Son of Eden, a Paranormal Romance (30 page)

Alexander wasted no time in addressing his fellow comrades.

“Brothers and sisters, the time is nearing for the battle to begin. With the first onset of rain will come the attack of our enemy.” The boom in Alexander’s voice matched that of the thunder above. “I will remind you that the Opposition will use modern weaponry to their advantage. It is one of the only ways to defeat us. You will prove successful if you remember to disarm your attacker immediately, and if possible disassemble the weapon in the process. We have trained for this and I know you are all competent when it comes to disabling most types of guns.” Alexander scanned the crowd letting his eyes make contact with as many Guardians as possible.

“Staves have been strategically placed alongside each tree within a hundred yard radius of this house; use them wisely. If you are impaled with an object I advise you to shift forms and seek safety to remove the object before it heals within you. I do not wish to see any of you defeated and we all know that once we cannot shift forms we lose an advantage.” Alexander paused, letting his words of warning penetrate.

He had given many speeches to Guardians before battle, but this time more was riding on the outcome than ever before.

“I know that many of you may question why this battle concerns you, why you should be here to defend what could be perceived as only one Guardian’s problem, my problem. Let me remind you of the words spoken by our Governing Five. Though we may not know the exact reasons, Emily’s fate is tied to our own. There is a purpose in her survival. May you be present to greet the first rays of light from the new dawn that approaches us all, to bask in the warmth that you will earn by your efforts on this dark night.”

Alexander’s words stirred Emily’s heart. She felt inspired and knew the Guardians must have felt the same. It was no wonder Alexander was a general for his kind. He was not only skilled in fighting, but he inspired and uplifted those that followed him.

It was also the first time Emily felt empowered by the concept that, for some reason, her fate was tied to the Guardians. She still had no idea as to how she could do anything for them or why she was now linked to their future.

“There must be purpose in all of this. I must be important in some way… possibly….”

Emily looked over the crowd of Guardians that had come to ensure her safety.

Words could not express her gratitude, and she wished that time had permitted her to thank each one of them individually. She cringed at the thought that some might not be around for her to do so afterward. Some of them could die, and there was no question whether she would feel responsible.

Emily pushed the thought from her mind; she was trying to be more positive, like her father. Her attention was drawn back to Alexander’s words that echoed though her ears.

“There is no human on earth that can match your skill in combat. You are the elite; you were created for this. Let your motions be swift, your strikes powerful and set your eyes upon your goal. Let no Guardian feel the coldness of this night. Allow your fires to burn within you, to fuel your every move, your every thought. This night let us only know victory, now carry it out!”

All the Guardians erupted in a loud cheer. It was like watching a herd of wild mustangs, ready to stampede out of a corral they were penned in.

The Guardians quickly dispersed throughout the trees surrounding the home. Emily watched as they each went to a previously designated spot. She was so amazed to see how swiftly and stealthily they all moved. It reminded her of watching some movie with ninja warriors who always seemed to move so gracefully and fast. It was beyond human capability.

Alexander wrapped his arm around Emily’s shoulders, his familiar warmth seeping through her clothes and onto her skin.

Pulling her tight, he whispered in her ear, “Let’s get you inside.”

As they turned to walk inside Emily gave one last glance over her shoulder to the few Guardians that were still visible from the deck.

“Please let all of them survive.”

“Don’t worry, they are trained for this, this is their purpose.” Alexander had a knack for knowing her thoughts.

Once inside the house, Alexander and Xavier made a thorough sweep checking all the windows and doors. Emily felt like she just might suffocate from the darkness that surrounded her. Not a hint of natural light penetrated the house and it was depressing. She felt like some animal trapped in a cage. She knew Alexander had closed her in to protect her, however, if someone did break through the fortifications, Emily was certain the house would be a death trap, with no way to escape.

Standing silently in the living room, Emily concentrated on breathing. The air felt heavy and stuffy, like every breath of air she took in added a pound of weight to her body. Her father stood by her side with his arm around her, methodically rubbing her shoulder. Alexander and Xavier returned as the first raindrops thudded down upon the roof. Everyone held their breath in anticipation. It was only a moment until the rain got louder and heavier. The sky unleashed its fury, as though it too wanted to join in the fight.

Emily watched as Alexander bowed his head either to pray or to give himself an encouraging pep talk. But, when he raised his head and their eyes locked, she knew that had not been his purpose.

“It begins, they are on the property.”

“Can you see the number more clearly, Brother?”

Alexander did not turn to meet Xavier’s eyes. Instead he kept them firmly on Emily, waiting for her reaction. “There are close to eighty.”

Emily gasped. “Eighty…that’s so many…too many.” She shook her head in disbelief.

The Guardians were clearly outnumbered. It would be as Emily feared. Someone was going to die and it was going to be some of them, maybe even her. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind, but it was impossible at this point and she felt her knees growing weak.

Alexander rushed to her side and pulled her close, supporting her weight. He stroked her long brown hair a few times and then grabbed her shoulders, moving her to where he could see her eyes.

“Don’t be frightened, this will end soon and we’re all going to make it.”

“You’re outnumbered by almost thirty armed men.”

“Do you believe in me?” Alexander questioned her, hunting her eyes for the answer.

“What?”

“Believe in me. There is no force on this earth that will ever be strong enough to keep me from protecting you.” Alexander pulled her back into his embrace giving her a firm kiss on the head.

Emily felt the anxieties melt away with the touch of his lips. Her body relaxed in his arms. She let her mind wander, envisioning them together, embracing like this at the top of the Eiffel tower. Then it was the two of them in Rome, and then again, on a sunny tropical beach. She longed for them to have the experiences they desired. There was still so much Emily wanted to do with Alexander, so much she needed from him.

She nuzzled in as close as she could for a few seconds, breathing his scent in deeply.

The loud pop from a gun being fired snapped Emily out of her trance. She could no longer pretend she was somewhere else.

There weren’t as many guns firing as Emily had expected.

“That’s good. Maybe that means the Guardians are getting to their opponents before they’re expecting it.”

Emily could feel the change in Alexander’s muscles, they were flexed and tense. She knew that he was on guard, ready for the unexpected. There was another gun shot outside, but this time it was closer. In fact it sounded like it came from right outside the front door.

Alexander swung Emily around to his back as he reached out and caught a bow that Xavier had launched in his direction.

“Get behind the counter.” Alexander motioned toward the kitchen, but kept his body in the living room facing the front door.

Emily’s father was quick to obey the command and rushed over to grab Emily. He pulled her behind the kitchen counter and ducked down. His attempt to force her to the floor was futile, Emily wholly resisted. She wanted to see what was going on. She had to keep her eyes on Alexander.

A deafening thud at the front door made Emily jump. She could hear men shouting outside. She glanced over each and every extra lock and metal plank that were placed on the heavy wooden door.

Her father continued to pull at her arm. His tugs were more earnest, but stopped when a second loud slam came from the front door. It sounded like a battering ram had hit, causing the dense wood to crack under the assault.

Prickles rippled down Emily’s spine.

“They’re going to get in.”

Her hands squeezed the counter tightly. She felt her fingers grow cold as all the blood was forced from them.

There was one last smash against the front door and then it came crashing down, off its frame. Small fragments of wood flew in all directions as three men rushed through the entrance that was created.

Xavier and Alexander sprang into action, immediately leaping upon the men like a team of panthers. Emily glanced at the front door looking for the device that these men must have used to break down the door. She couldn’t find any sort of object, nothing was there except a large figure standing eerily still in the shadows.

Gunfire made Emily jump as the plaster from a nearby wall exploded. She looked around to see where the bullet came from. She realized it must have been a misfire from a man that now lay on his back, screaming in pain as he held his abnormally bent arm in the air. Xavier had disarmed him and now moved in on a new man who was crossing the threshold.

Emily snapped her head to the far right to see how Alexander was doing.

He had already rendered two men unconscious and was in the process of taking on two more that had just entered the house simultaneously. His motions were too quick for Emily to see his every movement. It only took one swift blow from his forearm and an abrupt drive of his knee, and the man that was rushing at him now lay motionless on the ground.

Alexander spun around catching the second man’s hand in midair. Twisting his opponent’s arm, he gave a hard kick to the man’s chest and the enemy fell to his knees. Alexander finished him off with a hard uppercut to the jaw.

At this point, Xavier had finished with his attacker and in what seemed like less than a minute, six men were defeated in their attempts to attack those inside the house.

Everyone’s eyes now went back to the door, waiting to see how many more men would rush in but instead, they saw the large figure standing there watching the fight.

Xavier did not waste a moment, as he was closest to the door. He leapt into the air, coming down hard, his fist driving into the neck of the stranger. His punch was met with a solid thud as the figure jammed his forearm into Xavier’s chest, throwing him backward.

The Guardian’s back slammed into the wall revealing a large dent as his body slid down to the floor. He clung to his chest, the pain in his face made it apparent that he was badly injured.

Emily shrieked.

“How can that be? There’s no way a human could hurt a Guardian with one punch.”

As if Emily’s cry was a needed introduction, the tall figure emerged from the shadows and into the illuminated entryway.

To say that Emily was shocked was a severe understatement.

The stranger that stood before them was one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen. He was tall, possibly a good two inches taller than Alexander and had a similar build, with a thick burly chest and round defined arms. His skin looked to be as smooth as silk. The strong features on his face were perfectly straight, like they were painted on by a master artist. Long black hair flowed down past his shoulders, glistening in the light as if it had diamonds in each strand.

Emily glanced at his eyes. They were a large almond shape but what was unique about them was their piercing yellow color. The coloring might have frightened her if not for the fact that his eyes shimmered like they were made with flakes of gold.

“
Yellow eyes. An Ancient One!”

Emily felt the muscles in her entire body clench and the heat drain from her face.

The Ancient One took a few more steps into the home, giving a kick to one of the men that lay unconscious on the ground. He had a broad smile on his face and it became clear that these men were only pawns to him. He didn’t care if they were injured or even dead, it made no difference to him. The men that were awake quietly fled the scene, they were injured badly enough that it had obviously doused their determination.

“Quite impressive.” The man’s voice was low and deep, but rich with sincere praise.

Alexander adjusted his footing. He kept his arms slightly outstretched, ready to react at any moment. Xavier had gotten to his feet but still held his chest, wincing in pain.

The Ancient One stepped over another man, glancing down at him in disgust. His eyes darted back to Alexander.

“I have heard that you are a great warrior. It is a privilege to see you in action for myself.”

Alexander inched back, repositioning his stance, his fists forming into tight balls. He kept his eyes locked on the enemy.

“Why so tense Alexander? Is this the greeting you give all your brothers?”

“You are not my brother,” Alexander spat.

“Oh, but I am, I am. You seem to have been misled when it comes to who is kin and who is not.”

The Ancient One’s eyes burned deep into Emily, emphasizing who he was referencing with his last words. He glanced back to face Alexander.

“I am Dante, your real brother. There is no need to be on the defense. I come with no intentions of battle, only a simple invitation. Come now Alexander, talk with me.”

“You lie! I know your purpose and I am telling you now that you won’t get near her.”

Dante raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side. “The girl? I have no interest in Emily. My purpose for this visit has to do with you and you alone. Humans are mere cattle. We call them Travelers for a reason. This is only one stop along their eternal journey. They are ever changing, shifting, moving. They are not steady and constant like us, Brother. No, I have no interest in humans. I am only interested in what lasts, in that which withstands eternity; not what merely travels through it. You are destined for great things little Brother, magnificent things. Let me show you.” Dante took a step toward Alexander and offered his hand.