Page 17 of The Chosen Two

“Right, but they rarely appear on their own. They’re usually running errands for a greater being. Like…a god.”

“Come again? What the hell? A god? I’m going to have to deal with gods now?” I’m grateful the mall parking lot is so empty since I just swerved across two lanes of parking spots.

“Keep in mind this is all folklore I’m looking at. It’s far from scientifically proven facts.” A baby starts crying in the background.

My heart melts. “Awww, Tabby. Go get your baby. I’m good. I’m going shopping.”

“Of course, as one does in a moment such as this… Be safe!” Her mom voice is getting good! She must be practicing.

“Yup. Talk to you later.”

Running errands for a god... What the hell?

***

Twenty minutes later, I’m sipping a Frappuccino and walking toward Williams Sonoma to shop for some new bakeware. The hairs on my neck stand up a little.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding.” I stop and look around, but I see no red batlike things, no butterflies, and no creepy smiling guys with glowing eyes. So, what will it be now?

“You didn’t meet me.”

Fuck. I turn slowly on the spot, and there he is, about ten feet away from me. George. Fucking. Keating.

He ambles slowly to his left and so I follow in kind. Thus, we do this little dance around one another.

“So, what kind of mythological creature are you, George?”

“What are you talking about? I’m just your docent. I told you.”

I pause where I am. “So why are you the only thing I’ve come across that makes my hair stand on end?”

The corner of his mouth lifts into a smile, in a charming way. Unlike the deranged Jinn, George is quite handsome. Granted, that could be the massive fight with my husband talking. But then his piercing blue eyes lock on mine. No, he’s definitely handsome. I mean, if you’re into that blond surfer-boy kind of look… Too bad he’s a fetus. Or good thing he’s a fetus. Depends on your angle, I guess. I’m okay to continue the circling until I hear it. That voice. Again.

The Chosen One…

The shrill whisper pounds inside my skull. I grab my head with both hands and double over.

This is not a great protector. This is a joke. A slob. Where are the Guardians of the past? They were grand. Not in size, like this one, but in skill. They were at least a challenge.

I look up at George. Is this his mind talking to mine? Is this part of our connection, because if it is, he can keep it.

“I don’t need this bullshit! I have a good life. I don’t want this!” I scream over the wordless screeching cackle that has replaced the whisper in my head. Falling to my knees, I pull my head down to try to block out the laughter, but I can’t turn it off. I can’t make it go away.

George runs and slides across the floor towards me feet first, landing in a lying down position such that he quickly wraps his entire body around me. He brings his face as close to my ear as I’ll allow and yells so I can hear him over the hellishness in my own head. “You need to come with me, Miranda. You need to train. This is only going to get worse if you don’t accept it.”

The sound starts to dissipate. I look at George, and he wipes away the tears I didn’t know I had shed. “You don’t believe it should be me either. I read your notes. I know what you think of me. I have no perseverance. I’m not stable. I. Don’t. Want. This.”

A look of confusion casts a shadow across his face. I pull the folder out of my bag and thrust it into his lap.

He opens it and leafs through the pages until he sees the notes in the margins. “Oh, these? These are by my dad. He was the one originally assigned to be your docent.” Suddenly quiet, George disappears into his memories. “When he died, the league asked me to take his place. That’s when I started to learn more about you. He studied you for thirty-nine years. I’ve had three to catch up. I’m sorry if you’re afraid I’m not ready, but I truly am.” He pauses and looks at me, this time with a tear in the corner of his eye. “I think you are too.”

I shudder.

Damnit. Damnthis. This moment. Because this is when everything changes. Not when I saw the stupid fox, or the dragon bird, or even the creepy guy at the grocery store. This right here. This is the one. This is when I decide to go with George Keating and change my life forever.

Shit.

Chapter 7

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