Madness or Purpose (25 page)

“Is everyone just excited or did I like lose my ability to block people out?” It was like the beginning all over again. I think I might be in trouble. “I think you were nervous and I think that people probably were a bit excited. You might have to be a little less friendly.” I shot him a warning look. “Ok, take me seriously for minute or two. I have been doing this telepathic thing longer and I know people. I’ve been around enough to learn how people work. You don’t have to be a cast iron bitch, but you can play it a bit more strong and silent. Maybe even play it a bit mysterious for a while. If a customer walks in here, they are a guardian or some lucky punk that knows about us and is in the know. You don’t have to even do more than say you’re name and you’ll be known to them. Zoe Zeda Jones is no girl from under a rock in our kind. Hell, you could even just say Z Jones and most people would know who you are. Just be the silent type for tonight? See how it works?” I turn it over in my head a bit; it’s not hard I mean that’s how I’ve been my whole life up until now. “Ok.” He grins and jumps up from the couch. “I called Gav and Tash while you were still out of it and asked them to bring something to help you out a bit. By the way who the hell gave her that nickname?”

Laughing I answer him, “she gave it to herself a long time ago from what I know. I’m sure you have other questions and we’ve got two hours until we open, so ask away you love sick little boy.” That offends him and he puffs out his chest and beats his fists against it. “I am not a boy, I’m a man!” That makes me laugh harder, but I cover my mouth and let him continue. “Well, where is she from? What does she do? Why didn’t you tell me you knew her? I mean my mark is right on the sign to her store! How do I make her like me?” Oh boy, he sure does ask loaded questions. I really should charge people for all the things I know.

“Natasha is from Russia, you would have to ask her for the details, I don’t know any more than that. She is a hair stylist, tattoo artist, and she does piercings.” I am sure to point to my eye brow and wink at him. “I had no idea what your mark was until this moment when you told me it was on her sign…how would I have known? It’s not like I’ve seen you or Natasha without clothes!

Besides all that, I can’t tell you how to make her like you.” His grin falls and a frown replaces it.

“Dude, just let her approach you. I mean she knows it’s you, just give her time. It’s not like you won’t be with her for a while on the way to Nebraska. I know you’re anxious. You’re going to say I can’t understand I woke up one day and found out my best friend who was there like my whole life was the man I was meant for and you had to search for yours. It’ll happen though it will.” With that we heard footsteps on the stairs and a moment later a knock on the door. Gavin’s head pokes around the corner and though he tries to hide it his face always gives him away to me and his worry is evident. Natasha appears behind him her eyes wide and searching every inch of Dominic’s tiny little apartment. He smiles at her gently, cautiously and she just nods at him. Gavin makes his way to me and sits beside me. I can tell his emotions are not in check because his skin is like fire against mine. Even the touch of his hand is almost more then I can handle.

The moment he comes into contact with me and can see that I’m ok his temperature comes down and his aura dims.

“Zoe I bring for you a drink. It’s going to be bitter, but it should help you focus. The voices should stay out unless you want them to come in.” She thrusts a vial towards me and then another towards Gavin. “You drink this too. I can’t have you burning this place down tonight or melting the glassware. I have a job to do and you two have to make good impression or else!” We grin at one another and I stifle a giggle. “Or else what,” Dominic asks, but he immediately flinches like he was slapped in the face. Natasha smacked him with her mind! “You will not interfere and you will do as you are instructed or you will be more than smacked!” Her finger seems to tremble just a bit as she points at Dominic and as her eyes flash Dominic flinches. Gavin and I look at each other and remove the corks from our vials. “Bottoms up,” we chant together and take the vials like shots of whisky. They burn and have a bitter after taste just as she said they would.

We both shake our heads a bit and wait.

Slowly I can feel walls like steel rise up around my mind. I can’t hear the humming form down below us, but I can focus on Gavin and hear his thoughts. As my walls rise, his molten core is doused with ice and he briefly shivers from head to toe. I guess Natasha feels we are too unstable or maybe she is more cautious since Dominic came onto the scene. Either way it’s off to work we go! “Ok, you two behave and let’s get this show on the road!” Gavin grins at me and I stand up to adjust my outfit and little waitress apron and stare at Dominic and Natasha. “Why do you scold me?” Natasha really doesn’t understand that it’s more than obvious who Dominic is to her. She hasn’t told me herself, but I remember feeling what she feels and how brilliant our marks became. It’s like we are moths drawn to a light and that light is the other half of our soul, our being, our reason for existence.

As frustrated as one may be, the other completes them and they have no choice in the matter. I remember a bit of relief once I understood it, but at the same time a type of rage for having no control. “Come with me,” I say and take her hand. I lead her out of the small apartment and down the stairs. “Tash, I know who Dominic is to you. It’s not an easy thing to hide; besides I know things I don’t what to know sometimes.” I tap my temple for effect.

Natasha’s eyes widen and her emerald green eyes flash red for a moment. “I’m obvious?” I sigh a bit and realize I have but a few moments to explain and calm her before we reach the bar and the doors open for business. “Tash, to me, a guardian, a telepath and friend of Dominic’s yes, to others maybe not so much. Let’s get through the night and then maybe you should talk to Dominic.” Her golden curls are pulled up into a messy bun she ran two bright pink sticks with stars on the end through. Natasha’s brow furrows and I know she is thinking, turning things over and over in her head. “Gavin loves you, he trusts you so I trust you about this Dominic boy. I will speak tonight with him. You must be near or the deal is off!” With that she nods once to me and turns towards the main part of the bar.

I have to move fast too keep up. I follow Natasha to a spot near the end of the actual bar and there is a group of girls standing in a circle yammering on about trivial things their auras flashing and dancing with their excitement.

They don’t know we’re approaching.

“I heard she is gorgeous, but stupid! She can’t even keep it together. She electrocutes people and,” “and I can fry your brain from the inside out with merely a thought.” Clearing my throat I interrupt the brunette who is regaling my struggles. “Oh shit, sorry ZZ! I didn’t realize you were here.” Her features look small and she shrinks back standing behind a few other girls and Jeanie whom I met earlier pushes her out in front of me. “My name is Zoe, only my friends call me ZZ and you are not even worth my breath. Learn to shut your mouth and maybe you wouldn’t be single. A gossip is unattractive.” The girl gasped and covered her mouth. “How did you know?” I just laughed I could feel Gavin and Dominic behind us enjoying the show. All heads in the bar had turned towards us. “Mindy, I just do.” I am sure to tap my temple just to mess with her and add effect. The brunette runs off to the bathroom and one of her lackeys darts after her. I am so nervous I swear my knees are knocking together but I guess to everyone else I look collected and slightly dangerous. Most of the girls take a step or two back from Natasha and I. I really have no idea what to say next, but lucky for me Natasha was born for this sort of thing.

“You heard Zoe, now listen chicks. You do your job, do it right and Dean won’t hear about nothing. You cross Zoe or try to be cute you deal with me.” Natasha’s aura was flashing like a strobe and her features looked terrifying all twisted up in her anger. “You may only tell our patron’s her name is Zoe and any other questions…let’s say the answers slip your pretty little minds unless, you’d like us to silence you for good?” Natasha cracks her knuckles and that’s when I notice how much leather she is wearing. She would fit in nicely to any biker bar or s and m club in the city. Tash has even picked out some thigh high leather heels. Every movement seems natural to her like she is in a movie. I can only see myself falling on my ass every twenty seconds. Where does all her confidence come from? It’s like by being born Russian it is part of her genes! I forget all about what is going on around me as I mentally drool all over Natasha. It isn’t until I feel a pinch on my arm that I snap out of it.

“That is right Zoe is it not?” I have no idea what I am agreeing to but with the roll Natasha is on I better agree to it. I hope me popping back into my own brain appeared like I was tough and not the jolt of surprise I actually felt when I snapped back like a rubber band. Based on the faces of the girls surrounding me none of them noticed I had checked out. “You couldn’t be more right Natasha.” I flash my eyes for effect. I figure that sort of response is tough enough and yet covers all my bases since I have no idea what she had just said.

“Alright now, line up, give your name, and then off you go. The patrons are looking for you.” The girls stumble about and form a cockeyed line and Natasha has me follow along down it with her. Each girl mumbles out a name like Mindy, Candy, Rosie, Jules, and so forth. I don’t remember anyone but Adara, Jeanie and Mimi. All are honest enough I could tell and each was half a soul belonging to one of the bouncers.

Adara is with Jaron and well the other two, I don’t know. I hadn’t met everyone so it’s hard to tell really. Anyhow the five of us took the back end of the bar and started making our rounds. I caught a glimpse of Gavin out of the corner of my eye and he was watching me with a protective stare. Dominic’s eyes were in our direction too, though he didn’t have the claim to Natasha that Gavin and I had to each other, it was easy to tell he was keeping an eye out. Our first table of patrons was older, mid forties and a couple of them had women with them. All of them were guardians and knew enough not to ask anything after Natasha introduced me as the new waitress for LEDGE and I winked at the men.

Sometimes the older women would comment on my pendant and others might admire my jet black hair, all ways of telling me they knew who I was and oddly thanking me for being alive without saying it.

I decided after the first few tables I hated who I was to these people! I mean wasn’t it enough to find out I’m a guardian and I am not an orphan? But to be fated as some sort of guardian warrior or savior of some sort and have everyone know me was just too much. I go to Gavin’s end of the bar to get my drink orders filled. When the girls see me coming, they all move to another bar tender. Gavin grins and places a hand on top of mine. He doesn’t have to touch me to know I am about to fall apart inside.
“You don’t need to feel so pressured. You know that you were born everything you need to be this foretold guardian. Zoe, I feel it too, only people here can’t believe I’m your other half. They think I’m some scrawny little punk that serves them booze. I’m supposed to be your protector. Let me buy us both a shot and we can focus on appearing as bad-ass as we are supposed to be huh?”
I nod and Gavin motions to Will another bar tender and slides him and five, “two shots of something strong.”

Gavin gins again and starts filling my order. I’m glad I wore my chucks, because when he’s done my tray is so full I’m afraid to pick it up. The two shots appear in front of us and we instinctively raise them, give them a clank and slam them down. The whiskey burns and before I can think Gavin leans over the bar and kisses me without restraint. He’s placing his claim to the whole bar as his hands slip into my hair. When he pulls back he’s grinning from ear to ear and the whole bar is cheering. If I wasn’t supposed to be so rough and tough I’d be blushing.

Instead I push it down and I can feel a wicked grin spread across my face before I can push my mask back in place. I take up my tray thinking to myself that it’s light as a feather and I’m a graceful as a fairy all the way back to my patrons. Dominic winks as I go by and I just about lose my footing even in my flat chucks. Natasha has made herself available to assist, but makes her way around the section chatting up customers and occasionally taking a drink order.

I smile at the last of the men I hand their drinks to and turn to head back to the bar to settle some tabs and it hits me.

The Letter

I feel a brick wall smash up against my mental defenses and it burns like acid around the edges. My body is right where I left it, but I am racing across the room the Gavin and Dominic. Both of their heads snap up at the same time and see me running through tables and patrons. The sensation is odd; I’ll have to ask about it later. A second or so later I fly right through the bar and find myself out of breath if that’s possible. Dominic signals to Natasha who attends to my actual body and takes me to a break area for the employees.
“Guys they’re here!”
I can suddenly hear them both inside my head,
“who is here?”
Both guys keep serving patrons at the bar and scan the crowd.
“Dark guardians,”
is all I’m able to muster before I am snapped back into my body as another wave of acid and darkness slams into my mental barriers. As I snap back into my body it feels as though the air is being sucked out of my lungs. I start gasping and Natasha grabs my arm with one hand and smacks me with the other for a brief moment. The slight pain wrenches me back to reality and the look on Natasha’s face tells me my fears are correct. “Dark guardians, they have come looking for you. They shouldn’t be able to enter this place, but they just came in the front door. Are they hurting you? Did they get through?”

Natasha’s face looks worried and she scans my every feature to be sure I’m not lying to her. “I’m fine. Tash, when they try to break down the walls it burns a little, but whatever you made me drink earlier seems to be keeping them out.