Bound (The Guardians) (3 page)

I rest my drink on the counter and pass by him into the back room, putting my bag and scooter down. He calls to me, ‘Are you going to tell me?’

‘Tell you what?’

Blade calls, ‘The reason why you’re so upset.’

I re-emerge and give him a faint smile. I’m always shocked at how quickly he can pick up when I’m troubled.

‘It’s nothing,’ I lie, returning to my drink at the counter.

Blade folds his arms. ‘Mellea Kelisa-bey Wendorn: you tell me right now.’

‘Don’t full name me,’ I say with a frown. Blade stands waiting. I finally admit, ‘It’s my parents. They had another fight this morning, more Guardian stuff. I really wish one of them would tell me what happened before I was born. All I know is Da had a brush with them and has never been able to get over it. What did they do to him? It kills me not to know.’

Blade frowns.

‘We’ve been over this, Mellea. You can’t make him spill if he doesn’t want to. You’ll have to hang in there. I’m sure he’ll tell you when the time comes.’ Blade walks around the back of the counter. He stands near me, taking out the store’s electronic tablet. He taps on the screen. ‘Although I’m not surprised your parents are bugging you again, I honestly thought you were upset about this…’ He presses play on movie file.

It’s a clip from the local news station. The presenter woman behind a long desk speaks seriously into the camera. ‘Another three people have been reported missing yesterday as the disappearance of citizens across the Centreland and Stray Islands of the Coasts continues to rise. So far, no official comment has been made from the Guardian’s Lord Neros or Lady Lethia on the matter, however extra Concords have been deployed around the Poridos area for added protection.’

Blade turns the screen off and stares into my eyes.

I add, ‘Not only Concords, Sentry officers too. They were lurking around this morning. They freak me out.’

‘Listen, I’m worried about you Mellea. You live so far away, what happens if you get picked off?’ He’s serious and his eyes are deep with fear.

I smile. ‘Don’t worry, there’s no way. Why would they take me of all people?’

Blade puts down the tablet. ‘Why have they been taking children? Why have they been taking older men? Whoever is behind this doesn’t care about that stuff, there’s no pattern. It’s unsafe. Please…come and stay over at my place, at least for tonight. I have a class this afternoon, but after I finish we’ll have a movie marathon, like we used to. I will give you my apartment key and you can wait there.’

To anyone else this would seem so sweet like he really cares about my safety. But I know him too well. This isn’t about the danger. It’s so obvious he’s feeling guilty for making new friends, for moving on, for ditching me. He’s been fidgety for weeks.

Still, a part of me wants to take up his offer. I would love to snuggle with him and be totally happy resting on the soft sheets of his bed with his arm around me, pretending I was his girlfriend in some sad way. But I know he has exams to study for. I can’t mess around in his life anymore.

I back out of the conversation. ‘It sounds great…but I can’t. Mr Horris needs help with his fruit collection today. I promised I would go and help him after work. And I should probably go home and make sure my parents haven’t killed each other.’

‘Another day then,’ Blade says. His face is almost relieved, but he tries not to show it.

He quickly suggests we get the day started. I was happy to, anything to take my mind off home, at least for a little while.

CHAPTER Three

My work shift goes fairly normally: long and slow.

We serve our usual upmarket customers weird shaped vases, abstract paintings and other random items that I don’t see the purpose of. Most buyers are solid deal makers. But I always leave that stuff to Blade. I do what I do best, unpacking boxes, checking stock and sweeping around his feet.

When Blade finally flicks the window sign to “closed” I finish the end of day tidy. Blade counts and then secures the money in the safe. I take off my apron and grab my bag and scooter from the back room.

We talk as we head out of the arcade and into the afternoon sun. I say goodbye to Blade as he heads towards his music college.

I keep walking straight down towards the train station. When I climb the stairs, I’m instantly met by a wall of people. I’m not even close to the south platform. Being peak hour it’s normally busy, but this is insane. I jump up and down trying to see what’s going on.

An announcement over the speaker says that all trains from Poridos City to Absotras have been halted due to an accident on the main line. Meaning all passengers from the city, going
any
direction, are going nowhere. The people on the platform crowd around the conductors yelling and pushing. Its rush hour too, the worst time for a major public transport stuff-up.

I move back down the stairs before I’m trampled to find a quiet spot. I reach into my bag and pull out my phone. I search for my mother’s name and hit the call icon. When it picks up, the image is unclear. I hit the side trying to get the flickering to stop. Finally, my mother’s face appears on the screen.

‘Hi Momma, it’s me.’ I say to her. ‘There’s been a hold up here at the trains; nothing is getting in or out of Poridos. It could be a while before they get it sorted. So I’m going to the ALS directly. I should have enough power in my scooter to make it, but I’ll have to walk home from Pekkin station. Oh and I said I would stop by Mr Horris’s house on the way to help with the fruit picking. So I will be late home.’

‘Sounds like a big mess!’ she says. ‘But that’s fine. I’m actually going over to Mr Horris’s to drop off a painting anyway. I will wait for you there.’

I end the call and unfold my scooter. I step on and hover out of Poridos. I travel down a long concrete path, taking the fastest route to Absotras. Eventually it turns into a dirt road alongside the lake hidden by trees. I prefer this way rather than having to go through the surrounding suburbs. Most of the directly outer housing groups aren’t much better than Pekkin, scum wise. They’re filled with people who can’t afford to live directly in Poridos, but they still want to be close. Residents there have to beg and scrape to be able to survive when they could easily afford a nicer place somewhere further away. But they don’t want to.

I putt along the dirt road. My mind is a million miles away. Until, that is, I hear a popping sound. At first I’m concerned it’s my scooter again. I slow down a bit. But the noise doesn’t stop, in fact it gets louder. I tilt my head upwards to follow it.

Above me, but a short distance to my right, flies a man on a blue flight board. He’s blond, wearing a grey bodysuit over his clothes and a pair of yellow goggles over his eyes. His mouth and nose are covered by a flap from the suit. He powers through the sky and does a few flips.

My eyes narrow. ‘What a show off,’ I mumble.

I start to turn away when I unexpectedly hear yelling. Two men on black flight boards are trailing after him. They wear dark bodysuits and black glasses. Both have a silver pistol in their hands. One of the men shoots at the blond guy. He flies up higher, but appears to be having trouble balancing.

He’s hurt.

The other man fires a shot that connects as with the blond man’s leg. He and his flight board lose altitude and strike the ground with a loud crash.

Both attackers stop for a moment. They hover above to observe the scene. One looks at the other, signals to him, and they both fly away. Without hesitation I jump off my scooter and fold it up. I run from the path and through the trees. I find the clearing where the man has landed and rush over to him.

I fall to my knees and begin to panic. He’s on his back, lying flat, not moving at all. I reach over, carefully. I want to pull the mask down to see if he’s breathing, I really believe he might be dead. Unexpectedly, he groans. I pull back. One of the man’s arms twitches and he cringes as he drags himself up. The mask covering his mouth gets pulled down by his left hand. He takes two deep breaths in and out. Carefully, but with a pained look, he tugs the yellow flying glasses off his face.

I’m stunned. He’s a lot younger than I’d first thought. Guessing I’d say nineteen or twenty years old tops. His face is soft creamy colour but pale from the attack. His eyes are a stunning and vibrant blue. I’ve never seen anything like them. He’s gorgeous.

Gradually he tilts his head towards me. ‘Who…are you?’ he asks huskily.

It takes me a moment to stop staring at this stunning specimen and answer. ‘Oh…I was travelling past and I saw you get shot. I came over to see if you were alive.’

Glancing towards the young man’s long legs, I gasp. The area where he’d been shot is bleeding. Blood drips from his boot onto the grass. He glances at his foot as well, but he’s surprisingly calm as if it has happened before. Jerking forward he unclips his feet from the flight board. Once free, he pulls himself backwards along the ground with a painful moan.

‘I should get you some help,’ I cry, fishing fiercely around my bag for my phone.

‘No. I do not need help. I am fine.’ The stubborn boy tries to stand and stumbles. I quickly leap up and grab him as he topples forward. He regains balance and glances down at me.

My eyes widen. Wow…He’s tall, really tall! I’m only in line with the middle of his ribs.

‘Why are you trying to assist me?’ he asks strongly.

‘You’re hurt. I can’t leave you here. Besides what if those people come back? Who were they anyway? I can’t believe they would shoot at you like that and in a public area as well.’

‘You talk too much.’ He groans, pulling away.

The young man starts to stumble through the trees towards the dirt road. I turn my head and notice he’s left his flight board behind. I try to pick it up, managing only to lift one side. It’s the first time I’ve held a board before. They’re surprisingly heavy.

I take the opportunity to study it quickly. It’s an advanced model with high powered levitation jets on the base. It’s also stunning in design. It’s long and almost stands as tall as me.

The board is painted in sparkling shades of blue with a yellow lightning bolt across the middle. The foot straps are black and I can see the directional peddles used to drive it. It’s an amazing piece of machinery, to say the least.

‘Hey, you forgot this,’ I yell, trying to keep up with the board dragging behind me. For someone who’s hurt, he’s managed to get rather far in a short amount of time.

‘I do not need it,’ he calls.

I frown, annoyed. I couldn’t save up for one if I wanted to and here’s this guy abandoning such a beautiful device like it’s nothing. He’s probably a rich boy from Poridos, no sense of value because his parents pay for everything.

‘You need to stop moving around!’

The boy pauses… to yell at me. ‘Listen to my words: put the board down and go away!’ He then keeps moving.

‘No…no… you listen to
me
!’ The board’s weight is dragging me down. I have to let it go. Running in front the young man I stick my arms out at shoulder height and scrunch my face. He stops. ‘I’m not going to turn you into the local Concords or anything. Obviously I understand that being shot at means you’re involved in something shady and that’s why you’re reluctant for help. But if you give me your address I will help you get home, then maybe you can call your own doctor or something.’

The young man slowly twists his head to the side. His blue eyes study me curiously. ‘Are you being serious…?’

I nod once.

He walks around me and steps onto the path I was travelling down when he crashed. Sluggishly, he lifts his arm and points back towards Poridos.

‘Do you see up on that hill?’ the young man asks. ‘I live there.’

I follow the line he’s drawing with his arm. I glance to the north and a shiver runs up my spine. He’s pointing at Guardian’s Tower. I stand staring at it glimmering away in the afternoon sun. I frown at him, then back, then at the guy again.

‘Please… tell me that you’re joking…’

CHAPTER Four

I stand there in total shock. The young man’s face comes into view. He has a concerned expression. Deliberately he waves his hand over my face to get my attention. I snap out of the blank stare.

‘There’s no way that can be right!’ I shout. I forcefully rub my temples, hundreds of images leaping around my brain.

I try to put the facts into some sort of coherent order. First, we have a good looking, tall guy with blond hair, perfect skin and eyes like no other. Second, he was flying around on an expensive flight board, definitely not made for amateurs. Third, he was being shot at by mysterious men wearing black. Fourth, he claims he lives in the Guardian’s Tower.

‘I’ve got it,’ I say, smacking my fist down onto the opposite palm. The young man looks at me. It’s been a while since I have spoken. ‘You’re Successor Arin Montarus, the oldest son of the Guardians, right? I read about you in the paper. Well I was trying to read but my Da was sort of blocking the image of you and your new bride…’

The young man’s face quickly creases. He says strongly, ‘I most certainly am
not
Arin, you ignorant commoner! I am Successor
Leo
Montarus. I am the middle son of Lord Neros and Lady Lethia, Guardians of Selestia. Arin is my
older
brother… honestly, how dim-witted can you be?’ he mutters.

For some reason, when Leo says those words, when
he
declares he’s really a Guardian, reality kicks in harder than ever. I take a step back as my father’s voice rushes into my head.
Corruption, blood and slavery
… I quickly feel like I’m in danger. My Da would not like me talking to him like this, I need to get away.

Leo reaches down the top of his body suit and I quickly shield my head. When I look back at him, I realise he hasn’t pulled out a gun. He has a phone. I put my arms down. I feel stupid. Before when I thought he was a rich boy I was calm. Now I’m suddenly ducking like he is going to have me thrown in jail.

Leo lifts the phone to his ear. He waits for an answer. After a moment of silence he says, ‘Yes, it is me. Yes. I am south east of the Northern River. Understood.’ With that he hangs up. ‘My personal officers of Sentry will be here soon,’ Leo tells me. ‘You should continue on your way.’