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The Librarian's Daughter

The Story of Abi VanHaven

Published by M.M. Gavillet at Smashwords

Copyright © 2013 by M.M. Gavillet

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of the book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the written permission from the author. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidences are the product of the author's imagination, any resemblance to real events, locations, persons living or dead, are purely a coincidence.

Front and back cover designed by M.M. Gavillet.

Also by M.M. Gavillet

Blackbird Trilogy

Gathering of Blackbirds

Band of Blackbirds

Alliance of Blackbirds(October 2013)

Coming 2014!

The Librarian's Daughter

The Story of Sage Greene

&

The Librarian's Daughter

The Story of Meg Hawthorne
This book is dedicated to my loving family and fearless librarians everywhere!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I have to thank all of my village people-you should know who you are by now! I have to thank my husband who miraculously still puts up with my writing obsession and to Ashley for always being Ashley and to Kyle for always making me laugh! I have to thank Shani the proof reading-plot questioning-hair styling extraordinaire! And to my mother-in-law—you're simply perfect! And to the lovely Sabina—a real librarian's daughter! And as always—to my dad who I think still looks down at me when least expected.
Chapter One

"I'm giving you one week," Jenna slid her eyes over to my half-filled boxes and then back at me holding up one finger to make sure I understood what one meant, "to get your stuff out, got it?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the floor like a war drum.

"Yeah, got it," I glared at her.

She tightened her perfectly pink lips, spun on her tiny feet twirling her perfectly pressed flower printed dress and left me in a cloud of putrid smelling perfume. But I guess there's nothing strong enough to mask the scent of nasty.

Jenna went to join my other cousins in the kitchen where they had their powwow for their next plan of action since my Aunt Kathleen died. She had been my legal guardian ever since I was two when mother died and my father was nowhere to be found. She was the only mother I ever knew and she wasn't much of one.

Looking back I don't think she ever wanted to be a mother, she was simply stuck with me out of duty. No, she didn't malnourish me, hide me in a closet or basement, or make me do all the chores by myself, Kathleen was simply an empty shell of a person.

I did miss her, like someone would miss a neighbor they seen every day, but I didn't deeply mourn her, if fact, I thought to myself, I've never really mourned anyone deeply—not even my mother. I missed her greatly, but how could you mourn someone you never knew—I just mourned the memories and times I never got to spend with her.

I placed a few items slowly into the boxes glancing up at my cousins talking among themselves. Aunt Kathleen never had any children of her own, never married and all the time I was growing up I've never seen her with the company of a man ever. I was the only child she raised. There were three sisters, Kathleen, the oldest, Dorothy, the middle child who passed away about five years ago and Emma, my mother who died before I had any really good memories of her. Dorothy was the mother of my war-party-cousins that as far as I was concerned, were nothing but spoiled brats. They had money, looks and the arrogant attitude to go with it. I picked up my packing pace wanting nothing more than to get away from them.

Jenna glanced at me in even intervals to observe my packing to make sure I was doing my job.

I didn't have much since most of the furniture, antiques and appliances were going to be auctioned off. Jenna stated over and over that she was the executor over the estate and that meant the control freak. I didn't care though, I didn't have any sentimental attachment to anything here, and only the few items I held dear to me were the few items that were my mother's.

"I always liked that hairbrush," Meg said looking down at me with her green eyes and brown hair that hung like silk. "Remember we used to brush each other's hair with it." She knelt down beside me.

"Yeah, that was a long time ago." I glanced at her. She ran her fingers over the frayed bristles almost like she was trying to touch a memory.

Meg was the nicest of my four cousins. She played with me as a child and didn't tell all the other kids at school that I was a leper when I had a bad case of poison ivy. Jenna came up with enough dirt for two people on me.

"You know you're still welcome to come and stay with Nate and me until you find a place of your own." Her voice was encouraging.

Meg was married to a budding lawyer that headed his way up the totem pole as if he were a starving shark. They lived about an hour away in Minton that was far from the small, slowly evaporating, nowhere town of Applewood. They lived in a large house that looked like it fell out of a magazine with a cloud of dust onto a perfectly manicured lawn that was mowed by I'm sure one of their many hired help. Meg and Nate had no children, but lots of money.

I shrugged my shoulders as she prodded for me to come. I could probably live there and if I stay of sight long enough, they would probably forget I was even there. I agreed, to Meg's invite to stay temporarily—until I found my own place. Besides, any sane person wouldn't decline the lap of luxury to sleeping in some cockroach infested motel.

When I left the two bedroom, white, ranch style house, I felt a piece of me was being ripped off like a skinned knee. I had to make a clean cut. I had to start my life—whatever that was, I didn't know yet. I forced myself to look forward and not look back as I rode away in Meg's black SUV with the three large boxes that contained clothes, personal items and a few mementos from my childhood. Jenna would be pleased I didn't need the whole week.

Meg's house was all stone and brick and pillars wrapped in perfectly trimmed shrubs and large pots of flowers exploding with brilliant colors. It was past midday and the sun shone behind the house etching it with a bead of golden light almost like it had its very own halo, but I knew it was far from a slice of heaven despite its deceiving looks.

The house was empty and smelled of lilacs from the cleaners that the cleaning lady scrubbed the house with. I looked around at all the tile, plush carpeting that looked like no one ever walked on, the golden stained oak trim and the graceful curving staircase that led to the upper levels. Above my head hung a chandelier of thousands of clear, black beads all glistening in the light that illuminated it.

"Wow." Even though I kept my voice soft, it still managed to echo in the large room. "Your house is beautiful." I smiled as I'm sure Meg had heard that statement a thousand times and smiled with a thank you I'm sure she has also done a thousand times. I can picture Nate bringing his bosses, clients or whoever he wanted to impress here and she would always get the same response. I watched her look around like we were in a museum and something flickered just under the surface of Meg's eyes that was gone before I could put my finger on it.

"Nate and I like it," she said looking around. "Abi, let me show you to our guest room."

The guest room was nothing what I would call a guest room. My version of a guest room was a spare room with a pull out bed and filled with stuff that really doesn't have a place in the house or a place where someone would store their artificial Christmas tree. I stopped in the doorway and felt like I had just entered a suite at some five star hotel.

"Megs," I said with my eyes on the large bed and elaborate trim that framed the room. "This is your guest room?"

She laughed a little longer than someone would do in response to my amazement. She then sat on the bed and folded her hands in her lap. "No one has called me Megs in...I don't know how long." That something twinkled behind her eyes again.

I walked up to her and knelt in front of her trying to catch it before she let it go again.

"What, what is it?" I asked in a soft voice.

Meg turned her head to look out the window at the picturesque view that she has probably looked at hundreds of times and now just stared blankly into the beauty of all the greenness.

"Remember how we used to play princess when we were little?" She walked over to the window pulling back the gauzy sheer curtains.

"I remember you and I starting to play it and then Jenna overthrowing us with Paul and Will as her two guards. She would always push us out of that rocker—you remember the one with all of the intricate carving that we used as a throne." Paul and Will were my other two cousins that the only way to describe them is as male versions of Jenna, only Jenna always had the upper hand on them.

"I thought I was getting that Abi. I thought my life would be like..." Her eyes fell with darkness of untold miseries that I could only watch as tiny pools of water formed in the corner of her eyes. She caught them before they fell as the footsteps and Nate's voice calling for Meg came down the hallway.

"In here." Her voice returned to its happy-go-lucky tone.

Nate stood in the doorway. His broad shoulders led to strong arms and his molded black hair curved into perfect waves that surrounded his olive colored skin. He was about thirty, but to me looked much older, a sort of forced mature look that encased him.

He was still dressed in his grey suit and stiffened upon seeing me.

"Abigail," he smiled coldly.

"Nathaniel," I returned his name in the same cool tone.

"She's just staying for a short while until she finds a place." Meg stood in front of him and spoke in a low voice. "You know, with the sale and all... and Jenna..."

"Really, I will be gone by the weekend." I cut in to end Meg's babbling excuse. "I'm looking for an apartment tomorrow." I shook my head and used a warmer tone trying to cool Nate's aggravated expression—for Meg's sake.

"Nonsense, you can stay until you find something." His words were forced with niceness and I really didn't want to come here, but it was better than sharing a room with roaches. "We have guests tonight, Barnabus Wynters and his wife will be coming so you have to fix something low fat and healthy with lots of vegetables, O.K.?" His voice took the tone of how you would talk to a toddler not your wife.

"Alright," Obediently she replied and shook her head as Nate kissed her on the cheek. Meg stiffened like Jack Frost had planted a kiss on her.

Nate left with a nod and a cool stare in my direction. Maybe he was Jack Frost.

"Well, I've better get started. I might have to run to the grocery store." I could see Meg running through her recipe book she stored in her head.

"I can go to the store for you if you need anything." I offered really wanting to say what the hell was that?

Meg went through her pantry and decided to make something simple: baked chicken with her special seasoning, steamed potatoes and fresh green beans. The only thing she needed was the green beans and I finally persuaded her to let me help her. I didn't know how else to help her and I really wish I could.

Meg and Nate lived just outside the growing town of Minton along the Mississippi River. Minton had recently reopened one of the factories there that makes the large windmill blades used in the production of generating electricity by wind power. This brought in people from the surrounding area the much needed work to keep the small community afloat. It was a flashlight in the dark to many that struggled. I only looked at the factory as I drove by.

The spring air was cool that brushed across my face from the rolled down window of Meg's SUV. I flipped the radio station and turned on the headlights passing by the tall trees of the state park.

Suddenly, a memory flashed in my head of my Aunt Kathleen and me going on a picnic there. She did like the outdoors and I did too. It was the only place I had ever seen her smile, I mean really smile, because you were happy, not forced to make good face. I let out a sigh as I came into town.

Minton had a small grocery store and a couple of gas stations. It was a neat town, clean with no bar to support the local drunks like it used to. I didn't come here that much growing up, except to the park of course, but something didn't feel right to me.

The parking lot was large enough to accommodate the gas station next to it. The windows were brightly polished with vividly colored store ads proclaiming their sales inside. I quickly went inside and found the produce aisle. Everything looked fresh except of course for the supposed to be fresh green beans. I hated green beans anyhow and picked through them the best I could. I didn't want Meg getting a spanking from her husband. He was always belittling her and I shook my head just thinking about it.

"There's more in the back if you aren't finding what you like," a voice said behind me. "Do you want me to go and get you some?"

I looked over and met the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. I started to reply with a friendly "no thank you", but the words got caught and I stood there choking on them. He was gorgeous, not grocery store material, it looked like he should be working out in a gym recording a fitness CD or modeling clothes somewhere. His dark hair was short up the sides and in slight waves over his forehead framing his summer sky blue eyes. He was a little taller than me, which was nice because I'm five foot eight and he must've been at least six foot, if not over since I had to tilt my head up to meet his eyes.

In my awkward moment of trying to get audible words out, he smiled at me. I half expected a camera crew to pop out behind the tall tower of apples stating I was on a reality T.V. show having gorgeous guys catch girls off guard in unexpected places just to see their reaction. If it was, I would spend my fifteen minutes of fame looking like an idiot.

"Oh, no, I don't want to trouble you." I finally got words out and they sounded lame.

"No, I don't mind, that's what I do."

That's what he does, helps girls find fresh green beans. I tried to not let anything become of my curiosity of him because relationships, I wasn't good at.

He came back with a crate of fresh green beans and I just grabbed a handful of them putting them into the plastic bag.

"If you purchase a reusable bag, you can get five cents off." He raised his eyebrows at the proposed deal and smiled.

"No thanks, I'm shopping for someone else. Maybe next time, thank you."

I pushed myself away like someone on a strict diet while resisting a dessert bar that was within reach. He nodded his head and we parted.

I purchased the green beans and went out into the parking lot. I reached in my pocket for the keys to find they weren't there. I could've sworn I put them in there. I stopped under the lonely streetlight as dark clouds of a sudden spring storm blocked out the sun forcing the lights to come on prematurely. I searched my purse thinking I could've thrown them in there, I don't know why I do this to myself and I don't know why I can't keep track of the simplest things. I can hear Aunt Kathleen scold me now.

"Honestly girl, if your head wasn't attached you'd be headless by now and someone would have an extra head somewhere." I mumbled my aunt's saying under my breath hoping the few patrons in the parking lot heard me.

I wasn't giving up and I didn't want to call Meg telling her I lost her keys. And now it was going to storm. I looked up at the thickening sky rumbling in a low growl of thunder. I put the green beans on the hood and dumped my purse out after I thoroughly checked my pockets. They were here somewhere. Two big drops of rain thumped like a fist on the Meg's SUV.

"Oh, good you're still here." The grocery boy came up behind me.

Startled, I turned standing in front of the spilled out contents of my purse, I didn't want him to see the life I had in there.

"You dropped these. I found them when I was sweeping." He held the keys between his fingers.

"Thanks," I said with a smile taking them and shoving everything into my extra-large purse. I then snapped the bulging thing shut hoping nothing popped out.

He stood there for a moment as I unlocked the door, threw in the green beans and my purse. I could feel his examining stare. He didn't move, but watched me. I slid my eyes over to him not trying to make eye contact. Most people would give you your keys, say thank you or you're welcome and go.

"You're not from here," he said crossing his arms with an inquisitive voice.

"What?" I asked thinking this was turning into something I didn't want it to. Maybe he was a rapist or something.

I was jumping to crazy conclusions. I stopped myself before the panic and fear of my overactive imagination got the best of me. Unfortunately, my surroundings were not in my favor. The black sky's rumbling intensified as more streetlights flickered on and most of the customers had left or were in the store.

"Most people here don't even lock their front doors at night let alone their cars at the grocery store." He did have an innocent boyish look to him, something that was on the verge of manhood and overall he certainly didn't look dangerous, but sometimes the most dangerous have a tendency to look that way.

He looked at me from my feet to my messy hair. Goosebumps scattered up and down my arms.

"I'm visiting family, thank you," I said getting in Meg's car with a slam of the door and a click of the lock. He backed away slightly still looking at me. I turned the ignition and sped off leaving him in a cloud of dust.

I went down the road looking more in my rear view mirror than in front of me. The storm unleashed and pounding rain smacked against the vehicle.

I was shaking slightly at the thoughts that ran through my head and embarrassed at the same time. He was good looking and engaged in conversation with me. He was probably harmless, but my insides always told me differently, like I had to be on guard for something. I resolved a long time ago I was or had gone crazy, I just didn't tell anyone.

"What took so long?" Meg scoffed with the rumble of thunder accompanying her voice. "The chicken is done and everything has to be done at certain times or..." She hastily put the green beans in a steamer and put the lid on them.

I watched her. She was only three years older than me, but she looked like she had aged ten years since she started dinner.

"Or what Meg?" I gingerly placed my hand on her forearm stopping her from polishing the already polished counter.

Meg lowered her head letting her dark hair shroud her face. Her shoulders shook and then she buried her face onto my shoulder and I just hugged her.

Dinner was served promptly at seven just as the storm passed. I could hear the voices from the kitchen and glad I wasn't in there. Meg invited me, but Nate's eyes uninvited me. I didn't think a destitute cousin without some fancy degree that doesn't know lots of fifty cent words would make a good impression. Besides, I like to be the spectator.

There was lots of small talk, laughing and complements on how nice their house was. I listened to Meg, she wasn't the crumpled housewife I cradled just an hour ago. She was a million miles away from that. She laughed and talked like a queen full of so much etiquette that it spilled onto the silk table cloth that complemented the drapes and woodwork.

I was amazed at how well she composed herself to pull off her façade of the perfect housewife.

Dinner faded into dessert and then drinks in their smaller living room beside the dining room. All the time I stayed in the kitchen quietly watching T.V. and eating a baked potato. Meg came in a few times and I helped her put the cheesecake on plates and drizzle it with raspberry sauce. Then, I licked the spoon we used to get the sauce out of the bowl it had been chilled in, what else did Meg expect from a destitute, backwards cousin? She only gave me a cold look as I shrugged my shoulders; evidentially she was still in the good-housekeeping-wife-mode yet and licking the spoon was against the rules.

I grew bored and was going to go up to the guest bedroom, when I past the library. A light was on and it caught my eye as I passed by. Even though Nate had money, he hated to waste it and I can remember him telling Meg to always turn the lights off when not in use. I stopped suddenly feeling a draft brush over my cheek from the cracked door. It swayed slightly from the cool air current and then stopped. I stood there peeking through the slim opening and all I could see was a desk and the book shelves framing it.

I lifted my hand to push the door open then hesitated. I knew it was snooping and even though Meg showed me this room earlier on my tour, I knew I shouldn't just help myself. But what if the window was open? Nate certainly didn't want to heat the outside, besides it was going to rain and I didn't want Meg to get in trouble with Daddy Warbucks.

The room swirled in a combination of tobacco and vanilla, almost like someone had smoked vanilla. I looked back at the door I opened just enough for me to pass and then at the dim desk lamp that was still on. I walked over to the window, my only concern was to make sure it was closed and it was. But where did the strange air current come from—the furnace? Maybe.

Meg had given me the quick tour earlier and even though books weren't my thing, I couldn't help but to glance at them. I walked by the shelves running my finger on the edge. I guess I was curious at Meg's super housecleaning abilities and wasn't surprised when I looked at my dust-free index finger.

The book cases went from ceiling to floor filled with leather bound books in browns, blacks, greens and burgundies. They were unison in size of thickness and height. Again it looked like a room out of a magazine. There were no scattered papers on the shiny desk or a divider holding bills to be paid. This office didn't worry about the small mundane things; it was above all of that. This was simply a fancy, arrogant office beyond the normality of everyday life. This was the office of Nathaniel Hawthorn.

I was in my own world as I looked around the room and then realized that Nate's voice was on the other side and the door slowly pushed opened.

"Your collection of books is amazing," Barnabus said after entering the room.

It was times like this I wished I was a little person. Thankfully the desk went all the way to the floor and was very deep and dark, I scrunched in the corner the best I could and held my breath. I hoped Nate didn't sit down and kick me with his boat-sized feet.

"Any leads?"

Nate let out a deep sigh. "No." He simply stated.

"My investors are not patient people, Nathanial. They are used to results." Barnabus's footsteps went around the room.

"I'm close."

Barnabus quit walking followed by a few seconds of silence.

"How close?"

"Very."

I let out the large breath I was holding after they left the room thanking God I didn't have to explain why Meg's red headed cousin was hiding under Nate's desk. But, I couldn't help to ponder on their conversation. Who were the investors expecting results and how close was Nate to whatever he was to produce for them? I certainly wasn't a lawyer and I didn't know what they talked about, but that didn't sound like lawyer talk to me.

I went up to the guest room where I knew I wasn't a wanted guest but more like a pest. Tomorrow I was going to find a job and a cheap apartment somewhere.

Nate left early and a note on the table left by Meg said she had errands to run and a hair appointment to go to—she would be gone all day. She ended her note with a smiley face.

I looked at the note for a moment. Meg had changed and at the same time not changed so much. She wanted a fairytale marriage, but they don't exist, I was smart enough to know that. I guess Meg was just hopeful and saw the tall, handsome, Superman Nate as her prince. At least she had money and a place to stay, but to me, it wasn't worth the price. Being a caged bird isn't my life's ambition.

Aunt Kathleen had left me a small sum of money which I left it in an account I had at the bank and didn't touch it. I was a frugal person and careful on how I spent things.

To get to town Meg told me I could drive their smaller extra car, Nate and Meg took the big, black SUV—dang. I looked at the little, simple, blue car that shined from the overhead garage light. Extra car, really, most people are lucky to have one car and they have three, just the two of them. The other vehicle was a big truck that looked like it could have the little blue car for lunch.

I really was starting to like the car. It wasn't too big and it wasn't too little to accommodate my long legs. It sat low to the ground and had bucket seats and the radio sounded awesome.

I decided to go to the business square in downtown Minton. It was clean with a courthouse in the center that chimed every hour. It was made of stone with four levels. It looked like a castle surrounded by a mishmash of several business all sandwiched together.

The sun was out and a cool spring breeze blew tiny bits of paper down the wide sidewalk. It was Wednesday and there weren't very many people out and I really wasn't sure I would find something since I didn't know what I was looking for.

I sat on a park bench for a while looking at a few of the businesses that were still businesses. There was a beauty shop called Headhunters, a thrift shop called Bea's, a small café called The Lonely Cow and down a ways on the corner, was a flower shop called Just Thyme. I've always liked flowers and had a small garden at Aunt Kathleen's house. She liked the garden too, even though she never worked in it.

A few puffy clouds overhead blocked the sun for a few moments causing the spring air to chill slightly. A lady dressed in a green apron came out of the flower shop and put a sign on the sidewalk with colorful balloons attached to it. I decided to go and check it out.

The glass front shop had colorful displays of tulips in pots surrounded by little figurines of bunnies and wicker baskets. Entering the shop I was greeted by many different scents from sweet to earthy. The store inside had a tall, metal ceiling and richly stained crown molding. Displays were everywhere and glass shelves lined the brick walls. Low, twinkling music filled the air. I stood in the middle of it all feeling like I had walked into another world.

"Can I help you?" a voice said behind me.

I turned to see the lady with the green apron. She was a little shorter than me with loosely pulled up brown hair, creamy white skin and almond shaped hazel eyes. She stood with a stained rag in hand and waited for my reply.

"I was just looking," I quickly replied. "Your parrot tulips in the window are pretty." I pointed behind me at the yellow and red tulips with fringed petals.

She smiled. "Thank you. Let me know if you need anything."

I looked around at the antiques mixed with the new knick-knacks and then at her flower case and potted house plants. I looked around for about forty-five minutes and knew this wasn't getting an apartment found or a job.

"I really like your ferns, how do you keep them so nice? I've had them before and they usually die when I bring them in the house." I was serious about my question as the lady tilted her head and smiled at me.

"I don't think I have ever had a young girl ask me that before, much less even come into the store just to look around. You must really like flowers." Her voice, I didn't notice before, had an accent to it I couldn't place.

"Well, I used to have a garden at my aunt's house, but she passed away recently."

"I'm sorry to hear that." She replied in a sincere voice as I'm sure she is used to dealing with grieving people one moment to happy people the next when they come in to buy flowers.

I shrugged my shoulders and changed the subject. "Do you force your tulips yourself?" I looked over my shoulders at the large window front. Tulips weren't in bloom now and usually were frozen in a freezer for a couple of weeks then 'forced' to grow before their natural time.

Again, she smiled before she replied and this time her eyes twinkled. "Yes, I do and I try to pick a variety out." She looked at me shifting her weight back and forth. "You know a little bit about plants then, don't you?" She was inquisitive.

I looked at her for a moment. I didn't think myself as a plant expert, but I did like them. "I, uh, like flowers and houseplants and vegetable gardens." I slowly replied.

She smiled again. "It's nice to see a younger generation enjoy something that is as old as time itself." She stepped out behind the wood counter. "Would you like to see my greenhouse?"

"Sure," I replied.

"By the way my name is Grace, Grace Spears." She turned around. "I should've introduced myself first. I guess I forgot my manners."

"That's O.K., I'm Abi VanHaven." We shook hands and smiled at each other. Grace motioned to go through the small wooden door that leads to the back of the building.

The greenhouse was small, but it was also back behind the store and there wasn't much space. It looked like she had pushed every inch of space she could without disturbing the other business owners.

Inside the greenhouse she had some small tomato, cabbage, broccoli and some geranium cuttings. She told me she used to have several greenhouses and sold plants wholesale to other businesses and then after her husband died it was too much for her, so she decided to open a flower shop. We spent the next hour talking about plants, family—mostly hers. I tried to keep vague about mine.

"I've always wanted to do this, but it is hard and...I was looking for some help." She looked at me and I shook my head as I looked at a hanging basket of begonias that had blooms on them like roses.

"I would love to work in a place like this," I said not catching onto her job offer at first.

I looked at her and she smiled with raised eyebrows. "Well...would you like to give it a try?"

"You mean work here?"

"Yes." She laughed.

"I would love to."

I was overjoyed and now a working girl. At least I was headed in some direction. We went up front and I filled out an application and had to tell her my current situation for living arrangements.

I actually looked forward to work every day even though I didn't make much, it was something. Ever since I graduated high school my life has resembled the scattered leaves of fall blowing in the wind. I attended a local community college when I quit not knowing what exactly I wanted to do. I then worked at department store in the mall, became manager only the store went out of business and then Aunt Kathleen died. I wasn't sure if it was me or my timing, but I felt like I was in a whirlwind without a clue what to do. Things though were going good now and my employment with Grace was wonderful. I felt I was nestling into my niche.

I spend a lot of hours here mostly to get away from Meg hounding me to go to school, find a good career because I wasn't going anywhere working at Just Thyme, like she had room to talk. She started school and then met Nate and has been his little lap puppy since. At the same time I didn't want to listen to her, I knew she was right and even thought of going into horticulture at a university—somewhere.

The spring grew in strength and I didn't realize that Grace had an amazing clientele. She had unique things in her store she said and made sure you couldn't find in one of those overrated 'superstores'.

"Let's put some of those tomatoes into larger pots, they're starting to set buds on." Grace handed me a pair of garden gloves.

I went out back and was in my own world thinking of everything from what school I should go to—I just turned nineteen and most of the kids in my class had a lot of school behind them and then I thought about how I would pay for it. Aunt Kathleen didn't leave me that much and before I got a headache, I decided to think about something else when someone clearing their throat caught my attention. I looked up to see the boy from the grocery store. A sudden rush of adrenaline filled my stomach. I was embarrassed for the way I reacted when he was kind enough to bring me my keys. I don't know why I act that way. It's almost like a disease.

"Grace said there were tomatoes ready back here," he said as I stood wide eyed.

His blue eyes nearly matched the sky behind him almost like the two colors were in synch. He was dressed in a black T-shirt and faded jeans. He was attractive, even though I wasn't sure about him.

"Yeah, over there," I pointed with my dirt stained glove behind me.

"Are you still visiting family or did you move here?" he asked.

"What?" I asked sharply. I could feel the over cautious, overly protective of myself grow just like the tomatoes did in just two days.

He bent down and picked up a tray of tomatoes. "Did you move here?" He asked again. "I thought since you work for Grace and living with the Hawthorns' that they must be your family or, at least friends of the family especially since you're driving one of their cars."

He smiled and I glared at him. Why was he so interested in weather I lived here or not? It really wasn't any of his business and I never really cared for anyone knowing my whereabouts and watching me. My inner paranoia was beginning to erupt and I couldn't stop it. I had to nip this in the bud if he was some pervert.

"What the hell are you doing? Following me?" I pointed the small, pointed spade towards him flicking a few crumbs of dirt off.

He took a step back and I lowered the spade realizing I spoke before thinking about what was coming out of mouth.

"Uh, no..." he said through the tomatoes. "I wouldn't do that. Grace, she told us about you."

I could feel my cheeks flush. He was a strange boy, but I looked like a deranged lunatic with a pointed spade paranoid at who might be watching me. I had always felt that way—like someone was watching me and living with Aunt Kathleen had made me that way. We had no "man of the house" to protect us even though our town was small, it had its fair share of hoodlums.

"By the way my name is Kelan." He smiled, nodded his head and left with the tray of tomatoes.

I didn't tell Grace about the whole Kelan incident, and she didn't say anything either. I hoped he didn't say anything to her because the whole thing was embarrassing.

It was dark when I got home and as usual I removed my shoes before going inside Meg's house and quietly shut the door behind me. The SUV was gone and since the house was dark, Nate and Meg must've gone out for the evening. I wanted to get my own place and I was close to having enough rent for an apartment downtown.

I went upstairs, got a shower and then went into the guest bedroom to get dressed.

I dropped the towel not bothering to turn on the light and opened the drawer to get out a pair of underwear.

"You know I've always wanted a redhead." Nate's voice echoed behind me as a small lamp flicked on.

Without thinking, I turned ramming my shoulder into the opened drawer and dropped my lace panties that floated to the floor like spider's silk that floats in the air during autumn sometimes. For a split second I stood with my mouth hung open as Nate looked at my underwear with raised eyebrows.

"Nice," he said as I snatched the towel holding it to cover my bare body.

"What are you doing?" I hissed clutching the towel around me.

His eyes were glazed over and he sat the glass he had in his hand down carefully on the dresser. I thought of leaving and going back into the bathroom, but I didn't have anything better in there to cover up with.

"Come on Abi, I know how the girls from your family are." He smiled and casually sat there like he had the right to look at me naked.

"You're drunk." I grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and turned to go out the door when Nate stood in front of me.

He had his hand on the knob and a stone-like expression of seriousness on his face. He moved quickly, almost unnaturally human quick. I gazed at him not sure what was going to happen.

"I don't play games and I have a proposition for you, especially your current situation—you could use some assistance." Nate's voice was soft and he smiled slightly with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Look, I'm not into some things." If he wanted some kinky, family sex orgy, he was not only arrogant, but weird as well. "I found an apartment and I have a job. I'm moving out."

Just then the door slammed shut downstairs followed by Meg's voice.

"I offered and the guardianship had hopes for you VanHaven." Nate opened the door and left.

I stood with the towel wrapped around me and my skin nearly dried. I shut the door, got dressed and sat on the bed. He had just caught a glimpse of me naked—the first man ever to do so and it didn't bother me as much as what Nate had said. The guardianship... what was that and why did they have high hopes for me?

Guessing what Nate does and belongs to really didn't involve me, I've never liked him. But, the conversation in the library with Barnabus Wynters and now some mysterious guardianship that had high hopes for me intrigued me. My curiosity was peaked and if Meg was involved in something she didn't know about, she could be hurt. I decided not to tell her about the naked incident—it would boil down to my word against Nate's. It wasn't worth getting into an argument with Meg. I couldn't stay any longer and would try to talk to Meg in a different way—money and a fancy house wasn't everything.

I didn't trust Nate and I didn't like him invading my privacy. I was moving out tomorrow.
Chapter Two

I had ten-thousand-five-hundred-forty-five dollars and forty-one cents in my savings account. Yes a lot of money, but yet not enough. Aunt Kathleen left me fifteen thousand dollars—even. But after lawyer fees and Nate's extra lawyer fee—that's what I was left with. The way I saw it—he owed me the little blue car in his garage.

I told Meg I found a place last night and she had mixed reactions to it. She was happy for me, but a look of worry crept into her eyes again. I was going to ask her trying to catch her in the moment, but it quickly passed and she insisted on celebrating by taking me out to lunch.

The last thing I wanted was to push Meg into telling me what exactly was wrong. I couldn't imagine living with Nate and I knew why she did. Money, power, connections...it's obvious to me. But I still could see little Meg inside of her, the girl who wanted to stand on top of the world and go to places where no man had ever left a footprint. She liked faraway places and was always reading National Geographic as a kid. Now, she had to ask when she can go to the grocery store and what to get.

Meg was still in bed when I got up the next morning to go to work. I went into the kitchen to grab a quick cup of coffee and nearly dropped my cup when I turned to see Nate sitting in the tiny nook by the window. Like a big, black, furry spider that suddenly appears in front of you, Nate sat quietly and I could tell had been watching me.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Nate smiled at me.

"You didn't scare me." I turned my attention to my coffee that I tried to assemble quickly and get away from Nate. I could feel his eyes on me

"So, where's your apartment at?" Nate asked in an inquiring voice and a tone that implied he questioned my even having an apartment.

"Downtown," I said spilling some creamer on the counter. I said a choice word under my breath, got a towel to clean it up and managed to bump my head on the opened cupboard door as I stood up. It was followed by another one of my favorite- four -lettered-words.

"Here," Nate said standing behind me.

He was close to me almost pinning me against the counter as he shut the cupboard door and grabbed my hand with the towel under it. His hand was warm and soft with well-manicured fingers. With my hand under his, Nate guided it in swirling motions soaking up the spilled creamer. His mouth was next to my ear and I could feel his breath run across my cheek fluttering a few strands of my hair. I resisted to shiver and then realized I was paralyzed. I should've pulled away and given him the slap across the face he deserved, but I didn't.

The mess was gone, like it never happened. Nate threw the towel into the sink and then leaned against the counter giving me a sideways glance.

"That wasn't as bad as you thought." He smiled. "Accidents always happen when we're in a hurry."

I left taking the coffee mug with me. Nate was a jerk and all I wanted was to get away from him and take Meg with me. All the way to Just Thyme, I thought of how I should tell her that Nate was waiting for me in the guest bedroom and saw me naked and the incident in the kitchen just now. At the same time I was mad at Nate, I was even more at myself. I let it happen; I didn't fight back and tell Nate what I exactly think of him.

Suddenly, red and blue lights flickered in my rear view mirror.

"Great," I said pulling over to the shoulder of the road. My anger at Nate just cost me a speeding ticket and farther away from the apartment that I didn't really have yet.

"License and registration please," the officer asked standing beside the open window.

"Here's my license, I have to get in the glove box to find the registration." He nodded for me to go ahead.

As he looked at my license and then at me, I thought at this moment I wish I was one of those girls that can get out of a speeding ticket by just batting their eyelashes.

"You're family of the Hawthorns'?" He asked in a pleasant and surprised tone.

"Yes," I replied.

"I thought this was Mr. Hawthorn's car. He doesn't drive it much. He said his wife's cousin was staying with him." He handed me back my license as I handed him the registration that I finally found. "No need, Miss VanHaven. Mr. Hawthorn is a good guy. Just remember this is a forty-five." He walked back to his car and drove off.

I took in a deep breath, glad I didn't get a ticket. The cop passed by me and waved. I know I had a dumb look on my face in awe of the whole thing. A cop just called me Miss VanHaven and acted like I was a celebrity or something. I certainly didn't mind because my money was still in my pocket. I then realized something-- Nate was actually good for something.

Rain had suddenly started to come down and I didn't work in the greenhouse, which I love, instead I dusted shelves for Grace. She quietly did her bookwork and I kept glancing at her wanting to ask her if anything in town was available for rent. I had to come up with a place by five that evening.

"You've been looking this way several times Abi, is something wrong?" Grace lifted her eyes from her large ledger towards me. I've always been easy to read, like it was written on my forehead.

"Well," I started. "You see, I really need to find a place of my own, an apartment or something."

She smiled at me. "Is that it? I thought you were going to tell me you were quitting." She let out a sigh of relief. "I can help you tomorrow after work. There are a few places around town."

"I really need it tonight, before I leave."

"Is something wrong?" She asked with concern.

"No, it's just getting real uncomfortable at my cousin's. You know—they're married and all. I'm like the third wheel."

"Well, that's understandable." Grace rubbed her chin. "Let me think about it and make a few calls."

I smiled at her. "Thanks, thanks a lot Grace."

The day crept by and Grace was on the phone several times. Each time she hung up she would cross something off a list she had scribbled down. I knew the possibilities were growing slim and I dreaded going back to Meg's house.

"Sorry Abi, even in this small town apartments are hard to come by," Grace said as the clock struck four.

"Thanks for trying. I know it's really short notice." I was hoping to find one—I didn't want to sleep in the same house as Nate.

Grace shut her book and stepped out behind the counter. "There's one place that I know is available, but it isn't really fashioned into being an apartment."

"Where's it at?" I asked eagerly. At this point a cardboard box would suffice.

Grace looked up at the ceiling and then pointed towards it with a smile.

"Upstairs... really?" This was a dream to me—an apartment above a flower shop. I acted like a kid at Christmas.

"It isn't much and I'm going to tell you that I use it for storage, but there's a bathroom and I would have to work on the kitchen part. It hasn't been used in years and I would love to have someone actually here."

"Can I stay here tonight?"

Grace looked at me for a moment and then up at the ceiling. "Come on I'll show you around."

There was an outside entrance that led to the upstairs apartment. Inside was all open with the living room facing the street and the kitchen, what there was of it, was off to my right. A small hallway led to a single bedroom and a bathroom across from that. Beautiful hardwood floors were everywhere and the same stamped metal ceiling that was in the flower shop was up here also. The wall needed painting, but the woodwork had just been redone a few years ago when Grace thought she would live here.

"Really everything just needs cleaned up. There's water and electric and the only major thing would be the appliances."

I looked at the half assembled kitchen and cringed at the expense of appliances, but other than that, it was perfect.

"I love it, but how much will the rent be?" I hated to ask.

Grace smiled. "We'll talk about that later. Let me do a few things to it first because you can't stay here tonight—if that's alright?" She asked placing her hand on my shoulder.

I told Nate I had an apartment and Grace was going to so much trouble to accommodate me, one more night at Meg's wouldn't be bad.

"No, it's fine." I reassured her. "I'm just really thankful that you are letting me stay here."

The dim light in the library was the only one on and made the outside of Meg's house look like a one-eyed-monster. I carefully parked the car outside because I would be leaving early in the morning and besides, I didn't want to confront Nate if he was here by himself.

Carefully I turned the knob to discover it was locked. Maybe they both were gone and left a light on by accident. Still, I quietly unlocked it and shut the door hardly making it click.

Stepping carefully and not turning any lights on, I managed to trip over Nate's shoes that were in the hallway. It was followed by another pair of shoes. They were black stilettoes with their pointed heels I always thought could double as a weapon.

The sudden sound of laughing erupted from down the dimly illuminated hallway. I looked up kicking Nate's shoes to the side. Slowly I crept towards the library. The sudden sound of a woman laughing made me stop. It wasn't Meg's voice, it was too seductive to sound like her. Meg was a housewife of days gone by. I looked back at the shoes. Meg could hardly walk in heels. The mumbled voices sounded teasing and as much as I wanted it to be Meg and Nate playing dress-up, I knew it wasn't.

The door was already cracked open and I plastered my body to the wall. They laughed, mostly whoever the woman was as Nate's voice mumbled slightly in protest then it was quiet.

Standing in front of his perfect desk was a blonde woman gazing up at Nate. Their lips were barely touching. Nate hesitated slightly then lifted his hand caressing her arm then gliding down around her hip to her rear. She pulled back and smiled.

"Take me now, Mr. Hawthorne. You know you do." Her voice was a mixture of honey blended with the metallic taste of blood.

Nate leaned into her and passionately they kissed at first then as if suddenly being free of restraints, Nate unbuttoned her blouse running his hand over the curves of her breast.

I let out my breath slowly and leaned against the wall looking up at the ceiling in the hallway.

Meg, she needed to know about this. How could Nate do this to her? She was the perfect housewife. She did what he wanted, impressed his boss and never complained. Meg could have better, she deserved better.

I had to make my decision now. I didn't hesitate as I reached into my purse, grabbed my phone, turned on the camera and recorded the adulteress act.

I only had a few seconds of kissing and slightly undressing, but that was enough. Discretely, I went back outside, got into the car and moved it into the garage making sure I made enough noise and gave them enough time to get dressed.

I jiggled the lock and shut the door with a slam. The kitchen light above the sink was on and the clothes in the hallway had disappeared. I gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I thought you were Meg." Nate came around the corner and looked at me. "I thought you had an apartment." He folded his arms across his not even wrinkled shirt. It didn't even look like it was being crumpled and nearly taken off a few moments ago. He was good and I raised my eyebrows—he evidentially had practice at cheating before.

"Water and electric aren't hooked up yet." I lied and tried to move past him.

Nate put his arm up and fanned out his fingers that barely touched the wall beside me. He smiled and gazed down at me. "You know if you need any help..."

"I don't need your help." I yelled a little louder than I intended to.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Hawthorn?" The blonde woman stood halfway in the hall and the library.

Her hair was smooth and her clothes were as neat as Nate's. It was like nothing that I witness and recorded just moments ago had ever happened.

"Everything's fine." Nate turned to her still not removing his arm so I could pass. "Danielle this is Abigail. Abigail, this is Danielle, my assistant."

I smiled at her. Assistant, yeah right I thought. I looked at her professional clothing ensemble that allowed every feminine curve of her body to show through. She nodded her head and returned the smile.

"You must be Mrs. Hawthorn's cousin." She stepped forward slightly and then looked at Nate for reassurance.

"Yes, I am." I snugged my purse under my arm. "I have to get up early in the morning and I still have to get my things together." I looked at Nate.

He lowered his arm and smiled. "Danielle and I were just finishing up on Kathleen's estate and there were a few more things in her will. There's a meeting next week."

"Just let me know what time." Nate nodded his head and then I looked at Danielle. She was stunning and I could see how Nate could easily be attracted to her. "Nice to meet you." I tried to act as though I'd never caught them having sex and held the evidence in my purse.

"Nice to meet you too, Abigail."

I nodded my head at her and smiled. I tried to act normal and even though they were fully dressed with nothing out-of-step. I still felt they knew that I knew.

With their eyes on me, I erased the vision in my head and pretended like I didn't see them having sex at Nate's desk moments before. I clutched my purse containing my only evidence, and went upstairs.

I looked at my phone's blank screen for a few moments. What I held in my hand could end Meg's delusional fairytale marriage. It would hurt her and I held that hurt in the palm of my hand. Reality was painful, but she had to know.

The next morning was cloudy and the rumble of thunder with a few flashes of lighting illuminated the predawn sky. I looked out the window towards the east at the sun barely rising above the horizon and then to the west at the dark approaching storm. The sun would hardly make it into the sky before the towering clouds would consume it.

Downstairs Meg was preparing the cheating husband's breakfast. I stood in the doorway with the phone in my hand.

"Morning Abigail." Nate didn't even look up from the papers he was reading.

Meg had her back to me at the sink and in front of her was Nate seated at the table. She was dressed in a baby pink dress and he in a suit and tie. It looked like I was looking at a slice of history—something that would only exist in the 1950"s. The loving housewife and the hard working husband providing for her. It couldn't be farther from the truth.

I held my phone in my slightly sweating palm and then lifted my eyes to Nate.

"Nate said your apartment didn't have water on yet or electric. Will they get that done today?" Meg asked.

I looked at Nate who continued to read his paper.

"They're getting that done today," I replied.

I wasn't sure how I wanted to approach Meg. I knew it would be alone and not at the house. I started to open my mouth to invite her to lunch when Nate lowered his paper and unknowingly cut me off.

"Oh, I got you an appointment at that spa you like, what's it called..." Nate, for the first time I've ever witness, struggle with a name as he snapped his fingers trying to recall it.

"Jade's!" Meg turned twirling her dress with stunned excitement.

"It's today at ten and then be ready for a night on the town." Meg moved his paper out of the way and sat on his lap with her arms delicately around his neck. I thought I was going to puke.

"Mr. Hawthorn, you know how to treat a lady for her anniversary." She rubbed her nose against his and then they kissed with me sitting there with the incriminating evidence in my palm, mouth hanging open and a deepening guilt filling me.

I couldn't tell Meg now. She looked so happy, not the kind of going to be pampered at a spa, but the kind that hasn't been felt in long time—just like the grass greening after a long drought and was returning to life to rejoice the rain in had been given. I couldn't ruin that moment for her even though it was only prolonging things. I tucked my phone into my purse missing the pocket I usually put it in. It slid to the bottom and was quickly buried by everything almost like it was voluntarily running away.

The storm, as I predicted to myself, grew in strength. The wind howled through the street blowing down a few small limbs from the massive oaks trees dotting the courthouse lawn. Again, I didn't work in the greenhouse and started to dust the shelves and the knickknacks that sat on them. Grace said she would be gone this morning and wouldn't be back until about one. And with a smile she told me to not eat lunch before she got back—she had a surprise.

I was excited. No one has ever put this much effort into making me feel welcomed or even helping me out. Grace was really overdoing it and I had to tell her along with what I had to tell Meg.

"Are you ready?" Grace asked as she locked the front door and twirled the open sign to closed.

"You're closing at one thirty." I questioned her and looked at the large Roman numeral clock that hung over the counter.

"No one will come in this weather. Come on Abi VanHaven—your flat awaits." Grace turned and ran up the stairs. "Come on!" She yelled like a kid attacking a present cluttered Christmas tree.

The back door to the apartment was open part way and I went in.

The boxes of junk were replaced with a puffy brown couch and matching chair with coordinating throws hanging over the sides. The kitchen was appliance filled and even had dishes in some of the glass front cabinets. Earthy smells from the diffuser filled the room. Everything was furnished and I don't mean just-get-by comfortable, but comfortable.

"Well, you're not saying anything, just standing with your mouth open," Grace said holding a glass of wine and reclining in the couch.

"Grace...you shouldn't...I can't..."

"Stop, don't say anything." She sat the glass down and got up walking over to me. "I've been by myself for a long time, I mean I've got customers I know, but...this is hard to say..." Grace looked away and then placed her hands on my shoulders. "I never had any children and if I ever had a daughter, I'd want her to be like you."

I didn't know what to say and didn't realize I had struck a chord with Grace that was deep. I looked at the apartment. It was nice, Grace was exceptionally nice and I still didn't feel like I deserved it. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a big hug.

"Grace this is so nice and you went to so much trouble." I looked at the room that looked like it was ready for a magazine shoot. "I can't possibly pay you back."

Grace shook her head and waved her finger in front of me. "None of that. You're a good employee and...I really needed a good employee, so," she waved her arm like a model would do showing off a prize on some game show, "just enjoy it, I wanted to do this and I don't do things I don't want."

That evening we ate pizza and drank wine that I put in my refrigerator. Grace kept reminding me that everything here was mine, not hers. It was hard for me to comprehend that this was mine and it was my home now.

Together we watched a movie on the forty two inch T.V. that was bigger than life. Grace and I polished off the pizza along with the bottle of wine and started to move onto the ice cream cake that she had gotten at the Dairy Queen on the opposite side of the square.

I took a deep breath as I watched Grace try to cut through the rock solid cake.

"I hate having to work for dessert like this." She rocked the knife back and forth and then ran it under some hot water. "Well, at least I will burn off a few calories in doing so."

I sat on the couch listening to her, but thinking of Meg.

"That was a joke, your laugh here." She looked at me.

"Sorry, I should probably be joining you." I smiled a little.

"Is something bothering you?" Grace asked managing to finally get a piece of cake out.

I took a deep breath. I really didn't want to burden her with all my family troubles, but I had to tell someone and at least get their opinion on how I should handle things. "When I went to my cousin's house last night—I came onto something I shouldn't have." My words could've cut the frozen cake better as Grace looked over at me. "I found Nate kissing his assistant, I mean passionately kissing in his office and I got it all on my cell phone."

"You're kidding," Grace said with astonishment and stood with vanilla ice cream dripping from her gleaming chef's knife.

We sat on the couch and I told her everything from Nate waiting for me to get out of the shower and seeing me naked to the kissing episode that I had recorded and now faced with how to tell Meg.

"Meg and Nate are out on the town tonight. I haven't seen her this happy in long time. And now, I have to crumble it all up and throw it in her face." I twirled the fork on my plate making lines of chocolate through the white frosting.

"You have to tell her." Grace stopped my hand with the fork in it that nervously traced through the lines of thick frosting. "You've heard this saying before—'the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.'"

I've heard it before and knew what it meant, but now I really knew what it meant because that's where Meg was headed if I didn't stop her.

It was Wednesday night and it was just about twenty after seven as I sat in the small lawyer's office in Applewood. Jenna was late as usual—or actually not late, just on Jenna time which meant she got here when she felt like it. I didn't have anywhere to be, but just the idea of me having to bend to her rules, irritated me.

I sat crossed legged in the green, vinyl chair that looked like it had been here since the law office opened sometime in the 1960"s. Mr. Leed, the lawyer who handled most of Aunt Kathleen's estate, sat with folded hands and looked at the clock as well after he had shuffled through the papers for the last forty-five minutes.

I was just about to call Jenna again when she came in the door and plopped down on the chair.

"Let's get this over with," she said as if she was waiting on us, I just shook my head thinking the same thing.

"Kathleen VanHaven had another will that Mr. Hawthorn had come across and it reads as follows."

Mr. Leed read from the hand written letter that was just a mere few sentences. It stated that there were two lock boxes that held a family legacy, though one would take a while to find and the other the wealth was easy to find. We both looked at Mr. Leed. Aunt Kathleen never wrote things in almost riddle mixed with poetry-like words. The most she ever wrote to me was "Be My Valentine" on a homemade card that she gave to me when I was seven and never gave me another one thinking that one valentine was good enough.

"Here are the keys. Kathleen designated which one goes to whom and you can find these boxes at the State Bank of Applewood."

Mr. Leed ended everything with a smile and a click of his briefcase.

"You know Aunt Kathleen had an exquisite collection of jewelry." Jenna's eyes shifted to me as I tried to walk faster than her to my borrowed car. "She always let me play with it and even told me that I looked like a real princess in it, especially when I wore her tiara."

"Look Jenna," I stopped and looked her square on. "We're not twelve here. I don't care what she gave to you or what she wanted you to have." Aunt Kathleen had a jewelry collection that would make a queen green with envy and deep down I hoped there was a few of those pieces in my designated box.

"You're just jealous." Her words slithered like snakes to me as I unlocked the car.

Jenna dressed in a skirt suit stood crossed armed a few feet away from me.

"No, I'm a little too mature for that—you should try it sometime." I got in the car and took off for my apartment leaving Jenna behind and hoping I would never see her again. I know that wouldn't happen—Applewood isn't far enough away from Minton.

I looked at the tiny key that looked to be a hundred years old. I sat the key down and stared at it not wondering what might be in the lock box of value, but what Aunt Kathleen put in there that was just for me.

The State Bank of Applewood opened at nine—sharp. I didn't see Jenna and was thankful. She was probably out buying new clothes to go with her new jewels. I didn't care if she got them all, Aunt Kathleen thought something of her and I and I wanted to know what she thought of me all those years.

I quickly got into the box to find a smaller box wrapped in old brown paper and secured with twine. I had brought a cloth bag to put whatever treasures might be in it and put the smaller box in there not wanting to open it here. I then gave back the key, left the bank just as I caught a glimpse of Jenna's little sports car rounding the corner.

I told Grace that I would be a little late that I had one last item of my aunt's estate to receive. I took the outside entrance upstairs and went inside, took off my jacket and put the neatly wrapped package on the kitchen counter.

I stared at it for a moment wanting to open it and not wanting to open it. Would I be hurt or happy? What she had in the box, to me, represented what I was to her. It was something personal. Slowly I peeled back the paper.

The first thing I found was an aged-stained index card with faded scribbling on it. I picked it up and it read: this was your mother's—she wanted you to have it—Aunt K.

A thousand thoughts flooded in all at once. Why didn't she give this to me earlier, why so secretively and without any explanation? I looked down at more of the same brown paper.

The paper came off in tiny, brittle bits and slowly revealed a small, wood box that was intricately carved in swirling, deep grooves. The latch was arrow-shaped and caught the end of a hook. I thought it was brass, but was discolored. Slowly, I opened the lid and a small envelope stared back at me.

I picked it up and opened it. It was hand written in swirling long letters that looked like they danced across the paper in thin, delicate lines. It was a letter from my mother to me. The floor could've fallen from under my feet and I wouldn't have known it. I made myself read the words instead of just looking at them.

My Dearest Daughter,

There are no words to express how deeply I cared for you. I never planned to let any of this happen, but some things we can't dictate and have to follow fate's agenda. There are so many things that I wanted to say to you and even now in this final letter, I'm short on time. Dangerous things have fallen on me that I never intended. That's why I had to give you to Aunt Kathleen, please don't be mad at her for not telling you everything earlier—she was just doing as I asked. You see our family is involved in something greater than anything you could imagine. If you are reading this that means Kathleen has died and you're in danger. I have to be vague in my instructions—just in case this lands in the wrong hands. Inside this box is a key, but to use it there is a combination that you Abigail VanHaven know very well. The key opens a door to a safe and inside the safe is something that the guardians must have. they work with our kind Abi. There are few who know about this and only one that can help you. He lives in Blackwood goes by the name Wynters. You can trust him. I have to go. It pains me to leave you this way—my intentions on being your mother were never like this, but remember when I say I love you—I mean it down to the very core.

The letter floated from hand to the floor. I've never known her, never heard her voice or felt her arms around me. My mind went blank and I fell to my knees and cried.

I reread the letter several times just to absorb everything. Combination...safe...our kind and a man named Wynters. I knew the man that came over to have dinner with Nate and Meg had the last name of Wynters. Nate did mention the guardians.

I looked at the letter until I thought my eyes could bore holes through it. Nate, he had a connection to this. I wondered if Meg or any of my other cousins knew about whatever this guardian thing was. My first thought was that it was some kind of cult and my mother had gotten involved in somehow. Whatever she had was in a safe somewhere and I had the combination to it. The only thing is that I had no idea what would be the combination that my mother said I knew so well.

I carefully placed the letter back inside and pulled out a silver key. It was a tiny key. Hardly big enough to look like a key to a door. My only chance at finding anything out was to somehow talk to this Wynters guy.

I looked at myself in the mirror and then looked at the clock. It was almost three. I sat the key back into the box with the letter and picked up the box when something made a clicking sound. I put it back down on the counter as a small drawer popped open slightly from its base. I pulled it open farther and inside was another small note in my mother's hand writing that said—I knew you were clever enough to find this! Had to hide it. This is our family ring-it's yours now.

At the bottom of the velvet lined drawer was a gold ring tinged with a rosy hue to it. I picked it up and held it in front of my face.

Tiny trees, barren of leaves, were engraved in the shiny metal and went all the way around the ring. Inscribed on the inside were the name VanHaven and another blurred marking next to it. I looked at the note again. I wasn't clever and would have never found this if I didn't accidentally triggered it open.

I put it on my ring finger on my right hand. It gleamed in the light and was perfectly smooth with no scratches like it was hardly ever worn. A family ring. I had a family ring, a note from my mother, a key that opened something important and now I was left with the mystery of what it all meant and to top it off, a warning that I was in danger. In danger from what? Aunt Kathleen said my mother died in a car accident—maybe she didn't die that way.

"Abi are you in there?" I jumped at Grace knocking on the door.

"Yeah," I said putting the box on top of the refrigerator. "I'm coming."

I opened the door. "Sorry I didn't come back down...it's just that...I had some family issues to deal with. You know my aunt's estate and stuff." I stepped aside so Grace could come in.

"Don't worry about it. We weren't busy anyhow." She looked at me and then paced from the kitchen to the living room and then looking out the window.

"Is something wrong?" I asked commenting on her nervousness.

Grace gave me a long look mixed with empathy and fear. "There is something. I didn't believe my instinct earlier, but now...it's obvious and I can't ignore it anymore." She waved her arms through the air like she was cutting it.

She went back to the window and then continued her nervous pacing. "I just can't believe they found me. I know I was right under their noses, but I stayed quiet...didn't cause any waves--"

"Grace, what are you talking about?" I stopped her by placing my hands on her shoulders.

She half smiled. "I knew the name VanHaven sounded familiar and now I know who you're related to...I know what you are."

"You know what I am, what?" I questioned her thinking she had gone off the deep end.

"Your Aunt Kathleen, I didn't know her, but she knew and kept it a secret." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I might have been in retirement, but I haven't missed the local gossip. Your family has a long history, Abi, which I can see you have no idea about and if gossip was right; your family's reign was to end with your mother when she died."

She gazed at me steadily in the silence that surrounded us.

"I don't understand...Grace, what do you mean?" I shook my head as I tried to read her unreadable face.

"It's what I am too." I looked at her confused by her half answers.

"We are librarians—only I'm retired—or supposed to be."

Grace walked away from me and sat on the couch. Librarians. I almost laughed thinking it a joke, but the look on Grace's face was dead serious.

"Librarians...what--" I looked at her, she was deep in thought.

"Librarians, not the kind you're thinking of, but something different and not known by many."

Grace smiled and then patted the cushion beside her. I sat down and she turned towards me.

"I didn't think you were one of us until I did a little research. Your family is one of the organizations oldest, though its selection of who actually becomes a librarian is selective." She glanced away as if pondering thoughts to herself and confusing me. Grace then folded her hands together and then looked at me with her gentle eyes. "How do you think your aunt Kathleen got all of that jewelry? There's no way she can buy them making a school secretary's salary." I looked away remembering all of the colorful stones embedded into the gold and silver that surrounded them. She had rings, necklaces, bracelets and a couple of tiaras

I looked at Grace. There was no way she could afford them-- even if they were fake. I'd never really thought of how much they were worth, just that she had them and I liked to put them on and play with them as a child.

"Wait, Grace, you have me confused." I shook my head as she drew in a deep breath.

"I feel like I shouldn't be the one to say anything, but the last few days has troubled me." She looked away and then met my eyes again. "Librarians, the kind that we are, are not in charge of books and the lending of them out to the public, but we are in charge of containing what's inside of them."

I gave her a confused look. What else could books contain but words or pictures? Grace went on to explain that there were special books hidden in the basements, attics, or whatever safe location the library had to house these special books. They are all over the world and held together by a tight knitted group of librarians.

"They're prisons...and sometimes sanctuaries to those that need protection. To put it in a short description--- we are the controllers of those bound to that world. The books are passages to other dimensions and those that are imprisoned there are put there by us."

"You mean criminals or bad people."

"Criminals, but not your average criminal these are powerful beings that have come into our world doing it harm or worse, wishing to destroy it. You just can't put them in a prison with bars—they would simply melt or dissolve them into thin air. They are imprisoned into books bound by magic, held there by our doing and guarded by the guardians."

"Guardians—that's what Nate said to me," I said more to myself. "He said they had high hopes for me."

"There are guardians around here, but most of them are sleepers—not active, but more or less retired, like me." Grace drew in a deep breath.

I pushed back my hair trying to absorb everything that just blew up in the last forty-five minutes.

Grace suddenly grabbed my right hand and looked at the ring that glowed in the soft light.

"It was my mother's." I lifted my eyes to her as she still examined it. "I just got it in a box that Aunt Kathleen left for me."

"A treelord gave this to your family—one of the founding families."

I pulled back my hand, got up and paced the floor. I could feel Grace's eyes watch me in the silence.

"This...this can't be happening because it doesn't make sense. Magic books that contains wizards and witches—those things...they can't exist." I yelled without a flinch from Grace. She just looked steadily at me. "What was mother really involved in? A cult, it has to be a cult or some sort of one."

"A cult would be easier to get out of, but it's true Abi," Grace's voice was soft and her eyes filled with patience. "Let me prove it to you."

Numbly, I got into Grace's car and we drove out of town in silence. Even though everything was farfetched, something felt right about it. I didn't show Grace the letter my mom had left me, it was a personal thing, even though my mom sounded like a lunatic writing it.

We pulled up in front of a two story, old, white farmhouse complete with shutters and a big porch with two rockers that sat vacant and rocked in the steady breeze. I watched them as Grace unlocked her door. A chill and a thought ran through me at the same time. I can remember Aunt Kathleen telling me that when a rocking chair that rocked without anyone in it meant that a ghost was sitting there. Just the way she had said it freaked me out since I was ten. Now with everything unfolding in front of me, I might consider believing it.

"This is your house?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's a bit messy right now; you'll have to excuse it." Grace went into another room and told me to have a seat that she would be right back.

Her house wasn't messy, but just lived in with a pile of mail on the coffee table and a blanket crumpled in the armchair by her stone fireplace. Her house looked like her shop—country mixed with the gracefulness of a Victorian style with modern appliances. It was a comfortable feeling house and reflected Grace's personality.

A sudden gust of wind smacked against the window. I could see through the lace curtains the rocking chair sway back and forth like an old lady was sitting in it slowly rocking in even movements while crocheting...I stopped, looked away and wondered if I too had lost my mind.

"Here it is. Only one other knows I have this and now, you'll be the second." Grace held a black leather bound book in her hands. "I promised the occupant that is in here that I would never bother them unless in an emergency."

"Is this an emergency?" I had to asked.

"Yes."

She sat the book on the coffee table after she moved her pile of mail to the floor. The book wasn't worn at all, but appeared to be patched together by fragments of leather stitched with thick threads in irregular patterns almost looking as if it was made quickly and desperately.

"What's in it?" I sat on my knees across from Grace.

"The treelord that gave your family its ring," Grace ran her finger along its edges.

"This is actually the last treelord, there were four of them. They gave us the ability to imprison their enemies." I shook my head. "There is so much to explain and I'm not the best at doing so." Grace tilted her head to the side. "I know a lot has been dumped on you and I know all of this doesn't seem possible, but it's true Abi."

I didn't believe any of this was possible. Just a week ago I was working and thinking of going to school. Now, I'm looking at a book that contains a treelord that supposedly gave my family a ring and the power to contain supernatural beings in books hidden away secretly in libraries all over the world. Yeah, I felt like running.

Grace didn't say anymore but instead opened the book. There wasn't a flash of light, an explosion, a puff of glitter or anything that doesn't normally happen when you open a book. She then took a pencil from out of the corner of the book and scribbled individual designs that resembled letters of some sort. I watched her make each letter until there were two rows that went across the blank page that slowly filled with letters that formed words that eventually sentences.

"From the garden sprung a tree and from that garden shone a light." Grace read the book she now cradled in her hands.

Before I could ask her anything, the floor quivered underneath me and a shadow fell around us that passed as quickly as a cloud blocking out the sun on a windy summer day.

"Grace, why do you summon me?" A voice as smooth as silk wrapped around me.

"There are disturbances in branches," Grace replied to the creature that stood between us.

It looked down at me with holes for eyes in its limb-like thin body that was covered in grey bark. Its legs and arms were longer that its body and slender, just like twigs on a tree. A small slit just below the oval shaped eyes parted when it spoke and must have been its mouth.

"You've brought another." Its voice turned slightly hostile and extended root-like fingers at me that dangled in front of my face.

The treelord's movements were graceful especially for being made out of wood.

"She comes from one of the first families," Grace replied as the creature turned back to face me.

"Humph," he bent down examining me with his blackened eyes surrounded by grey, jagged bark.

Grace then leaned over and held up her hand implying that I show him my ring.

With shaking hand I held it up catching the creature's gaze. His roots curled around my hand pulling it closer to him. From his five main fingers, tiny roots, hair-like, brushed against my skin. He had no warmth and his touch made me shiver almost like I had pulled up a plant and held its roots in my hand that began to grow around me almost wanting to penetrate my skin.

"She is, but she was not chosen. Why do you bring her here?" The treelord straightened and turned to Grace.

"Her mother died and never passed that on."

The treelord's eyes met mine and I found them hard to look into. They were simply black holes of emptiness, but I knew they were not empty because the thing was talking to us.

"Never was passed down or sponsored...it doesn't matter. What disturbances run through the branches?"

"Ones concerning Victoria." Grace's voice was low, like she didn't want to speak the name.

"This world doesn't need her poisonous footsteps treading on it." He gazed at Grace. "You have my attention."
Chapter Three

The treelord turned to Grace. A week ago I would have never guessed I would be talking to a tree, finding out my mother was some secret librarian and I was now a part of it.

"But Abigail is in danger too." Grace's voice caught my attention. "Victoria may have escaped and is searching for her scepter right now."

"Only Emma VanHaven has the knowledge of where it's hidden," the treelord said.

Grace drew in a deep breath and then hung her head down rubbing her forehead. The treelord only looked blankly at her.

"If she gets a hold of it..." Grace's words trailed off.

I hadn't been a part of their conversations, only listened. My eyes shifted between Grace and the treelord.

"My mother...she left a note." My voice was thin, but strong enough to catch the treelord's attention. He looked at me and I looked into his hollow eyes.

"Well, what did it say?" He asked after a few moments of me staring at a talking tree.

"She, uh, said that there was a key, a key that opened a door, but to get to it there was a combination to a safe. Inside she said was something the guardians must have." My voice shook at first and my palms sweated, but something about the treelord put me at ease the more I gazed into his blackened eyes.

"A key and a combination...what's the combination?" He asked.

I sat for a moment just looking at him and he let out a slight moan that sounded like a sigh.

"Abi, its O.K., you can trust Henry." Grace motioned towards the treelord. His name was Henry. I shook my head retaining a smile. I never thought I'd be talking to a tree named Henry and he would be talking back to me.

"She said I knew it well, but I have no idea what it would be."

"Emma wouldn't leave any vital information written down, just in case it fell into the wrong hands." Henry glided away from us nearly casting himself into shadow. "Grace you must serve once again." Grace only looked at him and shook her head in agreement.

"What is your advice then?" She asked.

"Arrange a meeting and plan your course of action. Timing is everything, especially with Victoria." Henry was nearly shrouded in blackness. "Once you have the scepter bring it to me and Victoria will be sure to follow." His voice echoed. "I'll take care of her then."

Henry faded into blackness and the room shifted as the lights flickered on just like during a storm when the electricity struggled to stay on. Grace got up and went over to the fireplace mantle and stared into the cold hearth.

"What do we do now, Grace?" My voice was barely a whisper.

She turned with her elbow still on the mantle. "Find the safe and the scepter, but first, I've got to call all the librarians I know."

I didn't realize that it was two in the morning until Grace's grandfather clock chimed. As much as I wanted to question her until I fell over from exhaustion, Grace looked tired herself, not just physically, but mentally drawn. She went upstairs to bed and I told her the couch was fine for me.

Unfortunately I couldn't sleep. My eyes were heavy but my mind raced like a speeding car. My mother's letter, the ring, Henry the talking tree that was a treelord, and now, finding out my mother was a librarian.

Grace's house was quiet except for the rhythm of the ticking clock. It was three now. I turned over and forced myself to sleep.

"Just put them in the car, I'm leaving in about five minutes." Grace's voice echoed from another room downstairs.

I shot up and looked around rubbing my forehead.

"Oh, good you're up. I left some cinnamon rolls on the counter and there's juice in the fridge." Grace stood behind me. She looked like her usual self—not worn out but confident looking.

"Wait, I'm coming with you. I have to help you today." I stood up stretching my long legs that were cramped from the small couch.

"You can come in later if you want. Get cleaned up and eat breakfast—there's no need to hurry. I just wanted to get there early and call as many librarians as I could." She let out a sigh and raised her eyebrows. "I hope I have their current phone numbers." She hugged a narrow, flower printed, cloth book.

Last night was a fog of dreams mixed with what I thought was reality.

"Did I talk to a tree last night? Henry—was that his name?" I looked at Grace as she smiled and then stood in front of me.

She smelled like roses and tenderly pushed back my hair. The sudden gesture sent shock waves through me. It was a gentle mother-like reaction. I flinched slightly and then returned Grace's smile.

"You Abi have a lot to absorb." It was true I did, but Grace made it sound so much easier than I knew it was going to be. "That's why I'm leaving you with Kelan."

"Kelan?" I asked. "You mean the one that came and got the tomatoes?" She nodded her head.

"Kelan Blackwell, he's a grandson of a retired guardian. He'll bring you into town later." Grace looked down at her wristwatch. "I've got to go." She stepped closer to the door before I could ask any more questions. "Rest and relax here as long as you like. Call me if you need anything."

Grace whisked out the door and I was left with my mouth hanging open. I plopped back down on the couch with the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls lingering like a fog around me. My stomach growled and turned at the same time as I thought of Kelan.

The last time I saw him I was pointing a spade at him accusing him of watching me. I felt bad and now, it was getting badder- not a correct use of a word, but that's what my situation was—badder. I closed my eyes for only a moment thinking I would just rest for a little and then get up, find Kelan and have him drive me into town.

The rich smell of coffee was strong and slowly brought me to my senses. I opened my eyes and the first thing that registered was that I was looking into the bluest pair of eyes. The dark haired boy sat in front of me with two mugs of steaming liquid.

"Coffee?" He asked. "I wasn't sure how you like it so it's just black." He held out a white mug in my direction.

"Thank you." I took the mug from Kelan. He smiled at me as he took sips of his.

We didn't talk and I didn't know what to say. Grace said he was a grandson of a guardian, but did that mean he knew of everything? I looked away wishing this awkward moment would dissolve as I drank the very black coffee.

"Grace said to take you to town when you're ready." He stood up and took my mug. "If you're hungry there are some rolls in the kitchen. There not warm anymore, but still pretty good, Grace makes them from scratch."

I spun my head around and looked at the grandfather clock. To my surprise it was a quarter to one.

"I've been sleeping that long?' I stared at the clock wishing I would have forced myself to move earlier.

"You looked like you were sleeping so sound that I just let you." Kelan handed me a plate with a fluffy cinnamon roll on it drizzled in white icing.

I looked at Kelan. He watched me sleep. I wasn't sure if I was appalled or flattered.

"Don't worry, I was a perfect gentleman and I didn't let anything get you." He smiled and stuffed the cinnamon roll into his mouth as far as it would go.

I tilted my head still holding the plate in front of me. "What would get me?' I asked.

Kelan's mouth was stuffed full of dough and he held up his finger as he chewed the roll. "Well," he said after he swallowed his enormous bite, "with Victoria on the loose it's hard to say." His words were so casual.

"Wait, back up a minute. Who's Victoria....Henry spoke of her last night..." I looked away for a moment and then back at Kelan. "What do you know of all of this?' I waved my hands around in the air.

"You mean..." He drew his words out.

"I just found a letter from my mother that she was part of this...librarian thing and Grace hasn't really told me anything but a few things."

"You mean you have no idea who you are?" Kelan stepped back into the kitchen and put the plate in the sink.

"Other than that my mother was some special librarian and I talked to a tree last night when Grace opened a book."

"A tree...you mean a treelord?" He leaned against the sink and folded his arms over his chest.

"Oh, I wasn't supposed to say anything." I looked away and whispered biting my lower lip.

"I can tell you that you're not off to a good start. But, fortunate for you, I know about Henry." Kelan smiled with his soft blue eyes meeting mine. "Now, why don't you eat that roll so you don't faint on me and I will tell you what I know."

Kelan spoke like he was reading from a book. He told me that the four original treelords gave special powers and privileges to those that imprisoned their enemies. The agreement was forged in secrecy and it is the librarians that catalog, control and are responsible for the books. It is up to the guardians to protect the institutes that house them. The prisons were books and not just any book, but made from the treelords themselves.

"The books are numbered and the paper is made the same way as normal paper is made—from the pulp of the wood." Kelan grabbed an apple from the plate on Grace's wood kitchen table.

"Yeah, but don't they have to cut down the tree to do that?'

He shook his head biting into the apple to reveal its white inside. "Not the whole tree, only the branches. It's up to the treelord when more books are made."

"So, they're limited." I couldn't help but to want to know more even though just talking about talking trees seemed weird and I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. "What exactly do the librarians get out of the deal then? Power and privileges..."

"Do you think Grace could afford this house, furnish your apartment by running a small flower shop that sells single carnations for ninety-nine cents?" He finished the apple and put the core in a large ceramic bowl marked compost. "No, she couldn't." Kelan answered. "She has been paid well for her duty, that's where the compensation comes in at."

I looked at Grace's kitchen. Copper panels for the backsplash behind the sink, large stainless steel refrigerator, oak kitchen table and chairs with high backs and engraved with flower designs. It looked like a country cottage that would be featured on some garden show on T.V. that Aunt Kathleen would watch.

"Would you like to go into town and see what Grace is up to?" Kelan washed his hands and then turned and looked at me.

His blue eyes were steady on me. "Sure."

Kelan drove a large black truck that had a small backseat and tinted windows. Inside smelled of newness and was exceptionally clean. It reminded me of obsidian-a shiny black rock formed from quickly cooling lava from a volcano. Rocks had always fascinated me and I often found myself comparing things to them. His truck was definitely obsidian with tan leather seats—heated I'm sure.

But Kelan was, or actually looked to be my age or a little older. Working at the grocery store couldn't even afford the insurance on this thing. I was curious of him, but didn't want to be too blunt in my questions.

"So, Grace said you were a guardian?" I asked as we pulled out of the driveway.

Kelan smiled looking both ways before turning onto the highway. "Well, not exactly. My grandpa was and my dad had nothing to do with it. My mom didn't like it that is until my grandpa died and left us his inheritance."

I looked at Kelan who kept his eyes on the road. "Oh," I said not sure on how to respond to that.

"They're divorced." He was evidentially very open about his family. "Dad I think wanted to follow grandpa's footsteps, but he chose a different path and he said it was too dangerous anyhow, you know, with a family."

"Yes, I guess it would be." I really wanted to get to Just Thyme and end this uncomfortable conversation. I was planning on simple small talk, not secret family stuff.

"Grandpa taught me a few things," Kelan continued, "about being a guardian. He was one for the library in New York."

"Wow, you mean New York, New York?" I should've just shook my head, but something about his voice and everything being so new, held my curiosity.

"They have the libraries within the libraries all over the world." He smiled taking his eyes off the road for only a second.

"That's what Grace said." I looked at Kelan's profile trying not to stare. His arms well rounded with muscles that were covered in a close fitting black T-shirt that amplified his blue eyes.

"She's taught me a lot already, Grace, I mean, and hopefully," He glanced over at me, "it won't be long until I'm accepted as a guardian."

He smiled and I smiled back feeling like I was thirteen and alone with a boy for the first time. I could feel my cheeks flush and my hands go cold. He drove around the square and parked in front of Just Thyme.

"Thanks...and hope you feel better." Grace hung up the phone and let out an exhausted sigh. "That's it. That was the last one in my book. I've just been out of the loop for too long."

Grace had no one to help her except for me—the newbie librarian who didn't know anything and Kelan the wannabe guardian who knew a lot more than me.

"I can get a hold of some retired guardians," Kelan suggested.

"And what are you going to tell them—that you're being trained by a librarian illegally and were never sponsored by the guardianship?"

"We have to do something—it's Victoria," He protested.

I stood beside Kelan across the counter from Grace glancing between the two of them. "Who's this Victoria anyhow?"

"The epicenter of evil," His eyes shifted to me.

"She wasn't always that way." Grace rebutted quickly and then looked at me. "I know everything is being explained to you in bits and pieces and I'm sorry for that Abi, but Kelan is right Victoria is dangerous." Grace paused almost like she didn't want to explain who Victoria was.

"Victoria was once a librarian." Grace started to speak when suddenly the sunrays that were coming through the shop windows were blocked by one of the puffy white clouds that dolloped the spring sky. "Anyhow," Grace's voice quivered and her attention came back to me. "She was trained well and goodhearted until she discovered what sort of things and beings we were imprisoning. She became greedy for more and disgusted with serving the treelords. Their compensation and protection were not enough. She sought her own wealth and made deals with the prisoners. Victoria soon had a following a branch off from the librarians called the Circle. Guardians, librarians, wizards, sorceresses, anyone who wanted to join could as long as they swore to go against the treelords. She freed many leaving the books ruined and unusable. There are only so many books and so many prisoners. Victoria was not without fault though. She put her bought or stolen magic into a scepter and it was your mother that found it and took it from her."

I twirled the ring, my family ring, on my finger just as the heavy, black cloud passed and the sun burned through the window again.

"Is that how she died?" I continued to twirl my ring. "Victoria--"

Grace only looked at me. "I don't know. All I found out was that your mother was an active librarian and worked for the Chicago library and was the one who caught Victoria and managed to imprison her, separating her from her power."

"And now she's loose?" I asked.

"I'm not totally sure yet, but her followers are many and very faithful." Grace then smiled. "Don't worry Abi, you're not listed in the registry, they don't know about you and you're safe here with me—a retired, but very capable librarian and Kelan a guardian at heart."

It has been a couple of weeks since I found out about my mother, talked to a tree and learned that not all books just contain words and pictures. Other than that, I haven't been struck by lightning nor had any other kind of supernatural attempt on my life. Everything was quiet and Grace said that was a good thing. I only had one worry that was above all other now and that was to show Meg what kind of man she married. I didn't want to, but Grace kept reminding me that 'the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.'

I decided to meet Meg at her house for lunch one day as I knew Nate would be at work. I brought sub sandwiches at the local deli and a potted hyacinth from Just Thyme. As if the spiked spring flower of one purple, yellow and pink would make her situation any better.

"How's everything going? Have you picked out a collage yet?" She was quick to get to that question and actually I probably would've if I hadn't found out about my, or actually, our family's past.

"I'm thinking about community college." I lied, but that satisfied her college concerns for me at least for right now.

I let the conversation roll from small talk to how my apartment was and how nice Grace was as I twirled my phone in my hands. I had to tell her.

"Megs," I said with a long breath. "I've got to tell...or actually show you something." My heart was beating in my throat and my palms sweated so much I hope it didn't ruin my phone.

"What is it?' She smiled and I looked at her perfectly made-up face. She looked so happy, without a concern right now.

"Its...oh, I'll just show you." My fingers shook as I navigated to my saved videos.

I couldn't find it at first and thought that through my nervousness I just missed it.

"Meg, I'm home!" Nate's voice echoed from the front door. Great, the cheater is here to watch his cheating moment.

"You're home early, is something wrong?' Meg greeted him with a kiss.

"No, just had a short day. How about you and me and a night on the town?" He held her close and she smiled at him answering him with a kiss. Feeling guilty? I wanted to ask.

I put my phone away and hoped Meg forgot about me showing her something.

"Meg, I've got to be going." I stood up and slung my purse over my shoulder.

"Abigail, it's nice to see you again," Nate said through a smile. He looked like the perfect husband. It made me sick to think what lies underneath.

"You don't have to rush off and weren't you going to show me something?" The night on the town didn't make Meg forget.

"Oh, yeah, I was just going to show you some pictures of my apartment and stupid me, I must've deleted them." I walked closer to the door as Meg's phone rang in the kitchen. Saved.

"Oh, I have to get that it's the ladies reading group." Meg turned and said goodbye to me as she went into the kitchen leaving me and Nate alone.

"Bye Nate." I quickly turned to the door when he suddenly blocked it peering down at me with his dark eyes.

I looked back to where he was standing and where he was now. There was no way he could move that fast. Nate then smiled at me.

"You won't find it either," he said between clenched teeth.

I shook my head. "What are you talking about?" I tried to play dumb.

"What you have on your phone—it isn't there anymore and never happened. It's none of your concern and if you want to stay alive, then don't spy where spying isn't needed. You have no idea at what you're looking at."

Nate was like a thorn in my ass. I hated him and I don't know how or when he deleted the evidence I had on my phone, but I knew he wasn't going to get away with it.

"I know what you are and Meg's going to find out." I pushed pass him and started to open the door when he slammed it shut. His face was inches from mine.

I didn't look at him, but could feel his breath in my ear and the movement of a few strands of my hair that tickled my cheek. "You shouldn't judge those you don't know anything about, Abigail."

I pushed past Nate without a word and got into my car and left. I knew he was somehow mixed up with the guardians and my mother told me to find Barnabus Wynters in her note. Could I trust him? He was associated with Nate. I shook with anger, frustration and fear. I would talk to Grace; she would be able to help me.

A hand written note stating that Just Thyme had to close due to an emergency was taped to the solid glass door with just the security light on in the background. A hole burrowed in the pit of my stomach. I hope she was alright and maybe it was as simple as a dentist appointment, I tried to tell myself. I drove past the store and out in the country towards her house.

Grey clouds thickened in the blue sky and droplets of moisture filled the air. I walked behind Grace's house to see if she was in the garden. Nothing but the smiling scarecrow gazed back at me. Wind chimes that hung from several of the trees played their tune in the light, but constant breeze.

Suddenly the sound of a slamming screen door echoed from the front of the house. I ran around to the front yard and up the porch stairs.

"Grace--" I looked up expecting to see her standing in front of me, but instead an old lady wrapped in a crocheted shawl sat in the rocking chair. She looked up at me almost like she had been sitting there for hours knitting the black and silver yarn into what looked like a scarf.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I..." She smiled at me and her round, tanned face cracked with deep wrinkles. Her eyes were small and beady and her hair pulled neatly back in to a bun of hair that matched the scarf she was making. "Is Grace here?" My voice was soft as I looked around and then back at her.

"No dear. And she won't be back for a while." She smiled again lifting her eyes to me and then at her knitting. Her hands moved quickly in a rhythm that was almost mechanical. "Abigail is it?" She asked in her sweet voice.

"Yes." I answered uncertain of how she knew my name. Grace had never mentioned her before.

"My name is Lucy and I watch Grace's house while she is away. She said you might come by." She rocked and knitted.

"Did she say where she was going?" I asked watching her make each loop with her long silver hooks.

"Business she said. And not to worry, she can take of herself-- Abigail VanHaven." Her voice rang with an amused laughter and giggled upon saying my name.

I gazed at her trying not to stare at her knitting, but Lucy only deepened her smile. "Why do you say my name that way?" I asked.

"It is good to be known by your full name, especially in Grace's line of business." She rocked and knitted and smiled...

"What do you mean?" My thoughts and words were becoming muddled like a slow sludge that I was trying to break out of.

"Librarians are not what you think as you know and the one's employed to watch their dwellings are not always what they seem." She giggled again as she knitted with her black eyes on me.

I smiled at her. Lucy sort of reminded me of jolly Santa Claus all round and happy wishing everyone cheer.

"I've been watching houses like this for a long time and there aren't too many things that frighten old Lucy, except things of the past that should've died." Her scarf nearly reached her knees now.

"What should've died?" I wanted to know where Grace went, but my mind was in a fog only concerned with Lucy's voice.

"Something that knows you're alive even when she thought you were dead." Lucy's voice was like a river that guided me where it wanted. "The soil trembles with her steps and the ones that honor her call for her. She's coming."

"Who is she?' I asked as the scarf now reached well past her knees.

"She comes from darkness and has many names."

Lucy with a final loop flipped the scarf around me and smiled.

"Some things are just gifts and some things are gifts."

Lucy's laugh echoed in my ears. I watched her rock back and forth until I could hardly stand the loudness of her laughing. I screamed out covering my ears and closing my eyes as a sudden breeze rushed past me and then all was still.

I opened my eyes to see the rocking chair empty and the sun hovering in the horizon. It was only two when I got here and now the sun was going down. I looked around—still no Grace.

I stood up not realizing I had been sitting on the step of the front porch. As I got up something tugged on my neck. My fingers went to what hung over my shoulders and draped all the way to my feet. I lifted my foot releasing the silver and black scarf Lucy had made. It wasn't a dream, I thought to myself looking at the tightly looped fuzzy scarf. Lucy wasn't a figment of my imagination. I would definitely have to ask Grace about her mysterious house sitter.

I left a note on Grace's door to call me and went back to my apartment still thinking of Lucy as I drove home.

I went up the stairwell, fumbled with my keys and then plopped down on the couch. Everything was dark except for the glow from the oven clock light that flickered slightly as time pressed on. I looked up at the ceiling. My thoughts fluttered in every direction.

I still had on Lucy's scarf and ran the loops of soft yarn through my fingers. I then let out a sigh thinking of Meg. I had no evidence of Nate's affair—nothing to prove what he did. I looked again and again at my phone—I had nothing. How was Meg going to believe me now? I laid my head back and closed my eyes as Lucy's voice still echoed like a residue left in my head.

Loud yelling woke me. I was just closing my eyes for a minute and now the clock flashed two. I lifted my head realizing I had fallen asleep on the couch. My neck ached and I rubbed it sitting there letting the circulation return to my numb feet. A car door slammed shut from the street below. I sat up and looked over at the window. Two voices echoed and slowly I got up and peaked through the blinds.

A black car was parked in front of Just Thyme and a tall man stood at the front bumper on the driver's side. He didn't move and was dressed in what looked like a suit. I moved a little closer to see who he was looking at. A shorter person was talking to him and motioning with their hands back at the store front. A light flickered inside the car on the passenger's side. Smoke rolled out the window and embers dropped to the ground. Someone was in there and they were smoking.

The man stood now with crossed arms as the other person stepped forward and again motioned back at the store this time turning slightly so I could see their face. Through the pool of dim light from vintage streetlamps that were made to look gas powered, I could see it was Grace.

"Grace," I said surprised to see her.

The still man finally moved and tilted his head upward, looking in my direction. Quickly, I jumped back. From the dull light I could see his dark skin and a deep scar that ran from his right temple to his chin in a C shape. He gazed in my direction for a moment and then back at Grace.

I moved closer to the window and stood slightly behind the sheer curtain watching them and wishing I could hear their conversation.

The man shook his head and then said something to Grace, got into the car and left as Grace quickly got in her vehicle and followed the black car.

I knew I shouldn't, but I had to follower her. I grabbed my keys and held them in my hand. What if the guy was a guardian or another librarian? If I followed her, I might get her into trouble, but something inside of me didn't feel right, like she was in danger.

I pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a dark hoodie. Locking the door behind me, I went into the cool midnight spring air that still clung to winter's chill. The car rumbled as the motor turned over and I put it into gear.

I knew what general direction they went in, but I could see nothing, everything was quiet. I drove out to Grace's house and the place was dark except for the front porch light that she always had on at night. I didn't see Lucy and I wasn't going to look for her either.

After going around town and meeting the cop twice on the road, I decided to go back to my apartment. Grace would come in the morning, she had to open up.

I curled up on the couch wondering who Grace was talking to. My eyes grew heavy as I tried to keep them open just in case my phone rang or Grace would knock on my door. I watched the clock slowly turn with the minutes going by until blackness fell behind my eyelids.

The smell of smoke, strong and thick went in my nose. I sat up groggy, not sure if I was dreaming or if the smog-like smoke was really swirling around me. I coughed and drew in air that stung my nose and lungs. I could hear glass break from downstairs. The sound of crackling and more glass breaking came from downstairs. My heart fluttered in my chest. Just Thyme and my apartment were on fire. I had to get out.

I stood up and went over to my door. I felt it to see if it was hot remembering what I learned from one of the local firefighters that came to our school to teach us about fire safety when I was in second grade. I opened it, glad it wasn't hot because I would have had to climb out a window instead and onto the awning that covered some of the store windows. Unfortunately, the fire escape steps were in the process of being replaced. I came to the back door and pushed on it. It was locked and wasn't budging no matter how hard I pushed. I had no choice but to go through the store and out the front where I could break the glass door.

I stayed as low as I could, feeling my way through the store on hands and knees. Flames ran up the wall behind the counter and I inched my way along the side wall. I held my shirt over my nose dodging the fallen shelves. The heat burned my skin and I could feel slivers of broken glass imbed into the palm of my hands and knees.

I didn't think the store was that long. I tried to look up to see where I was but everything was in a haze of black smoke and flames. I could hear the building creak and moan with pain from the burning flames. I pushed forward gasping for air that wasn't there when suddenly a flash of blue light erupted before me. At first I thought it was a gas explosion, but then from the smoke came a satisfied laugh—a woman's laugh that faded with the crackle of the burning building.

I was disoriented, not even sure if I was headed towards the front of the store now. I stopped in the black curling smoke unable to see anything. I tried to see what had been on the shelves that were now on the floor. I knew what displays were where and that would let me know if I was close.

With outstretched fingers, I found a vase and then dirt with a few broken bird glass figurines—I was in the middle of the store. I pushed forward feeling more of the same thing and then I came across the small cement lawn ornaments. They were located in the back of the store. I stopped, everything was not where it was supposed to be, it was scattered.

I coughed and gasped. I couldn't stop, but I couldn't push myself any more. I was breathing in smoke and it wasn't even irritating anymore. I lay among the fragments of glass, piles of dirt and curling smoke that danced before me.

I closed my eyes thinking about Grace, Meg and my mom. Grace and Meg would miss me, but I would get to see my mom. I didn't fight it anymore, I was ready to let go.

"Abi!" Someone yelled my name over and over again. Time had shifted for me. Was it minutes or seconds since I came downstairs? I didn't care as a dark figure loomed over me. "I've got you!" Two strong arms forced me upward. I didn't want to go, I wanted to see my mother.

The fresh outside air burned my nose and forced its way in my lungs. I coughed and water ran from eyes.

"Keep breathing and we'll be safe soon." It was Kelan's voice that I heard.

My eyes still stung and I couldn't see anything, but could feel the motion of being in his truck.

I tried to speak, but the only thing I could do was gasp for air and cough until I thought I was going to throw up. My arms shook and I let myself fall to my side letting the water from my irritated eyes turn more into tears until a blackness took me away.

Chapter Four

"She looks like her mother, Emma," said a voice. It was an old woman's voice that was raspy, like she had smoked her entire life.

"Yes, I do see the resemblance," said another voice that was of an old woman, but had an underlining youthfulness mixed with a mature wisdom. "Shame if she should die."

Die! What was wrong with me and where was I? I tried to force my eyes open, but they were stuck like they had been glued shut. I tried to move my body, but it too wasn't responding to my commands. Internally I was screaming wanting my body to wake up and demand what was going on. I pushed myself until I was exhausted and I faded to black with the sound of the two old ladies voice's talking casually over a cup of tea.

I suddenly sat straight up with sweat running down my back. The cool air and darkness surrounded me making my damp skin prickle with goose bumps. My eyes felt like they were coated with sand and my mouth tasted of smoke.

"Abi," Kelan's voice came from beside me.

The room was dark and Kelan's face looked like a beacon out of the darkness.

"Kelan...where am I?" I forced the words out of my dry mouth.

He didn't answer, but instead handed me a glass of water. I drank it, or more like gulped it down as it stung the back of my parched throat. The relief of moisture was soothing and without asking, Kelan filled up my glass again.

He watched me and I didn't care that he did, I was dehydrated. He then turned on a small lamp on the table behind him. The room matched the old lady voices that I heard talking. Tiny rose splattered wallpaper covered the walls and an old dresser sat alongside the wall with a stained mirror that reflected the lace curtains that covered the dark window. The bed I was in had a chenille cover and a paint chipped, metal frame with delicate vines curling between the posts.

"Grace, where is she?" I asked with my voice returning to normal. Kelan hesitated and took the glass from me drawing in a deep sigh.

"She met with a guardian last night." His blue eyes gazed at me with empathy. "I tried her cell phone several times and she hasn't answered." He looked away, his eyes were distant. "She was supposed to have called me by now..."

"Kelan what's going on? What do you know?" I swung my legs over the bed and looked at him.

"Grace said she had to inform the guardians about Victoria. When she didn't call when she said she would, I got worried and drove by her house. It was dark so then I went to her shop." His eyes were steady on me. "I could see the smoke almost a block away." Kelan then got up and went to the window. "The fire was no accident—someone wanted to scare her."

"And kill me in the process." I looked down at the blackened skin on my arms. "Thanks," I said lifting my eyes to Kelan, "for saving me." I could tell he had been looking at me.

He turned slightly and smiled a crooked smile and then looked away, fidgeting. I tilted my head to the side wondering if I embarrassed him. I almost expected him to say "Aw, shucks ma'am, it was nothin'" by the way he acted which by far didn't match his icy blue eyes and dark hair that was as black as onyx.

"But, how did you make it through the fire and manage to find me?" I asked. "How did you know where I was?"

Kelan's face paled, I could see it even in the warm glow of the lamp. He then cleared his throat and sat beside me on the bed.

"Can you keep a secret?" His voice was serious and I shook my head. "It's a gift. Every guardian has one. Even if they don't become a guardian, they still have some sort of gift. Mine is called Sight Premonition and what it means is that I can see things in the distance or behind walls." Kelan stopped and gazed at me. "I found out what mine was when I was sixteen. My grandpa helped me develop it secretly until he died. He never had the chance to show me how to really use it."

I looked away for a moment to gather the questions that flowed through my head.

"I know it sounds weird, but..."

"So you could see me in the building?" I asked cutting him off.

Kelan smiled slightly looking relieved before he answered. "Yeah, well I didn't know it was you exactly. I could tell there was someone, but who exactly it was I couldn't."

"Well, thanks, otherwise I wouldn't be here." I smiled and Kelan returned the smile and we sat there like two teenagers in awkward silence.

A timid knock came to the door followed by two muffled arguing voices.

"Oh, it's the sisters." He looked at the door and shook his head.

"The sisters--"

Kelan looked back at me with his hand on the knob. "They're harmless and mean well, but they're a little crazy."

Kelan opened the door and was nearly pushed over by the two old ladies. They both stopped, standing so close to each other that they looked like they were conjoined.

It was hard to take their appearances in at first. One was dressed in a kaleidoscope of colors and textures of materials. She wore a long lime green coat and a skirt that seemed to swirl on its own in a patchwork design that looked like a crazy quilt made of random scraps of material. It contained every color and every design imaginable. Her greying flame-red hair was pulled back into a half made braid with strands of hair sticking out from it that either looked windblown or she had recently been electrocuted.

The other was at the opposite end of the color spectrum. She was pale, but not sickly pale. In the whiteness of her skin, clothes and hair that was neatly pulled up into a large fluffy bun, were many pastel colors that floated just under the whiteness, almost like a frost covered her.

"I told you she would live." The colorful one said in an I-told-you voice.

"I didn't need you telling me that she would live because I already knew." The white one said in a snooty tone.

"Abi," Kelan said stepping in front and to the side of the two sisters, "if I may introduce Lorella and Louetta Hummingbird."

"Oh," groaned the one all in white, as I wasn't sure which was which yet. "I hate that last name that you picked out." She looked at her sister. "I don't know why you had to blurt that out when they asked us what we wanted our names to be."

The colorful one just shrugged her shoulders and then smiled at me. "I like hummingbirds." She plainly stated then looked at me. "I'm Louetta but you can call me Lou and this is my sister Lorella and you can call her Ella."

"I can speak for myself and..."

"I don't think you can speak for yourself sometimes because you're rude and act like a child." Lou scolded.

Ella shot Lou a look with her dark brown eyes that radiated like two beacons from all of her whiteness.

"I am not and do not act like a child. You are just obstinate to deal with."

"Ella and Lou are benefactors and have been helping librarians for a long time." Kelan raised his voice slightly. Ella slid her eyes over to Kelan and gazed at him through slightly slit eyes.

"Are you saying we're old?" Ella's voice was gruff with questioning insult. Her slender frame seemed to grow almost reaching Kelan's height.

"No, ma'am," Kelan said quickly as Lou started to laugh.

"You take things too seriously." She punched Ella on the arm. Ella then gave Lou a sour look and rubbed her shoulder before she regained her almost royal composure.

"Besides, Ella, you were born first." Lou jabbed at her sister.

"Enough of this acting like little gnomes that run around barely making sense." Ella shot glances between her sister and Kelan. "We have a new librarian to introduce." Her dark eyes rested on me and her barely pink lips curled upward into a smile making the corners fade into thin, sharp lines.

I couldn't help but stare at her ever changing skin. Paleness covered the fluctuating colors of green, blue, pink and yellow that flowed under her skin like liquid. She had no wrinkles but had a mature look and grace to her.

"Introduce?" I asked. "To who?"

"Well, first to the rest of the house and the staff," confirmed Ella.

"You mean Roan the gardener." Lou rolled her green eyes over to me. "And Beannca the...well I'm not sure what she does is legal." She rubbed her chin with her cubby fingers.

"Never mind her." Ella pushed her sister aside and stood by me. "What I would like to know is if you have the clearance to the British Library?" Her dark eyes peered into mine holding back a contained desperation.

"British Library...I don't--"

"She's not sure of her clearance," Kelan interjected drawing Ella's eyes from me to him.

"What do you mean? You said she was a librarian." Her voice huffed. "You spoke of her heritage."

"She's a librarian's daughter," Kelan ran his fingers through his dark hair. "But she hasn't been accepted. She doesn't have her mother's status."

"What are you talking about?" I now pushed Ella out of the way. "Kelan how much do you know about me?"

I stared at Kelan not taking my gaze from him until he answered me. He fidgeted and then looked from the sisters to me.

"I read some things that Grace found out—about your mother. She was a Maker of Words. She could bind or unbind anyone or anything to or from a book." Kelan gazed solely at me. "That is why Victoria was after her. Your mom was the only one who could free her scepter. Grace—she was onto something and now," Kelan shook his head. "I don't know where she is."

A gnawing, burrowing hole formed in the pit of my stomach. I sat back down and wrapped my arms around myself realizing my friendship with Grace may have cost her her life. I didn't want Grace to be gone or anything to happen to her. I felt this was my fault. If I didn't work for her and let her be so nice to me to let me live above her shop, maybe she would be here. It was simple, I attracted this Victoria person who was seeking revenge for my mother taking her scepter away and now Grace was involved in something my mother had done so long ago.

"Let's go and get something downstairs to eat. Things of this matter go better with a home cooked meal." Lou had sat next to me and tenderly tucked my hair behind my ear. "Grace will be with us soon." She smiled. "I can feel it." She whispered leaning over slightly towards me and bumping my shoulder in a friendly nudge.

Even though I had just met her, something in her smile and her voice was calming and reassuring. It was like she could almost read through me. I felt my worries ease with the brushing of her fingertips.

"Let's go down stairs sister and make dinner while Abi here gets cleaned up." Lou stood up straightening her skirt.

"I don't cook, you know that." Ella said in snooty voice.

"Watch then." Lou looked at her sister from under her eyebrows letting the words pass through her lips with slightly clenched teeth.

"Bathroom is off to the side and I put some of Beannca's clothes in there for you." Lou pointed off to the side and then cleared her throat, "the only ones I could find that didn't look like a prostitute's and they should fit you since your both about the same height."

Ella with a stiff swirl and her nose in the air went downstairs followed by Lou.

The door clicked behind them and I stood turning my eyes to Kelan.

"You're right they are crazy," I said, "but also nice." He laughed and nodded his head in agreement.

"But," I said rolling the soft bedspread between my fingers. "What about Grace? Where do you think she is? Do you think she is hurt? And someone might have her---the guardians, they may know something. How..." Kelan stepped towards me and placed his finger on my mouth while making a soft shushing sound. I stopped and he smiled.

"Grace, she's a librarian, she can take care of herself. I know she can and she isn't stupid. No news is good news from her." Kelan's voice was confident and did ease my worry. Grace had taken care of herself for so long. I was the one who was probably vulnerable.

"What do you mean no news is good news?" I asked as Kelan placed his hand on the doorknob. He looked at me at first like I had caught him off guard with my question.

"If something was to happen to her, there'd be a sign." He left with a quiet click of the door.

Kelan, I felt wasn't telling me everything. I could see it in his eyes like two mirrors. I know he was trying to reassure me, but something lurked in my gut telling me that the cards had been dealt and I was now in the game.

Lou and Ella's house was a conglomerate of furniture and knick-knacks between the two of them. Basically, it looked like their house was at war between elegant and pale to whimsical and bright. And I wasn't sure which color spectrum was winning.

A white couch sat across from two pale blue chairs and both were nearly attacked in brightly colored pillows that looked like they could have glowed in the dark. The wood floor was covered in block colored designed rugs, a win on the floor for Lou. And the curtains were delicate lace obviously a win for Ella.

Above the fireplace and hanging on the wall was a bronze face. Nearly as big as the mantle itself, its hollow eyes showed the creamy white paint behind it and also from its smiling open mouth. Full ripe cheeks, rounded and jolly looking were shiny while its hair went outward around the face like rays of sunlight. Except for the hollow eyes, the face seemed kind.

"The image of The Green Man," Lou said behind me. "I knew him a long time ago, very good sorcerer and good with the kids too." She shook her head with her eyes still gazing at the sculpture.

"The Green man, who was that?" I asked.

Lou released her gaze from the face and smiled at me with almost the same rounded cheeks. "Come in here my dear and let me tell you a story about thee." Her voice seemed almost musical.

The living room opened to the kitchen which still had the color war going on from some wildly painted chairs to all wood ones stained in a rich amber color. The table had a white tablecloth on it with a vase of bright yellow tulips.

Ella was daintily slicing an orange and turned upon our presence.

"No." Ella turned setting the knife down firmly. "I can see it on your face already. You're not going to tell our librarian about your brief, irrelevant not to mention hideous relationship with The Green Man. That wizard of a man has cost us too much already and I do wish you wouldn't speak of his name." Ella's dark eyes look like they could have shot arrows at her sister. "No, don't," she whispered with a pointed finger.

"You're jealous." Lou's voice was compassionate like someone trying to remind someone of a past bad experience that once was resolved only to reopen. "He wasn't hideous, he was humongous!" Lou laughed and for a moment Ella's cheeks flushed with a brighter shade of pink as her sister pointed to her crotch raising her eyebrows at me. "I mean he was..."

"Louetta Hummingbird! Honestly you have no etiquette! Maybe instead of blurting out our last name when they asked us what we wanted it to be, maybe you should've gone down to the manners line and asked for some."

"Everyone has their own method of living." Lou looked at me ignoring her sister who whispered under her breath. "That's what I learned from Green Man—live and let live and hurt none in ye path." Her eyes beamed upward like she was preaching to the masses of her revelation as the sun beamed down on her. It was hard not to smile at Lou.

"Hurt none in ye path—lizard warts! I hold that man solely responsible for our incarceration! If only you didn't associate with him we wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Yes, but what we were doing wasn't exactly legal." Lou turned to Kelan. "By the way none of this conversation is happening right now—as far as the guardianship is concerned." Kelan nodded his head.

"I'm not claiming to be a goody-two-shoes, but we might not have been caught if it wasn't for that retched man," Ella said.

"Enough about the Green Man Lou, we're tired of hearing about him," said a voice behind me.

I turned to see a girl about my age pouring hot water into a black mug. She was dressed in a pin striped suit dress that hugged her hourglass shape. Her long blonde hair looked as smooth as silk and gently rested on her shoulder in large waves. She flicked the tea bag into the sink and peered at me with her grass green eyes as she took a sip of tea.

She was gorgeous in a vintage sort of way. Everything from her red fingernails to her shoes reminded me of a pin-up calendar girl from the 1940s.

She sat the mug down and smiled at me with her matching red lips. "Glad the pants fit; they were too big for me." Her lips curled into a glad-they fit-you-piggo smile. It didn't bother me. Jenna was this type of girl and I was used to it.

"And this lovely girl is Beannca." Lou put her hand on Beannca's shoulder and gave her a small shake as if shaking her would produce another nicer personality.

"Nice to meet you Beannca and thanks for the jeans...I didn't know they still made them in this style or, did you get them in a vintage store?" What could have been asked in a nice, curious way, I instead put a twist on my tone of words turning them back to her.

Her mouth parted but no words came out. She hesitated, and then smiled. "I like this librarian."

"Glad you approve Bea," Kelan said sitting at the table.

Beannca shrugged her shoulders and then flicked her hair back and gazed at me with her sultry eyes.

"Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I've got to be going." She turned to go out the door that led to a carport where Kelan had his truck parked.

"Where are you going today?" Kelan questioned.

Beannca raised her eyebrows with her hand on the knob. "It really isn't any of your business guardian wanna be, but if you must know I have a meeting with my counselor."

Just then the door opened with her hand still on the knob. Beannca stepped back to let in a tall, thin man with a variety of herbs in his hands.

"Just picked the oregano in time. It's best before the sun comes up too much and there is still dew on it, perfect." He pushed beside Beannca and went over to the sink and turned it on.

A honking horn alerted a car had pulled up in the drive and Beannca shot out of the door.

"Don't seduce anyone today into falling in love with you!" Lou yelled out through the screen door. "Don't need any lovesick men hanging on the eaves," she said under her breath.

"You're not my mother Lou!" Beannca replied back as the car door slammed shut. The car left spinning its tires in the gravel.

"Honestly, that girl." Lou shook her head and went over to the sink beside the man.

"Who's the new girl at the kitchen table?" The man asked looking at Lou as if I wasn't there. "We don't have a new benefactor on probation do we? Because if we do, the bathroom situation here is going to be dire."

"No, I'm sorry," Lou said turning to me. "I've forgotten my manners."

"Should've gotten in line for them," Ella said in a low voice. Lou ignored her sister.

"This is Abigail VanHaven and she is a librarian." Lou said proudly. "And this is Roan."

"What's a librarian doing at our house then?" Roan asked looking at me with his brown eyes with surprise. He looked to be a little older than me and his long, straight hair kept falling in his eyes. "Are we being reviewed?" He folded his long, gangly arms over his chest and spoke in an assertive voice.

I looked at him for a moment and he peered at me looking down at me from his large nose. He kind of reminded me of one of my teachers in high school that looked like they would be intimidating, but were really spineless the more you got to know them.

He cleared his throat. "I said are we being reviewed?" His dark eyes darted at me waiting for a reply.

"Of course not, you babbling, dim wit. Librarians don't review us and you would know this if you read your manual." Ella turned her head slightly to Roan. "She isn't even a librarian, just the daughter of one. Grace's business was burned last night and now she hasn't reported in and Abigail here was living in the apartment above her shop and nearly was incinerated. Thank goodness Kelan saved her."

"You've got the makings of a guardian yet." Roan pointed playfully at Kelan. "Well, in that case, welcome Abigail to our lovely house." Roan smiled at me.

"Thanks." I replied as Roan put his herbs into the sink.

"Those stink. Please do something with them quickly." Ella said in a put out tone.

"Yes, my queen." Roan teased. I smiled as Lou rolled her eyes and sat down at the table.

I looked at Kelan who sat beside Lou with a pile of pancakes shellacked in syrup and topped with cream. They looked good and smelled even better. He pulled out a chair next to him and motioned for me to sit down. I knew I was welcomed but I wanted to watch my manners, especially around Ella.

"Pancake?" he asked. I shook my head.

He got a plate down and I took a couple of cakes smothering them in syrup as well.

"Lou, please help me with this orange juice, instead of stuffing your face." Ella demanded without looking at her.

"Just keep your pants on, like we have anything better to do." Lou replied and got up as Roan hummed and swayed side to side singing softly to himself.

"It needs to be refrigerated and I want it chilled for later." Ella gave Lou an orange to cut in half.

I watched them wanting to know more about them. Exactly where they were from and why they were all here living together. I decided I would ask Kelan in private later.

"So who's this Green Man?" I asked Kelan instead.

"Well, he's a sorcerer and was the first one to form the benefactors. It's a group of enchanted people who have either sworn themselves to it or joined after a time of showing good conduct after being released from prison."

"You mean the books?'

"Yeah, but it isn't a book to them. There are no words only punishment designated by the librarian. Green Man wanted to show the treelords not all enchanted sort were evil. So he formed the group and they help us when needed."

"So the guardians and the librarians work together along with the benefactors who are either willingly helping us or on probation and helping us as well. And we serve the treelords to imprison their enemies and in return they pay us with wealth and power?"

"Pretty much," Kelan said taking a bite of cake.

"Except we are first class benefactors," Lou said evidentially arguing with her sister at the same time listening to us, "which means we earn certain privileges and get to live here at a halfway house."

"Honestly, you make us sound like drug addicted, alcoholic riffraff that litter this world." Ella stood with hands on hips and eyes like beams on her sister. "A halfway house—why do they have to call it that?" Ella asked more to herself.

"Really, this is a lovely home. And with wonderful space for a garden, which reminds me, it needs weeding." Roan shook his head and then went out the door with his wet herbs.

"Would you rather be in book number 02251972 or here," Lou glided her open palm through the air, "in this lovely halfway house?"

Ella didn't reply, only gazed around the room and then out the widow, speechless, as the rising sun covered her in oranges and yellows. Her eyes fell distant and then she turned back to Lou who looked at her waiting for Ella's reply.

"You're right," Ella said in slightly labored voice. "No matter what it's called, it's better than book number 02251972."

We sat in silence paying homage to whatever happened in that book. That question along with others burned in my head that eventually made its way to my mouth.

"What...what I mean," I didn't know how to ask. "What..."

"You have a lot to learn my little librarian." Lou tapped me gently on the shoulder and I couldn't agree with her more.

Kelan kept a vigil with his phone, checking it every fifteen minutes. If he was as worried as I thought he was, he didn't show it except for the phone watching.

"So who exactly are Beannca and Roan?" I asked with a smile from Kelan.

"Well," he slid his gaze over to me and then back on the road. "Beannca is what you call a siren and Roan is a gnome."

I looked at him for a moment thinking if I hadn't talked to a tree just a couple of days ago, I would've jumped out of the Kelan's truck as he drove it down the road.

"Really," he could see my questioning look. "They are a siren and a gnome, but not from the same realm."

"Realms?" this just kept getting deeper.

Kelan took a deep breath and pulled over to the side of the road as the gravel crunched under the tires.

"Realms are the places where people like Lou, Ella, Beannca and Roan live. Another world if you want to call it that. But really they are a part of this world only they are like pockets in this world."

"You mean like a rabbit's hole?" Thinking back to my childhood and loving the story Alice in Wonderland.

"Not exactly, more like...well, have you ever had a coat with a hidden pocket on the inside of it?" He asked and I remembered a winter coat that had one and I forgot my cell phone was in there and washed it. "It's kind of like that. You only see the coat on the outside, but on the inside and very much there, is a pocket that is a part of the coat but hidden."

Kelan made sense and I was surprised that I could even begin to fathom other worlds or "hidden pockets" as he described them.

"So why are Ella, Lou," I shook my head. "Why are they all here?"

"I've known Lou and Ella the longest and Grace was once their counselor for a short while just filling in. Grace kept in touch with them ever since and they're sort of friends. But, I'm not sure what they did to end up in book 01251972." I raised my eyebrows that he remembered the number. "They mention the book they were imprisoned in a lot. The number stuck in my head."

"Grace never talked about their case with me, it was confidential information." Kelan continued. "As for Roan," he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure what a gnome could do to get into so much trouble to be imprisoned. They are good natured and as you could see, love plants and animals and taking care of them. I think he's being protected by the treelords--- kind of like in a witness protection program."

"I always thought gnomes were little people that lived in trees and wore pointed hats." I thought of how tall and lanky Roan was in comparison to the cement garden statues of the smiling, fat, round faced gnomes that Grace had in her store.

"Stereotype," Kelan said in a flat tone.

"What about Beannca?" I asked.

"Beannca," Kelan nodded his head. "She's a siren and...well...you've seen her. That's what siren's do. Lure people into doing something either by the will of the siren or employed by another."

"She is pretty."

"And deadly, at least her kind is. Beannca goes to meetings set up by the treelords to control their powers before they are set free." Kelan looked in his rear view mirror. "We'd better go or the cop is going to stop. He's been by two times now."

"So do they go back to their worlds then? I mean after they're out of prison?" I asked as Kelan turned the ignition.

"Most never get out. Once they are in a book, they stay there, unless, a treelord gives them leniency and allows them to be reformed to enter another world. It depends upon the crime and threat level really."

I sat quietly as we made our way into town thinking about everything from hidden realms to imprisoning people in books. I still had a hard time absorbing the idea, but seeing Grace's burned shop made it a terrifyingly tangible one.

We drove by a couple of times and then among the firefighters and police that were still watching the burning embers, I saw him. It was the man I saw talking to Grace.

"Drive by one more time. I think I seen someone." I slid downward in the leather seat so he didn't see me.

"Who?" Kelan asked.

"The night Grace's shop burned, I saw her talking to someone, a man, and I think I just saw him."

"Why didn't you say something earlier about this?" Kelan asked.

"I don't know. That night is still a blur of fire and smoke or I would have said something."

We drove by again and rummaging through the rubble, dressed in in a fireman's uniform was unmistakably the man I had seen talking to Grace.

"There," I said looking at Kelan. "The dark skinned one with the scar; he was talking to Grace the night her shop burned. I saw them outside in front of the shop through my window. They were arguing and then left. I tried to follow, but they simply vanished."

Casually he leaned over and looked out my window as a horn honked behind us catching the attention of the working firemen including the one that had talked to Grace.

"He seen us," Kelan said speeding up. "But I know who he is."

"You do?" I was surprised. "Who?"

"He's a guardian. His name is Donavan. I found out through Lou and I were going to contact him about joining the guardianship."

"What do we do now?" I asked as he turned the corner.

"Ask him if I can join the guardianship." Kelan didn't look at me only parked in front of the grocery store. "Besides, he might know something about Grace."

"What?" I asked not believing my ears. "You're just going to ask him about joining the guardianship, why don't you just ask him about Grace?"

"I'll be right back." Kelan ignored me. He went inside and in a couple of minutes came back with a short, brown tube that looked like would hold important papers.

"This is my application for guardianship. My grandpa got one for me and he started to fill it out," Kelan unrolled the yellowed paper, "but he never got to finish it with me." His eyes stared at the paper, but I don't think he was looking at the application.

"I'm sorry your grandpa didn't get the chance to help you." My words were tender.

Kelan took a deep breath and then rolled up the paper, placed it in the tube and put the cap on. He looked at me and then smiled. "How can you be so nice at the same time deadly with a garden spade?" I knew one day that would be brought up.

My cheeks flushed remembering the day I was in Grace's greenhouse and Kelan came to pick up tomatoes. He had just asked if I was living here and if I was related to the Hawthorns. I remember the sudden rush of what I would call fear mixed with an animalistic protectiveness that I had no idea why I felt that way, but I had to struggle to control it when it did surface.

"That was when I thought you were some stalker," I replied.

"A stalker?" he chuckled.

I looked away, my cheeks burned even more from embarrassment.

"I can see it," he said barely whispering. "There's something more to it than just being paranoid of someone stalking you."

I tuned my head to meet his icy blue eyes. Various shades of blue filled them and they reminded me of an icy chasm in some far away wintery place not traveled by man. Something wild and unruly danced beneath the surface that I couldn't help but to stare into.

"Yeah," his voice cut through my trance. "That's something I've never seen before."

"What...what do you mean? What did you...what just happened?" My embarrassment had turned to anger.

Kelan started his truck and pulled onto the highway. "I can see something by using my Sight Premonition. There's something in your head, your memories, that has a block on it. More likely a spell."

I looked out the window watching the greening roadside flash by. At one time I would think it crazy to even think seriously about spells, magic and things associated with magic. "You mean like a memory has been erased by a spell?" I asked.

"No, not erased, just blocked out. You can't erase memories. Alter them and cover them up, yes, but never erase."

"I thought your Sight Premonition was for seeing through buildings, like Superman, not for reading people's minds." I kind of felt violated and folded my arms over my chest.

"I can't read your mind. It allows me to see things in various situations. Just like through the walls of Just Thyme and walls created by spells." I lifted my eyes to him just for a second. "All I can do is release the memory." He glanced at me quickly. I could feel his gentle but penetrating eyes on me. I wanted to stare into them at the same time I didn't. "Look, it's like opening a door without being able to see inside." He tried to reassure me.

I continued to watch the greenery go by in flashes.

"I can release those memories," Kelan said as I drew in a deep breath. "You don't have to do it. I'm just asking." Kelan's voice was sincere. "It may give you some insight to your mother."

I turned my head and looked at him. We exchanged glances without a word for few moments. "You can't see anything—just open the door?"

He gave a quick smile. "Just open the door."

It was midday when we got back to the halfway house and everyone was gone. I was relieved. Kelan darkened the living room by closing the blinds. I sat fidgeting on the couch as he lit a single candle. The matched hissed with flame and then latched onto the wick of the bee's wax candle.

"Romantic," I said with a smile from Kelan.

"Romance takes lots of candles, doesn't it?" he teased.

"I wouldn't know." I started to feel uncomfortable again.

"You know if you're uptight, I can't open the door." He sat across from me with his brilliant blue eyes framed in dark hair and pale skin that reminded me of calm, cool and enchanting winter's night when nothing but the stillness moves.

"How many times have you done this?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer. "I'm not a guinea pig, am I?"

He smiled resting his arms on his knees. "Two times...or three if you count the cat."

"Are you serious, a cat?" I had to laugh at that. "What could possibly be troubling a cat?"

"You'd be surprised...bad episodes with mice, sibling rivalry...hairballs."

I laughed even louder with Kelan watching me, smiling with his twinkling eyes. Slowly I stopped laughing and let myself flow into his stare. The blue chasm opened as our eyes interlaced. My mind let everything go. All that mattered was the stillness that surrounded me and the steadiness of Kelan's eyes that pulled me closer until I thought we could have melted into one.

Then suddenly something sharp pulled at the back of my head. It was sharp and quick like a thorn being plucked out of my finger by Aunt Kathleen.

"There all better." I heard her voice and then it passed like the wind.

Another vision filled my mind. It was all of Aunt Kathleen's jewels.

"But Jenna, we're not supposed to get into them," I said to her.

"I didn't get into them." She took off the tiara and placed it on my head. "You did." And then she ran into the kitchen. "Aunt Kathleen!"

That faded too, like a rushing wave pulling out more memories and then tugging them back until I heard someone screaming my name.

"Abi! Run! My little girl, run!" The voice was a woman's and she was frantic as I stood holding a teddy bear with one eye.

"Mama," I said following her voice.

Why did I call her mama? I could see and hear and I followed her voice until I came to a woman with hair as red as mine pinned to the wall by an invisible force.

"Abi," she whispered with tears running down her face.

I shook holding onto teddy as tears welled in my eyes.

Then another woman with blonde hair, nearly white and dressed all in black stood between me and my mother. She looked at me and smiled with surprised amusement. To me she looked like a big spider all in black.

"So, this is the child? Your child?" She looked back at my mother.

I tried to run to her, but two hairy and very strong arms held me back.

"I told you not to get involved and this is what it has come to...you stupid librarian. Your kind has nothing to do with us and shouldn't mettle in our business, but, then again, I don't mind eliminating you."

The blonde haired woman flicked a slender silver wand from her gloved hand and threw it at my mother striking her in the belly.

I screamed and tried to pull away finally biting into the hairy arm to release me. He let out a yowl and before I could get away the woman caught me and laughed in my face amused and turning me to see my mother's limp body.

"This is what happens when you mess with the wrong person and take their toys little one." Her voice slithered like snakes around my ear.

With my arms outstretched, I reached for my mother. She lifted her head slightly and with a shaking hand reached for me. Blood soaked through her clothes until the only color I could see was the dark red blood and her flame red hair—two very different shades of red. My mother was surrounded by the color until her body fell limp.

The next thing I knew I was on the ground with light flashing behind. I sat screaming my mother's name with tears streaming my face. Suddenly a shadow fell around me and a hand followed by a man with emerald green eyes and short brown hair.

"Gone..." was the only word I heard him speak as his mouth moved, but I couldn't hear him.

Suddenly, I was pushed back like a strong wave had grasped onto me. I floated backwards through the sea of voices and fragmented visions until I opened my eyes.

Kelan held onto my hands and we were on the floor kneeling in front of one another. I gasped for air and when I looked down my shirt was soaked with blood and a silver wand stuck out from me. I screamed and let go of Kelan's hands.

"The blood!" I managed to yell as I pulled at the wand to yank it out. "Kelan, get it out of me!" He grabbed onto my hands and jerked them outward.

"Abi, stop it! You're alright!" He tried to calm me.

"Don't you see it? I'm bleeding!" I protested and struggled to get my arms free. "I'm bleeding!" I cried.

"Let it go Abi. It's a memory that came with you. It isn't real."

I closed my eyes tightly listening to Kelan's voice.

"Take deep breaths and let it go." Kelan's voice was like a calm wind, a summer wind that danced through the wind chimes playing their tune.

My body shook with weakness and slowly I opened my eyes to see my shirt stretched out to where I was pulling on it at. There was no blood, no wand. I gazed at Kelan as he lowered my arms and then wrapped me up in them. I was weak and trembled as he pulled me up. I wanted to tell him what I saw, but my mind was numb and my voice was gone. Our eyes met and without a word, he carried me upstairs.
Chapter Five

I witnessed my mother's murder. That was the only thought that kept running through my head along with the blood and her screaming my name and also the woman responsible for it.

"It was Victoria." I stared blankly at the wall as Kelan knelt beside me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." He hesitated slightly and then ran his hand up and down my arm. I smiled at him.

"If it wasn't for you, I'd never know and someone wanted it that way. A man with green eyes and brown hair," I sat up. "He said something or started to say something before I was pulled back." I could only wonder what I did while I was "out" and I hope it wasn't anything embarrassing.

"What did he say?" Kelan asked.

"Gone," I quickly replied. "Gone was all I heard. He was still speaking to me, but I couldn't hear the rest of his words."

Kelan sat back in the chair resting his forehead in his hands and his elbows to his knees as he looked at the ground. "It could be a spell of some sort and if it was, I opened it easily almost like it was meant to be opened one day." He then looked back at me. "I think someone wanted you to remember."

"Who could it have been?"

"You know if you're going to try to be romantic and all, blow out the candle when you're done or do your business downstairs." Beannca stood leaning against the doorjamb her green eyes flickering. "If you're going to have sex all over the house, remember that other people live here and really you shouldn't because you don't live here."

"We weren't having sex." Kelan blurted out and turned to her as she half smiled.

"Whatever you say lover boy," she walked away with her words drifting behind her.

I couldn't look at Kelan as my cheeks felt like they were going to explode with rushing blood.

"Don't listen to Beannca, she's a siren remember? Everything revolves around manipulation." He gently turned my head catching me by the chin and making me look into his magnificent blue eyes. For a flicker of a second, I felt a pang of wanting what Beannca had only assumed we had done.

Lou insisted that I stay for dinner, but her warm smile and pat on the back felt like she was extending that stay as long as I needed. I didn't know what else to do and I had to answer the several missed calls and texts I've gotten from Meg. She was probably going out of her mind with worry.

I finally text her back and said I was staying with Grace and I was fine and agreed to meet her at her house.

"Oh, Abi, you're alright!" Meg wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. "You can stay here you know."

I embraced her as Nate loomed in the distance looking at me without expression.

"No, it's fine. Grace said I could stay with her." I lied right through my teeth. "She needs help going through everything and stuff." I continued that lie and Meg shook her head.

"They said it was an electrical fire and luckily no one was hurt and only two buildings were damaged," Meg said taking a sip of her tea.

Her hand shook slightly as she put down the delicate looking cup to the saucer. Meg then smiled as Nate came up behind her putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Why don't you go lie down, you look exhausted." She reached for his hand and nodded her head.

"Abi, I'm sorry, I haven't been feeling well lately. You'll have to excuse me." Meg got up and went upstairs leaving me alone with Nate.

"What did you do to her?" My words were stern and my voice low. I glared at Nate trying to threaten him with my eyes.

He didn't seem bothered and he didn't look like he was concerned with my question. Nate simply sat down on the couch and then motioned for me to join him. I didn't move, I wasn't his little lap puppy. I folded my arms over my chest and cleared my throat.

He looked up at me with his dark eyes. "Please Abigail," his voice almost pleaded.

Hesitantly, I sat down, just on the edge of the couch.

"I know by now you know that I'm a guardian and you're the daughter of a librarian. And you know what we do and what is out there living and breathing that humans think is only fable."

"I also know about Daniele." Nate didn't even twitched with concern and looked at me with a passive expression. What he had done to Meg evidently didn't even faze him.

"I found this at the fire." He bent down and from his briefcase he pulled out the wooden box that my mother had intended for me to have. "I see you have the ring with you, but the key," he opened the box, "is still here and belongs to you."

I sat with opened mouth as he handed the key and then the box to me with the letter still folded inside.

"Why--" I asked in shock.

Nate smiled. "We have a common enemy and now she knows where you are." Nate stood up.

Nate was as clear as mud to me. He once shot mean looks and made it clear he didn't care for me and the next he's confiding in me.

I held the box on my lap looking down at it. "Victoria will find you. You need protection from the guardians. I've arranged a place for you to stay here in Minton."

"I'll take care of myself." I stood up clutching my box and glaring at Nate. "I already have a guardian protecting me."

Nate looked at me with sarcastic amusement. "A guardian?" he mocked.

I stood my ground squaring my shoulders. His smirk fell and a look that I've never seen before flooded in his eyes.

"This is serious Abi. He's inexperienced and hasn't had any proper training. You will be living blindly in danger. Victoria has a lot of allies and she wants the scepter that your mother took from her."

"I don't trust you Nate." I spat his name out. "I know what you did that night with Danielle and Meg will find out." I started to turn towards the door when he grabbed me by the arm.

"If you do, it will kill her." His words were desperate.

"It may hurt her, but she deserves the truth. Now get your slimy hands off of me." I glared.

"No, I mean it will kill her." He looked away running his hands through his hair.

I looked at him and for the first time his metallic shield that always surrounded him was crumbling.

"What do you mean?" I shook my head.

"It will literally kill her. She was poisoned, somehow," Nate said looking away as if he was trying to calculate something. "She was poisoned by one of Victoria's minions." He finally came to a conclusion. "Like I said we have a common enemy and Victoria must be destroyed." He pointed towards the ground looking at me from under his arching eyebrows. "I can't make you go anywhere you don't want, but remember, my offer may not always be there." His voice warned me in a gentle tone. "You're a lamb Abigail VanHaven and you're playing with wolves."

I left in the little blue car that Nate, through some unspoken agreement, had given me since I got the title in the mail with my name on it. I felt bad for hating Nate at the same time I hated him being mysterious. I wanted to go back into his house, stomp my foot on their hardwood floor and demand to know what he means and what he knows. I could feel tears sting my eyes as oncoming headlights flashed by me. Meg, she didn't look good. I had to do something for her. I still didn't believe Nate. He was only telling half-truths if what he said was even true. I wasn't about to let him on anything I knew if he was doing the same.

A tear followed by another fell from my cheek to the partially charred box. I thought of Grace and wished she was here. I hung on to the hope that she had finally called Kelan.

I got back to the half-way house hoping Kelan would be there. Light streamed out the windows and the smell of roasting chicken leaked from the screen door. I went inside and saw Lou by the oven pulling a large roasting pan out. She had on rainbow colored oven mitts that matched her broomstick skirt. She was humming unaware of my presence.

"Abi, why are you crying?" She asked without even looking at me.

"What? I'm not crying." She turned with a slight smile.

"I've been around long enough that I can smell tears, especially ones with great sorrow." Her voice was compassionate. "If you want, I'll listen." Lou's tone was a welcoming comfort and suddenly I found her arms around me.

Her touch was as gentle as a summer wind. I couldn't stop my tears and with her apron she dried them for me.

"Thanks, I mean, I'm sorry." She motioned to sit and I did. "But you hardly know me Lou."

"I don't have to know you to listen to you." Lou's words had everything on them but a welcome mat.

"I went to my cousin's house tonight, Meg. Her husband, Nate, said she was poisoned by one of Victoria's followers. But I don't trust him." I concluded quickly. "He's a guardian and I caught him kissing a woman. One of his employees, right at his house and I recorded it only to have him erase it on my phone somehow."

"Her name is Danielle, and she's a siren." Beannca seemed to appear out of the shadows. Her green eyes radiated with life. "She's in my group and she likes guardians. I mean, that's all she likes." Her eyes widened. "She mentioned his name before gloating about how she was screwing a lawyer. That's what Nate is, isn't he? " I shook my head. "Yeah, she went into great detail talking about all of their...meetings . She's a little arrogant bitch if you ask me." She folded her arms like a pouting child. She then looked away as if to savor something of long ago. "Guardians...are a rare breed, full of life..." She smiled. "I'm surprised the guardian took her to his house. Very dangerous...only adds to the danger, very... erotic." Her words trailed off like honey dripping from a spoon.

I couldn't help but to be drawn into her. Suddenly, I could feel my blood rush through my veins, everything intensified as Beannca only smiled at me. Her words, her eyes and the way her mouth curled into a smile, it was like she was a giant vacuum cleaner of sex. She pulled it out of me willingly and I had the desire to do anything she would ask.

"Enough!" Lou's hand slammed on the table. I snapped from my trance. "Beannca you know better." She pointed her finger at her.

Beannca pulled back mindlessly tilting her head to the side and then looked at me. "That was a small taste of what sirens do. Just be glad I'm not male."

"Why don't you tell us about this Danielle and make your presence here a little more useful." Lou with a flick of her hand made one of the chairs slide towards Beannca.

"Fine, I don't like Danielle anyhow." She sat down a little ways from the table where the chair had stopped. "I've only seen her in the group and know she is just about done and ready to advance to fly solo. I know she works with Nate and as far as I know, Danielle is seeing him exclusively. And that's not normal for a siren." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's like she really has reformed herself to belong in this world...boring if you ask me, but I've only started the group," she said with a sly smile and a tone that she didn't have to reform herself, at least not yet.

"Really, that's all?" Lou asked with raised eyebrows.

Beannca shook her head. "Yeah, that's it. She's that boring. Not a normal acting siren." She then smiled. "She kind of keeps to herself and hasn't given many details on her relationship with the guardian."

"—probably because she doesn't want everyone to know." Lou rubbed her chin. "She might be working for Victoria."

"Sirens don't work for anyone." Beannca's eyes flashed as she leaned towards Lou. "They only work for their own kind or themselves. Not anyone, especially a rouge librarian."

"Unless the reward is too sweet to pass up, even sirens have weaknesses." Lou only looked at Beannca who glared back with slit eyes.

"It would have to be pretty sweet." Beannca concluded.

"But why with Nate? What if she's just having an affair and nothing more?" I asked.

"A siren just messing around with a guardian—I don't think so." Beancca shook her head. "There has to be something more."

"Beannca's right." Lou looked at me then at Beannca. "How about you find out the dirt on her?"

Beannca smiled slowly with her eyes flickering like green lights. "I'd love to find some dirt."

Morning had come too soon. I tossed and turned most of the night and when I was sleeping really well, the sun blasted through the window hitting me right in the face. I got up and waited for everyone to use the bathroom first before I did.

I took my time getting ready since I had no real job to go to and then went downstairs to an empty kitchen. Lou left a note saying that there were meetings and errands to run. And they had to take my car. I looked outside and the empty driveway proved how gutsy they were. At least at the end of the note was the word thank you

I really didn't care that they did, especially since they opened their door to me, but it would've been nice for them to ask.

Suddenly my phone vibrated in front of me. I jumped slightly as I wasn't used to getting many phone calls. I picked it up and it was Kelan. I couldn't contain a smile as I answered.

"Hey, get ready, I'm ten minutes away." I could hear the wind echo in my phone.

"What makes you think I'm not already ready?" I got up and went upstairs as quickly as I could and tried to find something of Beannca's hand-me-downs to wear.

"I've only known you for a little, but I know you sleep late." Kelan was right but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of it.

"I'll be ready. Where are we going anyhow?" I asked putting a pair of jeans on with one hand.

"Donavan agreed to meet us," he paused. "I think he knows something about Grace."

A lump formed in my throat.

"I'm waiting. I'll meet you in the driveway."

Kelan's black truck shone like liquid in the sun despite the grim feeling of meeting a guardian and wondering what had happened to Grace. I got in the truck and Kelan smiled at me, like he always did.

"I thought I would have to wait," he teased.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I said I would be ready."

"Your shirts on inside out," he motioned with his eyes, "and backwards."

I looked down at the small tag staring back at me that said wash, gentle cycle, non-chlorine bleach...

"You've got to be kidding me?' I whispered to myself.

"Better fix it because Donavan is a head guardian from Chicago and... I told him you're a librarian."

"What?" I couldn't believe that Kelan told him I was a real librarian.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I know I shouldn't have, but it was the only way he would meet me. And," he looked over to me with his summery looking eyes, "don't you want to know if he knows anything about Grace?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "Now don't look." I started to pull my arms out of the shirt scrunching in the seat as far as I could.

"I've seen you before." Kelan's voice shot through me. "Who do you think healed your burns and scrapes from the night Grace's shop burned down?"

I felt bile run up to my mouth. "You what?"

"Don't worry Lou was there." He kept his eyes on the road. "It was either have severe burns and cuts or be healed. I thought you would prefer to be healed and that was the only way to do it." Our eyes met for only a brief moment.

I felt more embarrassed than angered and I wasn't sure if I wanted to hide or cry. I looked away and then down at my arms. I can still feel the embers land on me scorching my skin. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Kelan.

"Thanks," I said meekly. He didn't reply, but I could see his lips curl slightly into a smile as I looked at him watching the road pretending I wasn't looking at him. I didn't feel violated like when Nate saw me, but glad Kelan was there to save me even if he did have a peek at me.

I switched my shirt quickly and sat back in the seat as we parked in front of Grace's house.

"Any word from her?" I asked.

Kelan shook his head with a somber gaze. "Let's see what Donavan has to say."

I could feel his cold stare before Donavan made himself known. I got out of the truck trying not to look intimidated as he came out of Grace's house. I stopped looking at him then at Kelan. What was he doing in her house? I felt like questioning him demanding what business he had in there. But instead, I gazed over at Kelan who smiled slightly at Donavan who maintained his cold, stone-like persona.

"Let's go inside, there are too many eyes around here." Donavan's voice was like a cold winter wind that tunnels inside of your ears until it reaches your core and freezes it. I shivered as I went up the stairs gazing over at the empty rocking chair. I looked around wondering if Lucy was anywhere nearby.

Donavan went inside like he owned the place and motioned for us to sit.

"So this is Abigail VanHaven—the librarian." He took off his dark glasses, folded his gloved hands and grinned at me with amusement. I looked between him and Kelan. "You are no more a librarian than I am a ballerina." His thick, deep voice was jovial through his harsh sounding accent. "I can see that and...Kelan, I knew that before you even told me." His brown eyes looked even darker surrounded by his mocha colored skin and the white of his eyes. "Don't lie to me, I'm being generous to you by accepting your application especially without representation and you're not off to a good start."

"I know, but...I didn't know if you would meet me. And with Grace..." Donavan held up his hand.

"Grace is fine. She's in sanctuary because the Circle is gaining strength. Victoria already has power and she doesn't even have her scepter yet." Donavan's eyes slid over to me like two beams. I wasn't sure if I should believe Donavan about Grace and avoided his stare. "That's where you come in."

I straightened and cleared my throat that had a lump in it. "I don't know how I can help you." I shook my head. "I've only found out about all of this."

"Henry has heard much about you. Your mother had Victoria's scepter and your mother is the one who hid it in a book, a book that isn't cataloged at any library." His eyes widened as if my mother had committed a terrible crime.

"But Abi doesn't know where that book is at." Kelan spoke for me.

"Of course she doesn't, at least not from the memories that she can remember. The knowing of it is there, we just have to dig." Donavan emphasized the word dig as if he was going to go into Grace's kitchen and get it out with a spoon if he had to. "You have Sight Premonition?" He asked gazing steadily at Kelan.

"Yes," he replied with a slight hesitation.

"Then I suggest you dig deeper and find it." He nodded his head towards me keeping his eyes on Kelan.

"Excuse me, but I don't even know who you are." I wasn't afraid of him. "I saw you at Grace's shop talking to her the night it burned down." I folded my arms as if to say "explain yourself."

"I know, I saw you too and asked Grace if she wanted you to join us." Donavan casually replied not intimidated of getting caught. I looked at him with opened mouth. "She said she tried to get other retired librarians involved, but had no luck. That's when she called me. I'm a head guardian and," he looked over at Kelan, "a recruiter."

"Grace wants you safe and when we were just talking, we were attacked. The members of the Circle are everywhere. They thought Grace had the scepter and came after her, but their real target was you. They know that now and are watching."

I felt the blood drain from my body and my head went light.

"You mean the fire, wasn't meant to scare Grace?" Kelan asked.

"No, it was meant for Abigail and they will come after you again," Donavan said flatly.

"But who are they? Do they live here?" I asked.

"Some do and some don't." He was vague in his answers and I was beginning to get tired of it. I thought of mentioning Nate, but decided not to since I didn't know Donavan true intentions.

"Look, I know you don't know me, but let me reassure you that I have your safety in my best interest. Grace told me everything from your Aunt Kathleen to the box you got from your mother. I've known Grace for a long time and I would never do anything to harm her, we work together." His voice finally softened. "I hope you understand this Abigail VanHaven."

I looked at him for a moment. He was a peculiar man like something lurked just under his skin that wasn't human, I could feel it. And at the same time, I felt like I could trust him.

"I was trying to find you and was glad Kelan contacted me." He glanced over at Kelan. "Otherwise someone from the Circle could've gotten to you sooner. Where are you staying now?" He asked Kelan.

"—at a halfway house on the edge of town," Kelan was willingly giving him information and evidentially more trusting than I.

"You need to get out of there. I'll arrange a place for you." Donavan stood up. "There's no need to drag benefactors into this."

"So when do we leave?" Kelan asked standing up as well.

Donavan gave him a quick glance. "Abigail will be leaving as soon as possible. For now, I'll give you the responsibility to watch her."

Kelan seemed pleased at his new duty and followed Donavan out the door holding the screen door open. A breeze blew against the window and the rocking chair began to sway back and forth. Lucy.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Kelan nodded his head a lot and Donavan looked back at me nodded and said he would be in contact with me and expect to leave soon. I didn't press him with too many questions because I wasn't going to leave with him. Something about him wasn't right.

Kelan came back inside as Donavan went down the steps. I went to the window to watch him leave. I pushed back the curtain to see nothing but Grace's well cared for garden. I stood there realizing now that I don't remember another car parked outside when we pulled up. Could someone have picked him up? I would've seen them or heard a car pull up. It was like he had vanished into thin air.

Hardly believing it, I decided to step outside.

The warm air brushed against me and the wind chimes filled the air with their music.

"Where did he go?" I whispered to myself.

"I hate them hollowmen." I turned to see Lucy smiling and knitting in her rocker. "Nice to see you again, Abigail VanHaven."

"Hi Lucy," I said turning to her. "What's a hollowman?"

Lucy didn't take her eyes off her knitting and this time I looked at her face instead of her flashing hands.

"What just left...he isn't human or enchanted sort. He's what evolved from the shadows." She glanced up at me.

"But he knew of Henry and Grace."

She smiled as Kelan came out locking the door behind him. "I need to go into town and..." I tugged on his arm alerting him of Lucy.

He glanced over at her then at me. I shook my head as Lucy continued to rock back and forth.

"Kelan Blackwell a guardian of a long line. Don't you think it's about your time?" Her laugh was bubbly like she didn't have a care in the world.

"But what about the hollowman Lucy?" I stepped in front of Kelan.

"They're like rats and guardians shouldn't leave without hats." From Lucy's hand flew something black towards Kelan.

Her movements were like flashes of lighting and her image faded like a shadow dissolving in the sun. I stood there looking at the empty and motionless rocking chair that had abruptly stopped and then at Kelan who took off a black top hat. Lucy had given him a gift—one of her gifts.

"I've never met Lucy before, but Grace had mentioned her a lot." He looked at the hat.

"Last time I was here she gave me a scarf." I looked at the hat with him. It was soft with a tin band of grey at the base and on the inside was a tiny crest. "What is that an eagle?"

"No, it's a phoenix—the bird that is born of the ashes. It doesn't exist, well, not anymore. And it's the symbol for the guardians." He then scrunched his nose up and sighed. "Where am I going to wear a top hat? I don't understand, Lucy." He looked at the rocking chair and raised his voice, but she didn't come. The rocking chair swayed a little, but the occupant was gone, only coming if she desired.

"Well, you could wear it around and pretend you're Abe Lincoln." I teased with an annoyed smirk from Kelan. I thought he was tall enough and with the dark hair and lanky frame he could pass for an Abe Lincoln...a hot one that is.

Kelan wanted to drive into town before we went back to the halfway house. I watched the trees go by in blurs of green. I fidgeted with the ring on my finger. I couldn't help but to think of everything from my mother's note to Grace. Was she really alright? I looked back at Kelan. He didn't seem bothered, just going with the flow and totally trusting Donavan. That still struck a chord with me.

"How well do you know this Donavan? Lucy called him a hollowman." Kelan's nearly black hair fluttered in the wind. I noticed he had let it grow out since I've met him and now it was curling slightly at the tips that pointed at his blue eyes. "What's a hollowman?"

"I've never heard of one and," he looked over at me, "you can't always go by what Lucy says. She has her own terminology for things." I suppose she could and if Kelan had never heard of them, then maybe she just called him that like I call Nate a jerk.

"How are we going to find this scepter, and when or if we do, what are we going to do with it?" I asked.

"Contain Victoria with it and then put it into a book that will be stored at a library." Kelan made it sound so simple.

"Really, that easy, huh?" I didn't think it was funny, but Kelan smiled and laughed a little which in turn made me smile, even though I didn't want to. Kelan had a way of doing that.

"Why make it any harder than it is?" he said as he opened his door part way. "I'm going into the courthouse and drop off my application and sign a few papers. I'll be right back."

"So is this the guardian headquarters or secret lair?" I looked at the stone building that looked to be the oldest on the square among all the other buildings.

Kelan only shook his head. "No, the courthouse is just a place where we keep records and the registry." He shut the door and then leaned through the open window. "The guardian's hideout is off limits to librarians anyhow..." He then smiled at me as I shook my head watching him go up to the courthouse doors.

I sat in the truck holding Kelan's top hat. The material was like silk and smooth to the touch. I wondered if Lucy meant it as a joke or if she had a purpose for the hat. She called Donavan a hollowman. That name, and the way she said it, didn't sound good the more I thought about it. I didn't think Kelan was right about her just "calling him that", like she was calling him a bad name. I decided I would ask Lou when I got back.

I looked out the window and towards the wooden double doors that led into the courthouse. It opened and a group of several girls dressed in skirts and dress pants all walked together talking and laughing. They must be employees that were going to lunch. They walked in front of Kelan's truck as I shifted my eyes from them to the door waiting for Kelan.

I turned the ignition just enough to turn on the clock to see the time. It was noon, which made sense from all the people exiting the building.

I looked out the window and a blonde haired girl caught my eye. She was dressed in a dark skirt suit wearing black stilettos and pacing the sidewalk. I would recognize her in a sea of blonde haired bombshells. It was Danielle.

I quickly slid down in my seat as she stood looking down the street in the distance as if she was waiting for someone. Just barely peeking over the edge of the window, I watched her. Thank goodness she didn't see me. I was only a few parking spots away from her.

Danielle's wait wasn't long. A black SUV pulled up and with a smile to the driver, she got in. I would also recognize that vehicle anywhere—it was Nate.

I scrunched even farther feeling that one of them probably had X-ray vision. They drove off just as Kelan opened the door and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I sat back up, but not quick enough for him to catch me in my awkward position.

"Abi, is everything o.k.?' Kelan got in and shut the door behind him.

"Yeah, it is now. I just saw Nate...and his Barbie doll."

He started his truck with a raise of his eyebrows. "Nathanial Hawthorne has a Barbie doll?"

"You know what I mean," I said looking out my window to see if I could catch a glimpse of them. "There're gone."

"Nathaniel Hawthorne is your cousin's husband right?" he asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately," I replied. "And the boy toy of some blonde chick."

"You know Nathaniel is a guardian." His voice questioned.

"Yes, he told me, more or less." My thoughts flashed back to the night Nate saw me naked. I felt sick just now realizing that he was the first man to ever see me naked. "He said the guardians had high hopes for me. He told me that when I was staying at their house and...I caught him in an affair." Kelan slid his eyes over to me as if to say continue. "He was with Danielle, a blonde that Beannca said was in her group and is a siren. I had the evidence on my phone, but somehow, Nate erased it and now I can't tell Meg. She'd never believe me if I told her what I saw."

There was silence after I got done telling Kelan everything. I wasn't sure if he cared, or if he was just thinking about it.

"So Nathaniel is seeing a siren behind his wife's back and you had evidence that is gone now?" Kelan asked.

"Yeah," I looked at him.

"And what about your cousin," he gazed over at me.

"What about Meg?" My voice snipped at him

"Could she be involved in a relationship as well? I mean, some guardian-librarian-enchanted being relationships are pretty open." I looked at him with open mouth.

"Meg, I don't think so!" I knew what he was implying and the thought of Meg committing adultery or even being involved in some twisted relationship, wasn't even a possibility.

Kelan didn't say another word as I sat looking out the window wishing this ride was over in more ways than one.
Chapter Six

The halfway house was a bustle of activity when I got back. Lou and Ella were cooking and arguing. Ella, who claimed she didn't cook, was taking over telling her sister that she prepared things like a barbarian. Beannca was in the living room looking at a magazine. On the floor beside her was a whole stack of those celebrity gossip magazines that are full of what movie star wore what and if two of them had the same outfit and what one looked better in it. I decided to go upstairs to my borrowed bedroom and think of what to do next.

I shut the bedroom door and went to the window that overlooked Roan's garden. He of course was in it along with Kelan. I stepped back slightly to not be seen and watched them talk. Roan continued working at his weeding as Kelan stood discussing something I wished I could hear. I was still upset with what he said about Meg. Meg wouldn't cheat on Nate, even though he is a jerk. She has better morals.

I stepped away and sat on the bed throwing myself backwards as my hair sprayed out behind me. I twirled a section of my red hair in my fingers and thought of what I should do. I certainly didn't want to go with this Donavan even though Kelan seemed to trust him. I didn't know what, but something inside of me felt wrong.

"Abi," Ella's voice rang through my closed door. "Are you in there dear?"

"Yeah, hold on." I went to the door an opened it.

Ella in all of her paleness smiled dressed in a lace dress that at one time may have been white, but was now tinged yellow. It had beading around the neckline and flared sleeves that graced her long fingers. Her hair was up with a rhinestone pin securing every strand of her white hair that had taken on a rosy hue. In fact as I looked at her, I could see the colors fluctuating, almost trying to break through the paleness.

"Dinner is ready. Would you like to join us?" Her tone was pleasant and I smiled at her.

I followed Ella downstairs and into the kitchen where everyone was at the table now, including Kelan.

"Here, Abi, won't you sit by Kelan." He smiled back at me pulling the chair out slightly.

I hesitated and then sat down not wanting to sit by him and not wanting to insult everyone.

"Perfect," Ella said with a triumphant smile as she clapped her hands.

The table was little and Kelan's shoulder brushed against mine. I liked it at the same time I didn't. I looked across the table at Beannca. She had brought a magazine to the table and was reading it passively turning the pages. Lou glared at her.

"Really Beannca..." Lou motioned with her eyes.

"We're not family, just strangers eating together. I don't see why you have to mother me." She put the magazine down for a moment and then flipped it back in front of her face.

"It isn't about family, it's about manners." Lou replied calmly as Beannca continued to read and Lou sighed in defeat.

"I like to think we are family. Gnomes have extended families you know." Roan scooped a pile of mashed potatoes onto his plate and then looked at me. "We used to invite each other over for dinners and help with crops and even harvest them together."

"Yeah and probably shove rainbows up each other's butts." Beannca added sarcastically. "I'm tired of hearing about your little gnome life...all that togetherness and...well, togetherness if nauseating."

"All that is nauseating is your manners or lack thereof." Ella chimed in glaring at Beannca. "We do have guests." Ella motioned with her eyes to Kelan and me.

Beannca looked at us with a giddy expression of a drunken person. "What, a librarian and guardian that aren't even accepted? They're just wannabes.'"

"I did turn in my application to Donavan today." Kelan ignored Beannca and looked over at Roan who smiled like a proud parent.

"Good job! I bet they'll be knocking on the door any second," Roan said just as Kelan's phone buzzed with someone calling. "Or call you on the phone."

Kelan looked over at me and I nodded to answer it. He pulled it from his pocket and got up from his chair and went into the living room. I watched him as he nodded his head and said "yes" or "yes sir" a lot. Kelan then flipped his phone shut and returned to the table only to stuff a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Well," Roan leaned forward over the table. "What did they say?"

"You're looking at a guardian in training and my first assignment is to get Abigail VanHaven to Chicago."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Donavan wants you to go to Chicago—your mother's last place of residency." His blue eyes met mine. "He thinks she might have hidden the staff there, but first he wants me to use my Sight Premonition."

"No," I said immediately and looked away from him. I could still hear my mother's voice, see the blood and feel the fear soaked in sadness churn inside of me.

"I know you don't but...I can guide you away from anything painful."

"I thought you just 'opened the door.'" I looked back at Kelan. By now everyone had gone silent and I could feel their gaze on us.

"This is better than these trashy magazines," Beannca said with newfound fascination throwing her magazine to the floor.

"Hush!" Ella scolded in a low voice.

"Can we take this elsewhere?" I didn't even bother looking at them. Kelan nodded his head and we went outside.

Lou, Ella, Beannca and the tall gnome, Roan, didn't try to hide their eavesdropping. I looked at the kitchen window from outside at all of them huddled together and plastered to the window looking at us in eager silence.

"I'm not going to Chicago. I don't know Donavan and I'm not going to listen to someone I'm not sure of. You can't expect me to just follow you blindly. I mean this is all new to me, I need time to sort things out." I stood with my arms wrapped around me. "Kelan, do you understand?" My voice was soft as I looked into his blue eyes that reminded me of calm ocean waters.

"I do understand your point of view, but," he stepped closer, "there are things you don't understand and Victoria isn't one to mess with, I know." Kelan's voice filled with sadness mixing with hatred. I gazed at him steadily waiting for him to elaborate. "She's the one that killed my grandpa, or I believe she had him killed. You remember that I told you he worked at the library in New York?" I shook my head. "Well, he was transporting several books to another library and he was ambushed in route to Chicago. The books were empty...they were new books to hold prisoners."

"And since books are so few in number, the less books, the less prisons." I concluded.

"Those books were meant to hold some of Victoria's Circle members. We couldn't house them so they went free...or actually on probation which for them was pretty much free." Kelan gently took me by the arm and pulled me closer.

"Stop elbowing me gnome!" Beannca's voice was clear even through the window that was shut and locked.

"Be quiet! At least be respectful to have silence while we watch!" Ella's voice sounded like teacher scolding her class.

Kelan and I smiled back at each other. I felt secure with Kelan and deep down, I trusted him even though it was blind. I've only known him for a short while, but a voice inside of me seemed to be in synch with my heart.

"Maybe we should go talk elsewhere." I suggested tilting my head towards the eavesdroppers.

"They will just follow us." Kelan shrugged his shoulders.

I nodded my head and laughed when suddenly an engine roaring and dust flying came down the road and was headed in our direction.

"Is that Donavan?" I asked following Kelan to the edge of the road.

"I've never seen the car before..." Through the dust I could see it was a silver sports car, a Mustang, maybe. It came closer without losing speed. "Get...get back into the house!"

"Who is it?" Kelan didn't answer. Instead he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the house. I followed, running without looking back.

I could hear the car engine rev and the rolling dust curled around the house like fog. The vehicle slowed slightly just as something zinged by me like bottle rockets kids would set off on the Fourth of July. They were like silver and gold flecks that flashed quickly and then were gone.

Kelan, who was a faster sprinter made it to the house, while I was a few steps behind him. Lou had the door open and I ran in as she slammed it shut.

"Who—who was that?" I asked between breaths. I leaned over starting to feel nauseated.

"Members of the Circle, I'm guessing" Kelan said and looked out the window.

My head suddenly began to spin and I felt like throwing up. I didn't think I was that out of shape that a short sprint would make me ill. I could feel Lou and Ella's cooking starting to come up, so I ran into the bathroom and vomited. I could hear Beannca complaining that she had just cleaned it and she hated cleaning the bathroom and she was off bathroom duty. Lou came in and gave me a glass of water and a wash rag.

"Oh...oh my," Lou said as she pulled something from the back of my right arm.

I looked up at her holding a tiny needle with frayed silver feathers on the end.

"What is that?" I asked hanging onto the toilet.

Kelan came in and examined it. "It's a dart." He then gave me a grim look.

"A dart..." I closed my eyes as the room began to spin slightly.

"Help me get her into the truck." Kelan's voice sounded muffled, like I had covered my ears.

"Tell me..." I started to demand, but only threw up in the bucket Lou held in front of me.

My comprehension of everything was coming and going. The next thing I realized was sitting in Kelan's truck speeding down the road.

"Where are we going?" I wasn't sure if he answered me or not because the next thing I saw was Nate. The time that had passed since we left the halfway house felt altered and disoriented.

"What the hell..." I tried to sit up but the room spun too much and was forced back down.

"I hate to say this, but I told you needed protection, and I mean experienced protection." Nate's tone was flat.

"Yeah, you did, now where the hell am I?" I covered my eyes with my hand blocking out the bright lamp and Nate.

"Here, have something to drink first." Nate bumped me on the arm and I took the green glass.

I shook my head handing him back the glass and covered my eyes again.

"It isn't a social drink VanHaven, it's something Barnabus wanted you to have when you woke up."

I uncover my eyes and looked at Nate. "Barnabus, you mean Barnabus Wynters...the guy that came to your house for dinner?"

"Yes, now take this. I'm tired of holding it." I took it and looked at the clear liquid.

"What is it?" I asked as Nate stood up.

"It's something to counteract the poison." He looked at me motioning with his hand to drink. I only looked back at him. "Just drink it."

"Please do or I won't be able to control the poison." Nate stepped aside as a tall man dressed in black with salt and pepper hair gazed down at me. "Trust me, it's in your best interest Abigail VanHaven." His emerald green eyes flashed at me.

I looked at the water-like liquid smelling it first, then closing my eyes I drank it in one tip of my head. I sat the glass down with the aftertaste of peppermint in my mouth.

"There, like a good young lady." The man smiled and came in sitting beside me. "By the way, my name is Barnabus Wynters and you are safe here at my home in Blackwell."

"Blackwell," I said aloud. "My mother mentioned you in her letter." I looked down at the glass as my vision blurred slightly. I blinked it away as my thoughts became slow and almost numb.

"What did the letter say, Abigail?" Barnabus's voice was smooth and calm like the still waters of a lake surrounded by snowcapped mountains.

I looked at him steadily. My will was not my own and internally I screamed to stop. His questions I had to answer and I didn't hold anything back. I couldn't stop my mouth from telling him that my mother mentioned that I could trust him and that I was in danger and to top it off I told him about the safe and that my mother said I knew the combination to it very well.

Finally and only after I spilled my guts, did the compulsion to tell everything wear off. Through my foggy head I could hear Barnabus and Nate talk among themselves.

"She knows the combination, it's in there somewhere." Nate said inches from Barnabus.

"Kelan will have to see if he can retrieve it." Barnabus replied.

I looked at the glass in my hand as my body still weak shook with not only weakness, but anger. I threw the glass towards the wall and it shattered into a spray glass fragments that scattered across the hardwood floor to the black shoes of Barnabus.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed refusing to let my body sway with the dizziness that still had a hold of me. I crossed my arms and glared at the both of them. Barnabus looked surprised, but Nate smirked at me like a spoiled brat.

"What did you do to me?" I demanded.

"That was something to make you a little more agreeable." Nate's voice slightly teased.

"We only acted in your best interest Abigail." Barnabus cut in sounding sincere. "There are many things you don't even know exist that know you do. And they are after you, after what your mother took from Victoria." Barnabus stepped over the pool of glass shards. "I know this is all new to you, but I have to be guaranteed the truth Abigail, any misinformation or lack of information could be disastrous." He sat down beside me. I wanted to get up, but wasn't sure if I could make it to the door. "I knew your mother very well and I can see a lot of her in you." He looked to where the glass had hit the wall. "You have her temper unfortunately, but also you have her strength. You were struck with a highly toxic dart that would've killed a person much bigger than you." I rubbed the back of my arm feeling the soft gauze that had been wrapped around it. "The Circle won't stop. What you have in here," he pointed to his head, "is locked up in your memories and is the only way to get the scepter back into the guardian's hands."

"Is everything alright? I heard glass breaking." Kelan's voice came from behind Nate.

Our eyes met and he smiled at me with relief.

"—just the results of an overreaction...nothing to be alarmed about," Nate kicked at a few pieces.

"I was just informing Abigail here of our situation. And I think we need to let her rest a while." Barnabus got up and went over to the door. "If there's anything you need let me know and I'll come back later."

My eyes shifted from Kelan to Barnabus. Nate had already gone leaving me alone with Kelan.

"Not too long." Barnabus said to Kelan before shutting the door slightly.

I stood up and shut the door completely and looked at Kelan.

"We have to get out of here," I said pacing the floor. "They drugged me Kelan and made me tell them everything." I stood with my feet on the plush rose pattered rug.

"I know." He gazed at me with his blue eyes. "It was truth serum. I made it for you." Kelan confessed.

I stood with a blank expression before looking away. I wasn't sure if I was going to cry, yell or break something glass again.

"I was ordered to Abi, I didn't have a choice. And besides, it was to just relax you." He tried to make it sound innocent.

I shook my head. "Why didn't they just talk to me and ask me? Didn't they think of that?"

"They had to be sure, Abi. It's sort of...a protocol thing. It wasn't meant to harm you."

It didn't hurt me, not physically. It went deeper than that.

"Please go Kelan, I'm tired." I didn't even look at him.

Kelan nodded his head and left with a quiet click of the door. I paced the floor, not sure of what to do. I liked Kelan and understood that he was just following orders, but he put me after that.

I then went over to the door, it wasn't locked. I opened it slightly to see a wood paneled hallway with light sconces glowing softly and illuminating the darkness. If Kelan was with the guardians and the guardians were secretive to me, then I decided I was going to sneak out somehow.

I closed the door again and paced the richly decorated bedroom. The room was all burgundy, creamy white with porcelain knobs on the door and furniture. Crown molding graced the ceiling and the walls were painted an off white. It was a beautiful room and even though I haven't seen the rest of the house, I could tell we were in a large home, if not a mansion of some sort.

There was one large window that was tall and slender and covered in lace curtains. It was dark out, so the only thing I could see was Nate's SUV and the trees and shrubs that marked the driveway and sidewalks. There were no other lights around, so we must be in the country or at least on the outskirts of Balckwell, which wasn't very large town.

I knew when I looked out the window; I was at least on a second level if not third and too high to jump out of the window. That only left one way. The door.

I opened the door just enough to let myself out and crept along the wall until it opened to a staircase that led to another level. Several dark stained doors lined each side of the hallway, which was dark and reminded me of a hotel with the amount of rooms. I then noticed small gold plated plaques on each of the doors with numbers on them. I found it strange, but really didn't care. I just wanted out. I didn't trust Nate, I know my mother said to trust Barnabus, but I didn't know who exactly he was. He wanted to be a guardian I know and he had to comply with what they wanted, but now I wasn't sure if I could trust him and it pained me.

I finally reach a grand staircase covered in plush burgundy carpeting that met with the marbled floors below. Everything was dim which made it easier to not get caught.

I glided down the stairs and tiptoed across the hard floor with a set of large double doors in front of me.

"I can't believe it's this easy." I whispered to myself stretching my hand out to touch the knob when a large hand came from the shadows and latched onto my wrist.

"It isn't that easy, VanHaven. Guardians have been around for a while; we know all the tricks in the book." Nate smiled at me as I kicked him in the shin with my foot.

He let go of my wrist and with clenched fist I punched him as hard as I could in the throat. I looked at him in surprise at what I had done. I heard him gasp for air as I flung the door open and bee lined for his SUV.

I couldn't believe it; the keys were still in the ignition. Seriously, were they planning on me escaping or underestimated me? I turned the motor, put it in gear to back up and hit something with a thud. I didn't care as I put it into drive and took out a few rose bushes as I left. I didn't bother looking in the rearview mirror as I headed back to the halfway house.

I wasn't exactly sure how to get back to Minton, but with a little backtracking, I finally made it as the sun was coming up.
Chapter Seven

Roan was outside watering his plants when I pulled up. I got out as my head spun slightly and I steadied myself before heading towards him.

"Abi," he said with surprise. "I thought you were with the guardians. What happened? We were worried about you."

"I escaped from them. I...I don't know if I can trust them. Nate was there and I know I don't trust him and they drugged me to tell them the truth."

"Freakin' guardians. Good to screw first before they screw you." Beannca came out of the door all dressed in yellow. "Miss us did ya?"

"Roan, I don't know what to do. Is Lou here?" I asked ignoring Beannca.

"She went to get her baby." He motioned for me to go inside.

"Her baby?" I questioned.

The sound of a motor rumbling came from behind me. I turned to see Lou getting off a black motorcycle.

"Her baby." Beannca nudged my shoulder looking at the motorcycle then at me and smiled.

"Abi," Lou said after she took off her helmet. "Is everything o.k.?"

"No, it isn't. Can we go inside?"

I sat down on the couch and tilted my head back on the cushion.

"We were worried about you, Abi. You were poisoned by a dart and Kelan thought it might be Circle members after you." Lou sat beside me and gave me a glass of water.

"Where is Kelan anyhow? Why isn't he with you?" Roan asked.

I took a sip as they all encircled me like hungry wolves waiting to devour what I knew. "Kelan is in Blackwood with Nate and Barnabus. I...had to leave in a hurry. They drugged me with truth serum that Kelan made and forced me to tell them what I knew."

There was a pause of silence with exchanged looks of confusion. "Is that it?" Beannca asked shaking her head.

"Isn't that enough? They could've just asked or talked to me instead of secretly drugging me."

"I can understand that you're upset, but I do know that's one of the ways of the guardians." Roan shrugged his shoulders. "Like a rule or..." He looked up at the ceiling trying to find the right word.

"Protocol, that's what Kelan called it," I finally said.

"It isn't right what they do. Going unchecked they can do whatever they please to whomever they want." Ella stood behind me with her cheeks turning a brighter pink then going pale again. "Abi did right leaving that inhospitable place. Kelan should know better."

"Yes, Ella, but he wants to be a guardian. He has to play by the rules." Roan looked at her.

Ella's lips tightened and her skin purged with many colors all racing just under her skin. "Guardians, shmardians...I don't care." Ella stood straighter if that was possible from perfect posture. "Don't you think it's about time that things change? Their ways are obsolete."

"I'll have to agree with fancy pants here, they're not up to current times." Beannca chimed in pointing at Ella with her thumb.

"Thank you Beannca," Ella said with a nod.

Silence filled the room again and I let out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here. I've tried Grace's phone so many times and...I don't have anyone to turn to. But...if you want me to leave, I will, I don't want to get you guys in trouble." I stated as sincere as I felt it.

"Well, I'm already looking at another year in rehab and possibly book time if I'm not careful," Beannca said casually. "But this is for a good cause and...I like you librarian, there's something about you that I like. So, I'm in because it's been way too boring around here lately." Beannca's large eyes scanned everyone else's.

"I'm in because I think guardians have had their heads in the sand and ass's in the air for too long," Ella bluntly said.

"Think about what you're saying." Roan stepped around so he was in front of us. He pushed his long bangs from his eyes leaving a dirt smudge across his forehead. "Everything that we have worked for is at stake." He looked at me. "Abi, I like you, but I think you need to go back to the guardians. They're the ones that can help you, not a bunch of benefactors." His eyes shifted to the rest of the group.

"Well, I guess that means tinkerbell here is out," Beannca said crossing her arms.

"You're not listening..." Roan waved his hands in front of him.

Lou then stepped beside him putting her hand on Roan's shoulder and then nodded as he stepped back. I didn't have to ask who the lead benefactor was here, everyone looked up to Lou.

"I understand Roan's concerns, but at the same time I see flaws with the guardians." Lou took in a deep breath. "I think what we have to see here is what is all involved. We are familiar with the Circle—all of us." Everyone nodded as Lou met with everyone's eyes. "It may not be right in the rules and regulation book, but I think we need to help Abi." Lou smiled slightly at me.

"You want to risk everything?" Roan turned to Lou.

Lou looked at him before she spoke. "When you risked going into the Shadowlands, did you think about rules and regulations set up by someone who doesn't understand your world but wants to rule it?"

Roan looked away biting his lower lip. His eyes darkened and became a dead serious as he took a deep breath and then cleared his throat. "You're right. It's high time we made our stand instead of following the rules." He then looked towards the window and walked over to it. "It's time for this world to see what a gnome is made of."

Everyone was bursting with excitement as if it had been bottled up inside of them just waiting for an excuse to get out. I wasn't sure what to expect or what our plan of action was going to be, but the benefactors seemed to be thrilled that there would be one. I hope they didn't expect me to come up with a master plan.

I sat on the couch as everyone scattered. Their voices echoed, but I didn't listen as I held my phone in my hands. I had just tried calling Grace again when Kelan tried calling me.

I held my finger over the answer button, I hesitated. I didn't want to talk to him. I know he was just doing what he was told and maybe they meant no harm and maybe I was overreacting, but I didn't care. In my book it wasn't right. I ignored the call just as my phone went off again, this time it was Grace.

I couldn't answer it fast enough and cradled the phone so I wouldn't drop it in my shaking hands.

"Grace! Where are you? Are you o.k.?" I asked in my frantic voice.

"Abi, slow down, I'm fine," she said almost laughing. "I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, but the guardians have me in hiding and I'm going to have to make this quick because I don't have much phone time. Are you with the guardians right now?" I could feel the palms of my hands sweat.

"No, but I..."

"Then get Kelan to take you to Barnabus. He knows where I'm at." I could hear voices in the background. "This is important Abi, I've got to go." Her voice trailed off to an abrupt click of the phone shutting.

"Grace...Grace," I repeated her name and looked at my phone. She had hung up.

I could feel myself tremble as I looked at my phone.

"Abigail, dear, is everything alright?' Ella came in holding a teacup.

"No it isn't." I stated plainly. "Grace, she just called me."

"Well is she alright? Where is she?" Ella sat down with her nearly perfect posture. I immediately straightened as I sat next to her.

"She's in hiding." The rest of the benefactors came in shortly after Ella sat down.

"Where is she at?" Roan asked.

"I don't know, but she said to have Kelan take me to Barnabus." I rolled my phone in my hands and flipped it open to Kelan's number.

"You should listen to her. Grace is wise and her I know you can trust," Roan said confidently as he shook his head.

My phone again went off. Kelan was at the other end. I looked at all of them as they nodded for me to pick it up.

"Kelan," I said just as I put it to my ear.

"Abi, stay where you are!" his voice was shaking and was breaking up. "I'm coming...get...stay...."

"I'm at the halfway house, Kelan—" Static crackled from my phone as I blurted it out hoping he heard me. I shut it and looked at everyone. "He said to stay here."

"I still don't trust guardians." Ella protested. "Sister," she looked over at Lou, "isn't it time we took action?"

"Things can never be the way they were sister." Lou looked at her sister. "Don't you understand? We are not what we once were, we are in this world and...we can't, we simply just can't." Lou emphasized her words.

"Face it, a dog doesn't change its spots," Ella said with a raise of her eyebrow.

"That's a leopard, not a dog. I think you're thinking of the saying 'you can't teach old dogs new tricks.'" Roan stepped in between them and corrected Ella who didn't pay attention to him.

"You can't change who we are, Lou Hummingbird." Ella stepped closer to her sister. "Don't you remember what it felt like to have our full power? Not some watered down version that only satisfies our cravings for seconds of each day. Yes, we can move furniture and make the vacuum cleaner run itself, but what about what we had and you know where it's at."

Lou for once grew pale and bit her lip walking away. I looked at Ella who tenderly gazed at her sister.

"It could be the death of us." Lou stood looking out the window with her hands on her hips.

"We're going to die anyway." Ella went to her sister and stood beside her.

I looked over at Roan who was tearing up. "Oh, just do it, for old-times-sake. I hate to see you guys in such a tender moment because...."

"You're emotional aren't you?" Beannca stood beside him holding a tissue box.

"It's a downfall of the gnome race." Roan blew his large nose that sounded like a horn going off. Beannca just wrinkled her nose at him.

"Well, what's it going to be, witches or no witches?" Beannca asked as both Ella and Lou turned around and faced us.

Lou looked at her sister then back at us resting her eyes on me. She smiled holding onto Ella's hand. "If I'm going to live a mortal life I'd rather live an exciting one than a boring one."

"The magic is ours, not theirs." Ella looked at Lou.

"Then you better acquire some pretty quick." Roan pointed out the window as a car sparkling like grey topaz stopped in front of the house.

"Beannca, please tell me it's someone that you've been messing around with." Lou looked back at her with worried eyes.

Beannca watched as the door opened on the driver's side and a blonde haired woman stepped out dressed in a black skirt and jacket wearing sunglasses.

"Danielle," Beannca said in a questioning voice. "I don't know..." She stopped as the other door opened and my mouth dropped to see another woman get out with hair hanging like a sheet of brown silk. Her red lips curled into a smile as she looked at the halfway house. My mouth dropped even farther and I stepped back looking at Jenna.

"She's...I mean...that's my cousin Jenna." I proclaimed finally.

"Your cousin?" Ella questioned. "What's she doing with a siren?"

The door burst open and both of the black clad women stalked in like runway models with spiky high heels that could double as weapons. Jenna followed Danielle with their footsteps echoing like a warning. Danielle stood tall and gazed at all of us like we were inferior to her. Jenna only followed her lead.

"Danielle, what are you doing here?" Beannca asked stepping in front of her.

"Move aside siren. My quam isn't with you." Danielle folded her arms and then motioned with her middle and index finger pinched together at Beannca. She then waved them back and forth looking casually at Beannca then at the window.

Suddenly, Beannca was thrown towards the window like she was a rag doll being tossed around by a spoiled brat. Glass shattered into fragments as Beannca went through the window screaming.

"She's a witch!" Ella yelled through clenched teeth.

Danielle tilted her head to the side with an amused look. "Witch," she seemed surprised. "Oh, I'm much worse darling."

Lou waved her hands through the air in twirling motions as the colorful plates that hung on the wall shook coming to life and then cut through the air aiming towards Danielle.

She ducked along with Jenna and the plates flew over their heads crashing into the wall behind them like confetti. Danielle sprung up flipping back her hair with her hand. I watched her as her eyes changed from hazel to nearly black and her already white-blonde hair turned to pure white.

Crouching, she tilted her head towards me and snarled with gleaming pointed teeth. She had an animalistic beauty to her that I couldn't help to stare at. With her onyx eyes, so black that the pupil blended in with the darkness, Danielle deepened her snarl like a rabid animal.

I stepped back falling over the coffee table as Roan tried to stop her only to be thrown several feet backwards with a push from Danielle's delicate hand. I hit the floor hard as Danielle pounced on me but was quickly pulled away by the hand of Donavan.

"Get her out of here!" Donavan yelled holding down the white and black Danielle who frothed at the mouth. She wasn't the pretty girl I had caught having sex with Nate. She was something else, something indescribable. Danielle was a monster with claws and teeth and venom and she was after me.

In my stupor of awe, I didn't even realize that Lou had grabbed my wrist and was dragging me out the door towards her motorcycle.

"Get on the back and hang on!" Lou yelled kick starting her motorcycle.

It took off and I quickly latched onto her as we gained speed. Gravel spun under our tires and all I could hope for was to not slam into an oncoming vehicle. I closed my eyes blocking them from the wind as Lou's cape curled around me.

Suddenly, I felt weightlessness and the road smoothed to where I could feel no bumps. Slowly I opened my eyes to see the road we were on was nothing but a tiny ribbon of grey-white curling through the lush green trees several feet below us.

"Lou!" I yelled clutching onto her.

She laughed slightly. "Great isn't it?"

"We're flying!"

"Yes, we are and it's much better than a broom, don't you think?" She chuckled as we dipped down.

"Where are we going?"

"To a safe place," she yelled back as the countryside passed beneath us and all I could hear was the wind rushing past me.

Cities, towns, pastures and fields of growing crops of beans and corn came and went until the landscape changed into roads, train tracks and tall buildings. We hadn't been traveling for very long, or at least I thought because there were no cities this big anywhere near Minton.

Cars bumper to bumper traveled on the roads that led to the tall buildings like arteries and veins to a heart.

"What is this town?" I asked Lou.

"Chicago, my dear, hang on! We're landing!" I hung on as the air pulled on my hair and pushed on me nearly taking my breath away.

Buildings flashed by as we came closer and I thought surely someone would see us. A motorcycle in the air with an old lady and a red headed girl riding it isn't a normal sight or possible by the laws of physics.

Glass, metal and brick buildings went by us like different trees in a forest. Lou descended rapidly slowing the motor and gracefully landed on the slick black street right behind a cab. Cars were around us, people went this way and that and the air smelled of exhaust fumes and hot metal. I gazed around waiting for someone to point at us. No one did, it was like we were just another motorist among a river of vehicles.

"Lou," I asked meekly.

"Uh huh," she leaned back slightly as the light turned green and off we went.

I tilted backwards then steadied myself, not ready for the sudden take off. "No one is noticing us."

"Do we really want them to?" she asked with a slight chuckle.

"Well, no...I guess not. But I mean is that no one seen us." Lou turned the corner sharp as a horn blared at us and Lou mumbled something I couldn't understand.

"It's magic my dear mixed with a little illusion. Otherwise, we would be making the Chicago Tribune."

I had never been to Chicago and didn't know what building was what. They were all tall, like giants of stone and mortar and metal. I felt like a tiny ant among them and through the maze of streetlights, zooming cars and rivers of people we sat in front of a large building with an arched entry with the name "Fisher Building" carved from the stone. Above that were two cherubs holding a wreath that had what looked like a fish in the center. That made sense since it was called the Fisher Building.

"343 South Dearborn Street." Lou got off the motorcycle as we stood looking at the building. She let out a sigh and then smiled like she was greeting an old friend. "The Green Man lives here."

"You mean the wall sculpture you had hanging above your fireplace?" I asked remembering the metal face with the wild hair and vacant eyes.

"That piece of art doesn't do him justice. I bought it a long time ago from someone who was just learning to do metalwork. I bought it to make them feel good." Lou's eyes twinkled and she shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

"So what do we do now?" I asked as someone came up behind us.

"You can't park that here." A man with a suit and tie on said to us as he passed by and went in the building looking at Lou and then motioning with his hands before the door swallowed him.

"Guardians," she shook her head.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I've been around for a long time, I can smell them." She then cracked her knuckles and then waved her hand over the bike. It dissolved slowly to dust that whipped around curling between me and Lou until she opened her coat pocket. Every last bit of it went inside her pocket and she patted it with a smile.

"That's my baby." Her voice had the tone a mother would use to encourage a child in a deed well done.

I looked around at the oblivious faces of the people that walked by. It was magic, I knew this and it was Lou's magic.

"What about Victoria and the Circle...what about Jenna..." Lou waved me to stop.

"The Green Man will help us and don't worry, there're four very capable guardians that I'm sure will follow us here."

"But how do you know Lou?" I stopped her.

She smiled at me and then gently pinched my chin between her fingers and smiled. "I've been in worse situations." Lou dropped her hand and stepped away from me. "Come on, the apartment entrance is over here."

I followed her around the corner to a revolving door. She stopped and waited for people to pass through, then she looked both ways and through the glass.

"Hurry, we don't want anyone accidentally coming with us." Lou grabbed my hand just as the door stopped and then started twirling once inside. "Stay close to me and don't move." She instructed.

I wasn't sure if this was going to be something like her motorcycle and we would be propelled through the air or suddenly drop down into the earth. Everything became black with only a few seconds of flickering lights. I could see only fragments of where we had stood outside and people still walked by as though nothing was happening until the blackness swallowed the outside and a humming sound vibrated through me. We were accelerating upwards—very quickly. Maybe we would shoot right out the top of the building which looked to be about twenty stories high.

The elevator, or whatever it was, stopped suddenly with a jerk and a pleasant ding as a door slid open. I cautiously stepped out following Lou who appeared very comfortable with what had just happened.

"I'm not sure what apartment he is in right now." She looked down each hallway that went to our right and then our left. My vision blurred from the length of it that looked like it went on for infinity.

"What floor are we on?" I asked looking up at the depthless blue ceiling that hovered overhead and twinkled with tiny lights and then faded into the cream colored marble that was etched in gold. Everything was bathed in light that shifted from gold to greenish in color. I felt like I had walked into a jewelry box, a jewelry box of a queen. Small niches held sculptures of fishes, mermaids and other sea creatures that had a mystic quality to them and the more I looked at them, the more I thought they were staring back at me.

Lou started to walk down a hallway and then stopped, second guessing herself. She turned to me about to speak, when the sound of someone laughing echoed, bouncing off the marble walls.

It was a musical voice that curled around my ears in a pleasant tone almost like it was getting ready to sing. It was followed by another voice saying something in a whisper. I moved closer to it hoping to see who it was.

"Ah, girls," Lou said as I turned around. "Do you know what apartment The Green Man is in?"

I stood a distance away taking in their appearance. They were both the same height as me with long delicate arms and oval shaped faces. One had blonde hair with what looked like gold braids intertwined with her curling an uncurling hair that seemed to move by itself. The other one had brown hair with copper colored braids and the same curling hair. Both were dressed in black, tight-fitting pants and a long coat trimmed with velvet and lace with a high collar and short sleeves ending with black lace at their wrists. They both had a hat in their hands. One was adorned with a large rhinestone pin and the other with peacock feathers.

"You mean Jack?" the blonde girl asked as the dark haired girl glanced between me and Lou.

"Jack?' Lou questioned.

"I know who you're talking about and he goes by Jack now." Her voice was as soft as velvet. "He is down that way, apartment 25A."

"Thank you." Lou bowed slightly as the two girls then seemed to levitate just inches off the ground.

They nodded their heads and then moved closer to me. I stepped backwards as they both gazed at me. They parted slightly and suddenly from behind their backs was an explosion of white glitter.

I fell to the ground as they passed by looking at me with wings protruding from their back, just like a butterfly that were clear and caught many different colors as they fluttered past me.

"Sorry," the dark haired one said with a crooked smile.

I watched them go to the center of the marbled lobby and look upward facing one another.

"I can tell I'm putting on weight, I can hardy lift myself up anymore," the blonde one said still looking up.

"Yeah, those cakes are just too good to not eat. We'll have to not come so much—once a month tops," the dark haired one replied.

"Agreed," they said in unison before jumping into the air and being swallowed by the navy blue ceiling and twinkling stars.

I stood up and walked over to where they were. The dark blue ceiling twinkled back at me.

"Come on Abi." Lou's looked at me over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway.

I caught up and walked beside her with her skirt curling around me like an arm. "Those were fairies, right?"

"Those were fairies." Lou confirmed with a sideways glance. "And the tales told about them in the human world don't lie—that's very rare since fabrication is a specialty among the humans. Fairies can be good or bad, helpful or just plain nasty. A lot depends on where they are from and how you treat them." She shook her head. "Fickle little creatures."

"I take it this is a magical apartment then?" I asked guessing my guess was pretty close to the truth.

"No," Lou said. "This is still the Fisher Building but we are on the thirteenth floor. Another superstition that humans created... it's just a number for goodness sake. No numbers are unlucky; remember that, it takes a spell to make something unlucky." She glanced at me with her steady eyes as I nodded my head in remembering what she said.

We stopped only after passing several doors lining the richly decorated hallway to stand in front of apartment 25A.

Lou looked at the number and let out a sigh. "Well, let's see what The Green—I mean Jack is up to."

No sooner had she finished knocking than the door opened to a loud mix of flute-like music, laughing and yelling. I was amazed at how quiet the hallway was compared to the amount of noise that came from the apartment. They must have excellent noise blocking walls and doors.

A dark cloaked man stood in front of us. His face was shrouded in shadows as his head stiffly moved from me to Lou.

"Invitations," he asked holding out his hand.

I looked at Lou and her at me.

"Invitation..." Lou's voice was almost lost in the noise from the party.

"Lou, is that you?" A man about the same height as Lou wearing a royal blue velvet pants and jacket stood pulling back his sequined mask revealing tan skin with rounded cheeks and hair that looked like it couldn't decide what color to be, so it grew in all shades and in clumps like each shade was fighting for a territory on his head. "It's alright, their invitation is a verbal one." The cloaked figure stepped aside nearly melting into the wall behind the door. "Please, come in and join my party!" He flew his hands into the air and stepped back.

The apartment was full of people or, actually, I guess that's what I would call them. There were fairies, just like the ones I saw in the hallway. Now I could see their wings folded neatly behind them and flickering with the disco ball that hung over head. There were cloaked figures all in black that hung along the wall clinging to the shadows in groups and then there were several with brightly colored hair of blues, greens, oranges—it reminded me of a box of crayons. Most were dressed in long coats etched with lace and several hats some were wide brimmed with feathers and others were like Kelan's top hat. They sat neatly on the long dining table that looked like it could seat thirty.

"It has been way too long since I last spoke to you. That was in France, right... in front of the Louvre." He stood in front of her placing both of his hands on her arms.

"Yes, I do believe it was." Her voice was sweet and rung with the happiness of a distant memory.

They stood facing one another with his hand in hers. He gently kissed it as her cheeks flushed.

"Those were good days—days before I was confined to a stone forest with hardly any trees—I mean hardly any trees." The man looked from me to Lou. "Don't get me wrong, I like what the guardians have done for me, but I belong with trees and streams and...well, the flora and the fauna!" He nearly jumped up and down.

"I miss those days too." Lou confided in him. "So, you go by the name Jack." He rolled his eyes.

"Who came up with that name?" He shook his head. "I'm The Green Man for goodness sakes!" Jack motioned to himself. "It's all for safety reasons and rules and...it's something that the guardians just plainly wanted me to do. It was an agreement and I agreed to it, so therefore I have no choice but to agree." He continued shaking his head as the music changed from slow to fast.

All the guests intermingled into a kaleidoscope of colors mixing with glitter that seemed to float throughout the air.

Jack waved his hand through the air swishing at the fine dust. "Fairies do sweat a lot. I'm going to have to have the cleaning lady come an extra day this week." He nearly hit me with his bony hand. I flinched back and accidently bumped into one of the cloaked figures. I stepped out of the way letting the figure pass. Jack smiled as the glitter started to swirl around him again.

"And who do we have here? I don't believe I've met you before, though," he placed his finger to his mouth and tapped his lip "though you look familiar."

I started to answer when I noticed his eyes. The iris of them shifted from green to blue to aqua. The colors melted almost reminding me of the ocean with the varying depths of blues and greens.

"This is Abigail VanHaven. She's the daughter of Emma VanHaven." Lou motioned to me.

"Ah, a librarian as herself to a costume party," Jack looked up and down at me. "You're not in your social attire." Jack pointed out as we passed through the dancing crowd wearing clothes made of lace and velvet reminding me of Victorian style clothing. "But that's alright." He put his lanky arm around me. "I never thought I would meet the daughter of my once neighbor."

"Wait," I said stopping in the middle of the dance floor with several couples twirling around us. "My mother was your neighbor."

He shook his head and grinned. "Yes," he said in his animated voice. "And I'm tired of watching it...I'm sooo glad you came to relieve me of it." Jack walked over to a long bar and I followed right behind him. "But first Miss VanHaven, I must attend to my party. I would be a bad host if I parted right in the middle of it."

Lou motioned to Jack to wait for her and then turned to me. "Abi, we will be fine here. This place is secure it has been for a long time. I've already contacted Ella and they are on their way here and have your cousin, Jenna, in custody. We are to stay here."

"But what about Victoria?" I whispered her name.

Lou forced a smile and put her hand on my shoulder. "This place is secure...and soon, we'll have the scepter. Jack is a little different than most and if we are to get the scepter then we have to play by his rules. Believe me, it's much easier that way."

"Come along darling we have guests to entertain." Jack pulled at her hand.

"Don't worry my little librarian, all good things come to those who play their cards right." He then winked at me and gave me a glass of champagne.

"Don't you mean all good things come to those who wait?" I tried to correct him.

"No," he said flatly. "Those who wait usually get nothing because they are waiting—you have to play the game well to get what you want!"

Lou took him into the crowd of colorful people that danced and swirled with glitter filling the room like tiny flecks of snow. I looked at the pink liquid in my glass. I could only guess it was champagne, but really wasn't sure. I swirled it around as tiny bubbles exploded expelling something shimmering that floated in the liquid.

"What you have in your hand is called Nectar. It really is good and...with no distasteful after effects of mortal liquors." I looked to see a boy about my age standing beside me dressed in a long grey coat with velvet trim. He was taller than me with soft hazel eyes and wavy hair that was a light brown verging on a dark blonde. He put his own glass to his lips and took a sip looking at me the whole time. "See, I didn't turn into anything unnatural."

I then looked at my glass and then at him.

"My name is Benjamin, by the way. I don't believe I've seen you around before." His voice was so charming it made goose bumps on my arms.

"No, I've never been here before." I managed to say still entranced by him.

"I see your friends with Louetta Hummingbird." I looked around the room for her and then back at Benjamin.

"I should probably be finding her," I said wanting to and not wanting to get away from Benjamin.

"But first tell me your name." He caught me by my arm. "That is, if you don't mind. I like to meet who Jack has at his parties."

I looked at him for a moment. "Abigail," I said my full first name.

"Nice to have you here on my floor," said Benjamin with a nod, smile and then clanked his glass to mine. The sound rung like a bell that reverberated through the gliterized air.

"So do you live here?" Benjamin started to intrigue me.

"Yes," he replied. "And now a question for me if you don't mind," he said pulling two bar stools out.

He motioned for me to sit and hesitantly I joined him not knowing what else to do. I didn't really want to play the question and answer game, but I don't think I was going to get anywhere with Jack either. He smiled at me obviously thinking of a good question.

"What's your last name?"

"VanHaven," I answered quickly. "My turn."

"Lou said this is the thirtieth floor and mortals don't know it exists, so how can it be here and no one knows about it?" Maybe I could learn more talking to him than chasing Lou down.

"Good question." He nodded his head. "Magic," he smiled crookedly at his vague answer. I guess I would have to be a little more detailed in my questions, but two can play at that.

"My turn again." Benjamin gazed at me with his hazel eyes. "What brings you here without a written invitation and not wearing any costume or at least your official uniform, especially since very few librarians and guardians respond to Jack's invitations?"

I could feel my face flush as I scanned the crowd for Lou and then back at Benjamin who smiled waiting for my answer. "Spur of the moment and had nothing better to do."

"Glad you could come then, Miss VanHaven."

"I think it's my turn for a question." He nodded his head and looked amused at the game we were playing.

"What is your last name and why do you live on the thirtieth floor?"

"That's two questions and I will answer the first one you asked. My last name is Atwood." He looked at me like it should mean something to me, but it didn't. He could've said his last name was Smith and he would've got the same reaction.

"Shall we go on with the questions?" he asked and I nodded my head.

"Do you have any relation to the VanHaven's that lived here before?" His eyes turned inquisitive and almost hard.

"I'm not sure." I answered truthfully just as my phone buzzed. I looked at Benjamin and he nodded for me to take it.

"Kelan, where are you at?" I stood up and went over to the large window that opened to the city around me.

"Just about there. Are you o.k.?" His voice was filled with concern.

"Yes, I'm with Lou we are..."

"I know where you're at and we're just about there," Kelan said quickly. "Stay close to Lou and I'll be there soon."

Kelan hung up and I shut my phone looking up at Benjamin.

"Boyfriend?" He took a sip of Nectar not taking his eyes from me.

"No. He's a guardian." I could feel my cheeks flush.

"Ah, I see." He stood up. "Shall we," he said motioning to the dance floor.

"I'm sorry I don't..."

Benjamin didn't say a word only smiled and took me by the hand. "Nonsense. Dance is life set to music. It's something in us all." His words pulled on me, drawing me in while my mind protested; my heart was too curious of him. "Come and let me lead the way for you."

His touch was warm and tingled with electricity. We stood a few inches apart with his hand on my waist and holding onto my other hand. His mesmerizing eyes smiled back at me. We moved slowly to the music set to a woman's voice singing. I didn't pay attention to the lyrics, but it sounded romantic—like it told a story of two souls that finally found one another.

Slowly we made our way to the center of the dance floor. Fairies, the wild colored hair people, tall and short people all moved to the same rhythm. I felt as one with everyone, like nothing else mattered and I had entered a different time a different place...

"Abi," a voice said behind me.

With stars slowly fading from my eyes I turned to see Kelan. I stopped dancing and looked at his confused and almost hurt face.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I stood with open mouth quivering as whatever enchantment Benjamin had on me slowly dissolved into reality.
Chapter Eight

"I'm sorry," Benjamin stepped away from me as the music faded into something faster. "I was under the impression that Miss VanHaven didn't have a significant other."

"I don't," I said turning slightly to him and then back at Kelan.

"We need to go Abi, it isn't safe here." Kelan pulled me by the arm.

I pulled it back. "Lou said it was and Jack knows of my mother. He watched her apartment for her. If the scepter is anywhere it's in there and he won't leave his party right away because he doesn't want to be rude to his guests."

Kelan looked from me to Benjamin. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." I know he was second guessing me thinking that my hormones overcame my logic...and maybe it did, just a little.

"Come along Abigail, we don't want to disrupt Jack's party," Barnabus said coming up behind Kelan.

"I would listen to the gentlemen," Benjamin said emphasizing the word gentlemen. "It has been a pleasure Miss VanHaven and I do hope we meet again as you're always welcomed to the Fisher Building." His hand slid down my arm catching my hand in his and slowly lifted it kissing the back of my hand gently with his eyes smiling at me. I've never had a man do that before and now I know why women get that same look of awe mixed with enchantment at the gesture.

Benjamin nodded at the guardians and faded into the crowd. I turned and glared at both of them.

"Victoria is on the loose and we have Jenna—your cousin, in the hallway. Please Miss VanHaven," Barnabus said motioning with his hand towards the door.

I followed and the shadow man that let us in, opened the door for us and shut it quickly blocking every ounce of noise off. The hallway was quiet except for Jenna's voice.

Nate stood in front of her as Donavan held her by her arms.

"And to think...all this time Danielle had you, not you her." Jenna's voice said with amusement as blood ran down her nose. "You thought she was a siren and thought you could use her...like you do everyone else."

I stood a distance away looking at her. She wasn't the polished, confident and mostly arrogant looking person I was used to seeing. Her eyes flashed with fear like a cornered animal. Her normally slick straight hair was tousled like she had never combed it. Jenna looked like an entirely different person altogether.

Nate slapped her across the face.

"Stop it!" I yelled even though I wanted to do that a few times myself.

Jenna lifted her head and smiled at me with the pupils of her eyes so large they nearly took up her entire iris.

"Ah, Abi. Abiabiabiabi." She slurred my name together as fast as she could then began to giggle with evil giddiness. "I thought the scepter was in my stash from great old Aunt K, but I guessed wrong. You have the key and Victoria will come after you." Jenna laughed as she tried to pull away from Donavan's hold. "She killed your mother and she never got to finish the whole job! She's coming after you Abi, right after you open the door."

Kelan pulled me back as she tilted her head back and laughed like she had lost her mind.

"Where's Victoria?" Donavan asked in his stern voice shaking her so hard Jenna's head flopped back and forth. Her long hair curled around her face like it was alive.

Jenna glanced at him and half smiled. "Behind you," she said with a chuckle.

Donavan this time punched her and knocked her out. I tried to step towards her, but Kelan stopped me again.

"Take her to Sanctuary and make sure she doesn't get away." Barnabus commanded stepping beside Nate and Donavan.

Donavan lifted Jenna's limp body and took her down the hallway to the lobby area where the two fairies had disappeared.

"What happened to her?" I asked looking from Nate to Barnabus and then Kelan. "What happened to Jenna?"

"That's what happens when you're a mortal and join the Circle," Nate said without emotion. "She found out about the Circle a long time ago and Victoria posing as Danielle enchanted Jenna. She made her believe she was actually going to share power with Jenna." Nate looked over his shoulder. "That's what happens when you make a deal with Victoria."

I looked away. It was true; Jenna always wanted to be in control of everything. It was always that way, sharing was never her quality and now I guess it cost her more than she could have guessed.

"It's unfortunate for her and I'm sorry for you Abigail, but the scepter is still not in our hands."

"We need to get into the apartment right now." Nate stood beside Barnabus. I looked at him wanting to ask about Meg, but I knew this wasn't the place or time.

"There's a trick to that and...it's still locked up somewhere." Barnabus stepped in front of me and drew in a deep breath. "We must Abigail." I knew what he wanted to do or more like have Kelan do. He wanted to use Kelan's Sight Premonition. I looked away not wanting to gaze into Barnabus's eyes with so many arrays of greens.

"I only want Kelan there when he does it." Barnabus shook his head.

"And me," he said softly. "Both Kelan and I will guide you and the extra set of ears never hurts. We have to get the information straight."

Borrowing a bedroom in Jack's apartment, I sat in a high back chair that was cushioned and covered with yellow and white polka dots. In fact, the whole room reminded me of a circus. Bright colors, elaborate furniture, and a canopy bed covered with long silk panels of material, looked like it was the big top tent.

I sat as Kelan and Barnabus talked quietly to each other looking out the blackened window that only showed my reflection. The music had faded and I could hear Jack say goodnight to each of his guests.

Kelan then pulled up an identical chair and sat in front of me.

"I don't want to do this." I gazed at him knowing that he wasn't going to say I didn't have to.

He smiled and chuckled a little bit. "I promise it won't be like last time."

He took my hand and ran his fingers over mine playing with them. It tickled and soothed me at the same time. His blue eyes then met mine and like a magnet to metal, I couldn't stop him from drawing me in.

I felt the familiar pull at the back of my head and the visions passed like he was thumbing through them himself. I had no control over anything, like I was a leaf at the mercy of a violent stream.

Suddenly things slowed and I could see my mother sitting on the floor. I went up to her.

"Not now Abi," she said with a smile.

"What is that?" I could feel my childish wonderment of everything as I pointed to what was a long pole with a ball of curving metal rods. To me it looked like a tiny jail with a clear bead on top.

"This is something important." She wrapped it up in a white sheet and stood up holding it. I could see her long hair pulled back and dirt smudges on her face.

"Mommy, you have dirt on your face." I smiled at her giggling.

She smiled back and lifted me up. "I'm about as messy as you, aren't I?" Her eyes twinkled and then turned serious. "I have to give you something, Abi. You won't understand now, but when you're older you will need it."

"What is it?" I asked.

She sat me down and then she sat in front of me. "Want to play a clapping game?" I shook my head playfully and she laughed. "Put your hands out with your palms barely touching mine." I did and she smiled at me.

Suddenly a rush of electricity filled me. I screamed wanting to pull away, but couldn't.

"Daddy!" I yelled at the man with the brown hair and vivid green eyes that stood behind my mother. He came towards us only to be stopped by some invisible shield.

"It's o.k. Abi," my mother said in a soothing voice that warmed me like bath water after I had been playing outside all day in the snow.

My body fell limp and I slumped into her arms with the gentle soothing of her humming voice.

I could feel myself being pulled back like a leash had been around me. A blur of visions passed by like racing cars all melting into only flashes of colors and faces. I fell into a cloud of blackness with only the murmur of voices in the distance. I didn't understand them and I didn't want to.

"Abi," Kelan whispered in my ear.

I didn't want to open my eyes, but stay in that one moment where Kelan was close to me. I could feel him gently run his finger along my hairline. I forced my eyes open and looked at him. He smiled still sitting close to me.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I've been better." Gingerly I sat up.

"Do you remember anything?" he asked.

I didn't answer right away. "Well, I did at the time, but now I can't. I do remember getting electrocuted, I think. At least that's what it felt like."

"It wasn't electricity." Barnabus stood in the doorway and stepped inside closing the door behind him. "It was energy, or a spell if you want to call it that, and it was meant for your protection." He sat on the bed looking at me with his green eyes that suddenly filled me with familiarity.

I gazed at him for a moment. "Protection from what, Victoria—"

"No," he said, "protection from the handling of Victoria's scepter." He looked away. "I should've known that's what it was for...I should've told you sooner when I found out..."

I could feel my stomach fill with butterflies and then drop to the floor as goose bumps ran up and down my body. I looked into his green eyes, the only green eyes that had ever mesmerized me and looked at me with love.

"What...what are you saying, Barnabus?" My mouth was dry.

"I knew your mother very well and...I tried to save her that day, but she couldn't be saved. She didn't want to be saved."

"I saw her die." The words were bitter on my tongue. "I saw the blood and the one who is responsible for it."

"Victoria didn't kill her." Barnabus stated flatly. "I did...she wanted me to."

"You—" I started to say as I stared into his sorrowful eyes holding onto the bedpost for leverage.

"She was dying. Victoria didn't give her the satisfaction of death. The poison was slow acting and it would've been weeks before she died. I didn't want to kill her, she begged me to relieve her of the inevitable." Barnabus drew out a long ragged breath. "She did it for you Abigail and she did it for me—I loved her and still do and all I can say is that...I'm sorry for not being there for you, but it's what was for the best. The farther you were away growing up...the better."

"What are you..." I stopped and looked into his green eyes. Those eyes I had looked into as a child. "I saw you."

"Abigail VanHaven, I'm your father." Barnabus came to the conclusion that I only suspected was right.

I turned and sat on the bed hanging onto the bed post and staring into the vivid rug with all the happy, bright colors reflecting back to me.

"Is everything alright—because I seem to keep getting more of your guests at my door." Jack now dressed in a green silk night shirt and matching pants stood crossed armed leaning against the door jamb.

"If everyone would like, I can show you to Emma's apartment so you can all get out of mine." Jack raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I'm sorry, it's late, I'm tired and I've run out of hospitality and I know you've waited long enough...in more ways than one." Jack looked more at me.

We went into the living room that was covered in glitter and littered with streamers, glasses and empty bottles. The magic of the room was gone and all that was left was the stale odor of over perfumed air.

Barnabus kept his distance from me. I was still numbly piecing everything together. Kelan stayed close to me and I could feel his curious gaze mixed with concern. His hand brushed against mine and as if instinct took over, I reached for it curling my fingers through his.

Kelan's head snapped towards me in surprise as I felt the same inside. I didn't look at him only tightened my hold on his hand. He returned the squeeze and I could feel the warmth from his touch. Suddenly, I felt secure like a blanket had been wrapped around me.

"Yes, I think I need to call the cleaning lady right away tomorrow. I would definitely call this an emergency. Wouldn't you my dear?" Jack went over and curled his lanky arms around Lou whose robust figure was full compared to his lankiness.

"I think it's a lost cause—better call in a redecorator." Ella crossed her arms standing in a pool of glitter.

Jack rubbed his forehead and expelled his breath. "I'll be sure to do that next time you come."

"I don't plan on a next time." Ella put her nose in the air.

"Good, then we don't have a problem." Jack clapped his hands. "Welcome everyone else and I know the time here is dire."

"I'm just sorry I missed your party." Roan went through the bottles searching for one that had Nectar in it. "It was a long ride here and unfortunately we can't speed like the guardians can. Otherwise, we would've been here earlier Abi."

I nodded my head as Donavan came through the door followed by a petite woman with long blonde hair. She was dressed in the same black clothes as the rest of the guardians except she had on knee high boots that wrapped around her tiny feet like thick socks.

"The building is secure," Donavan said taking off his sunglasses. I wondered why he wore them in the middle of the night.

"Let's move," Nate said getting up from the bright pink chair in the shape of a daisy. He flipped his phone shut and shoved it in his pocket letting his eyes meet mine for a second.

"Let's go VanHaven." Nate motioned towards the door. "The rest of you benefactors stay here." He turned to the four of them. "You shouldn't even be here in the first place." Nate mumbled under his breath as I followed Kelan out the door.

"I hope no one sees me in my nightwear and I don't think they will this late or early...however you want to look at it." Jack shrugged his shoulders as we stood in front of the door that had a small silver plate screwed to it with the number 24A etched in it. I looked at the doorknob wondering how many times my mother had gone through this same door.

"Here you are," Jack said with a click of the key and a turn of the silver knob.

The door creaked open and I stood looking at the darkness of the room. The only light that came in was from the constant illumination of Chicago and its buildings. A musty smell rolled out like a fog as I stood at the threshold.

"You can go in, you don't need me." Jack put his fingers to his chest. "I only go in to check the heat and toilet...or actually I send my cleaning lady and she was just in here. Emma hasn't lived here in about twenty years, but she owns it and being the good neighbor, I watched it for her and now with you here I assume it's all yours." He smiled and then started to walk away. "I would be a better guide, but I'm exhausted and it seems I've got four of your guests in my apartment to tend to."

"I'll go in with you," Kelan said coming to my side.

"Very romantic...you young guardian." Jack chuckled walking away shaking his head. "Please don't bother me unless you absolutely have to—I'm tired...need my beauty rest." His voice echoed followed by a click of the door.

"Let us go in first." Donavan grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him. "Kelan you guard her and the rest of us will go in to make sure it's clear." Donavan nodded for the blonde girl to go in followed by Nate and Barnabus.

I stood close to Kelan as the four guardians scattered like spiders in the apartment. It didn't take them long and Donavan motioned for us to go in.

I wasn't sure what to expect after twenty years of no one living here. The dry air was stagnating and void of any smells. There wasn't any furniture, appliances in the kitchen and a bare light bulb that glared down at us. I looked up at the tall ceiling that was the same stamped metal ceiling that was in Jack's apartment. Hardwood floors gave way to tile in the kitchen.

"You said she probably had it secured somewhere, but where?" The blonde haired girl asked.

I pulled on Kelan's arm. "Who is that?"

Kelan started to lower his head to my ear when the girl stopped and looked over her shoulder at me.

"I should've introduced myself. Sorry about that with everything going on I forgot and I can proudly say that I get my guardian manners from Donavan here," she said with a snicker from Donavan as he paced the floor nearly blending in with the darkness. "My name is Sage Greene and it's a pleasure to serve you Abigail VanHaven."

"You know my name," I said surprised even though I knew she probably knew more about me than I did myself.

"Yeah, Donavan filled me in on everything. I'm sort of his partner-in-crime on top secret cases." Her gold hair caught what little light the lonely bulb gave off. Her delicate lips curled upward and she held out her thin hand greeting me in a handshake. To me she didn't appear she should be a guardian—Sage was simply too little and fragile looking. But I'm sure Donavan wouldn't let someone incapable of taking care of themselves tag along.

"Aren't you supposed to be working instead of socializing then?" Donavan's eyes reflected the light like a cat eyes would. I stepped back looking at him as he fixed his gaze on me.

"Yes, I'm going to check the back rooms." Sage's footsteps were as silent as the room itself as she faded into the shadows with a small flashlight in hand.

Donavan came closer to me with his inquisitive cat-like eyes. "Do I frighten you Miss VanHaven?" That question brought everyone's eyes on me.

"I don't think you frighten her. She just doesn't know what you are." Barnabus came closer to me cautiously as if he was still unsure of our newly found father-daughter relationship.

Donavan tilted his head to the side. "I'm what you call a sylph guardian." He stood in front of me and paused acting like I knew what he meant. I shook my head. "My kind is called many names by the idiotic humans: wind people, angels, and now most recently, men-in-black. And Lucy, Gwen's door keeper, calls me by an ancient name—hollowman." His voice was cool and informational without any emotion. "I prefer to be included as a guardian, since we serve the treelords and always have. That's it Abigail, there is no mystery to me as much as you think."

I looked up at him with his flickering eyes. Lucy said he came from the shadows and I could believe that since he seemed to be a shadow himself. I started to ask him about what Lucy meant when she said he came from the shadows when Sage's flashlight caught everyone's attention.

"Hey, I found something—in the bedroom." Sage peeked behind the wall shining her flashlight on the ground.

Donavan's eyes shifted with the light as he slightly smiled at me and turned fading into darkness.
Chapter Nine

The bedroom was as stark as the rest of the apartment. It had the potential of being a beautiful room though with its high ceiling and hardwood floor. Everything had a charm to it and as I walked through it, a distant familiarity.

"I almost didn't see it." Sage pointed her flashlight to a small niche alongside the wall. "The mural has a small keyhole." Sage stood with her light focused on the painting of a mother and daughter.

The mother was dressed in a long dress and had her hair pulled up in a neat bun while her daughter sat in a wash basin. She tenderly looked at her child. The moment caught with paint, made me feel like I had walked in on them. I knew the painting well as it was from one of my favorite artists.

"It's a Mary Cassett." I announced with all eyes turned to me. "She did a lot of mother and child paintings." I continued with my art appreciation lesson.

"Do you have the key to open it?" Nate asked stepping in front of me.

I felt my arms go numb. "No, it's back in Minton."

Nate ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh as he glared at me. I crossed my arms and returned his glare. With everything that has happened, how can it be my entire fault? I felt that it was though. My mother gave it to me and told me it opened a safe that I still don't know the combination to.

"Check your pocket." Donavan stood beside the Cassett mural with Sage on the other side. Both of them looked at me.

I hesitantly reached into my jean jacket pocket and felt something small and metallic. I looked over at Kelan with a confused look as I pulled out the small key that was in my mother's box.

"I didn't put it in there...I know I didn't. It was in the box back at the halfway house. How..."

"Magic, or more like a spell of connection," Lou said behind us.

"Benefactor, this is no concern of yours." Donavan stepped in front of her. His dark form loomed over her, but Lou stood her ground looking up at him with a stone face.

"There are magical elements here. I can be of use." Lou stared steadily at him. "You may have some knowledge, but you can't control what's coming."

Donavan drew in a deep breath and shifted his weight.

"Wait, Donavan, she might be of use," Sage casually said as he looked back at her with his eyes returning to normal.

They stared at each other for a moment as if they were having a conversation silently among themselves.

"You're right," Donavan finally said before turning back to Lou. "You stay, but I'm not responsible for you or any action that will likely be taken by your reviewer."

Lou smiled. "It was her idea," Lou said with a smile as Grace stepped in behind her.

"Grace!" I yelled a little too loud and ran to her wrapping my arms around her.

"It's good to see you too." Grace squeezed me tight.

"This isn't a reunion—the key." Donavan flashed his cat eyes at me and briskly pointed at the mural.

I tightened the grip on the key and walked over to it. The painting was beautiful and I couldn't help but to wonder if I had any tender moments like this with my mom.

"The key Abigail," Baranbus prompted from behind me.

I slipped the key in the lock and turned it. It sighed with a click and opened upon me removing my hand. A pink light flickered inside the safe and I jumped back into Donavan. He gave me a scowl and shoved me back towards the safe.

"We can't touch what's inside there. You have the protection spell in you Abigail...that's the way your mother wanted it and her intensions." Barnabus gazed at me from the doorway. I looked back at him then at Lou and Kelan.

Inside and illuminated in a pinkish glow was another box. I pulled it out and held it in my palm. It was a metal box, pewter, maybe and inscribed with overlapping swirls that covered it entirely. On top was a small dial pointing to different symbols. Whatever it contained couldn't be opened without the combination, and that was still a mystery to me.

"I've no idea how to open it." I looked at Donavan who looked at me with slit eyes and crossed his arms. I know that wasn't an acceptable excuse with him, but what was I supposed to do?

"Think Abi, think of what was important to her." Barnabus came in and pushed past Nate and Donavan until he stood in front of me. "You—you are important to her." He slightly smiled.

I looked at the box and then at him.

"It's a fairy box. These are symbols for times of the year." Barnabus looked up at me.

I thought of my mother's letter. She said I knew it well and I was the most important thing to her that she died for my safety.

"It's a day, Abigail...the day that transformed her life...and mine as well." Barnabus added.

"My birthday," I said meekly. It was clear to me now and certainly a number I would never forget. "I was born May 18th."

Barnabus smiled and looked at the dial. "The sign of the Minotaur and also spring. Turn the dial to the U shape." I did and it made a click. "Good, now turn it to the one that looks like an upside down V with curls at the bottom." Again, another click only this time it was louder. "Now," he rubbed his chin. "You are female; turn it to the circle with the line through it." This time there was no click, but a thin silver needle that popped out of the top.

I nearly dropped it in surprise and would have if Barnabus didn't grab onto my shaking hand. Our eyes met and locked for a moment with his hand holding mine which cradled the box.

"I could smell it all the way to the lobby." From the shadows a voice came. "I believe that belongs to me little one." Victoria in all her blackness contrasting with whiteness, smiled at me.

Victoria like lightning flicked her hand towards Sage freezing her where she stood. Victoria smiled as Sage's body slowly crackled until greyness filled her image. She looked like a stone statue and Victoria ran her fingers over her cheek.

"Simply beautiful and a wonderful addition to my garden," she said with another quick flick of her fingers.

"Witch!" Donavan hissed as the rest of the guardians pulled weapons from their belts.

Barnabus took the box quickly in his hand and turned it over stabbing me with the needle. I screamed as he dropped the box and it shattered on the floor. I looked at Barnabus with half scared half questioning eyes as I could feel my body turn as cold as ice.

"It will protect you." Barnabus looked at me holding out his hand that held the box for only a second. It was burned with the impression of the scrolling design of the box.

Barnabus then turned let out a growl and threw his knife at Victoria. She stood passively where she was turning the throwing weapons into stone until all that was left was the guardians themselves. She smiled and pointed at them one by one with her gloved hand turning them into pouncing stone statues. Even Nate and his super human quickness wasn't a match for Victoria. I stood helplessly looking at Kelan.

"Get the staff," he said looking at the safe then back at me with his skin slowly turning grey.

"Kelan!" I yelled but it was too late.

Lou stood in front of me and pointed her finger at Victoria. "Leave her be!"

I looked at Kelan with his eyes still locked with mine. Something rolled in the pit of my stomach. It was fear mixed with hatred. My blood was no longer ice, but molten lava and it burned my insides as I looked at Victoria playfully blowing on her fingers.

"I'm not going to do that." Victoria gazed at Lou giving me time to look in the safe.

I reached inside not knowing what I would pull out. Donavan had said it was in a book and a book is what I pulled out.

"Open it!" Lou yelled as a ball of light came from her hand and exploded in front of Victoria.

I sat on the ground flipped open the black, leather bound book. There were no pages but a white misty void that gleamed with something gold just under the mist's surface. It reminded me of the fishing lures that Aunt Kathleen had that would flicker the sunlight when she would reel in her line to discover the fish had ate her bait.

Not sure what to do, I stuck my hand into the book. Victoria tried to get closer to me, but Lou and Grace kept her busy. Balls, streams and burst of light expelled from Lou's hands. Her hair had come undone and sweat glistened on her forehead.

I reached farther into the book hoping nothing took a bite or tried to pull me in. Finally, elbow deep into the book, I grasped onto something cool and metallic. I pulled it out and looked at the gold scepter that I remember seeing as a child. Victoria's scepter.

Victoria stopped dead in her tracks and glared at me.

"That is not for librarian hands!" she growled.

"Stop sister," Grace yelled. "What happened to you?"

Grace stood in front of Victoria speaking in a soft voice. "This doesn't have to be this way and it isn't worth it."

For a moment a shadow of softness casted over Victoria's face and like a winter gust of wind, it was gone.

"You have no idea about me. Everything always revolved around Grace the perfect." Victoria's gaze return to me. "Move aside, I'm giving you a rare chance."

Lou raised her hands as Grace motioned for her to stop.

"As your sister that loves you, please stop." Grace begged as Victoria only smiled.

I looked between them. If Victoria had any resemblance to Grace, it was gone. I watched in paralyzed horror mixed with shock as Victoria flicked her hand at Grace turning her to stone.

"You may still love me but, my love for you is gone." Victoria stood in front of Grace watching her magic at work. I wanted to attack her myself—I wanted to kill her for what she did to Grace...to Kelan and the rest of the guardians. I could feel it burn from my very core to my skin.

"Use the scepter!" Lou yelled throwing a ball of light at Victoria.

I looked at the gold rod that was no longer than my arm with the caged ball at the end.

"Flick it open!" Lou dodged the balls of light that exploded on the wall behind me.

Sparks flew around me and the smell of burned hair encased the room. I flicked the scepter in one quick motion. It immediately doubled in length and began to glow and sparkle at the balled end just like a sparkler.

A bright explosion filled the room and when I gained my vision again, Lou was a grey statue along with the rest of the guardians. It was just me and Victoria.

"My little one, just hand that over and you won't have the same fate as your friends here." Victoria nearly blended with the blackness as she stepped around Lou smiling gleefully at me.

"Stay back!" I pointed the scepter at her and it hissed slightly at the end.

Victoria laughed with amusement. "You don't know how to use that darling." Her eyes turned black. "Better give it to someone that knows how."

"Victoria, stop!" Jack's voice echoed from the other room. "Don't touch it"

Jack stood behind her holding a long curtain rod with a lime green sheer curtain still attached. Roan, Beannca and Ella came in behind him. Ella's mouth dropped and a lighter shade of paleness filled her complexion seeing her sister as a statue. Jack only half looked at the once guardians and Lou.

"You've been busy." He smirked ripping off his green curtain and threw her the rod that looked exactly like the one I had. "Do you think I would let it actually rest where it was supposed to be? I think not!" Jack exclaimed standing in his silk pajamas and betraying me. "I thought of this trick a long time ago." He laughed jovially. "Emma, your mother," he nodded to me as he held the scepter vertically gazing at it. "She trusted me with it and told me to keep it safe. Then I thought, there will be many after this so why keep it where it's supposed to be? No one would suspect it to be displayed out in the open and I do have to say, it made an excellent curtain rod." Jack sighed handing it over to Victoria with a bow of his head.

Victoria gingerly held the scepter in her hand examining it. Jack glanced over at me and winked while Roan made a shushing motion with his finger to his mouth.

"We wish to serve you Victoria—all of us." He motioned behind him at Beannca, Roan and Ella. "We are tired of the guardians governing us and tired of librarians imprisoning us. I think it's time for a change, don't you?"

Victoria studied them for a moment. She walked around them keeping her black eyes on them as she did.

"How do I know this is the right scepter?" Victoria questioned flipping it through the air and then grabbing mine. She looked at the two and then smiled at the one Jack gave her dropping the evidently fake one to the floor with a clank. She stroked the metal rod like one would do to a pet dog or cat.

"Try it out. The Green Man never lies." His tone had a dark flare to it. "That way you'll know for sure." Jack sounded like a car salesman asking her to test drive it.

She waved it overhead in a circular motion like a whip and then expelled a burst of light towards me.

I was jolted into the air slamming in the wall behind me. My head smacked the wall making my ears ring.

"If you want to join me prove it and kill the little librarian for me." Through my fogginess, I could see Victoria smile at me as Jack bowed to her. "I didn't get the chance so long ago, but now I do."

"Of course," he said casually. "May I have the use of your scepter?"

Victoria stiffened and raised her eyebrows at the question.

"I know it's yours and I did bring it to you. Otherwise you'd be beating her to death with an actual curtain rod. Isn't that enough proof of my gesture of loyalty to you? And I've even recruited a few minions for you." Jack motioned behind him with his thumb.

Victoria scowled at them as her white hair sparkled and curled around her shoulders like snakes trying to come to life. I tried to move but felt sick when I did. Roan shook his head at me and I sat back.

"I can kill you without it, so here you go." Victoria handed it to him.

Jack took it with a bow and came over to me motioning for me to get up. I stood up as he pointed the scepter at me with the opposite end.

"Take that you scurvy librarian." His voice had fakeness to it as he motioned with his eyes to grab the end of it. "Put all of your emotion into is sister!"

I grasped onto the scepter and it immediately vibrated through me. I tightened my grip becoming one with the scepter until I could feel its pull, extracting something deep inside of me that I didn't know was there.

Jack turned and held the scepter steady aiming at Victoria. Ella released a ball of light that exploded into hundreds of glitter particles while Beannca and Roan held a large book behind Victoria.

A steady stream of light burst from the end of the scepter like a continuous lightning bolt that slowly faded to waving tendrils of light. Immediately they curled around Victoria who stood with wide, black eyes filled with surprise. She tried to gasp for words and aimed her hands at me. Her eyes grew in blackness with a frantic hatred for me. I only tightened my grip on the scepter that felt as wild as a winter wind.

"Hang on!" Jack encouraged. "One more big push!" He looked back at me for a second.

I could feel strength fill me in one burst and I let that out in one explosion. Victoria's image began to swirl and her face curled with pain. She reached out to me in a last desperate chance to gain leverage that simply wasn't there.

Like a vortex of glitter and light that mixed with the blackness of Victoria, she slowly funneled into the book like a tornado. Roan and Beannca pushed back on the book until the last echoes of Victoria's screams were gone. They fell to the floor slamming the book shut and catching their breath.

Jack let the scepter go and picked up the book placing it inside a velvet green bag with a gold emblem of a tree embroidered on it.

Suddenly the sound of cracking brought me to my senses. The guardians and Lou were coming back to life. Jack immediately went over to Lou.

"My darling, are you alright?' Jack's voice was overflowing with concern. "I'm sorry I had to let you go through that."

I stood holding the scepter watching each of the guardians break from their stone shells. Chunks of grey stone littered the floor as they looked around in awe. I stood in front of Kelan waiting for him to turn back. I gently touched his arm and it was cold, just like stone. My stomach churned with bile as I watched all the other return to themselves and then back at Kelan. I let the scepter slip through my numb fingers.

"Kelan," I whispered his name.

I felt a hand gently touch me on the shoulder, it was Grace.

"Grace, what's wrong..." I could feel a lump in my throat as I continued to stare at Kelan.

I looked at Grace and she shook her head. "She knew you cared for him and..." her words became choked.

"Here, don't fret my little librarian," Jack said handing me the scepter. "Use this. It has many uses, I know because I've played with it a few times." Everyone looked at him. "What? Well, what do you expect? Leave something magical with a magician and they're going to play with it. Just because it was Victoria's doesn't make it bad."

"How do I use it?" I asked.

"Just like you did before darling," Jack said folding his arms and looking passively at me as he rested his chin in his hand. He looked at me like I should know, like I've done this a hundred times. "You have your mother's gift in you so don't tell me you don't know. It's called instinct dear, and all you have to do is follow it."

I looked to Lou and Grace for encouragement.

"Go on you can save him," Grace said in a soft voice.

I stepped in front of Kelan gazing at his solid grey eyes. Somewhere in there was his magnificent blue eyes.

Suddenly, I could feel warmth surround us as I stood unblinking and waited for any sign of life to surface. A pinkish-purple fog curled around us and tendrils of light vined like snakes that dissolved as quickly as they formed. Then, slowly, a shadow filled Kelan's face, almost like I was looking through a ghost. His image grew stronger and the light turned to almost silver.

The greyness dissolved in the air like water in the blistering summer sun. He opened his eyes blinking his confusion away before focusing on me.

"I thought I lost you," I said surprised at my words. I've never felt this way or even allowed myself to care for someone like this. "I don't know what I would do..."

Kelan only smiled and gently cradled my cheek in his palm pulling me closer until I could feel his lips on mine.

"Really," Jack said. "Well, what did I expect from young people displaying their affection after such a tense situation? I usually go for a nice glass of wine after fighting the forces of evil and then a little love making..."

"Where's Victoria?" Barnabus asked cutting off Jack.

Roan stepped forward handing him the bag with the book in it. "In here and I think all that needs to be done is to seal it."

"You put her in the book?" Nate grabbed the bag jerking it out of Roan's hand with his smile fading.

"Well, no not all by myself." Roan cowered and then put his hands behind his back. "You see...I mean I know..."

"I think what our bumbling gnome here is trying to say is that it clearly went against the law, but if we didn't do something while you guys were all stone lawn ornaments, we would be serving Victoria for real." Jack stepped beside Roan and looked between him and Nate. "You see, I kept the real scepter in my apartment—made a wonderful curtain rod—got lots of compliments and a really good hiding place. I knew Victoria would be coming and I had to be prepared and I certainly wasn't going to just hand it over—even if you are Emma's daughter. It's something that is simply too important. I had to wait for the right moment and when it came, I've got to say we made a really good team. Roan and Beannca held the book and Abi and I shoved Victoria in." Jack smacked his fist into his hand.

"So you held out on me?" I asked. "Why didn't you give me the real scepter?"

"Because my dear it's too powerful to just hand over to some young librarian who isn't even accepted as one. What if you would've had it and Victoria took it from you? How do you plan on getting it back?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "I had another scepter made," his eyes flickered to the guardians, "all within the legal bounds if you're questioning that. That's why it's about as harmless as a flashlight. It was just for looks," he said with a small chuckle. "I did it to keep it safe and within my eyesight. Emma wanted me to and asked me before she moved out to hold it for her and well, being a trained magician, anything containing magic is like giving a candy store to a bratty mortal child."

The guardian's exchanged glances as I reached for Kelan's hand. I laced my fingers in his and instead of an expression of shock; Kelan returned the gesture with a firm squeeze.

"I think we should overlook the benefactors' behavior here and get a sense of the big picture." Barnabus finally stated. "Victoria is contained and we have all of us here to thank, especially the benefactors and The Green Man, whose cunningness saved what could've been disastrous."

I glanced at Nate. He looked at Roan and the rest of the benefactors setting his jaw with a sour look on his face. "And how's that going to look for the report?" Nate asked.

"It will look just fine." Donavan came from the shadows with his arm around Sage. "It took all of us and all us need to be included."

Nate only sighed as Barnabus stood in front of him meeting his cold eyes. "We would still be stone if it wasn't for them." Barnabus lowered his voice, but not low enough to not hear. "It was a group effort and by that group's effort, Meg is going to be fine."

"Meg," I said nearly forgetting about Meg being sick.

I stepped in front of Nate letting go of Kelan's warm hand and still holding the scepter. "What happened to her?"

"Victoria, who was disguised as Danielle, poisoned her and threatened to kill her if I didn't get the scepter." His eyes skimmed over the scepter as if he wanted to grab it from me.

"With her death I'm sure that has been lifted, dissolved, poof! Gone my tall and handsome guardian," Jack said with a smile with no reaction from Nate.

"It's not that easy." Nate kept his eyes on me as my head suddenly began to spin.

I now leaned on the staff trying to steady myself, but the room kept spinning.

"Abi are you alright?" Kelan asked.

"Of course she isn't, she just used an enormous amount of energy vaporizing a powerful librarian turned sorceress into a book. I'm surprised she didn't faint earlier." Jack's voice sounded muffled. "Strong, like her mother..."

Kelan wrapped his arms around me as everything faded to black
Chapter Ten

I was surrounded in warmth and the puffiness of a soft blanket. Visions of Victoria, Grace and Kelan floated through my thoughts like rolling fog. I slowly opened my eyes to see Kelan sitting in a chair to my left sleeping in what looked like an uncomfortable position. I looked around the small room with an open window showing the view of some of the buildings of Chicago.

I pushed myself up realizing something was wrapped around my wrist. From a thin tube glittery black liquid flowed from a much larger container into a vein on the inside of my wrist. I gasped as I could see tiny grey lines that absorbed the substance.

"Kelan!" I yelled with no response. "Kelan!" I yelled a little louder and threw my pillow at him.

Groggily he opened his eyes. "Abi," he said a little disoriented at first. "What's the matter?"

"Look, what the hell is this? And get it out of me!" I started to pull at the tape and even though I hated needles, I planned on yanking the thing out.

"Abi, it's alright." Kelan got up and grabbed both of my shaking arms pulling me close to his smiling face. His blue eyes searched mine and slowly I calmed down. He had a mysterious way of doing that.

"Where am I Kelan?"

"You're in the Guardian Oracle Building and as you can see, the infirmary," said a man wearing a long black coat with shockingly puffy, red, hair and eyes to match. He smiled making his round cheeks bulge. "I'm glad to see you're up and when that's all gone you can go." He pointed at the sack half full of liquid black glitter. I cringed at the sight of it. Suddenly, loud music came from his pocket. "Excuse me," he said lifting a finger and pulling out a cell phone.

I looked at Kelan as he smiled at me. The man answered with a lot of "uh hums" and "yeses".

"Well another emergency. I will send a nurse in about an hour to let you go." He then went out the door. "Oh, and you're fine... just a case of exhaustion...take it easy the next week!" He yelled going down the hallway.

I looked at Kelan with opened mouth. "What the hell was that?" I could feel my empty stomach fill with acid.

"That's a doctor here at the headquarters for guardians," Kelan said with a smile.

"A doctor? Really?" I looked again at the black liquid. "You guardians let bozo-the-clown be a doctor? Not to mention he looks like a clown from a horror movie instead of a kid's show."

Kelan only laughed. "No, he's certainly not a clown." He then took my hand and rubbed his fingers over mine. "He's what you call a sprite—kind of like a fairy but from another realm. And he's one of the best here and you needed one of the best Abi." Kelan's voice dropped almost shaking his words out.

I rubbed his fingers gliding my grey-tinged veined hand over his. I looked at my sickly looking skin. "Tell me, am I going to be grey for the rest of my life?"

Kelan smiled letting an amused chuckle out. "No, it's to restore the energy that your mother gave you. It's something that's a part of you now, something that you can't live without." His eyes met mine.

"You mean like organs and stuff."

"Kind of," Kelan nodded his head. "It's a gift that saved your life, but also a burden of responsibility. It's something that you have to use carefully."

I drew in a deep sigh and rested my head on the bed. Kelan leaned closer stroking my hair from my face in soothing repeated movements. I could feel my limbs relax and my eyelids grow heavy. I fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

"Well the mess wasn't as bad as I initially thought," Jack said with his hands on his hips.

"Nonsense," Ella yelled across the room. "You didn't do anything to help." She tightened her lips as I sat on the couch watching them.

"Nonsense yourself," he rebutted leaning towards her, but not stepping any closer to Ella who glared at him as she mopped the floor. "I'm the director which is the most important job. Otherwise where would you be?"

"Back home," Ella sighed with regret, "taking a walk in Roan's garden."

"Nonsense," Roan said bringing a tray that had several mugs on it with steaming tea. "You think most of my herbs stink like Lou's feet, so I don't think you'd be there."

Ella grasped the end of the mop and shoved it in the bucket, glared between Roan and Jack and stomped off to the kitchen.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Sore loser. I can't help it if she drew the shortest straw and got floor duty."

I tried to hide my smile as I took a sip of the sweet tea.

"This is really good," I said looking at Roan.

"Thank you," he said wiping the glitter-sweat left by the fairies.

I watched everyone either dusting, moping or straightening things up. I couldn't take it any longer.

"Here Roan, let me help." I stood up and put my mug on the table.

"No, you're supposed to be resting. Kelan said." Roan looked at me sideways and pointed towards the couch.

"My dear do listen, because I don't want to have to race through traffic again taking you back to the guardians." Jack came up behind me and firmly guided me back to the couch. "Stay here and watch the worker bees' work." He motioned with his arms as Lou came in with a plateful of sandwiches. "Ah, my dear perfect timing, the librarian was getting restless and...oh, grilled cheese...hungry," Jack said taking a sandwich as Lou handed him a plate.

"You'd better take a plate and don't drop crumbs on the floor or Ella just may burn her initials in your floor." Lou then sat by me. "How are you feeling Abi?"

"Better, now that Victoria's gone and..." I looked away thinking I knew what I wanted to say, but didn't.

"And what?" Lou asked.

I looked back at her. "I don't know Lou. I don't know what's next."

"Well, I'll tell you what might be next," Jack said between bites and sitting in the lime green chair across from me.

"The guardians are holding a meeting on possibly holding another meeting," he shook his head. "They're good at that—a meeting to see if they should have a meeting." Jack rolled his eyes. "Anyhow, they have the scepter now and the book and also you to decide what to do with."

"What to do with me? What would they do with me?" I leaned forward.

"Calm down my little librarian. You have magic in you now—thanks to your mother and with magic comes responsibility, though you're not like me or any other entity of the magical community, you do have the ability to do a mighty fine job of ramming the bad doers into books—especially Victoria, most others are tiny ants compared to her." Jack licked each of his fingers. "And," he pointed at me with crumbs all over his mouth. "You lived to tell about it."

"So when will I know about this meeting?"

"Who knows," Beannca said standing in front of us holding a toilet brush. "Guardians take their time like we can just wait forever." I looked at Lou who tried to comfort me with a smile.

"Oh, and by the way Green Man, you can clean the other bathroom; I'm tired of doing bathrooms all the time!" Beannca shoved the enclosed toilet brush in his chest.

"Honestly, you have no idea how many would love the chance to clean my house! And better yet even be here...the parties I throw...the galas I have...exotic food...drinks..." Jack spun off following Beannca with his voice echoing in the enormous room.

I looked back at Lou. "Really, what's going to happen?" I felt everything couldn't be simply solved by a meeting of the guardians.

"There will be a trial," she said bluntly. "We are benefactors Abi, and that means we acted outside our rights. No matter what we did, it was wrong in their eyes."

"But that isn't right." I sounded like a child protesting something unjust as if someone important was listening.

Lou only smiled and handed me a plate with a grilled cheese on it. "Better eat, you'll need every bit of strength."

The day wore on and all of the benefactors after helping Jack most of the day, gathered in the large living room that felt small when Jack had his party, but now felt almost overwhelmingly enormous. I wondered what had happened to Grace and I was going to ask when I was interrupted.

A knock came to the door and Jack got up to answer it. "Ah, come in." He stepped aside to let Barnabus, Donavan, Nate and Kelan in. He began to shut the door when two other men all dressed in black suits stopped the door from going shut with one of their hands and a cool stare. "Oh, please come in," Jack said sarcastically with a huff as he slightly slammed the door.

"I would be the good host and offer you a drink, but I know sylph guardians don't drink anything worthwhile of drinking. Well to put it plainly, I don't know what you like."

"We are not here to be amused Mr. Green," said the one that entered the room first.

I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They both were clean cut with dark hair and had rigid, stone-like features of their chiseled faces. Their movements were forced and almost robotic. They sat down across from me without removing their sunglass, but did take off their hats, both at the same time as if they were one of the same. They planted their unnerving gaze on me. I wanted to run away when Kelan leaned over my shoulder.

"They're just here to ask questions. So don't look so scared, they don't bite." I looked up at him with uncertainly. He smiled back and let his blue eyes twinkle like stars. I couldn't help but to smile back.

Everyone stood or sat beside me with the two sylph guardians along with Donavan and Sage standing behind them. It was as if we were to opposing groups trying to reach a truce that I really didn't know about.

"Miss VanHaven, we are representatives of the guardianship and wish to ask you a few questions in person. Since you are still recovering, we opted to come to you instead of you to us." The one to my right spoke first. "Do you understand everything so far and consent to our questioning?"

"Yes," I replied timidly.

"Your mother was Emma VanHaven?"

"Yes,"

"And you had no prior knowledge of the scepter?"

"No,"

They looked at me for a moment through their sunglasses. I couldn't see their eyes, but I could feel them penetrate through me searching my eyes that I couldn't take off of them. They felt like two magnets to me and if I didn't hang onto the couch I think I would've flew through the air and stuck to them like a wimpy paperclip.

"You have magic in you now that I'm sure you're aware of." The one on the left was now asking the questions. "And that is a threat to us if not monitored and understood. It isn't normal for a librarian to have such a strong ability such as yours. It isn't naturally derived, but more artificial instead. It was put there by your mother and we have decided to overlook that since you were a young child."

"It goes against the regulations and when summoned, you need to come to this address," the one on the right said and handed me a blank business card. "Placement for you will be decided."

Both of them looked at Jack at the same time, stood and put on their hats. "We are done here and thank you for your hospitality." Their words were mechanical.

"Oh, please come back when you can stay for tea and crumpets...we can talk about the glory days when I lived in a forest with real trees." Jack turned away and went over to the door and opened it motioning for them to exit.

The two men left without a word to Jack and a nod of their head.

The room started to feel warm again and I leaned back on the couch looking at the blank business card. "Hey, there's nothing on this." I held it up.

"It will when they decide where they want you to go." Barnabus sat beside me when another knock came to the door.

I stiffened and gasped at the thought of the two men returning. Barnabus noticed my reaction and smiled. "It isn't them. They won't come back unless ordered to and that I can tell you takes paperwork."

"Now I don't mind opening my door to you." Jack wrapped his arms around Grace. "My favorite librarian," he said shutting the door.

"Grace," I jumped up and went over to her wrapping my arms around her as well.

"I'm glad to see you better, Abi." She squeezed me tight.

"So what did council have to say?" Beannca asked stepping forward.

Grace took off what looked like a felt covered derby hat with a short curved rim, rounded top and wide ribbon encircling its base. It was black along with the rest of her clothing which consisted of a long ruffled coat with lots of buttons and knee high leather boots peeking out from under her knee length skirt. Her clothes were almost like a uniform crossed with a costume.

"Let's sit down, there's a lot I want to say to you Abi." She gently touched me on the shoulder and smiled.

Grace told us that the librarian's held a special meeting in light of everything. She told them everything about me, how the benefactors help in the capture and containment of Victoria and how everyone worked together.

"It's new to them. Their ways are old and held that way because of tradition." Grace went on. "They were impressed with you Abi and with the rest of you. I think it gave them something new to think about."

"So what will happen to us now?" Lou asked with Roan, Beannca and Ella all huddled together like they were displaced refugees.

Grace met with each of their eyes. "I'm not sure, but I did put a good word in for you—all of you."

"I hope it made an impression, because I don't want to return to book 02251972." Ella wrung her hands together looking at Lou.

"You won't...I'll make sure of it." Grace held her gaze on Ella. Her voice was firmly reassuring.

"What happened in that book?" I asked before I thought. I smacked my hand to my mouth and looked at them with wide eyes. "I'm sorry," I said timidly.

Ella and Lou exchanged glances. "We were put into well-furnished houses where our needs were met and didn't have anyone bugging us," Ella said quickly and looked down at her hands.

I looked at them both with confusion.

"Yes, strange to be locked up in a beautiful place and still find it miserable?" Lou could read my face and spoke before I could ask. "Imagine living without your legs or arms—difficult but you'd still be alive. That's what it's like when Ella and I are separated. Our power runs between us like we are connected as one."

"And living separately made your life uncomfortable." I concluded.

"Yes, only a thin wall separated us, but we could never reach each other. It was like I died every day, but death doesn't come that way with us." Ella's voice had regained its peculiar tone as if she was speaking from outside herself.

"Torture—that's what they like to do to us, no matter what we do or how bad we are." Beannca stepped forward glaring at the guardians. She pierced each one with her eyes. "And you," she pointed at Nate. "You got stung by someone posing as a siren and to me that's good enough revenge—for right now." She crossed her arms.

"Beannca," Grace stepped in front of her. "I know you've been wronged..."

"Wronged?! More like screwed over!" Beannca then shot her glance to me. "Want to know what they're really like?" She waved her hand at the guardians. "I'll tell you." She knelt down in front of me as I looked at Kelan.

"Do we really have to have show-and-tell?" Nate blurted out only to be ignored.

"No, I'm going to tell," Beannca said without looking at him. "I was in love and I mean in love with a guardian, only he had another—he had a wife and family. It was disgusting really because I still loved him and I couldn't shake it." Her voice trembled. "He told me that he couldn't see me anymore, our fling was over and he enjoyed the ride. Enjoyed the ride like that's all it was!" Tears swelled in her eyes and Lou placed her hand on her shoulder. "I threatened to expose him and with a family—I know I wasn't thinking, but I wanted to get him—he didn't deserve a family. When I went to turn him in, he'd already beat me to it and accused me of stalking him and trying to charm him with spells." Beannca lifted her eyes to me. "How's a siren supposed to defend herself in a sea of sharks that all stick together. Without a blink of their eye and without listening to my story, I was put into confinement—a dark place so silent all you can hear is your heart beat."

Silence fell all around us as Beannca got up and went into another room.

"And that's why things need to change." Grace met everyone's eyes stopping on Nate's.

He stepped away with a huff and went to the kitchen and opened a bottle of beer. I looked at him and him at me.

"What about Meg?" I stood up slowly coming towards him. "She deserves to know the truth."

"No, she can't Abi," Barnabus said coming behind me. "She simply can't."

"So you're protecting him?" I asked sternly.

Barnabus drew in a long breath and looked to the ceiling for a moment. "No, I'm not protecting Nathaniel. I'm protecting Meg."

I glared at him crossing my arms. "How?"

"Because she's protected by a spell and if that spell is broken then she could die." Nate took a swig of beer and put the bottle down.

"You see, another thing they use us for out of convenience!" Beannca leaned against the corner of the wall gazing solely at Nate.

"True," he said without hesitation. "And the laws should be changed—I do agree with that, but don't judge me if you don't know me."

Nate twirled his bottle of beer looking like he was collecting his thoughts. Beannca came closer leaning on the counter inches from him. He only looked at her as her movements were like a snake sneaking up on its prey.

"So, why don't you explain yourself, so we don't have to assume what you mean?" She nodded her head side to side and twirled her long blonde hair with her finger.

"It was a long time ago when Meg went overseas to study," Nate said without hesitation and I remembered her going after she graduated high school. She planned on studying art in France. I remember how happy and excited she was about going. When she returned it was a different story—she had Nate. "She fell in love with the guardianship and also a guardian. She was selected, sworn to secrecy and was going to be inducted." Nate only acknowledged me, but everyone's eyes were on him. "I was there that day...I'd known her for a while. She was going to marry my brother Michael and I was to be his best man." Nate's eyes pulled away from mine and his lips trembled trying to restrain his sorrow. "He died at the hands of a wizard and in his last words he wanted me to protect Meg at all costs."

"Why didn't she tell me any of this...why didn't you?" I slammed my fist on the counter.

Nate's eyes lifted to connect with mine. "Because if I did, the spell would be broken and she would die. She didn't tell you because she can't remember. I had it erased and put me in Michael's place. It's what he wanted. He loved her that much that he never wanted to see her suffer." Nate finished his beer.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth? She would've survived and healed..."

"No, she wouldn't. The wizard they were after put a spell on them both. When she heard of Michael's death, her pain and suffering would be her death as well. Michael knew this and asked me to take his place. He didn't want her to die."

"But I saw you two kissing...in your office." My eyes were steady on Nate. "Why—why would you do that to Meg?"

I could see by the expression on his face that my question stung him like an arrow on fire.

"She tricked me," Nate looked down at the counter. "She had the power of a siren and she made me a fool." His voice trembled.

I crossed my arms shifted my weight and glared at him.

He looked up meeting my unsatisfied eyes. "I thought she might have insight to Victoria. Sirens and Victoria have always had a bond and I thought that was a good place to start. And if you would've watched a little longer you would've seen me push her away. Do you think I want to hurt Meg? I've come this far in protecting her do you think I would throw all that away on some siren?!"

I stepped away and sat on the couch burying my face in my hands. I could feel Kelan sit next to me as I thought of Meg. All this time Nate had been protecting her from heartache and death. I felt bad for everything that I ever thought or assumed Nate was. I would've never guessed that he had a noble bone anywhere in him.

"It says Glass Room, Apartment 10A and 10B." I looked at the card the sylph guardians gave me. The lettering looked to be hand written and in silver letters that nearly faded into the white paper.

"The conference room—really. I would've never guessed they would handle everything there." Jack took the card from me and examined it. "Oh, well leave it to be decided among the guardians and librarians...it's like a fart in a skillet—never know what they're going to do."

It was just the benefactors, me and Jack all in his apartment. Grace and the rest of the guardians had left to prepare for the meeting.

"Did it say what time or day?' Ella asked.

"No, at least not yet." I flicked the card back a forth watching the letters disappear and reappear.

"They will, don't worry."

"Where's the Glass Room?" I asked jack.

"Down the hall," he said pointing behind him. "Lovely room though," he nodded his head getting up and joining Lou in the kitchen. He went up behind her and curled his arms around her. She jumped and then they both laughed and talked quietly among themselves.

"Cute, isn't it?" Beannca said sitting beside me and looking at them.

"Yeah," I said glancing down at the card.

"Kelan likes you," she said bluntly.

"What?" She caught me off guard.

"Come on librarian, he likes you, but be warned, especially by someone that has tangled with them before, be careful. All of those rules and regulations come first before any relationship and even though guardians and librarians fall in love with each other, it's shunned upon." She got up and started walking away. "I'm just saying."

I mindlessly flipped the card back and forth thinking about what Beannca said. I liked Kelan, but one day would the guardianship come between that? Actually it already had in a sort of innocent way when Kelan prepared the elixir

that made me spill my guts to Barnabus. I know he was just following orders, but would he always do that no matter what? I glanced down at the card and suddenly a time appeared.

"Three o'clock." I read aloud. "It says three."

Roan looked at the clock holding a plate with a large slice of chocolate cake on it. "That gives us only a half an hour! Is there a date or just a time?"

"Just a time," I said.

"Then that means today!" He dropped the plate to the floor. "I won't be ready! All of you are ready, but what about me!?" He ran his fingers through his hair.

"It's alright Roan, you'll do fine." I got up and stood in front of him.

"That's easy for you to say. You're innocent at least to a certain degree." His eyes darted to me.

"Just tell them what really happened." Lou came over and looked up at him. "You didn't go into the Shadowlands for your own benefit. You went after Lily and took the blame for her. Did she come to you when you were being carried away by the guardians, when disgrace fell onto your family? No! She didn't! She found another; in fact that's why she was there."

Roan's face was drawn out and the rosy from his cheeks faded to grey. "You're right. But that means she will suffer."

"It's true what they say—love is for idiots." Biannca added in as she looked at herself in her mirrored compact and shut it with a raise of her eyebrows. "And we're all idiots here."

"Except for me," Jack said.

I wanted to ask what happened in the Shadowlands, but I didn't. Lou stepped in front of him placing her hands gently on his arms and caught his eyes in hers.

"You can do it Roan and you can do it for yourself."

Jack took us down the hallway to the Glass Room. It was five to three. We walked in silence past all of the doors that stood silent with numbers on them. I wondered who lived in them, if any one at all. I then thought of my mother. Did she ever go to the glass Room? Did she ever have to speak in front of whoever I'm to speak in front of?

"Ah, here we are," Jack said joyfully as everyone else lumbered towards the door as if they had weights strapped to their backs.

"Miss VanHaven." A surprised voice came from behind one of the two tall vases overfilled with colorful flowers that sat beside the mirrored double doors. "We meet again and I hope you are well." Benjamin smiled at the same time he scooped up my hand and kissed it gently. I stood in a surprised stupor with blushing cheeks.

"Ah Mr. Atwood, I see you're the doorman tonight. Just like your great-great-great grandfather did...is that too many greats...I simply can't keep track."

"Close," he replied with a chuckle.

"Benjamin's grandfather was the architect for the Fisher Building and came to many of my parties as well. It's good to see responsibilities be handed down, otherwise, things get changed and other people think they have better ideas."

"So all of you are here for council?" Benjamin asked.

"Yes, all of us." I replied with a smile.

"Well then Miss VanHaven, let me get the door for you."

The mirrored door opened with a rush of air. Inside murmurs of voices ceased and it felt like thousands of eyes were on us. I lead the group into the large room with smoky glass walls and rows of chairs sat on the grey carpeted floor. Overhead was a blackened void with tiny silver dots twinkling back at me. The unadorned walls were smooth that faded into the blackness above.

"Please come forward Abigail VanHaven," said a blonde haired woman dressed in a long fitted, black jacket trimmed in burgundy around the lace collar and sleeves. Her ruffled white shirt was neatly tucked into her black pants. "This is an informal council and I know that none of you have attended before. Please come and sit in the chairs provided." Her voice was pleasant and welcoming, but still it was nerve racking and uncomfortable for me.

The long table that the blonde woman, Grace and the rest of the guardians including Kelan, was made of glass and as I looked around, I noticed glass was everywhere. I guess it was appropriately named the Glass Room.

"My name is Miranda and I'm head librarian of region two and coordinator of all meetings. Since this is informal, just the involved parties needed to come. First, I must say I've never encountered such an event as this." Miranda looked at me. "You Abigail VanHaven had no knowledge of anything pertaining to libraries, guardians and such?"

I looked at Kelan for a moment and then back at Miranda. Kelan nodded his head for me to answer. "No, no I didn't know of any of this. I sort of...well, I got a box from my mother that died when I was little and..."

"So, no prior knowledge," Miranda said cutting me off and put on a pair of glasses. She then took a pencil length glass rod and marked on the tablet in front of her. "You don't have to go into great detail Miss VanHaven. I've already talked to the sylph guardians and they have already given me most of the information I need. There are just a few customary questions I have to ask before the treelord listens to all parties.

"The treelord is here!" Roan stood up looking at Miranda.

She peered at him through her glasses and ran her finger over the glass tablet. "Roan Whiperwillow, Gnome from the Greenhollow region, is that you?"

Roan swallowed hard. "Yes, my lady...miss...ma'am..."

"You can call me Miranda since you are not of our order and are a benefactor who-" she looked at her tablet again, "who went into the Shadowlands and tried to steal the scrying stone." Miranda looked back up at him with questioning eyes.

"But I didn't mean to..." his voice trailed off.

"Then I would like to hear the rest." It was Henry's voice I heard first then from behind the table Miranda and the guardians sat at, materialized the image of Henry—the treelord. "I know all of you have served your time and are about ready to be released, but new events have put a halt to that. I also know you've gone above and beyond the expectations of benefactors and your display of loyalty has my interest in you." Henry's dark eyes scanned all of the benefactors then resting on me. "And you Abigail VanHaven," his voice turned slightly bitter. "Your display of courage is impressive, but still your actions, all of your actions did operate outside the bounds of our laws."

Henry released his hollow gaze from me and glanced over all of us. He let out a sigh and his limbs rustled from a breeze that couldn't be felt in the room.

"I've decided to overlook that for the moment and wish to hear from each of you." Henry's eyes swirled with a dim yellowish light making him look like a carved pumpkin at Halloween. "Ella and Lou Hummingbird, I'll start with you."

Ella stood up and held her gaze on Henry. She didn't look scared, but confident and ready to speak her mind. Both of them told how they met Victoria, not knowing who she was and selling her some of their magic. Illegal, yes, but they weren't a menace to this world or their own. They simply weren't given the chance to prove themselves and with unrealistic restrictions on them, they felt suppressed by the laws.

Lou and Ella spoke without hesitation as if they've had a speech in their heads waiting to get out and often they would finish each other sentences. When they were done, Henry simply nodded without word or expression. Next he called Beannca.

She held her head high and spoke her very heartfelt feelings she's had with the guardian. Beannca said how she didn't want to have the stereotype lifestyle associated with sirens—meaning using anyone for their own amusement even if it means causing havoc and pain to others. But with sirens it goes much farther being influential beings that can persuade anyone to do anything at their whim. Beannca wanted something that isn't normal for a siren—she wanted to have a family and someone that loved her for her. Her words ran into sentences sounding almost like lyrics to a song. When she was done the room fell into silence.

"And now Mr. Whiperwillow, you have the floor." Miranda motioned for him to stand.

Roan stood holding together his hands and looking at the floor.

"My story isn't like theirs." He motioned to Beannca, Lou and Ella. "It's quite silly and...well, I simply didn't use my better judgment." He cleared his throat and rubbed his chin.

"You're not being judged here Roan, we're simply listening. This is something we don't normally do since we only look at the facts and the criminal's actions. Take advantage of it and tell us your version."

Roan lowered his head looking at his feet then nodded locking eyes with Miranda.

"There was this girl—Lily Thornbush," he said her name with a distant sweetness that time had casted over with a slight bitterness. "I was in love with her, only her father had nothing to do with me. We spent a lot of time together, me and Lily, often in secret because her father didn't like me or my family. Lily loved adventure and that's what I like about her. She was different and one day she wanted to go into the Shadowlands—just to see what was there. I knew it was a forbidden area and the treelords entrusted us to hold their scrying stone. Gnomes are trustworthy by nature and I had no intentions of what I did." Roan looked up at Henry who stood motionless with his eyes fixed on Roan. "Lily and I snuck into the Shadowlands and found the scrying stone. She was fascinated with it—wondering what it would do, where it came from. She wanted to take it back with her. I told her not to, but she did anyway. I told her we should take it back before we got caught, but she wanted to keep a little longer. It was quickly noticed by the guardians and I didn't know what to do so I took it from her and claimed responsibility." Roan stopped his face tightened. "When they took me away she smiled hanging on the arm of another gnome—one approved by her father. I risked everything for her and all I was was used by her and for that I paid." Roan immediately sat down and cradled his head in his hands. "I lied to protect her and suffered for her innocence."

Silence fell in the room. I looked at Kelan all dressed in black along with the rest of the guardians.

"If I may speak on the heroics of Abigail and the benefactors," Sage dressed in black with her blonde hair pulled up in a sweeping ponytail.

Henry turned towards her. "Proceed," he said.

"If it wasn't for all of them, Victoria would've gotten away and caused much more damage. They single handedly contained Victoria and captured her scepter. I hate to say that we were unprepared to handle Victoria and their abilities are highly underrated by the guardianship. I believe that this is something to be integrated within the laws of the guardianship and librarianship everywhere."

I looked at Henry and in his cumbersome movements he shifted his weight and made noises to himself almost as if he was talking to himself.

"We have decided," he announced. "The new treelords have heard all that you said."

"You mean there was more than one?" Roan sat up in his chair only to be shushed by Ella.

"Yes, Roan the gnome, there was," Henry replied sounding slightly bothered by the question. "Change must be made to the laws of both the guardianship and librarianship to include the ranks of benefactors." Lou wrapped her arm around me pulling me close. "Though, this position will take time and coordinating and this I ask the service of Abigail VanHaven."

My mouth dropped open as I looked at Henry who stared blankly at me waiting for an answer. "Well, Miss VanHaven, what word do you give us?"

"I, uh, this is all sudden," I looked at Grace who smiled proudly at me.

"Some of the best things in life come to us suddenly and unexpectedly," Lou whispered in my ear.

My eyes immediately went to Kelan. He didn't have to do anything but look at me with his blue eyes that were as welcoming as the perfect summer's day.

Chapter Eleven

"Now don't you think this is much better attire for your initiation than the horrible jeans and shirt you had picked out?" Jack stood behind me as we both looked in the mirror at my reflection. "And you should grow your hair out. I mean what is this a bob? If your hair was longer we could put it up or put lots of curl in it." Jack stepped back and crossed his arms. "Oh, well, the best I could scrounge on such short notice."

I looked at myself in the large oval mirror framed in deeply carved gold rosettes that encircled the mirror. I pulled at my chin length, red hair and smiled. I then put on over my lace tank top a deep green, crushed velvet jacket that conformed to my curves and flared out around my knees.

"Now you look more like a librarian." Jack stood back to evaluate me. "And not so much resembling a librarian's daughter."

I looked back in the mirror looking more at the girl I am now rather than the girl I was a few weeks ago. My thoughts drifted as Jack hummed and went into the closet to rummage.

Nate had returned home and told Meg that I'm going to school in Chicago studying art at the institute. Every time I thought of her I could feel a pang of sorrow even though she was happy and healthy now Victoria was contained, it's an artificial happiness, but I know now Nate will protect her. And as far as Barnabus, things move slowly and I'm not sure where in my life now he will be. I want to get to know him and he even sent flowers congratulating me on my initiation to the librarianship.

"A note from Grace!" Roan came running in waving a small piece of paper.

After the council with Henry, Grace volunteered to take the book and scepter to Henry for safe keeping. He said a sorceress as powerful as Victoria shouldn't be in a library, but safe with him where temptation or her followers didn't have a chance to release her.

"She sent a note that looked like that?" Jack pointed at the green post-it-note with speculation.

"No, I copied it down from her light note that she sent Lou on her tablet."

Jack shook his head. "Well, read it," he motioned impatiently.

"She says hello and sorry she can't be here, but she wanted Abi to know she'd left a present for her and she'd be here as soon as she could to help Abi decorate her new apartment."

"Like my tastes aren't good enough," Jack said taking the note from Roan.

"Abi are you ready?" Lou asked leaning in the doorway.

"Yes," I said with a smile.

"No, you're not." Jack went over to his closet and fumbled around coming out holding a hat. "This was your mother's hat. I gave it to her when she moved in because the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She didn't have any fashion sense either. So here you go it's called a derby hat and since you're so tall you won't look like a giant towering over the other librarians."

I took the black, felt covered hat with a slender ribbon encircling it. "Thanks," I said putting it on and looking at myself in the mirror.

"Abi, your escort is here!" Ella yelled from the living room.

I went out to see Kelan dressed in a long, black coat with satin trimmed around the collar and sleeves. A silver crest, the mark of the guardians, was embroidered on his right sleeve. He also had on a dark shirt and pants along with the top hat Lucy had given to him.

"Are you ready Miss VanHaven?" Kelan asked holding his bent arm to me.

I smiled walking up to him feeling extra tall in my long coat and hat. "Of course Mr. Blackwell."

"Wait, I want to get your picture," Beannca waved her hands and went to her purse to get her camera out.

Kelan and I stood side by side and I felt like we were posing for some vintage photo that you get when you go on vacation.

"There. Perfect," Beannca said putting her camera away.

"Now, off you cute couple, go or you'll be late." Jack pushed us out the door.

Lou, Ella, Roan and Beannca all yelled goodbye and then we were shoved into the hallway.

"Are you ready for this?' I asked looping my arm back into Kelan's.

"I've been ready for a long time. I just wish my Grandpa could see me."

"I know, I wish my mom could've seen me."

We walked in silence except for the rustling sound of our coats swaying behind us.

"Why do they dress like this anyhow?'

"Tradition," he smiled at me. "You'll have lots to learn and lots and lots of reading." Kelan made it sound bad as we stopped in in front of the elevator.

"Good thing I like to read," I replied.

"Ready?" Kelan asked as he let his finger hover over the button.

I drew in a deep breath. "Ready."

Downstairs was quiet with hardly anyone in the large lobby. I felt funny walking around looking like some weirdo dressed like I had just stepped out of the Victorian era, hat and all.

"So are we taking one of Jack's cars?' I asked Kelan.

"Ah, Miss VanHaven and Mr. Blackwell, it's good to see you again," Benjamin said opening the door for us. "I was just headed up to tell you your vehicle is ready."

His hazel eyes pierced mine for a moment as the smell of cinnamon filled my nose. "I must say Abigail, you look very nice tonight and I'm glad you'll be joining us here at the Fisher Building." His voice was as smooth as glass and I could listen to him forever just talking about nothing. "Please and when you have time, let me show you around and let you know about all the amenities here."

"I would like that," I replied as he gently took my hand and kissed it. I could feel my cheeks flush and Kelan's arm tighten around mine.

"We have to go or we'll be late," Kelan said firmly glaring with a cool smile at Benjamin as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Of course, let me open the door for you," Benjamin said with a tip of his hat.

Outside the air rushed around us and the smell of exhaust fumes filled the air just as a black car with swooping fenders and round headlights pulled up.

"Wow," I said looking at it. "We're like gangsters or something!" I teased as Kelan smiled and shook his head.

We walked towards the car when someone called my name.

"Abigail VanHaven!" the woman's voice called with a chuckle.

I turned around to see Lucy standing behind me smiling and swaying back and forth.

"Abigail VanHaven, you're a librarian now and Grace sent me to watch your door. And you're missing one thing," Lucy

reached behind her and flipped something silver and black around me. "You can't leave without your gift from me!"

I looked at the scarf that she had knitted and given to me the first time I met her. "Thank you, I forget..." I smiled only to find her image gone and in her place crumpled newspapers rolling like tumbleweeds down the sidewalk.

"Abi, are you coming?" Kelan asked with the car door open.

I smiled at him and then looked back at where Lucy was and at the ornate building that is my new home. I had finally found my place in this big world and even the hidden ones as well. "Yes, I'm coming."

About the Author

M.M. Gavillet lives in west central Illinois with her husband, two children, one dog, three cats, several ducks and two demanding guinea pigs where she drinks more tea than any sane person should and likes to play in the dirt planting flowers. She has been spinning stories since she was little, but only recently discovered her passion for writing.

You can see what M.M. Gavillet is up to on Goodreads!

Want more of the Librarian's Daughter?

Watch for The Story of Sage Greene &

The Story of Meg Hawthorne in 2014 &

Coming Soon!

M.M. Gavillet's blog—watch for giveaways &

new releases here!

