Authors: Kimberly Loth
Destroyed
Copyright © 2014 by Kimberly Loth
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced in any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues, in the is book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead is completely coincidental.
Cover design by Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
http://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/
For Xandi and A.J.
For being the best kids a mom could ask for
Contents
Three weeks before Ginny’s wedding
When I left my quiet home in Arkansas I knew I wouldn’t miss much. Especially since most of the ones I loved were dead. My Collette, Granada, Child’s Play, and my Angel Face rose. Gone up in flames. My heart ached most for my Kaiser Wilhelm. The deep red blooms that smelled like strawberries and pears. Now all that was left was ash
.
The beach bonfire was taller than my head. The déjà vu sent shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes and recalled my greenhouse in flames. My dad stood there, gasoline can in hand. With the greenhouse gone, I had no reason to ever set foot in that state again. Which was fine by me. The whole state could go up in flames and I wouldn’t care.
The ocean roared behind me. This is where I was meant to be. I closed my eyes, inhaled the salty, smoky air, and forgot all about Arkansas. A hand touched my shoulder. I jumped.
“Naomi, do you think it’s big enough?” Puck asked, a huge smile on his face. His sky blue hair hung over his eyes.
“I thought this was supposed to be a secret meeting. That fire will alert every Guardian and Destroyer in the state of California.” I shifted closer to him, inhaling his sweet ocean scent. He’d been surfing earlier.
Puck laughed and grabbed my hand. “Come on, let’s go down by the water. We’ve got some time before the rest of the group shows up.”
I stumbled after him, grinning. The water was cool on my feet. Puck pulled me close and kissed me, tasting of sugar cookies and cinnamon. A Guardian’s kiss. They were different from normal kisses, bringing heightened sensations. All Guardian energy was like that. Sweet and soft and warm. Sometimes I could even smell coconuts. I could give off the sensations myself, but I was still new to exercising the power. Puck did it without thinking.
Tonight I would meet the entire Guardian Council, and they would decide whether or not I could become one of them. The idea of a girl as Guardian was still a little taboo. In fact, in the last two hundred years there have been only two female Guardians, one of which was my grandmother. Both of them were dead now, and most Guardians didn’t know they ever existed.
I was still a Shade, which meant that I had power but I hadn’t chosen whether to use it for good or evil. Guardian energy was warm and heady, easy to feel and even use occasionally. But it wasn’t with me all the time.
I wanted to become one of them, I really did, but I also held dark secrets. Things I did. Destroyer type of things.
Aside from Puck, none of the other Guardians knew I had the ability to take away power. Not that I’d ever do it again. Three months ago I took the power from Dwayne and my mother, and now it wouldn’t go away. Their dark and cloudy Destroyer energy swam through my veins, punishing me for my actions. Dwayne and my mother hummed with power and almost made me forget my own.
I told no one that they still remained with me, not even Puck, which added to the guilt. He was always honest with me.
He’d sensed something was wrong shortly after we arrived in Vegas, but he never brought it up after I let him kiss me. That was the day I realized he was the one I wanted. Not Kai. Puck held my heart. We’d been practically inseparable since that day and I had no plans to change that anytime soon.
“You nervous?” he asked.
“A little.” I stretched up on my tiptoes and bounced a little, the sand giving way under my feet.
“You’ll be fine,” said a voice behind Puck. “Now come here and give your uncle a kiss.” He oozed honey and mint, true affection. I wasn’t sure what Alejandro was more excited about, getting me as a niece or Ginny as a wife. He hadn’t called me by my real name in weeks, just “niece.”
I kissed him on the cheek, sending him the smell of oranges, another sign of affection. He winked at me. “You’re getting better at that.”
Cars pulled onto the beach and doors slammed. Puck went to greet the council members leaving Alejandro by the water with me. A cool breeze blew, making me shiver.
I twisted my hands. “Do you think they’ll be okay with me?”
He shrugged and stretched his arms up over his head. If I were ten years older, I probably would’ve sighed at his obvious display of lean muscle, but this was my soon-to-be uncle. Ew.
“You’ve got Puck and me. We can be pretty convincing. Plus, with Puck being the Master Guardian, it’s not like they can say no.”
We watched as the men pulled out lawn chairs and formed a circle by the fire. When they were seated, Alejandro and I joined the circle. Most of the men looked to be around Alejandro’s age, thirty or so, but a few were older. Puck was by far the youngest. I knew none of them.
The power that radiated from the group was almost paralyzing. It was bright like the sun and it made my limbs vibrate. It filled the whole space. I reached for Puck’s hand and noticed my own was shaking.
“Are you okay?” asked Puck.
“Yeah, the energy is a little overwhelming.”
An older man with a weathered face leaned close to me. “You mean you can sense it?”
“Yeah? So?” I asked, surprised. Puck and I should’ve been more careful in our conversation.
He smiled. “You’re shaking. You’re a woman, so you shouldn’t be able to sense it.”
I bristled. “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t sense the same things you do.”
“There are no female Shades. You seem more sensitive than most of us. I’ve never seen anyone physically affected by the power of others.”
I picked up some sand and let it fall through my fingers. “Maybe. But I can’t sense any power on you, what are you doing here?”
He grinned. “I’ve perfected the art of shields.”
I nodded. That made sense. “So have I.”
He raised his eyebrows and the conversation around us grew very quiet. I hadn’t noticed the others were listening. No one said anything for a few minutes. They just stared at Puck and me. I was a girl. And I just told them I was a Shade.
An older man with graying hair and glasses cleared his throat. “This is a council meeting, right?”
Puck nodded.
“Then why is the girl here?”
Alejandro looked down at Puck. “You haven’t told them.”
Puck shrugged. “I figured I could explain it better if she were here.”
“That wasn’t wise, chico. You better get explaining.”
I continued to play with the sand, forming little mountains, while Puck told our tale.
“Naomi met Kai last year. He discovered that she was a Shade and sent her to us. Naomi’s mother and grandmother were both Shades. Her mother decided to become a Destroyer, while her grandmother was a Guardian. The Master Guardian, actually.”
A few of the Guardians whistled. One called out, “What the hell?”
The man on the other side of me spoke, “It’s true, I was on her council.”
I froze. This man knew my grandmother. She died a long time ago. I still missed her.
Another man called out, “What about the Destroyer?”
Puck continued. “Naomi’s mother became the Master Destroyer a couple of years later. She was killed last year by Kai. Naomi helped Kai secure his position as the Master Destroyer so he could bring balance back. She’s a very strong Shade.”
My palms were sweating and shaking a little, but that was from nerves, not the power of those around me. I didn't look up, because I was sure they would all be staring at me. Puck left out the fact that I could suck their power away if I wanted to. We agreed to keep that part secret. Thank goodness.
The old man next to me spoke again. “Your grandmother was a great woman.”
I looked up, surprised to have been addressed directly during the meeting.
“Thank you,” I replied.
He nodded. “My name is Neal. Welcome to the council. I, for one, am looking forward to your input.”
I looked around the circle. There were a few nods and then the slow buzz of conversation started up again. I listened carefully but didn’t hear my name. Next to me, Puck let out a deep breath.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“No.” Yes, but I smiled at him anyway. “Does that mean I get to be a Guardian?”
Puck grinned. “Yep. We can take care of the logistics of turning you into a Guardian privately though, I just wanted their approval.” My chest tightened.
“But they never actually gave their approval.”
“Yes, they did. You wouldn’t still be here if they didn’t think you were okay.”
“But is it okay that I stay for the council meeting? I can take a walk down the beach.”
“No, stay. As far as I’m concerned, you’ll be part of my council.”
I was touched but not surprised. I sat back and listened as they talked about the day-to-day lives of most Guardians and the problems they were facing. Some issues were small, like a few Major Guardians bickering over territories. Other problems left me feeling sick, like the Major Guardian over St. Louis turning into a Destroyer and taking his entire group of Minor Guardians with him. He ruled for months before the Midwest Head Guardian discovered it and told the council.
It wasn’t long before Kai’s name came up. Neal, the man who knew my grandmother, brought up the issue.
“You know, most of these problems, like the Destroyers touching their victims, Minor Guardians being attacked, and children being recruited before they can make a rational decision, could be solved if Kai just did his job.”
My head buzzed with annoyance. I was sure Kai was doing the best he could. Puck intervened before anyone else could say anything.
“It’s only been a few months, we need to give him time to undo all the damage the previous Master did. We do need someone to keep on eye on him though and make sure he stays the course.”
A man spoke up, his face hidden in the dark. “What about Jason? I thought he was over there doing just that.”