Jared and Owen become more and more impatient during lunch. Constantly looking at me, then at my family trying to get someone, anyone, to tell them the big family secret. They don't even mention the fact that me and my family polish off three whole cakes and an apple pie, though Imogen did take one piece for herself.
"Can you both just calm down?" I snap at them when they don't stop fidgeting in their seats. "I'm going to tell you but I'd like to enjoy the last big meal I'll have with my family."
Thankfully that shut them up.
After we've shoved too much food into our mouths - and the waitress receives her tip - my parents and Ulfric and Ahren all start towards home as my friends and I begin to wander the city.
The sun is a few hours from setting and it's starting to cool down now that it doesn't hover over the city like an all seeing eye. Imogen and I are quiet as Jared and Owen hover behind us.
"Are you okay with this?" Imogen murmurs under her breath.
I shrug, "I don't know. But it saves me from having to lie to them constantly."
It takes a while for me to work up the nerve to head home with my friends in tow. Mom had whispered in my ear to bring them back to our house so they can be 'thoroughly convinced' of the truth.
"Why are we back at your house?" Jared asks as he stops at the bottom of the stone stairs.
I ignore him and stare at my three best friends. Imogen looks like she belongs here in her tidy skirt and pretty curls, where as Owen and Jared stick out like a demon in broad day light with their tattoos and piercings.
"Just so you know, this big 'family secret' thing I'm gonna tell you about, you're not going to believe me."
Owen laughs and says, "Is your family actually part of the CIA or something?"
"Not exactly," I reply, wiping my sweaty palms on my shorts and letting them inside. I give Mom and Dad a curt nod as we walk past the lounge room and upstairs to my bedroom.
"What do you mean, not exactly?" Jared frowns as he sits on the edge of my bed.
I sigh and avoid their gaze, "You're really not going to believe me."
"Come off it, Zi! We've been hounding you all afternoon. Just tell us!" Owen blurts.
"Fine! Fine. Just - just give me a chance to explain before you storm off or whatever."
Jared waves impatiently, "All ears, Zi."
I find myself pacing in front of them, stalling the inevitable for just a few sweet moments longer. I take a deep breath.
"I'm a Guardian of Life. My family, and more like us, protect humans from - from creatures." I tense, waiting for the explosion from Jared and the weird looks from Owen.
Neither of them move.
"What?" Jared says.
"Ah, what do you mean creatures?" Owen asks.
"So, when you say 'human' you're talking about all of us. Including you, right?" Jared asks.
"Well," I draw the word out. God I knew this would be a bad idea. "I'm not exactly human. No I am," I add quickly at the weird looks on both their faces. "I'm just a bit different, is all."
"Different how?" Owen asks.
I glance at Imogen but she just shakes her head and shrugs. "I have certain strengths that, umm, aren't exactly human. I'm stronger and faster. And I have better reflexes and more stamina. That kinda thing."
Jared runs his hands through his hair, a strange look on his face, "You're right. I don't believe you."
"I'm still caught up on the creatures part, Zi," Owen says. "What sort of creatures are the Guards, or whatever they are, protecting us from?"
"What? You believe her?" Jared whirls on Owen.
"Not exactly but at the same time it's weird the way her family were acting earlier and it might explain a few things."
"Like what?"
"If you let Zi talk then maybe you'll find out," Imogen snaps, her patience running thin. Her outburst shocks Jared into silence which I'm grateful for. "Tell them about the food. Maybe starting small will help get it through their thick brains."
I try not to laugh, she's picked up more of my attitude over the years then I thought.
"Right. There isn't much to tell but being a Guardian is the reason why me and my family can eat so much without becoming the size of a house." I nod to Jared. "It's just part of our genetics."
"Right, I still don't believe you're some superhuman though," Jared replies.
"What about these creatures, Zi?" Owen asks for the third time.
I look to Imogen for help. She thinks for a moment, a slight frown creasing her brown before her face lights up. "Why not tell them about the different classes?"
I nod slowly, thinking.
"Okay, that'll work," I turn to Jared and Owen and say, "There are different classes of 'monsters' the Guardians have to interact with. There are the 'infected humans' which are vampires and werewolves. Then the 'cursed humans' which are warlocks and witches. Then there's the 'fairy class' which cover fae, brownies, water nymphs, tree sprites, goblins and a bunch more," I say all this in one long breath as if Mom is quizzing me. "Then that leaves the demons. Oh and the unclassified."
"Oh!" Imogen's eyes light up. "You haven't told me about the unclassified monsters before."
I turned to Imogen, my face lighting up. "Yeah I was flicking through a book the other day. Mom says I don't study them properly until I start training but it has dragons in it so I couldn't not read it!"
"Oh my god, that's so cool!" Imogen beams.
"Dragons?" Jared says in a hushed voice as if just saying the word would make one appear in my bedroom. "Dragons exist?"
I look over to find Jared and Owen staring at us, dumbstruck.
"From what I read, they're extinct. Apparently no one has seen a dragon in over two hundred years."
"This is insane. You've either made all this up as a giant joke to get us to stop asking questions or you're just batshit crazy!" Jared blurts.
I shrug and pull off my boots before lying on the soft rug on my floor. "You wanted to know. Believe me or don't, I couldn't care less."
Imogen moves to sit next to Jared and Owen slumps at my desk. The silence is nice after so much talking however it seems to drain me at the same time. My body feels heavy and exhausted and all I want to do is close my eyes and pretend this weird as hell conversation never happened.
After a while Owen looks up and says, "If this is all true, and I'm not saying I believe you, then why do you have to go away for a year? Haven't you learned everything or trained enough? And do you get a job or something? How does it work?"
I groan and sit up. "When a Guardian turns eighteen they go through a transformation and their body enhances even more then it already is. We have to train for a year after this to get use to our new strengths and heightened senses, like hearing and seeing and stuff. After the year is up you then pick a field to work in. I don't know what they are exactly as it's covered in our year of training."
Owen nods as if he's trying to understand quantum physics or something. "Why eighteen?"
I shrug, "No idea. Probably something else I'll learn about soon but I think it has something to do with a power in our blood that wakes up."
"Then why haven't you transformed or whatever?" Jared asks. "You're eighteen today."
"I was born around nine o'clock at night. It'll probably happen soon." I try to sound casual but the dread that I've been forcing down all day creeps back in.
"Still don't believe you. There's no such thing as vampires and werewolves," Owen says simply as he stands up, the confusion and horror swirls uneasily in him. "You and you're family are delusional."
"Do you honestly believe her, Imogen?" Jared asks.
Imogen nods and gives me a sad look, "Sometime I wish it wasn't true because that would mean Zivena wouldn't be in danger and I wouldn't worry about what's really out there."
"But nothing is out there! It isn't true," Jared growls.
"Whoa, Zi. You aren't very convincing," Ulfric appears in my door way with his usual mischievous grin. "It sounded like you were giving them a lesson before!"
I grab one of my boots and throw it at him. He moves so fast that it looks like the boot passes through him instead of him actually dodging out of the way. Jared and Owen freeze.
"What was that?" Jared demands.
Ulfric shrugs, still grinning. "So you and Owen don't believe Zi, huh? Well, I can't blame you. She did a terrible job of it."
"Do you want me to throw my other boot?" I growl.
"If you want. It'll never hit me, though."
"It will after I transform."
"I seriously doubt that, Zi," Ahren says as he peers into the room.
"If you're not going to help me convince these guys," I gesture to Jared and Owen, "then get out."
"Cool it on the attitude, Zi," Ahren says, holding up his hands in surrender. "If you want our help, then you'll need to be nice to us."
I roll my eyes, "You're ridiculous."
"What's ridiculous is my dear youngest sibling not using her manners," Ahren's eyes glint.
Oh, when I transform I'm going to give him the biggest beating of his life!
"Fine," I give them my most innocent smile. "Can you please help me, dearest loving brothers of mine? For I have not been able to live my life without your careful guidance. Nor have I been able to become the person I am without your bull shit."
Ulfric roars with laughter. "I seriously thought that was going somewhere completely different."
Ahren can't hide his smile. "Good enough for me!"
Imogen gives us an exasperated look and chuckles.
"What the hell is happening right now?" Owen asks, his gaping face flicking between me and my adorable idiot brothers.
"We have agreed to help convince you two that Guardians are real," Ahren says. "And when you believe that, you'll also believe in monsters."
For a second Jared and Owen just stare at him, awkward smiles on their faces. From what I can sense it seems like they're regretting ever trying to pry into my family's life.
"Come on," Ulfric rushes from my bedroom and down the stairs. I get up, hoping that will encourage Jared and Owen to follow me. As I reach the stairs I catch Imogen telling them that this is what they had wanted and to get a move on.
My brothers lead us to the small backyard and I'm shocked to see the moon high above us. I hadn't realized how much time we'd spent talking. The sky is a magnificent dark blue and the air is still slightly humid after the scorching day.
Jared, Owen and Imogen all look confused as we turn to face the back of the house and I can't blame them. I have no idea what my brothers are planning on showing my friends to help 'convince' them but I'm sure it's going to be something insane.
Ulfric beams at us as he limbers up his muscles, his blond hair pushed back from his eyes as he gazes up at the roof. He makes his way to the side of the house and places his hand carefully on the smooth surface. Without warning he starts scaling the wall like a cheetah chasing prey. Sleek and fast.
Before I know it he's standing on the roof with his arms spread wide. Ahren whoops and he follows Ulfric up with just as much grace and speed.
The four of us stand there gobsmacked as Ulfric and Ahren nod to one another and leap off the edge of our three-storey home. They land with knees slightly bent to absorb the fall. They don't stumble or roll.
I burst out laughing as Jared jumps back, his mouth working like a fish out of water. Owen stares wide eyed at my brothers, his finger points back and forth between them and even Imogen looks stunned.
Owen opens his mouth then closes it again. It takes him another moment to say, "Your legs should be broken."
Ahren smirks, "I could jump from a building twice the height and not even strain my knees."
I brace for the scoffs or cries of outrage but Jared only laughs. Granted, he does sound hysterical and it looks like he might cry but definitely not the reaction I was expecting.
"You've got wires attached to you or something," Owen says, a tiny piece of hope filling him.
I sigh. "We followed them out here. We would have seen them attach wires to themselves. And look," I walk around my brothers, waving my hands around their heads and backs, "no wires or cables. So can we just go back inside? This is giving me a headache."
"Anyone could do that!" Jared blurts and I groan, wishing I could sit down. "I've seen plenty of videos of people jumping from building to building and leaping off shit. You haven't done anything new."
Ahren raises an eyebrow, "Okay then. What about something you've never seen? What if I can jump straight up and grab the lip of the roof? Would that shut you up?"
"That's not possible," Jared says but his voice is small.
Ahren strides back to the house, sets his feet and launches himself into the air. He grabs the gutter just like he said he would and pulls himself up in one fluid movement.
"Hey Zi," Ulfric grins at me and there is so much mischievousness in it that I find myself backing away.
"Whatever you're thinking, Ulfric, I don't want to be apart of it."
His grin widens, "You'll be fine! Ahren's a good catch."
"No no no no no! Nope. No. Not gonna happen." I try to run for the house but Ulfric grabs me and picks me up like I'm a doll.
"It'll only last a second and you'd be flying! What isn't cool about that?"
I open my mouth to curse him but my words are snatched away from me as Ulfric throws me like a baseball towards the roof. Towards my other idiot brother who's grinning like a lunatic ready to catch me.
The humid air rushes through me and for a split second I think that I won't make the top of the roof. Fear paralyzes me. Locking my arms and legs and making it incredibly hard to breathe.
But a moment later I'm in Ahren's arms. That doesn't last long though as he throws me off the roof.
Oh, I'm going to make them pay for this!
Ulfric jumps and catches me, touching lightly back down and lowers me to the ground. I fall back until I'm lying on the grass, the solid earth beneath me steadies my anger and fear.
Ahren lands next to Ulfric and they both smile sweetly down at me. It's not the first time that I think they could be twins.
"I hate you both so much right now," I growl. I lift my arm up and Ahren grabs my wrist, pulling me to my feet.
And then it hits me again; that smashing feeling in my head. I feel myself fall towards the ground, headfirst. Pain rips through my skull, and for a terrifying minute I'm blind. I can't see a thing but I feel hands on my arms easing me to the dirt and grass. I panic and try feeling around me for Imogen. When I find her, I squeeze her hand.
"I can't see!" I cry.
"Mom. Dad," Ahren calls.
"Hey, Zi," Ulfric says in a calm voice. "It doesn't last long. It'll be over soon and you'll be fine. Try taking a few deep breaths."
I do as he says. I pull air in through my nose until I can't possibly fit more and let it out slowly. Panic still grips me but the familiar presence of Imogen and my brothers helps to ease the fear. Not for the first time I hope my brothers are telling me the truth instead of playing another prank on me.
I hear Mom and Dad come outside.
"What's going on?" Owen asks, "What's happening to her?"
Jared starts hounding my brothers and Imogen tries to calm me down with soft noises.
Pitch black surrounds me and my chest is as taut as a trapeze. I grip Imogen's hand tighter and hear her gasp.
"Zivena," Mom's voice rises above everyone else. "Sweetheart, you need to let go of Imogen's hand, you're hurting her."
The words take their time sinking in but when they do I let go of Imogen in an instant. Guilt and shame and panic swirl angrily in me like white water rapids, never slowing and always building.
"Zivena," Dad says, I feel him crouch beside me, his arm around my shoulders. "It's almost over. You'll see again soon."
I try my hardest to calm down. To steady my thundering heart. I know I should have been expecting this after all the times my family have explained what the transformation is like. But listening to other people's experiences isn't the same as living through it. God this is horrible!
Then as quickly as the pain came, it disappears. The moonlight makes my eyes water and burn. It's glorious. I find it hard to adjust as a sense of relief floods me. Something's changed though. Everything is crazy clear. I can make out the grooves in the bark from the nearby trees, the membrane on every leaf. Even in the darkness of night. I look up at Imogen's worried face and notice every detail in her eyes.
I always thought her eyes were plain gray but now I can see the flecks of deep blue.
I remember my parents and brothers trying to explain the process, but struggled. Now I can understand why. In my head, I try explaining how much more detail there is to everything but find myself stuck.
Everything is different. Everything is brighter and more complex. My mind can't keep up with it all.
Jared and Owen stare at me with giant eyes and slack mouths.
"Sorry guys," I try my hand at a carefree smile but I think it looks more pained then relaxed, "I wasn't planning on that happening when you were still here."
"What the hell was that?" Jared demands.
"Zi's started her transformation," Ahren says and passes me a bottle of water. I rip off the lid and drink half of it in one gulp. "She just got her eyesight. That's always first."
"Her eyesight?" Owen asks without looking away from me.
"A few minutes ago she had the same eyesight as you and Jared and Imogen. Now she has the eyesight of a Guardian, like me and Ulfric. It's impossible to make you understand just how much we can see, even at night time."
I begin to feel dizzy and nauseous as my family and friends discuss me like I'm not even here. I blink a few times, trying to focus but black spots begin to swarm my vision. Fear surges through me.
Not again.
"I think it's best if you three leave," Mom says and starts to hustle them inside to the entryway. "It is only going to get worse from here on out but she'll be okay."
I start to sway and Ahren darts over to me, a hand around my waist to keep me steady.
The last thing I see is Imogen's worried face before I black out.
YOU ARE READING
Life - Life & Death Book 1
Fantasía- WATTYS LONGLISTED 2018 - "As a child I was never scared of the dark or of the monsters that lurked under my bed. From a young age I have known exactly what wanders the streets at night; what preys on the ignorant. I know of the evil that plagues t...
