Bound (The Guardians) Page 9

  I take off back down past my hiding spot, across the dry river and into some nearby trees. I can hear her on the chase not far behind. My heart is beating in my ears. My throat is dry and begins to burn. Everything is starting to blur, the only thing I can focus on is getting away.

  I yelp as the girl unexpectedly appears beside me. She leaps into the air and launches off a nearby tree. I stop running and try to back step as she swings her knife arm at me. The girl misses once again, but I hit my head on the dirt as I topple to the ground.

  I quickly stumble to my feet and continue running in the same direction.

  Hot on my trail, the dark-haired girl continues to hunt after me. I unexpectedly reach the edge of a hill. It’s extremely steep, but I have no choice but attempt to run down. I stumble halfway and barrel to the bottom. The girl on the other hand doesn’t miss a beat, hitting the ground on her feet near me.

  I try, rather pathetically, to crawl away.

  A bolt of lightning strikes near us. The girl shoots up in the air to avoid it. Leo dives down from the top of the hill. He too lands without any loss of balance. The assassin man appears overhead on the black flight board. He whistles to the girl. She turns and soars into the air, landing next to him on the board.

  ‘Sorry but it seems our time has been cut short,’ the man says with a laugh. The two sail across the sky in the opposite direction. In a matter of seconds they’re gone.

  I flop backwards into the dirt with relief. I need a moment to figure out who I am.

  Leo stands near me glancing around the blue sky. Once he’s sure they’re gone, he looks down. From the ground I ask him, ‘Do you always have people shooting at you like that?’

  Leo replies, ‘Yes and no. Normally they are simply anti-Guardian rebels with their own agenda and reasons for attacking, armed with basic weapons. But those two...those armaments…they are like nothing I have ever seen.’

  ‘What was with those gun arms…’

  Leo’s face grows serious. ‘I do not know. But I must report this to my father and grandfather at once.’ He makes his way over to me and reaches down. ‘Are you all right? Can you stand?’

  I gradually sit up. My fancy dress is torn, my knees and elbows are skinned and my head is burning. Still I manage to answer, ‘I think I’m good.’

  Leo’s blue eyes quickly widen. He kneels down near me and says, ‘Mellea, you’re bleeding!’

  I reach up to my forehead and touch it. My fingers are covered in blood when I pull them back down. Leo fishes around in his jacket pocket.

  I half laugh, ‘Today has been one big disaster after another.’

  Leo pulls out a handkerchief and holds it against my forehead. I sit there as he dabs my cut gently. I smile, feeling drowsy from exhaustion and minor blood loss. ‘You know, before, that was the first time you’ve ever called me by my name.’

  Leo glances at me. ‘Really? Are you sure?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I say with a weak smile. ‘It’s funny. My name doesn’t sound so ugly when you say it.’

  ‘There is nothing wrong with your name. It is perfectly fine. In fact it is kind of pretty.’

  ‘No,’ I say pointing at him. ‘Back when we first met you said “I don’t care for it”…another lie then, hmm? You big stupid liar…with…your pants on fire and whatnot.’

  Unexpectedly, Leo smiles and laughs. It’s been so long since I’ve seen his genuine smile and the first time I’ve heard him laugh. The expressions are sweet and warm, not those demonic looks of a Successor, simply those of the guy named Leo. Maybe, only maybe, there’s some good deep down in his heart after all.

  He stops dabbing the blood and turns around. He remains crouching and asks me to grab onto his shoulders. ‘We need to get back to the road so I can call for some help. Can you get on?’

  I start to move towards him but things become blurry.

  Chapter seventeen

  I glance around at the bed canopy above my head. Things are cloudy and unsure. My forehead aches. I slowly reach up and touch the cut. I feel a medical patch that has been placed on it. I’m back in the Tower.

  Leo quickly comes into view, standing over me before perching on the side of the bed gently. He doesn’t say anything but looks at me with quiet relief. The light in the room is that of the afternoon. I begin to remember what has happened, the attack by those mechanical people and more importantly, my parents.

  I glare at Leo. ‘Don’t think that because I bumped my head I’ve forgotten what happened today. My parents hate me and for that, I hate you.’

  He glances downwards. ‘I understand.’

  I lie still in the bed, the sheets covering me to my chest, my arms exposed over the top of the blanket. I feel so lost and confused. The look of hatred in my father’s eyes after he slapped me - the way my mother did nothing to help me - still burns in my heart. I can’t go home now. That life is over. And it’s all Leo’s fault. If he hadn’t tricked me into believing I had no way out, I would never have made the stupid mistake of agreeing to unite with him.

  Huh, stupid. My father was right. I am stupid.

  Leo adjusts himself on the bed. ‘When we are children, our parents are our whole world. They can do no wrong. But as we get older, we see that they are not as perfect as we once thought.’

  ‘Excuse me? There is nothing wrong with my parents. You did this to me,’ I say angrily.

  Leo sighs. ‘I may have been a bit… underhanded, shall we say, by not coming clean about the new laws. But I did not tell your parents to say such things. I did not tell your father to hit you. I would never want them to hate you and I never intended to make you unhappy.’

  I shout, ‘Unhappy? I’m miserable!’ I flinch, touching my forehead again. I shouldn’t speak so loud with a head wound. Quieter I continue, ‘I’ve lost everything that was ever important to me, my friends, my family, my job…’ Tears start to fill my eyes. ‘It might not seem like a big deal to you here in your fancy life, but those things were all I had. And now…’

  A light knocking on the door begins and young maid Poppy pokes her head inside. She scurries across the room, handing Leo a small electronic tablet.

  ‘Important message for you, Successor,’ she announces.

  Leo takes it from her and stands. He flicks though it quickly and hands it back. ‘I will leave straight away. Show this to Arin and then inform my father. After that, tell Elentia to push back the meeting. I will speak to everyone when I return.’

  ‘Yes Master.’ Poppy nods and hurries from the room.

  ‘I must attend to a project,’ Leo tells me. ‘It needs my direct attention.’

  I roll over in the bed to face away from him. The room quickly falls silent, but I know he’s still there.

  Leo then says softly, ‘I will see you tomorrow, all right?’

  I don’t answer back.

  ***

  A few minutes after Leo leaves the room I hear voices outside my door. Usually people don’t linger on the lower floors and I’m curious as to what’s going on. I drag my body out of bed and move to the door.

  Carefully, I push down on the gold handle and open it just enough to see out. Not too far down the balcony is Lord Neros. Leo stands before him, the atmosphere looks tense.

  ‘I do not care, Leo!’ Lord Neros hisses. ‘You do not leave Poridos without my permission. And you do not go on public transportation to some dangerous outskirt town, under any circumstances. Do you understand me?’

  Leo stares at his father. ‘What was I supposed to do? She misses her family… she already hates me, keeping her locked up in here is not going to help that.’

  ‘You are a Guardian! You do not bend the rules for commoners, especially not her. She is the daughter of that rotten crook Noran Wendorn.’

  Feeling sick at the mention of my father’s name, I clench my hands tightly on the door.

  Neros says, ‘She is a dirty little nobody. I do not understand why you want her so badly. The only reason I am letting this go is because
you have taken so long to choose a bride. But mark my words, unless she starts conforming to our ways – I will have her removed.’

  ‘Removed?’ Leo says with a squeak. ‘No! She simply needs some time to get adjusted.’

  ‘When are you planning on uniting with her?’

  ‘I… I uh,’ Leo mumbles.

  Neros asks, ‘Are you having sex with her?’

  ‘Father!’ Leo shouts. He’s clearly embarrassed.

  ‘Well I cannot think of any other reason that you would want to keep her around. Clearly she is giving you something that keeps you hanging on a string, sighing during meetings and generally being reluctant to do your job, more than normal.’

  Leo straightens his stance. ‘That is unfair. I am a model Successor. Do not try and pretend like I am not.’

  ‘Good. Then get going on the mission and return back here, on time. Then I expect a full report.’

  Neros turns and heads down a set of nearby stairs. When he’s out of sight Leo walks to the edge of the balcony. He leans on it with his elbows and covers his face with his hands. I watch him with a sort of sickly feeling in my stomach. Leo stands back up and takes a breath in. He heads down the same set of stairs Neros did.

  I close the door.

  Slowly I rest my head against the wood. He really was sticking his neck out to take me to Pekkin. But… I hate him… I’ve never been this conflicted, ever. One turn and then another… my life feels like the twisting balcony just outside my door.

  I head back to my bed to rest.

  ***

  When the evening comes, I’m visited by Demmi. When he sees the medical patch on my forehead, he demands to know the story. We sit at my small table and talk about the attack. After a while I find myself saying nothing, just staring into space. I guess I still can’t believe what happened with my parents is real.

  Demmi reaches across the table, putting one index finger on the back of my hand. I stare at him. He says, ‘Listen to me. What you’ve said about your parents, it’s horrible. But remember that you’ve done nothing wrong. You wanted to see them. You risked being persecuted by the Guardians by leaving Poridos. You’re brave, really, really brave. They should give you a medal! And as for your parents… well they need a wakeup call.’

  Demmi smacks his fist into his opposite palm. ‘I’m happy to do it for you, if you want?’

  I shake my head. ‘No. But thank you.’ I look at the young man. I have questions that maybe he can answer. ‘Leo did the strangest thing out there today. He had some sort of lightning power going on… do you know about that?’

  Demmi nods. ‘All the Guardians have powers. Well, not exactly the same…brides…and then…’ struggling to clarify his own point, Demmi says, ‘I’m sure someone will explain it to you when the time is right. But don’t worry, around here its normal.’

  ‘Yeah, normal,’ I say with a sarcastic tone.

  Demmi’s eyes wander to the seat beside him. He picks up the paper bag sitting on the chair. He pulls out the container holding the music box. He opens it and smiles. ‘This is cute. Did you buy this today?’

  I scrunch up my face. ‘No, the liar gave it to me. He was trying to win me over I think. Not that it matters now. Any hope of us being friends has been officially obliterated. He’s an evil, selfish rich boy who will never understand anything.’

  Demmi smirks. ‘I hear that. But if he’s giving out gifts maybe you should ride the gravy train. Try and get stuff that’s super expensive. I would be. Now let’s see…hmm. Okay, I’m thinking to start off get some jewellery…and then...a flight board! Oh wait, how about a beach house? Mellea get the beach house! Get the beach house!’

  ‘I’m not on a game show.’ I laugh. ‘Besides that would require actually speaking to Leo, something I try and avoid doing at all times.’

  Demmi puts the bag down and looks at me. He asks seriously, ‘Hey, Soren said that Leo told Neros the people who attacked you had weapons coming out of their bodies. Is that true…or has it been passed on so far it’s been warped?’

  I nod. ‘No, it’s true. Leo got attacked by a man with a gun built into his arm. And I was chased through the woods by a girl with a knife coming out of her palm. At least, I’m pretty sure she was a child. It’s confusing and utterly insane.’

  Demmi eyes are wide as he puts his hands on the table. ‘Sounds like things are going to get complicated around here. Which reminds me, I was told to make sure you know about the Summoning tomorrow morning.’

  I frown. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘It’s when the six Elders of the Guardian’s Court, high ranking Sentry officers and the Montarus family members are called together for a meeting in the theatre. When they are, it’s a big deal and called the Summoning. It’s restricted. So as brides it’s lucky we’ve even been invited to attend… and blar, blar, blar.’ I make an unsure facial expression. Demmi smiles and says, ‘Don’t worry. We sit at the back in the darkness where no one can see us. We don’t participate.’

  Demmi hangs around to chat for a while before he notices how late it’s gotten. On his way out he says he will come and get me before the meeting. I say goodnight and sit back in my chair with arms folded.

  The Guardians were obviously concerned about these people with the mechanical parts built into their bodies. I don’t need to be a Guardian to know something bad is coming our way.

  Chapter eighteen

  The atmosphere in the theatre is thick. Demmi and I sit at the back of the dark tiered seating venue. All the chairs around us are empty. Only a few towards the bottom are filled by people deemed much more important than us. Because of the small attendance, the front of the room is the only part that is lit up. Being an underground room, it’s dark and quiet. When people aren’t talking, you could hear a pin drop.

  Below us on the floor area is a long semicircle table. At one end sits six white haired individuals, the Elders of the Guardian’s Court who assist in the decision making process of the Guardians. I had no idea that the Guardians had help outside their family making the rules by which we all live. But then again, that’s politics; an entire party and one person taking the credit, or the blame.

  At the other end are the Successors, Arin, Leo and Soren. Sitting before them all in a gold elevated chair is Lord Neros. The matching chair next to him, obviously meant for Lady Lethia, is empty.

  Come to think of it, never have I once seen her… and nobody really talks about her. How strange.

  The meeting commences and I sit up straight. The first topics to be discussed are small and boring. I sit back, slowly losing interest. Demmi leans over to me and points out Anrella. He says that after her uniting she was invited to sit closer, behind Arin in the seats. I glance down at her. Next to Anrella is Elentia who is taking notes on her tablet. Behind them, two Sentry officers are also jotting points down on paper. I shift my gaze towards the Successor end of the table.

  The three blond haired siblings remain interested in a dull topic, or five. I do commend them for their high level of attentiveness. Mine is fading fast. Demmi fiddles with his jacket. It appears his is long gone. To amuse myself, I hold my hand up, squint one eye and begin squishing Leo’s head between my fingers. Demmi sees what I’m doing and joins in on Lord Neros.

  My attention is recaptured when the biggest item on the agenda is announced. A woman from the Elders reads from a clipboard. ‘Yesterday Successor Leo and his future bride were unexpectedly attacked by two unnamed assassins, a man and a female child. Even more concerning are reports that the two had advanced weaponry built into their bodies. They have escaped without any current leads on their location.’ The woman sits down and everyone’s eyes fall to Lord Neros. He leans back in his seat, clearly thinking deeply.

  After a good few seconds pass, an Elder man speaks up. ‘Why does nobody comment? We all know who or what these people are.’

  ‘I agree,’ says another Elder man. ‘We cannot dance around this forever. Another seventy reports of missing people have
come through to the Concords stationed in various regions of Selestia. Suspicious activity reports have also sky rocketed and the Guardian’s rule has begun to be questioned. We know who is behind this.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ asks the first Elder woman.

  The second man shouts, ‘The MECHs have returned.’

  The room erupts in voices. Some people stand and yell that that it’s impossible. Others debate back fiercely. The tension in the room is too high, almost unbearable.

  ‘MECHs?’ I whisper to Demmi. ‘Hey, I read about those people recently. Now that I think about it, they fit the description of the people who attacked us. But that’s crazy. I mean I thought they were wiped out, Dorkarn’s father sacrificed himself to make sure of it.’

  Lord Neros stands swiftly. He raises his hands and bellows out, ‘Silence!’

  The room instantly falls still and a shiver shoots up my spine. He has a scarier voice than expected when he’s angry. Lord Neros sits back down, his face twisted. ‘Look at you all bickering like children. Is this how we discuss our matters now?’

  The third Elder man questions, ‘I beg your pardon Lord Neros, but how would you know how we “discuss matters”? I cannot remember the last time you attended an important meeting.’

  The second Elder woman adds, ‘I agree. Lord Neros, you have been far too distracted lately, missing meetings and diverting our resources to other areas… is that what the title of Lord Guardian means to you? If the MECHs have returned then it is clear that it is your fault for not keeping a closer eye on Selestia’s defence.’

  ‘Mind your mouth!’ Arin yells. ‘How dare you speak such words? You will not question my father’s ability to rule whilst I sit here.’

  Soren stands up and shouts, ‘Such treasonous talk! I should have you strung up by your toes and hung from the top of the Tower.’