Read Online Guardian by Heather Burch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Burch
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult
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realization. Home. A tiny slice of home rested inside the laptop. And Zero and Vegan were responsible for giving it to her. Her nose tingled. Oh, she detested that. Normally she’d hate for anyone to see her eyes get misty, but right now it just didn’t matter. Other things, important things, were happening around her. “Thank you, Zero.”
He shrugged. “No big deal.” But Zero was fighting back a smile about as successfully as she was fighting back tears. A giant wave slammed the side of the boat, and tiny droplets of water stung Nikki’s face. She protectively cupped her arms around the laptop.
“See what I mean?” Zero said. “Water equals evil.”
Nikki laughed. “And Zero equals not such a bad guy.”
Jumping off the side of a boat into the water … what else could feel so good? The heat from the sun, the whoosh of wind past his ears, then the cool sting of the sea. Rather than surface, Mace stayed under until his lungs began to ache. Down here, there was no need to keep constant watch over things. Or at least that’s what he chose to believe.
Was it possible for someone under twenty to have high blood pressure? ’Cause he’d fit the bill for sure. It was like he was fueled on stress these days. And as Mace rolled onto his back to look up at the round, glittering sun, mottled through twenty-some feet of water, he had to wonder if the stress would also ruin him.
The rays hitting the sea’s surface were too intense to look at, forcing Mace to close his eyes. A gentle swish of his arms kept him in place as, slowly, his body lifted toward the surface. There were probably fish below, a rainbow of colors and designs, but he didn’t care. Maybe he’d inspect the sea life later; now, all he wanted was the soothing silence and the press of liquid salt against his skin.
Something caused him to open his eyes. Through a distorted, floating wall of seawater, Nikki watched him from the railing of the ship. Even from his position beneath the waves, he read the concern on her face. It caused him to smile. When he did, water flooded his mouth. A swoop of his arms and he was topside, tossing hair from his face, spitting seawater, and gazing up at her, because, let’s face it, looks like that were scarce.
Her fingers had dug into the railing, and when he finally reached the surface she released a huge breath. Her chin dropped a degree, and she rested her forearms on the rail as if settling in to watch a movie or something. The faintest of smiles was on her face. Man, that hit him in the gut. Nikki was content. And that was rare.
Without warning, an urgent desire to get to her overwhelmed him. But this wasn’t a safety thing, or a rescue thing, just a … seize-the-moment thing. Like time was running out on them.
Time was one commodity Mace couldn’t control, master, or lead. It was rebellious and not inclined to listen to his suggestions. But he’d learned a thing or two about time, the biggest of which was don’t waste it. Once on the ocean surface, Mace snapped his wings open, introducing each feather to the cool water. A second later he was airborne, rising to meet Nikki at the edge of the boat, wings heavy laden but heart riding high.
He paused in flight and faced her, water running in trails down his chest and back. Droplets from his wings showered her with every gentle beat. Each time, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back as if inviting more. “Aren’t you going to get in?”
“I was,” she said. “Until I saw you drowning.”
“You thought I was drowning?”
“Yes. Don’t scare me like that.”
Reach out and grab her. The thought surprised Mace so much, he tried to shake it off, but it persisted. His hands responded first. And …
“Don’t scare you like that? How about if I scare you like this, then?”
She squealed as he lifted her from behind the railing and into his arms. Her hands clamped around his neck. Slick as he was with water, she couldn’t get a good grip. The
He shrugged. “No big deal.” But Zero was fighting back a smile about as successfully as she was fighting back tears. A giant wave slammed the side of the boat, and tiny droplets of water stung Nikki’s face. She protectively cupped her arms around the laptop.
“See what I mean?” Zero said. “Water equals evil.”
Nikki laughed. “And Zero equals not such a bad guy.”
Jumping off the side of a boat into the water … what else could feel so good? The heat from the sun, the whoosh of wind past his ears, then the cool sting of the sea. Rather than surface, Mace stayed under until his lungs began to ache. Down here, there was no need to keep constant watch over things. Or at least that’s what he chose to believe.
Was it possible for someone under twenty to have high blood pressure? ’Cause he’d fit the bill for sure. It was like he was fueled on stress these days. And as Mace rolled onto his back to look up at the round, glittering sun, mottled through twenty-some feet of water, he had to wonder if the stress would also ruin him.
The rays hitting the sea’s surface were too intense to look at, forcing Mace to close his eyes. A gentle swish of his arms kept him in place as, slowly, his body lifted toward the surface. There were probably fish below, a rainbow of colors and designs, but he didn’t care. Maybe he’d inspect the sea life later; now, all he wanted was the soothing silence and the press of liquid salt against his skin.
Something caused him to open his eyes. Through a distorted, floating wall of seawater, Nikki watched him from the railing of the ship. Even from his position beneath the waves, he read the concern on her face. It caused him to smile. When he did, water flooded his mouth. A swoop of his arms and he was topside, tossing hair from his face, spitting seawater, and gazing up at her, because, let’s face it, looks like that were scarce.
Her fingers had dug into the railing, and when he finally reached the surface she released a huge breath. Her chin dropped a degree, and she rested her forearms on the rail as if settling in to watch a movie or something. The faintest of smiles was on her face. Man, that hit him in the gut. Nikki was content. And that was rare.
Without warning, an urgent desire to get to her overwhelmed him. But this wasn’t a safety thing, or a rescue thing, just a … seize-the-moment thing. Like time was running out on them.
Time was one commodity Mace couldn’t control, master, or lead. It was rebellious and not inclined to listen to his suggestions. But he’d learned a thing or two about time, the biggest of which was don’t waste it. Once on the ocean surface, Mace snapped his wings open, introducing each feather to the cool water. A second later he was airborne, rising to meet Nikki at the edge of the boat, wings heavy laden but heart riding high.
He paused in flight and faced her, water running in trails down his chest and back. Droplets from his wings showered her with every gentle beat. Each time, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back as if inviting more. “Aren’t you going to get in?”
“I was,” she said. “Until I saw you drowning.”
“You thought I was drowning?”
“Yes. Don’t scare me like that.”
Reach out and grab her. The thought surprised Mace so much, he tried to shake it off, but it persisted. His hands responded first. And …
“Don’t scare you like that? How about if I scare you like this, then?”
She squealed as he lifted her from behind the railing and into his arms. Her hands clamped around his neck. Slick as he was with water, she couldn’t get a good grip. The
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