Page 2 of Shadows of the Lost Relic (Vanguard of the Ancients #1)

Chapter 2

Theo

“ W elcome to the Vanguard of the Ancients, Lyra. This is where your journey truly begins.” My voice echoed in the vast chamber, carrying an air of authority with it. I was the leader of our team, so I was used to having to bear that burden.

Lyra looked around the room; her expression was a mixture of defiance, curiosity, and unease, all of it overshadowed by the surprise at hearing me use her name. Even uncertain, she was a force of nature. It was clear she had no intention of surrendering without a fight, even though we had her surrounded on our home turf. With her shoulders tensed up around her ears, brushing the tips of her dark purple hair, and her posture rigid as she took in her surroundings, she could have stepped right out of one of my visions. She mirrored every one of them so perfectly it was almost laughable.

I could see why she was taking in the chamber with such interest. This was one of the more impressive chambers in the complex. It was why I had brought her here. The high ceilings loaned the space a solemn air, while the walls were lined with shelves that held many artifacts. These were the objects that were safe for display, but that didn’t mean they didn’t possess their own unique history and power. The air in the room hummed with heavy energy, the ancient objects aware of the newcomer in their midst. Our holo-table sat in the center of the room, still powered on from our earlier planning session. Its surface was embedded with intricate symbols and runes that glowed faintly, even in the light.

Kane and Evan stood on either side of me, their presence reassuring yet silent. Kane’s mischievous grin was firmly in place, even though I had told him we needed to show her a united front. Now wasn’t the time for games. It was time to be serious, to make her take us seriously. Evan, ever the observer, was already assessing Lyra, his green eyes taking in every detail, every shift in her expression.

I was the one who held her attention, though. The weight of her gaze was heavier than the atmosphere of the room. But in her appraisal of me, she’d opened herself up. I could see the questions swirling in her mind, and beneath it all, the barely contained fear she was so determined to hide. I’d seen this moment in many visions as I replayed the different threads of our future over and over, trying to find the best path forward. Now the future was unfolding before me and the uncertainty of which path she would take gnawed at my sense of calm and certainty.

“Lyra,” I kept my tone as gentle as I could, even though I knew it wouldn’t make her any less wary. “I know you have questions. I can’t promise we have all the answers, but I can promise you the truth.”

She didn’t respond immediately, though her eyes narrowed at my words. Her gaze flicked to Kane, then to Evan, as she searched for a way out, an escape route she had somehow overlooked. We were deep within the heart of the Vanguard, surrounded by layers of security and magic that even someone as skilled as Lyra couldn’t bypass. She wasn’t getting out of here, no matter how hard she tried.

After the silence had become so tense it felt like it was going to snap, Lyra finally spoke. “What is this place?” Her voice held an edge. It was a challenge that dared not just me, but everyone in this room, to give her a reason to fight back.

“The Vanguard of the Ancients is an organization dedicated to protecting the world from the misuse of powerful artifacts—artifacts like the one you tried to steal tonight.” I fought to keep the accusation out of my voice. My feelings on thievery aside, I needed to get her on our side as quickly as I could.

We hadn’t taken it from her. She was going to need it, although I couldn’t explain that to her yet.

Lyra’s jaw tightened at the mention of the box she had stolen, but she didn’t look away from me. She crossed her arms as she lifted her chin a touch higher, still glaring at me. “So, you’re some kind of magical police? I’m supposed to believe that?”

Kane chuckled softly, the sound helping to lighten the heavy atmosphere. “Do I look like a cop?” He was still smirking as he waved a hand over his body, drawing attention to his physique. “We don’t have badges or uniforms, if that’s what you’re asking. But we do have a responsibility to keep certain things out of the wrong hands.”

Lyra’s eyes flicked to him, a flash of irritation crossing her features. I was glad she wasn’t immediately falling for his charms, even if it would have made getting her on our side easier. “And you’re the right hands, are you?”

I didn’t need my psychic ability to see where this was going. The conversation was rapidly spiraling into mistrust and suspicion. I needed to regain control before it derailed completely.

“We’re not asking you to trust us blindly.” I stepped forward slightly, my palms up in a gesture of peace. “But you need to understand that what we do here is important. That box you took—there’s a reason it was under such tight security. It’s not just a piece of history; it’s a weapon, and in the wrong hands, it could do unimaginable harm.”

For a moment, a flicker of uncertainty flashed in Lyra’s eyes. It was brief, but it was there. She wasn’t as sure of her actions as she wanted us to believe. Still, she didn’t back down. I could feel my admiration building, but I kept a firm handle on it. Now was not the time for daydreaming.

“What about my hands?” she shot back. “You don’t even know who I am. And I know exactly what Pandora’s Box is. I wouldn’t have taken it if I didn’t.”

“We know more than you think,” Evan said, speaking for the first time. His voice was soothing, but it didn’t stop Lyra’s eyes from narrowing in suspicion at him.

A tug in my chest stole my attention; one of the futures I was holding on to was becoming more and more likely. I was unwilling to entertain a future where Lyra walked away from the Vanguard, leaving us no choice but to relentlessly chase her down, so I pushed the vision aside, focusing on the present. We had one chance to bring her into the fold, one chance to make her understand what was at stake. The more possible futures we avoided, the better.

“You’re Lyra Eldridge,” I stated, observing her reaction, ready to react if needed. “You were born in this city, orphaned as a teenager, and ended up on the streets. You learned to survive by becoming one of the best thieves in the underground, specializing in high-value targets with a particular interest in artifacts and relics. Especially those related to Scions.”

Lyra’s eyes widened slightly. It was the only outward sign my words had struck a nerve. She quickly masked her surprise, her expression hardening once more. “You’ve done your homework. That still doesn’t explain why you care.”

“Because you’re not just any thief,” I continued. “You’re a Scion of the Tooth Fairy—a legacy that gives you certain abilities, abilities that make you uniquely qualified to help retrieve the artifacts we protect. I’m surprised more of your lineage hasn’t gone into theft. I guess dentistry has some sort of secret appeal I don’t understand.”

Lyra’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of acknowledgement in her eyes. “So you know who I am. Welcome to the club. That doesn’t mean I’m interested in joining your little band of artifact cops.”

I blinked, caught off guard by her admission. She knew. She knew what she was, and she had still chosen to walk the path of a thief, using her abilities for her own gain rather than for the greater good. I would have understood if she had discovered she had powers but didn’t know why. A desperate teen on the street, it would have made sense.

Kane, always quick on his feet, recovered first. “You’ve used your gifts to survive, to get what you want. Imagine what you could do if you put those skills to work for a cause bigger than yourself.”

Lyra’s gaze flicked to him, a spark of interest in her eyes. “Bigger than myself?” she echoed, skepticism lacing her tone. “You mean, like the Vanguard?”

“Yes.” I regained my composure as quickly as I could. “The Vanguard isn’t just about protecting artifacts. It’s about maintaining balance and preventing the misuse of power that could tip the scales and bring about chaos. You’ve seen what powerful artifacts can do, and how dangerous they are in the wrong hands.”

“I’ve seen enough to know that power is power. It doesn’t matter who’s holding it. Everyone has their own agenda.” Lyra countered.

“And what’s yours?” Evan asked, his voice calm and steady. “You’ve been on your own for so long, fighting to survive, using your skills to get ahead. Where does it end? What are you really after?”

Lyra’s jaw tightened, her gaze hardening. “That’s none of your business.”

“It is if you want to walk out of here with a clear conscience,” I responded, my voice softening. “We’re offering you a chance to use your abilities for a cause that matters. To make a difference, not just for yourself, but for others. We’re not asking you to be a hero, Lyra. We’re asking you to be part of a team that could save lives.”

Lyra stared at me, her eyes searching mine for any sign of deceit. I met her gaze steadily, willing her to see the truth in my words, to understand the weight of the choice before her, and to see that we weren’t trying to trick her. We believed in what we were doing here.

“You’re serious,” she said after a long pause, her voice tinged with disbelief. “You really think you can save the world with this… Vanguard.”

“We’ve done it before.” My response was firm, my tone matter of fact. “And we’ll do it again. But we need people like you. We need people with the skills, the knowledge, and the willingness to stand up and fight when it matters.”

Lyra remained silent, her gaze no longer on me as she considered my words. I could see the wheels turning in her mind, the internal struggle as she weighed her options. She was a survivor, a pragmatist, someone who had learned to rely on herself and no one else. But I also saw something else—a flicker of doubt, a yearning for more than the life she had.

“You don’t have to decide now,” Evan said, his voice gentle. He always knew when to speak and chose his words and tone carefully. “We’re not going to force you into anything. We want you to stay, to see what the Vanguard is really about. All we’re asking is you give us a chance to prove this is worth fighting for.”

Lyra looked at him, then back at me. Her expression was inscrutable, but there was a slight relaxation in her posture, a sign that she was at least willing to entertain the idea.

“Fine,” she said at last, her voice resigned but firm. “I’ll stay. But I’m not making any promises. The second I don’t like what I see, I’m out.”

I couldn’t keep myself from sighing with relief. Tonight had been a lot of work to put together, and as much relief as her decision had brought me, I knew there was one more thing we needed to address. Pandora’s Box. It was one of the most dangerous and powerful objects the Vanguard had taken control of. The way it had reacted to her… It had been more than any of us had predicted. We couldn’t ignore that.

Evan’s gaze flicked to me, and I gave him a subtle nod. We’d discussed this earlier, before we had planned to bring Lyra back to headquarters and give her this offer. Now that the moment was upon us, I could feel the weight of it pressing down on me. This wasn’t a tactical decision—it was a gamble. But sometimes, you had to trust in the potential you saw, even if it was risky. That was why the Council had entrusted this mission to us, and they were letting us oversee every aspect.

“There’s something we need to discuss before we go any further.” I kept my voice calm, not wanting to spook her now that she had agreed to stay with us. She still looked like a rabbit, ready to flee at any moment.

Lyra’s eyes narrowed, her guard back up. She hadn’t lowered it very far, but all the effort we had gone to was clearly undone in an instant. “What now?”

“The artifact you stole. You know, the box in your bag?” Kane said, leaning against the table with both hands, still smirking at her like this was all a joke to him.

Lyra’s hand instinctively moved toward her backpack, her fingers brushing against the fabric. She was protective of it, even now, and that was exactly what made her the right person for this—assuming she could handle it. Fate still hadn’t shown us if she could.

“What about it?” Even her tone was protective. She looked between us warily, her weight on her back foot, ready to run. It was drawing the attention of some of the other members.

I should have cleared the room before we talked to her, but there was nothing to do about it now.

Her focus needed to be on us, not on anyone else. I needed her not to run. This was a delicate moment. I took a step closer, needing her to understand the gravity of what I was about to say. “We need you to keep it.”

Her eyes widened slightly, the shock evident in her expression. She stepped backward as I stepped forward, not letting her surprise dim her instinct to not be cornered. “You want me to… What?”

Kane tried to soften the blow. “The box responds to you in a way it doesn’t with anyone else. It hasn’t responded like that to anyone in centuries. We think you might be the key to unlocking its full potential.”

Fear crept into her eyes, along with the uncertainty that came with being asked to shoulder such a heavy burden. “You can’t be serious. All of this artifact police nonsense, keeping things in the right hands, kidnapping me from a museum… All that was so I could keep the item I stole?”

I kept my tone firm but not unkind. “It’s incredibly powerful. Right now, we need that power. More importantly, we need someone who can control it. The Vanguard has been looking for someone for years, and at the moment, all signs point to that person being you, Lyra.”

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. I understood what she was feeling. The doubt. The fear of failure. I’d seen it before, I had felt it before. But there was something different about Lyra. I’d seen glimpses of her future, felt the potential in her that even she didn’t recognize yet.

“What if I mess up?” she asked, her voice quieter, almost vulnerable. “What if I can’t control it?”

Evan stepped forward, his presence grounding the moment. He was always better at this part. “We’ll be with you every step of the way.” His voice was a steady anchor, a quality I envied. “You won’t have to face this alone.”

She was struggling with the decision, the weight of it all pressing down on her. She searched our faces, looking for any sign that this was a mistake, that we were asking too much. I held her gaze, willing her to see what I saw—the strength within her, the capability she didn’t yet believe in. Fate, in its rawest form.

Finally, she nodded, the resolve settling into her eyes. “Okay. I’ll keep it, but don’t expect miracles. I don’t even know what it does.”

Kane’s grin flashed, a sign of his relief, though I knew he was just as concerned as I was. “We’re not expecting miracles, Lyra. Just a little magic. We don’t know everything it does. But our knowledge is your knowledge, as they say.”

She rolled her eyes, which wasn’t an unusual response to Kane talking. Pandora’s Box was now in the hands of its new guardian, and with it, the future of our mission.

I offered her a small, reassuring smile, trying to lighten the deeply serious moment. “Let’s give you a tour. Then we can go over everything in more detail tomorrow. I’m sure you could do with some sleep, and Kane turns into a pumpkin if he’s out too long.”

Kane flipped me off, and I ignored him. I led Lyra out of the chamber and down the hallway, away from Kane and his teasing. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we had only just scratched the surface of what lay ahead. It was going to be an interesting time, so many possibilities dancing through my mind that I couldn’t keep track of them all.

The corridors of the Vanguard headquarters were quiet, save for the soft hum of the overhead lights. The building was a labyrinth of passages, each one leading to different parts of the complex—training rooms, research labs, armories, and quarters for the various members of the organization.

Lyra remained silent as we walked, her eyes taking in every detail with a sharpness I couldn’t help but admire. She was still on edge, still wary of what she had walked into, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her gaze, a hint that she was already piecing together the puzzle of the Vanguard.

I kept my pace steady, allowing her the time she needed to process everything. Kane and Evan walked behind us, their presence a subtle but unmistakable reassurance to me. We were a unit, the three of us, and we knew how to play to each other’s strengths. Kane’s charm, Evan’s calm, and my foresight—they were all tools in our arsenal, weapons as valuable as any sword or spell.

When we reached a door marked with a symbol of crossed swords, I paused, placing my hand on the scanner beside it. The door slid open with a quiet hiss, revealing a room filled with various weapons and training equipment.

“This is one of our training rooms,” I explained as we stepped inside. “We use it to keep our skills sharp, and to prepare for the missions we undertake. You’ll spend a lot of time here if you decide to stay.”

Lyra’s gaze swept over the room, lingering on the array of weapons mounted on the walls—swords, daggers, crossbows, and more exotic items that were clearly of magical origin. She walked over to a rack of throwing knives, her fingers brushing against the hilt of one.

“What kind of missions do you go on?” she asked, her tone carefully neutral. She was testing us. Trying to learn more about us.

I exchanged a glance with Kane before answering, choosing my words carefully. I needed him to keep his mouth shut. “We retrieve and secure dangerous artifacts, usually before they fall into the wrong hands. Sometimes that means stealing them back from people who’ve already taken them, other times it means locating them before anyone else can.”

“So, you’re thieves,” Lyra said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Thieves with a purpose,” Kane corrected with a grin. “We don’t keep anything we steal. It mostly goes into the Vault, where it’s kept safe and out of circulation.”

“The Vault?” Lyra repeated, her interest piqued.

I nodded, knowing she would be interested in the Vault. I had hoped Kane would keep his mouth shut about it, at least at first, but hoping Kane wasn’t going to do things was like hoping a hurricane was going to be nothing but a slight breeze. Lyra wasn’t going to see the Vault on the tour today. There was a lot of trust to build first.

“It’s where we store the more dangerous artifacts we’ve collected over the years. Each one is carefully cataloged and monitored, so we know exactly what we have and where it’s located. The Vault is heavily protected—both physically and magically. Only a few members of the Vanguard have access to it.” I tried to give her only enough information about it to answer her question, not catch her interest.

Lyra seemed to consider this, her gaze distant for a moment. “What happens if someone tries to take an artifact from the Vault?”

“They don’t,” Evan said simply. “The Vault has never been breached. Anyone who tries… let’s just say they don’t make it very far.” There was a finality in his tone that left no room for doubt.

Lyra studied him for a moment before nodding slowly. “Sounds like you take your job seriously.”

“We do,” I agreed. “This isn’t a game to us, Lyra. The stakes are real, and the consequences can be devastating. We’ve lost people—good people—because they underestimated the power of the artifacts we deal with.”

Her expression softened, the hardness in her eyes giving way to contemplation. “I get it,” she mumbled. “But I’m not a soldier. I don’t take orders, and I don’t play well with others.”

“You don’t have to be a soldier. Although, if you want to get into uniform, I won’t stop you.” Kane winked before his voice turned surprisingly gentle. “We’re not asking you to change who you are. We’re asking you to think about what you can do with your skills, how you can use them to protect people instead of just looking out for yourself.”

Lyra looked at him, her eyes searching his for any sign of deception.

Kane held her gaze, his expression sincere.

“You said earlier that you’re not a hero,” I said gently, drawing her attention back to me, “but you don’t have to be a hero to make a difference. Sometimes, all it takes is one person willing to step up and do the right thing.” It was a cliché, but that didn’t make it less true.

Kane clapped his hands together, breaking the tension with a grin. “Great! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, how about we show you where you’ll be staying?”

Lyra arched an eyebrow. “You already have a room for me?”

“We like to be prepared,” Evan said with a small smile. “You’re not the first recruit we’ve brought in. Besides, you’ll need a place to sleep while you think of ways to escape.”

Lyra hesitated, like she wasn’t sure how to deal with Evan cracking a joke, then nodded. “Lead the way.”

As the three of them left the training room and continued down the corridor, I allowed myself a small, private smile. We were making progress—slowly, but surely. Lyra was still guarded, still wary of what we were offering, but she was here, and that was more than I had hoped for.

The future was still uncertain, still filled with countless possibilities and dangers. But I could see the threads of fate beginning to weave together, pulling us all towards a greater future. I didn’t know what the outcome would be, but for the first time in a long while, I felt a glimmer of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, we had a chance.

Reaching the corridor that had our residence, I turned to the door across from ours. “We’re just across the hallway, if you need anything. This room is yours. You don’t share it with anyone.” It was a simple enough room. Bed, desk, wardrobe, and its own bathroom. It was different to ours, but she could personalize it once she decided to stay.

Lyra stepped inside, her eyes sweeping over the space with the same keen assessment she’d given the rest of the building. She walked over to the window, glancing out briefly before turning back to us. “This is where I’m staying?” she asked, her tone neutral.

“It’s yours for as long as you need it. You can come and go as you please, but we ask that you let us know if you’re leaving the building. Security reasons.” I resisted the urge to elbow my youngest brother as I spoke, knowing he was smirking behind my back.

Lyra gave a curt nod, clearly weighing her options. “And what if I decide this isn’t for me?”

“Then you’re free to go. We won’t stop you.” I met her gaze steadily, hoping she wouldn’t see the lie. We couldn’t just let a thief like her walk away with no consequences. “But I hope you’ll at least give us a chance to show you what the Vanguard is about before you make that decision.”

She studied me for a moment, then shrugged. “We’ll see.”

There was a brief, awkward silence as we stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say next. Finally, Evan spoke up. “We’ll let you get settled in. If you’re up for it, we can give you a tour of the rest of the building tomorrow.”

Lyra nodded, her expression unreadable. “Sure.”

I hesitated the longest, then offered her a small smile. “Goodnight, Lyra.”

“Goodnight,” she replied, her tone more polite than warm.

With that, I stepped back, allowing her to close the door behind me. As it clicked shut, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The tension of the evening ebbed away, replaced by a sense of cautious optimism.

“She’s tough,” Kane remarked as we made our way back down the corridor. “But I think we got through to her.”

“She’s not going to make this easy. She’s still deciding whether she can trust us,” Evan added, though there was no judgment in his tone.

“We need to give her a reason to.” My mind was already turning over the possibilities, the potential futures that could unfold depending on how we handled the next few days.

There were so many ways this could go wrong—so many threads of fate that could unravel with the slightest misstep. I’d seen enough to know Lyra was important; not just to the Vanguard, but to a fate still taking shape in the shadows of the future.

As we walked through the quiet halls, I hoped the path we were on was the right one. That the choices we made now would lead them to the outcome we needed, the one where Lyra stood with us, where we all emerged stronger, together.

For now, all I could do was wait, watch, and hope.

Hope the future would be kind. Hope Lyra would choose to stay. Hope tomorrow went well when she met the last member of our team. And hope that, when the time came, we would be ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.