See How She Runs (19 page)

He bent over me and kissed the top of my
head, exhaling slowly. He looked like he was about to say
something, but instead just muttered, “Good night." Then he moved
out of my way. I looked over at him and smiled as I made my way
into the room.

That night I dreamed of Kennan. Luckily,
this time, we were fully clothed.

**********

He was sitting next to me on a porch swing.
Both of us had aged at least twenty years. He looked down at me and
whispered the words from his ward early that evening. Out in the
yard I saw men in black suits approaching.

I started to panic and turned back to where
Kennan was sitting only to find Xavier in his place. He reached his
hand out to brush my cheek the way Kennan had done earlier that
evening. I cringed away, not wanting to sully the memory of Kennan
with the filth of Xavier. He laughed coldly. I was struck by how
similar their laughs sounded. One was like a warm summer breeze
while the other was the ice of winter.

I turned back to the men in the yard as they
pulled Kennan away. I wanted to call out to him, but my vocal
chords had been muted. Xavier pulled out a box and said he had a
present for me. As I opened the box, I was pulled inside like some
strange magic trick.

I looked up to see Xavier peering over the
side of the box, smiling as he closed the lid, trapping me in a
dark small space. I screamed and screamed, knowing no one would
ever save me and I would perish in the dark alone.

**********

EIGHTEEN

I was shaken awake by both Ian and Kennan.
They were both bent over me making my small room seem suddenly
miniscule. I shot up out of bed and ran into the living room hoping
to gain some space and room to breathe. I felt as though my nerves
had been sanded raw. I knew deep down that it had been a dream and
not a vision. My subconscious seemed to drudge up all of the fears
I had repressed. I wiped at my eyes, angry that even in my sleep,
Xavier was able to frighten me.

The guys came into the room and approached
me like I was some sort of wounded animal. Ian seemed to be trying
to avert his eyes from me, and Kennan had a heat burning in his. I
realized then that I was standing in the living room wearing only a
silky nighty. I had not felt like digging through my clothes that
night and had just put on the first thing I found. I looked up into
Kennan’s eyes and saw concern and lust warring with one
another.

“Sorry, I broke the pinky promise," I said
to Kennan, not knowing what else to say.

Ian snickered and Kennan grabbed a quilt
from the couch and wrapped it around me. Once I was covered, it
seemed that both guys were able to regain their composure.

“Are you okay, Iz?” Kennan asked, his voice
laced with concern.

“It was just a nightmare. Not like a vision
nightmare, just the normal kind. You didn’t see it?" I asked,
wondering how he had not known what I was dreaming.

He cleared his throat before answering. “No,
I thought it best for me to stay out of your dreams for a while,"
he said, leaving the obvious unspoken.

I blushed, knowing that my graphic
imagination was what kept him from walking in my dreams with
me.

“Soooooooooo, yeah, just a nightmare. I am
good now. I will just go back in there. Okay? Okay," I said as I
tried to make my way back to my room. Both men suddenly blocked my
way. Seriously, I was beginning to think a mountain range was
forming in front of my bedroom. I stopped and looked at both men
quizzically.

“It is already five in the morning. You woke
us up Little Bit, so you have to stay up now. Plus I am hungry,
maybe you could fix me some breakfast?" Ian said as his stomach
grumbled.

I rolled my eyes. “You know Kennan is a way
better cook than I am, Ian. Plus that is just sexist. You should be
ashamed," I said blearily, wishing I could go back to sleep for a
while.

“The puppy dog eyes don’t work on him
though," Ian said, making his eyes look sad.

“Newsflash bud, they don’t work on me
either," I muttered as I turned toward Kennan. “Do I really have to
stay awake? I am tired," I whined, trying my own puppy dog eyes
out.

“Your big, sad eyes only slightly work on
me, and yes, you have to stay awake. Ian and I came up with a
training program for you last night, and it is best if we start
soon. That way you can get in a full day’s work. You up for it,
champ?" Kennan asked as he moved to put his arm around my shoulder.
I looked up at him and snarled.

“I promise I will fix you breakfast, and I
already made some coffee. See, I take care of you," Kennan crooned
as he smiled pleadingly.

“Fine, but I am getting dressed first," I
grumbled as I tried to make my way into the room almost tripping
over the quilt in the process.

By the time I was dressed in some workout
clothes, I could smell bacon frying and coffee being brewed. I made
my way out of the room, and just about fell over laughing. My eyes
were met with a vision I could not quite shake.

Ian had taken on the persona of Richard
Simmons himself. He was sporting a royal purple pair of shorty
shorts, a sparkly tank top and sweat bands on his wrists and
forehead. I snorted and my laughter drew his attention.

“Don’t be jealous. I look fantastic. You
only wish you could work these shorts," he said, lifting his leg
up, making his shorts all but indecent.

“How do you ever get dates Ian, seriously?"
I snickered, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“The ladies love a man who isn’t afraid to
where some sparkle," Ian said, winking at me.

“Riiiiggghhhht. Maybe you are still stuck in
the disco era. Did you do too many drugs back when free love was
the thing?" I asked, hoping that too many acid trips might be to
blame for his abysmal choice in clothing.

“I just say no. Thank you very much," Ian
huffed.

I moved toward the kitchen and was stopped
in my tracks by the sight of Kennan. Now there was a man who knew
how to dress, or not dress for the matter. Kennan stood in the
kitchen wearing a pair of running shorts and nothing else. His
tattoos were the only thing clothing his torso. God, I wanted to
lick every single one of them. I must have been gawking, because
Ian bumped into my shoulder and leaned down to whisper in my
ear.

“See something you like?” he asked
cheekily.

I just shot him a glare before moving to the
table where Kennan was dishing up breakfast for everyone. I took a
huge drink of my coffee hoping to clear my throat and calm my
nerves. Instead, I burnt my tongue and almost spewed coffee all
over the table.

It looked to be another banner day for Izzy
Boone.

“So, what is on my training agenda sensei?"
I asked Kennan, hoping my voice did not sound as strained as I
thought it did.

Kennan cleared his throat, so I was busted
after all.

“Well, first we are going for a trail run.
Then we are going to work on some basic self-defense which is where
Ian comes in. He is a hand to hand combat instructor for the
Council. Almost all new Guardians and Seers go through his courses.
Then, you and I will work on wards.”

“Sounds like a full day. What about my mom’s
ceremony?" I asked.

“We were going to do that this evening
around a bonfire.” Ian said before shaking himself from whatever
memory had pulled him under.

“Well eat up there champ, we are going to
run you ragged today," Kennan said before plopping down next to me
with a plate piled high.

After breakfast, I went back to my room to
find some running shoes and found a pair of trail runners. I just
shook my head at the preparedness of Kennan. I was kind of
terrified of running with the two brutes out in the living room.
They were at least a foot taller than me and both were in way
better physical condition than I was. To be honest, I was even more
terrified of the hand to hand combat training later on. I had never
hit anyone in my life. I shook off my apprehension and went out to
meet the guys.

“Ready, Red?" Kennan asked, shaking his legs
out like he couldn’t wait to lope through the forest.

“Yeah, think you can keep up, Little Bit?"
Ian asked before darting out the door.

“Do I need any mental wards today?" I asked,
wondering if I would be safe without them. Having the connection
severed felt unnatural.

“Do you need them, or do you think you can
block them if they try and hack in?" Kennan asked.

“I think I can block them. I know what it
feels like now when someone is trying to hack my head. So if I
start to feel it and I can’t stop it I will let you know. Does that
work?”

“I don’t think they will try now at any
rate. I have had you stashed away up here for a while now. They are
probably searching for other means to find you now," Kennan said
before walking out the door in front of me.

I stepped out and was greeted by the return
of grey skies and drizzle. The rain was icy against my skin making
me wonder if it had come straight down from the North Pole. I
shivered and looked over to the two men who would train me. Kennan
was the shirtless wonder and Ian was the strangely dressed
accessory.

“Bah, it is so cold out here," I whined.
Temperate rainforest my bum, this place was cold.

“It wouldn’t be cold if you got your tushy
moving," Ian mocked.

I just glared at him as I tried to warm
up.

“Well, you lead the way since you are so
pumped. Or should we try some jazzercise first?" I said with a
smile.

“You really should not have asked that. He
taught jazzercise in the eighties you know?" Kennan said, trying to
talk so Ian could not hear what he was saying.

“I won instructor of the year," Ian crooned.
“Truth be told, I did it for the ladies in the skimpy outfits
bouncing around," he said with an eyebrow wiggle.

“Well with that awesome mental picture,
let’s hop to it. Otherwise I will turn into an Izzy-cicle and be
useless," I smiled as I headed out toward the woods, hoping that I
was heading in the right direction.

Ian cut in front of me and Kennan moved to
flank me like it was some sort of military formation. We ran that
way for a couple of miles, until the trail narrowed and we were
forced to run single file. I was surprised that I was able to run
as far as I did. I guess all of that pedaling back in Chicago
combined with my hiking trips here had kept me in better shape than
I thought. I still did not like it though. Running without
something bad chasing me seemed to be a waste of energy.

“Hey, can you growl or something?" I huffed
out toward Kennan as he ran behind me.

“What?" he asked, not winded at all.

The bastard.

“Well,” I huffed, “it might make running
easier if something is chasing me," I said.

“Oh, you don’t want me chasing you, Lass.
You wouldn’t like it if I caught you," Kennan all but purred.

Well, cheese on a cracker, what was I
supposed to do with that? I turned and looked over my shoulder
suddenly feeling playful. If he felt like throwing down a
challenge, I would pick it right up.

“Catch me if you can," I said, the bravado a
little ruined with my lack of breath.

I sprinted away rushing passed Ian. I was
awarded with a confused look from him before Kennan went flying
passed him. I realized the stupidity of my challenge. Of course he
could catch me.

Maybe I should do the zigzag formation. That
was what zebras and the like did when being chased by lions. Why
shouldn’t it work for me? So I started doing just that. I zigged
and zagged through the trees, hoping to lose my opponent only to
hear raucous laughter behind me.

“What in the world are you doing, Izzy?"
Kennan asked between laughs.

“Evasive maneuvers," I puffed out, only to
be answered with more laughter. “Laugh all you want, but you still
haven’t caught me," I spouted.

Suddenly, I was airborne and over Kennan’s
shoulder. Sometimes I forgot they had that whole inhuman speed
thing. Then it dawned on me, he had been toying with me. He could
have caught me anytime he wanted. I beat on his back trying to get
him to put me down and was rewarded with a swat to my behind.

“What the devil, Kennan O’Malley, you did
NOT just spank me," I sputtered.

“Well, quit squirming and I won’t do it
again," he said. So I quit squirming, and remained draped over his
shoulder like a limp rag doll. He slid me down the front of him,
never breaking the contact of our bodies.

He looked down at me like a lion looks at
its prey and I was suddenly nervous. As much as I had lusted after
him the past few days, I had never really thought about what it
would mean to be the focus of such a man’s attentions. I looked up
at him wide eyed wondering what he would do next. He bent over and
moved my hair aside. His breath was hot against my rain chilled
skin caused tremors to echo through my body.

“I caught you, little mouse. Now what should
I do with you?" he growled in my ear like the monster I had asked
him to be.

“Umm, don’t eat me?" I squeaked out. I meant
for it to be a statement but it came out a question instead.

“Oh, but you would like it," Kennan said
with his hand tangled in the base of my hair. He pulled back to
look at my face and smiled. Then he stepped away from me, leaving
me a pile of ashes. I was grateful for the freezing rain, hoping
that it might act like a cold shower.

Ian cleared his throat, and Kennan and I
both looked in his direction. Kennan looked irritated at the
interruption while I tried to look anywhere else and regain my
composure.

“If the two of you are quite finished, I
think we have some training to do," Ian said before trotting off in
the direction of the cabin.

“Race you back," Kennan said with a
smirk.