Stone Guardian (3 page)

Never see her again…

She finished her preparations and left her apartment.

He would now need to follow to her father’s house. It was harder to hide there, more chance of discovery, but there was no choice. She would not be allowed leave his protection as long as he watched, not even to exchange it for the protection of her family. They were human guardians, yes, but he trusted her to no one else.

He watched the front entrance for her exit. It took only moments before she emerged from the building and went toward the side street where her car waited for her.

The wind changed. With the shift the smell assailed him. Decomposition, death, rotting flesh and decay.

Zombies.

Larissa…

This hard pit in his stomach, this weakness in his limbs, this ice in his veins that threatened to stop his heart, this was unknown. Never, not even as a fledgling warrior, had he been so powerless.

Rage, though, rage was a familiar companion, and the rage he welcomed, let it engulf these other sensations and bury them deep. A white and blinding wave overwhelmed all in its path and directed itself at those that would hurt what was his to protect.

They dare come after her?

They dare?

A bellow clawed its way from his throat. He ran the length of the roof and with a snap of his wings, plummeted toward his enemies.

*****

Her brothers were going to kill her. No way around it, she was a marked woman.

Subtle Dad wasn’t. Sad thing was, her father wasn’t the hairiest matchmaker she had ever seen. That honor belonged to her third grade teacher Mrs. Donovan, who had tried to match up every single father with her unmarried daughter. Even her widowed father hadn’t been able to escape the madness.

But Dad could scheme with the best of them. Would Dad really force all her brothers to work the despised Friday night shift so he could set up his daughter on a blind date?

Why yes, yes he would.

Larissa gave a loud exhale as she left the safety of her building and marched forth to yet another set-up. The coffee shop across the street was still open and Larissa faltered, a hot chocolate calling her name. No, better not. If she didn’t hurry, her brothers would come to carry her bodily to wherever this Nick was, not unlike the traditional virgin sacrifice.

They really hated working the Friday night shifts.

Not that she wanted to go. It had been tough to leave the little haven of her apartment tonight. The night was crystal clear with a moon so bright and big there was a chance of touching it. The air was crisp and fragrant with the scent of the dampened oak leaves carpeting all the once green grassy areas.

And there was the presence of her phantom companion. It had to be her family’s paranoia about her living alone catching up to her, but these last couple months she had been living with a constant presence. Maybe if the feeling scared her she would be more wary, but she was comfortable with this companion. It was protective in its watchfulness, a dark energy against those who would hurt her while it wrapped her in safety. She felt safer these last months than she had even when she had lived at home.

A snort of laughter spilled out as she imagined Dad’s indignant expression if she ever told him that and his hints that maybe it she should rethink the whole coming-back-home-to-live thing.

Enough with the flights of fancy. There were plans to make. Okay, poker. Another set-up sure, but maybe Nick would be nice. He couldn’t be worse than Anthony, he of the love obsession with his abs, who pulled up his shirt four separate times to try to convince her to touch the muscle mass. Or there was Ben, who took her to the steak and seafood restaurant and ate and drank everything in sight while she ordered salad, then proceeded to split the check with her.

And then there was Leonard.

Yeah, Dad didn’t do too well with choosing Leonard.

Still, he hadn’t been
so
horrific, and she was a tad ashamed of the momentary glee she experienced the next day when Dad told her Leonard’s car had been mysteriously crushed.

Besides, if it worked out with Nick, she would be spared her brothers accusing glares during Saturday dinner when she told them that, once again, there was no spark and no chance for further romance.

So, reframe this whole set-up situation. Maybe she didn’t want to go over to Dad’s, but there was always a chance it could be a real blessing.

She breathed in the autumn night air, taking in great lungfuls as she moved toward her car. There were no better nights than these, when the leaves were changing colors and the bite in the air made every breath a pleasure-pain mix.

And then her breath stopped, frozen in her chest as every muscle in her body locked when a roar sounded through the empty streets, the unholy sound coming ever closer.

Larissa’s mouth went dry, her palms dampening in spite of the chilled night. She looked to the sky to find the source of that inhuman sound.

What was that? This was a protected area – humans-only. The magical wards had been recast only last month with the specific purpose to fend off any non-human race or species.

The low hum of voices brought her attention back to the street. Three bodies moved toward her. Probably male from the taller height and broader shoulders, but she couldn’t be sure. They wore hoods to hide their faces and jackets hid any shape of the upper torso. She had seen similar groupings many times at the high school she taught at. Still, they seemed… wrong. Their bodies were at odd angles, their steps uneven, more akin to a series of lurches rather than the awkward gaits of adolescents or the surer steps of adult males.

If it feels wrong, run.
Even before the echo of Dad’s oft-repeated advice faded she was turning away from the group and sprinting the back way to her car.

Their steps quickened behind her, faster than their shuffling led her to believe. It took seconds for her to feel a brush of fingertips against the back of her coat. Adrenaline surged, fueling her muscles and she shot forward, increasing the distance.

She turned the corner to see three other men in front of her. Skidding to a stop she rotated on her foot, turning to go the opposite direction, but found that the three who had been trailing her had already come out of the side street and had now surrounded her.

Her heart beat double time, a staccato that urged flight, but no avenue was open. The men had formed a loose circle, blocking any escape, and several more beings coming from various directions. All she could do was stand there.

The wash of tears clouded her vision. Images of Dad, of her brothers, of school and Olivia and even her damned stuffed giraffe she had since kindergarten.

They bore down on her, their heads still covered by hoods. Thin hand with a skeletal appearance reached out for her, the faint whiff of decay in the air around them, like meat that had been left out.

She wrapped her arms around her middle, hunched over for protection from that first touch.

The primal scream ripped through the air again, closer this time, and a mountain of a man with wings descended from the sky at a rapid pace.

He landed on the street before her with such force the pavement under her feet shook. No, he wasn’t a man. Stone-grey skin, long black hair, and those huge wings, but before she could get a better look the creature advanced on the things that surrounded her.

The hooded men turned their attention to the creature. One of them rushed forward, but the creature picked him up by the front of the hoodie with one hand and threw the man against the building, the impact causing the hood to fall away and reveal his face.

One eye bounced against its cheek, only a ligament keeping the eye attached to the body, while on the opposite side of the face the skin of its jaw was gone and the white bone underneath visible. Its nose was half chewed away and the remaining skin was bloated and pus filled.

Larissa screamed, her hands covering her eyes in reflex against the
wrongness
.

Zombies? Zombies here? No, not in the protected zone, it couldn’t be. Things like these weren’t allowed to be here.

Zombies meant…

Zombies meant…

“This is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening…” But it was, and Larissa clenched her jaw hard to stop the flow of unconscious words. What would Dad say, what would Dad say?

Always be aware of your surroundings, kiddo.

Larissa forced her hands down and watched as the zombies brought out knives and flung themselves at the creature. He towered over the zombies, but for something as big as he was, the creature was graceful, dodging the weapons while he used his wings, hands, and tail to fight off his enemies.

The creature ripped off one zombie’s arm and threw him against the wall. The zombie hit hard and tumbled to the ground, the severed arm landing a few feet away. The zombie rose and grabbed the arm, pushing it back against the socket. Before her eyes the flesh mended together, and once again the zombie had use of the arm.

It flung itself back into the battle. This time the winged creature tore off its head before he threw it away. There was no more movement after that.

There had to be at least fifty zombies swarming the creature. They were so engrossed in their fight they momentarily forgot about her.

Move! Run away!

A sharp zing raced through her body and broke the frozen panic that engulfed her. Let the monsters fight between themselves, she needed to get to her car.

Her car was on the other side of a nearby alleyway, and after a quick look around confirmed nothing was near her, she ran full-speed toward they alley. As she neared the entrance something grabbed her ankle.

Larissa put her hands out to protect her face as she fell. Her wrist throbbed and the pressure she put on it to push herself up instead caused it to give way under her. She flipped over onto her back, but before she could try to stand once more a zombie loomed above, milky eyes intent on her.

She used the heels of her hands and feet in an effort to push herself out from underneath the zombie, but the zombie reached down and grabbed the front of her jacket. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing and her feet dangled a good foot above the street. Larissa punched his arm, but for something disintegrating before her eyes, she couldn’t make him move even a millimeter.

She looked for a weapon on the ground, but her eyes caught movement. Shadows moved like spilled ink over the ground toward the wall. They crept up the wall, fanning out. From the middle of this blackness, from the solid wall of the alleyway, a new man emerged.

He was shadow made flesh, his eyes and hair purest black, his body fuzzy as if the shadows still clung to his skin like a dark cloud. In each hand he held a curved sword.

The zombie jerked its head to look back, but before he could complete the action the shadow man moved and held up his hand, the streetlight glittering on the metal of the blade as it arced down and beheaded the zombie holding her.

With the loss of its head the zombie crashed to the ground. Larissa fell those inches she had been held aloft but kept her feet under her and stumbled against the building for support.

The shadow warrior came toward her. His eyes met hers for the briefest moment before commotion at the alleyway’s entrance drew his gaze. With swords aloft, he went to meet the zombies coming after her.

Sudden pressure on her arm, and she turned, screaming and slapping her hands at whatever was behind her.

It was a woman, long red hair vibrant under the street lights. She blocked Larissa’s flailing arms and ineffectual swats. “We’re getting you out of here,” she said, and grabbed Larissa’s wrist to lead her out of the alleyway.

Before they could exit, the other side of the alleyway was crowded by more zombies. “Keep back,” the woman ordered, pushing Larissa to the side.

The woman reached behind her shoulder and pulled free the longest sword Larissa had ever seen. It looked as tall as the woman and half as wide, but she twisted it in her hand as though it weighed no more than a knife.

The sword took on a red glow. In response, scrolls of fire appeared on the woman’s bare arm. They settled into her skin, winding their way up to her shoulder to disappear underneath the black leather vest she wore, muted flame under flesh. Sword in hand, she ran toward the zombies blocking the path.

Trapped. But across the alley was a door on that building’s side. If by some luck it was unlocked maybe Larissa could get away from all this madness. She took one step forward when something fell from the sky in front of her.

The winged creature stood before her, his massive body blocking her exit. He reached down and grabbed her around the waist.

No, no, I was so close!

“Let me go!” she screamed, raking her nails against his bare chest in an effort to wound him, the skin on his chest so hard it was as though her nails slid against stone. If she hurt him he gave no sign. He put one arm under her knees and held her bridal style tight against him. He spread his wings, the wingspan massive.

She looked back at the shadow warrior. He had finished with the zombies, the sword still in the air as if he had swung the last killing stroke. His head turned toward her as she was pulled into the air, the creature taking flight with her.

Soft words were spoken into her ear. “I will not harm you, little human. Hold onto me. I will protect you.”

The creature could speak. His voice was deep and soothing and gentle and so at odds with his appearance. That voice, combined with her fear of falling, overrode any other considerations. She circled her arms around his thick neck for some semblance of stability and safety and held tight as the creature flew her into the waiting night.

They had been flying – what… thirty minutes? Three hours? – when they came to an expansive keep nestled within a jagged mountain range. From this angle she noticed several multi-story towers rising from the stone, but the design was so clever the keep had to be near invisible most of the time.