Smoke & Ash (Wardens Series Book 2)

by Heather D Glidewell

  “I understand you’re scared, Mom. Wesley ran off with Miranda. Now they’re hiding Aaron from me, and you won’t tell me where Adam is. I have made a pact with Aaron to make sure that he is okay. If he dies, his soul becomes a part of me. I can’t lose them, none of them! You suggest leaving because you don’t want to lose me, but I can’t lose them.”

  “We’ll go to Nick and Helen then,” my mother decided. “We get Adam and his father, and we go to them.”

  “I thought you told me you couldn’t go back there because you’d be recognized?” I said, recalling our conversation several months previously.

  “It’s a risk I have to take,” she said. “It’s the only way that we can fix this. We need Krista; you need her power.” My mother stood up again and crossed the living room. “Pack enough clothes to last you a few weeks. I’ll call the school to tell them we have a death in the family and that we’re heading out of state. Maybe with you out of Midvale the killing will stop.”

  “You think this will work?” I asked as she headed for her room.

  “I don’t know. Shawn can come back during the week and check on things. He can bring us anything that we need.” She touched my face. “We have to move fast. I’ll call your father and tell him to meet us there.”

  I ran to my room and grabbed a suitcase and backpack from the back of my closet, absentmindedly throwing clothing into them and making sure that I had all my essentials.

  Where had they taken Aaron? What had them so spooked?

  I grabbed an old phone from a box on one of the shelves in the back of my dresser and threw it into one of the bags. I would have to set it up when we were on the road.

  I dragged my suitcase and my backpack out of my room and waited by the door. My mother came out with her rolling bag and a large purse. She was talking on the phone.

  “Thank you, Mr. Gibson. Yes, I will make sure that she answers all emails while we are away. Again, thank you for allowing her to do her work while we are gone.” She laughed into the phone. “Yes, I will make sure of that. Again, thank you. Goodbye.” She put the phone away and looked at me.

  “You ready for this?” she asked.

  I didn’t know if this were the last time we would see this house or not, but it felt bittersweet as we piled everything into the back of my mother’s Escalade and set off; leaving this part of Missouri behind.

  ****

  We were about an hour outside Midvale when my mother took a right turn. She followed a long dirt road to an old farmhouse hidden in the trees. When she pulled up, she looked at me.

  “The old crone who lived here was a friend of your father’s. She left the house to him in her will when she passed a hundred years ago. This is where we ran to after the incident with John. You were born in this house.” She looked at it fondly then back at me. “We are protected here. The descendants of the woman make sure that the protection spells are renewed every few years. The only people who can see it are them and us.”

  “Nice back story. Is Adam here?” I asked curtly.

  “Yes, inside. We’ll stay here for the night and head out at first break of light. It’s best if we stay inside the protection during the night. I’ll contact Edmund to find out if he has found out anything on Aaron’s location.”

  She got out of the car and walked to the front door. I sat for a moment just looking around while she knocked. Why did she bother knocking if this was our house? I got the feeling my parents were harboring more secrets than they had shared with me. I was tired of all the secrecy. I wanted answers. All I could do was pray that sooner or later someone would give them to me. The constant search for what I was, or who I was turning out to be, was proving a bit much for me to handle.

  I saw Adam first when the door opened. In a flash, I was out of the passenger side and racing towards him. His eyes caught mine and he smiled as he wrapped his arms around me.

  “Oh, thank God you’re okay,” he said into my shoulder as he held onto me.

  “Me? I’m just grateful that you’re okay,” I replied, fighting the tears that were forming in my eyes.

  “Yes, your mother told us what was going on,” he explained. “Well, she told me. My dad sort of sat there, staring at her like she had lost her mind. I don’t think he believes it still, even after I explained everything to him three times.”

  “It’s a lot to take in,” I admitted as we walked inside.

  “Your mom says we are protected here, that nobody knows about this place. It’s quite interesting,” he said as I caught my first glimpse of the inside of the house.

  It was just like I had thought it would be. The living room was rustic, with old furniture and a small TV on an old stand. The floor was hardwood, and even though I knew it was over a hundred years old, was still in perfect condition. The house looked like it had been frozen in time. There were no signs of deterioration anywhere. I found the kitchen, where my mother had gone to use her phone. I didn’t care who she was talking to. I was too busy exploring.

  “There are five bedrooms,” Adam said as he followed me around. “The amazing thing about that is last night there were only four.”

  “This house is magic,” I said softly.

  I couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. It was the only explanation that I could give. The house apparently grew to accommodate the number of people occupying it.

  Adam laughed. “You weren’t kidding when you said that everything I never thought was real existed.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” I assured him. “You mightn’t believe it, but up until this year, I thought I was the only thing that was… unnatural. I didn’t think the supernatural existed, that only the biblical was real.” I looked at him. “Seriously, I am so happy you’re safe.”

  “Your mom said you had a run-in with one of the guys,” he ventured as we went upstairs.

  “Yeah...” I confirmed reluctantly.

  “How did you get away? When he first showed up, we were pretty much pinned to the wall till your mom and dad came in.”

  “I used this,” I said, letting a flame levitate from my hand.

  Adam stared at my hand. “Wow! That’s amazing.” He sounded like a little kid shown a new toy.

  “What did your dad do about school?” I asked as we came to a door and opened it. The room was small but would do for the night. I walked in and tested the mattress on the day bed it contained. It felt comfortable enough.

  “He told them I came down with a case of mono. I can’t go to school for a few weeks because of it, so they’re going to let me do my classes by correspondence.” He sat down next to me. “What about your mom?”

  “Sick family member on their deathbed. We’re going to take care of them until they pass and be back after the funeral. I don’t know how she got away with it. Then again, she has ways of getting her way all the time.” I frowned at him. “They moved Aaron.”

  “Your brother told us that this afternoon. Said nobody knows where they are.” He put his arm around me. “I’m sorry I got so mad with you.”

  “That’s okay. I just wish I knew what you were so mad about.”

  “It was the two of you. Don’t think for one second I don’t know what happened Saturday night.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure everyone figured that out.”

  “You’re better than that,” he said, giving me that paternal look.

  “Better than what?”

  “Sleeping with a guy to make him happy. Aaron would have loved you whether or not you did that.” He made a motion with his hands that I didn’t understand, and I looked at him blankly.

  “You… wait… you were mad at me because you think I slept with him to make him like me?” I gave a short laugh.

  “No?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. There was an awkward silence, then he coughed and changed the subject. “So, when did your mom say she wanted to head out?”

  “She said we’re only staying for the night and heading out at
first light. I don’t know how far we have to go. I’m scared,” I added, resting my head on his shoulder.

  “What is there to be scared of?” he asked as he put his arm around me in the way that calmed me.

  “I don’t know how to raise the dead. Or how to create a fire of protection.” I sighed. “What if I fail? What if we raise the wrong body? What if she comes back a zombie?” I muttered.

  “I’m sure these are legitimate questions, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He laughed. “I mean, I know what you’re talking about, but then again I don’t. Do zombies even exist?”

  “I don’t know. Never met one.” I chuckled.

  “Well, if you don’t know then I sure as hell don’t.” He winked at me.

  “Do you think it’s going to change anything?” I asked him, the smile on my face fading.

  “I think that you will change the world. I know you have opened my eyes to the terrors of the night. I’ve seen demons and angels, vampires… even a magical house. Everything that I ever wished to happen in my life has,” he said, squeezing me.

  “Dawn? Adam?” called my mother. “Come downstairs, please. We need to discuss tomorrow’s events.”

  “Duty calls,” I said as we stood up and left the room, going carefully down the steep stairs.

  We sat side by side on the couch. My mother had managed to get Adam’s father into the room as well. He was wide-eyed and confused as if he had just woken up from a drug-induced sleep.

  “Dawn, your father was able to get ahold of the lady that cast the protection spell over the house. She’s going to set up a place in Harrisville so that we can stay there undetected. Well, for your father and me to be invisible.” She paused and glanced at Adam’s father. “Adam, your father has decided he would like to stay here for a while. This is still a bit much for him to take in, and the events to come might push him over the edge. We agreed that one of us would come and check on him every few days and bring supplies. He’s leaving the rest up to you. If you want to go with us, you can, or you can stay here with him.” She smiled reassuringly at Adam.

  “Dad? What do you want me to do?” Adam asked, looking at his father, who was extremely pale.

  “You know about this world,” he replied in a shaky voice. “I know nothing of it. I would like to keep it that way. If you wish to be with Dawn, I plead for you to be safe. I have a feeling she can keep you safe, but then again with everything happening I think that her mother is the one I trust more.”

  “Then I choose to stay with Dawn. Who will stay with you?” Adam asked.

  Mr. Snyder looked at my mother as if she was the one who was meant to answer this question. After a few seconds of thought, my mother made up her mind.

  “We will send some Carriers to watch over the place.”

  Adam’s father nodded, seemingly okay with that.

  “Tomorrow morning, I will take the two of you with me to Harrisville,” my mother told us. “Dawn, your father will meet us there with your brother. Nick and Helen have already been instructed to get rooms set up for you.” She picked at her shirt. “Dawn, you will train with the white fire element. Adam, I’m going to work with you on basic combat maneuvering and show you how to reduce creatures to dust. Call it slayer-training if you want.”

  Adam’s face lit up.

  “In the evenings, however,” my mother went on, looking stern, “you will do your school work. Both of you.”

  She turned to Adam’s dad. “Henry?” It was the first time I had heard anyone say his name; in fact, I hadn’t even known what it was until then. “I will have Kim and her parents come up first thing in the morning. That way you will have two very powerful Water Carriers here with you, just in case. After that, I will send someone down to work with Kim. That is if we can find another water element right now. It’s looking rather grim.”

  “How did you get ahold of Kim’s family so fast?” I asked. “Just a second ago you said he was staying and that you would have someone here and rotate out.”

  My mother glared at me. “I have my ways, Dawn. Just trust me on this.”

  “Whatever you say, Mom,” I said, with a sigh. I found my mother very confusing. How could she have contacted them so quickly, unless she had already anticipated what was going to happen?

  “Alright.” My mother checked her watch. “Now. You guys hungry?”

  “I could eat,” Adam said, glancing at his father.

  “Of course, you could eat.” I poked him, and he swatted at my hand impatiently.

  Then Adam spoke again, but not to me, to my mother. “I have meant to ask this… what is the plan?” He asked it softly as if it was just an afterthought he’d had.

  My mother looked surprised to be asked. “We’ll go through all of that during dinner. We all need something to eat. I don’t know about you, but my brain is far too drained to think anymore.” Mom rose and went to the kitchen. I heard her banging things around and opening and closing the refrigerator.

  A part of me wanted to get up and help her, but I figured this was her time to think. My mother had a specific way of doing things to get her mind off events. She was still getting over the loss of my stepfather, and I couldn’t fathom what she must be going through now with the prospect of the impending apocalypse was on the horizon.

  Chapter 25

  Harrisville

  Before we knew it, my mother had created a nice meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables. Adam’s dad’s appetite wasn’t very strong, and he was only able to eat a few bites before telling everyone he was going to bed. I imagine it was too much for him, especially the fact that his son was smack dab in the middle of all the fun. I couldn’t blame the guy; this world was a lot to take in. Not everyone was as prepared for the realization as Adam clearly was.

  It was nearing dark, and I was getting anxious about finding out what Edmund had learned on the location of Aaron. I couldn’t wrap my head around the whole thing. It didn’t make any sense. The day before it had pretty much seemed like they wanted me with him, yet today it was almost as if they had woken up and realized that what had happened to him was directly connected to me.

  My mother remained quiet through the meal until she put her fork down and looked at the two of us shoveling food into our mouths as fast as we could go. It didn’t taste bad, but with everything that had been going on, we basically needed to refuel.

  “Last night has given me a new perspective on things,” she announced. “Particularly the way that the vampires and weres worked together. They were changelings, meaning they were created for one reason alone: they were made for hunting and killing the elements.” She paused and looked at Adam and me. “Can you two stops be eating for a moment! If I have to watch you two chewing with your mouths open one more bite, I’m going to sew them closed.”

  We dropped our forks with a clatter. One thing that I have learned is never to push my mother too far. There was no telling what she would do.

  “They are trying to distract us,” she went on. “Miranda won’t attack until Wesley tells her it’s okay. And she won’t believe him until she knows he has been safely turned. He is more valuable to her as a demon or vampire than as just a Harbinger.” She sighed. “They knew Dawn would come for Wesley, so they have been sending one thing after another to keep her from doing that. We delayed matters so that Dawn could have her prom and have some more time living a normal life. That time is now up.” She directed her gaze at Adam. “You wanted to be a part of this, so now you are. However, you are a prime target as well because you are pureblood human.”

  Adam seemed about to say something but changed his mind under my mother’s steely regard.

  “We need allies,” she went on. “Others to stand with us. We need elements and purebloods alike. I cannot promise that Heaven and Hell will stand with us. I cannot promise that other Guardians and Watchers will join our advance. I can promise, however, that we will have ourselves a great army.” She clasped her hands in thought. “We will take a ha
ndful to New Mexico, in case they are still there, and do what we can to infiltrate her masses. And, if possible, we will bring Wesley home.”

  “So, you’re taking out one at a time like I suggested,” Adam said proudly. “I have some pretty cool ideas, I guess.”

  “Well, it was sort of your idea,” my mother conceded, smiling. “If we can get the Harbinger away from her, she will have no choice but to attack, and if she does, she will do it on our terms, with no predetermined outcome.”

  “So basically, it’s a recon mission,” said Adam.

  “You play way too much Halo,” I said, kicking him under the table.

  My mother gave me a sour look. “Yes, Adam, it’s a lot like a recon mission. The instruction will be not to challenge Miranda; her minions are not what we need to worry about. They are fledglings. Though strong, they will be easy to defeat.” She groaned. “The thing is, we need to find the gifted ones. Many do not even know they have the element in them. Those were who the others were killing: they were taking out the ones that didn’t know their own power. I think that is why Kim and her family were never targeted. Her gifts started to show before the order was given.”

  “So, we need to get some followers,” I concluded, frowning. “How?”

  “I’m going to need some time to think on that one. Once Krista is raised, we will probably have a better idea of what to do.” My mother rechecked the time. “Anything can change between now and then. We may find enough to join us and be able to wipe out her forces, but until then I will take a recon mission.”

  I picked up our plates and put them in the sink. It was dark outside now, and I needed to set up my old phone. I walked out to the car and marveled at the sky. I had never seen it so beautiful, with its violets and blues mixed with grays and whites.

  “What are you doing?” Adam demanded, running after me.

  “The jackass I encountered at your house smashed my phone. So, I’m going to get my old one out of the back of the car.” I opened the back of the Escalade and pulled out my bag, then rifled through it. I squealed when my hand hit the familiar plastic case.