Chapter 13: Unraveling Mysteries

DANICA

He was an enigma, wrapped in a riddle. His words echoed in my mind, ~“If he can’t have me, no one can?”~ He had made it clear that we could never be, so why did he care?

He didn’t utter a word after that, just walked away, as if his words hadn’t shattered my thoughts.

I didn’t want anything to do with him, or so I told myself. But lately, he was all I could think about.

My life had been a constant cycle of pain, so it was hard not to be completely captivated by the physical relief I was experiencing. Even he couldn’t dampen my joy.

I didn’t hurry to Creed’s house. The evening was breathtakingly beautiful and for the first time, I was able to enjoy it without a headache.

“You do realize the pain will eventually return?” he asked, breaking the silence.

I knew that, but I was trying to savor possibly the only pain-free night of my life.

“It will return unless you finally embrace the gifts Mother Nature bestowed upon you,” he added, and I hated when he got all philosophical.

Ignoring his previous statement, I asked, “How…how exactly are you supposed to protect me?”

“Why are you here with me? Who said that you needed to be with me?”

A smirk played on his lips. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with that world,” he said. “Even hear about it.”

I straightened my back and cleared my throat. “I don’t. You are just here and I don’t have a choice whether I want you here or not. I might as well know why you are here.”

I shrugged nonchalantly, pretending not to care, but deep down, I did. Maybe more than I was willing to admit, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be part of his world.

He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Guardians are born on a certain type of day. Their parents are mythical creatures; they could be anything from vampires to even demons. If a guardian angel is born, those parents need to give them away.”

“How could parents just give away their children?” I asked, confused.

He looked at me. “If you will ever be ready to hear about your parents, you will understand,” he said.

But I didn’t want to know about them. They weren’t my life and never were. Why should I care about them now? Especially when they were kind enough to abandon me?

“Do you know your parents?” I asked instead.

He shook his head. “It isn’t important to know that.”

“Then…where do you go if you don’t stay with your family?” I asked.

“Guardians go to a foster home…but it isn’t a foster home like for regular humans. No matter if the parents want to give their child away or not, they are taken there, it’s their choice whether voluntary or with force. It’s for all the guardian angels, they are taught how to protect and how to behave when meeting the ones they guard, and they teach them all the important fundamentals of caring for their creatures. And of course the rules there are,” he said, hesitating slightly.

“What rules?” I questioned.

“We are meant to burn the whole world down if that’s necessary, burn ourselves if that’s necessary. We are not to be liked, we are to protect and then to be forgotten. We are the servants for your safety. I don’t need to even tolerate you. I protect you when you need me. I am meant to eat the poisonous apple for you.”

His words sent a chill down my spine.

I thought back to our earlier conversation. “About what you said earlier. About a guardian liking the one he protects…” I struggled to finish my sentence but he understood.

“We can’t be in intimate relationships with the one we protect, not physically or even emotionally. Feelings…” He looked down as he said the last word. “They make people weak and that would just get in the way of rational thinking, your guardian angel dies protecting you and leaves you in grief and pain. And that would just create a whole lot of problems…and why do that?” he said, nonchalantly.

“What happens if you break that rule?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

“We are taken back to our foster homes, the creature gets another guardian angel. And the rule breaker gets tortured and abandoned in our prison,” he explained.

“Then… How can you ever love? If you dedicate your life to protect others and you can’t love them…how can you ever have time to find love? How do you find someone to love?” I asked.

“We don’t,” he said, confidently.

I tried to look beyond his self-assured exterior. I was certain there was a soft spot hidden somewhere within him. “You mean to tell me you can never love someone? Never start a family…never find happiness?” I was taken aback. It seemed like such a harsh rule. “How could you have loved her if you’re not allowed to?” I remembered him mentioning her back at the diner.

His jaw tightened at the mention of her.

He didn’t respond to my question, and I didn’t press him. “How are guardian angels selected?” I asked instead. “Why did I end up with you?”

“You’re assigned the one who can best protect you. They’re trained to handle the worst battles, to be prepared for the most terrible situations. They’re equipped to deal with both physical and intellectual challenges.”

“Have you ever had to protect anyone else?” I asked.

“No,” he replied instantly. “But I can assure you, I can protect you better than anyone else could, from anything.”

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him. I was at a loss for words, but luckily, he broke the silence. “I can’t explain it, but I know you’re in grave danger.”

“…I…I could die?” I stammered.

His gaze met mine. “I won’t let that happen. Every pain you feel, your guardian angel feels too. I’ll know when you need me, and I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m prepared to take a bullet for you if that’s what it takes to keep you safe,” he said.

My eyes welled up with tears. I was touched by his words. No one else had ever cared about me to that extent. He was willing to risk his life for me. Even if this was just a job he couldn’t refuse, the thought of someone caring for me that much was heartwarming.

I regained my composure and resumed walking. I cleared my throat. “So, there’s a chance that if I don’t explore my…let’s call them powers, there might not be any danger at all, right?” I asked, unsure of how all this worked.

I heard him sigh beside me. “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t have all the answers you seek. But if the threat of danger is what’s holding you back from embracing who you truly are, then any risk is worth it if you get to experience the magnificence of your abilities.”

There he went again. I didn’t miss these things he spoke of because I never had them. I didn’t need them like he did.

“I won’t change my mind,” I interrupted him.

“Danica, you’ve spent your life in ignorance. That’s hardly living. Don’t you want more from life?” he asked, his voice laced with bitterness.

“I’m content with who I am!” I retorted as we approached Creed’s house.

“And what’s that? Working as a waitress and going home to do nothing?”

“Not everyone wants to be a hero!” I shot back. “I know my life seems dull to you. To you, magic and fantasy and mythical creatures are the norm. But that doesn’t mean everyone is cut out for that world. Don’t try to change my mind because I won’t!” I spat at him.

“You don’t know what you’re missing!” he muttered under his breath.

“And I don’t want to know,” I retorted.

As I said that, we reached Creed’s front door. It seemed like he was hosting quite a gathering. There was no music, but I could hear the chatter from inside.

I figured there was no need to knock, so I slowly opened the door and stepped inside, following the noise to the other side of the house. I paused in the doorway, hesitant to interrupt their meeting.

“We are the ones who need to open society’s eyes. What’s happening in the forest is far from normal,” Creed was saying to a group of about twenty people, who were all nodding in agreement. Creed must have been the one who reported to the police department.

My gaze shifted to my guardian, who was attentively listening to the conversation, oblivious to its content. I leaned in a bit closer to him.

“There have been some reports of supernatural occurrences in the forest,” I whispered. It seemed like the usual chatter that surfaced when the townsfolk grew bored and needed a distraction, something to stir up the town and provide fodder for the local papers.

I hadn’t expected them to take it this far, though. “I mean, they’ve even started a cult for it,” I added, attempting to lighten the mood with a joke.

But my guardian angel wasn’t in the mood for humor. I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew something we didn’t. And if they did, what kind of scientific explanation could they possibly have?

“Is something wrong?” I asked him. His icy stare was enough to silence any further questions.

“The police aren’t doing anything. They’re only seeing what’s on the surface. But we’re here to prove that mythical creatures are real and they’re living in these forests. They’re provoking us with their presence! This forest is teeming with evil!” Creed’s voice echoed through the crowd.

“Are we going to stop them from invading our forest?” he challenged, and the crowd roared in agreement.

“Are we going to be the ones to save people from these evil creatures?” Again, the crowd cheered. Creed was their hero. But how could he be so certain that a world of other creatures existed?

Suddenly, Creed’s gaze landed on me and my guardian. He quickly addressed his followers.

“Let’s take a break!” he announced. As the crowd began to murmur, he approached us.

“Hello there,” he greeted, handing me some money and taking the bag with his other hand. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here?” Creed turned his attention to my guardian.

My guardian extended his hand for a shake. “My name is David and I’m new to this town. We’re actually here because we’re interested in joining your group,” he said, offering Creed a friendly smile.

David. He called himself David, but it felt wrong. His name wasn’t David, I was certain of it. I couldn’t explain why I was so sure, but I knew something was off.

“Why do you want to join?” Creed asked, his suspicion evident.

“I’ve noticed some strange and unnatural things in these forests. I haven’t been here long, but there’s definitely something happening,” he replied confidently. Was he really going against his beliefs?

Creed studied us for a moment before gesturing for us to take a seat at the back of the room. I was a bit taken aback, unsure of what was happening.

My guardian seemed to notice my discomfort and gently guided me to our seats by my wrist. As we sat down, I looked at him, concern etched on my face.

“What?” he asked. “You can have a lot of fun being a cult follower,” he tried to joke, but his tension was palpable.

“You can’t actually be serious about this?” I questioned.

He met my gaze and leaned in closer. “I need to know how much they think they know,” he said, his tone grave.

I scanned the room. The people here all seemed serious, and they didn’t appear to be insane.

“You can’t possibly believe that this is real?” I asked.

He leaned in even closer, glancing around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. “Humans have never posed a threat to the mythical. But now, they might.”

“Why?” I asked.

“The sky is falling,” he whispered.