“You actually met the goddess,” Henry said with his voice full of awe. “Cool.”
“At least one of you thinks so,” Sawyer said. He’d hoped for a better reaction, maybe even a touch of excitement. He’d wanted them to be happy we wouldn’t be forced to leave after the chosen one arrived and that what they’d been building wouldn’t be torn apart. He wasn’t expecting Draco to turn pale, for Eduard to pour himself a glass of scotch, or for Andvari to slow his breathing so completely he might as well not be moving.
Not surprisingly, it was Draco who recovered first. He climbed off the bed and came to stand in front of Sawyer. “This doesn’t change the way I feel about you,” Draco said.
“I’m glad,” Sawyer replied.
Draco knelt and placed his fist over his heart. “I am Draco of the Volsunga clan, proud guardian to you, the chosen one. I pledge my life to keep you safe.”
Sawyer ran his hand over Draco’s hair, his breath hitching in his chest. Henry knelt next, meeting Sawyer’s eyes with a bright smile before he lowered his head as well. “I am Henry of the Jerrick pack. I am guardian to you, Sawyer, the chosen one. I pledge my life and my magic to keep you safe.”
He touched Henry’s head, giving it a gentle caress even as Andvari knelt beside Henry. “I am Andvari, vampire of the Passarowitz clan. I am guardian to Sawyer, the chosen one. I pledge my life and my blood to keep you safe.”
Besides Sawyer, only one man remained standing in the room. Eduard had his head lowered, staring into the swirling amber liquid in his glass. He tossed it back, swallowing the drink in one go, then turned to face Sawyer. “This isn’t what I wanted for you. This life, the danger. But as scared as I am for you, I am more scared to do this without you.” He moved to Draco’s side and knelt. “I am Eduard of Arimaspia clan, guardian to the chosen one. I swear I will give my life to keep you safe, Sawyer.”
Eduard
Most people, whether human or supernatural, managed their wealth in one of two ways. They either played the long game, slow and steady wins the race. It was a lower risk game with good returns when investing for the course of a lifetime. Or there were the quick and nimble market players, buy low and sell high. Move fast and strike while it’s hot. It was a more dangerous way with high risk, but the rewards could be impressive.
Eduard had done both dances over the course of his career. His father had trained him from his earliest days to watch the markets, read the news, pay attention to details that others missed. The moment he’d been called as a guardian, the responsibility of the tithes paid over centuries to the chosen one became his.
Sawyer had no idea how much money he’d come into with one simple twist of fate. Eduard knew that the zeros on the end of his account statements were impressive when he’d begun managing the funds, and he’d managed to add another couple of zeros to the end with a few shrewd investments.
Cecil knocked quietly on Eduard’s office door before carrying in a tray. It had his favorite coffee and fresh scones. Cecil poured him a cup, placing it at his elbow, before giving him a significant look, chastising him for not being in bed with the others, then leaving the office.
He’d been working since before dawn. He should still be passed out with the others. Their declarations of loyalty had turned Sawyer on big time, and he’d taken them all to bed for hours of touching and teasing and coming. It should have been enough to slow down his brain, but not even Sawyer’s touch had been enough to keep the fear at bay.
He’d not hidden his initial reaction from Sawyer as well as he’d hoped, but then again, pure abject terror was a hard emotion to hide. He didn’t have Andvari’s ability to shut down, but if the vampire thought Eduard didn’t know exactly what had gone through his mind when they realized the chosen one was a young human with exactly zero magical power, well, he was wrong. The world had shifted on its axis for all of them, whether Sawyer understood it or not.
Draco was prepared to fight any naysayers with tooth, claw, and well placed fire breathing. Andvari and Eduard knew that the bigger threats were ones they couldn’t fight the old fashioned way.
They were about to enter a deadly game of politics, and they didn’t even know who the other guardians were. Eduard was torn. Wait or move? If the others arrived soon, they could begin making their rounds with a fully loaded set of guardians. Then again, if the other guardians didn’t react well to their new human leader, well, things were bound to get ugly with Sawyer at the center of the struggle.
And that didn’t take into account the leaders of the clans. Eduard was pretty sure he could bring his father around, play to his fears of having some powerful overlord from another clan. Sawyer wouldn’t be that. The griffins wouldn’t have to bow to the dragons, or anyone else. His father would appreciate that.
Andvari walked into the office with a stack of papers in his hand. “Shopping list,” he barked, slapping the pages onto Eduard’s desk.
“One, watch your tone. Two, what are we shopping for?”
“Security. We’re sitting ducks. The moment word gets out… well, we need better security.”
Sadly, he wasn’t wrong. “I’ll make it happen.”
Sawyer shuffled in next, sleepily leaning against Andvari’s side. “You got up too early,” he complained. “Come back to bed.”
“You take care of the list while I take care of him,” Andvari said.
Sawyer straightened with a scowl. “What list?”
Andvari grinned and pulled Sawyer against him. “I told Eduard he needed to get supplies to make up a fifty gallon drum of that special oil of his. The salve, too. We’re gonna need that stuff in bulk.”
Sawyer arched a brow, then pushed Andvari away. “I’m not an idiot.”
“I never said you were.”
“Then tell me what’s on the list.”
Eduard cleared his throat and Sawyer spun to face him. “It’s what we need to increase security around the property. I need to get the supplies ordered immediately.”
