cigarette. “I used to be one.”
Smoke curled from her nostrils as she met their shocked stares with a knowing one of her own. Just above her left breast, etched against her leathery skin in a smooth, black scar, was the symbol of the Guardians.
The sound of her heart pounding filled her ears as her mind raced.
I used to be one.
Her mother’s declaration echoed in her head like a clanging bell, causing that familiar rush of emotion to overcome her. It was all too convoluted to sort, but she registered the distinct sting of betrayal in the midst of it all. Her mother had known . All this time, Addison had been going through life feeling like a freak, and Elizabeth had known about everything. She’d had answers and hid them, allowing Addison to go on thinking that something was very wrong with her.
“What do you mean, ‘used to be’?” Jack demanded, saving Addison from having to speak. As it was, she could do nothing except stare at her mother in disbelief.
Elizabeth righted her clothes and leaned against the refrigerator, arms crossed as she took another drag on her cigarette. “Aren’t you cute? You must be new, honey.”
“I took my mark at fourteen,” he answered, his tone defensive. “And I’ve been working with Micah for the last seven years. You still haven’t answered my question. Guardians are born, and then choose to wear the mantle. As far as I know, there is no getting out of it. You are a Guardian until the day you die.”
“Unless you create a Naphil child with a demon,” Micah added from where he still sat at the table, beer in hand. “Ain’t that right, Liz?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I can see you’re not the smart one on this team.” She flipped her tangled hair over one shoulder. “If that was all it took, I wouldn’t be the only Guardian stripped of their powers.”
“Wait.” Jack frowned. “You were stripped of your power?”
She nodded. “So fast it made my head spin, but not for the reason you might think.” Seeming to remember that her daughter was in the room, she turned to Addison. “Since you’re with these two, I assume you know.”
Addison finally found her voice. “You mean about my demon father? Yeah, I’ve heard. When I first found out, I felt sorry for you. I figured you’d been tricked by a demon in human form who’d turned your head. But coming here tonight and seeing that mark on your chest … you’re a freaking Guardian , which means you knew about all this. Maybe you didn’t know what he was at first, but at some point, you had to have figured it out. You’ve known what I was all this time and you never told me!”
“Guess you don’t feel so sorry for me anymore,” her mother mumbled, putting her cigarette out in a nearby ashtray. “Can’t say I blame you, either. I thought I was doing what was best for you, but in the end, I just screwed you up more.”
Addison gestured toward the living room. “The truth, now,” she demanded, trying with everything inside of her not to lose it and start screaming and throwing things. Anger’s bitter bile rose up in the back of her throat, but she would not let the emotion overcome her. “No more lies.”
Elizabeth swept past her, heading toward the small living area and the worn recliner she always fell asleep in while watching T.V. Addison followed, plopping down onto the couch. Jack sat down beside her, his hand covering hers in gentle reassurance. She took a deep breath and squeezed his fingers, drawing on him for strength. It didn’t matter that she barely knew him; somehow, Jack’s quiet strength had struck a chord with her.
“I took my mark when I was eighteen,” Elizabeth began, fishing her cigarette pack from the pocket of her robe and firing up another with a lighter she found on the side table. Rocking back and forth in her recliner, she spoke through the bluish-gray haze of smoke surrounding her. “My mama was one, and her mama before her. The Monroe women have served as
Smoke curled from her nostrils as she met their shocked stares with a knowing one of her own. Just above her left breast, etched against her leathery skin in a smooth, black scar, was the symbol of the Guardians.
The sound of her heart pounding filled her ears as her mind raced.
I used to be one.
Her mother’s declaration echoed in her head like a clanging bell, causing that familiar rush of emotion to overcome her. It was all too convoluted to sort, but she registered the distinct sting of betrayal in the midst of it all. Her mother had known . All this time, Addison had been going through life feeling like a freak, and Elizabeth had known about everything. She’d had answers and hid them, allowing Addison to go on thinking that something was very wrong with her.
“What do you mean, ‘used to be’?” Jack demanded, saving Addison from having to speak. As it was, she could do nothing except stare at her mother in disbelief.
Elizabeth righted her clothes and leaned against the refrigerator, arms crossed as she took another drag on her cigarette. “Aren’t you cute? You must be new, honey.”
“I took my mark at fourteen,” he answered, his tone defensive. “And I’ve been working with Micah for the last seven years. You still haven’t answered my question. Guardians are born, and then choose to wear the mantle. As far as I know, there is no getting out of it. You are a Guardian until the day you die.”
“Unless you create a Naphil child with a demon,” Micah added from where he still sat at the table, beer in hand. “Ain’t that right, Liz?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I can see you’re not the smart one on this team.” She flipped her tangled hair over one shoulder. “If that was all it took, I wouldn’t be the only Guardian stripped of their powers.”
“Wait.” Jack frowned. “You were stripped of your power?”
She nodded. “So fast it made my head spin, but not for the reason you might think.” Seeming to remember that her daughter was in the room, she turned to Addison. “Since you’re with these two, I assume you know.”
Addison finally found her voice. “You mean about my demon father? Yeah, I’ve heard. When I first found out, I felt sorry for you. I figured you’d been tricked by a demon in human form who’d turned your head. But coming here tonight and seeing that mark on your chest … you’re a freaking Guardian , which means you knew about all this. Maybe you didn’t know what he was at first, but at some point, you had to have figured it out. You’ve known what I was all this time and you never told me!”
“Guess you don’t feel so sorry for me anymore,” her mother mumbled, putting her cigarette out in a nearby ashtray. “Can’t say I blame you, either. I thought I was doing what was best for you, but in the end, I just screwed you up more.”
Addison gestured toward the living room. “The truth, now,” she demanded, trying with everything inside of her not to lose it and start screaming and throwing things. Anger’s bitter bile rose up in the back of her throat, but she would not let the emotion overcome her. “No more lies.”
Elizabeth swept past her, heading toward the small living area and the worn recliner she always fell asleep in while watching T.V. Addison followed, plopping down onto the couch. Jack sat down beside her, his hand covering hers in gentle reassurance. She took a deep breath and squeezed his fingers, drawing on him for strength. It didn’t matter that she barely knew him; somehow, Jack’s quiet strength had struck a chord with her.
“I took my mark when I was eighteen,” Elizabeth began, fishing her cigarette pack from the pocket of her robe and firing up another with a lighter she found on the side table. Rocking back and forth in her recliner, she spoke through the bluish-gray haze of smoke surrounding her. “My mama was one, and her mama before her. The Monroe women have served as
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