I Am an Invisible Stalker (Guardians #2)

Chapter 13

Eliza's POV

I open my eyes and find myself standing in front of my charge's new home. A familiar white Honda Civic surges onto the brownish brick driveway. Three of the car's doors snap open and Denise, Julie, and Grégory climb out of the vehicle.

"We're just in time," a voice says from beside me.

I turn to my right to find Tim standing there. Just like I, he had closed his eyes in the middle of the Sierra-LeRoux old living room, thought of his charge, and opened his eyes to find himself in front of our charges' new home.

The moment the humans slam the car's doors shut, the house's front door creeks open and the same old housekeeper slogs out. This time, however, she isn't on her own. A step behind her follows a thirty-something male Guardian, who has the sexiest eyes I have ever seen. The effect of his eyes is sadly ruined by the funny mustache curling from the bottom of his nose to the corners of his lips.

"Welcome, my friends." The fellow Guardian skips with wide-open arms across the path leading from the front door. 

His greeting is in severe contrast to the stiff nod the housekeeper, Mrs. Dryden, sends the Sierra-LeRoux trio.

"He must be Mrs. Dryden's Guardian," Tim whispers close to my ear. "Talk about opposites."

Before I can respond, the third Guardian reaches us. He pulls Tim into a bear hug and then grabs my hand as well. I try to take a step back, but he ignores my retreat and instead pulls me into their hug. Tim and I wiggle to get out of his hold, but the third Guardian turns out to be stronger than he looks.

"Welcome," he repeats and finally allows us to move a safe step back. "My name is Khyro Buan. And who might you, my new friends, be?"

"I'm Eliza," I say and take another step back.

"Tim." The Guardian extends his arm toward Khyro to ward him off. "Don't ever hug me again, dude."

"But it's so nice to make new friends." Khyro pouts and tries to take a step closer to Tim, which propels the other Guardian to edge a couple of steps back.

"Begone!"

The booming voice pulls my attention toward the front entrance. The humans have already finished their greetings and are in the process of making their way into the house. But while Grégory and Mrs. Dryden are already beside the open double door, Denise and Julie are still in the middle of the stone path leading from the end of the driveway. In between the four humans is Basile's ghost, who I assume is the culprit behind the pompous shout. He has his arms stretched wide apart and is blocking Denise and Julie's path. Because he is a ghost, however, neither Denise nor Julie notices his starfish-like position. Instead, they obliviously pass straight through him.

"I'll get rid of him," Tim volunteers and turns in Basile's direction.

Before he can take a single step forward, Khyro jumps in front of him. Just like Basile, he stretches his arms as far to his sides as possible, but opposite to Basile Tim can't pass through him.

"Stop!" Khyro shouts a full minute after he already blocked Tim's path.

"Dude!" Tim jumps back and lifts his hands to cover his ears. "I'm standing right in front of you."

"Sorry." Khyro grimaces in an apology and lowers his arms. At the same time, however, he remains glued to his spot.

By then the humans have already entered the house, and Basile rushes to follow them. This leaves only us three Guardians standing huddled in the middle of the driveway.

"I'm terribly sorry," Khyro says, "but I didn't want you to act before you had a chance to listen to me. I know it is our duty to protect our charges, but I ask you to spare Basile. He is an old man, afraid that his family will throw away everything he holds dear. You see, for years I've watched him accumulate what he viewed as important possessions and—"