The Guardian Page 23

  River and Blossom again took the lead, Reed carting his cakes with him, as we wound back through the corridors. Instead of going back toward the finely furnished rooms for the Guardians, we wound up several staircases, and through hallways with smaller windows and plain wooden walls.

  She stopped outside a pine door, unique amongst its mates by the painting on it. The scene was peaceful and warm, done fully in color, a cherry tree shedding its blossoms onto its reflection in the flowing river. I wanted to hug River tightly for the beauty, the simplicity, and the message that the image invoked.

  “Welcome.” River opened the door, inviting us in with a wave of her arm. From Blossom’s blush, I assumed she stayed in the room as well, though she didn’t seem to want to air that fact. The room was more simply furnished than Onyx’s, but it showed great care. The furniture was beautifully carved and polished, the brilliant colors against stark whites showing River’s artistic streak. The room was smaller, and her bed was in a corner of the room, shielded by a screen. I saw another doorway I assumed led to a restroom.

  “I love it, River.” I knew my voice held awe, but I couldn’t hide it from her. There was so much color and simple beauty here, it was both invigorating and relaxing.

  “I’m glad.” She indicated the couch with a wave of her hand. “We can move on to the Holdkeeper’s office in a moment.” She ducked into the restroom, leaving Blossom alone with the rest of us.

  “She told me you took care of her.” Blossom’s voice was low, her eyes on the doorway rather than us. “That when Birch threatened to hurt her, you kept her under your wing. She felt I’d be safer here, away from his line of site. Guardians tend to forget who the servant’s lovers or friends are if they aren’t directly involved.” She grimaced at that, and I couldn't’ help but agree. It was hard feeling invisible. “She told me you made them promise to keep her safe, to not let her be injured.” Her dark eyes met mine now, solemn as they studied me. “It was hard to believe it. I thought she was simply trying to keep me calm. Seeing you with her though, she cares about you quite a bit, especially for such a short time.”

  My eyebrows shot up and I held up my hand. “I’m not…” I trailed off, unsure how to not offend her no matter which direction I stated this. “We’re friends, that’s it.”

  It was her turn to laugh, her eyes crinkling as she did. “I assumed you had no intentions on her. River is loyal to the bone. I wanted to thank you for watching out for her, and I’d like to ask you to continue to do so. She wants to explore another side of her magic, and I have no idea where it will take her, but I doubt it will be somewhere that I can follow. I’ll give you whatever I can in compensation, though it won’t be much.”

  I stepped forward, hesitantly touching Blossom’s arm, though she flinched from my hand before I pulled it back. “She’s a friend. There’s no compensation needed.” Blossom offered me a smile and I stepped back toward my Guardians as River exited her restroom.

  “Ready?” She gave us a brilliant smile, sliding a hand down Blossom’s cheek before heading toward the door. Just before her hand touched it, the walls around us shook, the air filling with the sounds of an explosion and then a piercing alarm. The walls shook again, and again, each shake preceded by the sound of an explosion.

  Terran had pulled me protectively in front of him, shielding me with both his power and his body, curving us away from anything that might fall from the walls or ceiling. Onyx had his sword out, his armor transformed, as he cursed steadily. Reed stood over Blossom and River who had both fallen to the ground in shock, his power covering them in waves of light to help shield them.

  “What is going on?” My words were barely audible above all the noise.

  “It’s the Hold alarm,” River’s shaky voice answered, so quiet it barely met my ears. “The first ward has been breached. The Hold is under attack.”

  The End

  Coming Soon

  Turn the page for a sneak peek at an upcoming story

  The Shattered Emerald

  By Quinn Arthurs

  Prologue

  If I heard one more person say “we’re not in Kansas anymore” I was going to stab someone with my wand. Of all of the ridiculous things that Dorothy had said while she had been in Oz, why did that one have to catch on? It wasn’t even relevant to anyone here! The only two who had ever been outside of Oz were Dorothy and the Wizard, and they were both gone. Now it was up to me to help clean up the mess that they had left behind.

  For example, what in the world was I going to do with two hundred flying monkeys? Or an entire field of poppies that no one could go near without falling into a deep sleep? I had kicked Dorothy along that yellow brick road, and I didn’t plan on stopping now. Oz was my home and I would take care of it, no matter what that took.

  “Enough.” Sheer willpower kept the word from becoming a scream. Arguments had been ringing around the throne room for the past three hours, and I had had enough.

  “What right do you have to say enough?” muttered one of the Munchkins. “The Wizard put Scarecrow in charge as King.”

  I glared at him. “Scarecrow has only been a part of our world, at least consciously, for a week. Do you really want to leave all of the planning to a Scarecrow with a brand-new brain who has no idea who the people he is ruling even are?

  Scarecrow grinned at me from the end of the table. “From what I have seen, Glinda will make an excellent advisor for me. I will defer to her partially as I learn my role and my people. Our goal is to unite Oz, and to prevent the separation and rulings that have kept so many of the people downtrodden for years.”

  His face was grim as he scanned the table. Representatives from the four lands, many of our people, and a scattering of witches and wizards were present. Everyone wanted a say in what their roles would be in the newly reformed Oz. Those who had enjoyed their power under the old rule did not want to give it up. Those, like the Munchkins, who had suffered for many years under a Wicked Witch, were keen to avoid that fate again.

  “Many things about Oz are wonderful. However, many things are not. We need to work to make a wonderful life for all our people, not just some. That is what I intend to do as King.”

  Shouts, some happy, some angry, began to ring back out around the room. “Enough!” I did scream it this time. Slamming my staff into the floor, a shower of silver sparks shot into the air. “For now, only a few of you will need to remain. We will begin to plan and work on interviewing each group for their guidance. Everyone screaming at each other is not helping! Lion, Tinman, will you please stay for now so we can talk with Scarecrow? Everyone else, leave. We will summon you when it is necessary.”

  Many grumbles greeted my proclamation, but at Scarecrow’s nod, the rest of the room began to file out of the heavy, gilded doors. “Ugh.” I moaned as I laid my head down on the long, cold, emerald table. What had made the Wizard think that it was a good idea to carve an entire table out of a hunk of gemstone? All it did was carve sharp edges when nicked and create an immovable paperweight.

  Lion stepped up behind me and rubbed my shoulders; I froze. “Thank you for speaking up, ma’am. I may have been gifted courage, but I know better than to open my mouth in this kind of arena. I’ll end up a target quite easily.”

  I nodded, relaxing into his hands. “It’s not a problem. I actually have a problem keeping my mouth shut, so it works out fairly well; and please, call me Lynn. You don’t have to ma’am me and I hate the name Glinda. That’s just for public use.”

  Tinman snickered from where he was kicked backward in his chair, the legs barely balanced on the slick marble floor. “Is that why you kept disappearing on us? You wouldn’t have been able to keep your mouth shut?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I know she was just a girl, but still! The amount of direction it took to get her to simply walk down a basic yellow road was ridiculous. If you come in and duck out flashily enough no one will notice if you’re rolling your eyes and swearing under your breath.”

 
; My statement had Tinman nearly toppling from his chair with laughter. “First thing’s first. Dorothy kind of named you during her time here. It’s like listening to a five-year-old. Is there something else you prefer to go by?” They all paused, thinking quietly.

  Scarecrow was the first to speak. “I’m grateful for what Dorothy did and was never really given another name. I’ve been in that field my entire life. However, it does worry me that ‘Scare’ is a part of my name to the public. I want to instill happiness and peace, not fear. What if I just go by Crow for now?”

  I nodded, sending him an encouraging smile. “Crow it is. Lion? Tinman?”

  “Cass.” Tinman’s voice was quiet as he spoke. “My name is Cass.”

  I blinked slowly, surprised that he was so definitive in his answer. “All right, Cass. Lion, that just leaves you. Do you want to go by your real name?”

  He squirmed, blushing slightly. “I’ll go by Lio.”

  “Lio?” I arched a brow. I was sure there was more to his name than that considering how much he was squirming.

  He nodded, more secure in his answer. “Yes. I prefer to go by Lio. It was my nickname growing up.”

  “Lio it is.” I resisted the urge to rub at my eyes, exhaustion setting in after so long on my feet dealing with drama. “How about we get a little bit of rest and pick all of this up later?” I needed a chance to cool down before I began the work of helping to put this world back together again. Not all of us got to float away from responsibility on a balloon no matter how many times we clicked our heels.

  Also by Quinn Arthurs

  Sliding Into Love

  The Valkyrie’s Princes

  About the Author

  Quinn Arthurs lives in Ohio and is frequently running around after her two active children. She writes paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary reverse harem novels and has plans to branch outside of those genres. She’s a sucker for coffee and anything chocolate, even though she knows it’ll make her sick! Follow her on Facebook at Arthurs’ Assembly and Phoenix Rising: Nix’s Harem.