Chapter 41: The More The Merrier

DANICA

“Why do I need a whole team of nine guardian angels?”

I was desperate for answers. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of confusion, knowing only that I knew nothing.

The frustration of always being left in the dark was eating at me. I think everyone just assumed I knew these things because to them, they were so simple and mundane.

Hugo didn’t respond, but a blonde girl chimed in. “Each guardian angel possesses a unique power. If we’re all here, the best way to protect you is to combine our powers,” she explained.

Her voice was filled with pride as she added, “I can manipulate wind at my will.”

A dark-haired boy stepped forward, a smirk playing on his lips. “That’s nothing. Everyone can blow a little wind. But can you do this?” He opened his palm to reveal a tiny flame.

It was impressive, but it didn’t seem like anything extraordinary.

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you can actually throw flames.”

The boy turned to me. “My body burns. In a fight, it’s incredibly useful when no one can physically touch you,” he boasted.

The blonde girl laughed again. “You’re bragging that no one wants to touch you. I doubt anyone would want to even if they could.”

Their bickering continued, and I seized the opportunity to approach Hugo.

“Guardian angels have powers,” I mused, more to myself than to him. “Is your power controlling crystals?”

Hugo nodded in confirmation, but quickly rolled his eyes as another guy approached us. This guy seemed overly excited.

He grinned. “He’s just being modest. He’s one of the most powerful guardian angels to ever exist. He can control natural objects, specifically to gain benefit from them. It’s a shame that…”

“That’s enough,” Hugo cut him off.

“And every decade, he learns something new and useful. No wonder being alive for so long has made him who he is today. He’s been the best example for all of us for the last sixty years,” the guy continued, clearly familiar with Hugo.

Wait, what? My mind went blank.

“Sixty years?” I echoed, stunned. Hugo didn’t look a day over twenty-five. Was he immortal?

But why would he hide it?

Hugo’s expression hardened, a flicker of anger in his eyes as he glared at the guy. He turned on his heel and climbed into his car. I followed suit, but one of the guardian angels called out, “What are we supposed to do?”

I glanced at Hugo, who was pointedly avoiding my gaze. “The house by the forest is hosting a meeting to hunt down mythical creatures. We’re there to stop them, but they need to think we’re there to help.”

The blonde girl nodded. “Anything to protect our kind,” she declared firmly. “We’ll be there!”

As Hugo drove off, he immediately started talking, as if to fill the silence. “Creed is going on a hunt. The guardian angels will help distract them from the mythical creatures. It shouldn’t be too difficult. I’m not sure what he thinks of this never-ending night, but I bet he won’t hesitate to blame it on the mythical…”

He rambled on, but I cut him off.

“Hugo…,” I began, but he interrupted me. He didn’t want me to speak, or rather, he didn’t want me to ask questions. But I needed to know him. I had claimed that I belonged to him, and if that was true, I needed to understand him.

And if he belonged to me, like he had promised, I needed to know him.

“If they don’t find anything, I believe they’ll give up. And they’ll definitely be impressed by eight other supposed hunters…” He continued to ramble, spewing out every thought that came to his mind.

“Hugo!” I said, louder this time, forcing him to stop. He pulled up in front of Creed’s house but stayed in the car with me.

“How old are you?” I asked, noticing him swallow hard.

“Seventy-four,” he admitted, letting the silence envelop us.

“How… how?” I stammered. It wasn’t his age that bothered me. It was the fact that I had been kept in the dark.

“I didn’t want to fade with time, so I used nature’s help to age slower. I went a bit overboard, and now I don’t age at all. I wanted time to do everything I wanted, and when I wanted to fade away, I couldn’t anymore,” he explained, his voice finally calm and soothing.

“You wanted to fade away?” I asked. “Why?”

He shot me a quick look, still not meeting my gaze directly. “I was young once, and I thought I’d always want to stay that way. The days seemed too short for all the things I wanted to do, but I didn’t understand that there was so much more to life than that. I grew tired of everything.”

He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I used to fantasize about going back in time, aging like a normal person, and telling my younger self to appreciate the time I had. But when I met you, I didn’t question my past decisions. For the first time, I felt like I’d made the right choice.”

His hand rested on the steering wheel, and I placed mine on top of his. Without hesitation, he intertwined our fingers, letting our hands rest in his lap.

“Are you immortal now?” I asked softly, afraid to shatter the delicate atmosphere. He didn’t like discussing it, but I couldn’t help but push.

“I can still die like anyone else, I just don’t age. If I can avoid all the dangers, I could live forever. But messing with magic has its consequences, and once you’ve gone too far, there’s no turning back,” he explained.

Suddenly his indifference towards potential exile made sense.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

“It didn’t seem necessary, and… I didn’t think you’d be thrilled to know you’d slept with an old man,” he joked, and I couldn’t help but smirk.

I leaned in closer, turned his face towards mine, and kissed him. It was slow but passionate, a silent promise that this was real. His hands tangled in my hair, asking for more, but I pulled away.

“I kind of like older men,” I whispered, smirking at him.

He was about to laugh but held it in.

“Now I’m starting to wonder if you think I’m too immature, inexperienced, and naive for you,” I teased, and he finally let out a chuckle.

“I do think you’re immature, inexperienced, and naive. And let’s add delusional to that list,” he said as he got out of the car.

I couldn’t hide the smile that spread across my face. Maybe in a normal world, this could be our reality—joking about each other, poking fun at our insecurities, knowing that if it came from us, it was just a silly remark and an acceptance of our flaws.

***

The entire Creed clan was already there. They were all selecting their weapons, loading their guns, and sharpening their knives. Hugo approached Creed, and I followed him.

“Can I have a word with you?” Hugo asked Creed, and we moved a little away from the crowd.

“We have eight other people who would like to join and help with our mission,” Hugo said.

Daisy came up to me.

“Who are these people?” she whispered.

“Apparently, I have eight other guardian angels, so…” I whispered back, making sure only she could hear.

“Hm…” she nodded. “Is that bad?” she asked.

“Very,” I replied, and she let out a deep sigh.

I couldn’t hear much of what Hugo and Creed were discussing, but Creed seemed excited—either about the additional help or about leading his cult.

Everyone’s attention shifted to the door as the guardian angels entered, ready to face whatever came their way. They didn’t look like they belonged in this group. Dressed in combat gear, some of them looked like they were from another world.

To outsiders, it might seem like a new trend, a way for people to express themselves, but this was no trend. This was a world that Creed was trying to destroy. But why? I needed to know.

Why was he suddenly so certain that this world existed and why was it in his way?

Creed took a slow, cautious step forward. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,” he said, clearing his throat midway to sound more confident, more like a leader.

A man in black gear stepped forward. “We’re ready to take those suckers down!” he shouted, raising his fist. But everyone just stared at him.

“Too much?” he asked, retreating.

“I’m glad to have you on this mission. We really need your help. My name is Creed, and you are…?” he began, asking for their names.

A girl in gear subtly glanced at me. I’d let it slip my mind. The task of naming them was mine. The room was silent, waiting for me to act.

I’d done it once before… so what’s eight more times, right? The names should just come to me, and I poured all my energy into it. I’d found Hugo’s name once, when I didn’t even know where to look. Now, I knew.

I moved closer, positioning myself between Creed and the guardians. I noticed Hugo’s gaze, fixed on me with intense focus.

“Let me introduce you,” I said, turning to the first girl I’d met. My vision blurred slightly, but a name whispered in my mind. “This is Dane,” I announced, and saw her smile shyly at her feet.

Beside her stood a boy who hadn’t uttered a word, his dark skin and gentle eyes shrouded in mystery. “Klaus,” I said, and he chuckled, the first hint of emotion I’d seen from him.

Next to him, two red-haired boys. “Samuel and Landon,” I said.

A blonde girl. “Davina,” I said.

A boy with dark hair. “Gregory,” I said.

The one always cracking jokes. “Luis,” I said.

And a boy completely devoid of hair. “Riley,” I said.

It felt right. These were their names, the perfect fit.

They were assigned to protect me, but… what would be the price of my safety? They were expected to take a bullet for me… I couldn’t bear the thought of them getting hurt…

If one guardian angel is the norm, what did it mean for me to have nine? And with the strongest among them… what kind of danger was I facing?