Guardians Book One - Magic Rising

Chapter Twenty Six

Outside, the sun was just threatening to set.

Inside, a small argument was starting.

Lady laid aside the strike shields. "Kath. Please...be reasonable. You are making much progress now. Do not throw that away."

"There's nowhere for me to sleep," Kath pointed out, waving a hand at the stack of cloth and probable firewood that had once been a comfortable sofa. "I'm out of clothes. My housemates are starting to worry and..." I just want to do some normal stuff, too.

"But Night is roaming the city," Lady said.

"There's a solution, of course?" Pes stepped between them, his lips curving up in a smile. "I could just call Day, see if she can come back and travel with Kath for a bit?"

"I don't need a bodyguard!" Kath rolled her eyes.

"Yes, you do." Lady nodded. "You are learning well, this time. But a handful of lessons is no preparation at all. A fine idea, Pes. May you call Father? I hope he does not mind. I believe he will understand. He has other contacts, also, so he will not be alone."

"I'm on it," Pes saluted her with his fingers and walked into the hall.

"I won't go rushing in, not this time," said Kath, rubbing her fingers through her hair. Ugh, I want my shower. My own shower. Where I can work the temperature controls. The one downside of the pretty little cottage on the moor had been the clunky plumbing and its tendency to burn and then freeze Kath without warning. I wonder if Lady just makes the water warm herself somehow? Growing up with that would be a right pain! "If I don't make an appearance they'll just call and really, aren't we going back to work on Monday?"

"I rather thought another week's grace might be the most practical plan of action," said Lady, massaging her fingers. "I understand from Father that there is available cover."

Kath winced, knowing the 'available cover' would be Mark and Hannah who would not be best pleased with having their workload doubled without warning. "I still don't...entirely know what you want me to do, y'know...trace the others? Help...teach about magic?"

"Guard my Father, also," said Lady, with a small sigh. "Sense what threatens. I think we can all agree at the moment the plan of the Lord of Light is...the best of the selection of options..." She bit at her lower lip, stretching her fingers out, staring through them at some distant thought. Kath tried to read the emotions in her eyes, but she might as well have tried to read them from the ocean itself.

A faint heat started to tingle inside her chest. "Bloody hell, that was quick!" she turned to stare at the blind, waiting for the golden cloud to filter through, just as before.

"As fast as light, you may say," said Lady, her lips quirking up, but without much mirth; her eyes were still dark. Kath stared hard at her, but Pes had re-entered and with him, was the shimmering mass of Day.

"Seer Kathleen!" she trilled. "I understand I am to be your Guardian?"

Kath couldn't help but laugh; there was something about the daybreak lightness of her, that filled her heart with joy. "Ironic, right?"

"We shall need to leave now, before the sun leaves us, before day is stronger elsewhere," said the Guardian, swirling about Kath's head and making her spin, dizzyingly, around with her. "Your coat, Seer?"

Kath yanked off the sparring mitts she still had on, passing them to Lady, who velcroed them back together. "Ready to roll. My own bed!" She glanced guiltily at Lady. "No offence. And I promise I'll be careful. If I feel anything, you'll be the first to know."

"Please...take care," said Lady, and her eyes softened for a moment and she looked over to Kath.

"Ah, stop," said Kath, amused and a little startled. "I will. You too." She nodded at Pes. "And you!" She wagged a finger at them. "Keep out of trouble."

"Trouble is our collective middle name," Pes brushed a stray strand of dark hair from his eyes, grinning at her. "But we will. Go enjoy your own home." His smile softened. "We aren't here to ruin your life, you know."

"I never thought you were," said Kath. "Honestly? This is...a relief. I'm not mad. No more so than anyone, anyway." She gave a quick laugh. "But...I want to help. And I'm just..." She exhaled. "It's stupid, like my own house makes me feel – settled or whatever, and I've waited all my life for this, too..." She waved a hand. "I'm not making any sense. Sorry."

But Pes was nodding, gently. "It's OK. I know what it is to want to...feel at home, feel like you belong somewhere. It's important. To find the place you belong."

"Yeah," said Kath. "That. Really." She straightened herself up. "Alrighty, let's hit the road."

"Lead the way, Seer," said Day, and Lady led them out, held the door for them to exit to the bus stop.

"Please...be well," she said.

"Promise," Kath placed a hand on her heart. "And I'll be back tomorrow. 10?"

"Of course," said Lady, and with one last nod, closed the door quietly.

Kath strolled down the road, the haze of Day beside her that not one other person could see; she looked like a halo around Kath's head as she glanced in car windows to see them reflected.

"You are brave," said Day, suddenly, "And I feel your heart, and it is good, Seer."

"Well, that came out of nowhere," Kath murmured, blinking. "But. Uh. Thanks?"

"I wish you to have something," the Guardian said. "Although my magic is not your natural affinity, I would share with you...a gift. A blessing, if you like. Hold out your hands?"

Kath paused to glance down the bus timetable – regular enough – and perched on the cold red plastic that sloped at just the wrong angle to properly sit upon, and held her hands out in front of her, like a child at a birthday party waiting for a present.

"The Night will come," said Day, hovering before her. "And although we are not currently friends, we once were, a matching pair. And we are a part of the other, even if he forgets. I would will you this knowledge, this strength, that if you meet the Night again, that you may reach him." The rays of the sun, reddening as they set over the old wall of Kew Gardens, suddenly burned bright, burnishing the stone lions on the gate until they glowed; for a moment, their manes and eyes seemed almost alive. Kath heard a distant, hollow roar in her mind; her hands pressed closer together.

"The heart of the Day," breathed the Guardian in her ear, and her hands were on fire – no, a supernova – no...something she had no words for, and she held a shimmering ball of liquid light for a heartbeat, burning into her retinae until spots danced on her vision, and then it was gone, assimilated into her skin. She coughed fiercely, feeling the glow swim through her veins, hot and alive. I feel...like a new leaf, reaching for the sun, like a the first morning bird, I know why they sing. I feel the sultry comfort of the night and the bright strength of the day...

The 65 rolled up, pulling to a halt in front of the stop. A couple of the passengers stared at Kath as she staggered upright, feeling about six times her own weight, and not just from the sore muscles of Lady's training regime. Behind her, Day giggled.

"Gettin' on, love?" The driver was looking at her concernedly. Kath shook herself.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." She flashed her Oyster card and managed to sit down. The familiar chatter of the passengers, the hiss of the closing doors, the bumpy road and the smell of tyres, summer sweat and cider, was grounding if nothing else, and Kath felt the 'blessing' settle into her skin; less wild but still an awareness, under her flesh, warming her.

"If I glow, you're in trouble," she muttered behind her hand to the floating presence of Day.

All she got in response was a laugh, which was not enormously comforting, but somehow, Kath couldn't help joining in.