knew before you two were separated, and she was sent to medical care in Helena and you to Billings, that she had set your death in motion, protecting you from us and from eternal death. Her one final hail mary…”
Anger roared through me then and I had to actively subdue it. He had no right to bring up such a personal matter and far less right to talk about it with such casual indifference.
“ Careful, messenger…” he taunted, excitedly sniggering now. “Your guardian will sense you if you keep it up…” At the very sound of Eran’s name, I froze. Fernando, who was watching me closely, made a quizzical face. “And you don’t want your guardian here, do you?” He didn’t wait for my answer. “Is it the same one? The same guardian? When you died before as a baby, little Maggie, he was there too…watching…unable to help, having arrived after the accident had happened when your fate was already sealed.” Fernando sniggered again and then continued. “He was so…wrought with pain…Interesting guardian, he is. Cares for you more than other guardians care for their wards. Maybe not more, just…different. It’s…intriguing…” When I didn’t respond, he continued, eyeing me curiously. “He was so distraught when you died and you…you were so thoughtful. It was almost as if you were expecting it.”
I was still calming my rage through clenched teeth, unable to speak yet.
“ And then you returned…” he said through his sniggering. “Fooling us all because you had returned as a human.” His giggles deepened briefly. “A human…” he said in amazement, shaking his head, continuing to giggle. “A human with no power to protect yourself…You are amazing, messenger, to have lived as long as you did. It is an honor to finally meet you, however brief it may be.” His smile, unwavering, began to irritate me. Then he spoke again and I forgot about it completely. “Such a treasure…and then to die by your own kind…” He seemed almost wistful about it.
I froze, realizing instantly that in all the centuries I had ever encountered a Fallen One I’d never heard that particular threat.
“ I can assure you,” I replied stiffly, “that will not happen.”
He ignored me, shaking his head, his smile having sunk back in to his gaunt face. “You’ve caused more upset than you know, Maggie. This hunting excursion you’ve been on…killing off my kind…It has drawn attention to yourself. And they are not pleased…” He caught sight of my expression and must have found it to be apprehensive based on his following statement. “If you’re thinking about running, I assure you that no one would blame you.”
“ I don’t run.”
“ Stay…run…it doesn’t matter,” he said wearily with a shrug, his voice so low I doubted Eran could distinguish his words. This was a good thing because I didn’t want him to know what Fernando relayed next. “If you continue your killings, they’ll hand you over to us.”
I began shaking my head in response, unable to comprehend that could happen.
“ They’ll hand you over to stop our kind from killing them. You’ve started a war, Maggie, one of retaliation from both sides…a war that can end only one way…with your death.”
“ That will not be the case.”
Although those words ran through my mind, it was a voice behind me that spoke then and it was one that I could never in this lifetime or any other ever mistaken.
Eran stepped from the darkness stealthily, displaying his unique ability to sneak up on his enemies. His body was poised, even as he moved quickly across the ground, like a lion evaluating its prey.
“ Magdalene…” he said, without looking in my direction. “Get behind me.”
I opened my mouth to protest. This was my fight. He had no right to be here. And worse, his presence endangered him.
“ We’ll discuss it later,” he said, having noticed my struggle. “Get behind me.”
When I didn’t move, he opened his mouth to
Anger roared through me then and I had to actively subdue it. He had no right to bring up such a personal matter and far less right to talk about it with such casual indifference.
“ Careful, messenger…” he taunted, excitedly sniggering now. “Your guardian will sense you if you keep it up…” At the very sound of Eran’s name, I froze. Fernando, who was watching me closely, made a quizzical face. “And you don’t want your guardian here, do you?” He didn’t wait for my answer. “Is it the same one? The same guardian? When you died before as a baby, little Maggie, he was there too…watching…unable to help, having arrived after the accident had happened when your fate was already sealed.” Fernando sniggered again and then continued. “He was so…wrought with pain…Interesting guardian, he is. Cares for you more than other guardians care for their wards. Maybe not more, just…different. It’s…intriguing…” When I didn’t respond, he continued, eyeing me curiously. “He was so distraught when you died and you…you were so thoughtful. It was almost as if you were expecting it.”
I was still calming my rage through clenched teeth, unable to speak yet.
“ And then you returned…” he said through his sniggering. “Fooling us all because you had returned as a human.” His giggles deepened briefly. “A human…” he said in amazement, shaking his head, continuing to giggle. “A human with no power to protect yourself…You are amazing, messenger, to have lived as long as you did. It is an honor to finally meet you, however brief it may be.” His smile, unwavering, began to irritate me. Then he spoke again and I forgot about it completely. “Such a treasure…and then to die by your own kind…” He seemed almost wistful about it.
I froze, realizing instantly that in all the centuries I had ever encountered a Fallen One I’d never heard that particular threat.
“ I can assure you,” I replied stiffly, “that will not happen.”
He ignored me, shaking his head, his smile having sunk back in to his gaunt face. “You’ve caused more upset than you know, Maggie. This hunting excursion you’ve been on…killing off my kind…It has drawn attention to yourself. And they are not pleased…” He caught sight of my expression and must have found it to be apprehensive based on his following statement. “If you’re thinking about running, I assure you that no one would blame you.”
“ I don’t run.”
“ Stay…run…it doesn’t matter,” he said wearily with a shrug, his voice so low I doubted Eran could distinguish his words. This was a good thing because I didn’t want him to know what Fernando relayed next. “If you continue your killings, they’ll hand you over to us.”
I began shaking my head in response, unable to comprehend that could happen.
“ They’ll hand you over to stop our kind from killing them. You’ve started a war, Maggie, one of retaliation from both sides…a war that can end only one way…with your death.”
“ That will not be the case.”
Although those words ran through my mind, it was a voice behind me that spoke then and it was one that I could never in this lifetime or any other ever mistaken.
Eran stepped from the darkness stealthily, displaying his unique ability to sneak up on his enemies. His body was poised, even as he moved quickly across the ground, like a lion evaluating its prey.
“ Magdalene…” he said, without looking in my direction. “Get behind me.”
I opened my mouth to protest. This was my fight. He had no right to be here. And worse, his presence endangered him.
“ We’ll discuss it later,” he said, having noticed my struggle. “Get behind me.”
When I didn’t move, he opened his mouth to
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