The Guardians (13 page)

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Landon.”

“Oh, come on,” Landon pleaded.

When he placed his hand on her thigh, my head swam. I started weaving my way towards them.

Abby knocked his hand away.

“You can barely walk.”

Landon shook his head and took another long swig of beer. “I can walk just fine. Besides, I want some time with you.” He grinned suggestively. “You know,
alone
time.”

I watched Abby survey the others expressions before she shifted uncomfortably. “No,” she whispered.  

Sighing with exasperation, Landon lunged over, jerking Abby to him. “Come on, I said let’s go for a walk,” he insisted.

“Landon, leave me alone!”

When Landon started struggling with her, I suddenly pushed myself between them. “I think she said to leave her alone.”

Landon narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”

Suddenly, my courage swelled with pulsing angelic force, and I puffed my chest out. “When a girl says
no
, I make it my business.”

“Oh yeah? What’s a guy like you gonna do about it?” As Landon eyed me, I stiffened. “I could break you in two, pansy boy!”
             

At the sound of raised voices, several partygoers inched closer, anticipating a beating. I swallowed nervously. I had never physically fought anyone in my seventy-five guardian angel years—at least not in human form. Landon outweighed me by fifty pounds at least, and it was in sheer muscle. But as I glanced back at Abby, I was ready to do anything for her.

Chaz lurched forward. “Man, you take one swing at him, and I’ll flatten you!”

Landon snorted. “This ain’t your fight, Thomas. Besides, it wouldn’t be a fair fight with you drunk off your ass!”

“Yeah, it may not be my fight, but no one talks to
my
sister or
Rafe’s
brother that way,” Chaz slurred.

“I’m not afraid to fight him myself!” I countered.

“Then bring it on,” Landon said.

Rafe interrupted us. “All right, that’s enough. Nobody’s fighting tonight, you got that?” He looked from Landon to me. “Go cool off, Jay-Jay.”

“I’m not finished here,” Landon challenged.

Standing squarely in front of him, Rafe shook his head. “You’re more than finished. If coach got wind of you fighting, you’d be running suicides until you puked on Monday. So back off!”

“Whatever, man.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “You can sure as hell bet we’ll finish this some other time.” Then he stalked off with some of his friends.

Everyone went back to where they had been once they realized the show was over. Abby stared open-mouthed at me. “Elijah, I don’t know what to say.”

That’s when the world tilted and spun around me. The acrid air around the bonfire stung my eyes and turned my stomach.

“Um, I think I’m going to be sick,” I muttered before clamping my hand over my mouth. I made it to the safety of tree before I threw up. The amber liquid scorched my throat as it shot back up.

When I raised my head, I found Abby standing beside me. Mortification rocketed through me when I realized what had happened. “I…uh, I,” I began, but the explanation just simply wouldn’t come. I ducked my head and refused to look at her.

Her hand rubbed along my lower back. “It’s okay, Elijah. You’re not the first person who has puked in front of me,” she said. I still couldn’t find the words. She took me by the hand and started leading me into the house. “You need some air conditioning and something cool to drink.”

The house was relatively quiet as everyone was outside around the bonfire. She handed me a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. “Drink slow,” she instructed.

“Okay.”

Abby motioned for me to have a seat at the table. I eased down into a chair as she rinsed a paper towel in cool water. Her hand gently brought the rag across my cheek. It felt so wonderful that I closed my eyes. Warmth flooded my heart as I realized Abby had such a gift for caring and nurturing others. Her next words took me out of my contentedness.

“Elijah, what were you thinking?”

I snapped my eyes open. “What?”

“The way you were acting out there…”

“Me? That jerk was assaulting you!”

Abby shook her head. “I’m talking about the drinking and threatening people. That’s not you at all. You’re too good for all that.”

“And how would you know?” I murmured.

“Because I know enough about you to know you’re not some hot-head drinker. You’re sweet and caring and kind.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. It was nice having someone take up for me.”

“Really?”

Abby smiled and nodded. “Think you’re ready to go back outside?”

“If you’re going with me, then sure,” I replied, returning her smile.

She then took my hand and led me back out to the party.

Chapter Eleven: CASSIE

The morning the
West Side Story
cast was announced, I didn’t know how to feel. It’s amazing how one little assignment mix up can alter your entire mood. Part of me hummed with positive energy. I mean, based on my audition, it was only natural to assume I’d not gotten just
a
part, but that I’d gotten
the
lead.

But then another part of me buzzed with dread. If I got the lead, what would it do to Lauren? And how was I ever going to befriend her if she was angry with me?

On the way in from the parking lot, I dawdled behind Rafe and Elijah. “Why are you walking so slow?” Rafe demanded after turning to check on me for the third time.

“Just nervous I guess.”

“But you did great in the audition, Cass. There’s no way you’re not getting the lead,” Elijah replied.

Rafe shook his head. “Nah, man, that’s the problem. Her acing the audition with that over the top performance probably edged out Lauren, and that means trouble.”

“Oh….I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Elijah murmured.

I responded by exhaling noisily. I mean, what could I say? Rafe was right…
again
. After they headed to their locker, I ambled alone down the hallway with my nerves twisting my stomach into knots. I reached the auditorium to find a crowd already gathered around the part postings. I screeched to a halt at the sight of the others.

The crowd parted like the sea as I peered at the role of Maria. I ran my fingers across to the name.
Cassie Christenson
.

Exhilaration rocketed through my body, sending me gasping for breath. Then I remembered not only myself, but Lauren. The nausea built up to where I no longer felt excited. I’d let the monster of pride rule me, and I’d snatched the lead away from my assignment—well, the girl who was supposed to be my assignment, but who was now
one
of my assignments.

Sheesh.

As the crowd jostled me away from the cast list, I bumped into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry—”

It was Zach.

“Good morning.”

He grinned. “Good morning and congratulations. I hear you are the newest star of Harrison’s stage.”

“How did you know?” I asked.

“Lauren told me.”

I stiffened before stealing a glance back at the cast list. My eyes honed in on the part of Anita, the second lead in the show. Then my heart sank. Lauren
had
been good, and if it hadn’t been for
me
, she would’ve gotten the lead. “Oh, she’s playing Anita?”

Zach nodded.

“Did she seem happy about it?”

Zach’s smile faltered a bit. “Well, uh, it’s hard to say with Lauren. I mean, she doesn’t get excited over much anymore.”

“I see,” I murmured.

“Come on, let’s get to class,” Zach suggested.

I started down the hall with him and then skidded to a halt. A crystal clear picture formed in my mind of what I needed to do. For once, I would right one of my wrongs. I would march myself down to Mr. Conley’s office and refuse the part of Maria. I would claim stage fright, failing grades, a tough work schedule—anything that would make him see the error of his ways and get Lauren put in my place. Yep, that was the thing to do. One positive step towards no longer being a guardian angel screw up.

“What is it?” Zach asked.

“Uh, I…” I struggled to find an excuse that wouldn’t leave Zach suspicious. Finally, I found one. “I need to pick up my script from Mr. Conley. Could you wait here just a second?”

“Sure.”

I hurried through the auditorium door. It was pitch black inside, and I found it hard to make my way back to Mr. Conley’s office behind the stage. I stumbled a few times and finally tripped over a few boxes before I reached his office. I turned the doorknob to find it was locked. “Great,” I muttered.

At the sound of someone behind me, I whirled around. My breath caught in my throat.

It was Lucius.

Even through his dark aura, the amber glow of his demon side gave off enough light that I was able to see him in the blackness. “Hello again, Cassie,” he said, his voice laced with a mixture of sarcasm and intrigue.

Anger, destructive and dangerous, surged through me. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but you better leave Zach alone!” I hissed.

Lucius chuckled. “Or what? You’ll break out and go toe to toe with me? Seriously, you’ve been a guardian like what a millisecond? You can’t do
anything
.”

“That isn’t true!” I protested. The way he was talking to me began to grate on my nerves, and I knew I was dangerously close to losing control of my emotions.

Lucius shook his head slowly from side to side. “Man, the Dominion must be scraping rock bottom if they’ve sent you.” When I didn’t respond, he continued on. “Looks to me like they’re hurting pretty bad. I mean, they’ve got Elijah—dear, sweet Elijah, protecting an uber-hottie, and then they send you to protect Zach.”

Before I could stop myself, I blurted, “He wasn’t meant for me, for your information—he and his family were for one of the archangels. I just happened to have intercepted his pain by mistake!”

Regret danced from my head to my toes. Me and my big fat mouth. I didn’t need to volunteer information to Lucius, especially not about misinterpreting Zach’s pain. By the look of amusement on his face, I knew how big a mistake it was.

“Ah, so the Dominion is slipping in its management duties, and poor, lost souls might fall through the cracks. Tsk, tsk, tsk, doesn’t leave one with a lot of faith, does it, Cassie?”

“As a matter of fact it does. I do believe
I
won the other night!”

“You may have won the battle, but the war is far from over. You know, the stakes are a lot higher for demons to win souls, not to mention the consequences for failing. Do you angels actually get tormented when you screw up? No, I don’t think so.”

“For your information, we can lose our wings and even be demoted out of the Angelic Host!” I snapped.

Lucius snorted. “Ooh, how terrible. Doesn’t sound exactly painful to me, and until you’ve experienced the torment of the Dark Host, you don’t know what true Hell is.” He shook his head. “But see, that’s really not my problem. That’s just for the unfortunate ones below me. I’ve made a name for myself, and I’m fully ready to rise through the ranks to absolute power. And that means, I’m not supposed to be intimidated by the likes of you.” He started walking closer to me. I backed up until I bumped against the door of Mr. Conley’s office.

“What about me?” I questioned. The way he looked at me caused my emotions to turn like a light switch from anger over to fear.

Lucius leaned over and took a strand of my long hair in his hand. “You? Why you’re a beautiful little newbie just ripe for corruption.”

“Don’t you touch me!” I slapped his hand away, the touch of his skin causing my hand to burn. As he continued smirking at me, I shook my head. “You’re wrong. I could never be corrupted.”

He sized me up and down, and a wicked smile curled at his lips. “You know, I’m not sure what’s crueler. Me urging Zach to jump, or a beauty like you trying to save him. Tell me, Cassie, how long do you think Zach’s going to like ‘the look but don’t touch’ mentality you’ve got going on?”

“He doesn’t like me like that,” I protested.

Lucius raised one dark eyebrow. “Oh, he doesn’t?”

“No, he knows I’m somebody he can talk to and confide in. He was searching for something that night on the bridge, and I’m helping him find it.”

Lucius snickered. “Oh yeah, I can imagine you’re just what he’s searching for. And meanwhile, what about dear, sweet Lauren? How is she going to feel that the one trying to dry her tears is the very one who is inflicting most of them?”

My fear evaporated into white hot anger. I knew it was too dangerous to break out of my guardian angel form to challenge Lucius. Someone could see us, and it would ruin everything. Then an idea popped in my mind—one that was kind of naughty and completely unangelic. I fought it at first before slowly giving in.