The Spirit Guardians Book 3: Fated

Chapter 44

Cassie sat outside on the porch with Marc, staring at the burning red trees. Elijah was running around in a pile of leaves, speaking excitedly about his dinosaur Halloween costume he would be wearing in the evening. They were too far removed from society to trick-or-treat, but Cassie had planned a little bit of trick-or-treating for him anyway with him going from room to room for some candy. He had been chatting about it excitedly all day.

Cassie leaned back on the porch swing, resting her head against Marc's shoulder. They sat in silence with their fingers intertwined. Her engagement ring was shining in the golden autumn sun.

She shut her eyes, imagining that one day she would have a life like this. She could sit on a porch swing in the autumn and watch children play without a care in the world. Cassie felt Marc press a kiss to her forehead, and she let out a hum.

If what Cherie said was true, that they'd be taking over the Preservers as early as January, then she had a lot of mental preparation to do, as well as physical. She needed to practice training, needed to speak more with her allies, and needed to prepare herself to face the worst. She was going to head back right into the same trap that she had so narrowly escaped out of last time.

"What are you thinking about?" Marc murmured beside her.

"What do you think?" Cassie asked.

"The siege is still a while away. I'm sure we'll be kept busy in the meantime though."

"Cherie will probably want me attending more meetings. I'll need to train some more, do some more meditation. How am I going to tell my family all this?" Cassie asked.

"Won't they know?" Marc wondered. "They know already what's coming."

"I just don't think they thought it would come so soon," she said, letting out a sigh. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

"Terrified," Marc replied. "I-I've never really gotten into any of this, even with you, but being locked in the Preserver prisons, even for a few days, was one of the worst experiences of my life."

Cassie frowned. "You could've talked to me about it. I had the same experience."

"It's embarrassing. You went through much more than me. But I won't let fear get the better of me this time. We'll take down Lynch, and soon, things can go back to the way they were. I can't believe they've been in rule for over ten years. I barely remember that more peaceful time of my life."

"It'll come to an end soon," Cassie said slowly, staring as Elijah jumped into a pile of leaves.

"How are you going to tell him?" Marc asked.

Cassie blinked. "What? That I might not come back? I don't know. But even if I don't, I hope he knows I did it for him. When the Guardians do appear to him one day, hopefully he never has to go through the burden of being the only human-spirit."

"What if Irene and Miguel come back?" Marc wondered.

"I don't think that'll happen," Cassie admitted. "Irene seemed very sure of herself when letting me take him all those years ago. I don't think she ever intended to watch him past the point of them returning to the Preservers."

"We're going to see them again," Marc realized.

"We may not," Cassie murmured.

"Either way, let's not think about those things right now. What do you want to do after this is all over?" Marc asked. "Want to go on vacation somewhere? Buy a house?"

Cassie snorted. "Well, I probably need some credentials before buying a house. A little school might be nice."

"So we still have to live here even when we're married?" Marc joked.