement parks in America, a treasure trove of historical landmarks,’ the colorful piece of paper boasted. Nathaniel grimaced; he hated amusement parks. Even more, he hated the press of tourists, and the stink of greasy food and sugary treats.

  He glanced up, but the Ravens had once again disappeared. He briefly considered going after the girl and felt his mouth flood hungrily with saliva again. He spun abruptly away from the deli she’d disappeared into, squeezing his eyes shut and breathing through his mouth until the desperate craving passed. He was not a junkie like Charun had been; he didn’t need the girl’s soul. He could still feel the last one pulsing inside of him, not yet spent.

  He could wait…but the Hierophant could not. He had one chance and one only to c
onvince him to get an anonymous message to Zeus. It was the only way to distract Hades long enough to get his hands on Olivia. He was so damn close to the book now he could taste it and no one was going to get in his way.

  Crumpling the paper in his fist he turned and headed back down the sidewalk, veering off into an alley. Once he was sure no one was looking he disappeared in a swirl of green smoke, reappearing on a wooden boardwalk. Turning his back on the soothing roar of the ocean he glanced up at the gateway before him. His brow creased slightly in confusion. He could hear the whir and clank of machinery and the whoosh of the rollercoaster, interspersed with music and varying other sounds expected of an amusement park, except for one thing.

  There were no voices. No human interaction at all. No babble of the crowds or delighted squeals from the huge, swirling rides. He looked to his left and then his right, nothing. He turned to the beach which was deserted, with the exception of a few bemused looking birds. Nathaniel turned back to the gateway; the ticket office at the center was empty. Above it was a deep blue, metal gate upon which were mounted giant metal disc shapes, with a solid blue dot at the center and red spokes, framed by golden crescent moon shapes. The words ‘Luna Park’ were scrawled underneath in gold.

  Dropping the crumpled flyer to the ground he sighed in annoyance, as he stepped through the abandoned gate and into the park itself. He continued walking, his hawk-like gaze scanning the park for the elusive Hierophant. To his left was ‘Deno’s Wonder Wheel’, a huge Ferris wheel of red, green and blue. To his right in the distance was a large wooden roller coaster. Shaking his head and muttering he turned left and headed through the blessedly quiet park. He skirted the huge wheel and passed by a carousel of colorfully painted horses. He continued walking, ignoring the rides which curiously enough were still operating, despite there being no staff and no visitors. He bypassed food vendors, also fully laden with treats and food, yet again devoid of people. The air was filled with the rich aroma of pizza, hotdogs and the sweet sugary smell of funnel cakes.