Page 57
Story: Guardian
A fire burned against my skin and engulfed my throat. Althoughshe’dbeen silent, a familiar rampage stirred my stomach.
“Just because I didn’t meet your speed doesn’t mean I’m off.”
Yes, I was fast. Not Lorenzo fast, but I was able to keep up with him no matter how many laps we ran. But when I didn’t, it linked back toherimpact.
He didn’t know about the incident in the hospital. Thankfully, Alek and Tristan had agreed to keep it between us. The influx of memories from that day engulfed my every thought. Intensified the queasiness from the medication. Even tightened my throat with guilt for some reason—
Metal clanked against the air as the first gate opened, an SUV slowly passing through. It didn’t belong to the Sephtis, but I recognized it from a few days ago.
“We’ll talk about this later.”
It was instinct to follow the car. But instead of tailing it, I turned to the underground passageway. I stopped in the middle of the dim path, concentrating on the noises that echoed outside of the walls. Footsteps vibrated above me, and I stopped to study their direction. My eyes roamed across the space, falling onto the opposite path that was darker than night, like a void.
It sent shivers down my spine the more I stared at it.
Voices trailed behind the cellar door. I opened it an inch and peeked through, Kaleb walking down into the feeding room, Davina at his tail. Someone else was with them.
“Sonia?”
I rarely saw her. Granted, as Senior Guardian, she was responsible for all guardians, maids, and maintenance groups that came every month. She was behind the scenes.
So why was she here with Kaleb and Davina?
Coppery scents lingered like perfume as I snuck my way to the foyer. I knocked on the door across from mine, and when it opened, I stepped inside without a second thought. Or maybe Alek pulled me. Not sure which one came first.
“Katerina,” he said through a deep breath. “What are you doing here?”
“There’s something I need to. . .” His hold loosened against my forearm, his fingers softly caressing my skin. My palm opened on the urge to feel more. All I got was a brief linger of our fingertips until he pulled away.
Our gazes never left each other, and it roused something in me I hadn’t felt in a while.
“My apologies, I-I didn’t mean to—”
A heady giggle slipped my lips. Were those butterflies in my stomach? “I told you to warn me,” my body naturally inched closer to him, the inclination to tease him riling, “when you’re going to do this.”
One thing I didn’t know I enjoyed until Alek? Making him blush. Not only was it so easy, it only happened around me.
“Of course.” His flush looked to travel all throughout his body, his arms the same rose red as his face. He turned away before I could tease him more.
Alek took a seat on one of his emerald green chaises and motioned toward the open space next to him. “What would you like to discuss?” He asked, his voice raspy as I settled down.
Right. Almost forgot I came here for an actual reason. “I saw Kaleb meeting Davina in the cellar. Sonia was there too.”
“Sonia?” He asked, and his jaw clenched as he crossed his legs. “And Davina is with my brother privately?”
I nodded asherpresence crept over my skin.
Alek’s eyes stilled on the ground. “They’re known to hold closed sessions with each other, their conversations always pertaining to the Ministry. But never once had they requested Sonia to join.”
Tristan had mentioned once how the feeding room was used for two matters: what it was meant for and for private meetings. It’s why he was in charge of it. If he’d known about their meeting, he would have reported to his post. Sonia didn’t fill in for no one.
“Do you want me to keep an eye on them?”
“No. If you hover near the vault again, it may risk your position. We’ll investigate when the time calls for it.”
We fell quiet. It wasn’t a silence that was a cue for me to leave. Not one that distanced Alek and me behind walls. It was warm and comforting. More open than the quietness of the lake.
It urged the questions from the hospital on my tongue to form.
“Just because I didn’t meet your speed doesn’t mean I’m off.”
Yes, I was fast. Not Lorenzo fast, but I was able to keep up with him no matter how many laps we ran. But when I didn’t, it linked back toherimpact.
He didn’t know about the incident in the hospital. Thankfully, Alek and Tristan had agreed to keep it between us. The influx of memories from that day engulfed my every thought. Intensified the queasiness from the medication. Even tightened my throat with guilt for some reason—
Metal clanked against the air as the first gate opened, an SUV slowly passing through. It didn’t belong to the Sephtis, but I recognized it from a few days ago.
“We’ll talk about this later.”
It was instinct to follow the car. But instead of tailing it, I turned to the underground passageway. I stopped in the middle of the dim path, concentrating on the noises that echoed outside of the walls. Footsteps vibrated above me, and I stopped to study their direction. My eyes roamed across the space, falling onto the opposite path that was darker than night, like a void.
It sent shivers down my spine the more I stared at it.
Voices trailed behind the cellar door. I opened it an inch and peeked through, Kaleb walking down into the feeding room, Davina at his tail. Someone else was with them.
“Sonia?”
I rarely saw her. Granted, as Senior Guardian, she was responsible for all guardians, maids, and maintenance groups that came every month. She was behind the scenes.
So why was she here with Kaleb and Davina?
Coppery scents lingered like perfume as I snuck my way to the foyer. I knocked on the door across from mine, and when it opened, I stepped inside without a second thought. Or maybe Alek pulled me. Not sure which one came first.
“Katerina,” he said through a deep breath. “What are you doing here?”
“There’s something I need to. . .” His hold loosened against my forearm, his fingers softly caressing my skin. My palm opened on the urge to feel more. All I got was a brief linger of our fingertips until he pulled away.
Our gazes never left each other, and it roused something in me I hadn’t felt in a while.
“My apologies, I-I didn’t mean to—”
A heady giggle slipped my lips. Were those butterflies in my stomach? “I told you to warn me,” my body naturally inched closer to him, the inclination to tease him riling, “when you’re going to do this.”
One thing I didn’t know I enjoyed until Alek? Making him blush. Not only was it so easy, it only happened around me.
“Of course.” His flush looked to travel all throughout his body, his arms the same rose red as his face. He turned away before I could tease him more.
Alek took a seat on one of his emerald green chaises and motioned toward the open space next to him. “What would you like to discuss?” He asked, his voice raspy as I settled down.
Right. Almost forgot I came here for an actual reason. “I saw Kaleb meeting Davina in the cellar. Sonia was there too.”
“Sonia?” He asked, and his jaw clenched as he crossed his legs. “And Davina is with my brother privately?”
I nodded asherpresence crept over my skin.
Alek’s eyes stilled on the ground. “They’re known to hold closed sessions with each other, their conversations always pertaining to the Ministry. But never once had they requested Sonia to join.”
Tristan had mentioned once how the feeding room was used for two matters: what it was meant for and for private meetings. It’s why he was in charge of it. If he’d known about their meeting, he would have reported to his post. Sonia didn’t fill in for no one.
“Do you want me to keep an eye on them?”
“No. If you hover near the vault again, it may risk your position. We’ll investigate when the time calls for it.”
We fell quiet. It wasn’t a silence that was a cue for me to leave. Not one that distanced Alek and me behind walls. It was warm and comforting. More open than the quietness of the lake.
It urged the questions from the hospital on my tongue to form.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103