Guardian

Chapter 15

Thomas bolted upright and the world immediately tilted. He glanced down at his hands just to reassure himself that he didn't wake up as a cat. They were there, still pale, still covered in a dusting of light red hair and a sprinkling of freckles. He looked at his nails. Nope, not even claws. Thank ye.

The image of Eleanor-Aidan blazed across his mind and he shot out of bed. "Please let Aidan still be safe and asleep."

His cat senses were tingling. Something told him Aidan was no longer in his room. The upstairs was too quiet. He checked anyway.

"Shit." He wasn't there. Of course, he wasn't there. Thomas recalled Eleanor-Aidan walking toward the lake in his vision. Hopefully, she wasn't leading Aidan to something foolish. Hopefully, they hadn't gotten to the point of her narrative where she shared her death with them.

He raced down the stairs and out the door.

Aidan was walking slowly across the yard. "Thank god ye haven't gotten far yet." He yelled toward the man, "Aidan!"

Aidan didn't even pause. Thomas might as well not have existed.

"Of course, he can't hear ye. He's still asleep." Thomas prepared to race toward him. Then paused. From all the stories he'd been told, it was best to let them play out the story. His grandda always said, "Keep them from harm, but don't interrupt too much, or ye'll never get to the end of the story. The more ye postpone it, the more ye'll lose them."

Thomas slowed down. Keeping pace, but never getting closer. As the quiet settled around him, he realized he'd bolted outside in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers. No shoes. No sweatshirt or jacket. Nothing.

The dried, icy grass crackled and stabbed his bare feet. The wind coming off the loch was no joke and within moments he was frozen to the core. He looked longingly back at the house, but didn't dare to go back for fear of what Aidan-Eleanor might do.

At least Aidan-Eleanor wore flannel pajama pants. Though, their white tank top was probably doing little to warm them. Aidan tried to imagine being transplanted from someplace warm like California and then walking outside in the wee hours before dawn during winter in this part of Scotland. He shivered just thinking about it.

Aidan must be frozen to the bone. Of course, he wouldn't notice because he wasn't the one in charge at that moment.

Thomas idly followed. Aidan wore his pj's well. They hugged his hips just so, and highlighted his butt. That man has a nice ass. "Wait, where did that come from?" he whispered to no one in particular. He shifted his eyes away for just a second.

Then, Thomas realized this was his moment. He could stare at Aidan all he wanted with little chance of embarrassment. "He's not paying any attention to ye at all."

He stepped closer, not so close to disturb them, but close enough to get a clearer picture of him. When would he have another opportunity to quietly observe Aidan and not be caught?

"Aye, ye'll probably have plenty of chances, because this will be yer life from now on." Thomas paused as Aidan-Eleanor paused and considered the words he just said out loud.

Was it true? Was he going to take this role? He would miss playing his music. "Who said ye had to give it up?"

Now, that was a question. In his knee-jerk reaction, he hadn't considered the possibility that whomever he met would let him continue his music. He'd always seen the role as being at someone 'else's beck and call, but maybe it wasn't precisely that.

Aidan's shoulder muscles bunched and moved as he clenched his fists. His cheeks were rosy against the rest of his pale face, and his black hair blended in with the night. He was elegant, and in that moment he reminded Thomas of a fairy prince.