Guarding Eden: A Midway Novel Book One (Hidden Wings)

  “So, the school is safe?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s go,” Alaine urged. “Don’t worry, Eden. We will make sure you and Alex make it inside safely.”

  “Where’s the portal?” Emma asked with a dagger—her grandfather, the Archangel Michael had given her—in one hand, and Kade’s hand in the other.

  “Right past the fountain,” I said, pointing.

  “Wait.” Emma walked over to Eden. She slipped her Bloodstone amulet from around her neck and placed it around Eden’s. “This has brought me luck in the past, and I hope it will do the same for you.”

  “What is this?” Eden held the amulet in her fingers.

  Alaine smiled in approval. “It’s a bloodstone amulet…an amulet of protection,” she noted. “It is one of the original stones which Christ bled on when he hung from the cross.”

  “What?” she gasped. “I can’t take this. Th—this is too important.” Eden tried to take it off, but Alaine stopped her, taking hold of her hand.

  “And you are important, “Emma said. “You will need all the help you can get right now, especially in the days leading up to your transformation. Take it from someone who knows.”

  Kade nodded. “Yes, believe her.”

  “Thank you.” Eden tucked the amulet safely inside her shirt.

  We stood in front of the portal, and Samuel called his wings. Miraculous black wings spread from his back. He was a Fallen Warrior, and his wings were his greatest weapon.

  “Let me go first, to clear a path. Count to ten, then come through,” Samuel said, leaning forward and kissing Alaine on her forehead.

  “Kick ass, Samuel,” Kade cheered.

  “It’s what I do, son.” He winked, then his eyes went completely black. With a single flap of his powerful wings, he disappeared into the portal.

  Alaine counted out loud. When she reached ten, I grabbed Eden by the waist and held on tight as we ran through.

  Violent was one word to describe the scene.

  We were sliding over limbs, entrails, and decapitated heads. Darkling bodies were strewn everywhere. Samuel had done a number on them and was still in full battle mode.

  Alaine took off toward the right. Emma went to the left, along with Kade, creating a safe passage for us. Picking Eden up, I ran toward the school. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her face buried in my shoulder. Her body was trembling, but she never said a word.

  I felt a tug, then found myself falling. As I glanced back, I cursed. A Darkling, sliced in half, with his entrails dragging on the ground, had my foot grasped in his sharp claws.

  Just before I hit the ground, I called my wings. They pulled me upright, keeping me from dropping Eden. With another flap, I was in the air. The Darkling still latched onto my foot.

  With one swift movement, I kicked my leg upward. As the Darkling came up, I swung my sword. The sound of metal slicing through tendons and bone caused Eden to turn. She let loose a scream as I relieved the Darkling of its head, watching the pieces drop back down to its severed torso.

  “Nice!” Kade hollered, sticking his blade through the skull of another.

  Eden began hyperventilating, so I flew her out of the woods, landing at the edge of the clearing. I set her on her feet when a bright light fell on us.

  “What are you two doing out here?” the security guard called.

  Screams and growls echoed from the woods behind us, as I took Eden’s hand and led her toward him.

  “Stop right there,” the guard said, pointing a weapon at us. It was a Taser, and I noticed his name tag read Bob. I stepped in front of Eden and held my hands up. “We’re students here at Brindle Hall.” I pulled my ID badge from my pocket and handed it to him. He took the ID and examined it with his flashlight. “Bob, I need you to escort Eden into the school immediately. Don’t look back, and lock the door.”

  Screams of dying Darkling echoed in the night air.

  “Who’s out there? What the hell is going on?” His eyes were wide; his face was pale with fear.

  “It’s best for you and your safety that you don’t know,” I said, my hands in the air.

  “I know there are things out there. I hear them all the time.” Moans of horror punctuated his words. His eyes tracked across the tree line and he gasped in fear. Turning on the spot, he ran in the opposite direction. For a larger set man, he was running like a track star. Then, he tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. But in a split second, he was back on his feet, sprinting again. Bob was headed toward a lone truck in the parking lot.

  “Where are you going?” I called after him.

  “I don’t get paid enough for this shit!” he screamed. “I quit!”

  “Alex,” Eden’s voice was a whisper. When I turned, she looked as white as the guard. I pulled her back into my arms.

  “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have seen any of that,” I apologized.

  She looked up at me, her trembling lips pressing to a grin. “I guess I’ll get over it…eventually.”

  I laughed, not expecting to have received an answer like that.

  Soon, the woods were quiet, and my four friends stepped out, unharmed. Samuel stayed right within the treeline, away from the protective barrier.

  “Thanks,” I said. “You guys are the best.”

  “We are more than happy to help. And if you ever need us in the future, please don’t hesitate to call,” Samuel said.

  “For anything,” Alaine echoed.

  “I will.”

  “Bro, call me if you’re ever on break,” Kade said, slapping a hand on my shoulder.

  “You know I will.”

  Emma stepped up to Eden. “You’ll get through this. I know it seems like your life is chaotic, but believe me, once you transform, it will get better.” She leaned in and gave Eden a hug. “If you have questions, or just want to talk, Alex can give you my number.”

  “Thank you,” Eden said, looking extremely grateful. I noticed she wasn’t trembling as badly as before.

  “Get her inside, Alex,” Alaine noted with a smile. She was a mother to us all.

  I nodded and took Eden’s hand. We waved as they disappeared back into the woods, then headed inside.

  Chapter 22

  Eden

  I would be a mental case if it weren’t for Alexander and his friends explaining this new part of my life, while also protecting me. They made killing monsters seem like it was another day at the office. Although, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a glimpse of what my life would become after I transformed.

  If my mom knew what was going on, she’d have had a heart attack. Actually, she’d drive down here, drag me home, then have a heart attack. None of my mortal friends could know, which made me feel alone. I wasn’t alone. The secret world I was now a part of had people who cared for me and had known my birth father.

  Alex grasped my hand, linking his fingers in mine, and led me to the front door. Inside, we made our way upstairs. When we got to my floor, he stayed back as I unlocked the door and stepped past the threshold into the girl’s wing.

  “Are you going to be okay?” His eyes narrowed on me. They were entirely black a moment ago, but now, they’d changed back to the beautiful emerald I’d come to love.

  I paused, weighing my emotions. “Eventually, but it might take a while,” I answered truthfully.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?”

  “You would stay?”

  “If it would make you feel safer, then I’ll stay.”

  “It would,” I whispered. “Make me feel safer, that is.”

  “All right.” His smile widened. “Let me go grab a change of clothes. I’ll be right back.”

  “Here.” I placed the key to the girl’s door into the palm of his hand. “G
o ahead and shower, I don’t want you to wait. My door will be unlocked.”

  He closed his fingers over the key, then slipped it into his pocket. “I’ll see you soon.”

  My heart hammered as I watched him jog down the stairs. God, he was perfect. I leaned onto the railing, a hand over my chest as I watched him disappear.

  My angel. My freaking Guardian angel.

  I quickly made my way to my room and noticed it was unlocked. Crap. How could I have not locked it? There’d been a few things stolen recently, from girls who’d left their rooms unlocked, and I hoped the thieves hadn’t made their rounds tonight.

  As I pushed the door open, my light was on, and I heard voices.

  “Eden East, where the hell have you been?” Sebastian’s voice scolded. He stood from my bed, and Trissa and Kimi followed suit.

  “We’ve been texting you all night,” Trissa added. “Why didn’t you text us back?”

  I was frozen, shocked they were in my room. It was three in the freaking morning!

  “Why are you guys here?” I asked, my words a little harsh.

  “No, honey. You answer us first.” Sebastian stepped forward, waving his finger at my face.

  What the hell was I supposed to tell them? Not the truth, that’s for sure.

  “I was with Alex,” I answered.

  “I knew it,” Trissa said, turning toward the others. “I told you she was with him.”

  “Why didn’t you message us back?” Kimi asked.

  I reached for my phone and realized I didn’t have it. I walked over to my desk and moved my books, finding my cell phone. “I’m sorry. I forgot it here, and it’s dead,” I said, holding it up to prove it.

  “What the hell happened to your arm?” Kimi gasped.

  “I fell,” I explained. “My ankle felt a little better, so I left without the crutches. It got weak at one point, twisted, and I tripped and fell into one of the flower beds. Alex bandaged me up.” I added that last part to avoid more questions.

  “You’re not supposed to be walking on that ankle,” Kimi scolded. “Where are your crutches?”

  I pointed under the bed.

  “What are we going to do with you?” She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Thanks,” I exhaled. “I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t realize I left my phone here, or I would have texted you.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Sebastian said, his right brow raised, and his lips in a tight line. “And what were you doing with Alex until…“ he pressed the button on his phone and turned it toward me so I could see the time, “three-eleven AM?”

  “We were talking. That’s it, I swear. You know me…boring ol’ Eden.”

  Sebastian stepped a little closer and sniffed. He backed away, half-coughing, half-gagging, and totally over exaggerating. God, he was such a drama king. Even his eyes were watering.

  “Why the hell do you smell like a hog’s ass?” he choked.

  I was mortified. “How would you even know what a hog’s ass smells like?” I bit back, narrowing my eyes, insulted by his words.

  “I don’t,” he replied with a smirk. “But if I did, it would be that exact hideous smell invading my nostrils.”

  Sniffing my shirt, I cringed at the god-awful smell.

  “It must be the fertilizer I landed in when I fell into the garden.”

  “Damn, girl. You need to soak. Extra bubbles. Scrub, scrub, scrub.” He stood there demonstrating.

  “You were outside of the building the whole time?” Trissa asked.

  “At least we know she wasn’t fooling around.” Sebastian plugged his nose. “No one in their right mind would touch her with a ten-foot pole.”

  I rolled my eyes and ignored his comment. “No, I wasn’t outside this whole time. After I fell, Alex took me to his room to bandage me up,” I lied, feeling a little anger rise inside. I hated being interrogated, especially after what I had been through. Then, I remembered they were worried about me, and the fire inside died down a bit.

  Sebastian shook his head. “I went to his room and knocked on the door. It was dark, and no one answered.” His eyes narrowed even more.

  “As I said before, we went for a walk first,” I snapped. “When I got injured, we went back to his place.”

  “You don’t have to get so emotional, Eden. We’ve been worried sick. Sitting here for hours, conjuring up horror stories about where you went and what could have happened to you.” Sebastian exhaled. “Actually, you crushed some of my best ideas. I thought you might have been getting it on, for once.“

  “Ha-ha.” I exhaled.

  “I’m surprised Bob didn’t catch you,” Kimi stated. He had cameras on the front door and could see anyone going in and out.

  “We actually ran into Bob,” I answered.

  “And?” Sebastian sang. His eyes widened, eager for a good story.

  “And he quit.”

  “What?” Trissa gasped.

  “Yep. He said he heard some scary noises in the woods, then grumbled about how he doesn’t get paid enough, stormed off, and drove away.”

  The expression on their faces was hilarious. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. They looked at each other, unsure if I was lying or not.

  Kimi subtly giggled, and Trissa shook her head.

  Sebastian let out a loud sigh. “We’re glad you’re okay.”

  “Yeah,” Trissa said. “You scared the hell out of us. I came by to check on you, and your door was cracked open. When I saw you weren’t here, I tried texting you and got no response. That’s when I got worried and called them.”

  I smiled at her. “Thanks for caring. I love you guys.” Pretending like my ankle was sore, I leaned against my desk. “I’m going to jump in the shower and hit the sack.”

  “Yes,” Sebastian muttered. “Remember to soak and scrub, scrub, scrub that stink off.”

  “Glad you’re safe,” Trissa said waving from afar.

  “I love you guys. I’d hug you but—“

  “We’ll hug you tomorrow…after your bath.” Trissa laughed.

  “You’re damn lucky we love you.” Sebastian threw me two kisses from the door. I caught them and pressed them to my lips.

  “I am the luckiest girl in the world to have friends like you.”

  “Sweet dreams,” Kimi said.

  “You too,” I said hobbling to the door to see them out.

  “Get off of that foot. Elevate and ice,” Kimi said without turning back.

  “Yes, nurse. I promise.” I closed the door behind them, then quickly ran to my dresser, grabbed my clothes, and headed for the shower. Alex was coming, and the thought of it sent warm tingles throughout my body.

  Chapter 23

  Alex

  My heart did something weird inside my chest when Eden asked me to stay with her. It wasn’t only her words, but it was the look in her eyes. She wanted me.

  Damn. She didn’t know how much it meant. To know she felt safe with me around.

  Back in my room, I didn’t realize I had a lame ass smile on my face until I stood in front of the bathroom mirror. I hoped I didn’t have that plastered on my face after she asked me to stay. That would have been freaking embarrassing.

  Shaking my head, I turned on the shower and stripped out of my clothes, which went directly into a trash bag. They had Darkling blood splattered on them, and the only way to get the stench out was to burn them. Or toss them out.

  After my shower, I changed into some black sweatpants and a black fitted t-shirt. I wanted to be comfortable, especially if I was going to lie on the floor. I decided to take a pillow from the bed, then headed out.

  As I came to the third floor, I slid the key into the girls’ door and slipped inside. My pulse raced as
I walked down the hall toward Eden’s door. What the hell was wrong with me? This girl was doing a number on me, and I couldn’t explain how or why. But she was definitely getting under my skin.

  When I reached her door, I thought about knocking but didn’t want anyone else to hear. Besides, she said she’d leave the door unlocked.

  As I stepped inside, I could hear the shower on, and the sound of her humming. It was a slow song, one I’d not heard before, but she had a beautiful voice. For a split second, I pictured her naked.

  I knew I shouldn’t have done it, it was wrong, and I could be banished from Midway if I had any kind of relationship with Eden. I had to keep it strictly professional because if Ephraim found out I was starting to have feelings for her, he’d pull me off this assignment, and put me somewhere remote like he did with Dom—sending him to Siberia.

  Or he could revoke my Guardianship and ban me from Midway altogether. Although my feelings toward Eden were growing, this was my life. My job. I couldn’t give it up for a girl I wasn’t bonded with.

  But still…the thought of leaving her behind made my chest ache.

  Why though? Why was she different from any other assignment? Why was I having all these feelings toward her if she wasn’t my bonded?

  The shower stopped, and I decided to sit on the desk chair and wait.

  I realized too late that she must not have thought I was here because the door opened and she stepped out with a towel wrapped around her. Her brown eyes went wide and locked on mine. Her hair was wet, dripping down her shoulders. Her arms and legs were glistening. She had a plastic bag tied around her arm, over the bandages Alaine had put on.

  “I’m sorry,” she breathed, clutching the towel closer to her chest. “I didn’t think you would get here so fast.”