Page 4 of Guardian

“Does that mean you trust me now?”

“I’ve always trusted you.” He rolled his eyes. “I just couldn’t risk my best guardian to them. Now, I have no choice, on one condition, Nina.”

“What is it?”

“You have to promise you’ll keep taking your medication.”

“If I don’t, would I have to beg to receive this job?” I mocked half-jokingly. Tension pressed against my chest and stomach, nausea rumbling as we sat.

“As much as I love it when you beg, there won’t be a job.” He rummaged through the sheets on his desk. “I’m risking you to this job, Nina. There’s double the danger; I can’t have a third one surprising us along the way.”

“What fun would it be if there wasn’t a risk?” A smirk flourished across my face. “I promise, Lace.”

ChapterTwo

ALEK SEPHTIS

The piano’s keys trembled beneath my light fingertips, my hands carried by the rhythm of the melody that possessed my memory during the early hours. My chamber had remained swallowed by the darkness of night, dawn slowly making its appearance with each resounding strum. It was a melody that carried a weight I had long loathed, one that caused my stomach to constrict with sorrow, the entrancing flow pulling and tugging at my chest.

Beams of sunlight crept through the blinds from my chamber’s first floor, inching closer to the piano’s grand, pitch-black structure, one that had been polished hours ago. A ray of light slowly drifted toward my right hand, the gleam pausing before the black keys and the tips of my ring and middle fingers.

My right hand lifted away from the piano while my left continued along the keys, pouncing with force rather than brushing— my concentration leading instead of my emotion. I wasn’t sensing the rhythm anymore, fixated on following the keys through the routine.

Light poured onto my fingertips, the skin burning around and below my nail beds under the morning sun. When I was young, the sun caused me to feel as if hundreds of fiery ants bit away at my skin. At twenty, the pain had numbed with the constant minor exposure, the slightest trace of it being a hot pressure after the first few seconds of meeting it.

Perhaps I preferred withstanding the heat from the morning sun, as it proved to be less threatening when compared to meetings amongst my brothers.

Yet, today was like every other, and the answer remained unchanged. I had no choice; I had to follow the forced routine of being a youngling.

Though slow with my motions, the formal attire I bore took short minutes to settle into. Dressing up was simply for my brothers’ amusement, as their beliefs were based on the vampire hierarchy. A single wrinkle represented an act of disobedience, one they could use to their advantage, for better or worse.

What they fully emphasized was punctuality, the ultimate act of authority for the oldest. Slight tardiness had horrid repercussions, ones my younger brothers and I had dealt with through the years. It forced each of us to be wary of the time. That’s why I still hurried with each prolonged motion, finally fastening the cuffs and trailing toward the expansive mirror where light barely hinted within my chamber.

I inspected the fabric in its reflection, every inch smoothed to perfection. Once my eyes traveled back to meet themselves, my attention was on the expression that hid my internal anger.

I clenched my jaw as an electrifying heat rushed through my veins, my hands tightening into fists while I glared at my polished stature. Every time my gaze fell on the mirror, nothing besides disgust twisted my stomach. It reminded me of the life I lived caged in, the one I despised more than myself.

Yet, my eyes didn’t show such thoughts. Years of practice had caused a cemented abyss within my irises, a darkness that went beyond the brown tint and displayed no emotion. They were the most dangerous features any of us bore because eyes confessed what lips bit away.

My breath grew heavy as I exhaled the built-up tension within my muscles and forced myself down the dim hallway.

The house had an everlasting gloominess, with its dark interior and low lighting, all windows hidden behind dusty curtains. Walking to the gathering room always brought forth memories of our mother when the house beamed with tinted light emitting from the stained-glass window above the staircase. It parted the two separate wings, and as I stood before it, I glanced at the curtains in their stead rather than the lively colors.

My mind repressed the memories, my youth, our mother, and anything that could expose my feelings. Even with practice, it constantly proved to be a struggle within myself.

I turned into the secret flight of stairs, descending into the gathering room, the greens and purples burning vividly with little light. In every inch of the household was a piece of our mother, a piece that grew hollow with each year amongst my brothers. This room, though, had her heart and soul etched with a haunting presence.

The youngest, Raphael, sat in his usual chair, the one closest to the exit that led to the foyer and opposite the imitating throne. Although his dark, auburn eyes kept steady on the table before us, his fingers gripping his shaking leg. He tried to calm himself through steady breaths, but it wasn’t working in his favor.

The second and third youngest, twins Jacque and Jacob, settled into their accustomed couch across from Raphael’s chair. Their dirty blonde hair was swept back, each strand polished into a perfect quiff. Upon their uniform appearance, their movements mirrored each other, Jacque straightening his shoulders and Jacob following.

As the oldest in the room, they bowed their heads when I took my seat. Jacque and Jacob quickly ignored my presence once they finished their greetings.

Although displaying a hint of worry was deadly before snakes, for Raphael, I met his gaze with what warmth I could afford.

His eyes gleamed, and his shaking paused. With a simple gesture, his hands lifted and rested against the armrests, confirming that he remembered to appear fine.

The third oldest, Kaleb, climbed down the stairs with a sway along each of his steps. Sharp, honeyed eyes searched the room as if hunting for their prey with a narrow and determined stare, widening once they stumbled upon me. He skipped the last steps and jumped onto the floor; Raphael, Jacob, and Jacque bowed their heads, but Kaleb quickly dismissed it.

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