"You just happened to have a bottle of wine and two wine glasses here?" I asked skeptically.
Hunter smiled conspiratorially and said, "It's a rule of mine to have it available in case of special occasions. You know, like a beautiful woman in my apartment with a desire for... answers." He opened the wine with an opener, which magically appeared as well, and poured each glass. I took it eagerly, craving the chance to ease my nerves.
I gulped down a fair amount before realizing he wasn't going to offer up anything on his own, so I took the lead. "Why don't you start by telling me how you and Caleb know each other?"
He looked at me, as if deliberating over what he was going to say. Finally he spoke, "You could say that Caleb and I grew up together, but then grew apart. We still tend to cross paths through our work, however."
"What kind of work?" I asked suspiciously.
He let out an impatient sigh, stared at me for a moment, and then seemed to come to some internal conclusion with a nod. His broad chest came over the counter, defining the muscles in his chest and arms as he balanced himself and leaned towards me. "Why don't we just cut to the chase, Cassandra? I'm not sure how much time we have before Caleb decides to come after you again and I need to make sure you know what side to be on when he does." His eyes remained intently on mine. "First and foremost, I am the only one that you can trust, because I am the only one that can save your life as you know it."
His blunt words sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "But why would Caleb want to kill me? I'm nobody." My mind raced, searching through my life for any reason that he would want to go so far as to kill me.
Hunter grabbed my hands, holding them across the counter, as he said, "You're wrong Cassandra. You're a Guardian, and for that reason, Caleb wants to send you to Hell."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"What?" I asked. I never imagined the answers to all of the mysteries surrounding my life lately would lead me to someone wanting me dead. The only death I ever concerned myself with was the lives I saved from it as a Guardian. I was never in any danger doing it. I was more afraid of being struck by lightning than anything coming after me.
Caleb was from Hell. I couldn't believe it, he seemed so normal. No, better than normal... He was everything I liked in a guy. Then another thought hit me. Hunter said he worked with Caleb. Did that mean he was from Hell too? What if he were here to kill me himself?
I yanked my hands back from his, knocking my glass of wine over. The glass broke into several jagged pieces and the wine splashed out, creating a pool of red that stretched across the counter, until it reached the edge and dripped over the side. I tried to catch the flow with my hand, but sliced my palm on one of the broken pieces. I let out a yelp of pain, and Hunter quickly came up next to me. I yelled at him to stay away, but he grabbed my hand and started to wrap it with a towel.
"Are you all right?" he asked forcing my hand upright. I tried to pull it back from him, but he held it tight.
"Well, other than the fact that you just told me someone is trying to kill me, I'm just great, Hunter," I said. "I guess a little cut is nothing to worry about when I'll be burning in hell soon anyway, right?"
"If you stay with me, Cassandra, I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Now sit here while I clean this up." He grabbed me around the waist and easily hoisted me up on the kitchen counter. While he cleaned the breakfast bar and floor, I unwrapped the towel to look at the cut on my hand. It was worse than I thought. As I watched the blood pump from the deep gash and drip down my arm, I started to feel light-headed. My body swayed forward, but Hunter caught me, standing between my legs while his hands pushed my shoulders back, so that I stayed upright. My eyes were closed and I took several deep breaths, trying to slow my spinning head.
"All right, that's it. Come here," I heard him say, as he wrapped my hand back up and lifted me from the counter. I attempted to open my eyes to see where he was taking me, but the room continued to spin wildly, forcing me to close them again. I felt one of his arms under my knees, the other supported my back, as he carried me to some unknown destination. I relaxed and leaned into his body, placing my arm around his neck for extra support, letting myself give into him. Soon, I felt soft cushioning beneath me as he gently put me down. My head was resting on a soft pillow as he positioned my legs across more squashy cushions.
When the dizziness began to subside, I opened my eyes to find Hunter kneeling next to me, offering me a glass of water. I drank the entire glass, suddenly feeling excessively parched. Sitting up slowly, I tried to regain some of my dignity. I looked around and realized I was lying on a plush, black sofa that was not there while we were talking in the kitchen. I almost screamed from the shock, but the sudden brush of his fingers over mine as he grabbed the glass from my hand, stopped me short.
"Let's not do this again," he said with a smile. I released my grip on the glass and he placed it on a table in front of the sofa.
"Hunter, please tell me what's going on? I'm getting really freaked out here. I mean, where did this furniture come from?" My voice refused to stop trembling, as did my entire body. I whispered, "What are you?"
Pushing a hair from my face he said, "It doesn't matter what I am, Cassandra. All you need to know is that I'm here to protect you, and you must trust in me if you want to survive this world."
I was so tired of him avoiding my questions. Why couldn't I just get some straight answers? Well, I guess being told someone was trying to send me to Hell, was pretty direct, but I needed to know more. I needed to know why.
"Damn it, Hunter! I'm done with your cryptic messages! Tell me what you guys are doing here and why it involves me. Why would Caleb want to kill me? And, for that matter, why would you want to protect me?" I sat up straighter, as my body started to feel stronger, along with my resolve.
He sighed and sat on the sofa next to me. Studying my face, he leaned back into the cushion, crossed his legs near mine, and put his arm up on the back of the sofa, his hand mere inches from my shoulder. He looked so content to remain the way he was, staring at me with those intense blue eyes.
I started to fidget. "Hunter, please," I whispered, placing my good hand on his knee, "I need to know. I can't stand being left in the dark anymore." Maybe I could appeal to his sensitive side, that is, if he actually had one.
"All right," he said, looking at my hand on his knee. "I think you are much safer not knowing everything, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to say no to you." His hand covered mine and I forced myself to bear his touch. Not that the slight electrifying tingles that it sent through my body were discomforting in any way. I just knew that by letting him touch me in the simplest of ways would mean some small victory for him. At this point, I'm not sure what I wouldn't endure to get some answers.
"I will tell you everything you want to know, under one condition - you will not ask me how I know all of this."
Hunter's eyes came back to mine, waiting for me to acknowledge his stipulation. I nodded, prodding him to begin. His hand moved from the back of the couch to a lock of my hair and he aimlessly wound his finger through it. When he looked back into my eyes, his face became very solemn.
"Caleb comes from a realm called Sheol. It's a place people, such as yourself, would call Hell," he said bluntly.
I flinched at the word, somehow sounding more evil coming from his lips than it ever did in my head. "So what, he's like a demon from Hell?"
"Yes, but he's a special kind of demon that deals only with special people. People like you, Cassandra."
"What do you mean, people like me?" I asked, confused at first until it hit me. Special; I'd been special my entire life. "You mean because I'm a Guardian?"
His fingers continued to play with my hair, and while I could feel him slightly tugging, I did nothing to stop it.
"Yes. Sheol is looking to build armies of demons in order to battle the angels of Heaven for the Earth realm. Initially, they used what they call 'Core Demons' to steal people
's souls. These souls were then forced to suffer eternity in Sheol, as indentured servants, working to build it up and help it expand. But the angels fought back and gave mortals the ability to see these demons and save the souls they were taking."
"Guardians of Fate," I whispered, not even realizing I had voiced the name out loud.
"Guardians," he repeated. "And it worked. Sheol was at a standstill. The angels made sure there were enough Guardians to defend against the multitude of Cores. Nergal, the leader of Sheol, was so enraged that he came to Earth himself and found that he could detect these Guardians. He realized that it was because he was an angel. He captured one of the Guardians and tortured him, forcing him to do many things against his will, including drinking the blood of one of his Core Demons."
I drew in a breath as I pictured one of the demons that I had seen in my visions forcing his blood onto a helpless Guardian. The story terrified me. Being a Guardian, I felt a special kinship to others like me, regardless of whether we had ever met. Hunter caught on to my tension and stopped playing with my hair. I felt his fingers gently pulling my chin up, forcing me to look at him.
"Please, don't stop," I urged. "I'm okay, I need to hear this."
"You don't look okay, Cassandra." His hand gently moved to my face; his fingers lightly resting behind my ear, as his thumb played with my cheek. The tenderness of his touch felt so good, I couldn't help myself from gently leaning into his palm. He raised his other hand to the other side of my face, leaning into me as he lovingly pulled my head towards him. We were only a breath away from each other's lips before I realized what was happening.
"No, Hunter," I pushed back on his chest. "I want answers. No touching until after I have them."
He laughed. But he sat back again, giving me more room to breathe. "So that's the deal now? Business first, then pleasure? It'll be hard, but I can hold out for a very long time."
"I didn't mean that and you know it," I said, picking up on the innuendo.
"The subconscious mind often speaks the truth. You should listen to it once in a while. Maybe then, you would be asking me not to stop for much more pleasant reasons." His fingers were back, this time lightly caressing my shoulder. I flung them away.
"Are you so sure of yourself?" I challenged him. "What makes you think I wouldn't run out of this apartment, as far away from you as I can get?"
His hand started to move off the back of the couch again. "I'm quite certain of my abilities. If you'd only let me prove them to you, we could end this debate."
I grabbed his hand before he had the chance to touch me again. Placing it firmly back where it came from, I looked him in the eye and told him, "Hunter, enough! Tell me what I want to know. Now. I will not put up with these games anymore. Now please, continue."
Hunter laid his head back against the couch and took a deep breath. I wasn't sure if he was preparing himself to tell me something big, or calming himself down from the sexual tension that still seemed to hover between us.
"The Guardian changed after being forced to take the blood of the Core. His soul became lost to Sheol, transforming him into one of them. But he was different. Special. The ability given to him from the angels allowed him to detect other Guardians, as previously only Nergal could do. They were able to spot other Guardians, whereas the Cores could not, and use their own blood to turn them. Nergal had created the perfect counter-attack on the angel's weapons - what he termed, a Seeker. Soon Nergal had enough Seekers to replenish what he lost of his army, but it is still not enough. He continues to set his Seekers out to take out the Guardians, while the Cores are back to stealing the souls of the innocent. You, my lovely, are in the sights of one very powerful Seeker."
"Caleb," I whispered. Hunter silently affirmed my declaration. Shivers ran up my spine, as fear seeped into my body from a threat that I never imagined was possible. I could almost feel Caleb in the room with us, focusing all of his energy into killing me. And it would be a death of the worst kind; becoming the very thing that I hunted myself, or worse. It was far more terrifying than the end of life completely. I'd rather be gone from this world for all of eternity than become a slave to Hell.
"You said that Caleb is a very powerful Seeker. Does that mean he is more powerful than others?" I asked.
I couldn't keep the fear from my voice. Hunter leaned forward and grabbed my hands, being careful with the one still wrapped in a towel. I looked down at them, hoping to at least hide the fear in my eyes. I wanted to be stronger. Lately, I'd felt like a confused victim waiting for the next thing to happen to me. I wanted to take charge of my life. But how could I? How could I possibly stand up to something as powerful as Hell?
"Caleb is very high up on the hierarchy in Sheol. He is in charge of a large army of Cores, whom he directs to take out friends and family of the Guardian he has targeted. That is how he works. He makes sure the Guardian is alone and mourning the loved ones he's killed, and then he steps in to comfort them. Once he gets close enough, he turns them." The hatred that Hunter felt for Caleb was evident in the black scowl on his face as he told me of his evil ways.
"So he tries seducing me, and then goes after Nora. Oh shit! My mom... What if he's gotten to—"
"He hasn't, I've been looking out for your mom. She's on her way home and should be here tomorrow."
"But how—"
He squeezed my hands, avoiding the question I wasn't supposed to ask. "I won't let anything happen to you, Cassandra. As long as you stay with me, I can protect you from Caleb."
I looked at him, squinting my eyes in hopes of spotting something in his that would tell me how he could know all of this, or maybe even what he really was. But all that sat before me was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. There were no horns sticking out of his head or third eye in between his two gorgeous blue ones. No. There were only the most kissable lips, set on a perfectly sculpted face, telling me that he would do anything to protect me.
"But why, Hunter? Why are you protecting me? What's in it for you? Are you some kind of angel or something?"
His hand was back on my face, caressing my lips with the pad of his thumb. "Right now, I am your angel. That's all you need to know."
I grabbed his hand from my face and forced it down into his lap. Not letting go of it, I yelled, "No that is not all I need to know! I'm just supposed to trust you now? You show up out of nowhere, same as Caleb, and have all these..." I waved my toweled hand around the room, gesturing to all of the mysteriously appearing furniture, "these... powers, same as him, you seduce me, same as him, and you won't tell me what the hell you are? No, I will not trust you!"
He looked down at my hand, still clamped over his in his lap. I snatched it back and gave him a sneer.
"If I tell you why I'm protecting you, will you trust me then?" he asked, resting back into the couch calmly.
"Well, it'd be a start." I said flippantly.
"All right then." His eyes slid from my eyes, down my neck, and came to rest on my chest. He reached towards it and I instinctively brought my hand up to protect myself. It provided no barrier, however, as he easily pushed it aside and lifted my necklace from my skin. I watched as he fingered the ring from my dad. "Do you know what this is, Cassandra?"
"Yes, it's some kind of heirloom from my father. My mom gave it to me when he died." I saw his eyes look away for just a second before coming back to the ring.
"This ring is more than just an heirloom. The jewel in this ring signifies the bloodline of a very powerful angel, and you just happen to be the last descendent of this line, after your father. That makes you the most powerful Guardian... and also the hottest commodity to Sheol and the angels. You are a very popular woman."
He raised his eyebrows, looking at me with expectation. His hand rested the ring back on my chest and I felt his fingers lightly brush against my skin, but my mind was too lost in a tornado of thoughts to pay much attention to the usual fires it caused. I was part angel? My mom told me that Dad was a Guardian, but there was never
any mention of angels. Did she even know?
"There must be some kind of mistake, I'm just a Guardian. There's no way... I mean, there's just no way. How do you even know this?"
"Ah ah, Cassandra," he chastised. "We had a deal. No questions about how I know."
"Yeah, well, I made that deal before you told me I have freaking angel blood in me, Hunter. I'd say that deserves a minor adjustment to the rules, don't you think?"
"No, I don't. The deal stands."
I stood, furious that he could tell me something so devastating and not share any of the details. Maybe I needed to try a new tactic. "So, what? You're using my 'hot commodity' status, as you so eloquently described me, as leverage for something in your shallow life? Oh no, wait. You're going to slowly drain my blood yourself and sell it on the demon market. Is that it, Hunter? You're protecting me for your own selfish, sadistic purposes?" I was in a complete rage, my entire body shaking.
Hunter stood quickly, grabbed my shoulders, and pulled me hard against him. The grave look on his face was inches from mine, terrifying me, while I fought to hold my composure against his rough handling.
"Maybe I am protecting you for my own selfish, sadistic purposes. Here, let me give you a taste of how selfish I can be." His lips were hard against mine as his hand moved behind my head, angling it so he could devour me more. His tongue forced its way between my lips and I felt it violently mating with mine. The pressure was too much; I couldn't breath. But as I pushed him away, screaming how much I hated him, I longed to feel it all again.
He didn't let me get far, grabbing me by the waist, forcing the lower half of my body against his. I felt his hardness pressing against me, and oh help me, I wanted more. When I looked up into his eyes, they were surprisingly gentle, compared to how aggressive he'd just handled me.
"Maybe I'm protecting you, because I don't want to lose you to anyone else," he said softly "Maybe I just want you for myself. Would that be so horrible for you to believe?"
Guardian Of Fate (Fate Series) Page 11
