My Sister's a Guardian (RotG Fanfiction)

Chapter 45: The Pendant's Request

(Content/trigger warnings for this chapter: self-hatred)

--Ranya--

I paced across the scratchy carpet of my room and ran my hands through the brown now-knots of my greasy hair. I tried to form plans, but they were fractured since I couldn't speak them aloud. My eyes closed for a few seconds, and the lull of sleep pulled on my mind.

North and Tooth, still and strong, watched me from a far corner. I couldn't read their gazes, but couldn't hide my panic. With my dad paralyzed, I didn't have any semblance of a plan. We couldn't use Isabelle as bait. We had nothing.

I pulled out my phone and checked Dakota's message again:

"The Guardians' centers—their light powers—are gone."

"What does that mean?" came a voice behind me.

I nearly jumped, but pulled my phone against my chest as I spun around. Tooth hovered behind me.

"Nothing," I said. Dakota still didn't want the Guardians to know about her powers.

"How would she know if we didn't have centers?"

"That wasn't what she said. You read the text wrong."

"But Ranya, if our centers are gone, that would be very dangerous." Tooth had returned to being suspicious? Since when?

"What?" North strode over. I turned off my phone and shoved it down my bra.

"It's nothing," I said. "We were just talking about school. Please leave me alone."

The Guardians backed off and looked away. Why?

I glanced at my laptop—its clock read three in the morning, and my eyes closed for a few seconds longer than last time. I shook myself and blinked—I couldn't rest until I had a plan. Either Isabelle or I would be kidnapped soon, and then it would be over.

With the Guardians now not watching me as closely, I plunked down at my laptop. I half-wondered why I hadn't just gotten on it by distracting the Guardians earlier, but my lack of sleep was messing with my rational thought. The Guardians left me alone as I created a new document and typed out my fragmented ideas. My eyes closed for a few seconds again, and once I opened them, I sighed and set a timer for fifteen minutes. Just a nap. Hopefully my mind would be clearer afterward.

I crossed my arms over my keyboard, lay my head down on its smooth surface, and immediately passed out.

---

When I woke up after a dream I couldn't remember, the first thing I noticed was a strong sense that something was wrong. My pendant burned cold in my pocket, and an odd sense seemed to pass from it into me. Dakota is in danger. She has information you need. Rescue her.

I sucked in a breath as I jerked my head off numb, prickling arms. The laptop in front of me flashed bright orange. I cursed myself. What a fantastic time for this...

When I glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the screen, I cursed myself again. Five in the morning? I'd been asleep for so long! Who knew if something had happened during the night? Though the Guardians hadn't woken me up, so hopefully Isabelle was still safe.

As my thoughts came together and the pendant burned colder, I knew it was what had woken me up. It was urgent.

I needed Dakota to kill Pitch. Besides, I did care about her, even if she hated me. A protective feeling rose in my chest.