My Savior's Secret

Chapter 9

You want s*x? I tripped at the saucy words, dropping my phone for the billionth time. “That’s too bad," he continued. "If it was me, I could make you forget every last thing on your mind.”

I froze as I picked up my phone, unable to feel my voice. “Are you serious?”

Even from across the stream, his eyes drew me in, as if he could look right into me. He got off the boulder, onto dry land, and approached from behind.

“What are you—” He removed his trench coat, and I recoiled. “Are you out of your mind?”

He turned my back to him. “Me?” Heavy material fell over my shoulders, and the ends of his coat reached my thighs. “You smoked a cigarette for the first time. Let yourself get burned. Aren’t you looking for a distraction?”

Water dripped down my body, and the air chilled my arms. I held the coat tighter out of instinct, but after realizing, I removed the coat. “I can’t take this.”

He pulled it back over me and lowered his mouth to my ear. “I can see everything, Scarlet.” I shuddered, and a flush spread across my face. Even more irritating, I could feel the smile inching up his lips.

I put space between us and turned with furrowed my brows. “How do you know my name?”

“Elliot told me.”

“What’s your name?”

“Turn around and close your eyes.”

“Not until you tell me your name.”

Darkness overtook his face. “Now.” I gritted my teeth, and when he stepped forward, I did as I was told so I wouldn’t be forced. “Don’t be reckless, and don’t act tough. You can leave the coat here once you’re dry.”

“Excuse me?”

Leaves crunched and his footsteps ebbed. I opened my eyes. He was gone.

My insides simmered. I should be thankful, yet I wanted to fling the coat at him and never see him again, both which I was too late to do. Whether it was the teasing, words mismatching the actions, or just my mistaken view, he troubled me. Too much to unthink.

I waited until I was dry and hung the coat on a tree. Don’t ever come near Etheria. Why did I have the remotest idea of going to college here? Be safe. Be happy. Had the letter not burned enough? If only I could set my mind on fire. 

I returned to the backyard of the mansion and slipped inside through the sliding door. Just as I locked the door, someone turned into the hallway.

It was Darian. He barely acknowledged me and turned the corner. For some reason, I was glad it was the maybe-criminal instead of the older Weverins. He was the type that didn’t care and wouldn’t bombard me with questions.

I followed his trail back into the living room and was about to head up the stairs when the distant voice of a news reporter held me back. I traced it into the kitchen where the refrigerator was wide open, and a phone was left on the counter.

I inched towards the phone. A news channel, or some sort of video recording, played on the screen. Was this snooping?

The first time in a decade, the feral creatures of mysterious origins appear in the main city. A greater influx was spotted in Northern forest areas, and all were captured by Guardians and detained at the VDA.

That word again. VDA. The organization Elliot led and Ausmane worked under. The agency my parents had had ties with.

There were three sightings in Downtown in the last month, and officials are preparing for reinforcements to address rising public concern.

A video footage replaced the reporter, slightly granular in quality as if it was taken spontaneously by a passerby.

Last night, a hunt was recorded near the Srylian Bridge.

Under the nightfall, two large objects tussled in the air over the bridge. Were they drones? Vultures? I narrowed my eyes as the objects came closer to the land. No, not objects.

The camera shook wildly as it retreated to a farther place. It refocused on the scene, and that was when I saw them.

They were the size of humans. One had wings. Huge wings. It was too dark to confirm, but I was sure of it. The outline of the long feathers whipping in the wind, slapping the ground, shielding its body. The second, a black-armored figure, fought to hold it down. Growls emanated from underneath.

Another black-armoured figure appeared on top of the winged creature. He stuck something around its neck, numbing it, as a vehicle skidded towards them. It was a van with ‘VDA’ printed on its doors.

It was a division from the Defense Bureau Randine was a part of. Some defense—Volyr Defense Agency.

One of the black-armoured individuals thrust the tranquilized creature—a volyr I assumed—through the backdoors of the VDA van. He turned, face disguised by a helmet and black mask, and sprung off before I could read the gold lettering on his vest. The camera panned to him, but he was gone in the ebbing sunglow. 

What...just happened?

The video ended and the anchor’s voice returned. A Guardian traced the volyr within an hour and detained it before any disruptions or damage was done. Officials say to keep caution, but the situation will be monitored before any further—

The phone was snatched off the counter.

I swiveled to see Darian. His spleen chilled his eyes so as to freeze me for eternity and disable me from ever letting a soul know I watched that video. Leaving with the hard look that spoke the warning for him, he got a can of beer and shut the refrigerator.

“What was that thing in the video? A bird?” I said. Yes, crazy I’d engage any conversation with a maybe-criminal, but I had a hunch only he knew and would talk about this. It came out of his phone, and as Rubi had said, he lived and breathed VDA. “What is it?”

He opened his beer and it fizzled. “A volyr.”

“What the heck is a volyr?”

He shoved the phone in his pocket. “Poison to Etheria.” His back towards me, he opened a cabinet and rummaged through it. “It doesn’t concern you.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t concern me? I’m living in Etheria. Even if it’s for the time-being, shouldn’t I know what—”

“Don’t find out,” he interrupted. “You’re safe in the mansion.”

I furrowed my brows. “I don’t care if—”

“Don’t find out. Don’t go out.” His head turned slightly, revealing a scar crossing over his eye. “Or you’ll end up like my grandfather.”

“What happened to him?”

Darian found his pack of cigarettes and the lighter. “Same thing that happened to San.” He lit a cigarette and put both the pack and lighter back inside. He walked out of the kitchen and his footsteps went farther and farther away until disappearing.

Lightheaded, I clutched the counter behind me. He’d said it was the same thing that happened to San. My father.

Your father was killed by one of them. It wasn’t a car accident.

How did Darian know? Of course. He was a criminal. He could pull strings to know whatever he wanted. Maybe that wasn’t it at all. Perhaps my mother had told the Weverins. Why had no one told me? It was that creature. That winged thing in the video.

That volyr.