Mom was brought into Park Hill Hospital and admitted to the ER. Jessi, one of the nurses, who also happened to be a friend of mine, was good enough to give me as many details as she could over the phone on the ride over. She said, from the looks of things, Mom had a few cracked ribs, a sprained arm, and a nasty gash on her head. More than likely, she also had a concussion, but they were running more internal tests to make sure there wasn't more damage that couldn't be seen outright.
I gave a sigh of relief that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I prepared for the worst, now that the demons were showing up everywhere, but she could have died, and there was no preparing for that. I just prayed that all of the tests would not uncover anything to worry about.
Hunter and I fought about how I would get to the hospital, with me arguing that I could take care of myself and didn't need, nor want his help. I lost when he grabbed my purse and threatened to carry me to his car. I was adamant that he stay away from my mom when we got there, but he gave me no response. I decided to deal with it later.
I rushed into the ER when we got there, and Jessi was at the front desk waiting for me. She looked at Hunter with curiosity, so I told her that he was my driver tonight, feeling a little redemption in the lie. She seemed confused; he seemed livid. I smirked as I told him to wait for me in the lobby, and thankfully, he didn't fight with me on it. Jessi was about to lead me to my mom's room when I remembered I hadn't called Nora to check on her, or tell her what had happened.
Hunter watched curiously as I walked back over. "Could you please call Nora and make sure she's okay?" I asked timidly. "She'll want to know about my mom too." My ego was brought down a notch, needing something from him so soon after I'd humiliated him. I guess what goes around really does come around.
He fed off my shame. "Of course, my lady," he said extravagantly, "would there be anything else I can do for you?"
I gave a grunt and an almost inaudible "thank you" as I turned and walked away from him, knowing that damn smirk was still on his face.
"Is she awake?" I asked Jessi as we walked down the hallway.
"Yes, she's awake, but very groggy. We got her on a morphine drip to ease all the pain. You'll be able to talk to her. She's very lucky, you know," she explained.
We reached her room and I looked in the window to see her lying so helplessly frail in her bed. Tears watered my eyes, knowing that she was there because of me. I wiped them away before looking back at Jessi. "Thanks, Jessi. Who's her doctor, by the way?"
"Dr. Lambach. She's in good hands, Cassie." She smiled at me as she touched my shoulder. Jessi was close to my age, and we'd known each other since I first started to work at the hospital. She had a family that she was very close to. I'd actually met them the couple of times when she invited me to barbecues in the summer. She treated her patients as if they were her family; and losing one hurt her deeply. I knew she'd take good care of Mom. Dr. Lambach was a newer doctor that had transferred in from out West. I didn't know much about him, but I trusted Jessi's judgment implicitly.
I walked into the room, closing the door behind me. Mom turned her head slowly to look at me. "Cassie," she said, her voice hoarse.
"Oh, Mom!" I rushed to her side, crying openly. I thought I'd lost her and I still couldn't shake the dreadful feeling that it gave me. Pulling the chair up against the side of the bed, I sat down and held her outstretched hand. Her head was bandaged up, along with her left arm. She was lying very stiff, which I'm sure had something to do with her cracked ribs.
"Oh God, Mom. You scared the hell out of me. How are you feeling?" I asked, checking her over once more. "Do you need anything? Can I get you some—"
"Cassie... Cassie, stop. I'm okay. Just a little bruised up. Well, a lot bruised up, but I'll be fine. I just feel so stupid about the accident. I'm not even sure what really happened. One minute I was driving to your house, and the next minute, I was going through a red light. And then this bicyclist came out of nowhere..." Her voice broke and I squeezed her hand for comfort. The guilt weighed on me, knowing that, if it weren't for me, Caleb would have never come after her. I watched as she composed herself and then looked at me with eager eyes. "Cassie, there's so much I need to tell you. You... you're... your father..."
I thought I knew what she was struggling to tell me, so I pulled up the ring on my necklace, showing her the jewel. "Mom, are you talking about this? Did you find out about our bloodline?"
She stared at the ring and slowly started to nod her head. "But how did you know? I just found out from the Elders. I thought they were the only ones that knew?"
"The Elders? Who are the Elders?" I was confused. I thought she didn't know of any other Guardians but my dad.
Mom looked towards the window of the room, as if checking to make sure no one was around. She looked back at me and leaned forward slightly. "The Elders are a group of Guardians that were put together to watch over the Guardians of Fate. You could call them the senior Guardians. They do not age and have watched over all of us for thousands of years. And now I know why; they were created by the Heavenly Council. Angels, Cassie... just like your father... and now you. You are the descendent of Handraniel and Anael, both very powerful angels." She stopped and her face took on a confused expression. "But you already know? How?"
Hunter told me about my angelic bloodline, but I never heard the names and, for some reason, hearing them now made it more real. I felt... important all of a sudden; like my life had more meaning than even before. I was more than just a Guardian; I was a Guardian with angelic blood. I knew this made me different, but I didn't exactly know how. Well, except for the fact that it sent more powerful demons after me.
I ignored my mom's question, not ready to explain Hunter and Caleb until I knew more about the Elders and what else they may have said. "So, how did you know about the Elders, Mom? You never mentioned them to me before."
She sighed, leaning back against the pillows propped up at the head of the bed. She fumbled for the button on the control box near her hand, eventually finding it, and mechanically hoisting the bed up so that she was more level with me. "I never told you about the Elders because your father told me that I was only to go to them if I thought you were in trouble."
I jumped out of my chair. "Wait! So you knew? Dad knew? I'm confused. You told me that you just found out about our bloodline."
"I didn't know. Your dad never told me. One day he sat me down and told me that he had to leave. He said if he didn't, we'd all be in danger. He was trying to protect us, and that it was the only way. But he said, more than anything, I had to watch over you, and if anything ever happened that might put you at risk, I was to go to the Elders right away. He told me how to get to them, and then he left."
She watched me, waiting for a reaction. I knew my eyes were wide with disbelief over everything she had just explained. "But you told me Dad died. Does this mean that he's still alive somewhere? Is he with the Elders? Oh my God, Mom, did you see Dad?"
"No, Cassie. Your dad is really dead, or at least, that is what the Elders told me when I went to them some time after he left. I couldn't stand not knowing what was really going on, where he was; especially if he were in danger somewhere. When I finally gave in and went to them, they told me he was gone from this Earth." She put her head down and sat silently for a moment as if re-living that dreadful time.
Taking her hand back in mine, I asked her, "How did he die?"
She looked into my eyes, hers wet from tears not shed. "I don't know. They wouldn't tell me," she whispered, the sadness in her voice obvious. "I'm sorry, I don't have that answer for you, Cassie. At the time, I was devastated. It was like I'd lost him twice. I hated myself for not standing up to him and refusing to let him go alone, knowing he died alone. But I was also grateful that, whatever may have gotten to him, if that was truly what happened, it didn't get to you too." She squeezed my hand and I smiled at her.
I reached down and gently gave my mom a hug. "It's okay, Mom. I don't blame
you. You did the right thing and I'm thankful that I, at least, have you in my life."
When I went to sit back down, my mom's hand tightened over mine. "We have to go to them now, Cassie. They told me you are in danger. There are powerful demons after you."
I put my other hand over hers, trying to ease her tension. "I know. They've already tried." I didn't want to scare her further, and I wasn't too sure about going to these Elders for help.
"What? When?" she asked, terror shining in her eyes.
"Not now, Mom. You need to rest. We can talk about all of this when you feel better."
The door opened to the room and Nora walked in. My mom smiled softly at her, but the smile faded quickly. When I turned to see what had caused the change, I noticed Hunter watching us through the window. I looked at Nora, silently asking her how he'd gotten there. She picked up on it and said, "He wants to talk to you. Says he's not leaving until he does." She tried to tell me quietly, but my mom heard her.
"Cassie? Who is that? What does he want with you?" she asked, seemingly alarmed that I might know this stranger. I've always told her everything about me. She'd met everyone that I ever hung out with. That's just the way we were. I'm sure it shocked and frightened her to see this force of a man waiting for me outside the room, especially with what she'd learned from the Elders. Seeing him through the window, so big and strong, I probably should have been scared too.
"I'll tell you everything, Mom, I promise." I started walking towards the door and Nora took my place in the chair next to the bed. "I just have to do this... thing real quick. I'll be right back." I heard her attempts to stop me as I walked through the door and closed it behind me.
Not wasting any time, I grabbed Hunter by the wrist and forced him to follow me down the hallway, away from my mom's room. "I told you to wait for me in the lobby! Now my mom's seen you and she's asking questions. She's not ready for the answers. Do you have to defy everything I ask you to do?"
"Not everything, Cassandra," he said calmly, "but it is harder for me to keep watch over you from the lobby. You asked me to stay away from your mom for now, and I'm at least giving you that."
"What?" I asked, incredulous. "You call lurking outside the window, staying away?" A nurse walked past and looked at us when my voice rose. I tried to calm myself to avoid drawing anymore attention. "Look. My mom knows that there are... things... after me so I'm sure she doesn't trust anyone right now. Could you please just... I don't know... go buy a coffee or something? I won't be much longer anyway, she needs to rest. We can go over what needs to happen next after that. Please..." I put my hand on his forearm and looked up at him, the plea written in my eyes, as well as my lips.
He looked at me for a moment, as his hand came up to cup my jaw, brushing his thumb across my cheek like a feather. Deciding to play coy in order to get him to leave, as fighting with him just seemed to make him more stubborn, I tilted my head into the palm of his hand and continued the doe eyes.
He took a deep breath, removed his palm from my face, and rested both of his hands on my shoulders. "It will take a lot more than a look from your beautiful blue eyes to get me to do something I don't agree with in the future, Cassandra." I felt a slight pressure on my shoulders. "I'm only giving in to you this time out of respect for what you and your mother have been through. Don't expect to win so easily next time."
"Thank you," I conceded, deciding to let his ego go for the time being.
"I'll be back in half an hour," he stated. Before I knew it, he placed a hard kiss on my lips, released me abruptly, turned and walked down the corridor. Growling, I headed back to the room.
Passing the ER station, the nurse that passed us before smiled at me and said, "Making up is so much better than fighting, don't ya think?"
"Yeah, great," I groaned, shoving open the door to my mom's room.
I wasn't more than halfway in before my mom's question flew at me. "Cassie, Nora and I are both confused as to why you are here with that... Hunter guy. In fact, I'm more than confused, I'm very concerned. From what Nora tells me, you just met him. What if he's..." She stopped short, looking at Nora, not wanting to reveal anything about who we were.
"It's okay, Mom. Nora's a Guardian too." I grabbed another chair and came to sit next to them.
"What? Nora?" my mom asked.
Nora nodded, "Yes, Mrs. Cosgrove, I am. I only told Cassie last night after I was so upset that I couldn't save someone."
It took a little bit before my mom's shocked face softened in sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Nora," she said.
Looking back at me, my mom continued voicing her concern about Hunter. Nora chimed in too, wondering what our neighbor was doing there.
"He says he's here to protect me." I knew I sounded naive as hell, but I felt the need to defend him, and explain to them why he came there with me, because deep down, I wanted him to be.
"And you believe him?" my mom asked.
"I guess, in a way, yes. I don't know. It's really just a feeling. He's the one that told me about everything. And he's already protected me once from Caleb." Remembering the scene at Celestino's, I added quietly, "I think."
"What do you mean 'you think'?" my mom asked, at the same time that Nora asked,
"Caleb tried to hurt you?"
I decided that the best way to make them understand would be to tell them everything from the beginning; the night at Luke's, Celestino's, and everything Hunter explained to me about my bloodline. Of course, I left out all of the physical encounters we'd had. I was pretty sure they wouldn't understand how all of that fit in.
They listened in awe, stunned by how much had happened to me, with them only knowing bits and pieces, realizing the role they played, and how it already affected them; Nora, losing someone, and Mom with her accident. They knew then that it was Caleb. Or at least, I thought they knew.
"I still don't trust him, Cassie, and neither should you," my mom said. "It's just us three now. We can't trust anyone else. How do you know he's not the same as Caleb, and trying to lure you to him so he can turn you into one of them? I would think that the Elders would have said something to me if they knew there was someone here protecting you from these demons."
Nora looked quickly from me to my mom, "You know the Elders? That's where you were?" she asked her.
"Yes, I went to them when Cassie started seeing these demons in her visions. Why do you ask? You know about the Elders?"
Nora stared at my mom, as if waiting for her to say more, but she finally said, "Yes, I know of them. I thought all of the Guardians did."
"Anyway," Mom continued, "the Elders only told me that we needed to get you, Cassie, to them, and that is what the three of us are going to do as soon as I can get myself out of here. It's going to be only us, Cassie. I don't trust this Hunter guy and I'm not letting him come with us. I won't put you in danger without knowing who he really is. We'll ask the Elders about him when we get there."
I nodded, knowing she was right, but feeling a little less safe without him.
"Nora? You agree?" my mom asked her next.
"Yes, absolutely. We stick together on this."
"Okay, then. I'm going to call the doctor in here and get myself out of—" she looked up as the door opened, and a smile came over her face. "Hi, Doctor," she said. "I was just telling my daughter how I feel so much better, and I'd like to check out now."
I turned to gauge the doctor's reaction to this news, and my stomach dropped. Caleb stood in the room, adorned in a doctor's lab coat with a stethoscope dangling around his neck. His hands hung on each end of the instrument as he shook his head at her, "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Sara. In fact, I can't let any of you leave right now. Not before we take care of business."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Caleb," I uttered his name with dread as I stood and positioned myself between him, my mom, and Nora. I wasn't sure how I could protect anyone, including myself, from a demon, but I was ready to put up a hell of a fight trying.
He came closer to me, his smile turning more sinister as he watched my feeble attempt to play heroine. "Ahhh, Cassie. I've missed you, really. Our date, sadly, didn't go quite as planned, but here we are now."
I stood undaunted, or at least I pretended to be, as he came less than a foot away from me. He looked past me.
"Well, here we all are now," he continued. "I guess it's true - good things do come to those who wait. I'm getting the three-for-one Guardian deal here."
"No!" I shouted, bringing his attention back to me. "It's me you want. Leave them out of this."
"You do have a point there," he said thoughtfully. "Hmmm," he continued, as his hand came up to caress my face.
I cringed at the familiar electricity that his touch sent through my body; not long ago, a pleasurable sensation, now making my skin crawl.
"So what are you saying, Cassie? That you'll come back with me willingly if I spare the others? Will you? Because it's really not as bad as you think. You'll belong to me there, and I will give you anything you desire. Those tender moments we shared before were not completely false, you know. You ignite things in me that... Well, let's just say I wouldn't mind keeping the flame going with you for the rest of eternity. What do you say, beautiful?" His fingers trailed lightly down my neck, his eyes following their motion. My eyes closed at the sensual touch, as it brought shivers to my skin.
"Cassie, no!" my mom yelled. "Get away from—" her words faded as Caleb waved his free arm behind me, fingering my collarbone with the other.
I turned around at the sudden silence and was horrified to see that my mom and Nora had vanished. They didn't get up and leave, they were just gone. Caleb had simply waved them away. I turned back to him in a rage, raising my fist to strike, but he anticipated my attack, grabbing it and forcing me against the wall. He pinned my arms above me with one powerful grip.
"Let's close this deal in peace, shall we?" he whispered. Before I could respond, his lips crushed down on mine.
The sudden force of his body against me, along with the pressure of his mouth on mine, suffocated me. I pushed myself to gain control, but I couldn't even take a breath, much less try to get him off me. Finally, a surge of energy ran through me, and I used all of it to free my hands from his grip. He pulled away, trying to wrestle my arms back again, and I used the opportunity to shove at his chest with everything that I had. I'd never felt so much power build up inside of me. It burst through my arms and smashed into his chest. I wasn't sure if the blow would be enough to impact him, since he was a demon. But when I saw him fly across the room and land in a heap in the corner, I stared in disbelief. Stunned, I tried to figure out how it happened. If anything, he should have reeled backwards from the shove I gave him, but his body flew sideways in order for it to land the way that it had.
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