Veiled Guardian: A Borne of Angels Novel (The Awakening Book 1) Read online

  I had no intention of honoring his arrangement. Alex and I would just have to leave. She'd go with me. I knew that. She'd do anything for me, just as I would for her.

  “Yes, Father,” I agreed, turning to leave.

  “Oh, and Son?” Henry began, abruptly stopping my retreat. I turned back grudgingly to face him over his desk. “In case you have any ideas about spreading any ugly rumors, or”—he smiled knowingly—“shirking your familial responsibilities and abdicating your proverbial throne...”

  He knows. But that wasn’t possible, was it? No, just a good guess. Right? But I couldn’t shake the thought.

  “Well, you might want to think about all the people your actions could inadvertently hurt.”

  Something in Henry's voice refocused my attention on him, forcing me to meet his gaze over his computer monitor. Henry nodded to the monitor indicating I should take a peek, so I started around his desk. The cold fear beginning to coil in my belly delayed me only momentarily, but as the reality of what I was witnessing on the screen truly sank in, the writhing serpent in my gut turned to ice.

  There were half a dozen live feeds on the monitor: two separate views of my mom, two of Alex's friend, Jade, and two views of Alex, though my brother was unsurprisingly unaccounted for.

  “There are a lot of people that could get hurt, Son. People you care for.”

  “You're having them followed. Even my mother? Your own wife!” It was a statement more than a question, but my manufactured astonishment bought me some time to accept the inevitable conclusion of this meeting. This was his final play. This was why Ash wasn’t on that screen. Henry would never let my brother go, not even to death, but the rest of these people… He wouldn’t hesitate.

  “For everyone’s safety, son. Do you have any idea how easy it would be for someone to use one of the people you care about to get to you? To hurt someone you love just to gain your cooperation? If someone were to become a threat, any one of my men can respond in a split second.” Henry’s expression was unreadable, but I could see through his mask. I could see the monster that slithered beneath his manicured exterior. The visage of a true sociopath.

  My face fell, as did my heart, shattering into a thousand pieces. The dreams that sustained my aching heart had been snatched from my hands, still warm. I felt my resolve melt. Every ounce of fight I had left slipped away. It was over.

  My father had found me a bride. I would marry some stranger, accept my position in the family… in the world.

  For Alex. I would do anything for Alex.

  Even break her heart.

  There was nothing left to say, so I turned to leave the study, beaten. Then I heard my father's voice again.

  “Andrew?”

  I closed my eyes and paused, unable or unwilling to turn around, though I wasn’t sure which.

  “We’ll see you for family dinner Sunday. Your mother’s very excited about getting started on wedding plans. Do not disappoint her.”

  I stepped into the hall and swung the heavy wooden door closed behind me without another word, a single tear sliding silently down my cheek.

  Veiled Guardian

  So fall the Veil and war ignite

  So the Guardian rise and reunite

  Magics divided: Life, Death, Dark and Light

  With the Four side by side,

  And powers untied

  Victory is theirs if they stand unified

  But if they should fail

  Despair and Destruction assail

  Chaos shall reign, and none shall prevail.

  Leigha Wolffe

  1

  Alex

  “Istill can't believe we're here. This is stupid. This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done. Why are we here?”

  “That’s a little dramatic. It’s just a wedding,” I chastised, but I smiled to myself. Jade. What could I say about Jade? Jade and I had been roommates in college and quickly become like sisters. No, we were sisters.

  As roommates, she was privy to all my secrets. Actually, her pushy, intrusive nature made it impossible to keep her out of my business, and she'd never had an opinion that hadn't seen the light of day. Yeah, that was more accurate.

  She was bossy and brave and one of the warmest, kindest people I'd ever met. Jade was my hero. She was also very protective of those she loved, and as such, she’d had very strong opinions about my relationship with Andrew from the very beginning.

  “Just a wedding? Seriously, girl, this is insane! Why are we here? Let's just leave. We’ll go to a bar, pick up some hot German guys and pretend this whole thing never happened,” she demanded for the sixteenth time since we’d left the hotel room today. I sighed as I exited the cab and, for what felt like the hundredth time since we got on the plane to Germany two days ago, explained my position.

  “Because Andrew's my best friend. Besides…”

  Jade cocked a dark eyebrow in my direction, and I nudged her shoulder.

  “Oh, come on… You know you're more like a sister.”

  She rolled her eyes, but I saw a half smile crack that angry facade and knew I had her.

  “Come on… You are one of my two best friends, but Andrew has been my best friend since first grade. He's getting married, and he needs me. I'm in the wedding for cripes' sake, Jade! I have to go. He'd be heartbroken if I didn't show. He'd never forgive me,” I whined. I wasn't afraid to whine to Jade or to call it what it was when I did. I was a whiner and she accepted that about me. There was no whine-shaming here.

  The wedding was being held at the Tennyn family home in Germany: Tennyn Castle. Yes, castle. It was unbelievably old, nestled deep within the Black Forest, and on absolutely no maps. No local maps, state maps, or official maps of Germany. Google had never heard of this Godforsaken castle. I felt like I was walking into a horror movie and no one was going to make it out alive. A sudden cold made me shudder but passed as quickly as it had come. God, this place gave me the creeps.

  We were approaching the stone archway at the main entrance when she finally responded. “I've heard this all before, Alex. And it's still insane. This is totally messed up, and you know it. I swear you're some kind of masochist. You’re totally in love with the guy—”

  “Jade!” I admonished, glancing around nervously, but she continued, allowing me no reprieve.

  “—and you're about to go stand up at his wedding and be his Best Man? Tell me you don't see my point, here!” Jade finished her rant as my eyes nervously scanned for anyone who might've overheard.

  Luckily, there was only one other person in the area. A very tall, tan, muscular man with curly, dirty-blonde hair, golden eyes, and a devilish smile he flashed our way which made my knees weak.

  Butterflies.

  Butterflies were going crazy in my stomach. I never got butterflies around anyone but Andrew. Never. There was something familiar about him too, but he wasn't anyone I recognized, and he didn't seem to recognize me. Thank God! But I might have to change our acquaintance status after the wedding. Those butterflies were worth exploring. It would be the one ray of light I could seek shelter within as the darkness that was this day closed in around me.

  “Can you, please, keep it down?” I chastised, “All of Tennyn Castle does not need to hear the intimate details of my personal life.”

  “What intimate details?” she mocked.

  I took a deep breath, my eyes bugging, and exhaled. “Anyway... Andrew is my friend. Period. I'm standing in as his Best Man, er… person… because his brother can’t make it and I absolutely will not let him stand up there alone,” I whisper screamed at my dear, chosen sister. She was trying her damnedest to protect me, I knew, but I wasn't going to budge, and she needed to get that through her thick, lovingly protective skull.

  Jade regarded me for a few moments longer than necessary, and it was starting to make me nervous when she finally just said, “Okay.”

  Speculative, at best, I repeated, “Okay?”

  “Yes, 'Okay',” she sighed throwing her han
ds up above her head. “But for the record, this is a terrible idea, and it’s going to end one way: badly.”

  I sighed at her, again, fighting the urge to roll my eyes at her, again.

  “Girl, you know I get those feelings sometimes, and right now, I have what can only be described as a growing feeling of dread about this whole mess of crazy you've dragged me here to witness.”

  I lost the battle and rolled my eyes at her, but I smiled a little despite myself. I dragged her here? Yeah, that happened. Jade had refused to let me go alone. She'd purchased our tickets together. Nonrefundable. I was making light, but she just laid a hand on my shoulder, turned me to face her, and dropped her gaze to meet me mine.

  “I'm serious, Alex,” she whispered. “This is going to end badly.”

  I felt a little shiver roll up my spine at her ominous tone and had to force myself to shake it off. I'd always made light of her claims, but truthfully, I wasn't so sure whether I believed her or not. Jade's grandmother claimed they were descended from an ancient line of witches. I did have to admit, Jade and her grandma always seemed to be a little extra-aware of the world and people around them. Some sort of ESP didn't seem like too far a stretch, but… I mean, come on… Witches? Maybe they were just more attuned to their natural intuition, or they could read some serious body language and micro-expressions subconsciously that the rest of us couldn't. Any way you sliced it, my best friend was weird.

  Jade and her grandmother had ‘feelings,’ but they were almost always dead on. Especially with the people they were closest to. Jade’s ‘feelings’ were almost exclusively related to me, and I knew I shouldn’t dismiss her heartfelt warning so lightly, so I sighed and turned to face my dear friend, taking her hands in mine.

  “You’re right. And your ‘growing feeling of dread’ is probably you picking up on the impending shattering of my heart. It’s already been rent unrecognizable, but after this… After today there will be nothing left but ash.” I almost whispered the last part, then smiled in an attempt to fake some confidence into being. “Except, of course, for the part that belongs to my sister and best friend. Because they're both you. You're the only person taking care of my heart these days, and she's a loyal bitch. Andrew and I may have been best friends once upon a time, but I've had far too many secrets for far too long. How can someone be your best friend when they don't really know you?”

  Then, Jade hugged me. She hugged me like she hadn't seen me in years, or like she might not see me again. And what the hell was with these chills today?

  “Thank you for worrying about me,” I whispered. “Thank you for being here to support me. This is something I have to do. For me. For closure.” That's the moment I realized what I was really here for. I hadn't even been able to admit it to myself until it was too late to turn back. I took a deep breath and said the words I'd been unable to say before this moment, “To say goodbye.”

  The words caught in my throat, my subconscious still desperately trying to protect me from the wounds those words would inflict. “I can't stand loyally by his side and watch him live happily ever after. I can’t watch him have babies and anniversaries and family Christmases, be Auntie Alex. I can’t watch him live my life with someone else.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to steady myself before continuing. “I can't. I think I've known for a while this would be the end, I just… I couldn't admit it to myself. As for you, my dearest friend and greatest protector” —and we both smiled, because it was true—“today, I just need to know you're here to catch me when this is all over. So I'll be strong enough to stand by him this one last time.”

  Only as she reached up and carefully dabbed the tears away did I realize they were falling. “I will always protect you,” she whispered. A bittersweet grin tugged at the right side of her mouth as she tried to protect my mascara from the disappointment leaking from my eyes. “So… do I at least get a special title, then? Best friend and sister… Hmmm… Does that make me like a frister? Nope… sounds too much like fister. Not that kind of friendship.”

  Just like that, the spell was broken as we laughed ourselves to tears at her random train of thought, at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. What else was there to do? Cry? No, there would be enough of that later.

  When our laughter finally subsided, she continued, “Thank God that lame joke worked, cuz we do not have time to redo your makeup, frister fister.”

  And I was off again. I laughed and hugged Jade almost painfully. This woman would always keep my head above water, just as I would hers. “What would I do without you?” I chuckled.

  She responded, quite accurately, “Nothing. You would do literally nothing. I drag you everywhere. Which is why I let you drag me to this shitshow.”

  “Uh-huh. Who bought these tickets, again?”

  Jade let out a deep sigh, “Come on, let's get this over with.” Arm in arm, we turned back to the stone archway and headed into the castle to find our party. Only, now, a tightness was expanding in my chest, each step making my legs feel more like jelly. Damn it, Jade, now I had a ‘growing feeling of dread.’ I took one last deep breath as we passed the stone archway and began comparing the castle layout to our map, searching for the groom's dressing room.

  Searching is probably too strong a word. I'd always had an innate ability to locate Andrew. Wherever he might be, I'd just somehow end up in the same place. I'd never really thought about it until I met Jade. Jade thought it was creepy. Strangely, she thought it was creepier that I could find him and he couldn't find me. Like it would make it totally normal if we could find each other.

  We found the room a short while later. Blonde curls and broad shoulders carrying a groomsman's tux slipped through a doorway, and I tugged Jade's sleeve, “Over there.”

  “Okay. Good luck.”

  I felt my eyes grow wide at her implication that she was not joining me to greet the love of my life on the day of his marriage to someone else—and she dares to call herself my friend—and Jade chuckled a little.

  “Are you kidding me?” she admonished. “I'm not going in there! Girl, this is between you and Andrew, and I've hit my limit for awkward moments as your third wheel. Besides, look around you! This place is lousy with hotties! I'm staying right here.” Just then, the same door opened, admitting four very large, very handsome men in groomsmen’s tuxedos into the hallway.

  “Damn! Where has he been hiding these friends of his? You know, I might’ve liked him a bit more if he were bringing friends like these to the table…”

  “They're cousins, I think? I think they live here, not in the States,” I replied. Then I turned to her and begged. Just a little… “Come on, just go with me to say hi. I'll see where I need to be, then we can leave, and I'll help you find a seat.”

  “Honey, I just flew to Germany for the wedding of someone I don't even really like. Please do not deny me the simple pleasure of hooking up with some hot groomsmen.” I rolled my eyes at her antics but smiled. This was classic Jade. Trouble. And, at the moment, no help.

  “I’m being plenty helpful, thank you. You have business to attend to with Andrew, and I have business to attend to with them.” She pointed and waved at the group of groomsmen, now milling around in the hallway, and they all smiled back. I'd love to attribute her confidence to her looks, but that would be a bald face lie. While she did occasionally like to lord her looks over douchey, unsuspecting men, Jade was confident because she was Jade. Period.

  She owned any room she walked into. She had this aura about her that made people stop and take notice. With her glossy brown curls tumbling down her back, her summer-sun-kissed skin an extra golden shade of mocha, and a long, flowing silk gown in her signature color—jade, of course—that was cut low in the front, totally backless, slit almost to her hip, and draped seductively over her slender, five-foot, nine-inch frame, she looked like temptation incarnate. A goddess from a time passed, roaming the Earth with us mere mortals.

  I, on the other hand, was more than a little sel
f-conscious about how painfully average I was. My usually pale, freckled skin was at least a little tan from the summer sun at the moment, and my light brown hair had some natural blonde highlights, but nothing spectacular. I was naturally athletic and in excellent shape from the fourteen years of ballet my mom had insisted on, but that shape was strapped to an exceedingly average five-foot, six-inch frame. I was pretty, but I had nothing on the woman standing next to me.

  “Earth to Alex…” Jade waved a hand in front of my face. “Where did you just go?”

  “Sorry,” I said, laughing. “I was just contemplating the imminent demise of those poor men.”

  “Oh, well…” she said, cracking a grin. “That's understandable, I suppose.” She winked, then continued, “Besides, this…” She nodded indicating the door the groomsmen had just exited. “This is something you need to do alone.” She aimed me at the door, whispering, “You need to say goodbye. You don't need an audience, and you won't have time later. I'll be here when you're done.”

  I felt my face physically drop. I guess this is it. I took a deep breath and headed toward the door, feeling the familiar feeling of butterflies waking up in my tummy. Glancing back at Jade with my hand on the doorknob, she winked at me. That was all, but it was all I needed. I knew I would be okay. This would be brutal, but at the end of it, my sister would be there to help me pick up the pieces. I wasn't alone, and I never would be.

  Then I heard Jade's voice slide across the room like fog, “Hello, boys. Care to escort a lady to the ballroom?”

  I shook my head and smiled to myself, looking up and down the hallway. We had things to discuss, Andrew and I, and it would be awkward enough without an audience. I felt the butterflies go crazy as I opened the door and backed into the room, stealing one last look down the hallway as I pulled the door closed with a thump.