Carl (Guardians In Love Book 4)

by Brianna West

  Lucas, who was part vampire, had been a shining example of control until he met his bond mate, Izzy. Victor had intervened and assisted when the weakness got the better of Lucas, and no one shamed him for it. Like I wouldn’t when Conall finally overcame his.

  It was why I believed that Niko could be saved, even if it was pointless to hope for it. I truly believed if I reasoned enough with him, there was a chance I could convince him back enough to let the angels intervene on his behalf. He’d still have to answer for his crimes, and there was a likelihood that he was beyond forgiveness for what he’d done in a twenty-year span, but I seriously hoped that he could see the wrong he’d done and answer for it.

  Watching him silently, I noticed the tattoos along the column of his neck matched the symbols I’d observed on the blade he carried. The curved dagger was tucked into his side, the metal handle carved with the same shapes and symbols as what were tattooed along Niko’s collar.

  I assumed it was a Dark blade of some kind, which were often fused with ritual blood and Dark magic to make the blade much more effective against creatures of Light. Many of them were also coated with demon poisons, which could cause a multitude of debilitating problems. From paralysis to slow, devastating death, demon poison was one of many ways for a Guardian to meet their untimely end.

  There were antidotes, of course, but if I didn’t manage to get to an angel or proper witch or warlock to administer the correct antidote in time, I’d be lost to whatever effect the poison had on me. I didn’t relish in the slow, painful death of demon poison.

  I’d been cut by a demon blade only once before, and it was an excruciating twenty minutes. While it didn’t compare with the torture of Conall’s bite, it was in the same realm. The pain couldn’t be put into words, and the mere memory of it made me inadvertently shudder.

  “Why do you need my help?” I asked, glancing from the sheathed blade to the brightly lit silver-blue eyes and devilish smile on my previous comrade’s face. “I don’t know what I could possibly do to get it for you.”

  Niko’s entire body anxiously shifted with his broadening smile. “Only the blood of a pure heart can break the seal placed on it. Harlan has been searching for the blood of a pure heart that could break its seal for centuries.” I watched him silently, confusion scrunching my brow together. “There is no one I know purer than you, Carl.”

  He had to be joking.

  “A pure heart suggests that the person has no darkness inside of them, Niko. I have darkness,” I argued, unable to hide my outright befuddlement.

  Niko shook his head, denying it. “I’ve watched you, Carl. Many have, including Harlan. Before he found his recent conquest, it was Harlan’s intention to get his hands on you. I wouldn’t have let it get that far, but it didn’t matter. With Victor always nearby, it made it impossible for him to.”

  I had a pure heart, really? Did Victor know and not disclose it? That didn’t sound even close to right, and I had reason to be wary of anything Niko said to me. Of course, even if it wasn’t true, the belief that it was had made a high-demon seek me out. Harlan must be desperate to use this amulet, and he’d apparently gone to great lengths to unseal it. Even exposing that he was also, in fact, alive. Many had believed he had been killed long ago and, only until recently, were we aware that that wasn’t the case.

  The seal must have been formed by someone of Light, probably an angel or the like. If it was sealed, it meant that it was safe. Until Harlan was able to capture someone with a pure heart, that is. If he’d already been hot on the heels of one he thought might have a pure heart, it was only a matter of time before the high-demon broke the seal.

  As if hearing my internal conversation, Niko nodded. “He had bled someone, but found that without the blood touching the amulet the second it was bled, the seal wouldn’t break. And before he could try again, she was rescued. Though, I believe that’s the least of Harlan’s worries. The amulet, I mean. It seems like he genuinely desires her and is merely chasing her in that self-interest.”

  Who? I was only left to silently ponder while Niko perked up visibly.

  Then he chuckled abruptly, the sound darker than I ever remembered it being. “But that’s a story for another time. We need to act fast while we can, otherwise Harlan will know what my intentions are before I can even get near the amulet.”

  I could smell his dark intentions, and the mere potency of it burnt my nostrils. To desire something to this degree, there had to be more to it. If I wanted to get to the heart of why he’d fallen into darkness, I needed to find out what his true reason was.

  Coolly, I stared at the obviously excited man standing beside me, his dagger nearly within reach if I’d managed to break the magical binds. I wouldn’t, because it would take time I didn’t have at the moment to tear through them. Not to mention, I was hardly in any shape to overpower a magic like his when it was at its strongest.

  “Why do you want to be stronger, Niko? Your power is obviously already strengthened, so what purpose could you have to want the amulet and want the Promiscus Guardians to know about it?”

  Niko had wanted Victor to know that he knew where the amulet was, but if he had the intention to use it, then he could only do so while it was still in his possession. Seeing how he’d previously mentioned the amulet worked only as an intermediary, which would require both the amulet and host to work. So there had to be something he wished to do with it before handing it over to the Guardians.

  The sparkle in Niko’s eyes was vicious when he finally regarded me seriously, the smile fading from his mouth. His face quickly darkened with a fury I’d never seen on him. “To do what I should’ve done thirty years ago,” Niko said, his voice rumbling angrily, “For her…”

  Her?

  The only her that I could correlate with Niko was his sister, who had been killed by a high-demon nearly thirty years ago when she’d gone on a mission to rescue innocents. Young children had been kidnapped in great number for a ritualistic killing to honor the high-demon she’d been killed by. Several Guardians had lost their lives due to the high concentration of higher demon and Dark types, which many didn’t have the ability to overcome. It was one of the larger Guardian massacres in several centuries.

  His sister had been one of the many casualties, and Niko had never been the same after her death. If I were honest, looking back over the course of the ten years following her death until he’d supposedly died in a mission, Niko had been gradually consumed by an agenda to find the high-demon responsible for her death. I wasn’t clear on who the high-demon had been, but with his intention to use the amulet, it could be concluded that Niko had some idea who it was.

  In a moment of honest empathy, I stared at Niko as he sifted through his hair angrily and worked quietly to regain his composure.

  His younger sister had been barely out of Guardian training when she died, and it was evident that he felt some responsibility for encouraging her to become one. Due to his particular regard towards the rules, he was one of the leading Guardians of that time, and many, including his sister, looked up to him. Idolized him even. I’d been one of them. But when his sister had lost her life, Niko had gradually become more reclusive towards the adoring population.

  Why hadn’t I seen it until now? Everything made sense, and now I knew just what to say to convince him. If there was a chance to bring him to his senses, I’d do whatever it took.

  “It won’t bring her back,” I said softly, knowing the pain of losing someone and the guilt that ultimately came with it.

  My own brother had suffered from a vengeance of his own, and it had nearly consumed him before Nyla had come into his life.

  “Andrea would be saddened to know to what extent you’ve lost yourself in order to avenge her death,” I added, voice tight with emotion.

  Niko’s expression faltered, steel eyes finding mine with unconcealed shock floundering inside of them. “What…?”

  “You’ve lost yourself, Niko. The darkness is radiating from
you. Using that amulet will change you and corrupt what’s left.”

  His jaw ground down loudly. “You don’t understand anything.”

  “Look at me, Niko,” I ordered, finding confidence in his diminished demeanor. “Look at what you’ve done to obtain the amulet. You’ve partnered with a high-demon and a Dark angel. You’d even attacked Guardians and left them for dead.”

  Niko’s expression soured. “There’s no other way, Carl. Harlan and that angel would know I…”

  “You, what? Were actually intending to steal the amulet and avenge your sister’s death? Is vengeance worth everything you were…are? With everything Andrea was and wanted to be, do you think she would have wanted you to become Dark in your pursuit to avenge her? Do you really believe that this would make her happy?”

  For the first time, Niko’s eyes gleamed with the kindness and true, devastating sadness I’d seen when he’d first shown himself to me. It was in that moment that I felt genuine hope that I might get through to him. But it was quickly gone when Niko’s eyes flashed and his entire body tensed perceptibly.

  Suddenly, the walls shook, dust kicking up into the air and a loud, terrible sound drowning out any other in an instant. The air trembled as a body appeared through a circling vortex of gold and white. I’d never been so conflicted seeing a rescuing portal as I did in that moment. Whoever had come was risking their life to do it, because by its make, it wasn’t sanctioned by the angels. The portal was fading in and out, but the person finally managed to come through.

  The massive man landed with his fist into the floor and his eyes lifted to where Niko and I were. A low, snarling growl rumbled furiously in his throat as the piercing eyes caught sight of me. Lips curling and fangs gleaming, the man snarled again with so much ferocity that the very air quaked with the sound.

  And before I could utter a word, a burst of pure gold exploded towards Niko, abruptly sending the unprepared ex-Guardian colliding loudly with the wall directly behind him with enough force to take him straight through it.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Carl!” Aidan called out, his voice deep with anger as he worked to break through the binds holding me to the bed.

  His gold magic pulsed and radiated through the room, colliding with the walls and slowly breaking through the disintegrated plaster with each hit. His smell overpowered the death coming through the walls, and I relished in the musk that calmed my nerves the instant I inhaled it.

  For a second, I just breathed him in as the large Guardian bent over my imprisoned form. I let his scent soothe the fear that had raged inside me for much too long. It was the first time I’d noticed I was trembling. My hands were shaking violently as Aidan worked to remove them from their prison. I hadn’t been aware of just how terrified I had been until Aidan appeared. How he’d gotten here, I couldn’t be bothered to worry about at the moment because he was here.

  Lord, he was here and alive.

  The Guardian’s eyes were blindingly luminous as low growls echoed through his chest, the rage distorting the lines of his face. But even so, he was a sight for sore eyes. His handsome face, even overcome by anger, made my heart beat with silent, thankful glee. Mesmerized, I watched as Aidan’s jaw tensed with extreme agitation.

  However, all I could manage to think was that he was here and he was alive. Words would never express the immense joy I felt staring at him for those first few moments after having worried I’d lost him.

  My heart was practically soaring, but I quickly searched his body and movements to locate any injuries he might be concealing. With quiet relief, it seemed nothing was amiss. His scent was chaotic with his anger, but there was no pain that I could immediately detect in either the movements he made, or the way his emotions connected with mine. Thankfully, our bond allowed me to discern enough about his emotions to identify most of them. Particularly how they smelt.

  When he’d finally broken through the magic binding my wrists, I lifted my hands and cradled his face. Unable to stop myself, I yanked the other Guardian down into a hard kiss. I tasted his mouth hungrily, desperate for him.

  He was alive. He’d come for me. I couldn’t express how relieved I was, so I put all of the emotions I currently felt into the kiss and damned the time and place.

  Finally pulling away and staring at him, I offered Aidan an affectionate smile. “You came,” I said, voice tight. “You’re okay.”

  “Who do you think you’re talking to, yeah?” Aidan touched my face and caressed the skin just beneath my eyes, then pressed his forehead to mine. “Like hell I’d die and let some bloody tosser take off with you. It only took me this long because I had to change my trousers.”

  Grinning unabashedly, Aidan kissed my mouth quickly and then stared down at me fiercely. “You’re mine, Carl. Never forget it.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Change your pants, you say?”

  Smirking mischievously, Aidan winked before rubbing my cheeks with his thumbs again. “Ripped through the other pair, but I’ll tell you that story once I’ve gotten you out of this bloody hell hole, yeah?”

  My eyes were burning as Aidan took better hold of my face and pressed his mouth into mine again, his tongue plunging and coiling around mine as he gave way to a deep, rumbling groan. It was obvious from the sound that he was just as desperate as I was to confirm that I was really there. I’d gathered in our time together that Aidan was prone to playful banter when he was at the most odds with himself, and right now was no exception.

  When I withdrew slightly, I locked eyes with his and saw that the previous rage had entirely vanished from Aidan’s glowing irises, and in its place was true, genuine relief.

  “I’m yours,” I declared.

  Aidan’s mouth lifted into a wry grin, chuckling quietly as the magic calmed around him. “I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming…”

  Smiling tenderly, I held his face firmly and stared into his eyes, resolved. “But I need you to trust me,” I said in a rush before throwing up a barrier around us the instant blue magic rushed towards where Aidan bent over me.

  The barrier barely held against the powerful assault, but Aidan reinforced it with his own magic. His eyes tracked back to where I was, already on his feet and postured aggressively. But I was peering straight across to where Niko stood, ready to send another attack Aidan’s way.

  Aidan’s golden magic appeared in a burst, but I took hold of his arm and stopped him from attacking. With obvious surprise, Aidan’s power fluttered and then disappeared as he quickly looked over his shoulder at me, confused. Niko’s blue power kicked up from the ground in whipping vines, preparing to assault Aidan the second he was distracted.

  “Wait!” I commanded with a pointed look at my former companion, shocking Niko enough that his blue magic wavered around him and faded. “Think of Andrea. Think of what you’ll lose if you do this. Remember why you became a Guardian in the first place!”

  “I’ve told you, you don’t understand!”

  Aidan’s agitated stance intensified, but I quickly looked his direction and shook my head. The other Guardian’s jaw worked furiously, but he remained where he was and didn’t conjure his magic.

  I breathed a short, thankful breath before looking at Niko again, determined. “Then explain to me how this will avenge her death,” I demanded.

  Aidan’s expression faltered as he looked from where Niko stood imposingly to where I sat, questioning me with another glance. I ignored him because I needed to focus on convincing Niko how nothing good would result of his vengeance. It had already led him down a dark path, and from here it would only get darker.

  “If I kill him, he won’t be able to hurt anyone else’s loved ones!”

  “Do you remember why Andrea joined the Guardians?” I asked gently, watching as the composure Niko had maintained until now slowly crumbled. “She wanted to prove that even though you two were half vampire, it didn’t mean you would give yourselves over to the darkness. She vowed, like you, never to let it consume her.
”

  The muscles in Niko’s bare chest were taut and the tendons along his neck were pulled tight. His face was stiff as he stared at me. His magic snaked up his legs, flicking and swiping with obvious distress. But like Aidan, he hadn’t attacked again.

  Watching Niko closely as his face gave way to the desperation he was obviously feeling, I went on, “Do you remember what you promised her the day she was accepted onto a team of her own…the day she pledged herself to the Cause? You two vowed to never use the darkness for any reason. To always choose Light, even when it felt like you were backed into a corner.”

  Aidan observed me silently as I stared at Niko, entreating him with every word. As if I’d never get the chance to again. And truly, this was my only chance. If Niko left now, there was a good chance I’d never see him again.

  Niko’s rigid form faltered as his eyes dropped from mine to the floor. “That was before—”

  “Before she what, lost her life along with the twenty other Guardians that perished that day? What happened to her was horrendous. My heart broke alongside yours, Niko…for her and the other twenty we lost that day,” I interjected passionately. “And I can’t imagine what you must have felt losing her, but losing yourself to the one thing you vowed you’d never give into is something Andrea would’ve never wanted. Her heart would be broken to see you like this.”

  Niko finally lost his composure, the immense sadness he felt distorting his entire body as he fought through the pain of Andrea’s memory. Red bled into the silver inside his eyes, the emotion dimming the luminescent glow. It was clear even from where I stood that he was crying for her. A single tear fled his eye before he wiped it away, violently repulsed by its existence. He looked so very small in those few seconds he allowed himself to grieve—truly grieve her loss. Like the night she was killed, Niko’s entire face showed the despair he felt.