Guardians of Evergreen (Forever Ever #1)

Blood Thirsty - Vinnie Bergado *

Vinnie walked inside with the door closing behind him. The floor creaked from each step he took. The ceiling stared down at him. A light brownish red and orange lit inside. The old chandelier tinkled and clinked its jewels from the slight breeze that entered the mansion. He chewed on his gum and stuck his hands in his pockets and proceeded forward.

Blue eyes from within the dark hallways blinked on and watched him from afar. Vinnie walked toward two glassed doors.

He wrapped his hands around the knob and opened them. He stepped out to the balcony that overlooked the top of the forest. Silverton's mountains and the small town weren't far at all. He slid his gaze over to the right and followed the trails to the cul de sac of Evergreen Drive.

He felt warm air whish by his cheek, he turned at the dark shadowy figure, floating beside him. The pixie's ears were pointy, and its teeth bared, dripping with black glittery goo.

"Did you get the girl?"

The pixie nodded. Vinnie glanced away and then walked back into the mansion. Goo plopped on his shoulder; he glared over at the pixie. The creature flew over the balcony and into the forest.

Vinnie's indifference towards Calvin and the rest of his friends was evident. However, he found Calvin intriguing, unlike the other guards he had encountered. Manipulating Calvin's thoughts provided Vinnie with excitement. Despite their brief acquaintance, Vinnie recognized Calvin as the key to overcoming the forest's barriers.

He passed under the chandelier and down the hallways. The whispers of the pixies who claimed the mansion as theirs silenced. He rolled his wrist as a ball of fire lit up, hovering above his palm. The pixies wailed, all of them scattered through the mansion.

Vinnie glared in front of him, checking his sides and behind. There were faint whimpers and heavy breathing from inside the door in front of him. He opened it and saw that the mirror continued its ripples, just how he'd left it. He stepped over to the mirror and stared at himself. The ripples stopped moving around; he looked at his short black hair and slanted eyes.

"I know you're there," his raspy voice chuckled.

The glass trembled, distorting the view within. A figure emerged, its long, wavy hair a blend of black and purple, cascading like shadows. Lips curled into a sinister smile, while eyes shimmered with an abyssal darkness. Clad in a form-fitting black dress, she exuded an air of mystique.

A furry cape draped her shoulders, and from behind her emerged a sinuous black serpent, slithering down her arm. The reptile coiled around her wrist, transforming into a menacing staff. Hisses echoed through the room, punctuating the eerie silence. With a mere nod, a subtle grin played upon her face, sending shivers down Vinnie's spine.

Her voice, dripping with venom, conveyed her displeasure at his prolonged absence. The glass trembled as her hand made contact, and her breath fogged it up. The atmosphere grew tense as sparks danced behind Vinnie, igniting the wood with a violet blaze. With a dangerous glint in her eye, she retrieved a small dagger hidden within her bosom and teasingly brought it to her tongue. "Reve awaits your return; I've longed for your presence," she whispered.

"Claera, Calvin and the new Everguards are there with you."

Her eyes glowed a mix of white and purple and her nose flared as she took in a deep breath. "What do you mean the Evergaurds are here?" she snarled, and her snake hissed. "You were supposed to keep watch over them; you were supposed to keep them there with you." She paced back and forth as her hands flew up to her cheeks. "Do you know what this could do to what we've been building?" She stopped and thought. "How did the boy, Calvin, find out he possessed magic? How did he find out he was an Everguard?" Her eyes searched his face for answers. "How did he!" The glass between them cracked, a thin line traveled across the mirror. She fixed herself, and the staff she held slithered around in her tight grip.

Vinnie crossed his arms. "My guess would be Tinaera."

"That demon was in their world, undiscovered?"

"For some time, I believe. I raided her shop with a few pixies. Of course, they ended up killing some random lady who was in her shop."

"Did you take care of it; did you cover any traces of—"

"It's been handled." He raised his glare at Claera.

Claera calmed down and stopped, shooting an evil stare at Vinnie. "Break those damn walls and get back to Reve." She splayed her fingers and vanished in purple smoke, leaving Vinnie to stare at himself in the mirror once again. He cracked his neck as his chest rose up; he exhaled and tensed his muscles. He took off his jacket and tossed it on the chair in the room.

The chains on his jeans ringed in his ears, black smoke puffed out from his mouth.

He walked out of the room and stomped down the hallways toward the soft cries. He glanced to his left and right. He walked into the vestibule in the middle of the hallway and moved a secret passage on the floor out of the way. He stepped down into the hidden stairs that led into darkness. His boots crunched on the dirt that was in the tunnel, he rolled his wrist giving himself some light.

The trees were rustling, and the wind greeted him. He stepped outside and turned around to close the doors from the secret exit. A trail led down in the middle of the dark forest. The blue eyes of pixies moved around with the wind.

Vinnie glanced up at the moon and continued forward through the trail.

There was a large tree in front of him, and purple flames from a campfire snapping at the dry air. The pixies circled around the tree, waving out their sharp hands and opened their dark glittery mouths. The snickers grew loud.

Bound tightly to the tree, a teenage girl hung helplessly, tears streaming down her face and falling, mingling with ruined makeup. The roughness of the binding string left angry red marks on her delicate skin. Tremors coursed through her trembling lips, betraying her overwhelming fear. The acrid smoke in the air made her sniffle and cough, further emphasizing her vulnerability. It was evident that she was an innocent human, caught in a dire predicament.

In a cage next to her was the girl the pixies took. Her ashy blonde hair glued to the sides of her face, her lips too trembled in fear. She wrapped her hands around the bars in front of her. Ice developed from her grip, she flinched and removed her grip.

The girl hugged herself tightly, trembling in the chilling embrace of the light blue wind. She scanned her surroundings, her fearful demeanor resembling that of a cornered animal. As tears streamed down her face, they transformed into icy fragments that shattered upon contact with the ground. Vinnie observed the girl with a curious tilt of his head, recognizing her as an Everguard. However, he pondered Claera's intentions towards her.

In the distance, the pixies chanted, their eerie laughter permeating the air. Vinnie took a step forward, keeping a cautious distance. Eventually, he approached the girl confined within a cage, casting a downward gaze upon her.

"Hey, it's not that bad if you don't look." He grinned, smacking on his gum.

As Vinnie stood there, a sudden silence fell upon the scene behind him. The sound of a bone-crushing impact and a gurgling cry of pain filled the air, indicating the extraction of innocence and purity from the girl.

Vera's eyes grew wide with horror as she instinctively took a step back, her footing giving way on the slippery ground. In a state of shock, she quickly brought her hands up to cover her eyes, shielding herself from the disturbing sight.

A/N: Here's a cookie 🤓 make sure to like, comment and follow if you enjoyed this chapter 💗