Finding Grace: The Guardian Chronicles Book One

Chapter 25. Family Ties*

Evan still looked sad, but her eyes were distant now. Emil reached up to take the tear from her cheek, and brought it to his mouth, tasting it with his tongue.

"Let's not dwell here. I think old memories are a mistake. Here I have made my first friend in decades, and I've made you cry," Emil gazed at her remorsefully, noting her aura was a deep blue, matching her deep sadness.

"Oh no, I am so glad you have told me about your family! I want to know everything about you. I don't make friends so easily, either. It's just too hard..." she said, cutting herself off quickly.

Emil thought for a moment, shadows crossing his handsome face, "I have had a long life, but not much of it is worth talking about."

"I'm sure that isn't true. I think you are amazing."

"Evan, I would rather hear about you. Tell me about your family," he urged, desperately wanting the focus off his life.

"I'd rather not," she said quickly. "There isn't much to tell. Just a typical dysfunctional, broken family." She turned and left the room. After a moment, Emil followed her out of the attic and down the stairs, not quite understanding what had just happened.

"Okay, we don't have to talk about them. Just about you. What about that?" Emil asked as he caught up to her.

"Maybe later. I have some things I need to take care of. I don't want to talk right now."

"Alright. I won't push. Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes. Tell me what happened to Nathan Clark," Evan demanded as she whirled to face him, when they reached the landing on the second floor.

Emil's face fell, and the firm set to his jaw indicated that he really did not want to discuss the subject of Nathan Clark. Evan widened her eyes in inquiry.

"Evan, I don't know what to tell you. What do you think you want to know?"

"Where did you take him? Is he a vampire now?" she said through clenched teeth.

He nodded, and listened to the breath whoosh out of her. Remembering his struggle to get the boy—no, vampire—away from the hospital, Emil shuddered inwardly. "He did turn into a vampire. I barely got him out of there before he awakened. I managed to get him to the Brethren, quickly, before he realized he was different."

"Wait. The Brethren? Who are the Brethren?" she asked suspiciously.

"I work for the Brethren. It is the ruling body for our kind. I am a Guardian. That is what they call a vampire who handles the...problems...that arise among vampires and other creatures," Emil confessed, looking as if he had said too much.

"A Guardian?" Evan asked quietly. She was backing down the stairs, while Emil followed, trying not to move too quickly.

"I told you, I am the one who is called if there is a vampire causing problems, like hunting indiscriminately, or exposing our existence to humans," he paused to let that sink in. "You see, we are not supposed to let humans know of our existence. It would cause too much chaos if humans believed there was a vampire lurking around every corner. It's bad enough that we exist at all, but at least we make attempts at some sort of civility. It's the only way for us to survive. Yes, we still hunt, or feed off humans mostly, but it was decided it is best to not saturate a particular area. Most of the vampires that live in cities have a ready supply of victims in the prostitute and homeless population."

Evan looked slightly horrified. He did not know what to do to ease the shock of what he was saying, but she had insisted.

"If a vampire...disobeys the rules, you 'take care' of them?" she asked quietly, as she dropped heavily on the couch in the living room. Emil had followed Evan down the stairs as she moved quickly to get away from the memories in the attic. He now sat down next to her, reaching for her hands.

"I don't want you to think badly of me. I consider it an honor to maintain as much safety for humans as I can. It's the least I can do, since I am damned for eternity anyway." His eyes silently pleaded with her to see him for who he was. She remained silent. "I destroy vampires that are out of control, I don't just kill for fun, Evan."

"How?" she asked simply, letting Emil's cool thumbs trace circles on the back of her hands.

"How? I rip them to pieces and burn the remains," he replied, no hint of humor or insincerity evident anywhere on his face.

"Is that what you did with Nathan?" she asked quietly.

He pursed his lips, and looked down at their hands. "It is what I was supposed to do. But I couldn't. I have not dealt with a child vampire in a very long time. The only other one I met I destroyed. I was a new Guardian and followed the rules to the letter. I am a very respected Guardian because of that. But lately, I have developed a guilty conscience. I do not want to destroy anymore. I want to exist in peace and let others do the same."

"So what happened to him?" she pressed, her voice rising in concern.

"I turned Nathan over to the Brethren, to let them handle him the way they felt was best. It was a sign of weakness on my part. They told me so, but they said they would handle him. They may study him. Like I said child vampires are rare. They are an abomination. They are under developed physically, and usually never grow. Their minds are that of a child when they are transformed, so it is very difficult to teach them appropriately. If they do exist for a long enough period of time, they often become angry and frustrated at their limited existence. They cannot seek out an adult mate, even if their mind has matured. They are trapped in a child's body with an ancient mind. The Brethren feels it best to end their miserable existence earlier rather than later, so that consciences are not involved. His only grace is that he is adolescent, and they may feel he could fit in."

"Are you going to find out what they decided?" Evan asked quietly.

"I will eventually. I don't know if I want to know right now," he answered just as quietly. Emil was so tired of destruction.

Evan got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. Emil did not follow her, but let her have some space to absorb all she had learned in such a short period of time.