to me because of my gifts, because no one else is called to do what I do.”
My voice is awed—low and breathless—and maybe a bit scared. “What do you do ?”
He turns away, thoughtfully watching the wind rearrange the leaf-strewn lawn. His explanation is careful, as if he’s trying to order his words into a context I’ll understand. “A combination of things, really. Mostly, I’m called to stand in the gap between good and evil—at all costs. But I’m also here to help you— accept —your gift. So you understand what you’ve been given and embrace your destiny.”
“But why now? I mean I’ve been dealing with this, or not dealing with it, for almost ten years. So why now?”
Turning back to face me, the look on his face is paralyzing. His partially crazed eyes, agonized and deeply apologetic, send goose bumps prickling uncomfortably across my skin. Staring at me with those terrible eyes, he says, “Because now is when you need me the most.” He pauses briefly to compose himself, but cannot completely mask his dread. “Alexia, something’s going to happen—to you—and I’m here to prevent it.”
His fear pierces me like a sword and for a moment all I can do is stare at him in shock. “What’s going to happen, Gabriel?”
“I don’t know.” The shaky tone of his voice matches the one in his eyes, like he’s about to crack.
I open my mouth to speak but he cuts me off. “Whatever’s going to happen is the main purpose for my assignment. But not even I have foreknowledge of what the event is or when it’ll happen. That’s part of my particular burden—my unique gift.”
I’m stunned! Some really bad things have happened to me. Numerous times I’ve encountered dark ones and their evil—up close and personal—and none of those situations were severe enough to warrant a Guardian. So what the hell is going to happen to me? Panic, like an insidious infestation, crawls through my veins, torquing my heart, cutting off my airways, and making my head spiral beyond rational thought.
Before I know it, Gabriel gathers me into his arms. Holding me tight, he breathes for me, slow and peaceful. His voice whispers like a soothing balm into my ear. “It’s going to be all right. Whatever happens, I’ll stop it. I’ll protect you. That’s why I’m here Alexia. The only reason I’m here—to keep you safe.”
Around the chattering of my teeth, I ask, “But how will you know?”
“When the time comes, I’ll know.”
That there’s no doubt in his voice does little to help me dispel the terror of the unknown. “How can you be certain?”
“I always know.” His words are as reliable as he is, enveloping me in reassurance. After my trembling stops, he pulls back to regard me, saying, “I know it’s hard for you, but you’ve got to trust me. That’s part of why I’m here. You can tell me anything. Everything. ”
Waiting for me to process, Gabriel, my guardian, radiates purpose. Gazing at him, I wonder if the candidness goes both ways. Gabriel obviously has all the answers—if I ask, will he tell me everything ?
“Tell me about the CD store.”
Although his lips press together disapprovingly, his head dips in a single nod of agreement.
“It was just a customer—but the evil in him—the righteous fury he evoked in me. The minute he stepped into the store, his eyes settled on you—like a magnetic pull. My need to protect you went into overdrive.”
Recollecting the horror of touching that particular darkness, I ask, “Would he have hurt me?”
“I don’t think so. Not there. But he likes to hurt women—the kind of guy who thinks ‘no’ means ‘yes’.”
“What did he look like to everyone else in the store?”
“Handsome guy, mid 20’s, nice clothes, inviting smile—the perfect mask for evil. A perfect predator.”
Gabriel’s words are chilling. There are deceptively attractive monsters walking the earth, and we’re the only two that can see them for what they
My voice is awed—low and breathless—and maybe a bit scared. “What do you do ?”
He turns away, thoughtfully watching the wind rearrange the leaf-strewn lawn. His explanation is careful, as if he’s trying to order his words into a context I’ll understand. “A combination of things, really. Mostly, I’m called to stand in the gap between good and evil—at all costs. But I’m also here to help you— accept —your gift. So you understand what you’ve been given and embrace your destiny.”
“But why now? I mean I’ve been dealing with this, or not dealing with it, for almost ten years. So why now?”
Turning back to face me, the look on his face is paralyzing. His partially crazed eyes, agonized and deeply apologetic, send goose bumps prickling uncomfortably across my skin. Staring at me with those terrible eyes, he says, “Because now is when you need me the most.” He pauses briefly to compose himself, but cannot completely mask his dread. “Alexia, something’s going to happen—to you—and I’m here to prevent it.”
His fear pierces me like a sword and for a moment all I can do is stare at him in shock. “What’s going to happen, Gabriel?”
“I don’t know.” The shaky tone of his voice matches the one in his eyes, like he’s about to crack.
I open my mouth to speak but he cuts me off. “Whatever’s going to happen is the main purpose for my assignment. But not even I have foreknowledge of what the event is or when it’ll happen. That’s part of my particular burden—my unique gift.”
I’m stunned! Some really bad things have happened to me. Numerous times I’ve encountered dark ones and their evil—up close and personal—and none of those situations were severe enough to warrant a Guardian. So what the hell is going to happen to me? Panic, like an insidious infestation, crawls through my veins, torquing my heart, cutting off my airways, and making my head spiral beyond rational thought.
Before I know it, Gabriel gathers me into his arms. Holding me tight, he breathes for me, slow and peaceful. His voice whispers like a soothing balm into my ear. “It’s going to be all right. Whatever happens, I’ll stop it. I’ll protect you. That’s why I’m here Alexia. The only reason I’m here—to keep you safe.”
Around the chattering of my teeth, I ask, “But how will you know?”
“When the time comes, I’ll know.”
That there’s no doubt in his voice does little to help me dispel the terror of the unknown. “How can you be certain?”
“I always know.” His words are as reliable as he is, enveloping me in reassurance. After my trembling stops, he pulls back to regard me, saying, “I know it’s hard for you, but you’ve got to trust me. That’s part of why I’m here. You can tell me anything. Everything. ”
Waiting for me to process, Gabriel, my guardian, radiates purpose. Gazing at him, I wonder if the candidness goes both ways. Gabriel obviously has all the answers—if I ask, will he tell me everything ?
“Tell me about the CD store.”
Although his lips press together disapprovingly, his head dips in a single nod of agreement.
“It was just a customer—but the evil in him—the righteous fury he evoked in me. The minute he stepped into the store, his eyes settled on you—like a magnetic pull. My need to protect you went into overdrive.”
Recollecting the horror of touching that particular darkness, I ask, “Would he have hurt me?”
“I don’t think so. Not there. But he likes to hurt women—the kind of guy who thinks ‘no’ means ‘yes’.”
“What did he look like to everyone else in the store?”
“Handsome guy, mid 20’s, nice clothes, inviting smile—the perfect mask for evil. A perfect predator.”
Gabriel’s words are chilling. There are deceptively attractive monsters walking the earth, and we’re the only two that can see them for what they
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