Copyright © 2012 Melissa A. Smith
All rights reserved.
Smashwords Edition
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your personal use, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
For those of you who’ve been waiting patiently to know how Gento and Ari fell in love.
Chapter 1
“Ari,” Carmen says as she gives me a subtle push. “he’s watching you again.”
I look up from our conversations to see that she’s right. He’s always watching from one location or another. The shadows of a dimly lit corner or peering around other Guardians is a most recent favorite. Every time I’m here on a break and he is too, he’s practically a shadow himself. Occasionally he’s not alone. Sometimes he has company while he watches me. Like today. While I’ve only seen this friend once or twice over the years, more often than not, he has someone to turn to and talk. I think its maybe to make himself look busy and not so honed in on me alone.
I turn back to my friends who are all sitting around a table in our favorite commons hall, enjoying a few drinks. Here, we like to relax. Like having fun and catching up. It’s not very often when all of us are in between Charges all at the same time.
While here, most of us take on our natural forms. A beautiful shimmering mass of energy. Some take on the human form, while even some mix the two together, like we have. We have the basic shape and outline of the humans, a head with facial features, hands and legs. But where they wear clothing, our ‘bodies’ are more a kin to our natural form.
Taking a quick glance over, I see he too has taken on the half-form, while his friend has not. Upon our eyes meeting, he turns away and pretends to be preoccupied with an ongoing conversation with his bored friend. Gliding over closer to Carmen, he is no longer in my line of sight.
“Well, I plan on doing what I’ve done for years now. Ignore him.”
“I don’t think it’s really working as of late.” Anani said from behind her drink.
“Nor do I.” Skye chimed in.
I look to Carmen, who is sitting next to me, and note she’s watching him almost as much as he’s watching me.
“You know, I heard he’s started to take on the human child because he’d heard that’s where your passion lies.” She says without turning back to me.
“And I’ve heard he’s been asking around about you.” Skye adds with a tinkling laugh.
I wave away both comments, “He’s been at this same dance for over fifty years now.” I take a drink before saying more. “He’s tried to ask me all his silly questions time and time again. Ask me when I planned on taking some time off so we could talk. Asked me if I was seeing anyone. Asked if I wouldn’t mind seeing him. He’d even visited one of my charges while I was here and asked them questions about me.” I simply couldn’t believe that one. “I’d returned from a short leave to find my young Charge looking for the other little puppy he’d been talking to.” I shook my head at the memory, “The nerve of some Guardians.”
“Why don’t you visit with him one of these days?” Anani asked as she too looked over her shoulder so she could see the Guardian in question.
“I’ll go see what he wants.” Skye said dreamily. “I’d also like to know who his friend is. His energy is breathtaking. So dark and allusive.” She said almost purring.
“Oh, I’ve spoken with him and let me tell you, I want to know more about that one.” Carmen said, “His name is Sterling. He didn’t look like he wanted to talk to me at the time, but grudgingly answered my questions about his friend.” She then looked to me with a smile on her face. “So, want to know his name?”
I couldn’t believe she did that. “Why do you want to know about him?” I didn’t mean for it to come out so sharp, but for some reason the thought of Carmen talking to him or asking about him and asking for his name bothered me. Then, deciding I really didn’t care, lift my chin and looked at her squarely. “I already know his name. He gave it to me the first time he actually worked up the nerve to talk to me.”
I heard a chorus of gasps from around the table at that.
“What do you mean you already know his name?” “Why didn’t you ever tell us?” “So, spill. What’s his name?”
They shot their questions at me as fast as they’d formed in their minds. I smiled and took another slow sip of my drink and looked around the room ignoring their demands for information.
“Ariana! You can’t tell us something like that and then make us sit here and not tell us!” Skye practically shouted at me. “And how long have you known his name? And more importantly, who is his friend seeing?”
I laughed at her vehemence. “Like I said, one of the first times he worked up enough nerve to come away from his shadowy corner and talk to me was the first time he asked for my name.”
The three of them looked to one another and back to me.
“That answers nothing.” Anani said. She then turned to Carmen, “What’s his name?”
I laughed and gave in. “Fine. Since you’re all asking so nicely, I’ll tell you.” I took another drink, “He told me his name about forty five years or so ago.”
I smiled a satisfied smile because I knew I hadn’t answered the one question burning in all of their consciousness’s. I faked a yawn and made to stand when arms shot out and shoved me back into my seat.
“No. You will answer our question. You can’t just leave without telling us.” Anani said while getting a round of agreements from the other two.
“If you won’t tell them, I will. After all, it’s just his name, Ari.” Carmen said with a casual tone.
I sat back down and pretended to be bored with this line of talk. “Fine. If you must know, his name is Argento. Happy now?”
At once both Anani and Skye turned to him and looked. Putting a name to a Guardian. Carmen just sat and watched me. I pretended not to see her from the corner of my eye.
“So you have no interest in him?” Anani asked.
“Why would I? I’m perfectly happy the way I am.” I was trying for an unaffected, casual air and I think I did rather well.
She then looked at me. “So, you wouldn’t mind if I went over there right now and spoke to him? Maybe asked to see him?”
The mere thought of her doing that made my insides clench with… with… I don’t have the words to describe the feeling. I looked over to him sitting there with his friend and tried to imagine him talking with Anani. Just the thought and I could feel anger building up. It was stupid. I don’t even know him.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say our Ari here, is a bit upset by that thought, Ana.” The sugar in Carmen’s tone was almost sickening.