Ever Fallen (Shadow Guardians Book 2)

by Elle Scott

  Riley grabbed the chair from his desk and spun it around. He swung his leg over and leaned forward, resting his elbows to his knees. Gazing at her, he said, “There are some things I want to talk to you about, but it’s hard to say.”

  “What are they?” Leila shuffled to the edge of the bed and folded her legs up underneath her.

  He gave sad smile. “When we separated at camp—” he sighed—“I’m so sorry. We should have stayed together. Samuel warned us but I didn’t listen. I had this stupid idea to do it all alone and—”

  “Stop, Riley. It’s not your fault. I did a pretty good job of pushing you away, too.”

  He held his hand up for her to stop. “You had every right to be upset with me. I was such a jerk to Gabby.”

  And because of Calice. Leila thought. She bit her tongue, then said, “Okay, then. We’re both sorry. Done.”

  Riley looked over the rim of his glasses and she knew what the look was. It was not done. “There’s something else. Something Tsukiko told me. Back before I realized she was… Fallen.”

  Leila waved a dismissive hand. “Well, anything she has said can be forgotten except for the truth that the Fallen are great at deception.”

  “I know. I know. But maybe she was right about this one. She said that we are dangerous. As Imprints.”

  “Yeah, of course,” Leila scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Dangerous for her.”

  “I know.” Riley winced, sitting back. “It’s just I think she was talking from experience. She said that being an Imprint makes you powerful, and the stronger we become the more likely we are to let it go to our heads and do things.”

  “Fallen things?” Leila asked.

  Riley nodded, shifting his eyes to the ceiling.

  Leila burst out laughing. “Oh my God, Riley. No. You are the truest, right? You and me. We are True. That won’t happen.”

  A hint of a smile danced at the edges of his mouth. He returned his gaze to her and reached for her face, letting his thumb caress her cheek. “I love your certainty. But it’s not just that.”

  “Oh Lordy, there’s more?” Leila flailed her arms, landing her palms onto the bed with a thud. “You’re like one of those magicians with a never-ending handkerchief.”

  Chuckling, Riley said, “Just let me get it off my chest!”

  Leila cleared her throat and sat up straight. “Sorry. Carry on.”

  Riley inhaled through his nose and rubbed his palms down his thighs. He rushed an exhale and said, “Everything is different now. In my head. Finding Tessa like this, it made me realize how much I built a lot of the story up in my own head, you know. When I found her standing above mom with blood all over her and our house a mess, I didn’t give her a chance to explain. I just assumed she was bad.”

  “Does it change your opinion on Gabby or Sebastian?”

  “Gabby, yes. Sebastian…” Riley paused. “I’ll work on it. I’ve just realized I’ve been seeing things as either black or white. And, maybe, I’m a little colorblind. You see things in color and shades and tones, so maybe I shouldn’t try and carry the burden alone, maybe I should let you fill in the blanks for me.”

  Guilt burned through Leila. She’d tried to help him, tried to make him see things differently, to lighten up, but she didn’t want him to lose faith in himself and his abilities. “But you were right about not trusting Kiko. Don’t discount your instincts because I’m not very good at taking things seriously.”

  Riley shook his head vehemently. “I wasn’t using my instincts, though. I was thinking too much about what could go wrong. Leila, you’ve been amazing. You know when things matter, and you know how to kick me into gear when I’m wrong. Like yesterday morning—” A twinkle hit his eyes as they dropped to her mouth, and further down.

  Leila’s heart fluttered. She smiled. “I’m proud of you. For admitting that… do you wanna…?” She patted the bed beside her.

  Riley threw his head back and laughed. “No. Not with these paper thin walls.”

  Leila shrugged. “Thought I’d ask.”

  “I’ll be a work in progress for a while.” Riley turned his attention back to her, hair falling onto his brows. “Will you be patient with me?”

  What a question. Leila shook her head in disbelief and rose to her knees. She climbed between the bed and Riley, settling herself onto his lap. Squeezing his cheeks in her hands, she kissed him. As she pulled back, she said, “I’ll be here every step of the way. I’ll be here when you fall, and I’ll be here when you fly.”

  Sadie

  Sadie knew she was a Fallen. She knew it when Sebastian turned her and all she felt was the sludge of darkness as it settled within her soul. She knew it when Summer gave her a hug that morning and she wondered what her blood would taste like. She knew it when she entered the school and the halls just seemed to be filled with the constant stench of human.

  Leila and Riley could do the surge at any moment she wanted. Rid her of this burden. Cure her.

  But if she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to be cured. She didn’t want to be the victim anymore. She was no longer the weak and innocent human in the clan.

  If Gabby and Sebastian could do it and live with the darkness, then maybe so could she.

  Sadie opened her locker and threw her bag inside. The overpowering scent of aftershave hit her nostrils and she knew what she was in for. She swallowed and pulled out her math textbook, chanting to herself, “You got this Sadie, be strong.”

  “Hi,” Damien said, leaning against the locker beside hers. He’d rolled his shirt sleeves up and unbuttoned his collar, showing his muscled shoulder and the very top of his spiral mark.

  “Riley turned you again?” she asked politely.

  He gave a cocky grin and jerked his chin as if to say yes. “Want another date?”

  Sadie cleared her throat and closed her locker. “Actually, I think we need to talk.”

  Damien’s face dropped with his arm, his hair falling over his face. He looked down at her. “I just told you I’m a Guardian, though.”

  Sadie tried not to roll her eyes. How shallow did he think she was? “That’s not it.”

  “Then, why?” He crossed his arms, trying to make his already built-up muscles seem bigger.

  Most girls wouldn’t protest so much. But Sadie wanted more than biceps and popularity and confidence. Her eyes drifted down the hall, falling on Sebastian as he spoke to his jock friends.

  He caught her staring, lips curling into a smirk. She swallowed. Sebastian had biceps and popularity and confidence, but he had something else, too. He saw her. The real her.

  Damien jerked his head over his shoulder and within a second whipped it back again. “Him? That jerk will tear you into a million pieces.”

  He already has, she wanted to say. “It is what it is.”

  Damien’s eyes glistened, tracing the shape of her body and resting at her neck where her mark was. His chastised expression turned fearful. “Are you Fallen?”

  “No.” Sadie rushed the lie. “Of course not. I’m fine.”

  “Damn fine,” Sebastian said, joining them.

  Damien rolled his eyes. “Don’t you have cheerleaders to terrorize?”

  Sebastian raised a brow and chuckled. He took a step, leaned into Sadie, and whispered, “Meet me at the bleachers.” He turned and walked backwards toward the entrance. “Catch ya later, Damo!”

  “Ugh.” Damien scowled. “This is a mistake Sadie. But just—” he sighed, giving up. “Just know that I’ll be here for you, when everything falls apart.”

  Sadie watched Damien walk away. His words sat with her for a moment. When it all falls apart. He said it as though it was inevitable, as thought it was a risk to trust Sebastian. But as he saw her, she saw him, too. And the real Sebastian was worth the risk.

  She opened her locker, threw the textbook inside, and hightailed it outside. As she walked down the path between the school and the field her heart pounded at what felt like a hundred beats a second. The antic
ipation almost drowned out the Fallen-induced thoughts that taunted her.

  Under the bleachers, with its peeling blue paint, stood a good-looking senior in his letterman jacket. Sebastian Weir—the captain of the varsity team—was waiting for her, mousy little Sadie Sloan, who had no idea who she was. His hand clutched a seat above him as he watched her. His face remained expressionless but his eyes gave him away. As she ducked and weaved through the bearings to him, Sadie worried he could hear her heart pounding through her chest.

  “Hi,” he said softly.

  “The bleachers?” she asked, trying not to smile.

  Sebastian let his arm drop and he stepped toward her. He took her fingers and as he lifted her hand, he threaded his own fingers between the gaps in hers. “It was something you said, remember? You’d rather kiss under the bleachers than have had your first kiss with Damien.”

  “I was being sarcastic.”

  A wry smile made its way to his lips. “I know.” Then, he swallowed, and his smile disappeared as quickly as it came. “Sadie, I care about you.”

  Sadie winced. She liked him. In a heart-melting, life-changing kind of way. The way he looked at her made her feel everything she never knew she wanted.

  “I’m Fallen,” she blurted.

  Sebastian dropped her hand. “What?”

  “I can feel it.” Tears escaped her eyes. “It’s a hunger, a yearning. I see people walk past me and my first instinct is to grab them… to hurt them. I wouldn’t, I don’t think. But it’s there, this nagging voice, like a bad dream I can’t wake up from.”

  Sebastian hunched over as though she’d punched him in the gut. He whimpered, “I’m so sorry.”

  “For saving me?” Sadie almost scolded him. “Sebastian Weir, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Don’t you dare say sorry.”

  Sebastian straightened, face suddenly blooming to sweet life. He swept her hair behind her ear. “The best thing?” He tsk-ed and shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “There’s more,” she said.

  His expression faded. “More?”

  Sadie closed her eyes and called her Guardian forward, just like Sebastian had taught her the night before. As her teeth lengthened into fangs, she grimaced. It was a pinch, painful but bearable. The claws hurt a little more. She opened her eyes, feeling the rose-gold glow of her tiger surround her.

  She could see Sebastian’s wolf beside him, and a neon-blue glow shimmered around them both. He opened his mouth to say something, but Sadie held her finger up to stop him. “As I said, there’s more.”

  She closed her eyes again, and feeling another Guardian near, she called it forward to align. Her fangs and claws retracted, the tiger stepping away. Pressure formed in two spots on her forehead right in front of her hair line. They hurt even more than the claws. It felt unnatural, like two spears had cut her skull from the inside out. Once the antlers stopped growing, she relaxed and opened her eyes. Black shimmered around her, like onyx being lit by the sun.

  Sebastian gawked at her in sheer amazement. Or was it terror? She waited for him to tell her she looked like the devil. But he didn’t.

  “One more,” she said, closing her eyes again.

  The antlers retracted, and she decided in that moment never to half-shift as the gazelle again. The stabbing pain wasn’t worth it. She called the last Guardian forward, bracing herself for agony.

  The space on the insides of her shoulder blades tingled and she held onto Sebastian’s forearms to keep her balance as what felt like a hundred knives stabbed her back. She made sure she lifted her fingers away from Sebastian’s skin as her fingernails curled into talons.

  She opened her eyes, wiping tears with her knuckles, and met Sebastian’s gaze. Out of the corners of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of feathers. Two wings sprouted on either side of her body, a mix of white and black and blue. Her aura was aqua, her favorite color.

  “I always thought you were an angel,” Sebastian mused.

  Sadie took a hold of him again, returning to human form. She winced as the wings retracted, trying to bear the pain.

  “It sucks doesn’t it,” Sebastian said, grasping her shoulders to hold her weight.

  Sadie looked up and gave him a glare that reeked of sarcasm. “You think so?”

  Sebastian chortled. “You kinda get used to it. I’ve learned to embrace the pain. In a way, it reminds me of what I am capable of. It’s a physical reminder to keep myself in check.”

  He really was the strongest person she’d ever met. To deal with his dad’s secret; to deal with being a Fallen all on his own; for promising to support her through it all. Everyone misjudged him.

  Her eyes darted to his lips, and not wanting to wait a moment longer, she moved in.

  Sebastian grasped her forearms, holding her back. “I was just teasing about kissing under the bleachers, we don’t have to rush this.”

  Sadie shook her head. “I don’t want to waste time.”

  Sebastian’s eyes found the ground. He muttered, “And, I don’t want to ruin you. I feel like maybe I already have.”

  “No, you haven’t.” Sadie pinched his chin, forcing him to look at her. “You saved me, remember?”

  He hesitated to let his sad eyes meet hers. “I’ve killed people, in case you haven’t heard? You’re too good for me.”

  “Yeah yeah, bad boy Seb.” Sadie clutched his collar. “That’s my point. If this doesn’t last, I want to make the most of it while I have your attention.”

  Sebastian’s brows fell. His eyes opened wide. “You misunderstand me, Sades. You’ve had my attention for a long time. And, you’ll have it for a long time still.”

  For a moment, Sadie lost herself in his blue eyes. She felt herself soften and warm, her heart turning into a pool of lava. The way he looked at her sent her to the moon and back. Time seemed to disappear—one moment she was gazing at him, wondering how on earth she could be so lucky, and the next, he was kissing her.

  It was soft, so gentle and tentative they barely touched. Then, he shuffled closer, taking her face in his hands and letting the flesh of their lips press together. His movements were slow, as though savoring every second. Sadie’s heart soared. There she was, under the bleachers, kissing the boy she’d fallen for… kissing the boy she’d become a Fallen for.

  She wondered if he felt the same.

  The bell rang out, signaling the start of class. Sebastian released her in silence, letting his dreamy grin tell her everything he was thinking.

  “Should we get to class?” she asked.

  Sebastian bit his bottom lip, eyes tracing her mouth. He ran his thumb along her jawline, and said, “You know, I have a feeling everything is going to change.”

  “For the better?”

  “Yes!” He squeezed her cheeks between his palms. “Of course, for the better. Because of you, Shorty.” He smacked his lips onto her forehead, then muttered into her ear, “You’ve saved my life, too.”

  Seven hours earlier

  The Beast

  At the back of Mr. Robertson’s classroom, against the bare cork wall, a tiny sliver of purple light glistened. It started out small and grew into a tear, creating a gap between the human world and the Veil. Through the rift, a shadow loomed. Its eyes shone silver, like daggers glistening off the moonlight.

  The shadow belonged to a Fallen Guardian that once roamed the earth—one of the first. It was larger than a bear, with nine-inch claws and oval bumps rising from its spine. Some used to call it the devil, others thought it was a mythical dragon. But titles didn’t matter, it was there for this only:

  Hunger.

  Blood-lust.

  Revenge.

  It pierced its claws between the worlds and dug them into the classroom wall. The creature, black as a new moon night, wedged through the gap and stepped out of the Veil. As its feet touched the linoleum floor, the purple sliver zipped shut.

  The creature sniffed the human world air and flexed its rippling m
uscles. Catching a scent, its eyes brightened. It tore through the empty school halls. For revenge? Yes. But first it needed a human counterpart.

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  THE INCANDESCENT SERIES

  Ray of Light

  Harbour of Light

  Symphony of Light

  SHADOW GUARDIANS

  Ever Marked

  Ever Fallen

  … plus more to come

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  This book has been a long time coming. My utmost appreciation is for my readers, who have been so kind and patient while they’ve waited two whole years for this sequel. It’s finally here!!

  There was a point a little while ago where I lost the joy in writing and publishing. I took some time to make sure I returned back to the joy of creating. My mindset shifted and I stormed through the final part of this book. There’s something in doing something for yourself and then seeing how that affects others positively. I hope that means my work will only get better.

  I need to thank my beta readers: Liss—for your companionship and understanding and being the best cheerleader; Kalli and Debbie—for always willing to jump on board and being super quick with your feedback; and Jasmine—for always saying “yes, of course, send it through.”

  A massive shout-out to my ARC team, who fill my soul up with your enthusiasm and support. You make this publishing journey that much sweeter.

  To my kids and husband and mum, who see me sitting in my spot and know that I’m in writing mode. I found a great rhythm this year and I’m grateful that you’re happy to work around it with me.