Guardians Book One - Magic Rising

Chapter Thirty One

Vicky's hotel turned out to be the Richmond branch of Premier Inn. Lady's mother had managed a small smile when Kath had raised an eyebrow at the logo in the reception area.

"I'll be living out of hotels for a short while, it seems," she said, under her breath to Kath as she passed her keys back. "This was...unplanned. Perhaps we should have told Lady sooner I was...always to be the second choice as host...but we didn't want to trim her wings, and she would never have left otherwise. Keeping her in Dartmoor would have been unfair to her. But she's always been a target, because she's easy to track, for her human blood, and her links to Al...to us. Sometimes silence is safer." She glanced over at Lady, who was staring at the street outside, her face impassive and drawn. Pes was murmuring to Wisdom and Innocence, who had appeared in the interim from whatever reconnaissance trip they'd been undertaking in the meantime. An employee pushed a laundry trolley through the group of Guardians, completely unaware.

"She..." Kath winced as a lance of pain shot through her forehead. The laundry trolley-pusher shimmered in her vision, an unpleasant visual merging of lifeforce and physical body taking up the same space. Kath looked away, closing her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them, Vicky was giving her a sympathetic look. "Can you walk? It won't be much longer."

"Yeah, I'm good," Kath muttered, forcing her legs to lift up and down in time to walk. The sheer weight of the personality in her mind was crushing, and she knew full well he hadn't even expanded his full sense of self upon her.

A prevalence of energy is harmful, Kathleen, he had said when questioned. I will not force myself upon you. I can never thank you enough to bearing me in the interim.

"No worries," grunted Kath. Pes glanced over at her, making an encouraging fist pump at her. Lady turned at the motion, and her eyes softened momentarily. Kath gave her a smile, but she simply turned away.

A silent bus journey later and the group of them were gathered in Lady's front room. Even walking up the road to her house had seemed wrong and heavy, the cheerful sunlight mocking, the laughing tourists vicious. Kath watched Lady study each one, her gaze even colder than usual, watching, waiting. It had been Pes who'd let them into Lady's flat and motioned them to sit, offered to make drinks, while Lady stood on the front porch while they issued past her, checking her wards, checking the passers-by who might be watching.

Now Lady stood by the window, stiff and at-attention, Pes at her side. Kath and Vicky sat on the sofa. The little knot of Guardians – Wisdom, Innocence and Day - lined the opposite wall, silent and waiting, all waiting. Kath's mouth was dry.

She moistened her lips, strangely nervous. "Is there...I dunno. Some sort of ceremony?"

Vicky gave a small laugh, although her face was calm and composed – ready. "No. Just open your  mind. Let him flow into me. It will all be OK."

Lady opened her mouth, then closed it again, a moment of emotion Kath couldn't quite catch, shutting off before she'd even processed it. Vicky was holding her hand out; Kath took it. Seeing her own dark hand on Vicky's made her see the sparking glow in the veins under the skin, the slight shake to her. Too much. I can't take all this. She tried not to slump over, and instead, closed her eyes, tried to relax.

A last images coursed through her mind.

The Lord of Light – his original body – was cradling a baby, smiling down into her little face. Her eyes were a deep dark brown with a soft glow, and behind him stood a woman, tall and lovely...his wife. Kath could feel his affection. And she realised this baby – the Lord himself – were her ultimate ancestors, and they loved her. The thousands of years between Kath and this little baby were both endless and momentary...family. His pride in his child – in his ultimate child – were palpable.