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That sweet giggle tickles my ears. “No, I live off the coast of China. But I must be on my way to check in on a colony off of Denmark and then, who knows. I am the Protector of the Seas and must go where those need protecting, particularly from my own kin.”
I nod.Well, we make a good team, you as Protector and me as Guardian. Maybe we will work together one day.
“I would like that very much, Miranda.”
I smile and wave as she dives away from me, toward her next adventure. Then I turn back to my friends, my chosen family. Together, we walk back toward Eliza’s house.
Jake cradles his arm against his chest gingerly, wrapping the good arm around my waist, as much to support himself as to keep me close. Rory and Eliza are holding hands and chatting with Joanna who is buzzing. She may be the oldest of us but in this moment, she is the most energetic.
“That was just such a rush! Just like the good ol’ days. I can’t wait to tell Benjamin all about it. Oh! Benjamin.” She pulls a cellphone from her the back pocket of her soaking wet jeans. “Rats. I don’t suppose any of you have a phone that’s still working? I should probably let that husband of mine know where I am.” She looks around at us with her eyes wide open and brow high.
Jake smiles at her before reassuring her, “He came down with George. You’ll see him in a few minutes, when we’re back at the house.”
“Oh, that’s even better!” She claps, looking like a kid who just met Mickey Mouse and is rushing back to her parents to tell them all about the experience, rather than someone who just fought a fucking siren and out swam a school of sharks.
Once everyone is quiet, I have the rest of the trudge back to think about the further implications of what just happened. I am the reason a pair of lovers is dead. To be more specific,the Leagueis the reason. I need to look at my training differently, now. I need to look at this entire situation differently, now. Protecting humanity from these creatures is one thing. But indiscriminately killing beings… I don’t think I’ve been doing this right. There has to be another way to be the Guardian. There have to be other options. And my family is going to be the group to break this system and rebuild it.
Chapter 26
Jake
Wereachthebeachhouse at one in the morning. Eliza unlocks the glass door with the key she didn’t lose in all of the commotion. Thank god for moms and their belt bags. She turns to us as she backs into the house.
“Shhhhhhhhhh. Hopefully the kids are all asleep. Let’s not wake anyone up.” She whispers so sharply to the rest of us that if any of us are going to wake any of the kids up, it will be her.
As soon as we walk in, I see Jessie and Phoebe asleep under a blanket on the couch.
“They wouldn’t go to bed. They finally stopped pacing because I promised I’d start training them. Per your orders, Sir.” George keeps his voice low and it cracks a little with relief. He and Benjamin appear from the doorway to the kitchen. Bouncing slightly on his toes, George has his hand on Benjamin’s shoulder. Benjamin’s mouth hangs open while he crosses and uncrosses his arms, wrings his hands, and then shoves them into his pockets.
But when Joanna walks in, that stops. He cries. He walks, not runs, forcefully across the room until he takes his wife in his arms. After a long embrace, he moves his hands to her cheeks and looks into her eyes. He inspects her face before asking, “Are you okay?”
She nods and collapses into him in exhausted but relieved sobs.
“She was phenomenal,” Miranda assures him.
Rory is the last one in. As soon as he crosses the threshold, he locks and relocks all three deadbolts and then pulls the cords to slide all of the wooden blinds shut. He turns around to six sets of eyes staring at him. He shrugs, momentarily widening his eyes as he does so. “I’m sorry, do you want to take any chances leaving those open tonight? Because I sure as shit don’t.”
A clumsy chorus of “Nope, nope, not at all. Good call!” is the general consensus.
I shrug. I get it, I know we’re all shaken up. But I tell myself that we are all probably safer than we’ve been in a long time. Miranda took care of the threat. Any other creatures that might be in the vicinity would have heard about Beatrice’s demise and the fact the Guardian is here and not to fuck around with her.
“Let’s get you the first aid kit,” Eliza chirps as she takes my elbow and leads me toward the kitchen. Rory explained everything that happened after she left on the way home. Now she appears to be back to her normal every day self, even more so than she’s been out entire time here.
George nods his head at my wound. “What made you pick Jake?”
I’m sure that’s only the first question on a list George has been writing while he sat here wondering what was happening with us.
Miranda cocks an eyebrow at him. “George, you should know. It’s always Jake.”
I smile at my wife’s response as I sit down, leaving Miranda to answer George’s questions and trying not to pass out from the antiseptic Eliza wipes over my wound. I grit my teeth to keep from screaming out in pain. I wonder if I should go to the hospital, but it seems to have stopped bleeding and I’m not sure how I’d explain the injury. So, I just deal with it.
While Eliza patches me up I think about where we stand. Two Guardian battles, two times Miranda had to rescue me. I better train even harder for the next one so I can kick ass right alongside her. Whether this League likes it or not, when they chose Miranda, they also chose me. We’re the Chosen Two, whether they like it or not. And honestly, I wouldn’t let Miranda face this any other way.
“You had to go off on one last adventure, huh?” Benjamin rolls his eyes as he gently chides his wife, smiling and beaming at her through eyes he’s having trouble keeping open now that she’s home and safe.
She shakes her head slightly with narrowed eyes and reproaches, “Don’t be an idiot,” before allowing him to guide her to the kitchen stool while he tends to the cut on her forehead.
After he’s pleased with the position of the band-aid he adheres to her, he then smiles and gets her a glass of water. “I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot. Now, drink.” He points to the water he just placed in front of her, and she listens.
