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Nick’s eyes flew open and static charged against his skin, his senses warning him of danger.
“Let go of me!” Zoe cried.
Nick shot up, finding her crouched on the floor, drawing different symbols with her blood.
“Zo, what the hell are you doing?” He made a move toward her, only to find himself flying through the air as light flashed. He landed across the room, grunting, and forced himself back up. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep but Zoe hadn’t been home.
She carried on drawing different symbols, etching them over the floor, then she rose, starting to draw them on the walls. Blood dripped from where she had sliced her hand open.
He’d only taught her the basic runes and sigils that aided in magic, but some of these he didn’t even recognise. “Zo, what are you doing?” he repeated, taking a cautious step toward her.
She glanced over at him, her eyes burning a deep amber. Power rolled off of her, dark and icy to his senses. This wasn’t his Zoe. This was whatever she became when her dark memories took hold of her.
She turned her attention back to the wall, rubbing her fingers over it with one hand and carving signs with her athame with the other.
Nick grabbed his own blade, trying to break through a symbol as he drew magic. He had to get to her and bring her out her trance.
“Don’t,” she snarled, her voice low and harsh, light flaring in her palm.
Nick ducked as she threw a bolt of light toward him. “Stop! It’s me. It’s Nick. You’d never hurt me.” Damn it, he needed to get near her to wake her up. Zoe? he called. Please listen to me.
Her fingers flew over the walls, drawing more frantically with both the athame and her bloody palm. Despite her sleepwalking, she’d never done anything like this before. She’d lost control in the past but not like this. Not to this extent.
Glass shattered as something shot through the front window. A black mass of smoke with yellow eyes suddenly hovered above him.
What the fuck is that?
“Zoe?” The creature bypassed Nick and went straight for her. The runes flared to life, repelling the thing with a violent flash of light.
The creature hissed, thrashing, but the runes held firm.
Zoe raised her hand, blasting it with beams of light, and it screeched, fleeing back out the window. Once it was gone, Zoe slumped onto the floor, unmoving.
Nick tried to get to her, but the runes still repelled him. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out his phone. “Raf, I need you to get over to Zoe’s house, right now.”
“What’s wrong?” Raf asked, sounding anxious.
“Just get here. Something’s wrong with Zoe, and I need your help.” Nick ended the call. He dropped to his knees and got to work dispelling the runes.
Damn it, this could take hours.
He needed to wake her. Right now. Taking a deep breath, he blurred, shooting toward her. BAM! A surge of energy sent him crashing onto the coffee table, which gave way under him.
Light flashed in the room as Raf appeared.
“What the...” the old man gasped. “Who did all this?”
Nick inclined his head toward Zoe, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn’t want Raf here. He didn’t even know if he could trust him anymore, but he had no one else to help. As much as he wanted to keep the Circle’s attention away from Zoe, he knew he didn’t have any other choice. “Can you dispel these runes? I need to know she’s okay.” Nick’s heart pounded in his ears.
“These runes are strong, old magic, meant for protection—did you teach them to her?” Raf glanced around the room, frowning
Nick shook his head. “No, we’ve only covered some basics. She must have learnt them somewhere else,” he said. “For Christ’s sake, don’t just stand there, do something!”
Raf raised his hand, muttering words of power. Every rune flashed at once, then went black as their power faded.
Nick’s body blurred as he shot over to Zoe, letting out a breath. Odd, he hadn’t meant to do that. “I woke up and she was drawing these things. Something attacked us. A shadow thing, just like the other night. She wasn’t herself, it was like her sleepwalking, only different.” He knelt and cupped her face. “Zo? Zoe, wake up.”
She moaned as her eyes slowly opened. “Nick? Why are we on the floor?” She looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw Raf. “What’s going on? Why is he here?”
Nick picked her up and helped her onto the sofa. “You were sleepwalking again, and the shadow thing attacked you.”
Zoe glanced around the room then looked at her bloodied hand. Nick blurred and grabbed a towel, handing it to her.
“I fell asleep after I came home from Sabine’s. I saw something different in my nightmare this time. A woman without a face.”
Raf’s frown deepened. “Zoe, what do you remember doing in your dream?”
She shook her head. “I ran away when I saw the strange woman. I didn’t do anything else.”
“What were you doing before you went to sleep?” Raf glanced between them. “Wait, why were you both asleep down here?”
“I went to Sabine’s for my weekly session and was too drained to manage the stairs.” She shrugged.
“I must’ve fallen asleep down here,” Nick answered.
“Did you remember anything, Zoe?”
“Bits and pieces. I saw a golden room, and I heard wolves howling.” Zoe glanced at Nick, who blurred into the kitchen to make them all a cup of tea.
“Raf, why do these things keep happening to me?” Zoe demanded.
Raf touched Zoe’s forehead, brow creasing when he closed his eyes. “Your shield still protects you. I can’t read anything,” he said. “How often has this happened?”
“Maybe twice since I started training. I fell asleep down here.”
His gaze shot to Nick. “Where were you?”
Nick bit his lip. “Already asleep.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and knew he was in for it now.
“You weren’t with her when she went to Sabine’s?” Raf glared at him.
Yep, really in for it now! Damn, I should’ve gone with her! I know my orders.
“I go to Sabine’s every week. It’s not a big deal.” Zoe crossed her arms. “He can’t be with me every second.”
“He’s supposed to be watching over you,” Raf snapped. “Keeping you safe.”
“Don’t you mean keeping an eye on me, so I don’t go psycho?” Zoe retorted.
“Zo, don’t.” Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“What?” she demanded. “I’m sick of—”
Raf glanced around the room, a raised hand cutting Zoe’s rant short. “What happened when you came home? Did use your power to get here?”
“No, I was exhausted, so Sabine sent me back. I sat next to Nick and went to sleep.” She glanced between them “What happened?”
“I can’t answer that. These runes are old, they’re meant to ward and protect. Perhaps you somehow knew that the creature would come.” Raf took the mug of tea Nick offered.
“It must be some kind of dark spirit,” Nick mused. “We’ll have to do some research. In the meantime, I’ll board up the window.”
“Perhaps you should both stay at the castle tonight? You’d be safe there,” Raf suggested.
“No.” Zoe shook her head again. “This is my home, I’m not leaving. I don’t want to stay at the castle where I’ll be under the Circle’s watch.” She glanced at Nick. Did I hurt you?
No, I’m fine. Go get some sleep, I’ll be up soon. Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you. Nick squeezed her hand, not caring if Raf saw or what he thought.
She nodded and headed upstairs.
Once she was gone, Nick turned to Raf. “What the fuck is happening? This isn’t natural!”
Raf snorted. “Nothing about Zoe is natural.”
“That may be, but she’s not a threat to anyone,” he snapped.
“These runes are very old magic. She couldn’t have cast them unless someone taught them to her.” Raf sighed. “I must tell the Circle what transpired here.”
“No, they’ll lock her up! She’s starting to remember things now.” Nick’s hands clenched into fists, “It’s not like they’re really going to help her. They did nothing to help my mother after what my bastard father did to her.”
“I can’t ignore my duty to them, nor can I ignore this. Think about it, what do we really know about her?”
“She’s a guardian, she’s cursed, and she’s not dangerous. You don’t know her the way I do.”
“I know you’re getting far too close. Are you having sex with her?” Raf demanded.
Nick laughed. “Of course not! It’s easier to sleep next to her when she has nightmares,” he said. “Look, you can’t tell the Circle. I won’t let them lock her up.”
“That’s not your call.”
“Whose side are you on here? She’s a guardian! The very thing you used to be, remember?” Of all people, Nick had expected Raf to be on their side.
“She still loses control, and she still used dangerous magic.” Raf motioned to the dormant runes. “I’ll see what I can find out about these runes. In the meantime, keep close watch over her and remember not to let your feelings get in the way. For the record, I am on your side, but I’m not blinded by emotion.”
“Right, I forgot everything about being a guardian is all about duty. I’m not allowed to feel anything,” he scoffed. “You’re the one who spent years telling me how I should pass my knowledge on and—”
“Good night, Nicklaus.” Raf vanished in a flash of light.
Still seething, Nick blurred, grabbing a piece of wood from Zoe’s back garden to seal a board in place over the broken window. He then headed upstairs.
Zoe sat on her bed, arms wrapped around her knees. “Am I being summoned by the Circle yet?”
“No.”
“I will be. Can’t hide the freak forever.” She gave a harsh laugh.
“You’re not a freak,” he insisted.
“Sure I am. I don’t fit into any world, not even yours.” Zoe laughed. “You know, tonight I actually felt like a real guardian when we took on that emo. I should have known it wouldn’t last.” She sniffed.
Nick went over to her, placing his hands on her knees. “You are a real guardian and you do belong in my world. Don’t ever doubt that.” He cupped her face. “I won’t ever let anyone else hurt you.” His heart twisted every time she got upset. He hated it.
“You can’t control the Circle.”
“We are not bound by them.”
She rubbed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I’m not worried. I’m done with being afraid of what they might do.” She turned away. “You should go.”
“Why? I thought...” He tried to find a decent excuse to stay.
“I doubt I’ll sleep anyway, so you might as well get some.”
Nick hesitated, feeling like an idiot. “I-I can’t. I won’t sleep either unless I know you’re okay.”
“What about Raf? He thinks we’re...”
“Let him, it doesn’t matter.” He pulled off his shirt and jeans and climbed into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her.
She sighed and snuggled against him.
I’m not leaving you, he thought. Neither the Circle nor that curse is taking you away from me.
