Graduation is tomorrow night and in less than fourteen hours, summer vacation will begin. In late August I'll head to college in my hometown of Luxington Valley for the remainder of my fight training for one year. Then just like my parents before me my three-year stint in the Lux Guardianship program will begin. My future has been planned out for years. Thankfully, it's what I've always wanted.
Today though, is a good day for a good day, that’s my motto and I’m sticking to it. Putting on my favorite pair of ripped jeans. I give myself a once over in the mirror and not to toot my own horn, but they look good. My t-shirt choice of the day is my Aunt Georgia's vintage Backstreet Boys one. She gets a little testy when I call it vintage, but that's what it is. They were her favorite group growing up. Well, still are actually. They can carry a tune, so I'm not mad at it.
My curves are more toned than last summer, but my belly still has some flab. And my thighs have dimples, because I don't have any issues with chocolate, but I do have one to healthy things like turkey bacon and tofu. My arms are starting to get more defined though, and if they ever get any real muscle then you won't be able to tell me nothing.
Attempting to brush my unruly red hair is a challenge. I give up because my curls are beyond frizzy this morning. The humidity in Georgia is the absolute worst, so a messy bun will have to do. Rain is definitely in the forecast.
Checking my reflection for the thousandth time, I decide a little more makeup is needed on my light skin, but I refrain from looking back at my reflection. My dream is all but forgotten. Here's to pretending that the beginning of summer looks good on me.
Making my way down the hall to our tiny kitchen I hear my aunt Georgia humming. Which is amusing, because she has a horrible singing voice. Her matching red hair is tied up in a struggling ponytail. Where mine is all curls, hers is straight and sleek. I greet her cheerfully, “good morning, you hot young thing."
"Good morning, sweetie. Last day of school. Best! Day! Ever!" She gives me a high-five.I love my little family. My Aunt and Uncle didn't think twice when they were asked to be my guardians after my parents were killed in a car crash. I was only four years old when they died. My mother was Aunt Georgia's sister, and my uncle was my father’s brother. It’s interesting, but it's not like they are blood related or anything.
My mind shifts to my parents, and I can't help but place my hand over my heart when thinking about them. My fingers gently apply pressure there, but my physical touch doesn't dull the ache of their absence. Though the pain has lessened over the years, it will never be forgotten.
Desperately needing a subject change, I tell my aunt Georgia about what Merrie-Beth and I have planned for our summer activities. We plan on conquering every escape roomacross the city and trying every pizza restaurant within a twenty-mile radius. We'll have pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Aunt Georgia smiles in response, "You're in a super good mood this morning. I like it. However, pizza gluttony will have to wait for a day or two. You need to come home straight after school. You have a training session with your uncle at four. A recruiter from the Lux Training Center will be here to observe the session today." She hugs me and hands me my breakfast in a to go bag.
"Alright, Georgia from Georgia. I'll see you guys at four." I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and take the breakfast she hands me. Totally forgot about that training session, and why is someone wanting to observe me again? I've already received my acceptance letter.
My fight training or as we call it, fight club, started as soon as I took my first steps. That may seem extreme to most, but we are members of the world's best kept secret. It is a privilege to hide in plain sight and to fight for our freedoms. I come from a long line of warriors, and my lineage can be traced back to the first horseman of The Knights of Templar. Since we fell out of grace, the history books will never know our names, but we don't do it for fame, or for glory. We do it for justice and freedom.
Three secret Societies protect the world from the evils that lurk. Domestic and foreign. We are The Lux, The Pyralis, and The Kori. Light. Fire. Ice. The powers that be can never know about us, the treachery of those that lead is appalling. The Guardians rose with the dissolution of The Knights of Templar. We are every race, every color, and we stand united.
Our enemies are called The Umbra. They are a soulless rotten bunch that can be traced back to the fallen angels of old. Desecrations, who want nothing more than to see theworld shrouded in darkness. We were formed to stop them. The Chosen is coming and with her rule they will be diminished.
Looking at my Apple Watch I pick up the pace. "Shit!" It'll be a miracle if I'm not late to school.
Chapter 2
An Ominous Dreaded Feeling
Stand up for your friends, and never let your enemies see you squirm. Oh, and Sara can kiss my dimpled ass.
-Arabella
I quickly run into the school but stop dead in my tracks as I notice the two guys that were lurking in the background while we were on our run last night. They are staring back at me from the lockers near the bathroom. The one with a farmer's tan, is lean but not without muscles, and wears a cowboy hat that has flames embroidered on the sides. Okay, Cowboy, that hat is beautiful. The other guy has smooth ebony skin, and the physique of a bodybuilder. He’s got muscles for days! Besides the cowboy hat, they are dressed the same. Black shirts, pants, and boots. Though they give the appearance of being older they are young like me. The cowboy gives me a huge grin while Hulk gives me a friendly nod. They seem familiar somehow. Déjà vu, maybe? They are dressed in the Watches uniform of all black, but maybe it's just a coincidence and black is their thing. Within our three societies, The Watch, is an elite task force that’s good at taking names and kicking ass.
I slowly walk past them until the warning bell sounds, then my feet run like a bat out of hell to get to Mrs. Lopez's room. I slide into my seat with a gracefulness that’s unusual for me, just as the final bell rings, which equals perfection. Glancing over at my best friend, Merrie-Beth, I smile. She sticks her tongue out at me, which makes me throw up my middle finger in retaliation.
At birth every warrior in our society is partnered with a Healer. Merrie-Beth is mine, her parents are my aunt and uncles. They train with us although not as hard, and even go into battle with us just not on the front lines.
"How was your run at Forsyth Park last night?" She asks sarcastically, because she knows how much I hate running.
Leaning over for dramatic effect, I etch closer to her seat. "Umm… pure hell, ten out of ten do not recommend. However, honey, I've got some tea for you! I saw two hotties, one of which I think is a stalker." Her eyebrows arch in mistrust, because she knows I like to embellish. "The first guy was Thor in the flesh. His abs had abs and I'm pretty sure he’s in love with me. Oh, and this lady was cussing out her boyfriend because he had DMs on his phone from someone named Camilla. Maybe we can ask TikTok to find out who she is. They can find anyone!"
I sigh heavily for that over-the-top effect, making Merrie-Beth roll her eyes heavenward. "Interesting. But girl, inquiring minds, meaning mine, wanna know. What about that stalker?"
I laugh heartily, and glance over at Mrs. Lopez to see how much time we may have left. She is engaged in a heated conversation with another student. Poor Jeremy, she most certainly does not play.
We've probably got a couple of minutes while she's ripping that kid a new one! "Mer, he had an English accent." Pausing to gauge her reaction. She seems enthralled, so I continue. "Wetalked about the weather, Ethan even asked about my bracelet, because his ‘mum’ has a birthday coming up. Now for the first red flag. You ready?"
"Bring on the red flags, baby! Because that's what we like." She moves her hands in a come-hither motion.
We both laugh, because, yeah, she's not wrong. "Ethan Randall, if that is even his real name, asked to see my bracelet, and when I made a move to give it to him, he turned my wrist over instead and just stared at it for a whole minute. Stunned is not a strong enough word for what my reaction to that was, and that's why he almost got punched in the face."
Her expression is priceless. She is shook. "Is he Vampiro?"
