Scarred Protector(27)

Luke walked out from the kitchen.

“We’ve just had a message to send one of us from the enclave over to Pergor.”

“So what did they want?” Heath asked.

“They want to speak to you. They want you to go over and talk with a guardian. As usual, they’re pissed off someone is trying a bonding again. Especially with the loss of the other two that have tried over the past year.”

“I’ll go now. Evie, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“We’ll make sure she’s safe. We would give our lives to save her,” Luke said, as he stood behind Evie.

The presence of Luke did nothing to ease the look of fear on Evie’s face. He would have to be as quick as he could. Ridge had told him Nicole tried to kill herself because she thought he was dead when he went to Pergor. He could see tears forming in Evie’s eyes as she looked at him. When he opened his arms wide she ran into them. It was a strange thing to have someone showing him affection in front of his enclave.



“Please, stay safe and get back as quickly as you can,” Evie said, then she planted a kiss on his lips again. Whenever she touched him he lost some control, and this time was no different, as his arms pulled her close and his tongue entered her mouth. He heard a cough and guessed it was Susanne bringing him back to reality.

“I’ll see you soon.” He walked away and beckoned for Luke to follow him. “I want you to watch her closely and tie her up if you have to. Nicole tried to slash her wrists when separated from Ridge.”

“Will do. Let’s hope she hasn’t gotten too good with moving objects. The twins are waiting on the roof to go over with you. Safety in numbers, I was thinking. Plus, I don’t trust the bastards up there. I also heard another rumor when I was up there.”



             Heath dreaded to think what else could make things worse.

“It seems Charles was up there recently and talking with an Elevated, no less. We can all guess who it was. He also took someone else along with him, and they were not from his enclave. It seems Sayell has decided now is a good time to pay a visit from the States.”

Heath stopped in his tracks. “Those two are unlikely bedfellows. I can’t see either of them willing to share their power, or Liliath, with each other. This does not bode well.”

Heath left them and met the twins up on the roof. The darkness would hide their ascent, and he could get this over and done with. As they rose into the sky, he looked down to see Evie walk back inside with the others. Within minutes, they were high enough to make the connection, and he nodded to the others to help him open the link.

As always, it commenced with a dull ache in his temple, but that was where the similarity with his old life stopped. A band of steel felt as though it had been placed around his chest and someone was tightening it. He couldn’t breathe, and his arms were clamped to his side with his palms fisted. The twins flew back and hovered in front of him.

“Hell, boss. Your eyes are completely black,” Altai said.

The pain from his wings was excruciating, as if someone had set them alight. When he looked to the side, he could see a blackness spreading like ink through his wings. The wingtips were already alight. His head experienced the same crushing feeling as his chest. Someone had an invisible hand on his body and was squeezing and burning him at the same time. The link was broken, and the darkness of the night sky returned as he started to tumble back to Earth. The twins caught him, and he drew his wings in so they could place their arms around his shoulders. He had never been so grateful in all his life for the presence of other Midworlders.



             Closing his eyes, he absorbed his wings back into his body. It felt like his skin was on fire, and his tattoo was blistering. The stars and sky of Earth were around him as they made their way back to the manor house below. They landed in the backyard, and the kitchen door flew open as Evie and the others ran out.

“I could feel your pain,” Evie said, with tears streaming down her face as she ran up to him.

Heath’s legs were weak, and he let the twins guide him inside. Sitting at the table, he took the glass of water Marge offered and gulped it down so she could refill it. His chest still ached as he tried to draw air into his lungs. Evie took his hand as the others gathered round.

Genia came in, and Heath didn’t protest when she placed a hand on his chest and the other on his forehead. The coolness and the healing effects were immediate, and the pain in his body eased.

“I didn’t heal you, but I enhanced your own healing techniques. You should be fine in a moment or two. I’d advise hot tea, but I’m sure you would prefer a whiskey.”

Evie took his hand in hers and squeezed it tight. “So what happened?”

“It was like before. The darkness stopped me from making the link and going over. I couldn’t breathe, and my body was on fire.”

“But I wasn’t with you this time. It’s because we’ve bonded. I’ve infected you in some way. The first decent thing to come into my life in so long, and I damage it.”

“I knew what I was doing when I bonded with you, and I would do it again. I have no regrets, as long as you don’t.” The room had gone silent as everyone was listening to them.

“I’ve no regrets. I just don’t want to bloody well lose you.”





             “You bloody well won’t,” Heath said, and Evie smiled at his profanity.

“Enough of this sad talk now. I think I have the solution to your problems.”

Heath looked up to see Georgia standing there with her arms folded and a big smile on her face. He couldn’t see what she could offer, but it seemed their situation was not improving, so maybe trying something completely different would work.



“So, what do you suggest?” Genia asked, as she sat down and Marge supplied food and tea for everyone.

“It’s clear you can’t go to purgatory, or whatever you call it, because of what has attached itself to Evie. While it’s there, you can’t cure her, and from what Genia has told me, my niece will probably die in a month when you try to make her an angel or whatever alien thing you say you are. I say we go to Jamaica.”

Heath could see Evie’s eyes light up with glee at the prospect, but he wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. “What makes you think we would be better off there? Genia is one of our best healers.”

Georgia shook her head. “And even she admits she can’t do anything for you. You need my magic now.”

“We don’t believe in magic,” Heath said.

Georgia shook her head. “This coming from a man with wings. In a room where I’m surrounded by people with wings, and a niece who can move things with her mind. You call it what you want. I’ll call it magic, and my kind has been dealing with it for a long time.”

Evie stood in front of him. “I’d love to go. She’s right. We’ve tried everything here. If I’m not going to live long, I’d love to see where my father came from.”

At this point, Heath was not sure this was a good idea, but they were running out of options.



             “Yes, we can go. We’ll take Luke and Suzie with us, and the others can keep up our activities in the area in case we need to do any changeovers. I would request Genia comes with us as well, if you’d be willing?”

“Of course, I will come and offer any assistance. I have to say I’m interested. Georgia enhanced my healing with you, so we’re dealing with some kind of energy here. We just need to find out what it is.”

“I’ll go book the tickets now for tomorrow. Pack your bags, people,” Suzie said, as she left the room.

“I will contact the local enclave to let them know we’ll be entering their zone,” Luke said.

“You mean we have a group of you on the island, and I never noticed? I knew you weren’t human the minute I met you,” Georgia said, her eyes wide in shock.

Heath laughed. “Maybe they have learnt to use your magic to shield themselves. Or maybe we are the myth behind your beliefs. I’m not sure.” Everyone dispersed, and Heath told Evie to go to bed and that he would be there soon.

He went to the library, where Suzie was booking their flights, and he used the other computer to Skype with Jamaica. They said they would meet them at the airport and were extremely interested in the situation. They would make sure no Demonic Midworlders were near, though they thought the presence of a female without a guardian might attract them like honeybees to a flower.

When he opened his bedroom door, he found Evie under the covers, and she smiled at him. He stood beside the bed and undressed. He would pack his bag in the morning. It was strange coming to bed the past few days, sharing it with someone. It was something he didn’t want to lose. He slipped beneath the covers and pulled Evie closer to him. She fit perfectly against his body, as if she had been made for him. Did he deserve this?



             “I’m so excited, Heath. Whatever happens, we tried and we did it together.”