Madness or Purpose (24 page)

“Well, you are new to this telepathic thing, but it’s like the only thing I could think to do. If it’s all you got you know mind to mind type things well you get good. I mean you can actually make someone feel you, like you touched them when you spoke to them. I hugged her and said hello. I mean it was more complicated than that, but yeah.”

Just as he finishes explaining we pull into the back lot of LEDGE and all I can think is this night is going to be a living hell! “Ok, Dominic, I need you to keep your distance from her. I know that is horrible for anyone to ask.” I turn towards him after turning off the truck. “I need you to hold out a bit. We have a long road trip ahead and you will have plenty of time to get to know her the right way. You know give her time to warm up to you. Any guy willing to drop everything and help someone save their little brother from dark guardians is impressive so you don’t have to worry about that.” I giggle just a bit as his cheeks redden in frustration with me. “I don’t have to impress her! She loves me; she just doesn’t know it yet! But yes, I can make my moves in a more subtle fashion and I won’t ruin your first night of work. I’ll stay away from her.” At this point I am laughing so hard I am crying and holding my stomach. As he speaks he makes big gestures and I just can’t help myself. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Wait, wait I mean silence!” I practically fall on top of him as I roll around in the cab laughing.

“Laugh all you want! I seem to remember you being rather shook up and all hormonal when you thought I was going to mess with your man. Just, I mean, can’t you be supportive? I mean seriously I was there for you, or don’t you remember?” His face looks like I stole his puppy and stuck a sucker in his hair. “I’m sorry I don’t mean to be mean. I’m just, I’m sorry. You have been wonderful to me. You’re the best!” I punch him in the shoulder for effect. “Now get your ass out of this truck, we’ve got to chat with Dean and get me ready for my first shift!”We jump out of the truck and we don’t revisit the subject of him and Natasha. I have a feeling Gavin and I are going to be stuck in the middle of them for a while. I guess when it comes down to it, the halves will have to figure out how to become whole, but they may need some coaches. How we qualify for that job I don’t really know. We both have our feet firm planted in the air when it comes to this bonding stuff. Dominic heads up to his place for some reason while I search the back offices for Dean.

As I walk into the last office, Dean’s office as it says on the door, I find him lounging in an office chair with a phone to his ear. He “umhmmms, “and “I see. Yes, understandable.

Excellent! I’ll let you know. Goodbye.” His chair spins around and he peers at me over his desk. “And how are you? So, did you fry Dominic or Gavin today?” I smile. Dean knows how to lighten the mood. “Not today, but I thought about it once or twice. I’ve got some stuff to talk to you about and then I have a question or two for you.” I pause, waiting for the ok to go on and of course I get my answer. “Well, go on then. I’m in the mood for a good story with a bit of a puzzle!”

I take a deep breath and roll my head to relieve a kink in my neck. I start into my story about being an orphan and as I go on Dean nods. When I get into the trip to the little cottage he seems to listen more intently. I could imagine him turning up a hearing aid like an old man just so he could be sure he could hear everything. I tell him about the box in the floor boards and how my amulet was a key. I tell him about the letter and the pictures. I get into the details of how Leo is trying to contact me and I know that is about when Dominic shows up in the doorway. I finish all the details and he of course asks if I plan to go it alone. I go over our plans up to this point. Once I finish I give him a moment or two before I expect any type of response. I just laid a load of information on him in a matter of minutes. “Now, what are your questions?” That’s all he says.

“First, we need time off and we want to make sure it’s ok. Second, we need help locating a better vehicle, the truck won’t make it, and third, what do you know about any of this?” Dean stretched his arms above his head. “Well now, those are some loaded questions you have there.”

By this time I have made myself at home in an old chair where the stuffing is pretty much nonexistent.

Dominic finally walks all the way in and makes himself at home in another old chair in the corner. Dean seems to be preparing himself for a long story or maybe his manner reminds me of a parent preparing to give a kid a long talk about responsibility. Either way, I can tell this is going to be a while and I’m probably going to find it interesting. Well, for a girl who knows very little about who and what she is it’s going to be very interesting. Dean plays it off real well that he doesn’t know much about what is going on outside this bar, but he is higher up in the chain of things than you would think.

“So, you know about Leo then huh? I guess you would find out sooner or later. Not to say I really knew much myself. I know your mother didn’t die, I mean it’s not like anyone told me, it is part of my little gift. You see there are some who know the future some who see glimpses, and some do dabble in just about everything like you Zoe. I’ll admit it wasn’t until just recently that I learned your brother’s name. I knew you had a sibling and that they were young. I knew they would be contacting you though I didn’t know how, when, or exactly why. It is part of your destiny to meet and learn from your sibling. It’s been foretold for thousands of years that the guardians would fall and need a great leader to bring them back to the light. It really is a much longer story than we have time for. I mean I could go on for days if I really got into it all. You can all have whatever time off you need, I won’t fire you, but I can’t afford to pay you if you aren’t here and if you are going to be gone a while you might want to talk to your land lord or your place might not be yours when you get back. I have an extra SUV

you guys can use, but I’d advise getting it a tune up before you go.” Part of me feels such rage I could just give him a heart attack right now for not telling me what he knew. I think my face may be tipping him off.

“Zoe, you know I can’t just tell you things. Some information is not mine to share even if it does seep into my consciousness. You also know that there is no way to know if the protection your mother put around your mind is still there or if it has finally worn off.” Dean shifts in his chair and I can feel Dominic’s whole body tense.

“Zoe, I’m like a guardian of guardian’s if you will. I can watch and aide when I am allowed to. If there is something I am not supposed to share I physically cannot do it. I can’t utter a word or write it down. You probably wouldn’t even be able to pull it from my mind. I’m not the only one like me. There are others who share my gift or plight; however you may choose to look at it. What I do can be frustrating even for me. Just know that some things in our lives have to happen a certain way or the whole course of our futures can change and with a future as complex as yours if I were to slip up I could harm you instead of help you.” We can all hear the air crackle with the electricity from my temper.

I close my eyes and try to think of something to calm myself down. I focus on a memory, a very old memory one that is only sights and smells. As I recall the moment I feel my shoulders relax and I pull the charge from the air. Dean and Dominic let out the breaths they have been holding and I slowly open my eyes.

I get up and start to move towards Dead to hug him a big excited thank you type of hug, but he puts up his hand to interrupt me. “Don’t go thanking me just yet. You guys are in a lot of danger. I mean you might just get yourselves killed, but then again I wouldn’t pick anyone else to send. All four of you need to be careful and keep each other in check. Newly bonded souls and budding love are volatile and unpredictable. Being that your emotions heavily influence your abilities you can’t be too careful. You are all finely tuned supernatural lethal weapons. You are absolutely no use if you are out of control though. I won’t send you to your deaths. Before you all leave you need to come out to the trailer I have something to show you.” With that he drops his hand and lets me close the gap between us to hug him. He isn’t my father, but for some reason he feels like it. “Thank you so much Dean,” I say in his ear while my arms are wrapped around his neck. “No need to thank me.”

Dominic clears his throat to get our attention. “So, how’d you know Dean? I haven’t been back barely a half hour and I haven’t said a damn thing!” At first I’m confused…what is he talking about. Then it hits me, Natasha. Dean laughs in his rough tone reminding me to never pick up smoking or anything similar. Not to say he was a smoker, but his laugh reminded me of someone who had smoked for years and now had a permanently raw throat. “It’s plastered all over your face! How could I not know? Besides you’re as green as the fucking emerald city boy! A guardian’s only that bright when they first meet their other half. Well, unless you’re Zoe and Gavin, but you can’t base anything on those two.” Dean smiles from ear to ear.

Dominic just shakes his head and begins to stand up. Looking over at him, everything Dean just said is right. I mean I’ve seen Dominic at work and when he was out in the clearing by the cottage. His emerald green danced around and above him, but right now it was almost the only thing you would notice about him. It was like he went from a soft glow like a dim green candle to an LED bulb. It’s like before he was lit up to display who he was just putting himself out there like a “hey how’s it going?” and now it’s like “LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! DON’T MISS ME!” I won’t tell him that though. I head out the door and Dominic is on my heels. “I’ll show you around some more before people get here and introduce you to some of the girls you’ll be working with tonight. I know Natasha is going to be your shadow all night, but this way you have an idea of what’s going on before you start. I get the feeling Natasha is a, learn as you go, type of girl. Am I right?” It never really occurred to me, but he was right. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I mean when she was teaching me and Gav she just well, she threw us in the deep end and said sink or swim. It pissed me off at first. I was scared and barely knew anyone, let alone her. Thanks for being so thoughtful.”

“Don’t mention it.” With that Dominic takes the lead and starts showing me around the place. I see Jaron and some of the other guys from the other day. Everyone is busy doing something. There is a red head in the corner at a table wrapping silverware and bobbing her head to the music coming from the ear buds barely visible under her hair. Dominic waves and lifts his chin like guys do in greeting. He takes my hand and drags me over to the girl. He points to his ears and she nods taking out her buds. “Jeanie this is Zoe.” She smiles, “of course I know who she is Dom! Who doesn’t? Oh, forgive me, sorry. I’m Jeanie. I don’t mean to be rude. I’m a bit well blunt I guess you could say.” She grins more and her hand shoots out towards me. I pause forgetting my manners. I’m not used to anyone wanting to meet me. Well at least most people aren’t so excited about it. I take her hand and she grabs it tight thrusting it up and down. My arm feels like jelly and she just smiles more. “You’re not the touchy feely type are you?” I notice her foot tapping waiting for my answer. I wonder if she even knows she is doing it.

“Well, when you tend to electrocute people and you can tell most people already think you’re a freak, hand shaking and such seems to be the last thing you’d think about doing. Not that you think I’m a freak, I mean before I met everyone.” All Jeanie does is laugh. As we walk away Dominic mumbles under his breath, “Dom, how the hell did that name catch on?” I giggle and punch him in the shoulder. “I told you to get used to it.” He shakes his head and sighs.

Dominic spots someone else and starts to drag me away. I wave bye to Jeanie and she calls after us. “No harm, no foul. Find me if you need me.” “Thanks,” I call back to her. Dominic takes me from one spot in the bar to another introducing me to different guardians. He looks me in the eye for a moment, just long enough for me to grab his attention before he drags me in another direction. “Is everyone here a guardian?” His brow scrunches up, “yeah, why?” He seems surprised by the question. “I’m just curious. I don’t know how things work.” That seems to satisfy him so he drags me off to the kitchen area so I can meet the staff there. I feel bombarded by all the voices in my head. I can’t keep them out any longer, and I can’t seem to even hear Dominic anymore. I stop by a wall leaning on it and rubbing my temples with my hands. It starts as a humming and a buzzing sound but turns to a crowd yelling and surging in my head. I slide down to the floor before Dominic notices. I can see him drop to his knees in front of me pulling my chin up to look me in the eyes. I can see his lips moving, but I can’t hear what he is saying. I absolutely suck at reading lips so I just start to cry. The tears make my skin more conductive, so when Dominic takes my hand I accidentally shock him and he jumps back. Thinking quickly he grabs a dry bar rag and wraps his hand in that. He leads me to the back and up the stairs to his apartment. I’ve been up here before so the sight of practically nothing in the place doesn’t surprise me.

He motions for me to sit on the couch and I do so. I can almost hear his voice. It’s still more of a muted blown out speaker type of sound, but it is progress. Dominic brings me a glass of water which I suck down as fast as I can. I didn’t realize I was thirsty, but then again I did recently have a sexual marathon and though I was starving I didn’t eat much earlier. I am just too preoccupied by my little brother. I’m so worried about him. “Can you hear me now?” Dom’s voice snaps me out of my own thoughts. “Uh, yeah I can now. Thank you for getting me out of there. I don’t know what happened. I mean it’s like I was being hit over the head with a giant sledge hammer made of random thoughts.” Dominic starts laughing before he responds. “I can’t believe you. You’re absolutely nuts! A sledge hammer of thoughts! You crack me up kid! But seriously, are you ok? I mean I thought I was going to lose you there for a moment, and then your man would have killed me!” I slug him in the arm, shaking my hand afterward, to ease the pain. That boy could break my fist with his buff frame. I won’t tell him though; he’s got a big enough ego as it is. Maybe Tash will be able to put him in his place. I think she may already be on her way to showing him what’s what.