Page 12 of Guarded By Death

"Scar, love, you're shaking." His emerald eyes are checking my body the same way they had the night before. "I'm so, so sorry Scarlett. I didn't know what else to do. I had to get you out of there," he says frantically, running his large hand over his black hair. He looks scared, which is an odd expression compared to his usual cool demeanor.

"What do you mean get me out of there? What's happening to me, I'm going crazy! We were in a bathroom, Pierce! I swear we were!" The sobs strain my ragged voice.

He bows his head, pulling me close. "I'll explain everything, it looks as though I have no choice." He nuzzles his head in my neck, my hair wrapping around us both as it blows with the ocean breeze. "I'm so sorry," he whispers.

He securely holds my shaking hand as we walk side by side down the sand. I can see the lights from the pier at a distance, so I know we aren't far from where I was attacked, which makes me tremble more.

We make our way to a bundle of large rocks that cascade down to the ocean. The waves violently lap on the rough rocks below as we sit down above them on the drier ones. The wind coming from the ocean, along with whatever just happened, makes me shiver. A warm smile crosses his face as he places his jacket over my shoulders. Although I’m stunned by fear, the sentiment makes me flush.

The thick breeze sends the scent from his jacket to swirl around me. It's intoxicating, the heady aroma of pine and leather hugs me. I inhale deeply, taking in the cool ocean air accompanied by the perfect cologne that is Pierce. It makes me feel warm, and comforted for a brief moment. I concentrate on not crying anymore. I feel like I'm in a dream, confused by what's happened yet oddly at ease knowing who is next to me.

I look to him, he’s now in a plain black t-shirt. His intent gaze is directed towards the vast sea in front of us. The glow from the full moon reveals a large intricate tattoo wrapping around his arm from his upper bicep down to his wrist. I stare, mesmerized by the scene taking place on his perfectly sculpted arm.

An angel with dark tattered wings is kneeling on a rock. There's chaos below the sad-looking angel, large black swirls of darkness trace from the rocks down to the fire that roars below. My eyes move over to the scene above and a much different picture is painted. Glorious clouds, detailed so perfectly you can see the bright streaks of light where the sun shines through them. It's a brilliant display of good vs. evil.

I glance back up to his face to see that he is staring at me, sorrow in his eyes as he grabs my hand in his. His voice is low compared to the crashing of water around us. I lean in close to hear him.

"There's no reason to lie to you, it will only put you in more danger if I'm not honest. Besides, you've seen the demons," he states.

"Demons?" I shriek.

"The things that keep coming after you." He gestures to thin air as his face scrunches in disgust. I stare with parted lips, a gasp escaping them.

His expression is haunted. "I'm not sure what you believe as far as religion goes. The world you live in isn't as black and white as you think. There is always a balance that needs to be kept." He hesitates as he lowers his head shaking it back and forth. "I didn't want to tell you any of this, Scar. I'm so sorry." Why does he keep apologizing? He’s the one saving me from them.

I ponder what he says for a moment and my gaze shifts to his arm. "Similar to your tattoo? The balance thing?" I ask, and he tilts his head. I trace the tip of my finger on the kneeling angel. "You know, the angel here. He looks sad, like he's stuck in the middle of good and evil. I don't know why he isn't in the sky with the other angels in heaven." I want to say more but the horrified expression on his face makes me stop talking.

His chest rises when he inhales a sharp intake of breath. "That angel doesn't belong in heaven, he doesn't belong anywhere," he sneers.

"I don't understand Pierce, you have to explain more," I plead with him to help ease his hesitation.

He shakes his head. "That's not an angel Scar, well it is, but not in the way that you think. That's the Angel of Death."

I nod, waiting to hear more.

His tone is dark as he points to the angel with tattered wings. "That angel is me."

I sit in a rigid state, unable to think. Pierce pauses, studying my expression with weary eyes.

"You're what?" I gulp, frantically wrestling with my instincts to run. My mind is telling me to go but my body won't move. I would be dead if it wasn't for him. I don't understand why I'm not more afraid, but I know he won't harm me.

"I know this is a lot, Scar. I'm sorry. I have to tell you mostly everything at once, so it makes sense." He reaches for my hand and a deep groan escapes him when I pull away from his touch. His head collapses into his hands and a long moment of silence passes before he looks up at me, his eyes filled with ancient sorrow.

"I was appointed long ago to maintain the boundary between life and death," he talks quietly, afraid I’ll bolt if he raises above a certain decibel. "I was at that bar to collect your soul, Scarlett. No one could see me of course, but I knew something was wrong. Your soul was destined to go somewhere dark but all I could see around you was light. I can tell good from bad in that way, a subtle aura surrounds every person. It's either light or dark, but always subtle," he waits for me to respond, but I can’t.

Hesitantly, he continues. "With you Scar, it's so bright, it's almost blinding,” he gestures around us, "You're lighting up the rocks around us, and I mean that quite literally." The words are so sweet to my ears that it slightly lightens the thick tension in the air.

I begin to thaw and my eyes trail around us, taking in the darkness. I can see nothing but the faint glow from the moon glistening off the wet rocks and making a trail towards the ocean.

I summon my courage to speak. "I don't understand what that means Pierce, I've got a light around me? I'm good? Yes, I'm a nice person but I don't think I'm something spectacular.”

A small chuckle escapes his lips and my heart skips a beat at the sound. "Scarlett, you radiate light. It's not the same as other people, it's very rare. You must have done something extraordinary to be as special as you are, or you're destined to do something great,” he looks to me fondly. "The problem is with the light that you radiate… it can attract the wrong kind of monster, the demons,” he speaks with grit behind his voice.

I stare back at him with a mixture of horror and curiosity. I need to know more. I inch closer to his face so I can hear him perfectly, ignoring his warm breath as the sweet scent of mint cascades over my cold face. I need to know everything that is happening to me and I need to know everything there is to know about Pierce.

"Why does he want me?" My voice is trembling, confused by the words that are coming out of my mouth.

Pierce lets out a sigh, his chest rising heavily. "I realized the demon had taken over the body of the guy you were with. You see, demons, like the one you’ve seen, they desire souls that are good, and they will track them down to take them and trap them to an eternity in hell," his voice thunders over the crashing waves as he clenches his fist tightly.

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