Her Guardians Lost(86)

I couldn’t think like that. I’d come this far, so I had to keep going. Breathing against the door, I did the only thing I could do.

Pushing slightly, I was surprised when the door moved. It was finally open! I had done the one thing I was unable to do all this time. And, again, it was thanks to my uncle. He had come up with a solution so simple, I was sure it would fail. But he was right. I had finally managed to open this damn door and it was all because my uncle suggested I just try and open it. So pure and simple.

Laughing, I began thinking how preposterous this all was. How could I have not seen it before? I thought I was an intelligent woman, but I had missed it. Wasn’t it logical that to open a door, you must simply turn the handle? Of course it was.

Shaking my head, I got back to the task at hand. Letting go of the handle, I pushed it open. With a whoosh of air and a bright light, I was faced with memories hitting me like a battering ram.

“I don’t like your brother, Alexander. He always pretends he’s you so I never know whether it’s you or not.”

Oh, my god. It’s Stephen. A young Stephen is here playing with me.

“I tell you what, Arianne. Why don’t we think of a name only you and I will know? A little secret code so if you’re ever wondering, you can always ask.” Looking down at my teddy bear, he said, “I know. How about Mr. Wigglesby? He’s the name of your teddy bear. If you ask me the secret code, I will tell you it’s Mr. Wigglesby.”

Giggling, I hugged Mr. Wigglesby tight. “Okay, Alexander. It’s a secret. Just you and I will know. No one else. Promise?”

Alexander nodded. “Promise.”

The memory faded and another whoosh of air surrounded me. So many memories were scrambled in my head now, it was hard to take it all in. I had even named my cat after my teddy bear. I wasn’t supposed to remember, but my subconscious won out. I never knew why I chose that name for the bear and the cat all those years ago. I couldn’t even remember how it came to me.

The cloud seemed to fade again, bringing me back to Alexander and Arianne. Laughter filled the air as they danced around in circles.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are,” they sang as they laughed and skipped around.

“You know your eyes twinkle in the light. You have beautiful eyes, Arianne. I should call you Twinkles.”

I giggled, feeling the heat rise to my face. I was young, but I knew I loved Alexander. I knew I would never want to be away from him. Ever.

“When you and I grow up, I want to be your mate. Can you promise me that, Alexander? I don’t like Simeon. He plays games with my head. Michael is nice, but he’s not you. You’re my best friend.”

Alexander cradled me in his arms, making me feel so loved and safe. “Okay, Arianne. I promise.” He pulled me away and tugged on my arm. “Come. Let’s sneak into headquarters.”

I giggled, thinking how naughty Alexander was. He always tried to sneak me into headquarters. He knew how much I liked it there. His father worked there, overseeing all the guardians who watched out for their chosen souls. Sometimes when we snuck in, we could watch everything that was happening down on earth. Alexander and I sat for hours, watching what some souls were doing. I always liked it when they watched movies so Alexander and I could snuggle up and watch it, too. The guardians liked to sit with their chosen ones in times like those. They were not only there in times of trouble, but also in times of solitude. Angels liked to touch the souls as they relaxed. It sometimes made them fall asleep. Those times always made me giggle. One day, I hoped I could relax people as good as the guardians did.



The memories sucked me in like quicksand. I was sinking and sinking, but I wanted to be sunk this time. I wanted to be buried deep within the memories as they were now becoming clearer and clearer. My name wasn’t always Cassie. It was once Arianne. I was the girl Stephen told me about. The girl who he promised he would find again. Stephen kept his promise. He always kept his promises.

Dragging me back to the door, the memory faded and a new one could be seen through the haze. I was much older now, and my father was with me.

“Arianne, I’ve told you before about hanging around with that Alexander. I don’t like him. He’s never been good enough for you. Now, Simeon or Michael… They would be good matches for you. You should be mated with one of them, not Alexander. It’s a pity that Michael has already chosen Elizabeth; otherwise, I would have picked him as your suitor.”

Sinking to my knees, I begged, “But I love him, Father. I love him more than life itself. Please don’t make me chose. If you force me, I will always choose Alexander.” I knew I shouldn’t defy him, but I had to make him see. Surely he would want his daughter to be happy.