Veined (A Guardian of the Angels Novel) (23 page)

“Calm down, Sylva,” he said. “Their families were Lethed yesterday. There was no other way, you understand.”

I felt tired. Drop to the floor tired. “And what’s going to happen to them?”

A voice coming from my side answered, “Tomorrow, I’ll take Marcus back home with me. Now that he’s my responsibility.” Dimitri smiled. He seemed to take things in his stride. I wished it were as easy for me.

“You’re leaving already?” I asked. My stomach swirled.
Attic.

Dimitri flashed a stunning smile. “I’m sorry I won’t get to know you better. You’ve made such an impression on my brother
that I’d have liked to spend more time with you. Alas, I hear you’ve decided against joining us in the fight against evil.” His tone changed at the end. All that was missing were his arms held out superman style.

“When are you leaving tomorrow?” Albelin asked.

“Depends on what time the Marcus cutie wakes up. But not before breakfast. Your pancakes are just too much to pass up.”

“Has Attic consented to go with you?” Albelin glanced briefly in my direction, but I couldn’t quite place his expression. Was he hiding something?

Dimitri nodded. “He’s said he’ll be home before his birthday. He’s done enough running.”

Attic’s wall of postcards popped up in my mind.
He’s run a lot. He must really not want to go back.
But he was. He said it was his responsibility.  My pulse quickened and my Vein tingled.
Responsibility.
I swallowed the thought. “What will you do with Marcus?”

Dimitri shrugged. “I haven’t a clue. First, I have to train him to keep himself in control. Then we’ll see.”

“Can you feel him all the time? Even if he’s far away from you?” I asked. “Do you know what he’s thinking?”

“Only if his pain or emotions are strong, I can feel them. And I can’t read his thoughts.”

“Does he feel okay? He’s not going to, uh, hurt himself, is he?”

Dimitri laughed coldly. “I’m much rather worried he might hurt someone else.”

I shook my head. “No. He’d never do that. He’s stronger than you think.”

“You don’t know that. H
e’s different now.”

I stepped in to Dimitri and poked his chest with my finger. “Yes, I
do
know that.”

Albelin wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me back. I wrenched free from him. “And what about Jason?” Guilt surged through me thinking of him. But I needed to know he’d be okay.

“He’ll stay here with me for now,” Albelin said.

How was Jason handling it? The poor guy, I’d screwed up his life, and thrown his love for me in his face. At least he’d stay with Albelin, that was comforting.

“Where is he?” I asked, although a part of me would rather not have known.

“I’ve put him in room
twenty-one. But don’t go there alone, Sylva. Not just yet.” Albelin’s curls swished as he shook his head, his stare hardened.

“I’ll take my chances,” I said and glared once more at Dimitri before I turned on my heel and left for Jason’s room.

CHAPTER 19

CLUNK. CLUNK. CLUNK.

I prayed he wouldn’t be there. My nerves had caught up with me, and my torso felt like a beehive. I turned to leave, but the swooshing of air through the opening door stopped me mid step. Straightening my shoulders, I faced Jason.

He looked cute, really cute. His dark hair was spiked and his eyes seemed brighter somehow. With more strength than I anticipated, he whisked me into the room. He embraced me, gently, lovingly. The guilt made it hard to look at him directly. Jason took a step back from me and pointed to the armchair. A frown darkened his face, but his voice remained warm. “Sit. I have a bone to pick with you.”

I stumbled into the chair.

“You didn’t tell me about any of this. About you being a Guardian.” It wasn’t a question so I kept quiet. “Albelin talked me through what you are, what Guardians do and explained what happened to me.” Jason stopped pacing the length of the room. “I wish you’d told me, Sylva. Instead you disappeared.” He looked down, but I could still see the hurt etched on his face.

“I’m sor—”

“Wait. I get it. You thought I was going to kill you, because that’s what the part in me infested by this filthy blackness wants.” Jason knelt in front of me, gripping my knees. “You have to trust me, I wouldn’t harm you. Ever.” He pushed a lock of hair from my face. “So I understand why you didn’t come sooner. Why you didn’t explain things yourself.”

I wished the chair would chew me up. I hated myself right now. How could I have fallen for Attic behind Jason’s back? He didn’t deserve any of this.

“Jason, I—I’m sorry I haven’t spoken to you sooner. I’ve been unfair to you.” I gripped the arms of the chair, until my knuckles hurt. “I have a choice whether or not to become a Guardian, did Albelin tell you that?”

Jason shook his head and I watched as the color drained from his face. Quick
ly. He understood what I wanted to tell him. “You’re not going to become one, are you?”

“It’ll be over after Maddy’s funeral. That’s it, I’m going back to my old life.”

“And your memories of Guardians . . .?”

“Gone.”

“Why do you want to go back to your old life?” Jason asked.

“Because I can’t handle any more death.”

Jason’s voice was steady and low. “Coward.”

I blinked. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. You’re a
coward.
What about how many people will live if you stay a Guardian? My insides scream at me to kill you—
you
, Sylva, not any of the others. You must be a big threat.” I was too shocked to speak. Jason leaned forward. “And what about us?”

I bowed my head to avoid him getting any closer.

“Sylva?”

“I won’t remember anything.”

“I know you’ve never said you loved me. But I’m getting the feeling, right now, you might not even like me. Please tell me I’m wrong.” Jason’s voice cracked at the end.

My eyes welled. “Jason, you’re amazing. Of course I like you, it’s just—”

“Is it because I’m part Demon?” Hurt colored his words.

I shook my head. My heartrate escalated.

“There’s someone else, isn’t there?” His whispered words fell like raining needles.

I tried to form words, shape some sort of apology, but my voice seemed to be turned off. I stared at him, my breath tickling my lip as it came out.

Jason’s fists curled up at his sides. Something flashed in his eyes and his voice sounded like it had when Dimitri had tackled him. My Vein started to tingle, warning me of danger. “It’s Attic, right? He was always staring at you in school, only I didn’t think you cared for him. When I saw how you acted around him in the infirmary, I told myself I was imagining things. That you couldn’t possibly be into him. I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

I held his gaze and tried to remain calm. “Yes.”

Jason growled and hit his fist against the bedpost. “You’re not meant to be with him. We belong together. I feel it.”

“I’m very sorry, Jason. No.” I stood up and sidled past him. A couple of steps from the door, Jason stopped me. His fingers dug into my flesh.

“You’re making a mistake,” Jason said.

Smoke seethed out of his palms and wrapped tendrils around my arms. “Stop it Jason. I’m sorry this hurts you.”

Tighter and tighter they wound until I could feel the burning through my clothes. Something sinister glittered in Jason’s eyes.

“Please let me go.” I didn’t want to use my power. This was
Jason.
He wouldn’t hurt me.

He shut his eyes and his body started shaking as if fighting the urge to squeeze harder. But the smoke continued to sizzle through my clothes and into my skin like acid.

“Please,” I said through gritted teeth, not to cry out from the pain.

As soon as I’d said it, the door flew open and Attic sprung at Jason, ripping him away from me. Before I could blink, Attic had him by the neck, his feet banging against the wall as he struggled in Attic’s grasp.

“Attic, let go,” I commanded.

Attic’s Vein lit the room a brilliant blue. He stared Jason in the eyes, his voice a low growl. “He could have killed you.”

“No, he couldn’t have. Let. Go.”

Attic yanked his arm to his side and Jason slid to the floor, gasping for air. “You ever touch her again, and I’ll kill you.” Attic looked at Jason with a mixture of anger and disgust I’d never seen in him before. With lightning speed he hauled me out of the room, not stopping until we arrived on the balcony on the other side of the motel.

“What the hell were you thinking, Attic.” I pushed him. He stepped back, quickly schooling the surprise on his face.

“Albelin told you not to go there alone, Lark. He’s dangerous, he doesn’t know how to control himself.” He looked at my scorched clothes and ripped back one sleeve. “Dammit. Look what he did to you. I should kill him for this.” Attic made to pass me.

Wind, help me keep him here.

A gust swirled around Attic’s legs, toppling him over.

“You’re not going anywhere until you calm down,” I said and held out one hand to help him up.

“While I’m impressed with your power, Lark, that’s not the reason I stopped. Remember, I can portal anytime.” Attic clicked his fingers and disappeared. His voice whispered into my ear from behind. “I could find Jason in a flash.”

“So why did you stop?” I asked. Attic’s breath on my neck had butterflies tickling my insides.

His careful finger felt the good skin under the burns, tracing the spiral up my arm. “Because you refused to use your powers even when he was hurting you, yet you used them on me.” Attic gently turned me around. His nose almost touched mine. “It seems I hurt you more with my threat to kill him. That’s why I stopped. I’m sorry. No matter how much I hate him for doing this to you, I won’t hurt him unless you tell me otherwise.”

Attic’s gaze broke away from me. He looked over my shoulder and grinned. “Albelin, you look as white as a sheet.”

“No thanks to you, my friend. I swear even though I’m meant to be twenty-five as long as I live, another couple of weeks with you and I’ll be grey.” Albelin approached our side.

“Then, as a thank you, I’ll dye your hair every week. Maybe I could interest you in another color. Blue, perhaps?”

Albelin wrinkled his nose. “And look like you?”

Their idle banter made me mad. “I’ve got to get ready for the
funeral
,” I said over Attic’s laughter and strode away. I couldn’t believe they just kept talking. Even fifty feet away, I could still hear them.

Was my hearing more sensitive than a couple of days ago?

“Even in your position it’s not acceptable,” Albelin said.

“He just needed a little convincing to tell me where to find it.”
Find what?
“Bekay came to her, Albelin, and I need to know why.”

I stopped walking. Attic was talking about me.

“I told you just yesterday, my friend. She wrote
that
prophecy right after losing her sisters, she was upset. It was dismissed as a product of grief and burned.” There was a short silence before Albelin continued. He’d lowered his voice, making it harder to hear. “I know what you’re doing. But she’s chosen not to become a Guardian. You have to accept that.”

“I can’t,” Attic snapped. “And there’s the original left. I’m getting it after the funeral.” His footsteps clunked across the balcony. I rounded the corner out of sight and, as quietly as possible, snuck into room fourteen.

The ache in Attic’s voice mirrored my own. What would Maddy say to all this?

She’d want to kick some Arae ass for what they did to Marcus.

After I showered and dressed, I picked up Maddy’s locket and met up with Albelin in the parking lot. Dimitri crossed the lot with Marcus at his side. Halfway, Marcus hesitated. Dimitri clasped a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Even with my improved hearing, I only caught a part of it. “ . . .it hurts, I get that. You’ve got to fight it.” Marcus met Dimitri’s gaze briefly before averting his eyes again. They continued walking. Marcus glanced at me, and then bowed his head.
Maddy would hate that we’re not talking.

I looked around, but didn’t see either Jason or Attic anywhere. Even with our fight earlier, I still expected Jason to come to Maddy’s funeral.

Albelin ordered us into his car. Dimitri sat in the back with me. “You remind him too much of her,” he whispered, as an apology for Marcus’s behavior.

Marcus sighed. Of course he’d heard that.

I rested my head against the window and let my breath fog the glass. With my index finger I drew a spiral. The golden leaves on the trees reflected the afternoon light and my spiral glowed, reminding me of the graffiti art I’d seen of Eirene. Heaven.

When the car stopped, I wiped the window. While the others climbed out of the car, I took a moment to gather my strength, feeling for the power in my Vein. 
             

I clicked the door shut and straightened my shoulders, keeping my head high. I gripped Marcus by the wrist, holding him back. Dimitri stood behind him, and said, “It’s best if I stay around, in case—”

“Please,” I interrupted. “Can we have two minutes?”

Dimitri studied Marcus, c
losed his eyes, and then nodded. He passed under the stone archway into the cemetery.

I dug my free hand into the pocket of my black coat and felt for Maddy’s locket. Holding it gave me strength. “I’m sorry, Marcus, for everything.”

Marcus’s eyes welled up. “I loved her. She was more than my friend, she was the best family I ever had. Mine hate me, you know that? But Maddy, she was always there for me.”

I opened one of Marcus’s clenched hands and placed Maddy’s locket in his palm. “She would want you to have this. Something to remind you of her and of the time you shared together.” I shut his fingers over the locket. “She loved you, too.”

Marcus sobbed, and locked me into his arms. “Thank you.”

I pulled away and smiled weakly. With a gesture that said more than words could, I linked my arm in his as we entered the cemetery together.

Just as Maddy would have wanted.

Red and yellow leaves dangled from trees and carpeted the path red. Ahead, I could see black clad figures. Albelin had promised to keep the service small
, and Maddy’s parents had been Lethed to invite only close family. In their minds, we were now relatives.

It relieved me to see Jason standing in the circle, but I was surprised to see Attic next to him. He’d brought him here. My heart swelled.
He’s trying to make it up to me.
Attic’s head lifted and he caught me staring at him. “Thank you,” I mouthed and he gave me a short nod.

Marcus and I stood next to Maddy’s casket, completing the circle. A woman standing behind the casket opened a book on the makeshift reading stand and started the ceremony with a poem.

Words of affection spilled into the air, mixing with our grief, and I felt the emotion coil up into the sky like Maddy was sucking it up with a giant invisible straw. But there was more that needed to be in this cocktail. I lifted my head to the sky.

Maddy, if you’re watching, we love you.

Rainbows ripped into the sky, crisscrossing over one another until a dome of color surrounded us. Gasps erupted around the circle. Attic’s gasp rolled over me, sending a wave of euphoria rippling with it.

“It’s so beautiful,” Marcus said. “Maddy will love it.”

I smiled and with everything I had in me intensified each arch of color in the rainbows. My Vein felt like it was bursting in two and my body shook from the power and energy it cost. But I didn’t care.
Drink it all up, Maddy, every last drop. And thank you for being our friend.

My vision came in and out of focus. I felt the power drain me and knew it wouldn’t be too much longer now.

“Heads up.” The urgency in Dimitri’s voice drew my attention to him. His features blurred, but his words cut crystal sharp. “Keres are coming.”