Page 1 of Reine's Salvation

Chapter One

Reine cracked his knuckles and fought the urge to tap his foot. He crossed his legs at the ankle. One year had passed since he’d last been in this room. The place hadn’t changed much. The rosewood panels on the wall and the ancient Persian rug on the floor made the room stuffy. The large windows on the left were always closed, the heavy curtains drawn to keep all but a sliver of light from coming in. Reine leaned back against the couch. It was comfortable enough, but the dark color did little to add life to a somber room. Two single, straight-backed chairs and matching side tables with traditional table lamps completed the ensemble. There was no entertainment in the room except the landscape paintings which hung behind him. That and the vase of yellow tulips someone had placed on the wooden coffee table in the center of the room.

Reine took in a deep breath. Why had they called him in here? The school term was over and he had done nothing wrong. Contrary to what he’d thought at first, teaching had suited him. He’d enjoyed imparting knowledge to the young students at the Academy and they had seemed to like him, too. Besides, they had all passed their exams with flying colors. No, that couldn’t be the reason why he had been waiting in this room for the past thirty minutes. Reine chewed on the inside of his cheek. He hadn’t had any problems with the staff either. They seemed to like him and had invited him out on several occasions, even if he had declined repeatedly. Ever since he’d lost his ability to fight, he tended to stay away from others. It was better this way. The last time he’d been around a group of Guardians had not ended well.

His vision clouded as he recalled that last mission. It had been chaos from the beginning. Their numbers were small compared to those of the Inferum, the Sin’s minions. His group had separated as the Sin launched a major offensive. He had run down what seemed an endless hallway, fighting for his life, attempting and failing to find a way out until he foundthe room.Reine shuddered. His life had changed forever when he stepped into that dark place. A tremor crossed his body. No. He had to stop thinking about that day.

“Breathe, Reine,” he whispered to himself. “Focus.”

He trained his vision on the yellow flowers. They were beautiful, extraordinary in their fragile nature and bright color. The petals were silky in appearance, the color vibrant, almost palpably alive. In a garden, they would stand out, tall and proud. They were the kind of flowers that screamed to be looked at. Like the mirror in the Sin’s wall. Reine clenched his fist and took in long deep breaths. The distraction technique the therapist had taught him was not working. He swallowed hard, battling with the memories which threatened to overcome him.

They had joked around that morning, confident it would be an easy mission. After all, they had all been down Wrath’s lair before. This was their job. They were fighters. An elite unit of Guardians created for one purpose only: to balance out the forces between good and evil. Their mission in life was to protect the people, both human and supernatural, from the influence of the seven Sins: Pride, Lust, Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Envy, and Gluttony.

They worked hand in hand with the Human-Guardians, the HGs, but when it wasn’t enough, they would act. It was a constant war, which they were losing. As the human population grew, the Sins were growing in power. There was so much to choose from, so much to take, and misuse. Meanwhile, their side was becoming weaker. The number of Guardians and Human-Guardians decreased every year and they just didn’t seem capable of catching up with the Sins.

Their tactics against evil were divided into three parts. Stage one: a battle between Guardians and Inferums to avoid the latter from entering the human realm and taking more souls. Stage two: In certain areas, Guardians would help out the humans by becoming night-watchers. Stage three: Breaking and entering into a Sin’s lair, their homes. Fighting on their turf was always extremely dangerous. Their lairs were labyrinths which played tricks on their minds. It had happened to him. On that day, in that room. He’d walked inside to find nothing but mirrors, his reflection staring back at him.

“No,” Reine whispered.

Perspiration dotted his brow. He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging slightly at the ends in an attempt to keep himself grounded. He didn’t want to remember.

“Reine?”

He jumped at the sound of a voice.

“Are you all right?”

He searched for the voice, his vision slowly clearing. The secretary who had showed him into the room when he’d arrived stood at the door, her hand on her hip, and a look of concern on her face.

“Are you all right?” she repeated.

Reine nodded.

“Are you sure?” She crossed her arms over her chest, while cocking her head to the side. The gesture reminded him of his mother and he smiled.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Her eyebrows shot upward.

“Really?” Her voice was thick with skepticism. “That’s not what it looked like two minutes ago.”

Reine’s smile transformed into a grin as he realized what the woman before him was.

“You’re a perceptionist, aren’t you?”

The woman bobbed her head up and down. She dropped her arms to her side and walked into the room.

“Glad you finally noticed. When I walked into the room it looked like you weren’t really with us.” She offered her hand for him to shake. “You were in another time and place.”

Reine took her hand. To his surprise, she had a firm grip.

“Name’s Scarlett, from the famous Scarlett O’Hara. My mom was human and a huge fan. Would you like a glass of water or some tea?”

Reine nodded. “Yes, please, some water.”

“Wait here.”

Scarlett disappeared into another room. Reine could hear the clink of glasses. He shook his head. Of course, his boss would have hired a perceptionist as a secretary. They were great assets to have in business situations, for no one could lie around them. They were perceivers of emotions and feelings, and unless one was very skilled at hiding those, they were capable of seeing right through anyone.

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