myself trail off as I was left in bewilderment.
“Campion will be watching over you while I am away.”
“Away?” That thought I understood immediately. “You’re going away?” I asked a little too loudly.
“Intermittently.”
That didn’t help much.
“You’re leaving?” Ezra’s voice came from the doorway. She seemed nearly as distraught as I was.
“Ezra, I’m glad you are here. I’d like you to meet Campion.”
Campion stepped forward and extended his hand. Ezra took it, hesitantly. “What’s this all about, Eran?” Her ability to see beyond the situation was coming out.
“I’d like to explain it to Felix and Rufus as well.”
“Explain what?” Rufus said entering the kitchen. Unruffled at seeing a stranger standing in our house, he gave Campion a quick look up and down and a cordial nod. No introductions were needed with him. He pulled a soda from the refrigerator and popped the top before leaning against the sink intending to wait for Eran’s answer.
“We’ll need Felix-”
Rufus bellowed for Felix, prompting a shudder from Ezra and me. It worked and Felix fled down the stairs and into the kitchen, stopping just as his eyes landed on Campion.
“Well…” he said, surprised. “A dinner guest?”
“More along the lines of a new roommate,” said Eran.
That made everyone’s eyebrows rise.
“Shall we sit?” Eran offered.
We each took our seats and Eran went in to explaining that we’d learned of the Fallen Ones arrivals and of the impending battle, keeping his briefing in chronological order and succinct. Listening to him, I saw the military leader in him emerge, a persona he felt completely at ease in. It left me in awe.
In the end, Eran summed it up with, “I have strategically placed my army with you at all times. You won’t see them or hear them but they will be watching over you should you need their protection.”
Ezra was nodding her head thoughtfully. “So…you’ve given each of us our own guardian,” she summed it up.
“Correct.”
“Blimey…” Rufus leaned back with a distained scowl. “I don’t need a guardian. What I need’s a pint o’ beer.”
Felix rolled his eyes in response. “That’s…thoughtful,” Felix condoned. “Although it’s also unnecessary.”
Eran was not going to be dissuaded. “I’m sorry if you disagree. It is in your best interest. More so, it is done. They are in place and carrying out their orders as we speak. They will not be a disruption, I assure you.”
Ezra, Rufus, and Felix exchanged looks that conveyed their reluctant agreement.
“While I will watch Magdalene throughout the day,” Eran continued, “Campion will need to watch over Magdalene during the evenings. This requires him to take up residence here.”
Campion watched, slightly doubtful, of what their reaction might be and appeared relieved when Felix and Rufus shrugged, untroubled by the idea. Even Ezra agreed.
“I believe we have a cot in the downstairs closet we can prepare for you,” she offered.
“I would appreciate it,” said Campion graciously.
The discussion seemingly over, I leaned towards Eran and spoke softly into his ear. “Where will you be going?” I asked, nervous about what his answer might be. With his army watching over us, who would be watching over him?
“I need to gather intelligence, know who’s coming for us, how many, where they’re coming from, when they’ll be here. There are a lot of unanswered questions.”
His plans sounded treacherous. “Can I speak to you alone?” I whispered to him, unsure my voice could rise any higher.
“Yes,” he replied, as serious as I felt.
He then followed me down the hall and into the parlor where we found ourselves standing next to the hearth. A fire had been lit to warm the house, sending dancing shadows across the walls. I vaguely noticed that it gave the room the scent of cedar.
Eran stood close to me, far closer than usual. I soaked up the image of him and felt every
“Campion will be watching over you while I am away.”
“Away?” That thought I understood immediately. “You’re going away?” I asked a little too loudly.
“Intermittently.”
That didn’t help much.
“You’re leaving?” Ezra’s voice came from the doorway. She seemed nearly as distraught as I was.
“Ezra, I’m glad you are here. I’d like you to meet Campion.”
Campion stepped forward and extended his hand. Ezra took it, hesitantly. “What’s this all about, Eran?” Her ability to see beyond the situation was coming out.
“I’d like to explain it to Felix and Rufus as well.”
“Explain what?” Rufus said entering the kitchen. Unruffled at seeing a stranger standing in our house, he gave Campion a quick look up and down and a cordial nod. No introductions were needed with him. He pulled a soda from the refrigerator and popped the top before leaning against the sink intending to wait for Eran’s answer.
“We’ll need Felix-”
Rufus bellowed for Felix, prompting a shudder from Ezra and me. It worked and Felix fled down the stairs and into the kitchen, stopping just as his eyes landed on Campion.
“Well…” he said, surprised. “A dinner guest?”
“More along the lines of a new roommate,” said Eran.
That made everyone’s eyebrows rise.
“Shall we sit?” Eran offered.
We each took our seats and Eran went in to explaining that we’d learned of the Fallen Ones arrivals and of the impending battle, keeping his briefing in chronological order and succinct. Listening to him, I saw the military leader in him emerge, a persona he felt completely at ease in. It left me in awe.
In the end, Eran summed it up with, “I have strategically placed my army with you at all times. You won’t see them or hear them but they will be watching over you should you need their protection.”
Ezra was nodding her head thoughtfully. “So…you’ve given each of us our own guardian,” she summed it up.
“Correct.”
“Blimey…” Rufus leaned back with a distained scowl. “I don’t need a guardian. What I need’s a pint o’ beer.”
Felix rolled his eyes in response. “That’s…thoughtful,” Felix condoned. “Although it’s also unnecessary.”
Eran was not going to be dissuaded. “I’m sorry if you disagree. It is in your best interest. More so, it is done. They are in place and carrying out their orders as we speak. They will not be a disruption, I assure you.”
Ezra, Rufus, and Felix exchanged looks that conveyed their reluctant agreement.
“While I will watch Magdalene throughout the day,” Eran continued, “Campion will need to watch over Magdalene during the evenings. This requires him to take up residence here.”
Campion watched, slightly doubtful, of what their reaction might be and appeared relieved when Felix and Rufus shrugged, untroubled by the idea. Even Ezra agreed.
“I believe we have a cot in the downstairs closet we can prepare for you,” she offered.
“I would appreciate it,” said Campion graciously.
The discussion seemingly over, I leaned towards Eran and spoke softly into his ear. “Where will you be going?” I asked, nervous about what his answer might be. With his army watching over us, who would be watching over him?
“I need to gather intelligence, know who’s coming for us, how many, where they’re coming from, when they’ll be here. There are a lot of unanswered questions.”
His plans sounded treacherous. “Can I speak to you alone?” I whispered to him, unsure my voice could rise any higher.
“Yes,” he replied, as serious as I felt.
He then followed me down the hall and into the parlor where we found ourselves standing next to the hearth. A fire had been lit to warm the house, sending dancing shadows across the walls. I vaguely noticed that it gave the room the scent of cedar.
Eran stood close to me, far closer than usual. I soaked up the image of him and felt every
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