Death Watchers

Mirrikh

Cole smiled when he saw me. "I missed you last night."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry. The meds kind of took over my brain, not allowing me to see my favorite person."

He laughed. "And yet they allowed you to see an elderly woman. Where's the fairness in that?"

I smiled but I wasn't here to tease. Before I could get off track, I asked, "How did you find me in the library? How'd you even know I was there?"

His smile dropped. "It's hard to explain, much like everything else with us." He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Basically, I felt your panic and then I ended up seeing where you were. Since I had been to that library several times, I knew exactly where you were inside."

"You saw me?"

"Yeah. You're my guard-ee or whatever, so I kind of have this connection, hence why we're in this dream right now. Stuff like that happens so I know where to find you. Any strong emotion from you starts off as a headache and if it's bad enough, I get sucked in. Like your panic at the library, your curiosity with the elderly woman, and the initial fear at seeing me that first day. It's why I had to leave."

"Wait. You knew about Marjorie before I told you?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"How'd you even touch that ghost at the library?"

"Uh...undead, remember?" he asked like I was stupid.

I glared. "That doesn't explain it."

"Fine," he bit out. "As a guardian—an undead guardian—I can touch them and fight them and whatever else. I did die, which means I'm connected to them in a way mortals aren't, not even you. You can talk to them and help them, but I fight them. I'm supposed to ward off your Shadow Man somehow but I don't know."

"Well, you aren't doing a very good job," a velvety smooth voice crooned. "My love, what has happened to your hands?"

My spine stiffened as I turned around. He looked the same as last time, his white hair spiked, a grin plastered on his face, his red eyes glowing from the black pits. This time, he was in a tank top and sweatpants, like he had just worked out before barging into our dream.

"How the hell do you keep getting in here?" Cole demanded. "This isn't a place you should be able to come."

The Shadow Man barely spared him a glance. "You don't do a very good job of guarding, guardian. Your dreams are open to anyone who wishes to invade. Lucky for you two, I'm the only one interested." He turned back to me. "Jocelynn, love, will you come with me a moment? I must show you something of great importance."

"I'm not interested," I stated, sounding calm despite my terror. Cole glanced at me.

"Perhaps if you knew my name, then." He rested his hand on his chest. "I am Mirrikh. I have no last name though, so do not ask." He bowed slightly. "There, now we know each other."

"Mirrikh," Cole stated, his eyes narrowed. "Doesn't that mean 'death' and 'slaughter'?"

Mirrikh bit out a sharp laugh. "Dear boy, you are wiser than I gave you credit for. It's not enough, though. Jocelynn is mine. She will never be yours, guardian. She was destined for me."

"Funny. That's what my mom told me before she told me to start looking for Jocelynn." He cocked his head. "One of us must be mistaken."

"Then it is you. I have been around for eons and I have not felt for anyone as I have for Jocelynn." Mirrikh crossed his muscular arms, a smug smile on his lips. "You are at a loss, boy."