Guardians (Seers Trilogy Book 3)

by Heather Frost

  My words were spoken in an exhale. “They asked me to push them on the swings. They asked for my help . . .”

  Patrick’s eyes altered—transformed. His arm gradually fell, lowering the gun until it was pointed at the barn floor. He flexed his fingers around the knife he still held. He wasn’t going to kill me.

  My eyes met his cautiously. “Why?” I whispered.

  The lump in his throat visibly bobbed. “I’ve never let your stupidity stop me from caring about you before.” A single shoulder lifted in a half shrug. “Why should I start now?”

  Twenty-Two

  Sean O’Donnell

  I was wrapping a towel—a makeshift splint—around Jenna’s arm as delicately as possible. It would have to do until her grandmother could return and take her to the hospital. We were gathered in the kitchen of the small farmhouse. Patrick and Jack were covering up a bullet hole with a picture of a lake, and Maddy, a young Seer, was watching me closely, with a healthy amount of distrust. She had a headache, and it had saved her life—if Yuri had found her, he would have shot her like he’d shot Jack. Only she wouldn’t have survived.

  “Lilly won’t notice,” Jack was saying confidently, tapping a finger against the picture frame. “She’s going blind, and she’s got plenty of other wall space.”

  Patrick just nodded. Yuri’s bullet had ripped through his side, but he’d healed fully, though he’d had to explain a few things to Kate’s sisters.

  I stopped watching my brother and turned back to focus on Jenna’s arm. Josie was sitting on the other side of the table, shaking her head, fingering the bruising around her throat subconsciously. “Wow. I mean, wow. Why didn’t anyone tell us about this stuff? Patrick, you can go invisible? Seriously? But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why can you go invisible?”

  Jenna huffed loudly. I froze, thinking I’d hurt her, but she was addressing her sister. “Because he’s a guardian angel, remember? He told us! He’s got superpowers.” She twisted her head around so she could look at Patrick. “Even if you got a paper cut, would that heal?”

  I had to hand it to Patrick. He’d told the twins just enough of the truth to satisfy them. They didn’t know about Seers, which meant they didn’t know about Kate. They didn’t know about Demons. They just thought Yuri was a burglar who’d decided to target the farm. They had no idea their sister was in a hostage situation. They had no idea they themselves were targets. They hadn’t seen me do anything too malicious, so they trusted me. Jack had, of course, sustained injuries, so they knew he was like Patrick too.

  “This is so cool!” Josie grinned. “So are you guys really angels? Like, heaven and stuff?”

  “Does Kate know you’re immortal, Patrick?” Jenna asked seriously.

  He nodded once, but his eyes flickered to me. I knew that once the immediate damage was taken care of here, I was going to be questioned. I would have told him everything now, if the twins hadn’t been present. But it was obvious Patrick didn’t want them knowing too much.

  “Yes,” Patrick was answering Jenna even as he stepped closer to Josie. “She knows.” For perhaps the fifth time in the past ten minutes he touched her chin, prompting her to tip her head back so he could reassess the damage Yuri’s crushing grip had inflicted around her throat.

  “But you can’t be telling everybody,” Jack warned them suddenly. “Or we’re all going to get in trouble.”

  “What about Grandma?” Jenna asked.

  “She knows—but you can only talk to her about it when other people aren’t around.”

  They nodded again, accepting the terms.

  Josie squirmed back from Patrick. “I’m okay,” she protested, knocking his hand away with her own. “What are you going to do with that body? Bury it behind the barn?”

  “Of course not!” Jenna answered her sister, aghast. “They’ll take him to the police. Right?” She looked to me for some reason.

  I merely nodded.

  Patrick cleared his throat. “Sean, are you almost done? We need to talk.”

  “Yes. Almost.”

  Josie was looking between us, as if really seeing us for the first time. Her tone was almost accusing. “Hey, your eyes are the exact same! Are you related? Patrick, is he your older brother?”

  Patrick once again glanced at me, but I intended to let him handle that question. He’d done a great job so far.

  Patrick focused back on Josie. “Sean is . . . my younger brother.”

  “Really?” Understanding lightened Josie’s expression. “Oh, because he died after you, so he’d be older. Cool.” She seemed completely unaffected by the abnormal qualities of this conversation.

  I finished with Jenna’s arm, complementing the temporary splint with a makeshift sling around her neck. She smiled at me, though she still looked a little pale. Luckily the ibuprofen was beginning to kick in, so her pain would be minimized. “Thanks, Sean. Are you . . . ?” She hesitated, as if embarrassed to ask her question. “Are you my guardian angel?”

  I blinked, taken aback by the question. I could feel Patrick’s gaze, heavy on my face. I knew everyone was listening, waiting. But even though her question was unexpected, my mouth was already moving to form the answer.

  “Yes, I am.”

  Patrick’s hand pressed against the table, breaking into the timid conversation. “Jenna, you should wash your face. Josie, could you help her? Your grandmother will be back any minute, and we don’t want to unnecessarily alarm her or Lilly. They turned around when they heard about your arm, so they should be here soon.”

  “But we can’t tell them about the burglar?” Josie clarified.

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “You want to give Lilly a heart attack? Come on, Josie—be brave.”

  “I am brave . . .”

  Their voices drifted from the room as they moved to go upstairs. I remained sitting, letting Patrick, Maddy, and Jack sit on the other side of the table. I tried not to squirm under their stares.

  “Sean,” Patrick said seriously, his voice low. “What’s going on? Tell me everything.”

  For a short moment I feared my mouth was stuck; that I wouldn’t be able to get the words out. They were hard to form, now that I could feel my emotions.

  I began to speak, pushing the guilt aside as I attempted to tell them everything.

  Patrick looked sick by the time I’d finished. “Lee’s dead?” he breathed, disbelieving.

  I nodded once, unable to ignore the stab of regret I felt.

  Jack shook his head. “How many are at the warehouse?”

  I thought briefly. “Counting the Demon Lord, there are only six. We didn’t need any more. There’s also a Seer of Selena’s; he was our informant. But he won’t be hard to deal with.”

  “Informant? What’s his name?” It was as if my brother already knew the answer; he was just seeking confirmation.

  “Peter. Peter Keegan.”

  Patrick’s eyes darkened.

  Jack rapped his knuckles on the table, deliberating. “So they’re waiting there, for your word. What will they do if you don’t call soon?”

  “The Demon Lord is impatient. They won’t wait long. They’ll kill who they can and then leave. They’ll be expecting my call any minute now.”

  “But Kate is still alive?” Patrick asked again.

  I nodded, confident. “She’ll be one of the last to go, I’m certain of it. The Demon Lord will find it poetically justifying if she’s the last to be killed. He probably wants her to see her sisters in captivity.”

  “So what do we do now?” Maddy asked grimly.

  “We have to move quickly,” Jack reasoned. “There isn’t time to call for reinforcements. We can call Terence, let him know what’s happened, but we’re not going to get much help from the Guardians. I could ask Jason to meet us at the warehouse, but it would be suicide. We already have too many mortal people in the situation as it is.”

  “We need a plan,” Patrick mumbled, almost to himself.

  “Getting inside the
warehouse will be impossible,” Jack said. “They’ll know we’re coming.” Patrick shot him a piercing look, and Jack continued quickly. “I’m not saying we abandon them, obviously. But if the Demon Lord brought so few, they must be exceptional fighters.” He sighed. “If only we could get to Toni and Claire—free them. Then we’d have a fighting chance at getting the Seers out alive.”

  “How can we get that close?” Patrick muttered.

  I hardly knew my own words because my voice sounded so different from this morning. So level-headed. “I can call him. Tell him I have the twins. That you’ve surrendered. I can bring you upstairs, tell him Yuri is in the car with the girls. He wouldn’t suspect anything. That would get you into the room with them.”

  Patrick was nodding, acutely aware that time was short and options were limited.

  Jack looked uneasy. He spoke to the others, though he wasn’t really trying to keep his words from me. “Can we trust him? The Demon Lord’s right hand?”

  They waited for Patrick. His eyes were on mine. “He saved the twins. ” He glanced around at the others. “He’s my only way to Kate.”

  It wasn’t the most inspiring expression of trust. I was his only way in, so he would have to trust me. Logically, I knew I had to earn his trust. And I had a long way to go.

  Maddy frowned. “What about me? I’m coming, right?”

  “No.”

  She looked to Patrick, her eyes flashing. He continued firmly. “I know you want to help Claire, but this is too dangerous. Jack’s right—this is no place for mortals. Besides, someone needs to stay with the twins. I need you here, Maddy.”

  Jack faced me for the first time. “Look, no offense, but . . . Honestly, how do we know we can trust you?”

  I wasn’t offended. After all, he had good reason to be wary. I was almost glad he was wary—one of them should be. What if they couldn’t trust me? What if—when I got back with my master—I reverted to my old thoughts? What if whatever had driven me to save the twins was fading already?

  Henry Bennett had assured me the choice had been mine. And maybe that’s what frightened me the most. It was now up to me. Every second of every day, I was going to have to choose. My redemption could only come through my actions.

  Jack was still waiting for some kind of answer, some assurance I was no longer an enemy. I wasn’t sure what to tell him. How could I convince him when I wasn’t even totally sure of myself?

  Patrick spoke quietly, his words sure. “He won’t betray us, Jack.”

  Jack and I both looked at him.

  Patrick’s eyes were on mine. “I do trust you, Sean.”

  I wasn’t sure I wanted that responsibility. Yet . . . it felt good. I didn’t want to disappoint him. I swallowed and pulled out my phone.

  I had a call to make, whether my newfound conscience was ready to face my personal demons or not.

  I dialed. My old master’s voice filled my ear. “Yes?”

  “It’s done,” I said, staring at the table, avoiding the hard eyes on me. “We have the twins and O’Donnell. We’re returning now.”

  “Good.” The Demon Lord sounded pleased. “And he surrendered?”

  “Yes. As well as another Guardian and a Seer.” I could see Jack’s body tensing at my words—my heart pounded in response.

  “Excellent. Bring them all. We’ll be ready to go when you get back. Thank you, Far Darrig.”

  I waited until I heard him hang up before disconnecting. I met Patrick’s stare. “He’ll be waiting. We need to go.”

  Jack blew out his breath. “Not much of a conversationalist, huh?”

  “Not with me,” I said.

  “Kate?” The words seemed to slip out of my brother of their own accord. His whole expression was edged with desperation. “Did he say anything about Kate?”

  I shook my head but spoke before his forehead could wrinkle too severely. “It’s a good thing he didn’t mention her, Patrick.” Hope sparked in his eyes, though he still didn’t look convinced. “If he had,” I continued, “it would only be because she’s dead.”

  His jaw flexed tightly. He stood. “Time to go. They’re all waiting for us.”

  Jack stood as well, offering to call Charlotte Bennett to let her know that by the time she returned, he and Patrick would be gone. I moved to take Yuri’s body to the SUV, and Patrick followed me without a word, as if guessing my thoughts. Or perhaps he just wanted to keep me in sight.

  I frowned but pushed the back door open, hooking my fingers around the edge so it wouldn’t swing back on Patrick as he exited behind me. I wondered—transiently—if I should tell him about Henry Bennett’s voice, if that would help him trust me. Even as I thought it, I knew I wouldn’t. Maybe someday I could tell him about the incident, but the time didn’t feel right.

  Feeling. Something I hadn’t done for so, so long. I almost wondered, for the briefest of moments, if regaining my humanity was worth the worry, fear, and pain.

  Twenty-Three

  Patrick O’Donnell

  My brother’s gaze was fixed on the highway. Now that we were off dirt roads we were making better time. Still, nowhere near fast enough.

  She was alive. She had to be. Sean said she would be. I had to believe she would be.

  In the backseat, Jack was on the phone with Terence, updating him on the situation. I glanced fleetingly toward Sean. He hadn’t said a word since we’d climbed into the SUV, and his silence was adding to my growing nervousness. Between the panic and fear I felt for Kate and the hope and confusion I felt for my brother’s sudden transformation, I was fast dissolving into a frantic, fidgeting mess. Since I couldn’t do anything for Kate at the moment, I tried to focus on the man seated beside me.

  When I’d first come face-to-face with my brother after thinking he’d been dead for the past two hundred years, I hadn’t been able to find a trace of humanity in him. There wasn’t a shred of Sean’s personality inside the Demon called Fear Dearg. But today, as I’d watched him wrap Jenna’s arm, as I’d looked into his eyes when I could have ended his life, I’d seen my brother.

  Sean was alive. I was sure of it now. This man was a hardened version of Sean—one who had gone through terrible hardship and lived in so much evil he would never be the carefree brother I used to know. But the light had returned to his eyes. He was no longer the empty body of Fear Dearg. He was my brother. He’d had the opportunity to shoot me; I’d seen the gun. He could have stopped me. He could have hurt the twins—he’d played with them instead, defended them. He could have completed his mission, but instead he’d saved us all from another Demon.

  If these actions didn’t merit trust, I didn’t know what should.

  Thinking of my father’s letter, I marveled at his wisdom. You cannot hate what you love. The truth of that eternal statement was now clear to me. I loved Sean. I could hate his actions. I could hate everything he’d done. But I could never hate him.

  The twins were certainly taken with him. Especially Jenna. When she’d called him her guardian angel, my brother looked more than a little overwhelmed, but his eyes had brightened. That small interaction alone had me confident he could be trusted. Though I wasn’t sure how, a little girl had managed to enter his heart and change it. She would never know how grateful I would always be.

  But what had started him on this path to change? What had triggered it?

  Jack was still on the phone behind us. I cleared my throat; Sean tensed in response. I kept my gaze focused out the windshield.

  “So,” I began slowly, unsure. “What changed your mind?”

  “Hmm?” Sean pretended to be more absorbed in driving than he actually was. I knew, because a muscle in his jaw ticked—a nervous reaction he’d had for as long as I could remember.

  Somehow, knowing he was nervous as well made this easier. “In Vegas, you were . . .”

  “Consumed with hate,” Sean supplied when my words drifted. He shifted behind the wheel, fingers curling tightly, but he didn’t elaborate.

 
“So what happened?” I prompted quietly. “How could you . . . change so much?”

  Sean’s eyes flickered toward me. He pursed his lips, then took a deep breath. “After Vegas, I . . . I was plagued by thoughts. Memories of you and home, mostly.”

  “Plagued?”

  “Perhaps not the best word.” He frowned. “I tried to push them away. But I couldn’t. I tried to focus on how much I hated you . . . But it didn’t work. Not for long, anyway. And then, today . . .” He swallowed hard. “When Avalos killed that girl, Lee . . . I felt something I haven’t for a long time. Guilt. Regret. A lethal combination. And when I was ordered to go, Kate, she . . .”

  I realized my hands were shaking. I tried to steady them by rolling them to fists.

  Sean must have caught my reaction to hearing her name. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t—”

  “No. Please, I . . . I want to know what happened.”

  “My master . . . the Demon Lord, he ordered me to go, to get the twins. On my way out, Kate begged me not to go. She said she’d been to see Father.”

  I nodded, trying—and failing—not to imagine Kate’s distress and grief at that moment. “Yes. She did. I had her deliver a letter. He sent one in return. When all this is over, I’ll show you.”

  He sighed. “Patrick, I don’t know if I can do this. Be forgiven. I’ve done some . . . unspeakable things.”

  “We’ll figure this out,” I insisted firmly. “Together.”

  My brother bit his lower lip. “He would have mentioned if he’d killed Kate—over the phone. She’s alive.” He exhaled sharply. “She has to be.”

  Not the most encouraging thing he’d ever said to me. Not the most threatening, either. Still, my reflexes had me reacting, grabbing his arm without thinking, my whole body going hard with fear. “Do you know something you’re not telling me? Is Kate all right?”

  But Sean just shook his head. “I don’t know. But we’ll be there soon. Another twenty minutes.”

  I swallowed with difficulty, forcing my fingers to uncurl and release my brother. I settled back against my seat and turned to look out at the rapidly passing landscape.