"Of course, have you said anything to your mom?"

"Yeah, I said something to her before we went to dinner. Tell me, does my mom know about Tamers?"

"I don't think so, why?" She leaned over and flicked her DVR on to some dancing reality show she watches.

"No reason," I lied. "It's hard for me to believe she lived with my dad all of those years and never suspected anything. Not that she would guess that he is a Tamer, but you know...something."

"I've thought about that before. Every family has secrets. Usually they have reasons behind their decisions not to say anything to the family. I honestly don't know. Tell me, how was your date with Caleb tonight?"

"It was fun, we didn't do much, but we always have fun together. You know that guy I told you Amber attacked in the lunchroom? She and I stopped to give him a ride to school this morning. Not only that, but she gave him and another guy a ride home. I hope it isn't another Erebus situation." I scooted to the edge of the bed. "I have some homework I need to finish before school. Good night, I love you." I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Before I start on my homework, I put on my "20 Minute Abs" DVD. If I'm wearing a slinky dress for the dance, I better get rid of my flab. Okay, maybe I don't have a lot of flab, but I'm not toned like I was when I played tennis. It takes a while but I finally start on my essay.

A tapping on my window sends me flying off my bed. It could be a Dark One. Do they knock before they drain your light? I run over to peek through the blinds...I gasp and cover mouth, holding back a scream. A face is on the other side.

"Thorne, what the h.e.l.l?"

"Jessie, I need to talk to you." His brown eyes and beautiful face leave me with no other choice.

"Give me a minute; I'll meet you on the porch." I scramble to put on a bra and some clothes. What could he possibly want from me?

I tell grandma I'm going outside for a few minutes; she doesn't question me, which is good. Thankfully I don't have to come up with an excuse.

"Thorne, you know you could get shot, showing up at some girl's window in the middle of the night." His face is so serious; I feel stress vibrating from him in waves. "How did you know where I live? And more importantly, where my room is?"

He sticks his hands in his pockets and tilts his head back before talking. "Middle of the night? It's 10:00. Look, I know you don't know me, but I need you to trust me."

Conversations are never good when they start with trust me. "Huh? Why should I trust you?"

"Can we sit?"

"Yeah, follow me, we'll go to the back porch. Be quiet, my mom fell asleep on the couch." Something about him was so enigmatic, yet he didn't send any bad vibes. He didn't make a sound as he followed me to the back porch. He reaches for the door and pulls it open for me. "Thank you," I whisper, as soon as we're outside. The lights on the patio are bright enough that I can see that he needs to shave.

"I know it's strange for me to show up like this. I need to talk to you."

"Okay, obviously, or you wouldn't be here."

He breaths in deeply, and exhales slowly. "Jessie, look, this is so out of protocol what I'm about to tell you. The powers that be have sent me. It wasn't my idea to reveal myself to you, but after the last couple of weeks, it's been decided that I must tell you who I am."

My heart is pounding so loud, I'm sure my shirt is moving with every beat. "Who you are? Please, don't tell me you're another Underworld escapee. Seriously don't tell me that. I will faint, right here, right now. I'll fall straight over. Me and the ground are like one these days. Spit it out."

"Don't faint, please don't do that. No...I'm not from the Underworld."

"Good, where are you from? Idaho?"

He looks at me quizzically. "Idaho? Why Idaho?"

"I don't know, I've never known anyone from Idaho. You're all mysterious, so I picked a random state. No worries."

"No, I'm not from Idaho. I know you've had to absorb a lot of information lately. I know that you recently found out about your gift, and I know that you've bonded with Caleb. I like him, which is good, since I'm going to be around more often. I also know who Mrs. Ward is...Fate. I'm your protector Jessie. I'm a.s.signed to keep an eye on you. I've been following you since you arrived in New Bern."

I think I've stopped breathing, and the pain in my chest isn't anxiety, it is my impending death. One more crazy magical c.r.a.p thing to put up with. Exactly what I wanted to learn about tonight. I was going to write my essay and curl up in my bed with Caleb's kiss on my mind. No, I can't have a normal night like that, no, I have to learn one more INSANE piece of my intricate puzzle. "So, you're stalking me? Are you some kind of creep?"

"No, Jessie, I'm not a creep. Stalker, maybe, but not a creep. I'm your protector, your own guardian."

"I don't even know you. I've never seen you before. I might be distracted lately, but I'd have recognized you. I don't."

"Listen, I'm not accustomed to revealing myself to my charge. The deal is, I'm your guardian, which means I'm guarding you against all the trouble you seem to find. I personally think you're in more harm from yourself than you are from Nyx."

The entire time he's talking, I'm asking myself if I've ever seen him before. "What does a guardian do?"

"Good question. First off, we're rarer than you Tamers are. We are a.s.signed to various supernaturals for many different reasons. Some supers feel overwhelmed and go over the deep end, doing stupid things. It's frowned upon to hurt yourself, and we try to put a stop to it. As a guardian, I will appear to you in different forms. I can be as simple as a b.u.t.terfly floating by, or as charming as an owl on its nightly hunt. A lot of foster children are supernaturals, sometimes I'm a foster child in a home to watch over them, and make sure they find the help they'll need. Some of the gifted aren't allowed to procreate with a human. They'll hide their pregnancy and then give the child up for adoption. Those children have a fifty fifty shot of inheriting their parent's gifts. Not that all gifted kids have powers that are good. Sometimes their powers need to be bound so they won't be a risk to themselves or anyone else. That is where I come in. I become a mentor to them, and I teach them how to protect themselves. I've never had a Tamer before; they usually don't have other Supers trying to find them. Their danger is from their counterparts, I think you call them Dark One. You on the other hand, are in danger from everything. As your guardian, I will put my life on the line for you. You're my only concern. I won't interfere in a battle that doesn't threaten you." He wipes the sweat off the bottle of water I gave him from the patio bar.

"You're telling me that you're a b.u.t.terfly? Riiiiight."

"Hey, what's wrong with being a b.u.t.terfly? No, I don't turn into a b.u.t.terfly. I'm your guardian, not your fairy G.o.dmother."

Can someone tell me why my life is so d.a.m.ned confusing? "Explain how you can protect me as a b.u.t.terfly? While you're at it, can you explain how you're going to protect me at all? You're just going to be some voyeur that follows me?"

"Look Miss Skeptical, I'm doing what my superiors tell me to do. I have to keep you alive. Your destiny is too important to ignore. Sadly, you and your friends have become targets for the Underworld G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses. You couldn't upset something that Fate could help control, no, you upset the total psychos. Yes, you have a destiny and NO, I'm not telling you what it is."

"Is this like a North Carolina thing? Because when I lived in New York, the only crazy was my dad." I try to hide how annoyed he is making me. At this point, I'm not sure if I really care.

"Tomorrow, we'll talk about this more. Amber said you're riding with her in the morning, so I'll see you bright and early."

"You're just going to come in here, tell me you're my guardian angel and a b.u.t.terfly and leave? How absurd is that!"

"Oh, honey, don't flatter yourself, I'm no angel. You think that's absurd, you'll love this next part...you can't tell anyone. Don't look at me like that. I'm sorry, but the rules are the rules. I know you and your friends like to bend the rules, but not this time. To a.s.sure that you won't tell anyone, there is a Dark One on stand-by to knock off your new BFF," he says c.o.c.kily.

"You'll have my friend killed if I tell anyone? What the h.e.l.l?"

He looks at me and c.o.c.ks his head to the side. "It makes a difference doesn't it? It isn't a North Carolina thing either toots. This could have happened at any super school you went to. I have some homework to tend to. Be sure to arm the alarm when I leave, I don't want any bad guys to get you while you're sleeping."

Ugh, what a despicable a.s.s. This is a guardian? "How am I supposed to keep this from Caleb? He hears my thoughts. Huh? You're going to kill my friend because I can't help thinking?"

"You ask a lot of questions. Don't worry about thinking it, somehow it's jumbled. I don't know how it works, but it isn't possible to spread the word via thoughts," he says as he stands up. "Good-night my little charge."

I try as hard as possible not to scream. Silently we walked through the house and without a word he left. I punch in the code to the alarm and head back to my room. My phone has only been on the charger for an hour, long enough to give Caleb a good-night call.

"Hey beautiful," Caleb says as he answers the phone.

I try to keep myself composed so he doesn't realize I'm on the verge of tears. "Hi you. I wanted to call and say good night."

"Is everything okay?"

No, everything isn't okay. "Yeah, I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Are you missing your dad?"

I do miss him, daily. "Yeah, a little. I can't really talk; I still have a little more homework to do. Good night." I close my eyes and envision him with me.

"Good night, I'll see you in the morning. I love you"

"Love you, too."

Chapter 11. Killing Amber.

Amber's Jeep screeches its tires as we pull into the school parking lot. When we picked Thorne up, the jacka.s.s winked at me as he climbed into the back seat. After sitting up half the night trying to figure out what to do, I finally decided to go see Mrs. Ward first thing. After all, she is the one that seems to have made each obstacle for me. I told Amber to go on without me, and I'd see her in cla.s.s.

As I lifted my hand to knock on her door, Mrs. Ward pulled it open.

"Good morning, Jessie. How are you enjoying your new school," she asked with a smile?

She motioned for me to sit down. "You know why I'm here. What I don't understand is why you trickle information to me."

"Trickle? Young lady, I a.s.sure you, I don't trickle. This isn't a ordinary little game we're playing. You're back on my radar, so something is going right. Thorne and I discussed it for hours; before we decided you should know who he actually is. Your friend Amber, she is a loose cannon that girl. She is such a spurt of the moment person, it makes my job harder. She flits in and out of her path so much, it makes me dizzy."

"How on earth can you keep up with everyone in the world and their path?" It isn't a dumb question. "What do you mean about her in and out of her path? Is she teetering on being a Dark One?" I say, trying my best to keep my tone down and my temper in check.

"It's not for you to worry about. Your focus should solely be on your Light Tamer skills. Your path is changing, and I see a lot of good. I also see a dark time, despair, and fear. Your future depends on your strength."

"Where does Thorne fit into the picture? He said he is my guardian and if I tell anyone he'll kill Amber. What kind of guardian angel is that? He will kill her. It isn't like he will poke her with a needle, or whack her in the knee. He will kill her." I emphasize my words with my New York accent.

"He's a guardian, not an angel. He can't kill her. Killing an innocent is against the rules. He is just scaring you. He's so used to dealing with rogues and unloveables. I'll have a talk with him about his scare tactics. As for the rest, you're going to have to deal with him. With the Nyx situation hovering over us, especially now that she's been seen, we have to b.u.mp up security."

"Fine, I'll deal with it, but I'm telling Amber and Caleb about him."

She clucked her tongue and says, "No, you won't. I didn't say he can't relocate her to Alaska. I'm pretty sure the surfing is chilly there. You need to keep the secret. I'd suggest you figure out a way to deal with it." She looks down at her watch. "The bell is about to ring. Have a lovely day Miss Lucente."

Nothing but a bunch of drama. What fabulous piece of insanity will happen today? .

The hallway is crowded as I weave my way through the acc.u.mulation of kids. I b.u.mp into a heavy-set guy, he's bigger than me, and he b.u.mps me back, and I went flying into a clique of preppy girls. The kind that have hair extensions and carry designer backpacks, the kind that I'm not. One girl fusses and tells me to watch where I'm going. I scramble away from them before I do something stupid.

A tap on my right shoulder has me fall for the game boys' play, the one where I look right, and they are on my left. I turn expecting to see Caleb, to my chagrin, it's Thorne.

"I saw you leaving Mrs. Ward's office. How is the lovely Fate this morning?"

"I learned you can't kill my friends," I say with a smirk.

The first bell chimes through the halls. "Details, don't get hung-up on the small little wee details." He holds his fingers up an inch apart, to show me small. I'd like to s.n.a.t.c.h that smug look off of his face.

I feel hands on my waist from behind me, and instantly feel comforted. "Have fun in first hour beautiful."

I give him a quick peck on the lips. "You too. I have the paper signed for the weight lifting cla.s.s. I didn't think she was going to agree to it, but she did and that's all that matters. See you in a bit." I say and Caleb turns to get to cla.s.s before the tardy bell.

"Funny how things work out," Thorne says as he holds up his permission slip for the weight lifting cla.s.s.

I growl and walk away to cla.s.s.

Miss Raine escorted us to our secret cla.s.sroom and then announced that she is staying with us. Mr James smiled and left to teach the other cla.s.s, I guessed. Miss Raine pranced around the room in her tie-dyed sun dress talking about the changes in the weather will affect our ability to pull light to us. Watch the weather. Keep your eye on the barometric pressure. Do this, do that, it was all overload.

"Are you paying attention Miss Lucente?"

No. "Uh, well, not exactly," I say, voice shaky with nerves.

"As I was saying cla.s.s, our fall break will be in September. The fall equinox happens that weekend. Now you're aware of Tamers, your body and instincts will go into hyper-mode. You'll be able to spot other Tamers, and some of you will have the ability to spot small children that are a Tamer too. Anything to do with spells, incantations, fire, earth, spirit, will be easy to retain. It will be the beginning of our daylight hours being shortened. Obviously, Tamers are able to get through winter months with little complications. You might find this interesting. During the shortened days, the Dark Ones do a semi-hibernation through winter. It's obvious that they survive and thrive from the light. It's hypothesized that like a squirrel they store up during the warmer, brighter months. Not that you'll be altogether safe, so you should always carry your flashlights. Everyone has been given their flashlight holsters. Carry them in your backpacks, and keep a flashlight in your locker. Batteries are free to you for your flashlights; you can stop by the secretary's office before and after school to stock up."

I feel a slight buzz from my pocket. I discreetly pull it out to see who texted me. Amber of course.

Amber: Did you smell his cologne??? Deee Lightful!

Me: No Amber: Your sniffer must be broken.

Me: I guess Yes, I smelled his cologne. He smells like Jimmy Johnson from my old school. I wasn't about to tell her that, or she'd have a cow.

"Miss Lucente, is your lap talking to you?" Miss Raine asks. She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, and I notice her tattoo on her wrist is glowing.

"My lap is fine, I was checking if I had some change for the soda machine. I'm sorry."

From the corner of my eye, I see Thorne shake his head.

"Do you have something to say Mr Woodson?"

"Yes ma'am," Thorne replies. "I do have a question. When did you find out about Light Tamers, if you're not one?"

She tilts her head to the side, as though she is carefully deciding what she would say. "A darned good question. We'll be going into this in the next segment of this cla.s.s, but I'll tell you a little about it. I'm a member of a branch that is affiliated with the Rosicrucian Order. It is a society for the spiritually gifted. My gifts are also of the healing kind, and my chapter of the Order is extremely small. There are about fifty of us throughout the world. I've always known about Light Tamers, there's never been a time I didn't. My father was highly involved with the Order, so I grew up with it around me. Your chapter is much larger, but, not the largest group. My father and the head of the Tamers charter are close friends. We had family vacations and we trained together, that is how I know about you." Someone asked if she is a witch. "Ah, no, I'm not a witch. Our group doesn't have a fancy name. We're just known as the healer. My gift as a healer is purely physical. I heal wounds and sometimes I can heal an illness."

Carmen raises her hand. "If you're able to heal, why do you need the potions?"

"Sometimes you need a healing unguent, or a potion to help speed things up. My power can be drained very quickly; I'm not G.o.d, I can't heal everyone. You'll understand this even more as you become a healer. Okay, on to more information about the equinox weekend. We'll be having a dance for juniors and seniors on that Sat.u.r.day. It will be held downtown at the convention center. There are sign-up sheets for decorating committee and chaperones in the main office. Please don't pa.s.s up this time, you're not too cool to join in the fun. You'll only be teens for a few more years, enjoy it while you can. There will be extra credit for those students that help out. Okay, on to another exciting thing. Next week we will have a guest speaker. Her name is Chrissy, and she is an animal healer, she can speak to animals too. She and I've been in training all summer, and I'm excited for all of you to hear her story."

I wonder if Caleb would be interested in helping out. I can only imagine the four letter words Amber will say when I ask her. Oh, that's right, she isn't saying them, she's making up words to use in place of the super bad words. When I asked her to take weight lifting cla.s.s with me; she almost fell over laughing.

"...respect the earth. We're not endorsing witchcraft, we're endorsing the love and energy the earth, sun, and moon provide us. In alchemy we will use such things as crystals, essential oils and items you can probably find in your own cupboards. These items will serve as a catalyst for you to heal. Many of you in this cla.s.sroom will be a doctor of some sort." A spurt of laughter broke the lecture up for a second. "Two out of three Tamers will go forth as a doctor. There are all types of doctors. A doctorate can be given to scholars, physicians, engineers. Your positive energy is needed in all of those fields. The other one Tamer will usually be a stay at home healer." Miss Raine went over to a cabinet and pulled out what looks like a tissue box from where I was sitting. She handed the box to Carmen, telling her to take a crystal and pa.s.s it on."

Amber turns around to me. "You have to be kidding me, we're going to play with rocks? I think she's got a few rocks loose in her head, if you know what I mean."

"Crystal's are thought to have the strongest healing powers from the earth," Thorne says. We all turn around to face him as he speaks.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean anything derogatory about it. She's just so intense," Amber says timidly (totally out of character for her).

The box of crystals made it to our end of the room. The one I pick is small and jagged but clear and pretty. The stone feels cold as ice in the palm of my head.