A Guardian's Fate (Book #2)

Chapter Thirteen

Elouise sat down on the bench in front of the fountain, relaying everything Eldon had told her about the... disembodied voice. She pursed her lips and looked up at him. He stood near the hedges with his brow furrowed and his lips set into a straight line. 

Elouise slid her eyes once to the female guard—Lady Clarice—who'd followed them out into the garden. Although she kept her distance to ensure their privacy, Elouise still whispered.

"I must say," she began, "when I was informed you were here to see me, I knew something was wrong."

Eldon bowed his head. She then asked him to sit with her. He moved a little closer and paused, shaking his head. She didn't press him.

"Why does this voice... only speak to you?" she asked.

"I don't got a clue." Eldon rubbed his neck. "It doesn't seem like a bad thing, though. Every time it's talked to me, it's been to help."

Elouise scrunched up her brow and glanced down at her hands.

A mysterious voice that could only speak with Eldon. Was that his ability, then? He could speak to... to whatever the voice was? A spirit? An...

"Angel," she breathed, her heart leaping with a revelation. She met his baffled expression and broke into a wide grin.

"You think an angel's talkin' to me?"

"It is possible, isn't it?"

"Did'ya ever find out anythin' else 'bout them?"

Elouise frowned. "No. In all honesty... I did not discover much from Beatrice's missing passages. She still seemed to be hiding a lot of the story. Perhaps she feared someone would find her diaries while she was alive and question her." Then she lowered her gaze and folded her hands together on her lap. "A-after you left yesterday, I went to see Reverend Mathew about my father's condition. When I returned, my bedchamber had been ransacked. Beatrice's diaries, along with my mother's, are gone."

Eldon sucked in a harsh breath. "What?"

"Yes. There were no signs that anyone came in from outside, so a search was conducted." Lord Berney gave her the news earlier regarding that. Elouise exhaled in relief as she remembered his words. 

"Nothing was found," she continued. "I honestly cannot believe anyone here was suspected in the first place. Clearly, it was the same attackers from before. I am not surprised they managed to sneak through without being seen. The soldiers are trained well, but they are still only human. They can miss things, too."

Eldon brought his fist up to his chin. After a beat, he sighed. "I don't wanna add more to the problem, but those people are the same that attacked my village."

Elouise gaped at him. She wasn't surprised, yet the shock remained.

"If you remember that redheaded woman," Eldon continued, turning away, "she found me durin' my travel here. She told me she learned from her boss that the attack was to get me back here, so she warned me to go back. Me bein' here... with you would just make it too easy for them."

Her boss...

Elouise stood and walked up to Eldon. She reached out to him, staring at his shoulder. Then he started moving his head, and she withdrew her hand completely.

"Do you think her boss is the 'he' the voice was referring to?" she asked. And could he be referring to Lord Udolf?

The mere idea made her shiver.

Eldon fully faced her again, and his frown deepened.

"I am sorry," Elouise whispered. "I did not mean to worry you."