Guardian by Valerie King Read Free Book Online Page B

I get to be the one to finish you, to kill the fallen angel.”
    Broken pieces of my life flashed through my mind, my breath quickened as colors turned a deep, monstrous black. Any sense of reality left me, and I fell into a world of bright light. My eyes closed as the rain fell, leaving me unconscious and vulnerable in an unforgiving world of shadows.
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Secrets
     
     
     
    Hazy shadows bustled around me; a soothing voice was singing my name, yet I couldn’t summon up enough strength to speak back. Blinking my eyes repeatedly, I finally caught sight of the distraught look upon my mother’s face as she sat next to me, her hand holding mine tightly.
    “Carl, she’s awake. Get her some water, please,” she said, fear quivering in her voice.
    Mom hung over me, her soft lips kissing my forehead as she gently stroked my hair. I moved my left leg and grimaced in pure agony, spasms of excruciating pain radiating through my body. I felt like my limbs had been twisted and torn, my breath slow and steady as tears fell from my eyes. My ribs ached, and my head pounded with an excruciating headache.
    “Shhh…everything is all right, sweetheart. Lay still and rest, okay? Dad and I are here.” She dabbed my eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.
    As my father waltzed through the door with a glass of water, I recognized where I was. My surroundings suddenly became familiar and comforting. But how had I gotten here? The last thing I remembered was lying on the ground, rain falling gently on my cheeks, as the light of the world faded around me in the alleyway.
    Dad propped up my head, laying the rim of the glass on my lips. “Take a sip, Mac.”
    As I struggled to take a drink, I swallowed slowly, yelping in pain as it slid down the back of my parched throat. Every piece of my being hurt; I attempted to speak, to ask the millions of questions that were swirling through my head.
    “Can…I please have some aspirin.” I said just above a whisper. I placed my hand upon my forehead, closing my eyes as I struggled to keep my composure. “How did I get here…home?”
    Mom stroked my shoulder gently. “We received a phone call from the police around one in the morning two days ago, Macy. A woman found you lying on a park bench only two blocks from home, unconscious and unresponsive.”
    I opened my eyes and focused on my mother’s solemn, scared face.
    “Who did this to you? Who beat you? Do you remember, Macy?”
    I did remember. He had warned me, his foul, hot breath speaking unforgiving threats into my ear. His eyes burned within my soul, as I recalled the blow of his fist into my side, the thrust of dark powers grinding me into the pavement as I lost consciousness.
    “We spoke to Trey, Macy. He told us you left the restaurant before finishing dinner to tend to your Shomer. He swore that was the last time he saw you. As hard as it is to believe that boy, I don’t think he would ever hurt you. Touch you.” My father’s eyes were hardened and empty as he stared at me. His little girl had been beaten to a pulp, and not a single witness had come forward.
    I shook my head no and glanced back at my mother. “Trey had nothing to do with this. And no, I don’t remember who it was that beat me. I don’t remember anything that night.” A blatant lie, but one that had to be told to safely harbor the mistake I had made. The promise I had forsaken as a Guardian. The curse of death I had handed to my Shomer…the man that I found I was falling, or perhaps had already fallen, hopelessly in love with.
     
    *****
     
    Thirteen days passed before I was able to summon myself out of bed. During my recovery, I had spent most of my time rehashing the violent details of Aaron. He remained a stranger still, but was a man whose face often surfaced within my dreams, leading to nightmares and constant fear of the unknown. I found it harder and harder to close my eyes, believing that he could swiftly steal away my life with the