by Elle Scott
“Are you ready?” Leila asked.
Gabby pulled her legs in closer to her body, clasping her forearms. “Hurry the hell up. Let’s get this over with.”
Riley moved beside Leila, and as he took her hand, Gabby squeezed her eyes shut.
“Okay,” Riley whispered. “You know what you have to do?”
Leila took one more look at Gabby. After this moment, all her pain will wash away with her Guardian. A sense of peace rushed through Leila. She was about to save her best friend from the darkness that chased her.
Facing Riley, Leila took both his hands in hers. She smiled as she let her eyes dance over his face. He’d lifted his glasses and rested them on his head, and a few blond strands poked through the middle. His brown eyes flitted between hers, and she knew, with his super vision, he could see every hue in her hazel irises. He gave a small tilted smile.
“I know exactly what to do,” she replied.
Re-gripping his hands, she pulled them up, resting their clenched fists between them. Riley shuffled closer, his eyes locked on her. Leila nodded and together, they half-shifted, bringing their Guardians in alignment. She felt an aura of strength fill her senses, a golden glow around her as her lion stepped forward.
Riley jerked his head to the side and his wolf arched its neck, howling to the sky. She clutched his hands so tight she could hardly feel anything else but the steady strum of his pulse through his palms. Leila licked her lips and remembered what Samuel had said. The surge was fueled by their love. She allowed herself to revel in it.
She loved him.
He lied to her and yet she loved him.
He marked her and yet she loved him.
He loved her and…
She loved him.
She loved him.
She loved him.
In a split second, she saw her shimmering aura reach for him. His did the same. Their lights came together in the middle, and like glass shattering, specks of gold and blue burst outward. It tumbled around them like a dust storm, gathering up speed and momentum as it went. An almighty crack thundered around them as the cluster of light expanded.
Leila flicked her head to Gabby and watched the surge fly through her. Leila watched as Gabby’s silver wolf stood beside her, its paws planted on the ground as though weathering a storm. The propulsion moved through Gabby, tumbling beyond the clearing.
It hit Ren next, pushing his back against a tree. His panther beside him blinked once, then shook its head. The surge of light washed over Damien, and as it moved through him, it took a hold of the yellow eagle, standing stoically by his side. The eagle shrieked as it tumbled backward, its aura breaking apart into a million flickers.
The surge petered out and Leila returned her eyes to Riley, noticing one of them was gold and the other blue. She let his hands go and stepped back to watch his golden eye switch back to normal.
“My eagle!” Damien cried, his jawline suddenly less defined. He patted his shrinking biceps. “What have you done to me?”
Gabby stood, she gazed down to her side, her wolf still in prime place next to her. Ren’s eyes flashed obsidian as he pored over Damien, craning his neck to see around.
But there was nothing to see.
There was no eagle beside Damien. He had no Guardian. He was no Guardian.
Just a regular human, like before.
Quiet chatter echoed through the swimming hall. People milled to the stand, taking their seats ahead of the game. Cedar Falls Varsity team were playing against their long-term rivals from Graystone Academy. It was the biggest game of the season so far.
And Leila couldn’t care one bit.
She fiddled with her camera settings and lifted the viewfinder to her eye. She tried to focus on something; a net cutting through the water, a cheerleader stretching, the referee’s whistle around his neck, but her finger shook too much to press the shutter button.
Riley sat next to her, his leg bouncing underneath him. The movement distracted Leila, with the camera still up to her eye she peered at her anxious boyfriend. He lifted his phone and scrolled through to Damien’s name. Riley gave Leila a weak smile as he hit the call button and chewed on his lips as he waited for an answer.
“Why him and not me or Ren?” Gabby said on the other side.
Leila sighed and placed her camera in her lap. “I don’t know… I really don’t know.”
“Damien?” Riley said a little too loudly, garnering a few annoyed glances from the people in front. “Where the hell are you?”
Leila shared a glance with Gabby, whose bottom lip rolled out. “It was meant to be me,” Gabby sobbed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
The sight made Leila’s heart sink. She knew Gabby was struggling but the look on her face was something else. It was almost as though she was in turmoil.
Leila placed her hand on Gabby’s knee. “Is it—”
“I’m gonna go be with Damien, he’s pretty rattled,” Riley interrupted. Leila nodded, watching him as he stood. He bent down and kissed her full on the lips. “I’ll text you.”
Leila watched him side-step out of the aisle. When he was gone, she turned to Gabby. “Is it that bad?”
Gabby shrugged, wiping her cheek. “It’s not terrible, like I don’t think I’ll kill anyone again… I just have this—” She stopped talking and pressed her palm against her heart and tapped.
That was it. Leila couldn’t bear seeing her best friend in so much inner turmoil. She found Gabby’s eyes. “I know I said that was the last time, but we can try again if you wanted?”
Gabby averted her gaze and shook her head. “Maybe it’s selective. Maybe I’m too far gone. Maybe it’s my punishment for not saving my brother.”
A splash. And then another. Leila turned her attention to the pool as the team jumped into the water. Thomas swam to the goals. When he was a Fallen, before Leila and Riley dispelled his and Crystal’s Guardians, Crystal had said something about Riley being their first kill. And Damien, in any fight, always made sure his opponent was alive.
“They hadn’t killed anyone,” Leila mused, wondering if that’s how the surge worked.
“Huh?” Gabby asked.
A shoulder bumped up against Leila. “Ugh,” Taj said, plonking himself in the spot where Riley had been. He ripped his back-pack open and pulled out a small laptop. “They’re stalling the game because they don’t have their star player.”
Leila squinted, glancing over the team as they swam in circles to warm up. She counted their heads but there was no Sebastian. “Where is he?”
“No one’s heard from him since yesterday afternoon.” Taj gave an ominous smile. “Isn’t it great?”
If there was one person she could count on for being forever the same, it was Taj. She teased, “If you say so, drama llama.”
Taj cleared his throat. “That’s gossip queen to you, Leilani Bel-Montessori.”
Leila smirked. “Always a pleasure, my queen.”
Taj reached his hand back into his bag and pulled out a packet of Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups. He tore the bag open and held it out, “Want one?”
As she dug her hand in, movement in the row behind caught her eye. Someone shuffled in front of people, disturbing the whole row. Knees lifted and annoyed mutters arose. There were plenty of seats at the end of the rows, but the person settled right behind Leila.
Seeing them up close, Leila raised her eyebrows. It was Sebastian. His hair was unkempt and unwashed tendrils fell over his eyes. For a split second, he reminded her of Riley and the way he’d let his hair fall that way sometimes.
Sebastian clenched his jaw and whispered, “Sadie’s been taken.”
Leila swiveled around fully. Did she hear him correctly? “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
Sebastian huffed, rolled his shoulders forward and leaned so close that his face was barely two inches from hers. “I said. Sadie has been taken. By a Fallen.”
Leila shot up and Sebastian was quick to do the same. She stared at
him for a short moment as a thought flickered into her mind—what if he’s lying? What if she’d been wrong the whole time? What if he was bad and she’s misjudged him? What if it was a trap?
He stared at her with imploring eyes. He looked tired and desperate. The same look he gave her when he asked her for help in the library, right after he killed Miss Carson.
“Is he bothering you?” Gabby asked, rising. Her eyes turned to slits and a flash of silver lit them.
Sebastian remained completely still, glaring at Leila. She decided then to trust him. She had to. Handing her camera bag to Taj, she said, “We gotta go.”
“Hey?” Taj called as Leila pushed Gabby down the row. “Leila! Not again! You’ve got a job to do!”
There wasn’t time to explain. No time for sorrys. She’d have to make it up to him… again.
As Leila rushed down the stairs, Gabby puffed behind her. “What’s going on?”
Leila pushed the doors open. Sebastian was already halfway across the front lawn, heading for his car. Picking up her speed, she called over her shoulder, “He says Sadie’s been captured by a Fallen.”
“What?” The sound of following footsteps halted.
Leila glanced over her shoulder and noticing Gabby frozen on the spot, she rushed back to her. “I don’t know. Okay. I don’t know if we should believe him, but if he’s telling the truth and we don’t do anything—”
“I’ll call her.” Gabby whipped her phone from her back pocket and pressed number 2 on her speed dial. The longer it rang the quicker her breathing became.
“Are you coming?” Sebastian called.
Gabby glared at him then looked down at her unanswered phone. “I don’t trust him.”
Leila licked her lips and grabbed her best friend’s shoulders. “Come on, Gabs. This is Sadie.”
Gabby looked up, decisively. “Stall him. Say you need to make a plan or something. Take him to your house, call Riley. I’ll go to Sadie’s to make sure she’s not home.”
“What happened to the reckless versions?” Sebastian said, right behind them. The girls spun to face him. He scowled, “I came to you because you jump first, you act without thinking. But these sniveling versions? Sadie will die before you make your decision to trust me or not.”
Leila’s heart bounded to her throat. All doubt left her. She called her lion forward, aligning in half-shift. As her fangs grew, she said, “Of course I believe you, let’s go find her.”
Sebastian smiled and shook his head. “Good, there’s the Leila I need. But—I can’t believe I’m saying this—” Sebastian pointed to Gabby. “Spider is right. We need a team. Call your dick boyfriend and let’s get this search started.”
Leila
Leila was pacing in her living room when a knock rattled her door. Before she was able to take a step, the door opened and Riley stepped in. He threw a thumb over his shoulder, and Leila peered around him to see Damien skulking through the gate at end of path.
He said, “Found him.”
Watching Damien slowly drag his feet down the path, hair hanging limply over his face, she whispered, “How is he?”
Riley opened his mouth to say something but shrugged instead. He walked in and Leila left the door open for Damien. She felt bad for him, she didn’t mean to do what they did. But in that moment in time, it was the least of their problems.
She turned to Riley. “We’ve got a prob—”
“Mark me,” Damien demanded. He stood in the doorway, holding his T-shirt down at the collar.
“Damien,” Riley said softly, “I don’t know if it will—”
“Just do it.”
Riley gave Leila an exasperated glance and moved to Damien. He placed his hand over the curve of Damien’s shoulder. For a second, Riley’s eyes flashed blue and his fangs popped between his teeth.
When Riley was done, Damien flipped his shirt back up and dragged his sorry body to the sofa. Falling onto the cushions, he covered his face with his hands. “I need this. It has to work, I’m nothing if I’m not a Guardian.”
With a sinking heart, Leila forced herself to ignore his pain. She returned her attention to Riley. “We’ve got a bigger problem.”
As he closed the door, he asked. “What’s wrong?”
Leila hesitated for a moment, wondering how on earth she could say it. But there was no other way than the truth. “Sadie’s missing.”
Riley’s face dropped. Sheer terror hit his eyes.
“What?” Damien sat up at the same time Gabby and Sebastian entered the room.
The terror on Riley’s face morphed into anger. Pointing at Sebastian, he hissed, “What’s he doing here?”
Sebastian curled his lip and scowled. “Apparently everyone has been too busy with their little side quests they forgot about the precious human they should’ve been protecting.”
“Just tell them about what happened,” Gabby moaned.
Sebastian ran his tongue between his teeth, letting a hissing noise come out. He sighed, and a softer side broke through the cracks in his tough exterior. “It’s my fault. Our sisters have been missing since Thursday night. I enlisted Sadie’s help to find them, but…” He paused, brows falling to his eyes. “She got caught.”
“This is just typical of a Fallen,” Riley chided. “Doesn’t think about the bigger picture, doesn’t care about anyone but their own agenda. Doesn’t matter who gets hurt in the process.”
“I’m here now aren’t I? Doesn’t that mean I give a crap?” Sebastian retorted.
Riley tensed, hands balling into fists. “Yeah, what’s in it for you? You’re working for whoever took her and want us too?”
Before Riley did something he’d regret, Leila stepped in front of him and placed her hands on his chest. “Just hear him out.”
Sebastian glanced to Leila as though thankful for back-up, he quickly rolled his shoulders back. “Listen, I get it, this isn’t ideal. You think I want to be here in your pissy little clan? No. I just… “ He clenched his jaw. “I just want my sister back. And I thought you might like your sidekick back, too.”
Leila heard a rush of air expel from Riley’s nostrils. He whispered, “I knew he didn’t care about her.”
From his seat on the sofa, Damien twisted around. “Anyway, what were you doing with Sadie? She’s human. She’s small. How could she help you find your sister?”
Sebastian chortled to himself. ”I thought her friends of all people would know that she hates to be alone.” Damien’s face dropped and Sebastian seemed to revel in it. He grinned. “Oh, the things I know about her that you don’t. Makes you jealous doesn’t it? She’s tougher than you lot give her credit for.”
That statement hurt Leila. She knew Sadie well. Enough to tell her the secret of her mark. Enough to trust her. So, why didn’t Sadie tell her about Sebastian and their sisters?
“As if she’d be remotely interested in you,” Damien said, standing.
Sebastian’s eyes widened. “Whoa, man, you look sick. What the hell is wrong with you?” Half-shifting, his eyes traced Damien’s body. “Holy shit, you’ve lost your Guardian. How’d that happen?”
Behind Sebastian, Gabby’s eyes flashed silver, giving a hateful stare to the back of his head. Leila shook her head, urging her friend to calm down. She said, “It doesn’t matter. Arguing won’t get us anywhere. We need to focus. We need to find Sadie and your sisters.”
Leila felt Riley’s hand clasp her shoulder and squeeze. He stepped to the middle of the room, chest puffing up. “She’s right. What’s important is we find them. We need more eyes. I’ll call Ren. Leila? Call Kiko.”
An hour later, they were all sitting in Leila’s living room. Except Gabby, who had gone to Sadie’s in case they returned. Bar a few icy glances and grimaces, it was deathly silent.
“Are we really gonna sit here and twiddle our fingers?” Sebastian scowled.
Riley glared at him. “And I suppose you want to run out there and search for her, getting more of us in danger?” He t
urned to Leila. “He’s the Fallen, we were warned about this.”
“Stop it.” Leila tried to say it without emotion, but a sliver of frustration slipped through. “Kale and Kiko should be here soon. She’s been a Guardian longer than any of us. She’ll help us.”
“I’m just saying,” Sebastian said, foot tapping against the coffee table. “We’re wasting precious time here.”
He was right. Leila itched to get out there, to search for her friend. “Maybe we can get out there and tell them where we are.”
Riley frowned as if she’d asked him to bungee jump without a cord. “We’re not equipped for this. We need some guidance. We need to be smart about it.” He glanced at his phone and dialed Ren’s number again. As he waited for an answer, his eyes darted to Sebastian’s thumping foot. “Can you stop that?”
Sebastian dropped his foot to the ground and leaned forward in his chair. His eyes turned to slits as he glared at Riley, then Leila, then Damien. Taking in Damien’s new form, his lip curled into a smirk. “You should probably go home. You’re not a Guardian anymore, it’s probably not safe for you.”
“No one asked you,” Damien hissed.
“That’s it, I’m done.” Sebastian pushed himself off the chair and headed for the door. “You losers can wait but I’m out. I’ll take the action to save their lives.”
“Sebastian!” Leila sprung up. He stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder. “Call me if you find them.”
He nodded and left.
As soon as the door shut, Damien stood. He looked between Leila and Riley through darkened tendrils. “He’s right, you know. I’m no use.”
“You’ve got brains,” Leila offered. “We need brains.”
Damien gave a sad smile. “I’ll be at home if you need me.”
Leila watched him skulk away. She threaded her hands through her hair and walked the length of the living room and back again. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to start. Why have they taken her? What do they want?”
