Guardian by Valerie King Read Free Book Online Page A

our meeting, I believed him completely.
    My fate as a Guardian was hanging in the balance. I had not only broken the vow to my very society, but to Trey. I had kissed Evan; I had allowed my feelings to overtake me in the midst of an uncertain situation. What was wrong with me, who was I? As the rain continued to fall and thunder rolled across the city, I walked through the darkness, the bright lights of the city that never sleeps guiding me home.
     
    *****
     
    The feeling arose again around me, the eyes…his eyes following me, watching me with fervor as a shiver ran down my spine. My pace sped up as I continued walking, block after block. I stopped to slip on my sandals, preparing myself to run if needed. I could dematerialize again. I could send myself spinning through the darkness and land within the confines of my own room if I wanted to. But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to face the fear that lingered at home. I wanted to walk home, to blend in with the world around me. I wanted to feel normal, even if only for a moment. To be an average eighteen-year-old girl who wrestled with her future and the passion she felt for a boy she had fallen madly in love with. I wanted that now more than ever. To be average…not an angel. I knew what waited at home for me. A scarred sentence for breaking the rules.
    As I pressed forward, his hand was across my mouth instantly, stifling the scream that fell from my lips. His arms pulled me into a dark alley, my eyes straining to see the images of him, my hands pulling at fingers that pressed tightly against my face as I struggled to breathe.
    Arching my back, I elbowed him in the gut, causing him to growl in pain and press me up against the musty-smelling brick wall of an abandoned building. I tried to fly, my wings surging forth, but he punched me in my side with full force, causing my wings to retreat and anguish to set in.
    “Stop fighting, or I’ll make you stop,” he said gruffly, his breath smelled of stale cigarettes. His knee was pushed into my back; my left cheek now pulsing with pain as the taste of blood filled my mouth. Salty tears fell from my eyes out of sheer anguish, horror and affliction, as I came to terms with the familiar voice that spoke swiftly into my ear.
    “I knew it was you, I knew something wasn’t quite right when I met you,” I said hoarsely.
    He removed his knee, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around, smashing my head against the wall with full force, causing my breath to leave my lungs. His eyes, the very same eyes filled with wicked flames that burned a hole through my soul…Aaron. His gaze bored into mine leaving me woozy, a tranquilizer of sorts, as I fell helplessly into the depths of his beastly intentions.
    He shook his head. “Such a shame. You’re so gorgeous and full of potential. But you let your heart win.” He yanked my hair back, causing me to yelp in pain, his palm slapping me hard across my face. “Shut it!”
    His lips landed on the nape of my neck, his pungent breath burning my nostrils. The way he traced a trail across my skin with his mouth birthed horrific images of being taken advantage of by a complete monster. My cheek was writhing with a heated sting as the foul taste of bile crept into the back of my throat.
    Somehow I managed the strength to pull my right arm free before he could move any further, punching him underneath his chin with a forceful blow. He flew back from me, wiping the blood away from his bitten lip, anger burning more intensely within his eyes. His hands were now outstretched as he sent my body tumbling to the hard concrete below, my head bouncing off the pavement. Not only did he possess a spirit of evil, but also the envelope of magic.
    The images around me began to fade as he hissed the last words that I would hear him speak, “You’ve broken a sacred vow, Macy. I knew you weren’t capable of handling him. And now, he must die for what you’ve done,” he laughed aloud as he said, “and