Page 59 of Guardian

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Winter tossed the uneaten food into the trash can in the twins’ kitchen and sighed. She couldn’t eat anything. She was too nervous. Her and Logan’s fate hung in the balance, and she had no idea in which direction the scales would tip. But of one thing she was certain: the vision she’d had earlier was the same one she’d had previously. Somehow she’d landed in the Underworld, and Logan had come to slay the demons and rescue her. She hoped that if Logan relayed this information to the council, they could be convinced that she was of value to them. But at the same time, the vision worried her, because if she ended up in the Underworld, something would have gone wrong.

“Don’t fret,” Gabriel said from across the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. “Logan is a smart man. He knows what he’s doing.”

She forced herself to smile at him. “It’s nothing.”

“Clearly it’s something.”

She sighed. “The vision I had when we got back here after Charles and Wesley did the spell…”

“What about it?”

“If it’s true, then the demons will capture me. I don’t know when or how, but I’m scared. Not just for me, but for anybody who’s protecting me.”

Gabriel’s forehead furrowed. “Why’s that?”

“If the demons catch me and drag me to the Underworld, won’t that mean that they’ll have killed the person who was protecting me?” She knew it wasn’t Logan, because he would come to rescue her. But what if that meant that the demons would manage to kill Gabriel?

“You worry too much.” He motioned to one of the barstools.

She walked around the bar and took a seat.

“Let me tell you something about vampires and about demons. They might look ferocious with their green eyes, but vampires are no pussycats. In fact, the demons fear us. You know why?”

She shook her head.

“I don’t know whether Logan told you that unlike other preternatural creatures, demons have no aura that identifies them as such. To the naked eye, they look human. So if they disguise their eyes with contact lenses or sunglasses, the Stealth Guardians have no way of spotting them. But the demons can’t disguise their scent. And vampires have a superior sense of smell. Once we lock onto them, we’re like bloodhounds. We’re physically stronger than the demons. That’s why they fear us. Though I must say, the Stealth Guardians have a few skills of their own that are nothing to sneeze at.”

She had to smile involuntarily. “It’s pretty freaky when they walk through walls, isn’t it?”

Gabriel chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not ashamed to say that when I first saw that, I freaked out a bit. But they need those skills, because physically they’re about equally matched with the demons. Being able to make themselves invisible and walking through walls gives them an edge. Though they do have a disadvantage: their aura identifies them to the demons, so whenever they’re not invisible, they’re at risk of being spotted.”

“Have you known them long, the Stealth Guardians?”

“Only a few years. Not long in the life of an immortal, but long enough to know that I can trust them. They’re honorable people, and they want the same thing we want. Peace.”

“Peace,” she murmured to herself. “I never thought I’d hear that from a vampire, no offense.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Just like humans, we have families. We want them to be safe. You’ve met my children. They’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Trust me, they give me enough trouble, but I love them. And I’ve raised them to be good, to protect the innocent, and to destroy evil. Yes, they have their urges, and there are times when they need to follow them.”

“You mean bloodlust?”

“That’s a strong word. But yes, when they feel the need to drink blood directly from a human’s vein, I don’t stop them. But they know the rules. No human may be harmed.”

“But doesn’t the bite harm them? I mean, it must be painful.”

A smirk softened Gabriel’s expression. “The bite of a vampire is a very sensual thing. Certainly, there’s an initial sting, but it’s fleeting and the pleasure that follows makes the human forget it pretty much instantly.”

“Oh!” She hadn’t expected that. “But in the movies, the bite is always portrayed as violent and bloody. Whole throats being ripped out.”

“Propaganda.” He shook his head. “It’s an amazing pleasure. And if the vampire licks the wound afterwards, there won’t even be a scar or any evidence it ever happened.”

“Your race is very fascinating.”

“Everything new seems fascinating at first. You’ll get used to it all very quickly, you’ll see. Now that you’re part of this world.”

She sighed. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to all this.”