Daughter of Earth (Tales of the Guardian) (22 page)

“He is?”

“Just as friend’s, Dad. That’s all. I’m not straying from my commitment. I almost said no because I didn’t want to get his hopes up; but the thought of a normal evening was too appealing. Besides, I think he accepts I’m in a relationship.”

Her father nodded his head. “Rob’s a good guy, and a loyal friend. Just make sure he understands your feelings toward him. I’m not sure he’s ever truly come to terms with you being with Alexander.”

“I know. I promise I’ll tread lightly. I do care about him. Just not in the way I care about Alexander.”

Emily went to her room to get ready. Staring at the clothes in her closet she struggled to find something to wear. It hadn’t taken long for her to grow accustomed to elegant and long gowns and now the wardrobe before her seemed foreign.

She finally settled on a more casual knee length cotton dress and it seemed like a happy medium.

Attempting a woven bun in her hair like Olivia had been doing only resulted in disappointment.

“How on earth does she do that?”

After a second failed try she pulled her hair into a half pony and called it good, finishing just in time to hear the doorbell.

Rob decided on a restaurant within walking distance and Emily welcomed the chance for a leisurely stroll and light, easy conversation.

Dinner was delightful and filling. Her time with Rob was satisfying to her spirit and that was what really made the night feel good. She’d forgotten how nice of a friend he really was. It was hard not to feel extremely guilty about her previous actions involving him.

Once Alexander had entered her life she’d run off like a love struck teenager and her visits and time with Rob grew few and far between. It was a sudden change and one she knew had left him wondering what on earth had happened. But the truth was  he knew exactly what had occurred and that was why it hurt him all the more.

   Time had passed quickly and before the two knew it, they had spent an entire hour just sitting and talking after their meal. The only clue they had that their conversation had gone for so long was the inquisitive glances they kept getting from the worried hostess. It was apparent she needed the table and was wondering when they might leave.

   “I think we’re getting the signal we’ve worn out our welcome,” Emily motioned toward the front with a nod of her head.

   “Well, for the price of food here we should be entitled to stay as long as we want,” he winked. “But we probably should get going,”

   They gathered their items and exited the restaurant, heading north toward Emily’s building. It was only a few blocks away but they took their time.

   “Do you want to stroll through Central Park?” Rob asked patting his stomach. “I could use some more time to walk off this dinner. I really stuffed myself.”

    “I know what you mean.”

   They made a slight course correction when they neared the street that would have led to her apartment, and instead headed for Central Park.

   The warm summer breeze seemed to have a crisp and cool freshness to it, without the muggy dampness it typically carried during the season. It was the first sign fall was just around the corner.

   They continued with lighthearted conversation, but when Rob asked about college related things Emily tried her best to change the subject as quickly as possible so she wouldn’t have to lie. She hated to lie. More importantly, she was beginning to resent the fact she needed to lie. Why did everything have to be so secretive? When
would
humans be allowed to know what was going on? Aldara said the day was coming but Emily wanted to know how close the day actually was.

   “So, since my dad has you so busy at work do you get to go out and enjoy yourself much? Sounds like you’re functioning like a 40-year-old workaholic. That’s got to wear on you,” she asked, trying to deter his inquisitions regarding dorm life.

   “Yeah, I get out here and there. I guess the real problem isn’t your dad. It’s that I like what I do too much. Work has really become my best friend,” he gave an embarrassed chuckle.

   “I don’t think loving what you do is a bad thing, but at 22 Rob, you’ve got to get out and socialize more. Date! How are you going to start that big family you told me you wanted so much, if you don’t even date?”

   Emily saw the irony in her statement. Here was the ultimate hermit giving advice about socializing. It was also ironic because she knew Rob had attempted to date, he had tried to date
her
and it was because of her things hadn’t worked out like he wanted.

   “Dating just seems a little far off for me still. I’m really just figuring things out on my own, throwing a girl or a relationship into the mix might not be the best idea right now.”

   She’d wanted to hear he had a love interest, or had been on some dates. It created a little tinge of pain to think he possibly wasn’t dating because of her. She desperately hoped this was not the case.

   Emily hadn’t been paying much attention to her surroundings until suddenly something inside her seemed off. It felt like a heaviness or slight cramp in her stomach.

   Her other senses kicked in and she was now very aware of the smells and sounds around her. The wet grass gave off a heady scent and the buzzing swarm of mosquitoes nearby seemed to echo like tiny jet planes in her ears.

   The sudden alertness made her head jerk and she was instantly investigating the grounds around her.

   “
I wasn’t trying to access my core, was I?”

   It was only a second or two before she spotted the tall dark figure looming off to the side, slightly hidden by the shadow of a bridge.

   Rob didn’t notice the man at all as he continued walking and carrying on with his explanation. He went a few paces more before he realized Emily had stopped.

   She stood frozen as the man in the shadows emerged like some panther stalking its prey. His movements were graceful yet powerful. He didn’t need to fully step into the light from the overhead lamp for her to know who he was, or actually what he was.

   This was why her senses had awakened, as though her core could recognize danger before she was even aware. It was her internal warning mechanism. Her core truly was an amazing thing, even the fraction of it she was using now.

   Rob’s words fell mid-sentence the moment he turned around and saw the man walking briskly toward them.

   Emily felt her panic spiral upward but she remained calm as she coaxed herself to tap into the control she experienced while meditating.

   Running was useless and she imagined it would only provoke the man. Though she had grown up in the city she still knew the most important rule of the wild. Never turn your back and run from a predator. It was safer to steady her stance, and to try to appear just as big and ferocious as the animal. This figure seemed no different than some savage beast and she would do her best to appear just as intimidating.

   Alexander was bound to arrive at any moment. He must’ve received a vision already, she just has to hold out for a moment or two before help would arrive.

   The Ancient One was just an arms distance from her.

   “Hello, Emily.” His voice was deep and rich.

   It carried some type of accent but not one she could recall ever hearing before. His dialect sounded closest to a Germanic one but she knew that wasn’t it.

   His eyes shimmered a beautiful golden yellow color but she knew just how quickly that beauty could change. She’d witnessed it for herself when Dante decided he was done pretending, when he no longer wished to persuade and manipulate Alexander.

   Emily glanced nervously to both sides. “
Where is Alexander? He should be here. He should have gotten a vision. He should be here!”

  
“He’s not coming, Emily. None of them are.” Sandros didn’t sound threatening. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he was attempting to comfort her.

   “Excuse me, but I don’t think we know you. You don’t know him, right?” Rob placed his foot between her and the Ancient One.

   “They’re not coming because I have no plans to harm you. I am only here to talk. That is all,” Sandros smiled widely, as he completely ignored Rob’s presence.

Emily’s eyes locked with his. She failed to recognize Rob’s attendance as well. She shook her stare free for a moment.

“No, its fine Rob. I know him; um, maybe just wait over there for a minute so we can talk.” She pointed to a bench about 25 yards away.

“This guy just said he wasn’t here to hurt you. Saying something like that is the first indication he’s crazy,” He grabbed her upper arm and gave it a tug. “Let’s go.”

“No,” she raised her voice, shaking her arm free from his grip. “I’m fine, just please give me a minute.” Her tone was demanding, quite unlike her.

 Part of her wanted to take off but her instincts told her it would turn into an ill-fated chase if she didn’t hold her ground. Either way, things were dangerous. If she was going to die, she would die fighting. She was done being a coward and the rage she’d carried these past months since her father’s incident fueled the fire inside her.

And although she was silently prepping herself for some sort of physical struggle another part of her was saying she needed to stay calm and not jump to conclusions. He said he wasn’t going to hurt her and oddly, she trusted that.

Rob peered at each of their faces, trying desperately to get a handle on the odd and strange turn of events.

“You want to talk to this guy, fine, but I’m only stepping back a few feet. Something’s just not right about this,” his voiced cracked faintly as his nerves began to set in.

“Whatever, that’s fine then,” she turned back to look at the Ancient One.

A familiar calmness slowly crept into her body. It reminded her of the not too distant experience with Dante, and once again she felt helpless to rid herself of the sensation. Soon Rob would be feeling the invisible drug as well, and there would be no more arguments from his lips as the eerie relaxation was bound to paralyze him.

She no longer wondered if these Ancient Ones had some hypnotic ability. The question now became how long the effect could last. Was there a time limitation?

Something inside Emily was telling her the situation was being rushed, he could probably only manage people for so long.

“I know it’s hard to believe I won’t hurt you, not currently. You can see that’s the truth by the lack of Guardians around.”

He was right, Emily felt sure that regardless of what was going on between them, Alexander would be here if he had received a vision she was to be harmed.

“So what do you want?”

“To talk. I am afraid you have some misconceptions and I wish to right them for you.”

“Misconceptions? I think everything seems pretty clear to me, I’ve seen your kind before. I know how you work.”

“Are you sure of that? Alexander hasn’t been completely honest with you. He has fed you the same lies he’s been told. So you can’t really blame him,” Sandros spoke very softly; his tone was rhythmic like the ticking of a clock.

“If anyone fed him lies, it was Dante,” Emily sneered; she was surprised with how powerful her hatred truly was.

 It was an Ancient One who had stabbed her father that night, almost killing him. She’d wanted revenge these past months and though she knew she could not adequately deliver it, the desire acted as a potent poison now coursing through her, empowering her with the confidence and bravery to look Sandros in the eyes and stand toe to toe with him. Revenge was a commanding emotion but it was dark and could easily get Emily in trouble. Damarus spoke briefly about this with her, yet her mind seemed foggy in the presence of this Ancient One, so his counsel was harder to remember.