Heroes and Wolves [book 1]

Chapter twenty-two

Layla

Just when we reach the apex of the stairs, a loud siren erupts and drills down my ears. Zack quickens his pace as Abbey flits in and out of the room diagonally opposite the large console. They are rushing about for who knows what, but this alarm has something to do with it. 

Maylock is striding back and forth near the console, his hand lacing through his hair which he stops once he sees me. 

    "Lakeintown is under attack" his announcement causes my stomach to drop. The city is being attacked. Right now. "We need to eliminate the enemies that threaten the city" his eyes have a glaze of determination.

     "What? But I can't fight" although I can and don't lack experience of being in one but Maylock doesn't need to know that. Downplaying my true abilities and skills has always been something I do. That way people expect less of you.       

     "I'm sorry for putting this on you right now. Lakeintown has been fine for the past couple of days. Adicus has been quiet with his attacks so I thought I could push your training to tomorrow but you'll have to start now. You are one of us Layla. A Guardian Angel"

     "She's not a very good one!" I hear Abbey but I ignore her.

     "I really don't know about this Maylock, I want to leave"

     "Let her go, she doesn't belong here!" I ignore Abbey once more but I think Maylock senses the atmosphere she is making as he glances over at her.

There's an instant change in her stance. She's walking bolt upright and suddenly all confident while swivelling her hips to such a high rotation. This is all just to show off as she knows that we are looking at her, that mainly Maylock is looking at her. It just tells me what sort of person Abbey is; a definite attention seeker.

She continues to strut over to the console and meets with Zack who is typing on the keyboard.

     "You are a Guardian" Maylock simply states looking back at me. "You were chosen" 

     "I don't know why I was" I roll my eyes. "But I've been stuck here since I met you. I never should have gone into the woods. Everything has changed since then" 

     "Why were you there anyway?" his eyes narrow as he studies me. 

     "Well, I couldn't have just left you" the words slip out before I even think of them. 

     "And you wonder why you were chosen?" he states, awed and amused at his judgement but I don't acknowledge him. 

     "I did shooty, now I want my half of the bargain" I demand. 

     "Not right now" he firms. "Zack told me you did well" 

     "Zack also said that this bargain went against all that you stand for" Maylock's eyes widen from my words." Whatever that means" I roll my eyes. 

     "What else did you hear?" he wonders, his voice low and with a slight sense of insecurity.

     "Nothing more" I frown suspicious "but what's there to hide? Just tell me the danger" 

     "After we clear this attack" Maylock doesn't budge. 

     "That's not fair" I fume. "I want to leave"

     "Do you really? Because let's get something straight Layla, you're still here"

     "Nothing gets past you does it"

     "But when you ran out and the monster was following, you could have gone back to that shack or wherever but you didn't. You even said that you tried to retrace your steps back to me so something tells me that you wanted to come back here for some reason"

     "Stop digging in holes you shouldn't touch" I glare at him from his words but deep down he is right.

I know I could have left but I didn't and this is making me remember what I have experienced all my life - the truth of it all. My thoughts are flowing freely and I am anxious about the road they might take. I don't want to be reminded of my past. I don't want to be reminded about my past.

I can't stop it. My mind is a whirl of past memories and feelings. All these sensations and recollections make me realise that being here makes me feel second. I have always been first and by that, I mean alone. Being first meant that I had to make decisions myself. I had to survive by any means. Now I'm second. I'm around people. Decisions have been made for me and I don't need to rely on myself anymore. I don't need to worry about survival but it's too much. I'm not used to it.

If I didn't go through that painting door in that old house then I would have been back at my shack and had no knowledge that there was something going on in the city. I probably would have been there drawing them but the Guardians would have been none the wiser of me. I usually get forgotten about anyway.

The Bolton's household had multiple children from different places so I wasn't short of being around people. It's just that some left, never to come back and more arrived the next day. Before I could even make a move to be friends with them, they found out about me and they never set foot near me. That's why I sometimes liked Alex being with me. It brought some companionship in away but that wasn't the case for the other man. At least I'm far away from him now.

But I feel second now. Second. This unknown and almost forgotten feeling creeps up on me again and further thoughts spiral from it.

Maybe I did want this? Maybe I did because it's the first time in a while that I have been with people that don't want things from me. It's the first time I have talked to people for longer than five minutes and actually laughed. Maybe deep down, I needed and wanted this... but I'm still going to leave because they'll only do that in time. I'm just skipping an eventuality.

     "Okay, I won't pry anymore" Maylock holds his hands up in defence.

     "Good so I'll head off then"

     "Layla, I said for you to stay here"

     "Yeah, you said, doesn't mean I have to listen" I snap and hear Zack snigger. I look at him only to realise that both him and Abbey are watching us.

     "It's a minor attack. There's not a lot of damage" Zack breaks the silence and goes back to typing on the keyboard.

     "We'll go in five" Maylock commands 

     "So I'm just expected to go with you" silence greets me combined with Maylock and Zack who glance at each other. 

     "Yes" Zack nods "I know this is daunting and it's been sprung on you because of the unpredictability of our enemies but you were chosen" he comes over to me with a red jacket over his arm. "and that comes with being responsible for the civilians of Lakeintown. It's our duty and yours now so, you're going to have to wear this instead of that cardigan for what we are about to do as it can get pretty cold" he hands me the jacket.