Chapter 7: Protection

This time I'm fully conscious, flat on my stomach under his cloak, but I can't see even a speck of light. I flinch when violent, animalistic growls take over the silent night air. The Watchman's body huddles closer to me as more guttural snarls come from every possible direction. I'm too frightened to move, the pounding of my heart a deafening boom in my head.

Out of nowhere, the sounds of shooting flames and large flapping wings crash through the air. I question my own sanity as my eyes dart from side to side, trying to follow the shrieks above us, mentally picturing mythical creatures I've only read about in books.

What the hell?

"You cannot have her!" a familiar voice shouts.

Wait, was that Zack?

I want to call out for him but know I shouldn't. I'm trapped and pretty sure he and the Watchman are protecting me from someone or more likely some thing.

Seconds go by like hours; I can only imagine the terror going on above me. The Watchman's body is practically lying against mine, maybe only a thread separating us. His body was warm and comforting at first but now I'm beginning to sweat with heat and panic. Claustrophobia doesn't even cover it. I sigh with relief when a slight pop of cool air hits my face.

Without warning, the black shield keeping me in the darkness disappears, the cold night air as still as before. I frantically look around as I lift myself into a sitting position, finally spotting two figures just behind me. One is Zack and the other is the Watchman, using Zack as a crutch. He's bent over and it seems that his breathing is labored, like he can't catch enough oxygen.

"Zack!" I shout and they both snap their heads toward me as I jump to my feet.

"Katie!" Zack raises his hand. "Stay back!"

I freeze in place as his attention goes back to the Watchman.

"You must take another crystal," Zack says to him.

And then I see it. The Watchman's cloak is ripped to shreds, completely covered in blood, a mist of steam billowing from several deep gashes on his back. The Watchman nods, glancing over at me, his eyes glowing that bizarre reddish hue as they shift back to Zack.

"I'll take care of her, now go!" Zack waves his hands like wands and incredibly, the Watchman is gone. Only the stench of burning flesh remains. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it.

Zack turns toward me, taking cautious steps in my direction. "It's okay, Katie. It's over...for now."

"What do you mean it's over for now?" I demand, staring at my brother, who still looks like a completely different person. "What's over? What the hell was that?"

He pauses after a few steps, rubbing his chin like he's trying to find the right words, then turns back to me. "We need to talk, Katie."

"Ya think?" I say, knowing my sarcasm accentuates how frustrated I am.

"We can't do it here. We..." He pauses, scanning the area, his black cloak making a swishing sound. He takes my hand, pulling me toward him. "Come with me."

We walk at a hurried pace away from the cemetery but to where, I'm not sure. I look up to the sky, the same sky where I heard all the horrific sounds while pinned underneath the Watchman just moments ago. There are no strange mythical creatures up there. The sky is black, almost too black, and the stars actually seem less bright. I stumble, but Zack catches my fall. It's hard to see where we're going but I can tell it's not toward the woods. I hear him murmur something, then a white light engulfs me, so bright I have to close my eyes. It only lasts a second or two but when it's gone, I'm standing next to my car and dizzy as hell.

What the...

"Get in, I'll drive," he says, opening the driver's side door as I slump against the car, trying to stop my world from spinning.

I manage to pull on the handle, opening the door and awkwardly slipping into the passenger seat. Thankfully, within seconds, the spinning begins to slow down. "Where are we going?" I ask, turning to get a better look at him. His hair is a lighter brown and way longer than I remember, and his cloak, while similar to the Watchman's, doesn't look like it's been through a bloody battle.

"Somewhere safe," he answers, driving like a bat out of hell through the cemetery gates.

Questions swirl in my head with dizzying speed. I have no choice but to let them loose.

"Where's the Watchman? Is someone trying to kill him? Where, I mean, how did he disappear when you waved your hand at him?" I rattle off, taking a breath while I watch his face contort. Apparently my questions are painful.

"I wish you didn't have to be involved in this," he whispers.

"Dammit, Zack! What the hell is going on?"

He whips to face me, his new blue eyes locking with mine. "I am not the same Zack you think I am!"

"Yeah, I can see that. But I still don't..." I stop and look away because it's weird to see my brother looking so different. "I don't understand!" I shout. "None of this makes sense!"

"The fire...the one I died in." He pauses. "I was murdered by the same people who killed Mom and Dad. Only our parents didn't come back."

"Hang on, are you saying Mom and Dad were murdered?

"I'm saying we were all targeted. And now they know about you..."

"What are you talking about? Who know about me?" I scream as we careen around a corner. I don't know why Zack keeps driving like someone's chasing us.

"Katie," he says in an impossibly calm tone, "the less you know, the better."

My mood instantly shifts. It's as if a switch goes off in my head. I'm no longer freaked out that my back-from-the-dead brother is driving like a lunatic in a speeding Volvo. Anger is practically boiling its way out of every pore in my body. I don't care what he does or how angry he might get, because if I don't get some answers immediately, I'm going to completely lose my shit.

"Answer me, dammit!" I scream again but he just keeps driving, barely giving me any sign that he's even listening.

I grasp my seatbelt, pushing on the latch to unlock it, watching as it slides up my shoulder and back into place. Zack is so focused on the road I'm pretty sure he doesn't even see what I'm doing. I pull up on the handle and the door swings violently open, deafening gusts of air pulsating all around us.

"What are you doing?!" he shouts, grabbing my arm as I pretend to escape.

"Tell me now!" I demand, calling his bluff. "What the fuck is going on?!" I scream so loudly my voice cracks.

We lock eyes and I finally see some semblance of my brother behind all the blue. He jerks his head back to the road, still tightly grasping my arm. Several black shadows flash in front of us. Zack hits the breaks, shooting me off the seat, but somehow his arm stops my body from crashing into the dash. My hand goes to my chest from the pain but I don't have time to wrap my brain around any of it. The shock that I should probably be dead right now is the only thing I can focus on before I'm pushed back against the seat.

"Close the door!" Zack shouts again, clearly enraged, so I do what he asks and yank it shut.

Nothing like almost bursting through a windshield to get someone's full attention.

He looks back to the road, shifting his head from left to right as if he's looking for something. He closes his eyes for a second, his brow furrowing in concentration, and hits the gas, turning abruptly into a dense forest. I'm not sure why I'm surprised by anything at this point but I can't help but watch in complete amazement as twigs, bushes, and small trees impossibly move away, allowing us to easily pass.

We're less than a mile into the forest when the headlights shine on something dark and huge, standing right in front of the car.

Wait...it's him-the Watchman.

Where the hell did he come from? And how in the effing world did he find us?

His large figure moves toward us in a single, fluid motion, and before I know it, I'm wrapped in another warm white light.

I open my eyes at the sound of a familiar voice. I'm lying on something hard and uncomfortable. I know the Watchman is here, but I can't make him out as I scan the area, trying to focus past the dim light surrounding me. It's impossible to see more than a few feet and when I try to pull myself up, it hurts like hell. Even taking a full breath is excruciating.

My vision is fuzzy and I'm wrapped in what feels like thick wool. It's tight around my body and I try once again to pull up. The pain keeps me from going any further and I have to catch my breath to stop from crying out.

Dear God, am I dying? Am I dead?

Suddenly, everything comes rushing back.

Zack kept me from slamming through the car windshield. At the time I felt no pain, but that has to be it.

"We have to send her back, Master," the Watchman says. "If she is captured, they will kill her!" He stops, as if just realizing his words are echoing. His voice goes into a whisper, "I cannot bear that."

Wait...did he just call my brother, "Master?"

Carefully shifting slightly to the right, I manage to catch a glimpse of firelight in my periphery and turn my head to see a flickering torch anchored on the wall.

I'm back in the cave.

"No, we have to tell her, Dominic," Zack whispers back, his tone almost defeated.

"You can make her forget," the Watchman clips back.

I can see them now. Zack's back is to me and all I can make out of the Watchman is the side of his face. I don't want either of them to know I'm awake so I stay quiet, hoping they'll continue talking.

"It's too late for that; she's hurt," Zack replies, turning his head toward me. "You know I can't do both."

I quickly shut my eyes, trying to stay as still as possible, even though my chest hurts like a mother.

"You realize she is bleeding internally," the Watchman murmurs.

"Yes." Zack's head drops down. "How many crystals are left?"

"Six."

"Take care of her. And do it quickly."

Without a word, the Watchman rises to his feet and walks in my direction. Keeping my eyes shut, I try to stay calm, sneaking peeks through the slits of my lids as he approaches. He stops only inches away from me and I can smell his earthy, masculine skin.

"Don't move her," Zack calls to him, but he doesn't reply.

Out of nowhere, a bright light illuminates through my eyelids as warm hands gently press down on either side of my shoulders. An intense, almost hot sensation envelops my body, like how the heat of the sun hits you when you walk out of an over-chilled room. The sensation is incredible and only lasts for a few seconds while pulses of what feels like small electric shocks rub in circles all over my ribcage. I have to fight to stay still, but at least it's no longer painful to breathe.

"It is done, Master."

"Excellent. Bring her to me..."

The Watchman's hands slip underneath the small of my back and behind my knees, effortlessly lifting me to his chest. I can't help but lean my head against him and wrap my hand around his warm, thick neck. His breath catches and I look up. I'm met with deep brownish-yellow eyes and if I weren't so focused on them, I'd swear we just had a moment.

He turns around and I have to hold on because the power behind his stride shifts my body. I'm waiting for the pain to return; I almost forgot that it's completely gone. My brain hasn't caught up with that fact yet. Somehow I've actually been healed and my heart starts to race in my chest.

Did that just happen? Should I be scared?

As if he can read my thoughts, he cradles me closer. I'm not sure if he thinks I'm going fight him and try to escape or if he knows I'm confused as hell right now. The warmth of his body next to mine and the familiar scent of his skin begin to calm my nerves and when I look to my left, I see Zack, standing next to a huge rock. The same rock the Watchman kneeled next to the first time I came. Only now it's glowing a soft white and I think I hear a humming sound.

We get closer and the Watchman stops, easing me to the floor but not letting go until he's sure I'm steady on my feet. I look up when his hands finally pull away. His black hood is already up as he stands stoically next to me, ignoring the intimacy we just shared. Or the intimacy I thought we shared.

"How do you feel?" Zack asks, stepping toward me with his hands out. I take them, noticing the warmth of them, but something is off. Somehow they don't feel solid.

"I know you have questions," he begins. "And I will answer them. But first, I need to get you home."

"Master," the Watchman interrupts.

"Dominic, she can't stay. Not yet. I need to make preparations." He looks down at my hands. "She's not like us."

Dominic nods and I have to force myself to ignore the fact that he just used that word again to identify my brother. "Tell me now!" I demand. "I don't want to go home! I don't even have a home anymore!"

"You must trust me, Katie," Zack says, his voice low and soothing as he gazes at me with his crazy new blue eyes.

For some reason I want to do as he says and decide to stop with the arguing. "Okay," I answer, still holding his gaze.

"Dominic, take her back like we discussed. And make it quick."

I feel a hand on my shoulder. The Watchman's hands slip underneath me, cradling me in his arms once again. His intoxicating scent of musk and masculinity surrounds me and I can't think of anything else.

"Close your eyes," the Watchman says before a web of white light shrouds us both.

Everything happens so quickly and when the white light fades, my body is instantly released from the Watchman's arms. I open my eyes and incredibly, I'm standing next to the Volvo. I look up at him and I can tell he already knows what's about to come out of my mouth.

"How in the hell did you do that?"

He looks down, like he doesn't know how to tell me, then shifts his eyes back to mine. "You have not lost any time."

"Huh?"

"The time. It is back to when you first arrived," he answers.

"Wait." My hand goes up. "What the hell is going on?" I ask, staring up at him.

"Now, you will not be missed." He doesn't offer any more information.

"What do you mean, I won't be missed?"

The Watchman's eyes shift away and for a second I see a hint of the familiar red. "It is not for me to explain," he answers, looking back to me, but I can hear the hesitation in his voice.

He wants me to know.

"I don't care who the hell explains it-any of it. This beating around the bush shit is driving me insane. Or maybe I've completely lost my mind and this is a flipping nightmare!"

"This is not a dream," he answers matter-of-factly.

"Then what is it? Who are you and why are you calling my dead brother 'Master'?" I air-quote the last part. "Holy shit, I sound like a mad person even to myself!" I lean against the car, almost tripping on a rock before righting myself.

The Watchman gets close, bringing his hands to my sides, and I can smell his skin again. The same masculine scent mixed with something else. It reminds me of how the north breeze smells when fall begins to push away the hot, humid summer air. It's intoxicating.

"That!" I shout, making him stand back. "Why did you do that?"

"I do not understand."

"Why are you treating me like a freaking porcelain doll?"

"I have already told you. I am your Watchman."

I can't help but roll my eyes. I know that much. "Yeah, you've told me it several times. But why? Why do you have to watch me?"

"Because you and the Master have the same bloodline," he answers in his deep, rich voice.

"Okay, I get it. He's my brother, so of course we have the same bloodline. What does that have to do with anything?"

He hesitates again, looking around as if we're being watched, then he steps closer and leans into my ear. "It means you are not of this world and must be protected."

"Not of this world? Seriously? Um, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a living, breathing person here." I don't try to hide my sarcasm but he doesn't say a word. "You're really not going to tell me, are you?"

"It is not for me to say," he says softly. "I am your protector. That is all."

"Then why am I so drawn to you?" I ask so quickly I barely realize I've said it.

His eyes dart to mine. Clearly, he wasn't expecting that. Is it wrong somehow? Wrong for me to feel this way?

He continues to glare at me but I can see the confusion behind his eyes. He's definitely baffled by this. So, I ask the next question.

"Why can't I be attracted to yo-"

"It is forbidden!" he shouts, interrupting me, and I flinch. He backs away.

"Why is it forbidden?" I ask, looking down at my feet, feeling foolish for even admitting my attraction to him.

His hand goes to my chin and our eyes lock once again. He knows I feel ashamed and probably wants to let me down gently. "It is not that simple, Kate Bassett. We are different, you and I. We are very different."