The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 29

            Rayne sat on the chair in front of the window.  She watched as Kevin told Alex who he was, what had become of him.  The bus ride, coming here, the story about how he was from here, the magic they used and the war he fought in.  Alex sat completely still on the couch as his friend told him everything.

“That’s Rayne.” Kevin said pointing to her and her stomach knotted, her body stiffened. “That’s Rayne AJ, she’s your wife.”

“My what?” He replied as his head snapped up and then it slowly turned to her.  His eyes locked on hers and her palms got sweaty.  “I need some air.” He said standing up quickly.

Rayne stood up when his friends went chasing after him.  “Where are you going?” Kevin asked.

“Out” AJ replied as he opened the door.

“AJ, man I know this is all over whelming, it was for all of us when we first came here.”

“Over whelming!?” He shouted when he stopped and turned to them.  “I’m a fucking Elvaan, I can apparently use magic and I’m married to someone I don’t even know.”

When he said those words her heart snapped into two.  Her lips pursed and she did everything she could to hold back the tears.  With her stomach knotting tighter and her head spinning Rayne slowly walked over to the bench in the hallway.

“Fuck off!” AJ shouted as he pulled away from Kevin and took off down the hall.

“Well are we going to go after him?” He asked as he looked back at his friends.

“Maybe he just needs some time, when we first came here he took off and went for a walk.” Howie said as she picked at her nails.

Is this how he felt when she had forgotten him?  She knew it wasn’t his fault or her fault but she felt hurt.  Hurt that she was forgotten.  Taking a deep breath she tried to calm herself.  A shadow above her distracted her and she looked up as Kevin knelt down in front of her.

“Are you ok?” He asked and she stood up.

“I am going to go inform Avit about what has happened.” She said.

“We’ll go look for AJ” Kevin said with a nod.

“No” She replied quickly.  “Just give him some space please.”

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Yes” She nodded. “It was all he needed before.”

Rayne then turned and headed down the hall, she made her way to the Winnol globe room.  She crossed over and walked out of the doors.  When she slammed into someone she looked up and saw Avit.

“Milady I was just coming to check on Alex.” He told her.

“Avit” She frowned and then started balling her eyes out. 

“Rayne” Avit said sadly as he wrapped his arm around her. “What is wrong?”

“He does not know” She cried.

“Know what?” He asked.

“He does not know who I am, who you are, he does not remember.” She told him. 

“He remembers nothing?” Avit asked.

Slowly she shook her head. “Nothing” and with those words she started crying harder.

When she had calmed down Avit got her to tell him everything that had happened after Alex had woken up.  When she was done he convinced her to go to her room and get some sleep and he would go look for Alex.  Knowing there was nothing she could do right now, she agreed and they both made their way back to Hevi.

She walked into the room and looked around.  The shouting and confusion from a moment ago replayed in her head.  Her lipped quivered but she did not cry.  Rayne walked over to her dresser and pulled out her night gown.  Her body was stiff and achy from sleeping on the ground the night before. She was still pretty tired from all the work with the Elvaans and learning how to transform.  Right now maybe even more so than making sure Alex was alright she wanted the bed. 

When she crawled under the blankets the bed felt like billions and billions of Gryphon feathers, and she sunk down with a sigh.  Pulling the blankets over her she wrapped them around her and closed her eyes.  She knew she was tired but she didn’t think she would fall asleep at that moment. Then just as she had started to dream, something startled her awake.  Quickly she sat up, her eyes listening for what ever it was that woke her.  She could hear people yelling outside her door.  Crawling from the bed she grabbed her night robe and put it around her as she walked over to the door.  Quietly she leaned her ear against the wood.

“Please Sir, keep your voice down or you will wake Rayne.” Avit shouted in a whisper. “I do not think you would want her to see you in this state.”

“What state?” AJ asked back.  “Drunk? Who the fuck cares if I’m drunk. I get drunk all the time ask Kevin.”

“No” She whispered and then she opened up the door.  Avit looked at her right away and AJ turned with a wobble to her.

“See she was awake…wait.” He said looking at her. “You’re Rayne right?”

Her teeth grinded against each other.  “Yes” She replied.

“See she was wake” He replied with another wobble.

“I was walking him to his room.” Avit told her.

“This is my room” Alex replied.  “So can we have married couple sex?” He asked her as he walked in.  Avit looked at her with a strain expression.

“It is alright Avit” Rayne replied with a sigh as Alex flopped down on the couch.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Yes” She nodded.  “I can handle him.”

“Alright” Avit replied with a light smile. “I will tell Sir Kevin that I found him.”

She said goodbye to Avit and closed the door when she turned around she saw Alex walking around the room.  “Do you need something?” She asked.

“Where’s the booze.” Alex replied.

“There is none.” She said as she stood there staring at him.  “Where are you going?” She asked as he walked past her.

“Going to tell the servants to bring some of that beer up here.” He told her.

“No” She said and he laughed.

“Whatever lady.” He said waving his arm. 

With a grunt and the release of a spell she stopped him, dead in his tracks. “What the…” He then looked back at her.  “What the fuck is this?” He asked.

“Vines” She replied.

“Well I can see that, how the fuck did they end up around my feet.”

“I put them there” She said as she walked over to him.

He raised his eyebrows.  “Magic, so Kevin wasn’t bullshitting, sweet. But seriously let me go get some beer and then we can get to know each other, well I can get to know you.”

“No” She replied again.

He sighed.  “Why did I have to marry an anal bitch?”

“Excuse me!” She shouted shocked.

“Ooh feisty, I like that” AJ replied with a wobble.  He grunted as he tugged at his feet trying to pull his legs out.  With a light sigh Rayne released the spell and AJ went toppling over onto the floor. He grunted as he hit the wooden floor and then looked at her.  She wondered if he was going to say something to her but there was a knock at the door.  She walked past him and heard him mumble something. 

“Hello” She replied as she saw Kevin and Howie standing at the door.

“Avit said he found him?” Kevin asked and she stepped away so he could see Alex.

“Dude, Howie have you checked out the beer here, it’s pretty fucking good.” AJ said as he brushed himself off.

“Avit said he was drunk.” Kevin sighed.

“Yes, he is.” Rayne replied.

“And I want to get drunker but miss bitchy over here won’t let me.” Rayne turned to him but before she could say anything Kevin spoke up.

“Alex you’re not supposed to be drinking.” Kevin sighed.

“Who the fuck says? Her?” He replied pointing to Rayne.

“No You” Kevin replied.  “You’re an alcoholic AJ”

“Oh fuck off, I’m not that bad.” He scoffed as he waved his arms at Kevin.  “Howie, come on I know you wanna go, you can never turn down good beer.”

“No Alex actually I’m tired.” Howie replied.

“Fine then, I’ll go alone.” AJ huffed as he headed to the door.

“How about if you do not go at all.” Rayne replied.  “You can stay here, we can…”

“What the hell is your problem, are you like religious or something, Jesus it’s just beer.” AJ snapped at her and then he looked at Kevin.  “Are you sure I’m married to her, I can’t see myself marrying such a fucking nag.”

“AJ!” Kevin snapped at him.

“Well it’s true, Christ she won’t let me leave the room and usually when woman don’t let me leave the room it means I’m getting laid.” AJ replied.  “Not this one tho, she probably has fucking cobwebs or something.” Rayne’s eyes went wide at how crude AJ was being towards her. 

“Alright man enough” Kevin said as she watched him grab AJ by the back of the robe and dragged him out of the room.

“What the fuck dude?” AJ yelled.  “Let go”

“Your spending the night with Kris and I.” Kevin snapped back as they walked down the hall.

“Kris is here, awesome” AJ replied as she followed to the door and stopped. “That chick is fucking is a shrew. I must have been pretty jacked to wanna marry that thing.”

“Alex shut up” Kevin sighed as they walked into his room.

Rayne closed the door and leaned up against it. She covered her mouth as she started crying but there was no sadness only pain.  Wiping her eyes Rayne walked over to her dresser, the anger and hurt building up in her until she had no choice but to blow.  With a scream she brushed her arms across the dresser and sent everything that was on it off the edges.  She kicked her dresser a couple of times shouting with each thump against the thick wooden door.

“Bravo Rayne Bravo!” Nick said from behind her and she spun around.

“You” Rayne hissed as she stared at him.

“Me” Nick replied with a sarcastic smile and a light tilt of the head.

“This is your fault, you did this too him” Rayne said as she stepped towards him.

“I did” Nick sighed.  “I just thought that to really truly under…” He was interrupted as a bright light shot down from the sky and struck him with a loud crashing sound.  Her arm raised, her fingers sparkled and then a green electrical charge erupted from her hands.  Her wrath spell hit him right in the chest and he stumbled back against the wall. As she walked towards him she sent out another and another and another spell.  Nick slid down the wall with a grunt.  She reached down and grabbed the purple aura.  He screamed in pain as she started to pull.

“This is not your body…”

Nick interrupted her.  “Yes it is.” She felt him place his hand on her stomach and before she could react she was being sent flying across the room. Her body crashed hard into the doors to her bedroom.  They flew open and she came crashing down onto the floor in the hallway.  The room was spinning and she put her hands down as she tried to get up.  When her eyes focused she saw Nick coming out of the room.  Her back screamed in pain and it made it hard for her to breath.

“Whoa Nick what the fuck happened to you?” She heard Alex say.  Slowly she turned her head and saw Kevin, Kristin, and Alex looking at the two of them.  He looked the same but he was absolutely powerless against Nick.  AJ did not know how to use his magic. 

Nick’s arm reached out and a shadow bolt came flying from his finger tips.  “Move!” Kevin shouted as he shoved AJ out of the way.  Rayne wheezed as she breathed in, she grunted in pain as she stood up and as Nick walked over to AJ she put her hand out.

“Nick?” AJ replied looking at him confused. The window in the hallway burst open and a flock of sea hawks came flying in.  They surrounded Nick and began clawing and pecking at him.  He swatted at them, sent bolt after bolt at them but more and more kept flying in.  With a whoosh and an odd howling sound Nick was in the shadows and gone.  The birds retreated and Rayne dropped to her knees.

She looked at Alex to make sure he was ok, he stared back at her, his eyes full of shock and confusion.  Then he crawled over to her.  “Are you ok?” He asked.

She tried to talk but she couldn’t, her chest exploded in pain and the only sound she could make was that of a wheezing noise.  Her body started to get fuzzy, the room was spinning fast.  She looked at him and touched her chest, shaking her head.

“You can’t breath?” He asked and she nodded lightly.  She felt herself slip lower to the ground as there was a commotion around her.  Everything went black and then everything appeared around her again.

“Rayne?” Kevin said looking at her. “Rayne?” Her eyes looked around and she saw Alex staring back at her.  How she wanted him to tell her it was ok, to look at her with comfort and love, not confusion and shock.  She wanted him to hold her hand and tell her it would be ok but instead it was Kevin.  Alex’s face was the last thing she saw before everything around her went dark again.