The Dark Guardian

Chapter 5

The puddles splashed up as I peddled down the sidewalk. The storm had eased for now, the rain lightly falling onto my face. The bookstore was only a 15 or so minute bike ride from my house, but my frantic peddling got me there in 10 minutes.

As I chained my bike to a pole, I studied the store. It was an old, small building, sandwiched between two high-rise, modern, office buildings. From the sidewalk, I could see the full bookshelves rising from the floor to the ceiling. There were stacks of books littering the floor and every possible surface. It looked like a cozy place.

A small bell chimed as I pulled the door open and stepped in. The comforting smell of old books greeted me, and I breathed in deeply. I scanned the stacks of books looking for the woman I came here for.

"Hello?" I called out. There was no one else in here, no other signs of life. I took a couple more steps in, looking around.

"Hel –", my call was cut short when I spotted an elderly woman standing behind a counter.

"Why hello, dear." She smiled softly. She looked exactly like the picture, warm and grandmotherly. I instantly felt better.

"What can I help you find today?" Her voice was cheery and light.

"Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you. June Klassen, right?" I tried to return her smile, but my voice carried my hesitance.

A frown briefly darkened her face before her usual smile reappeared. "Yes, I am June. What do you want to talk about?"

"You were friends with my Grandmother." I stated hesitantly, "Elise Bakker. I was hoping we could talk about her."

She sighed hesitantly, a look of sadness crossing her face. "She told me this day would come. Follow me, Adelina."

I trailed after her between stacks of books, walking towards the back. She pushed her way through a small curtain into a back room before making her way up an old, creaky set of stairs. I hesitated at the base of the stairs before slowly following her up.

"Would you like tea?" She asked quietly.

"Umm, yes please, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. We might be here awhile. Refreshments will be necessary." She put the kettle onto an old stove before opening a cupboard and grabbing two teacups. I watched her as she worked, admiring how steady she was despite her obvious age.

"Take a seat, dear." She nodded to a set of comfortable looking lounge chairs. I plopped myself down on the one closest to the stairs. She smiled approvingly.

"Your hesitance speaks louder than you do." She laughed softly. I furrowed my brow as she gave me a knowing look.

After she had settled down onto the chair across from me with her cup of tea and a plate of cookies, I began.

"How did you know Grandma?" I asked, putting the warm cup of tea to my cold cheek.

"We went to school together, knew each other since we were 5." Her bony fingers tapped against her teacup before she reached for a cookie.

"What do you know about her." My voice was hesitant, not wanting to betray any secrets if she didn't know them.

June raised an eyebrow at me, smirking slightly. "Adelina, dear. I know who your Grandma was, and I know who her family was. I know she gave you the Blood Ruby and I know that you've been talking to Him. You came here for answers to those questions, so why don't we just get into it?"

My mouth fell open slightly, staring at her bewildered. She knew far more than I thought.

"Uh, um, okay." I stammered. "So, okay, who is He?" I figured that would be a good place to start.