Ever Fallen (Shadow Guardians Book 2)

by Elle Scott

  She was right. He had a crush on her. Major, too. Like he’d do anything to keep her safe. He kinda already did.

  Sadie sat up again and Sebastian scuttled back. That didn’t seem normal. He gawked at her as her eyes opened again.

  This time they shone blue. Not neon, like his, more turquoise, with hints of green in the swirl. Sebastian glanced around her, noticing a swallow beside her head.

  Definitely not normal.

  Sadie blinked, eyes re-opening to pure black. Sebastian stood, staring at the gazelle beside her. He looked further into the Veil behind her, seeing the tiger and swallow from before. They bumped against each other, urging themselves one in front of the other.

  Sadie blinked and the tiger pushed itself forward. The gazelle bowed its head, stomping its foot in protest. Another blink, and the gazelle fought its way back.

  Sebastian was a Fallen, but he knew that something wasn’t right. He stumbled to the door, flinging it open. Wiping his mouth and chin from Sadie’s sweet blood, he called, “Leila!”

  Ren wandered out of another room, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing!” Sebastian snapped. “Go back to sleep.”

  Ren raised an eyebrow. As he stepped into the hallway, Leila ran up the stairs, Riley close behind him. Sebastian rolled his eyes and returned to Sadie.

  She was sitting up straight, arms and legs stiff—her human body unable to move as the Guardians fought to be her companion. Sebastian cringed. The last thing he wanted was to talk to Riley, and he didn’t even know Ren, but if he was honest Sadie needed help, so he’d have to suck it up.

  “What’s happening?” Leila asked.

  Without looking back, Sebastian replied, “Look at her with your Guardian eyes.”

  He stared at Sadie, wincing every time she blinked. Rose gold, turquoise, and black in a loop.

  “Oh my god, what’s happening?” Leila gasped at the same time Riley spat, “What the hell did you do to her?”

  “I didn’t do anything… well…” Sebastian finally turned around to face them. “She wanted me to turn her. That’s all I did. It’s like they are all fighting to be her Guardian.”

  Leila ran to Sadie’s side, leaning in front of her face. She waved her hand, but Sadie stayed immobile paralyzed within the fight. She spun around. “Ren, what do we do?”

  “I’ve seen this before,” Ren said, moving around Sebastian. “We need to make one Guardian stay, long enough to attach.”

  He grabbed Sadie’s shoulders, and as she opened her rose-gold eyes, he commanded, “Stay!”

  Everyone was silent as they watched Sadie’s eyes. They stayed open for a while, the tiger happy to remain with her. Her eyelids dropped. And when they opened again, turquoise shone out.

  Sadie screamed. High pitched and piercing. If death were a noise, that’s what it would sound like. Her body began writhing, face contorting as though every bone in her body was breaking. As though her soul was on fire.

  Sebastian tightened his fists. “Why is this happening?”

  Leila looked at Ren. “Is it because she was marked and turned by different Guardians?”

  “Is it a Fallen thing?” Riley suggested.

  Through gritted teeth, Sebastian said, “But Cap marked all the cheerleaders and the boys turned them, they didn’t struggle like this.”

  Riley snapped, “So, you watched them turn others, but you were so against turning Morgan a few months ago? And now you’ve turned Sadie. You’re a hypocrite.”

  Sebastian faced Riley and he stared at his pompous, arrogant face. For a fleeting moment, he saw his father’s eyes staring back at him through Riley. Retreating from the argument, he turned back to Sadie. “What was I supposed to do?”

  “Stay!” Ren commanded.

  Sadie settled. Black remained for a few seconds. She blinked. Rose gold. Blinked again. Turquoise. Her eyes fluttered, blinking at rapid pace. Colors flashed as she writhed.

  “They’re killing her,” Ren stated.

  “You killed her,” Riley muttered to Sebastian.

  Fear rose within Sebastian. It overtook the anger he felt at Riley’s hatred against him. He walked to the edge of Leila’s bed and dropped to his knees. He cried, “Stay.”

  But the Guardians continued to war over Sadie’s innocent body.

  “Maybe she’ll listen to me,” Leila suggested, urging Ren aside and taking his place. “Which one do I tell to stay?”

  “Whichever.”

  As Sadie eyes burned rose gold, Leila demanded the tiger to stay. Sadie blinked, pupils focusing on Leila. She blinked again. The color remained.

  Large fangs grew and Sadie snapped her mouth at Leila.

  “Sadie, it’s me, Leila.”

  Sadie growled, “Get off me.”

  Leila moved back, fearful eyes darting to Riley and back.

  “Wow,” Sadie said, rolling her shoulders. “Talk about squashing my bladder.”

  Relief fell over Sebastian in the form of laughter. His whole being felt like it had been set free from the pits of hell itself. He beamed at Sadie. “Are you okay?”

  Sadie lifted her gaze, finding him. She smiled and the sight sent fireworks in Sebastian’s chest. Letting her head rest back, she closed her eyes and muttered, “I’m tired.”

  Her body went lax, sinking into the bed.

  Ren exhaled and faced Leila. “She wasn’t ready to be a Guardian.”

  “What does that mean?” Leila asked.

  “Time will tell.” Ren brushed past Sebastian, leaving the room.

  Sebastian looked at Sadie. Her breathing was back to normal. The tiger sat at her side. Close behind it, the gazelle and sparrow remained. Sebastian didn’t know what that meant but it sounded like more trouble. Being a Fallen was enough. He cursed himself for acting so hastily. If only he’d waited for the cure.

  “We could blast the Guardian out of her?” Riley said to Leila. “Once she wakes.”

  “Maybe,” Leila said, sharing a glance with Riley. “She won’t have killed anyone, so I’d say it’s a high possibility.”

  Riley nodded. As he went to leave the room, he glared at Sebastian. “Something is definitely wrong with her.”

  Sebastian agreed. But he’d never let Riley know. He said, “What would you know. At least I did something about it. She would have been play meat. Now she can stand up for herself.”

  “You didn’t think. Now she’s Fallen. Just like you.”

  A new feeling emerged. It was a mix of offense and a desire for approval. Sebastian didn’t like it. He retorted, “I’m not that bad.”

  “How many people have you killed?” There was a teasing tone in Riley’s voice.

  Sebastian lifted his chin. “How many have you?”

  A winning smile appeared on Riley’s face. Without saying anymore, he huffed out of the room.

  Turning to Leila, Sebastian said, “I’ve actually only killed one.”

  “I know,” said Leila, giving a sad smile. She made a quick glance to Sadie, then followed Riley.

  “Well, two actually,” Sebastian muttered, remembering Cap—if he counted. “I’ve killed two.”

  “Most people kill zero, Sebastian,” Riley called. As he descended the stairs, he lifted his hand over his head, flipping the bird.

  Leila and Riley were already half-way downstairs, but the niggle for approval had well and truly latched on. He yelled, “But Cap deserved it.”

  Turning to a sleeping Sadie, he moaned, “My brother hates me.”

  Leila

  Leila had tried her best to convince Sadie to wait for the cure. But somewhere in the last five minutes, she’d made the unthinkable decision to turn. Sebastian wasn’t all that bad, Leila had always known there was good in him, but this? He’d made Sadie a Fallen.

  As soon as they entered the living room, Riley unraveled. He grasped the back of a chair, breath rushing in and out through his mouth. Squeezing tighter for balance, his eyes darted around the room.

  “W
here’s my sister? Where’s Tessa.”

  “Right there,” Leila said, pointing toward the front window.

  Tessa leaned against the banister on the porch, talking wildly on the phone. Leila wondered if she knew about Sadie. Maybe she was telling Calice all about their failure to keep Sadie safe.

  Riley gasped, bending over. “I can’t take this.”

  Leila pressed her palm onto his back. Trying to soothe him, she said, “Sadie will be okay. We’ll deal with it.”

  “Uh-uh.” Riley shook his head violently. He sucked air into his lungs and exhaled.

  “You okay, bud?” Ren asked, wandering closer.

  Riley whipped his head up, glaring at Ren through half-shifted eyes. Leila noticed his claws piercing her mother’s prized cushion. He snapped, “Did you not just witness that?”

  Ren shrugged. “Just another day in the life of a Guardian. What are you worried about?”

  “What am I worried about?” Riley stood up, shrugging Leila’s hand off him. “How about the fact that you lied to me. Huh? When we first met. You said you were True Guardians—”

  “I am.” Ren’s brows dropped. “I never said she was.”

  Riley huffed. “Well, that’s a cop out. What about the fact that I thought my sister was a lost cause? I lived with the pain of losing her for months. And Kiko came to town, turned Cap. Messed up so many lives. How about the fact that she dragged us out into the woods to pick us apart one-by-one? And now she has Odette. And I’m supposed to sit here and not do anything?”

  “That’s it, brother, get worked up.” An amused voice wafted from the bottom of the stairwell.

  Riley’s eyes turned to slits, piercing blue shining in a direct line to Sebastian. Through gritted teeth he hissed, “Don’t call me brother, we’re not even friends.”

  Makoto stepped under the archway, glancing around the room. “What’s going on?”

  Sebastian chuckled. “Poster boy is losing his mind.”

  Two fangs popped through Riley’s curled lips. Leila reached for him, but it was too late. He launched for Sebastian.

  “Oh.” Sebastian’s jovial expression dropped. He cracked his neck as his half-shifted, fists at the ready.

  “All right.” Makoto hurried between them. “Let’s save the fighting for later.”

  Riley side-stepped, trying to get around him but Makoto blocked his move. Riley groaned. “Just let me have him. One less Fallen the better.”

  Sebastian returned to human form — he was neither amused nor angry. Leila saw pure hurt in his eyes. He swiveled around and bounded back up the stairs.

  Riley went to follow, but Makoto raised his hands. He peered behind him, looking at Ren. “Have you not taught your clan how to control their instincts?”

  Ren avoided his brother’s eye contact and rubbed the nape of his neck. “Well, I, uhh... I don’t really have a clan…”

  “Oh, for goodness sake, Ren,” Makoto scolded. “You turn someone, they’re your clan. At least until they make a clan of their own. But you’re still there, guiding them.”

  “It’s not really been my thing.”

  Leila almost choked. He could say that again. Those last few days were the most she’d ever seen of him.

  “Okay.” Makoto clapped his hands together, then pointed a finger to the middle of the room. “Riley, Leila, Gabby. Sit.”

  Gabby? Leila thought, looking around the room.

  A head of brown hair with green streaks popped up from the sofa. Gabby rubbed her sleepy eyes. “Huh?”

  The three of them did as they were told. Makoto was different to Ren, authoritative and calm. Much like Kiko. Leila frowned at the thought as she sat on the floor.

  Makoto positioned himself on the edge of Ren’s favorite armchair. He leaned forward, resting his elbows to his knees. “Your instincts are two-fold. Human and animal. Do you all notice that when you are shifted you feel more in line with the world? You can sense when things aren’t quite right?”

  Leila nodded. She knew that feeling well. She sat forward, leaning toward Makoto as though he was the missing piece. As if he could teach them everything a True Guardian should be.

  “Like what?” Riley asked. His eyebrows met.

  “What do you mean, like what?” Leila replied. “Like everything is multiplied. There’s a noise from behind and you know it’s someone swinging their arm. So, you know to duck.”

  Riley stared at Leila blankly. “That happens?”

  Makoto cleared his throat. “I see what the problem is. Your human has over-ridden your wolf.”

  Riley opened his mouth to speak but shut it again. His bottom lip rolled out.

  “What that means,” Makoto continued. “Is you trust your human side more than your animal side. Which can cause a few human-only problems. Like anxiety, stress, self-doubt, fear.”

  Lightning fired across Leila’s brain. That was it. Riley had been ruled by fear. It consumed him.

  She nodded and asked, “How does he fix it?”

  “You think I need fixing?” Riley rolled his shoulders back.

  Gabby peered around Leila. “Dude, you’re firing on about a hundred cylinders. Yes, you need fixing.”

  Riley’s eyes dropped along with his shoulders.

  “It’s a common thing. And possibly an easy solve.” Makoto slipped off the sofa and sat in front of Riley. He crossed his legs and nodded at Riley to do the same. He rolled his wrists palm up and placed them on his thighs.

  Leila settled herself into the position and nudged Gabby with her elbow to join in.

  “Close your eyes,” Makoto’s voice was smooth and low. “Take a long breath in through your nose. Hold it. Hold it. Okay, now exhale. Longer. That’s it, nice and slow. Repeat. Breathe in…. Hold… And out.”

  Leila peeled one eye open, checking on Riley to make sure he was doing it. He looked a bit stiff but he was breathing slower. Satisfied, she returned to position, letting herself be calmed by Makoto’s lead.

  “Let yourself relax. You have nowhere to be. You are exactly where you need to be. Sink into your breath. Focus only on it and my voice. Now, align with your Guardian. See them in your mind’s eye. Take some time to listen to them, sense what they are sensing, feel what they are feeling. You are not all human. You are not all animal. You are both, at once.”

  Leila imagined her lion standing before her, its golden aura shining like the magnificent beast it was. She saw herself running her fingers through its fur. It nestled into her hand, enjoying the touch.

  “What do you feel?” she asked it.

  The lion roared, sending a shock wave through her body.

  It will take a sacrifice.

  The words rattled her bones. With her heart pounding hard against her rib cage, she asked, “What kind of sacrifice?”

  But the connection was lost. Her breathing had escalated. She slowed herself, one long breath in, one long breath out.

  Her lion’s face reappeared, its eyes a few inches from hers. It said, “You’re ready.”

  A sense of calm rushed over her, as if she knew exactly what the lion knew, without knowing anything at all. And that was okay. She knew if she kept the connection, in time it would become clear.

  Leila peeled her eyes open. The first thing she saw was Makoto staring at her and smiling. He nodded, and wagging a finger in her direction, he whispered, “I knew I liked you.”

  Gabby’s eyes shot open. She looked between Leila and Makoto, on edge. In a few beats, she relaxed. She turned to Leila, “What did yours say?”

  “That I’m ready.” Leila left out the sacrifice part, whatever that meant. “Yours?”

  Gabby shrugged. “I didn’t hear words. I felt…” she clutched her throat. “Weird.”

  “Mmm,” Makoto said. “Sometimes we see things, sometimes we feel things, sometimes we just sense things. What matters is that we are calm when it happens. That’s how you know the difference between irrational fear and instinct. If you are calm and still sense danger, it’s most
likely right.”

  “We have to go to the Falls Party,” Riley said in monotone. “That’s where Kiko and Kale plan to recruit.”

  “How can you be sure?” Leila asked, dubious that he was being led by instinct or fear.

  Tessa entered the living room. Waving her cell, she said, “I’ve just heard from Calice and Jamal. They’ve followed Kiko and Kale to the edge of the woods, right near the falls. Odette is still with them.”

  Riley inhaled slowly, taking his time to meet Leila’s eyes. Exhaling, he said, “That’s how.”

  Leila

  They’d spent the last few hours preparing as well as they could. Riley was decidedly calmer, his shoulders not so tense. They’d eaten. They’d run through scenarios. Now, they were just waiting for the party to begin.

  Makoto paced the dining room as he chatted over the phone to his clan, making sure they understood the plan. He tucked his phone into his pocket and said, “Tessa is at the hardware store, grabbing a few more chains. Just in case. And Calice and Jamal are still following Kiko.”

  There was a moment of silence, a heaviness falling around them, the gravity of the situation feeling way too real.

  Makoto sighed and leaned onto the table. He asked, “You still got the satchels?”

  “Sure do,” Leila said, patting the pocket on her jacket. Riley stood next to her, staring into space. She answered for him, “He’s got his in his pant pocket.”

  Makoto frowned. Trying to gain Riley’s eye contact, he asked, “Are you sure you’re up to this?”

  Leila turned to Riley. She pinched his sleeve, giving it a slight tug. “Riley?”

  “Mm?” He blinked a few times, turning his attention to her. “What was that?”

  “Are you up for this?”

  Instinctively, Riley placed his hand over the satchel in his back pocket. “Oh, yeah. This madness ends tonight.”

  Makoto gazed at the clock. It was seven fifty-two. His left eye twitched before he blurted, “What time does this thing start again?”

  Gabby leaned against the archway. She shrugged and said, “Eight. Round-abouts.”