Page 38 of Saints & Sinners

He looked away, his jaw straining. “Not exactly.”

“Then what is it?”

Hunter’s expression shifted as he looked back at me. He seemed... worried. But I refused to believe that was for my benefit. “Do you know what the vision was about?”

I was suddenly uncomfortable. I didn’t want to mention the part about Lucas. That felt too... personal. “No,” I lied, though not entirely. All I knew was that it involved Lucas. “She just... blamed me, I guess.”

Hunter stared at me for a long moment, his eyes searchingmine like he was trying to decide whether or not to believe that lie, too. I knew he didn’t, but it didn’t stop me from holding his gaze, refusing to back down, and when he didn’t push further, I let out a small breath of relief until my stupid mind decided I had a question for him.

“Do all the visions that Guardians have come true?”

He gave me that look again, the one that felt like he was peeling back every one of my layers and studying them in depth. It unnerved me, yet it thrilled me all at once.

“No,” he said after a pause, and I held my breath. “Ascendant Guardians are still learning, so their visions aren’t always... accurate.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you’re learning to harness the power of a Guardian, sometimes your fears and worries can get mixed up with the different visionary pathways.” He shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. “It creates scenes that feel real, but they just reflect what you’re afraid of.”

I mulled over his words, feeling a sense of relief that perhaps what Veronica saw was just her fears manifesting into one.

Before I could ask him more, the shrill wail of an alarm shattered the quiet atmosphere of the library. The sound wasn’t just loud—it felt alive, vibrating through the walls, the floor, and into my chest.

“What the hell is that?” I gasped, pressing my hands over my ears.

Hunter’s expression hardened instantly, his entire body tensing. “The barriers.”

“What about them?” I demanded, panic clawing its way into my throat.

He turned to me. “It means the barriers to Celestia have been compromised, and someone that is not one of us has managed toget in.”

My stomach dropped before he grabbed my hand and yanked me to a nearby window.

“Do you see that?” he said, pointing to where a shimmering barrier stretched across the horizon, its surface flickering. “That’s not supposed to happen.”

I frowned, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. ‘What’s causing it?’

He hesitated, his gaze fixed on the barriers. “The barriers are alive in their own way. They’re woven from Celestial energy, tied to the balance of our realms. When that balance shifts—when demons gain too much power, or there is corruption within Celestials and Ascendants—the barriers weaken.”

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening as the blaring of alarms increased. “So why now? What’s changed?”

“I don’t know.” Hunter’s jaw clenched. “Just stay here.” He changed subjects and started toward the exit. I hesitated for only a few seconds before deciding to follow. He turned to me, making me almost bump into him. “Grace,” he warned.

‘I’m not staying here. I’m not a dog that you can—’

“Then what are you, Grace? Because you seem awfully eager to disobey.”

I glowered. “I’ll disobey if I want—”

He didn’t stay to listen as he began to walk away before pausing and turning to look at me. There was something so fierce and promising in his words as he spoke, “I’ll come back for you.” And with that, he disappeared through the doors of the library.

I stood there frozen for a moment, trying to gather myself. The library suddenly felt small, too distracting, too exposed. The alarms had quieted into a distant sound, but the eerie feeling that followed was somehow worse. I bit down on my lip as I backed up into the shadows between two towering shelves.

“Cherub?” I whispered as if he would appear and protect me,but the little deity never came. The minutes crawled by, each one more excruciating than the last. All I could think was, who had breached the barriers? Would the Riftkeeper’s know we’re here? Was it demons?

My mind was on overdrive, thinking of the worst possible scenarios involving Hunter not coming back. Why would he, after all? If he was so adamant about wanting me to leave this place, maybe he’ll make sure I do after today.

Then, I heard it. The soft creak of the library doors opening.

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