Ree looked up into his eyes. His happiness at her words mingled with a swift sense of possessiveness.

“Well, yeah. You didn’t think you were going to run away every night, did you?” Ree smiled at him for just a minute, but her embarrassment snatched her back. “Why didn’t I think about them hearing us?”

“Ree, they probably knew the first time.” He tapped his head.

“Oh no. The baby monitor! They knew what we were doing.” Ree closed her eyes again.

“Are you upset we were together or upset they know about it?” Paden’s smile turned serious.

“Paden, you know how I feel about us.” She placed her hand over his heart. “But, that doesn’t mean I want everyone else listening in to us when we… do that!”

“They won’t bother us, Ree.” Paden smiled at her.

“Speak for yourself, Paden!” Weylin’s voice drifted up from the back of the house. “I need brain-bleach! No way I’m letting you slide on this!”

The sound of scuffling made Ree laugh. She heard Melanie whispering something to Weylin and knew her friend was trying to whip him into line. “No! If I have to suffer, they do to!”

“Can it, Weylin! Or I’ll tell them what you said while you were drunk.” Melanie’s voice rose threateningly. The only other sound that came from the room was scuffling and then maniacal laughter. Ree looked up at Paden, eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or scream in embarrassment. Thankfully, Paden made up her mind for her and took the opportunity to kiss her. His hand slid up to cup the back of her head, and she felt her embarrassment wash away.

“Seriously! Cut it out!” Weylin hollered.

Paden and Ree broke apart before laughing. Paden’s eyes drifted over her shoulder and back to the path. Ree sighed and turned around to face the window. The sky was starting to take on the purple tones of dawn, the subtle black of the trees started to turn green, and the bubbling water in the fountain sparkled delicately. The soft mist that had blanketed the ground was slowly fading away. It wouldn’t be long before the other Guardians were on the island and then it would be a long day of organizing the rescue plans.

Bryce and Juliette would be back on the island soon too. They had left to try and guard some of the families without calling attention to them. Ree hated sending them out there without backup, but Melanie had been scouring the computer for more information about the missing people and looking for links to any that may have not made the news. Weylin had been on the phone with the golems at the safe houses, working to get them ready for the pick-up of the community members who had known to go and hide.

Roland had talked to Nick on the phone before leaving for the gateway. He didn’t trust the news stations to portray all of the details they may need. Since Nick was, in fact, a first responder, he could give Roland more details about the fatality rate, what the wounds had looked like, or if there were survivors Ree needed to be concerned about.

When the first jolt of energy washed over Ree, she grasped the windowsill in anticipation. She wasn’t sure what to expect from the new Guardians, but hoped they would work together to save those they could. Paden looked down at Ree, his eyes asking the question. She nodded her head to let him know they were starting to arrive. She looked back over her shoulder when she saw Melanie and Weylin walk into the room. They must have sensed her eagerness for the new people. Weylin ruffled her hair and Melanie stood at the French doors, her arms crossed while her eyes stared seriously at the shadows along the path.

“Did she say how many she was sending?” Weylin looked at Ree from the corner of his eyes.

“No.” Ree frowned. “I should’ve asked her.”

“Any help is better than none.” Weylin elbowed her gently.

“True,” Ree whispered. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and chewed. When the first dark shapes started to make their way out of the trees, she stood on her tiptoes as if that would help her see better.

“Where do you think they are from?” Melanie asked quietly.

“I guess we’ll find out.” Ree moved to the door so she could greet the new people. Paden shadowed her, staying close enough that she could feel his heat radiating on her back. “They’re on our side, Pay.”

“Can’t be too careful,” Paden replied.

“Look at that,” Weylin said from his vantage point at the window. “There must be twenty of them.” Roland was at the front of the group. It was hard to miss his characteristic swagger. Ree felt Melanie’s heartbeat pick up a little and tried to tune out the emotions radiating from her friend. Subtly, she bumped Melanie with her elbow and smiled. Melanie blushed furiously but gave her a small smile in return.

Ree felt her heart pick up in excitement. This could really turn the tables in their favor. When the new group neared the house, Ree opened the door and stepped out. She wasn’t sure that many bodies would fit in the living room. Roland raised an eyebrow at Ree and flashed his trademark grin. It warmed Ree’s heart to see him a little happier. The Guardians arranged themselves around the little clearing, while Ree’s friends stood behind her. There were women and men, some older than Ree and some that looked even younger. All ethnicities, some in clothing that seemed too old for them, others in clothing that looked entirely too hip to be worn while fighting.

A young girl with large brown eyes and loose, wild hair smiled at Ree from where she stood. Her hands were planted on her hips, large army boots strapped to her legs, and so many knives strapped to her body Ree figured she couldn’t go out in public. Letting the power reach out, Ree sensed the mood of the arriving group and found about what she expected. Eagerness, frustration, interest, and excitement seemed to emanate off of every person.

“Thank you for coming.” Ree looked around at everyone, keenly aware that they were all waiting for her to speak. “I’m not sure what you’ve been told, but we need your help.”

“We had to do it all ourselves. Why do you get help?” A bored looking man from the back frowned at Ree. The rolling of his Scottish accent seemed to accentuate his disgust. “A few Dark Ones too much for you to handle?”

Roland laughed, a deep, dark sound that filled the area. He turned to look at the Guardian and unleashed his fangs. “Niall, do you really think we would need your help with a few Dark Ones? You’re only here to play babysitter for some humans.”

Ree stared at the opinionated Guardian, he looked like he was no more than fifteen years old. He was wearing dark jeans and a T-shirt that had nothing but a hand holding up its middle finger. Charming. Paden tensed behind Ree, his temper snapping at the young man.

“We don’t need you to take care of any Dark Ones. We need you to ride herd on some humans. The Dark Ones are targeting any human from an immortal line, anyone that has something extra in their veins.” Ree was looking at Niall, but she spoke to everyone. “We’ve been given permission to bring them to the island.”

Some of the Guardians were muttering under their breath a few of them out-and-out shocked by the news. The girl with the dark eyes stepped forward and held out her hand to Ree.

“What do you go by, Alastriana?”

“Ree.” She reached out and shook the Guardians’ hand.

“Sakhmet.” The girl smiled at Ree. “Call me, Met. I’m used to it.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Ree returned the girl’s smile. “Thank you for coming.” She turned to look at everyone else. “Thank you all for coming.”

“The Dark Ones are really hunting down the immortal lines?” A woman who looked to be in her late twenties asked.

“It’s more than that, Magda.” Roland turned to look at the Guardian. “They are doing it so it’s making headlines. It started out slow and methodical, but has escalated. Last night they attacked four homes, caused several car accidents, and there are a many dead and missing people.”

“What about the civilians? The cops and military?” A tall man with a deep voice asked. He stood next to Magda, his arm brushing against hers.

“The police are blaming it on gangs. There is no military involvement yet, but this could blow up into a terrible mess any minute.” Ree looked over her shoulder at Paden. He nodded his head in encouragement. “I’m not asking for you to fight my battle. I’m not asking for you to clear out the city. We just need help rounding up the people that are in most danger and getting them to safety. To the island.”

“Well, that’s disappointing.” Met frowned. “I was kind of hoping to kick some ass while I was here.”

“For now, we just need to get organized and start bringing the humans over.” Roland looked at Met, the corners of his mouth twitching.

“Well, tell us what we need to do, then.” Met walked toward the house and made her way into the living room. She winked at Weylin, who was openly staring at the woman. Ree caught his eye and pointed to her head. Very carefully she mouthed the words, brain-bleach. He smiled widely and sauntered into the house after Met. Melanie followed, shaking her head. Ree stood by the door, greeting everyone that entered the house. When Niall neared her, Roland stepped behind Ree, mirroring Paden’s protective stance. The young man peered at Ree through the hair that lay on his forehead as if weighing her. His inspection moved to Paden before slipping to Roland.

“So, you have a Guardian and Roland already working with you.” His voice was dripping with condescension.

“Yes.” Ree nodded her head.

“And the other two who were standing up here? You seem to know them.” His eyes slid over Roland and lingered on Paden.

“They are my Guardians as well.” Ree wondered what Niall was getting at. She could feel that he was working to keep his emotions to himself, and he was doing a good job.

“You have three Guardians.” Niall narrowed his eyes at Ree. She could feel something bubbling under the surface, but she wasn’t sure what he was hiding.

“Five. She has five Guardians.” Paden’s voice was calm, but the warning under the surface was obvious to everyone.

“What makes you so special?” Niall’s face twisted in a sneer.

“Because she is the last Alastriana.The last to fight for Earth.” Paden moved even closer to Ree. “Because she is special.”

“They’re all special, aren’t they?” Niall moved without a sound. Spinning in spot, he brought out a dagger and swiped at Ree. She moved backward to avoid his strike, her hand raising automatically and glowing with power. Paden and Roland acted in unison in a move that must’ve been choreographed. Niall was lying on the ground in a matter of seconds, his blade lying on the other side of the clearing, his face amused. He looked up into Paden’s eyes and began to chuckle.

“You should find someone else, godling. Loving an Alastriana will leave you broken-hearted. If she makes it through the battle you will have to watch her waste away.” Niall’s voice cracked and his grip on his emotions slipped for just long enough for Ree to understand.

“Sophie Diakos made a death gift to Ree.” Paden hissed down at the Guardian on the ground. “The only thing I have to worry about is a Dark One stealing her away. Or an idiot making me kill him.”

Putting a hand on Paden’s shoulder she held her hand out to Niall to help him up. “I’m sorry for your loss, Niall.”

The Guardian looked up at Ree, his eyes lost in memory as he stared at her hand. “I’m glad to know your Guardian will not have to watch you fade away.”

Roland looked down at the godling and frowned. “How long has it been, Niall?”

“Sixteen years, eleven months, and twelve days.” Niall’s eyes finally fixed on Ree’s. He accepted her hand before bowing over her hand. “My apologies, Alastriana.”

“You do not get off with an apology.” Paden moved between Niall and Ree, his body pushing a barrier between the two. “If you attack Ree again, I will kill you.”

Niall nodded his head in understanding. “Yes, I figured as much.” Without another look, he walked into the house and claimed a corner for his own. Ree walked into the house and smiled in relief when she saw Bryce and Juliette walking through the masses. Juliette looked around the room, her eyes taking in everyone’s faces. Bryce, however, ignored everyone as he walked up to Ree.

“The Dark Ones have run to their caves for the night, but the darklings are looting. It seems to be limited to the historic district, which makes me think the Dark Ones are holed up somewhere nearby. It’s going to be difficult to get past all of the cops that have been called in to help.” Bryce frowned. “I’m pretty sure that was their plan.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“We can give them the information and let them get the humans out of Dodge.” Roland’s voice was louder than necessary and Ree frowned. She looked once again at the text message her mother had sent and felt a pang of pain. She’d received it just a little while ago, and it had made her heart hurt. She missed them more than she thought she would. They were safe, that was the most important thing at the moment.

“They don’t know the area.” Melanie pointed out.

“Actually, I’ve been to Savannah before.” Met looked up from the map on the desk. “It’s pretty easy to find your way around once you know the key streets. If the cops find us, we can play the tourist card.”

“We can’t go, Melanie.” Ree looked at her friend. It pained her to say that. She wanted to make sure all of those people were safe, just as much as her friend did.

“Look, the longer we argue about this, the more daylight we waste.” Met leaned forward on the desk, her eyes trained on Melanie’s. “I will take care of your people, Guardian. The Dark Ones have broken the agreement by going after the lines. It is our responsibility to protect those that cannot do it for themselves.”

The Guardians that had squeezed into the office all grunted their agreement. Niall sat on the edge of the fireplace, flipping a blade over his knuckles.

“Melanie?” His accent-heavy voice seemed to catch everyone’s attention. “This isn’t our first rodeo.” He smiled at Melanie, his face transforming into something much more attractive. “We will be fine. Besides, your Alastriana has spoken. Her plan is solid or Athena would not have sent us to help.”

Melanie stared at Niall for a minute. “Fine. Put the addresses into the GPS on your phones. It may not get you there as quickly as we would be able to, but you’ll get there eventually.”