Personal Guardians

by Rachel A. Collett

  Power electrified the air, rippling through the wind, affecting my movement. As if running through a dream, body and time slowed, compelling my stop altogether. A force other than my own opened my palms and my knives clattered to the ground.

  Annie blinked, then convulsed against the new energy. Seizures rent through her body and she thrashed against her human restraints. Violet and Darius released her, scuttling backward, watching with wide eyes. The Annihilator screamed.

  A stream of violent curses ripped from her lungs. She pulled at her hair, yanking the strands from the band. “No!” She threw herself to the earth, scraping her nails into the dirt. Blood ran from her fingertips. “No!”

  Demons and mortals alike froze in their campaigns. A discharge of energy shot from the Annihilator. It vibrated through me, sending painful chills up my spine. Every demon cried in fear, submissively dropping to the ground. Even Grayson fell, cowering. My sanctuary friends stepped away from the huddled masses, fear thick upon their faces.

  “Run, Hector,” I heard Elisa order. “Get everyone to the sanctuary. Now!”

  “But—”

  “Go,” she said, shoving him away. The remaining security sprinted through the darkening night, calling retreat.

  Darius’s hand clapped on my shoulder as he tried to guide me away, but I didn’t move. Annie’s head snapped in my direction. She crawled to her hands and knees, her hair dragging through the dirt. Her pupils dilated then bled black tar into the whites of her eyes.

  “Look away,” Darius said, but still I couldn’t take my gaze from what stared out from the depths of the Annihilator’s eyes. The remaining Three flanked me on both sides. I could sense Jonathan and Violet just behind. Jonathan tugged on my hand.

  “Remember,” Elisa whispered, her voice thick with tension. “Do not engage him.”

  But she didn’t have to remind me. The Destroyer watched me from within the Annihilator—his ex-mate and political nemesis. A smile grew in the corners of his mouth.

  Movement caught his attention and he purred out his satisfaction.

  “Nikolaos.” Despite being in Annie’s slight female frame, the Destroyer’s genteel voice was deep. “Why do you flee from me? I didn’t excuse you, did I?” Slowly, the Destroyer’s head snaked to view Niko, who froze just outside the entryway of the nearest shanty. The Destroyer tsked. “Poor boy. Had I known you were so unhappy at home, I would have offered you a place within mine.”

  Nikolaos straightened, but kept his eyes downcast. “No, thank you.”

  The Destroyer sneered. “Why, might I ask?”

  “Your price is too high,” he answered.

  The Destroyer’s brows lifted. “A high price for a valuable living. I can offer far more than my jaded mate.”

  “Why are you here?” Nikolaos asked, his pale cheeks aflame. “Isn’t this little skirmish below your mighty notice?”

  The Destroyer laughed beneath his breath. “That it is, my delightful fallen Guardian. I am here on a wholly different reason.”

  “And what is that?” Nikolaos asked.

  “To claim my wayward demon.” His gaze dropped to the space directly behind me. “When my scout did not return, I took it upon myself to see where my son hid. I tracked him here, and I’m sure you could understand my surprise when I found not only him, but my long-lost daughter Violet as well.”

  Violet hissed behind me. The sound slithered up my spine, causing me to tremble.

  “And I couldn’t help but watch this performance unfold before my very own eyes. So interesting. My eternal mate and her new loyal counterpart engaged in a disorderly campaign against the immortal Three and their handful of mortal warriors? I couldn’t help myself. I only decided to jump in to save the life of my old flame, unworthy as she may now be.”

  He placed his hand over his heart. A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. He peered down at his new body, admiring the ample view, and ran his hands down the side of its curves.

  He chuckled, squeezing his eyes shut against some unheard voice. “I know, I know,” he said in a huffed laugh. “But, seriously darling—” he fingered a lock of hair and blew on the strands. “It’s not as if this is the best model you’ve picked.” His eyes flitted to mine. “She is going to be so mad at me, but that is the game we love to play. As for my children, I’m done playing. Jonathan, Violet, come here. I’ve found you.”

  Fear seized my chest and my throat tightened, constricting the passage of air. I swallowed hard and reached back to grasp Jonathan’s hand. His skin was clammy to the touch. I peered over my shoulder, but he would not meet my gaze. Sweat dripped down the line of his neck.

  He made to step forward, but I pulled his hand to my side, prohibiting his movement. I pinned Violet in place with my stare, but she only nodded, keeping her gaze on me.

  The Destroyer cocked his head. “I said, come here.”

  Jonathan’s fingers flexed in mine, but still I held firm. “No,” I whispered, tightening my gaze. He peered at me; hopelessness seeped from his black stare.

  “Now!” The Destroyer’s voice cracked like lightening across the sky and Jonathan’s muscles spasmed.

  “No.” I kept my sight trained on my demon.

  The Destroyer’s icy tone sliced through the thick tension. “What did you say?”

  “Ava,” Darius warned, distracting me momentarily.

  Laith swore beneath his breath.

  “I believe she said, ‘no.’” Violet took my other hand. I kept both my demons safely tucked behind me.

  The Destroyer heaved a sigh. “You were always a problem child, Violet, but I’ve had enough.”

  His gaze went blank. The blackened tar pits of his eyes absorbed the shadows of the land until they swam around him like phantoms. Demons whimpered. The ground beneath our feet rumbled. I squeezed my eyes tight, waiting for the destruction that was sure to come, and then—everything fell silent.

  Seconds ticked by until I could no longer help my sick curiosity. I peered about me. My friends stared back in wonder and fear.

  The Destroyer angled his head. “Interesting.”

  He cast his gaze to the multitude of lesser demons in the field and a second later, one of them shot from the ground, engulfed in a blaze of fire. His high-pitched careening caused my heart rate to spike. The rest of the demonic horde burst into flame.

  “No.” Nikolaos groaned.

  His hundred-demon army reduced to a frightened dozen lucky enough to not be within the Destroyer’s line of sight.

  The Destroyer smiled as the lesser demons frantically ran, fueling the fires that consumed them. They quickly burned into dust before our eyes. Their master held out his hand. Inky, thin tendrils pooled from the ash. The souls that remained streaked into his waiting palm; the residue that remained scattered along the wind.

  “Very interesting. I wonder…” The Destroyer’s gaze shifted to me and down to the pendant resting against my chest. My pendant buzzed, singing at such a high frequency it unnerved me. “How many of my children do you have trapped inside that strange trinket you wear?”

  Despite the fear that drained my thoughts, I answered, my head high. “I don’t know. It was my mother’s before it was mine.”

  “Of course it was. I recognize it now. She was very powerful, your mother. I bet she eliminated many of my brave and noble followers.”

  “You don’t know how many?” I asked with narrow eyes.

  He lifted one brow casually. “I cannot keep track of them all. After a time, I forget.” Dark red trickled from one nostril. The Destroyer sniffed, dabbing the blood with a delicate knuckle. He looked at it with vague interest. “It is not in my nature to grieve over what is lost.” Again, his gaze slid to the pendant. “This is an interesting conundrum, but I can’t stay to puzzle it out. My darling is weakening. Since I cannot kill you, I’ll have to—meditate on this problem some more.”

  His lips twitched at the corners. His body contracted. It straightened once, then again as the Annihilator
fought to expel the foreign energy draining her. Before letting go, the Destroyer flung out his arm. Power pulled at my soul, and I pitched backward, colliding against Jonathan and Violet. We tumbled to the ground. The others sailed even farther with nothing to stop their flight. I rolled to my knees; my body protested every inch of movement.

  Grayson leaped to his feet and rounded in time to catch his beloved leader before she could fall. Annie, freed from her possessor, opened her mouth to the night and screamed. She thrashed her head to dispel the last remaining bits of persona the Destroyer had left behind. Red darkened the white around her black pupils. She shuddered in rage. Unable to speak, she screamed again.

  Steel clashed from behind as the battle resumed. The Heralds and the Healers fought the revived demons, attempting to break away. I bounded to my feet.

  Annie tore from Grayson’s hold, her pointed gaze and clawed fingers set upon the Demon’s Eye. “I will kill you, Ava Matthias!”

  Jonathan stood ready at my side, but Nikolaos swooped in and grabbed Annie, heaving her over his shoulder.

  “I will rip that token from your dead body,” she raged, “and release every demon you and your filthy mother have ever taken! You will never be safe!”

  Before I could follow, Grayson lunged at me, aiming a blow at my chest. Darius shoved me from his path, slicing across the giant’s face. Blood seeped from the open slash that ran from Grayson’s mouth to the corner of his eye. He growled, and knocked the weapon from Darius’s grasp. Unarmed, Darius met Grayson with an uppercut to the chin.

  Jonathan and Violet sprinted for the Annihilator, but five demons blocked their way. They cut through them like wheat.

  Grayson knocked Darius away with a frontal kick to the stomach. At the same time, I dove, stabbing his own dagger through the giant’s ribcage. My pendant opened when I withdrew. Grayson eyed his blade. He swung out, backhanding me across the face. Twisting through space, I collided with the ground and my vision sparked, then went blank. I groaned, inhaling dirt and tasting blood. A single roar raged in the dark before silence followed.

  Someone shuffled the ground around me and I coughed. Callused hands yanked me to my feet. Darius held me against his chest, pulling my lids open.

  “I’m fine,” I mumbled through a split and swollen mouth. But Darius only narrowed his gaze.

  Laith and Elisa took a position in front of our group and forced a backward step. Grayson and four remaining demons sprinted down the single street and vanished. We were alone.

  “Should we pursue?” Cedric asked, but Laith only shook his head.

  “Come get us,” Laith said, speaking into the microphone I had all but forgotten about. A few moments later, the roar of an engine grew steadily.

  Jonathan cleared his throat and I pulled away from Darius. “I should go,” he said.

  My heart squeezed anxiously. “But…”

  “It is over, my little one,” Violet said with a gentle smile. “You did well.”

  The truck came to a halt, Ray in the driver’s seat.

  “Everyone in,” Laith said, throwing down the tailgate. “Violet, you’ll be coming with us,” he commanded. “There is still the issue with the body you possess.”

  She nodded obediently and climbed into the truck bed.

  Torn, I hesitated then moved toward Jonathan, stopping a pace away. “Thank you,” I said, not knowing how to convey my feelings of gratitude.

  Darius looked away. Red flooded his cheeks, but he refrained from commenting.

  Jonathan smiled. He brought my hand to his lips. “I’m yours.”

  28

  Request an audience

  Darius slumped in the chair next to me, his legs sprawled and brushing against mine. My face blushed at the contact, but I allowed the touch.

  Once inside the sanctuary we had tried to move the veil. Tried, and failed. Violet was taken back to her prison room and Jonathan was left outside the border despite my objections. The witching hour pressed on, and the darkness continued to lengthen, making this night feel like an eternity.

  After seeing to the wounded, Cedric and Fiona leaned upon one another on the couch, their energy drained. Cedric’s sliced shirt displayed a bloody, puckered slash across his stomach that he refused to heal before our wards were taken care of. His injury would heal faster than a mortal’s and it would remain until he or his mate recovered.

  My own purpled and split lip was nothing. I declined healing altogether. It would be gone by the next day.

  Laith and Elisa conversed in the corner of the room, their heads tight together. Interest piqued, but only for a moment before exhaustion won over curiosity.

  The Demon’s Eye rang with residual energy that had neither ceased nor eased. Tension seeped from its smooth, inky surface.

  I palmed my mother’s stone, clutching it to my chest, but still it resonated. I tucked it beneath my shirt and tried to ignore the vibrations.

  Not a single member of the compound had died, and the relief of such a victory was tangible, but we knew we were not in the clear yet.

  Hector entered the room, catching my gaze. “Cheryl is awake and eating. Ray is with her.”

  My heart leaped within my chest and I sat up straight. “Can I see her?”

  “Yes, but not right away. Ray requests that you give her time to eat and time for him to explain a few things.”

  Disappointment rolled through me, but I nodded my understanding. Hector left, shutting the door with a click. I groaned.

  I had been so close, the Annihilator within steps of my blade. My moment of revenge had been stripped away in the form of the Destroyer, and now I would have to wait for another chance.

  Laith cleared his throat. “I think our only option is to rest. We’ll move the veil as soon as possible and start over. We don’t know how long we have until the Annihilator and Nikolaos regain their followers. Thanks to the Destroyer, many were wiped out—they have a lot to make up for. It’s disturbing to know that Nikolaos can still see the entrance to our sanctuary, but there’s nothing we can do about that.”

  I leaned forward, bracing my elbows on my knees. “How did you not know about my mother’s ex-Guardian… mate…?” I shook my head. “Whatever he is.”

  Laith combed his fingers through his dark hair. “Ava, we don’t know all of what happened. Rachel didn’t talk much about it other than to say Nikolaos had given her an ultimatum—to come with him and leave this life of service, or find another Guardian.” He shrugged. “When she refused, he left.”

  “But you all thought he had died. You said my mother felt his essence leave.”

  “She did,” Elisa answered. “And it’s more a ripping than a leaving. His connection to her soul was ripped away, and such a thing is excruciating beyond belief. She was bed-ridden for days until she could heal from the tear in her soul. It would take another five years before she even thought about finding another Guardian.”

  “I can attest to the agony that wreaked havoc on your mother.” Fiona regarded me from across the space. “Her pain nearly finished her, but your mother was strong and she battled through it.”

  “We assume it was the same for your father when your mother died,” Cedric added, “although Alexander refused to allow anyone to see to him or to help him. Before we knew it, he was gone with you.”

  “But it’s safe to imagine that he was never the same again,” Laith interjected. He settled on the edge of a chair. Elisa leaned upon the armrest.

  “How could Nikolaos cloak his existence from my mother? From you, this whole time?”

  Laith shrugged. “We can only think of two realistic ways. Either your mother lied about his existence—”

  “She wouldn’t lie,” Fiona and I said at the same time.

  “—or the bond was purposefully broken.”

  “How?” I asked.

  Laith hedged. “Well, when we bond, we bond through…”

  “Sex,” Fiona helped.

  “Can you please not say it that way?�
� Darius’s cheeks exploded into splotches of red.

  Cedric chortled.

  Laith cleared his throat. “When we bond, we are mated for life. Well, what if that bond was broken when Niko slept with the Annihilator? It has never happened before, and the pain was so excruciating for Rachel that we just assumed he was dead. We never thought to imagine the level of treachery he would rise to.”

  “And for whatever reason, Niko has chosen to stay hidden in shadow for forty years,” Fiona said.

  “But why the sudden change? Why come out now?” I asked.

  Laith shook his head. “We don’t know. It will be interesting to find out just how much he has invested into the Annihilator’s plan. We can only surmise, but something about you seemed to gain his notice enough for him to reveal himself.”

  I had spent my whole life being ignored and nearly transparent, and I had hated it. Now my heart longed for a bit of that seclusion I once thought as a prison. I sighed, pushing off from my knees. I stood, and Darius followed. “I’m going to visit Cheryl.”

  Laith nodded. “Very well, but please rest. We have a lot of work to do.”

  I paused at the door. “Laith?”

  He hummed a response.

  “The Destroyer tried to kill Violet and Jonathan, didn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  I swallowed. “Why wasn’t he able to?”

  “I—I don’t know.”

  I walked the hallways, feeling not quite like a physical presence any longer. My body felt as if it hovered over the tiled floors. My legs did the work without telling me that they did so.

  Cheryl was in Ray’s suite. I knocked softly, and he answered. Dim lights cast warm shadows on the walls of his clean room. His space was pleasant and welcoming.

  Darius waited by the opened door. Cheryl watched me from across the space, tucked up in a bed of dark gray and white. Her gaze grew wary as I neared and without warning, tears sprang to my eyes.