Rose

Chapter 3

At the top of the hill we stepped out of the trees onto a dirt track. It bordered a field full of tall grasses and wildflowers which looked as though it had been untouched for years. There was something truly beautiful about it. We walked down the dirt track until we reached an old bridge. It was wooden and had certainly seen better days. I worried if we stepped on it, it would crumble beneath us. I really didn't want to cross it.

Willow stopped at the threshold and turned. For a brief second I hoped she was going to say we would find another way across the river. "Remember to keep your thoughts pure." She said to Declan. "If you intend any harm, the Guardian will know it and will not let you pass. You will bounce back off the ether and remain here." That didn't sound good.

"I just want to find my sister." Willow nodded as if that were a good enough answer, and turned back to the bridge. She stepped forward. The bridge creaked; the wood looked brittle enough to snap at any second. Oh, this was a bad idea. Two steps in, she was surrounded by a golden light and disappeared. What the...? I turned to Declan, who looked just as freaked out as I did.

I grabbed his hand. "Together?" He nodded. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts. We stepped forward together. A bright golden light surrounded us both. I held my breath. The golden light concentrated in one area, becoming brighter and more intense. I lifted up my arm to shield my eyes. The light faded ever so slightly and I peered through my lashes. A humanoid figure had coalesced in front of us, huge golden wings stretched out behind it. An angel. I gasped in complete awe. Feelings of protection emanated from the figure. This must be the Guardian Willow spoke of. I ventured up a hand. "Hi..." I breathed reverently. It was hard to focus on particular features because of the light, so I just looked in the vague area of the head hoping I was making some kind of eye contact. Then the thought crossed my mind if I was supposed to make eye contact. Maybe I should curtsy or something. How did one greet an Angel, exactly? "I'm Rose." I figured introducing myself was a good start. "Willow..." I pointed somewhere to my right, indicating she had just gone through ahead of us. "Umm... she said we're going to see my grandmother in the Otherworld?" My statement ended as a question, as I turned to Declan for confirmation. He nodded. The Guardian looked towards him.

"I'm Declan. I'm a human. I know you don't like humans, but I'm not a bad one. I don't think so anyway." I squeezed his hand. He was one of the best, in my opinion.

The Guardian spoke: "I do not know every human, and as such, cannot make a judgement on your entire species." They said. I could almost feel the shrug, but they didn't move. "I know humans are more prone to violence than other species, but can only go by the ones I have encountered." That was very enlightening, but then what did I expect from an Angel?

Declan nodded in agreement. "That's fair enough. Well, I just want to find my sister and I believe going to the Otherworld might help me do that." He explained.

I remembered the carnage of the previous night and wondered if humans were really the ones more prone to violence; those Vampires sure gave humans a run for their money in my opinion. The Guardian looked at me. "Like I said, every individual is different, and you cannot base an opinion of an entire species on the few."

"Just the ones you meet." I echoed back to them. I felt them incline their head in agreement, yet they still didn't move. We stood there for a moment and it was just starting to feel awkward. I looked at Declan, he shrugged marginally. Should I say something?

"You may pass." The Guardian finally declared.

"Thank you." Declan and I said at the same time, as the golden light shone brighter and brighter until it consumed us. I closed my eyes tight, still seeing the brightness through my lids and feeling the warmth on my skin. The light faded and I opened one eye. I looked at my new surroundings in confusion. Both eyes open now, I studied the long golden bridge in front of me. It was definitely sturdier and more ornate than the old wooden rickety one we had stepped onto. I looked to Declan, whose hand I was still squeezing tightly. He looked as surprised and as impressed as I felt. I dropped his hand, immediately missing his warm and reassuring grasp. I nearly grabbed his hand again, but that would be weird.