Page 11 of Rising Out of the Darkness (Divine Guardians Duology #1)

Elena

T he warmth of the daylight over my face awoke me from my deadened slumber. Shining light filtered through a sliver of a window at the top of the room, illuminating the cold, stone walls that surrounded me.

As my eyes further adjusted, I realized this wasn’t a room. Thick iron bars had replaced the door and one of the walls. It was barren besides the cot that I was lying in, sending shivers down my spine.

An ache throbbed inside my head. Instinctually, I lifted my palm to rub the ache and was confused by the heaviness of my wrist. Shackles circled around my wrists.

Iron, to inhibit the use of magical powers.

“Hells!” The room rattled with the sounds of my frustrated snarl and the clank of the heavy chain binding my wrists.

Memories began to rush back as I flashed back to what had happened before I blacked out—screaming, glowing, then total darkness. Scorch marks adorned the edges of my dress.

No wonder I was tied up. They feared me.

Boots shifted against the floor of the other cell. A body slumped against the bars in the corner, fingers running through familiar honey-blond locks.

I shuffled over to him, falling onto my knees as I grasped the cold bars. “Will,” I whispered, but his body didn’t budge. I tried again, this time a little louder. “Will!”

A few moments of silence passed as I held on to the bars. Slowly, his head rolled up, his blue eyes meeting mine. The light once within them had dulled. Staring back at me were cloudy, red-rimmed eyes full of sorrow and disdain. The heat of his glare caused me to fall back onto my heels.

“What do you want?” The bluntness of his tone startled me.

“W-what d-do you mean, Will? Why are we in here?” I paused to swallow down the fear that was rising within me. “Will…what happened, and why are you acting this way?”

My words must have snapped the final cord of his restraint because he rose to his feet with a snarl. I scooted a few more inches away.

Will’s boots thundered back and forth against the floor as he mumbled erratic words underneath his breath.

“Will—”

“NO!” he seethed, as the words I was about to say fell dead on my lips.

“You! This is all because of you, Elena!” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the bars before tilting his head against the iron.

He closed his eyes, mumbling more words under his breath.

However, this time I could hear them. Every.

Single. One. “This is your fault. It always is.”

Each word sliced a little deeper, and my trembling hand pressed against the piercing wound that tore wide open inside my heart. “What do you mean by that, Will?” I breathed.

A faint scoff left his mouth, his eyes still closed as he turned his back towards me.

Will’s body slid down the bars until he hit the floor and slumped over his raised knees.

“Your screams woke me out of Ascension just in time to feel the full impact of the blast of energy from your dynamis. Also, just in time to realize what you had done to my own.”

The creases between my brows furrowed. My anxiety built, and I wished he would get to the point.

“The entire room, everything around me, was engulfed in flames.” The bars of the cell clanged as he thumped his head against it with a heavy sigh. “Everything, including the assistant who had run in to help me.”

The iron links clinked together as I covered my mouth. “Oh, Will …” Tears began to well in my own eyes as I spoke softly. “I’m so sorry that happened.”

He turned his body towards me and banged his fist against the bars, startling me as tears streamed ran rampant down my face.

“Sorry? Dammit, Lena that’s all you have to say?

All I’ve done since I saved your ass that day after school is take care of you.

Picked you up after every mistake, handle the town after every one of your healing blunders.

Made excuses for your panic attacks. And you know what?

I did it. Everyday, because I was attracted to you.

After yesterday…” He paused, his eyes shifting down towards my lips, then back up to meet my eyes.

“I thought maybe for once I would have a reprieve from those burdens.”

The contents of my stomach churned as I stared back into the cold eyes of the boy I’d once known, his cruel words rotting every kind memory I had with him. Apparently, I didn’t know him as well as I’d thought I did.

“Then you went and turned me into…this!” His chains rattled against the iron divider between us.

“I—I didn’t mean to! I’ve never meant to hurt anyone. I’m so s-sorry!”

“Hells, Lena! They’re going to take us away from here. Today we’re both getting shipped out to the cities. I’ll be taken to the City of Ash, and you, Light Phoenix , you’re being sent to the capital, the City of Shadows. Apparently, the Prince is coming to escort you himself.”

“What about your mother and your s?—”

“Don’t you dare!” He screamed, shaking his head violently, before forcefully blowing out a breath of air. “Don’t talk about them. Ever. Again. We go alone, Elena.”

My mouth opened to reply, but he shoved away from the bars and fell into the farthest corner of the cell, ending our conversation.

I willed my body forward towards the bars. Wrapping my fingers around them, I whispered, “I’m so sorry, Will.”

Rising on shaking legs, I turned to make my way back to the tiny cot. From behind me, Will’s voice fluttered through the air.

“‘Sorry’ can’t fix this, Elena.”

A few hours later, metal keys clanked against the lock of my cell.

Will was no longer inside the other cell.

After our encounter, I had cried myself to sleep.

He must have been taken while I was out.

I rose, tossing my legs over the side of the bed.

With my heart pounding, I awaited my fate on the other side of the iron door.

It swung open as my back stiffened, hands fidgeting in my lap. Immediately, I knew the man who now stood before me wasn’t the prince. Ladies in town discussed the prince’s appearance in great detail, and this man didn’t fit the description at all.

This man was tall like the prince, but had long black hair pulled back in a messy bun. His skin was tawny, his jawline harsh, highlighted by the scruff of his short beard.

As he folded his muscled arms in front of his breastplate, the definition of his muscles became more pronounced. Glaring at the feather etched in the armor, I rubbed the same mark that was now permanently tattooed onto my skin. Realization hit me like a rock, and my breath hitched from the blow.

I was now the living embodiment of the Stallard line. A living symbol of the only thing that had brought the kingdom of Ehora out of our time of darkness and into a time of peace.

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked upon me with fierce chestnut eyes. Pausing in the middle of the room, he glared down at me as if assessing me the same way I did him.

“Does everyone who walks through this door receive the same appraising gaze, or should I feel special?” His deep voice shook me from my gawking, and I replaced it with a searing glare. He chuckled, before opening his mouth once more.

“Lady Elena Morrigan, by order of King Alaric Stallard, I am here to escort you to the capital of the kingdom of Ehora. We head to Vrine, the City of Shadows.”

“Why are you addressing me as a ‘Lady?’”

“Because the King has given you the title, and it’s my duty to address you as such, whether I believe it or not.” He shrugged.

His head tilted towards the door. The Royal Guard did not move an inch to let me by, forcing me to squeeze around his brute of a body just to get through the door.

The man even had the audacity to smirk as I slid by.

I shoved my way out of the door and my face slammed straight into the armored chest of the other guard standing outside.

“Well, that’s going to hurt in a couple of hours.” The second guard towered over me as I rubbed my sore cheek and nose.

I was by far the tallest Elysian female in my town, but he was still an inch or two over my head. Elysian men seemed to grow like weeds and were always enormous. These two men were easily over six feet.

His shoulders were not as wide as the others, but you could still tell he was toned from the way the armor bulged over his arms. Messy golden locks tossed about his head as he leaned over and whispered, “Next time, maybe watch where you’re going.

You wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty face of yours,” he chuckled.

A scowl grew on my face as I rolled my eyes beneath my lashes. My face was burning hot with anger, which I was sure they assumed was from blushing, as they smirked at each other over my head.

The second guard cleared his throat. “My lady, I am Killian Ashford, second captain of the Royal Guard, and that brute behind you is Liam Hart, first captain. We will be your personal guards as we make our journey.” He bowed mockingly with his arm extended showing me the way forward.

I stormed by him stomping on his foot as I went.

“Ouch, woman!”

Turning to face him, I caught his glare and tossed him back a smirk of my own. Liam tried his best to cover a smile with his fist, but failed miserably. A flustered Killian grabbed me by the arm forcing me forward towards the main hall of the temple.

I whispered to the captain, making sure it was loud enough for Liam to hear behind us, “Perhaps next time, you should be more careful where you’re standing. You wouldn’t want me to ruin those pretty feet of yours.”

Killian’s eyebrows shot straight up. Even his mouth hung open. More stifled chuckles rose from the first captain behind me. Even in all my fury, I couldn’t help but laugh as well. Releasing a grunt, Killian tugged me a little tighter as we finally made our way into the hall.

Declan

A fter I set the boy Will on top of a horse with the group of my father’s guards, my gaze caught on Warren pacing back and forth in front of the temple. With a heavy sigh, I made my way over to him.

“Warren,” I said, extending my hand out for a handshake.

He grabbed my hand firmly and pulled me into a quick embrace.

When he released me, I scanned the area around us to make sure no one had seen our interaction.

Thankfully, only a handful of the members of the town were out and the other guards were still preparing their horses for the journey. All of them seemed distracted.

A deep chuckle rumbled beside me. “Don’t worry Declan, a hug won’t shatter our secret. You know, it wouldn’t hurt your facade to actually smile every once in a while.”

“Who said it was a facade?” A smirk spread across my lips as Warren’s grin spread, but then quickly fell. He turned to face me, worry lines now evident across his forehead.

“How did the raid go last night?”

My head fell as I shook it.

“Damn,” he cursed as he ran his palm through his hair. “I’ll keep searching. We’ll make this our top priority. We’re so close now Dec. It will help distract me while she’s?—”

The stoic man in front of me began to chip, his voice cracking, heavy with burden over what we were about to do with his daughter. I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. “We’ll take care of her?—”

“Elena,” he interrupted.

“We’ll take care of Elena. You have my promise, Warren.”

“Good, because if anything happens to her, I’ll kill you myself.” His fierce gaze locked on mine and I knew that was a promise he would indeed keep. Clearing his throat, he dropped his gaze to the dirt below us. “I haven’t told her. She doesn’t know about anything.”

My brows rose at his admission. “Warren?—”

“Don’t even start.” He pointed his index finger into my chest. “She is my daughter, and I have my own reasons why I haven’t disclosed things to her yet. I plan to keep it that way. Only I will be the one to tell her, so keep your mouth shut.”

“Warren, she can’t go into all of this blindly.” My finger jabbed into his own chest.

“You focus on protecting my daughter from your father and Alastor, and I’ll work on protecting her in my own ways.”

Closing my eyes, I shook my head. This was not a good idea at all.

“Lena, she’s—” He paused, his hand tugging over his mouth as if searching for the right words. “She may appear feisty at first glance”—he chuckled, but sadness hung on each note— “but she is extremely sensitive, Declan. She can’t handle this right now. The truth…it would push her over the edge.”

His words trailed off, his gaze now locked onto the entrance of the temple. “Let me protect her from this, at least for now. Please.”

Warren’s pleading eyes roved over mine, and I couldn’t help but concede. Nodding in agreement, I heard the faint sounds of voices as a small crowd began to grow near us.

“Oh, and Declan?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t get any ideas with my daughter. She’s too good for you.” His lips pursed into a thin line as he stared at me, awaiting my answer. “Swear by all five gods you’ll keep your hands to yourself.”

I bit my lip in an effort not to laugh at the very serious man standing before me.

“I swear by all the gods I will not try anything with your daughter, Warren.” A small snort slipped free, and his eyebrow rose.

Clearing my throat, I tried to convince him again.

“You don’t have to worry about me pursuing your daughter.

That will never be in the fates for me.”

“Good,” he grumbled, shaking my hand once more and dismissed me to greet Brietta. I stood behind, left to absorb the sting of his words.