The Wardens Boxed Set

by Heather D Glidewell

  “Did you hear that, Mom?” I asked, looking down at Adam.

  His eyes were still closed but I was wondering how much of the conversation he had just heard. Not that we had divulged too much information or anything, but it would have been a rather strange bit of dialogue to overhear.

  “Yeah...” she said slowly. I had a feeling she was thinking the same thing. “Alright, you get some rest and I will see you in the morning.”

  “I will, Mom. Love you.”

  I hung up. Adam sat up and looked at me with sleepy eyes.

  “Shorts are in the top drawer, t-shirts in the second drawer. Get out of those wet clothes.” He smiled. “I’ll take the left side of the bed and you can take the right. My dad is out of town for the week so he won’t freak out.”

  I got up and crossed the room, found a pair of shorts and a shirt and walked to the bathroom, where I peeled off my wet clothes and threw on the nice dry ones. They smelled of Adam. That alone was quite comforting. I padded back to his room, leaving my wet clothes in the tub to dry out overnight. He was already on his side of the bed under his fluffy comforter. I walked around to the right side and sat down before throwing my legs up and relishing the warmth.

  “I’m not going to pry into what happened tonight,” he muttered as he rolled over and looked at me, his brown eyes glinting. “I have a feeling it is something that I don’t need to know. I’m just glad to know that you are okay.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered, giving him a warm smile.

  “You’re really pretty when you take all that black shit off your eyes,” he said as he stifled a yawn.

  I laughed softly and rolled onto my side to face the wall. I felt him move and his arm came around my waist, pulling me close.

  “You’re quite the charmer when you are half-asleep,” I said, touching his arm.

  “Get some sleep, Weathers. We have to be up early in order to get you to your house so you can get ready for school.”

  “I could just wear some of your clothes,” I said, enjoying the feeling of him close to me.

  “I will make sure to lay out my Jesus Loves Me t-shirt for you in the morning.” He yawned again, right in my ear.

  “Good night, Adam.”

  “Good night, Dawn.”

  I slept better than I had in a long time. It was almost as nice as those first nights with Wesley. I felt warm and cared for, like nothing could hurt me. Not a single nightmare penetrated my thoughts that night. I just reveled in the fact that I was in the arms of someone I cared about.

  ***

  “It’s time to get up!” Adam’s voice penetrated my mind, drawing me out of my sleep.

  “I’m up! I’m up!” I said, rolling over and looking up at him. He was holding a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.

  “I called your mother and told her that I would bring you home after school. I couldn’t get you up so I had no other option.” He waved the clothes in my face. “They may be a little big but they will get you through the day.”

  “Thanks,” I said, sitting up and taking the outfit from him.

  “Now, hurry up. I have breakfast on the table. We have twenty minutes till we have to be out the door.” He left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  I got up and dressed as fast as I could. The pants were quite a bit longer than I anticipated so I had to roll them up several times in order not to step on the fabric. It looked a little goofy but I was in no position to complain. I threw on the t-shirt and sighed with relief. At least something of his fit me. I brushed my hair with my fingers and went downstairs. The smell of pancakes was making my stomach rumble.

  “I put your damp clothes in the wash before they started to smell. Your shoes and a pair of dry socks are by the door,” Adam told me as I entered the kitchen.

  “Did you do all of this?” I asked, looking down at the table.

  “I got up early,” he said, stuffing pancake into his mouth.

  “You didn’t have to,” I mumbled, taking a seat next to him.

  “I know. I wanted to.” He glanced at me as I started eating. “It was nice having you here last night. Even if you did wind up on my doorstep at three in the morning, soaked to the bone.”

  “What did I do to deserve you?” I said, honestly, as our eyes met.

  “Looked alone in choir,” he said plain and simple. “Now eat up. I put a new toothbrush in the bathroom for you.”

  After we had finished eating I rushed through brushing my teeth and completing the usual morning routine. When I looked in the mirror, however, I saw I had missed something vital. And now it was too late to do anything about it. After several months of remaining dark brown, my eyes had turned a brilliant blue.

  “No, no!” I gasped, rubbing them furiously. No matter what I did, the color would not change.

  “Time to go,” Adam called, banging on the door.

  “Slight problem,” I said, throwing the door open and staring at him.

  “What? Your eyes, you mean? They’ve been that color since you walked through the door last night. Trust you to leave your house without your contacts.”

  “Oh, yes. Trust me,” I said quietly.

  “Never mind. I doubt anyone will notice anyway,” he said, handing me a jacket.

  ***

  Walking through the doors of the school I felt odd and out of place. I wasn’t sure where the feeling came from. Maybe it was the fact that I felt exposed, vulnerable. I knew I didn’t look like myself without my usual black outfit on. I looked just like a normal girl. I was standing at my locker when a pair of familiar arms locked around my waist.

  “Hey.”

  A set of lips found their way to my cheek and I turned around to face Aaron.

  “Hey, yourself,” I said, praying he didn’t notice my eyes.

  “What’s going on with the wardrobe?” he asked, looking down at what I was wearing.

  “I slept at Adam’s last night,” I explained.

  He looked startled.

  “Don’t worry. It was nothing like that, Aaron!”

  He shook his head and the look of suspicion on his face vanished. “What happened? Did you and your mom have a fight?”

  “No, nothing like that. I can’t really explain it, but I wound up in front of his house during that downpour last night. I’m not sure, really, how I got there.” Well, at least I was answering him truthfully. I really didn’t have a clue how I had wound up there. One second I had been in Helen’s car, and the next in the castle. I couldn’t explain even to myself how I had then wound up at Adam’s at three in the morning.

  “Odd,” he said, holding me tighter. “I had a dream I was being stalked by vampires.” He laughed like it was ridiculous.

  My heart skipped a beat. Was she after Aaron now?

  “That sounds terrifying,” I said, trying not to sound like I was concerned.

  “It’s just a good thing vampires don’t exist.” He kissed my forehead playfully, then let me go. “See you at lunch?”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” I felt relief that he hadn’t noticed anything different about my eyes. Maybe he wasn’t as into me as he put on.

  When I got to my first period I paused by Noreen’s old desk and touched it lightly.

  “I hope you are at peace,” I whispered before carrying on to my own desk.

  Nobody had taken Wesley’s spot behind me yet, at least not until then. Now I saw his place was occupied by Shawn, the asshole from the previous afternoon.

  “We meet again, Dawn,” he sneered.

  “So I see,” I said flatly.

  “I take it you’ll pay more attention today. I don’t want to get any more bruises.” His tone was jokey, but I wasn’t sure if he was being nice or just toying with me.

  “I’ll do my best,” I mumbled as I took my seat.

  “They told me the boy that sat here ran off with some girl,” he wittered on. “Tragic story, teen love.”

 
“Yeah, tragic.” I felt suddenly flustered.

  “Did you know him?”

  He was playing with me. He had to be.

  “Yeah.” I had to fight the urge to turn on him.

  He leaned closer, so I could feel his breath on my neck. “Was he your boyfriend?”

  I lost it then. I turned on him with fire in my eyes and glared. He seemed pleased with the reaction he got from me. A smile played on his lips and he leaned back, putting his hands behind his head.

  “It’s no secret that he left me for another girl,” I snapped. “Any person in this school will tell you what happened if you’re so interested.” I wanted to burn him, but the fire wouldn’t come. Then the possibility occurred to me that he may be a Neutralizer and fear spread through me. The familiar prickle found its way into my fingertips.

  “You’re an odd one,” Shawn said, laughing. “So easy to rile up. Bet you wish you could turn me to ashes right now.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head. “We’re being watched, by the way.” He pointed toward the front of the class, where our teacher was staring at us.

  “Are you two done?” she asked.

  A chorus of snickers went round the class.

  “Yes, we’re done,” Shawn told her.

  “Good. Please keep all non-class related conversations to the hallway.” She shot a glare around the room and we all fell silent.

  ***

  Adam met me at my locker before choir like he had done every day for the last two months. There was an odd look on his face. I put my books on the shelves and turned to face him.

  “You okay?” I asked as his eyes found mine.

  “Yeah, just a little shook up, I suppose,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Why, what happened?”

  “You haven’t heard?”

  “No, people have stopped talking to me the last few weeks. You know, after the whole shooting incident.” I sighed. I didn’t think I would miss the attention.

  “They found another body.”

  “What? How do you know this?” I demanded, grabbing his arm.

  “My father called me during lunch. Said that there was another body found in the woods. They don’t know who it is as the face was mauled pretty badly.” He was scanning the hall, studying faces. I realized he was looking for who it could be.

  “Do they think it’s a student?” I questioned as I looped my arm through his and started leading him towards class.

  “I don’t know. My dad asked if I can stay with a friend till he gets back this weekend.” He seemed really shaken up.

  “I can ask my mom. Maybe she’ll be willing to have you stay with us for a few days.”

  He perked up a bit.

  “Thanks. Do you need my phone?”

  Of course, the only thing that might cause an issue was me having to explain to him why Helen was staying with us as well. I guess if I gave them enough notice my mother would think of a good story to tell him.

  “Yeah, since mine is safe and secure at home.” I tried to laugh but it came out more like a hoarse hack. “Did your dad say if there was any blood in the body?” I wasn’t sure if I should have asked that question as it seemed to shake him up even more.

  “All that he said was that it was similar to Noreen’s body. They just can’t identify who the person is.” He looked down at me as we entered the classroom. “Don’t say anything to anyone. There has to be a reason the news hasn’t been released yet.”

  ***

  “Hey, Mom, it’s me,” I said as soon as she picked up her phone.

  We were sitting in Adam’s SUV in the school parking lot. He was still shaken up over the news his father had told him and he seemed genuinely concerned.

  “You on your way home?” my mother asked, speaking quickly. “I can’t take these two! They keep asking me questions that I can’t answer. How am I supposed to know how to raise the dead? I wasn’t in charge of the resurrection!”

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” I answered quickly as Adam raised an eyebrow at me. “I’ll be home soon. I just have to run by Adam’s. I have a question for you.” I put my hand over the receiver and looked at him. “Can I tell her?”

  He nodded yes and looked out the windshield.

  “What’s going on?” my mother asked.

  “There was another body found.”

  I heard a gasp on the other end of the phone.

  “Oh, goodness. Who is it?”

  “No idea. Adam’s dad is out of town for the week. He wants Adam to stay with friends. Can he stay with us till his father gets home?”

  “Of course!” my mother exclaimed. “But what do you want to tell him about Nick and Helen?”

  I sighed into the phone. “Mom, maybe it’s time we fill him in on what’s going on.”

  “You want to tell him?” She sounded alarmed.

  “How else is it going to make any sense to him?” I asked, my heart pounding.

  “I’ll think about it. You say nothing unless it’s absolutely necessary,” she said sternly.

  I caved. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good, now get everything you two are going to need and get home before I lose my mind.”

  She hung up. I pulled the phone from my ear and looked at Adam. I knew he was waiting for my answer.

  “She said to get your stuff. You’re staying with us.”

  “Thank you.” He started the car and pulled out from the parking lot.

  “It’s no problem. Do you want to call your dad and let him know?” I asked, putting his phone in the cup holder.

  “I already told him,” he said softly.

  “You already told him?” I laughed.

  “Yeah, it was the first place he thought of that he would consider safe. Said your mother was the best person to be with, that she wouldn’t let anything happen to me.” He didn’t say anything else after that, just looked out the windshield until we got to his place.

  “Let’s do this quickly,” he said, getting out of the car.

  He headed for the front door but then stopped dead. I saw that the color had drained from his face.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, following his gaze. Then I saw it. His front door had been pried open and the window was shattered. “Oh, God!” I gasped.

  “Stay here,” he ordered, as he continued for the door.

  “Adam, don’t!” I grabbed his arm. “Let’s go. We can call the police from my house.” I tried to pull him away but he insisted on yanking me through the door with him.

  The house was a wreck. Everything had been gone through or mindlessly destroyed. Adam took a look around and then started up the stairs. I followed close behind, wishing that I could use my gifts to aid him. He opened his bedroom door and gasped. Everything was ripped apart. Nothing in his room was salvageable.

  “Okay, let’s go,” he said.

  We went back downstairs and back to his car. “I’ll call the police and my dad when we get to your place.”

  “Do you want me to drive?” I asked, putting my hands to his face.

  “No, I’m fine. Just want to get out of here.”

  I didn’t know what had caused his change of heart. Had he seen something that I didn’t? He clutched my hand the entire way to my house, not saying a word, just trying to breathe.

  Chapter Eleven: House Guest

  “Mom! Nick!” I didn’t care who answered me as long as someone did.

  “What is it, honey?” my mother asked as she came to the back door and saw Adam’s face. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  I got Adam sat down in the living room before answering.

  “We got to his house and it has been broken into. Everything’s a mess. We need to call the police,” I said as my mother felt Adam’s forehead.

  “He’s in shock. I’ll get the phone.”

  She left the room only to return a moment later with the house phone to her ear. When it w
as answered she handed it to me.

  “Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”

  “I need someone to go to 600 North Oak. The house has been broken into. The place is a disaster,” I said shortly, trying to keep my composure.

  “Are you at the residence?” the operator asked.

  “No, we’re somewhere else. It’s my friend’s house, but he’s unable to speak right now.”

  “Do we need to dispatch an ambulance? Is he hurt?” I knew these were routine questions but all I wanted was for her to say she was sending an officer to Adam’s house.

  “No, he’s just in shock. Can an officer go to the house and check it out?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Will someone be there?”

  “No, the place is empty. My friend’s father is out of town at the moment.”

  The questions continued for another ten minutes until the operator finally said that an officer was on his way. I hung up and looked at my mother.

  “Do you want to talk to his dad or do you want me to?”

  “I’ll take care of that. Do you know the number?”

  “It’s in his phone,” I said, looking at Adam.

  Adam handed me his cell without saying anything. I passed it to my mother and she walked off to the other room.

  “What just happened?” Adam asked me after my mother had left the room.

  “The police are going to go check out your house,” I told him, taking his hand in mine.

  “Oh, okay.” He nodded.

  “It’s going to be alright,” I reassured him.

  “Yeah...” He squeezed my hand. “Did you see it?” He suddenly blurted out.

  “See what?”

  “The blood on the floor.” He transferred his gaze to the wall. “So much blood.”

  I had missed something! And it was vital to the reason for the break-in. Where had it come from? His father hadn’t been there, and Adam had been with me, so it had to belong to someone else. My fingers tingled. Something wasn’t right. I pulled Adam to me, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. Then a familiar voice sounded from the door and I jumped at the unease that flooded through me.

  “I just heard,” said Helen. “Adam, are you okay?”