The Guardians (MORE Trilogy)

by Franklin, T. M.

  Ava, however, rarely stuck to plans.

  “Caleb? You awake?” Bel’s prodding jerked Caleb out of a near-doze.

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m here,” he mumbled. “What’s up?”

  “We need your help. Nothing fancy. Just transport for a Half-Breed up to the Colony.”

  Caleb yawned but slid out of bed and grabbed a duffle bag from his closet. “When? Where?”

  “You’re to rendezvous with Balaam in Milwaukee tonight, six o’clock your time for the handoff.” Bel paused, and Caleb could hear the shuffling of papers over the phone. “Balaam will lead any Protectors south while you shift the Half-Breed, Evan, north.”

  Caleb nodded even though Bel couldn’t see him.

  He was familiar with Balaam’s ability to mimic any Race member or Half-Breed. Because of their individual mental capabilities, each gave off a unique electrical signature. Balaam was able to imitate that.

  Caleb frowned. Correction. Not every Race member gave off the signature. Ava didn’t, and Caleb wasn’t sure why. She’d been fitted with a psychic block as a baby, which blocked her Race abilities; it was possible that parts of the block were still in place and that was why she didn’t give off a Race imprint. It was just one more mystery among a host of them where Ava was concerned.

  He yawned, his jaw cracking as he threw some clothes into the duffle bag. “Six o’clock. Evan. Milwaukee. Got it.”

  “Don’t be late.”

  Caleb tossed the phone onto the bed and finished packing. He needed to meet Ava for coffee and tell her he was leaving for a few days. Caleb didn’t like it, but it actually helped that he knew Tiernan would be watching her. Even if he was sent to protect the Council from her, he knew that if push came to shove and any Rogues showed up, Tiernan would protect her from them.

  Not that she really needs it.

  He smiled. Ava had become a formidable opponent, her powers growing every day. In truth, he couldn’t blame the Council for being nervous.

  If he didn’t know she was on his side, he might be, too.

  Ava smiled when she saw Caleb waiting for her outside the campus coffee shop, balancing two cups as he adjusted his backpack. He gave her the vanilla latte with a quick kiss to her cheek, and she took his hand as they set off across campus toward her English literature class. It always filled Ava with a little bit of glee that she got to start her day with Chaucer and Bronte instead of Pascal and Bernoulli. Sure, physics had brought her Caleb, but she couldn’t say she missed the class.

  Without warning, Caleb yanked her into the shadows between two buildings and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

  She barely had enough time to clench her eyes shut when, with a dizzying whirl, the ground dropped out from beneath her. When she opened her eyes, she stumbled, blinking uncertainly until she realized he’d shifted them to the top of the bell tower. The campus was spread out before them in a grid-like pattern of green and brown, the town of Witteville sparkling in the morning sunshine just beyond.

  When Caleb released her, she smacked his arm, and his coffee sloshed out of the hole in the plastic lid. “You need to warn me before you do that!”

  Caleb grinned. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

  She shook her head but couldn’t keep from smiling herself. Taking a sip of her coffee, she crossed to the low brick wall circling the huge bell at the top of the tower and dropped her backpack at her feet. “You do realize if we ever get caught up here, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

  He shrugged, lowering his own bag to the ground. “I like to live dangerously.”

  “Mm-hmm.” She faced him and leaned on the wall, setting her cup down next to her. “I do have class, you know?” Not that she was that worried about it. Spending time with Caleb was always more fun than bonding with Chaucer.

  “I know. I needed to talk to you alone for a minute.”

  Ava didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I just have to leave town for a few days.”

  Ava fought down a rush of concern. “For the Council?”

  “Guardians.”

  Ava nodded, turning back around to look out over the campus. She knew Caleb had been secretly working with the Guardians on occasion, unbeknownst to the Council. The Guardians operated in the shadows, and if the Council knew he was helping them, he’d not only lose his position as a Protector, he could be tried as a traitor to the Race. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to get involved, though. She knew firsthand how frightening it was to be hunted by the Council and the appalling way Half-Breeds were treated. Still, it was dangerous. And she couldn’t help being worried.

  “I could go with you.” She kept her back to him, not wanting him to see exactly how much it meant to ask, how much she really hated to be apart from him.

  “You know that won’t work,” he said quietly. “I can’t shift you and him.”

  She nodded. “Well, be careful, okay?”

  He drew closer and set his coffee cup next to hers before reaching out to rub her shoulders lightly. He pulled Ava back against his chest, his arms crossed over hers and their fingers tangling. “I’ll be fine. And you know Tiernan and Katherine are around if you need them.”

  She smiled wryly. “You really think Tiernan would help me?”

  Caleb laughed. “Well, maybe Katherine. I think she likes you.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Here,” he said, untangling one of his arms to fumble in his coat pocket. “I have something for you.” He reached around and held his open hand in front of her, a small, polished wooden box lying in his palm.

  She glanced up at him over her shoulder. “What is it?”

  He shrugged, a hint of pink creeping up his cheeks. “Open it and find out.”

  Ava took the box as Caleb loosened his hold on her, his arms falling slowly to his sides. Absently running her fingers over the smooth wood, she turned around to face him. “It’s not my birthday.”

  “I know when your birthday is.” He smirked, and Ava laughed lightly. Caleb knew pretty much everything about her, actually. Having been assigned to her, knowing every detail about her had been part of his job, at least until their relationship had developed into something more.

  “So what’s the occasion?” Ava couldn’t resist prodding a bit, since Caleb was so adorably embarrassed.

  His face flushed a little more as he shook his head in exasperation. “No occasion. Just . . . something to remember me by while I’m gone.”

  A rush of warmth raced through Ava at that—the idea that Caleb wanted her to think about him, wanted her to miss him—and she looked down at the box, her own face heating rapidly. She lifted the lid of the box, and her heartbeat sped a little then seemed to stop altogether when she saw its contents. A hammered pewter pendant hung on a black leather cord, and she brought it closer to examine the design: two linked circles, and where they overlapped, a woven knot, obviously Celtic in design. Two gleaming stones were set in the larger circles, one blue and one green. Ava smiled, realizing the stones were the color of Caleb’s eyes—his true eyes, when he wasn’t wearing his contacts.

  “It was my mother’s,” he said quietly. “The only thing my father gave her that she kept.”

  Ava blinked back tears, rubbing her thumb over the green stone. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “But I can’t accept this. It’s too important to you.” She held it out, but he wrapped her fingers around the pendant, holding her hand tightly.

  “You’re important to me.”

  “But . . . your mother . . .”

  “She wants you to have it, too,” he said, swallowing thickly. “I think it’s her way of letting you know that even though she has to fulfill her duties to the Council officially, she’s glad you’re in my life, personally.” He leaned in to kiss Ava, their clasped hands pressed against his chest.

  Ava melted against him, the feel of his power familiar yet not diminished in its intensity. When he
reluctantly pulled away many minutes later, they were both breathing heavily.

  “Here, look,” he said, his voice raspy as he opened her hand. “The two circles are a symbol of both our worlds, the two stones representing humanity and the First Race. My father added the knot in the middle for my mother—a symbol of unity.” He traced the twisted metal with a fingertip. “Actually, it became a symbol for the Guardians later on, so she could no longer wear it, for obvious reasons. But she always kept it close. Even after he left. And now . . . now, I want you to have it.”

  Ava examined his features, seeing nothing but sincerity there, and looped the necklace over her head before kissing him again. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I love it.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other’s arms, before Ava looked up at him again. “You never talk about your father.”

  He shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. He wasn’t around.”

  She fingered the necklace. “But if your mother kept this, she must have missed him, at least a little.”

  Caleb pulled away, sighing heavily. “That’s a long story,” he said, checking his watch. “And one we probably can’t get into right now. Not if you’re going to make it to class on time.”

  Ava wanted to protest, but Caleb had taken on that stiff look that always accompanied any mention of his father. He only moved back a fraction, but in that moment, it felt as though he was miles away. His jaw twitched with tension, his eyes hard, and she recognized the look of him getting lost in thoughts of the man who’d abandoned him and his mother. Ava could push it. She’d tried to before, but the closest Caleb had ever come to opening up about his feelings on the topic was to say that he didn’t know much about his father and didn’t feel the need to.

  She left it alone and simply reached up to touch his cheek, waiting.

  She didn’t have to wait long. He looked down with a soft smile and pulled her close, getting ready to shift. “I’ll tell you everything once I get back,” he said, the promise clear in his eyes.

  He seemed almost nervous at the prospect, but she didn’t mention it, instead asking, “Which will be?”

  “Soon,” he said with a laugh. “Few days. A week at most.”

  “Okay. I can do a week.” She tucked her face against his chest and closed her eyes. “But any longer and I’m coming after you.”

  Caleb laughed.

  Little did he know, she wasn’t kidding.

  That evening, Caleb waited at the rendezvous point, a nondescript coffee shop on a street corner in Milwaukee. He checked his watch again, impatient to get this assignment over and done with. He’d pushed himself, shifting rapidly and wolfing down R-cubes so he could get where he was going and back home again.

  Of course, he hadn’t taken into account having to wait for the Half-Breed. All he could think about was getting back to Witteville and to Ava. He didn’t like leaving her alone, both for personal and professional reasons. Despite his reassurances to her that she would be looked out for, he felt a lot more comfortable when he was the one doing the looking.

  He felt a telltale prickle up the back of his neck, indicating a Race presence nearby, and turned to watch the door to the coffee shop, sipping a cappuccino as he waited for Balaam and the Half-Br—Evan, he corrected—to appear.

  After a few minutes, the two men walked in, Balaam raising a hand in greeting as soon as they were through the door. They joined Caleb at his table and took a seat as Evan looked around nervously.

  Caleb smiled and held out a hand. “You must be Evan. I’m Caleb, your ride north.”

  Evan looked at him in confusion, and Caleb was forced to reevaluate his initial impression. He wasn’t a man, but a boy—a teenager, at most—all spiky blond hair and wide, innocent eyes, with a sprinkling of freckles across his nose.

  Caleb glanced at Balaam, raising an eyebrow in question.

  Balaam, however, turned to the boy, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Despite the man’s large and rather intimidating frame, thick black dreadlocks, and curling tattoos around his muscular, dark-skinned arms, he had a way of soothing frightened Half-Breeds. “Caleb is going to make sure you get to the Colony safely,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “I’ll lead anyone following us away.” His dark eyes were intent, reassuring.

  Evan nodded and turned to Caleb smiling hesitantly. “It’s nice to meet you. Thanks . . . for helping me.”

  “That’s my job,” Caleb said lightly, offering his hand again.

  This time, Evan shook it.

  “You two should get going,” Balaam said, getting to his feet. “I think we have Protectors about half an hour away. Luckily, no shifters, as far as I can tell, so I should be able to keep them busy long enough for you to get away.” He reached out to touch Evan again, closing his eyes and breathing deeply for a moment.

  Caleb knew it was how the man focused in on Evan’s unique signature so he could mimic it, and he waited patiently until Balaam stepped back with a nod.

  “Good luck,” he said before stepping out the door without another word.

  Caleb got to his feet and tossed his empty cup into the trash. “Come on,” he said to Evan. “We need to find someplace less . . . busy.”

  They left the coffee shop, and Caleb led him down the street and into a dim alley he’d scouted when he first arrived in Milwaukee. “Did Balaam tell you how this works?” he asked.

  Evan swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as his gaze darted toward the slimy walls and down to the littered ground. He finally focused on Caleb and seemed to square his shoulders. “He said you could . . . teleport us?”

  He’d said it more as a question than a statement, and Caleb grinned. It wasn’t the first time he’d had such a reaction. “Yeah. We’re going to have to get close, I’m afraid.” He waved the boy over and turned him around. Men generally tended to be more comfortable if they weren’t face-to-face. “Cross your hands over your chest,” he said, folding his arms over Evan’s firmly. “This will be quick, only a few seconds, but take a deep breath and close your eyes. It can be a little disorienting.”

  Evan nodded.

  Caleb could feel his heart racing under his arm. “It’s okay,” he said. “Try and relax and it will be over before—” Caleb stiffened at the familiar tingle of a Race presence nearby. He cursed under his breath.

  “What is it?” Evan asked.

  “Someone’s coming,” he whispered, his hold on Evan tightening in urgency. “Brace yourself; we’ve got to go now.”

  They shifted, reappearing in an empty field. Evan staggered as Caleb’s knees buckled and he leaned into him.

  “Sorry,” Caleb said, his voice cracking as he reached into his pocket for some R-cubes. “That was a long one. I need a minute.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Caleb chewed and swallowed with a nod. “Yeah. You?”

  Evan nodded, still looking a bit stunned. He turned around in a circle. “Where are we?”

  “About fifty miles north of—damn.” Caleb shot to his feet. “They’re here.”

  “Who?” Evan paled. “How?”

  “I don’t know. Balaam was wrong. They must have a shifter . . . and a tracker of some kind.” He reached for Evan. “I won’t be able to get us far, but we need to shake them. I’m going to try several short shifts instead of a long one.” He popped another cube. “Ready?”

  Evan closed his eyes, his hands trembling under Caleb’s. “Ready.”

  Caleb took a deep breath and shifted, beginning to wonder if this was one mission he would fail.

  They made it to the Guardian Colony, Caleb dead on his feet and leaning heavily on Evan as they approached the gate. He remembered little of the next twelve hours, spending them sleeping, for the most part, and waking only to consume some cubes and water, and a little soup on occasion, before exhaustion took him again.

  When he finally woke, Bel was there by his bed, waiting to ask him about what had happened.
Unfortunately, Caleb didn’t have any answers. He hadn’t seen who’d pursued them as far as the Canadian border before they had apparently lost him, or them, and although they’d waited anxiously for Protectors to close in, there had been no attack.

  Someone, somehow, had tracked him, and Caleb couldn’t fight the fear that he and Evan hadn’t escaped that person, but that he or she had let them get away.

  “But why?” Bel had asked when he expressed the thought out loud. “It doesn’t make any sense. If it was Protectors, why wouldn’t they have taken you, or even followed you here?”

  Caleb didn’t know, and at that point, he found he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was recover and head back to Allenmore, perhaps utilizing more conventional travel options for the trip home. He wasn’t anxious to shift again.

  Three days later, he left the Colony, happy to see Evan fitting in well with some of the others his own age. He’d learned the boy had been orphaned by a car accident, leaving him miraculously uninjured. The fact had led the Protectors to close in on him, but at least this time, the Guardians had won. The boy was free. Caleb had succeeded in his mission.

  He hugged Bel, nodding to Gideon in farewell, but still not comfortable with a more demonstrative gesture where the Guardian leader was concerned.

  Perhaps in time.

  Rebuilding that relationship, or rather, building it, would definitely take a lot of time. He turned quickly and shifted away from the Colony without looking back. He planned to take a train from Winnipeg, then possibly a bus once he got across the border. He preferred not to fly if at all possible, since shifting wasn’t the best option when he was miles above the ground.

  Caleb stopped to rest in a thick forest about thirty miles from Winnipeg, sitting on a fallen log as he chewed on some R-cubes and a protein bar. He took comfort in the quiet around him, the faint rustling of leaves or chirp of a bird overhead. He smiled as his mind wandered, as it often did, to Ava and her reaction to his gift of the necklace. He knew he had to tell her more about his parents. It was essential that she know what she was getting into before their relationship progressed any further.