Guardian

by S.B. Rodgers

  Gabe looked down, balling his hands into fists. He knew that Abby was more important than anything. She was more important to him than they could ever know.

  Elijah continued, addressing Gabriel Sr. “What if we all attend? Completely surround the perimeter, slash the risk factor? It’s too dangerous with only Fern, Gabe and I, but if we have the four of you with us, maybe a couple extra, then Abby could go to the ball. And she seems to me like a girl who could use a carefree night of dressing up and dancing with friends.”

  Gabe smirked; Elijah talked a good game, and it reminded him of something he had read on one of the posters in the hallway at school. “This could work; they were looking for more chaperones for the dance—they were short a few, apparently.”

  Gabriel Sr. nodded thoughtfully. “Hmmm…I’ll have Aiden call and make the arrangements while I track down some backup.”

  “So we’re going?” Elijah asked his future grandfather-in-law.

  “Yes, my boy, I believe we are.” Gabriel Sr. said, a rare smile on his weathered face.

  “Thank goodness…I didn’t want to be the one to tell them,” Elijah jerked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the excited chatter that could be heard from the kitchen “that we can’t go.”

  Gabriel Sr. clapped a hand on his shoulder, chuckling. “I’d sooner do battle with Lucifer himself.”

  Chapter 41

  Walking into the art room, Abby was surprised to see Raph sitting at the table they shared, leaning over a copy of the student newspaper. He was casually perusing the article advertising tomorrow’s ball, she noted as she took her seat opposite him. She quietly set down her bag, not wanting to disturb him.

  Without looking up he spoke “’Five Ways to Pick Your Ideal Dress’? Well, looks like a mermaid style is my best bet…” he looked at Abby “So, are you going to this thing?” he asked, indicating the pages spread out before him.

  “The ball? Yes.”

  Raph’s eyebrows raised, belying his surprise. “Who with?”

  Abby’s answer was interrupted by Mr. Dupont entering the room and the bell ringing loudly, announcing that class was in session.

  “Okay class, today we are discussing post-modernism. What is it, and how does it affect you and your art? Prepare to be dazzled, people.”

  As Mr. Dupont waded further into his not altogether interesting lecture, Raph caught Abby’s attention. He leaned in closer to her, whispering in a barely audible voice “Who with?”

  She glanced at him quickly—she didn’t want to miss the lecture, she was already behind as it was. “Gabe.” She hissed back, just as quietly.

  Raph nodded, falling into silent contemplation for the rest of the period.

  Abby glanced at him from time to time, noticing that he looked different from the last time she’d seen him. Last time he had seemed unkempt, red-eyed and ill. Now his dark, curly hair was as neat as possible, he was clean-shaven and the dark circles under his eyes had faded. But there was something that hadn’t been there before that she couldn’t help but notice. A long, thin scrape, already closed and healing up nicely, stretched across his cheek.

  The final bell rang loudly, almost abruptly to Abby, who had been lost in her own thoughts. Mr. Dupont wrapped his lecture up seamlessly, dismissing the students for the day. Abby picked up her bag, jamming her sketchbook into it.

  “You’re going with Gabe, then…he’s a nice guy.” Raph smiled crookedly at her “You should go with him. Have some fun for a change and make up for that jerk you went with last year.”

  He gathered up the newspaper, rolling it into a loose tube and walking towards the door. He stopped in front of it, turning back to look at Abby as he let the papers flutter into the open recycle bin. “So, is there any chance that I can dance with Cinderella?” he asked, that sad, crooked smile still on his face.

  “I’ll think about it.” She smiled back, watching his dark eyes soften a bit as his smile brightened. He left only seconds before Gabe, Fern and Elijah entered the room.

  “Ready to go?” Gabe asked, walking over and shouldering her bag before grabbing her hand.

  “…Yeah.” She said, walking next to him contentedly. Everything was finally going right, she thought, happiness bubbling up inside of her. For the first time in a long time, it really felt like everything was going to be okay.

  Chapter 42

  Satan lounged on the red velvet divan, watching the gaggle of people that streamed in and out of her chambers. This was a rare event; only once a year did Lucifer allow others access. Even then it was only attendants from the royal vault and Satan’s personal tailor, as well as a select few ladies-in-waiting, including Draven’s wife, Aria.

  The poor woman’s eyes still flashed red at odd intervals and her usually lustrous, thick hair was frizzy and unwashed. She didn’t look well, Satan decided, unable to hide a small smile. She knew that Aria was suffering for nothing. With her help, Mammon would be fine. Whether she herself would be alright was another matter altogether. If Lucifer learned of her plans, past or present, she was doomed.

  The tailor re-entered the room, hefting several bolts of fine, richly coloured silks. Trailing behind him on a thin, silvery chain that was clipped to her dainty leather collar was his pet, a petite female with long white hair that dragged on the stone floor behind her. The telltale black tattoos curled over her purplish eye like a patch, marking her as the property of Hell.

  The script wound down her shoulders and covered the stumps where her wings once were. Those stumps, Satan noticed, were polished and even decorated with tiny crystals that gleamed in the firelight. She looked at Eron, at the hollow, jagged bones jutting from his shoulder-blades, wondering if this was the fashion now. She made a mental note to have him groomed. The tailor’s pet was also better-dressed than Eron, clad in a lightly-beaded white dress. Like her master, she carried a few bolts of cloth, though she looked even smaller behind their bulk.

  “My Queen, I think that these colours would be best for the Solstice Ball. They complement your hair and eyes rather nicely.” The tailor said, unfurling a couple of the silks in his well-manicured olive-skinned hands.

  Satan nodded dismissively; anything was fine with her. At this point, the man could dress her in a fetching paper sack and she wouldn’t bat an eye. She had much, much bigger things to attend to than party dresses.

  Her attention shifted back to her pet as the tailor prattled on about necklines and corsets and full skirts versus form-fitting. She watched as Eron slowly, cautiously scuttled forward a few steps, staring intently at the tailor’s pet. The meek little thing glanced at Eron nervously, drawing the silks closer to her chest as Eron came closer. Eron, hunched over though he was, seemed huge in comparison to the female, which looked more frightened than curious.

  Satan monitored the two closely, knowing that Eron had not seen one of his kind in millennia. She watched as he slowly circled the female, reached out a trembling hand to touch her.

  “Eron. Here.” Satan called, snapping her fingers loudly. Eron’s hand withdrew sharply, silky hair whipping around his face as he stared at his mistress, wide blue eyes wild with fear. Taking one last sidelong glance at the tailor’s pet, Eron hurried to his mistress’ side, sitting on the ground in front of the divan. She stroked Eron’s head gently, running her fingers across his scalp and through his hair. “Good.” She praised, idly braiding the hair in her hands as the tailor enthusiastically sketched up a design for her dress. “Good.”

  Chapter 43

  Serena looked up at her husband, palm flat and fingers gesturing inwards. “What?” Gabriel Sr. asked, furrowing his brow.

  “Dress shopping, dear.”

  “Ah, right. Will this be enough?” he asked, fishing a twenty out of his wallet.

  Serena snorted. “Funny.” She plucked the wallet from his hands, thumbing through the card slots.

  “Looking for this?” Gabriel Sr. asked, holding up the platinum card with a mischievous grin on his
face. He handed her the card, leaning down and giving her a swift peck on the lips “Have fun, love.” Serena kissed him back, leaving with the other three girls in tow.

  Gabriel Sr. wandered into the living room where Elijah, Gabriel and Aiden sat on the couch, the television tuned to a sports program. Gabriel Sr. watched the screen for a moment—he didn’t understand these human sports; he just didn’t see anything entertaining about running around a field, chasing some sort of ball. “So the ladies have gone shopping for this little dance of yours, which I still think is a bad idea.” He said as he lowered himself into the armchair a few feet away from the couch.

  A smile spread across Aiden’s face, and he looped one arm around the shoulders of both Gabe and Eli. “You hear that, boys? You know what that means, don’t you?” They both gave him worried looks. “BOY’S NIGHT!!!” Aiden cheered, jumping to his feet. “Grab your coats, guys, and meet me at the car in five. We’re going to go do something crazy!”

  Eli and Gabe exchanged panicked looks as Aiden bolted from the room, the two turning to Gabriel Sr. for help. He waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, go on. It’s Aiden, the only crazy things he’s done have been vehicle or food-related.” Instead of assuaging their nerves, the statement only alarmed them further.

  “Let’s GO!!” Aiden called from the hall. With one last look at one another, the teenagers left the room, wondering what on earth awaited them.

  * * *

  “This is your idea of crazy?” Gabe snorted as they entered the big formalwear boutique.

  “This might be the complete opposite of crazy.” Elijah said, trying not to laugh.

  “We have to look good, guys. Don’t want to embarrass your dates, do you?” Aiden frowned, looking past them.

  Fern came running over from the opposite side of the store, as best she could in a puffy, ill-fitting fuchsia dress. “Dad, why are you guys here?!”

  “We—“

  “You can’t come over to the girl’s side, okay?”

  “Why not, sweetie?” Aiden asked.

  “You can’t see our dresses until tomorrow night. It’s bad luck…probably?”

  Aiden blinked. “Alright…well, how about you text us when you settle on colours? Because I’ll tell you now, that shade does nothing for you, Ferny.”

  Fern rolled her eyes at her father’s advice. “Fine, we’ll text you, just don’t come over. I’ll see you back at the house. Bye Eli!!” She purred, blowing her fiancé a kiss before darting back to the fitting rooms.

  Aiden turned to the teenagers behind him “Well, boys…let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”

  * * *

  Gabe and Elijah walked through the rows upon rows of suits and tuxedos. Elijah pointed to a rack of baby-pink tuxes, walking over and picking one up “I dunno, Gabe.” He said as he held it at arm’s length in front of the other boy and squinted. “It’s totally your colour.”

  Gabe swatted the suit away. “If that’s the case, that powder-blue would really bring out the colour of your eyes.” He said, indicating the ruffle-shirted suit, complete with matching bowtie.

  Elijah laughed as he reached into his pocket “Hang on, I just got a text…” he looked at his phone, tapping the screen. “Fern says that she’s wearing green, cool. And she says to tell you Abby’s going for gold and cream.” He grinned at Gabe “Well, that’ll be easy to match. Classic black for you.”

  “Green, hmmm? Maybe they have that blue one in green as well, want me to go check?” Gabe asked, chuckling.

  “No! Anyway, we’d better get back to the dressing room. Aiden’s going to explode if we keep him waiting any longer.”

  Gabe nodded, following Elijah across the showroom, pointing out weird suits along the way.

  Aiden was peeking out from the curtains of his stall as they approached “Oh good, you’re back! Finally!”

  Gabe rolled his eyes—Aiden was way too into this shopping thing. “Fine, show us what you’ve got, Aiden.”

  Sweeping the curtain aside, Aiden stepped out of the stall. Gabe and Elijah tried to contain their laughter, with great difficulty. Aiden was wearing a black tuxedo with long triangular tails that fell down to the backs of his knees, and he had chosen to complete the outfit with a tall tophat and a faux-jewel tipped cane.

  Elijah noticed the suit shimmering as Aiden walked and burst out laughing. “That is so wrong!!”

  Aiden looked disappointed “Really? I thought it made me look rather debonair…”

  Gabe laughed “Rejected, Aiden! Farrah would kill you if you wore that!”

  Sniffing haughtily, Aiden stomped back into the dressing room, muttering about children with no sense of fashion.

  Eli wiped his eyes with the back of his hand “Ahaha, what was he thinking?”

  Gabe wasn’t paying attention. “Cream and gold, huh?” he murmured, mulling over an idea. Something he had seen at the front of the store would look great with that, or at least he hoped it would. If it did, it would make Abby Shepard’s night tomorrow that much more special.

  Chapter 44

  The next evening, four men stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for their dates. The women were upstairs, handling any last-minute primping. After spending the afternoon at a luxury spa, courtesy of Gabriel Sr.’s platinum card, though, they hardly needed more time.

  Serena appeared first, wearing a knee-length cocktail dress, all delicate black lace with a silky white backing. Her dark blond hair was swept up into a stylish bun, showcasing the single string of perfect white pearls and matching earrings she wore. Her husband stepped forward to meet her, bending low and whispering in her ear. “You look absolutely stunning.”

  She smiled and took his outstretched arm, noticing the pearl cufflinks he wore on his black tuxedo. “You don’t look too bad yourself, Mr. Ward.”

  Farrah walked down the stairs next, picking her way down the steps carefully in her white stilettos. Aiden’s jaw dropped at the sight of her. His wife wore a blue floor-length gown that hugged her feminine curves, the skirt flowing behind her on either side from the knee-high diagonal slit. The lights sparkled off of the sporadic crystal beading that ran the length of the dress, and also off of the chunky diamond necklace around her neck, a stunning piece that wasn’t detracted by her loose, long curls.

  It was Aiden’s turn to step forward and take his mate’s hand. “Actually, I have something for you, my love.” He pulled a small black box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a delicate diamond bracelet. “They aren’t half as radiant as you are, but I hope you’ll like them.”

  Farrah grinned, her eyes shining as she pulled Aiden in by his matching blue silk tie. “Silly man.” She giggled, kissing him.

  They moved out of the way as Fern and Abby appeared together at the top of the stairs. Elijah and Gabe both took a silent step forward, eyes locked on the two girls. Fern nudged Abby and began descending the stairs, the flowing skirt of her gradient green halter dress gliding softly over the steps. Her long blond hair was set in an elaborate up-do, a tiny silver tiara perched on top of her curls.

  Abby trailed slightly after her, blushing and looking down when her eyes met Gabe’s. Her ball-gown made her look as if she had just stepped out of a fairytale, a strapless, delicately beaded light-gold bodice leading down to a fluffy tulle and crinoline skirt that fanned out around her.

  Elijah took Fern off to the side with a beaming smile, and Gabe stepped forward as his princess descended to the final stair. Gabe bowed low at the waist, taking her hand in his and bringing it up to his lips, kissing it softly. “You’re absolutely gorgeous, Ms. Shepard.” He said, gazing up at her adoringly.

  Abby blushed a deeper shade of pink. “I didn’t get you a corsage, but I think this is better.” He said, straightening up and holding his palms flat, revealing the choker he held in his hands. He walked behind her and placed the necklace against her throat, the white silk ribbon and stormy blue-grey rose completing her ensemble. He clasped it in plac
e carefully to avoid mussing her elaborately styled hair, then walked back around, taking her arm.

  “Thank you,” Abby whispered, finally finding her voice. “Thank you for everything.”

  He pulled her a bit closer to him as they walked. “My pleasure.”

  * * *

  There were two limousines waiting in the driveway, the chauffeurs and an older couple standing beside them. Abby turned to Gabe “Who are they?” she asked, nodding at the elderly man and woman. At least, she thought they were elderly. They seemed less old and more timeless, like they hadn’t aged in a very, very long time. She shook her head—that was ridiculous.

  “Friends of the family. Very old friends. According to our esteemed Walkley Academy principal, a dance can never have too many chaperones.” He said, walking arm in arm with her to the limos. He introduced her to the man and woman. “Abby, this is Rivkah and her partner, Malakh.”

  Abby shook their hands, taking in the handsome couple. They both had silvery gray hair, Rivkah’s pulled back into a soft chignon, Malakh’s shorter and slicked back, away from his face. Rivkah gave Abby a warm, friendly smile, while Malakh’s expression remained neutral.

  His silvery eyes seemed to see through her, past her, into her…Abby shivered involuntarily. Something about the man frightened her—he just seemed like someone she should avoid at all costs, though he wasn’t physically threatening. Still, her senses warned, stay away from him.

  Taking a step back, Abby hid behind Gabe, who glanced from her to Malakh. She saw Gabe give the man a steely glare. Malakh looked away, turning to talk with Farrah and Gabriel Sr.

  Serena clapped her hands together. “Time for photos, everyone! Gather together, now.” She called, gesturing wide with the arm that wasn’t holding the camera. “Just a few pictures, gang, and then we’ll get this party started!” She grinned, snapping away. Hundreds of photos later the group split up, adults in one car, and teenagers in the other, finally on their way to the night that none of them would ever be able to forget.