The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls (34 page)

Just before that thought had time to sink in, a gust of wind made Amy shiver, and the sky darkened overhead. Amy opened her eyes and watched the koi retreat to the bottom of the pond. She presumed a thunderstorm was approaching, but the way Mark stood, Amy knew the cold that surrounded them was not caused by the wind. It was a dark, dreadful air of hatred. Sweat beaded on the back of her neck, an icy quiver ran through her and she stood, overcome with fear. Mark made to Light-Void them but failed, and instead, a black haze surrounded them.

‘And here was me thinking I’d never get you on your own!’ Amy jumped as Ethan’s voice crept up behind her. Mark caught her in a protective hold and, as the black mist disintegrated, Ethan and his clan, coming from all angles, came into focus. As Ethan stared into Amy’s eyes, her body tightened. No sooner had it begun, Mark sent light through her skin.

‘I don’t think so,’ Mark hissed as Amy’s body relaxed.

Ethan laughed. ‘I must have been given the power of
luck
when I chose to incarnate again.’ His hands raised to the heavens like they’d blessed him, but the words didn’t match the look in his oily eyes. The stench of his breath hit her skin and he snarled at her like she was raw meat and he was a wolf.

Even through the dark mist, she could see his frightening jet-black shade. His greying, thin skin revealed more of the darkness she’d seen in Mark’s memory.

‘I thought you would have been more vigilant,
Guardian,
especially knowing how vulnerable she is right now!’ His eyes shone like he’d won a prize.

Mark said nothing. Amy could feel her heartbeat beginning to choke her every breath, but Mark remained calm. As Ethan blinked, she understood why: he was waiting for an opportunity to Light-Void. As the warping blew up around them, Amy thought it had worked but, before it could manifest into a Light-Void, three men sent dark streams to Mark’s feet. The dark mist weaved and curled around his legs like crawling ivy.

‘Do you remember our fun-filled encounter?’ Ethan asked Mark, then his head tilted to the side, his voice rose a few notches as he imitated Mark’s sobs. ‘Don’t hurt my parents. Hurt me instead!’ he whined, his bottom lip wobbling sardonically.

Amy made to attack him, but Mark grabbed her and glued her to his side, his face still serene and unnerved. Ethan’s eyebrows crept up in amusement. Amy remembered Mark instructing to show no fear. She could see he was feeding off it, becoming stronger from her anger. She stood back and, with all her might, tried to act calm.

‘You’ll have to watch while I
infest
her!’ he said to Mark. ‘You can’t do anything, can you?’ He spat the words with a sneer. Mark looked as unflustered as he did before, not giving him an ounce of fear to feed off. ‘You can watch as she tastes the dark. As it takes her and changes her. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure when I kill Tom, that I use this piece of dirt to do it!’

Ethan’s eyes burned with homicidal intent, he lifted his hand and a thick, dark vapour flowed easily from it, which headed straight for Amy’s core. Just before impact it suddenly veered off to the left. Mark had let down his shade—he had become a receptor!

‘Nooo!’ Amy screamed as the dark stream that was headed straight for her sped into him. The inky mist ran up Mark’s body, decaying his skin to an ashen grey. Ethan leapt back with shock as Mark buckled to the ground, light bursting out of him like he was being stripped of what power he had as darkness eat away at his insides. Amy took in a huge breath and howled: ‘Adaizi!’

Like the ocean crashing against the rocks, a wall of light rose between Ethan and them, which gave Adaizi time to take one of Amy’s hands and one of Mark’s and Light-Void them into the pure white square room inside the home.

‘He let down his guard!’ Amy said hysterically as Mark fell limp. The light Adaizi was pouring into him made no difference—his skin began crumbling. He was dying.

‘Swami!’ Adaizi screamed, her calm demeanour gone. Swami appeared in the room and, with a shocked, almost appalled look on her face, instantly shone light over Mark’s body. ‘Feng!’ Adaizi shouted next. Before Adaizi looked at Feng, she was calling other names. In seconds there were twenty Guardians streaming light into Mark, the room enlarging to accommodate each. Amy fell to her knees, distraught.

‘He’s gone, Adaizi,’ Feng said, standing back from Mark like there was no point in continuing.

‘Get back!’ Adaizi commanded. Feng, although reluctant, stepped back and carried on pouring his light into him.

Amy’s heart began to break. As she watched the many Guardians, all beautiful, all magical and full of grace, she couldn’t believe one of these beings had done this for her. She knew Mark would have done anything for Tom—the day of the fire had convinced her of that—but she didn’t think he would die for her.

A huge, male Guardian stood back, the light sinking back into his hands. ‘Tenacity is futile,’ he stated. ‘We’re merely prolonging his suffering!’

‘Back!’ Adaizi demanded. He instantly resumed, pressing his miraculous light into him. ‘Mark, come back to me, my beautiful boy,’ Adaizi cooed, her light the strongest amongst them. Her tears fell on top of him as she pressed into his scalp with what seemed like every bit of light she held.

Mark took a last, pained breath and his body deflated. He’d given up his fight. As Amy watched the life drain out of him, she felt like she’d died along with him. Her skin erupted in a tingling sensation and her heartbeat was loud in her ears. She stood blankly, unable to react. Knowing his death was her fault was something she knew she couldn’t live with.

From the depths of her soul Amy screamed as if being tortured. Her scream didn’t carry in the room but her pain was felt by all. ‘Mark, please don’t die,’ she cried, her heart tearing in two, ‘I need you!’ Amy wished she had power. She didn’t know how, but she knew—with every ounce of her being, because of the love she held for him—that somehow her power could have saved him.

She remembered Rose telling her all she had to do was believe in her own power, but all she could concentrate on was how much she didn’t want to lose him. That instant, a curdling feeling manifested inside the pit of her stomach and a cold burn surged through her body. Her talisman jumped. It was only a slight jump, but she knew she had caused it.

As she looked at the man she loved with all her heart laying lifeless on the floor, she focussed to believe she was gifted enough to save him and, with an overwhelming rush of love surging through her entire body, a wild, violet light burst out of her talisman, turning the white room violet. As the light struck Mark in the chest, making him gasp in a breath, all the Guardians turned to Amy, shocked. She rushed through them and threw herself next to him, the violet light pouring from her talisman, penetrating him deeper.

The effect was instant. Within seconds the decay began to contract, leaving fresh skin in its wake. Adaizi stared at Amy open-mouthed while the other Guardians exchanged quizzical but elated glances. After a few moments, Mark opened his eyes.

‘Mark!’ Amy cried, throwing herself on top of him. He let out a pained wheeze and she sat up apologetically. As Adaizi stood to thank all who had come, Amy stroked Mark’s hair and just stared at him, not knowing how to react.

Although he had no energy, he smiled at her. Amy smiled sadly at him, wanting to tell him off yet thank him, hoping he could read her mind. Amy didn’t even notice the other Guardians leave.

‘Don’t do anything like that again!’ Adaizi said, holding his hand.

‘You know I will!’ he replied hoarsely.

‘You’re lucky to be alive.’

‘I knew I loved her enough to beat it!’ he countered.

‘We all love her, Mark, but…’

‘
No
,’
he pressed, his voice weak, ‘I love her with the fuel it takes to fight!’

Adaizi froze. Amy could hear the breath catch in her throat. She looked from him to Amy like Amy had done something wrong. ‘Impossible.
We
all saved you. I called every Guardian I could…and then…’ Adaizi looked impressively at Amy’s talisman. ‘It was Amy who saved you!’ Amy looked down at her talisman, unable to register what she had done.

‘Exactly!’ Mark said. ‘That’s how I knew I could take the risk! I knew if Amy felt half the way I did, she would find her own unique power.’

‘But you know we’re not meant to…’

‘What’s meant to be is what’s meant to be. Everything happens for a reason. You’ve always said I’m unique!’

‘But what good would come from it?’ she asked.

‘Amy’s alive, for one. The rest, like everything, would remain to be seen! You’re never given a dream in life without the means to obtain it.’

‘That’s for people having the Test.’

‘It applies to
all
souls,’ Mark said. ‘
My
mission is over,’ he added.

‘When the day comes that Tom is safe,
then
your mission is over,’ Adaizi clarified, still as serene and calm as ever.

Mark strained to sit himself up. ‘Until the day I die, my priority will be so!’ he promised, making Adaizi look guilty.

His words stirring mixed and confused emotions in Amy, she began to feel uncomfortable. It was like they had forgotten she was even there.

‘What would the Decision Maker think about this?’ Adaizi asked, as if this would make him see sense, snap him out of his apparent confusion.

‘If there’s ever a time to
tell
him, I’ll let you know.’

Adaizi looked shocked by this statement. ‘But, Mark, we’re not meant to be…’ She gave a quick sideways glance to Amy and then looked uncomfortable.

‘Can’t you see? If it wasn’t meant to be, then why is it so?’ With this statement, Adaizi turned to Amy, her expression full of concern.

Amy hoped Adaizi didn’t feel it was her fault. Amy knew to have her feelings constantly apparent near someone so empathic; she
must
have caused him to feel like that for her. Knowing Adaizi could read her too made her feel ridiculous.

‘Please leave us,’ Mark said to Adaizi. ‘I’ll take my lecture tomorrow.’ Adaizi turned back to Mark, her expression one of utter shock, and then stood sadly. She gave Amy a look she couldn’t distinguish and left.

‘
Don’t
do that
ever
again!’ Amy chastised firmly. ‘
Especially
not for me!’

‘
You
know I will!’ he retorted, making it obvious nothing in the world could ever stop him.

She leant forward and grabbed his hand. ‘I don’t want you to die for me. You could protect Tom more than I ever could!’

Mark lifted his hands to her face and looked at her with much love and care. ‘You are more powerful than twenty Guardians! But apart from that, having you in his life makes Tom strong. Even when he knows who he is, he will do as you say before any of us. He will love and honour you more than anyone or anything in the world. That’s what Ethan was trying to take. Losing me from the mission would have been much less detrimental to Tom and this mission than the pain of losing you. I said I would protect Tom. I did!’

Amy placed her hand on top of his and moved it to her lips. She closed her eyes as she kissed it, so glad he was alive.

‘Can we talk about us?’ he asked, making Amy startled. ‘Do you want to know what fuel means?’

‘I don’t know if I want to know,’ she said. From the look in his eyes, she already knew what it meant. Even though she was no longer embarrassed about the fact that she loved him, she thought he was about to make matters worse.

‘Fuel comes from the kind of love that includes passion and desire. Fuel is something that makes emotions strong, and therefore can enhance the power of our light in defence against the dark. Even though I had let down my guard, I knew this power would remain and therefore protect me even without my light because…’ He trailed off, then paused. ‘I am in love with you!’ Amy’s heart raced with the pleasure of his words, but she felt overwhelmed with shame and guilt. ‘The reason I couldn’t kiss you that day—’

‘Was because you’re not allowed relationships.’

‘Was
because
you didn’t know who you were kissing. I wanted you to know the truth first.’

‘
First
?’ Amy stuttered, wondering why he was talking like that meant if she knew then they would be okay to go ahead. ‘Knowing the truth makes me know I
can’t
have you.’

‘Still, you know the truth,’ he said, gripping her hand and lifting it to his mouth. He kissed her palm and a wave of heat ran from it through the rest of her body. ‘I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do.’ He pulled her to him and she lay next to him, her heart thumping against her chest. She suddenly felt nervous. Not because of him, but because she didn’t know what she would do.

She wondered, and it made sense to her, how something that felt this right could be wrong. He looked deep into her eyes and stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. Close enough to taste his fresh breath, her mouth opened slightly, all her senses urged her to lean in and take the moment. She wanted him wholly now, for their bodies to become one, but instead she took his hand, pulled it to her lips and, giving him full, dramatic eye contact, kissed his palm, letting him know where the kiss ended.