Academy of Protectors (The Protector Guild Book 1) Read online

  She straightened her spine a bit and Ro sunk. “Sorry, no offense was meant.”

  “Night Ro.” I pulled his sleeve slightly to get his attention back to me. “Be sure to break me out of this joint tomorrow or as soon as possible. This bed feels like a slab of concrete.”

  “Always so dramatic, Max.” He rolled his eyes before exiting and I found my gaze suddenly monopolized by the most wrinkled face I’d ever seen.

  “You sure you should still be working? Don’t protectors have, like a retirement program of sorts?” I asked, scrunching my nose. I had no intention of working for them my whole life and someone her age should be out enjoying the world.

  Belatedly, I muttered an apology. That was probably one of those things I was supposed to edit out before speaking. Cyrus was always so gruff, it sort of stung to realize I was adopting that trait and that it wasn’t the norm. I needed to invest in a backspace button for my mouth.

  She let out a deep laugh, not offended by my lack of filter. It was refreshing. “I’m a volunteer. When you’re my age with no family, you get lonely. The Guild has been kind enough to let me offer my services here. The name’s Greta, by the way. In case you were ever planning to ask.”

  I blushed, suddenly embarrassed by my lack of manners. “Right, sorry. Nice to meet you Greta. I’m Max.”

  “I know who you are Maxine Bentley. You and your family have unsettled the dust, storming through here out of nowhere like you did.” I cringed at her use of my full name, earning me a chuckle. “Get some rest, I’m retiring for the evening but there’s a button next to your bed if you need me for anything. I’m a light sleeper, so I’ll respond almost immediately.”

  With a wink, she reached for the door handle and left, but not before a plastic card fell from her pocket to the floor.

  Chapter Eleven

  Max

  I think I counted to thirty-seven before I couldn’t handle waiting any longer. I jumped from the bed, momentarily dizzy from the pain in my arm. Too bad the break wasn’t healing as quickly as the bite. My bare feet were freezing against the scuffed floor, as I bent down and picked up the rectangular piece of plastic. Though I’d never seen one before in real life, I watched enough spy movies to know that this was some sort of a key card. And my gut told me that it would open the way to my hellhound.

  Maybe the old nurse wasn’t so bad after all, almost like my very own protector-godmother.

  Not wanting to wait another second, I opened the door, exhaling in relief that she’d left it unlocked for me. After a quick glance left and right down the hall, I was satisfied that I was alone. There were only three other rooms in this hall, and they all looked to be either empty or housed with sleeping patients.

  Light on my feet, I all but ran down the hall, the exhilaration of acting out my Nikita fantasies suppressing the pain in my neck and arm. When I reached the end of the hall, I looked to the left. This new hall was filled with dozens more doors that looked more or less like the one I’d just escaped. Everything was a crisp white color, illuminated by the flickering lights running along the ceiling. Turning my head gingerly to the right, I almost screamed in triumph.

  A metal door, complete with a superspy scanner. Practically skipping, I pulled the grey card out and muffled my shout of glee when the heavy metal door unlocked.

  Expecting to find a collection of supernatural beasts, I looked around and deflated. This hall held nothing, just thick metal walls. It didn’t help that it was practically black as night in here either, any light from the hall disappearing as the door closed. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up on my quest, so I ran my hands along the wall until they guided me to the other end.

  The hall stopped short after only a few feet and I momentarily started to panic. This wasn’t a giant hall, this was a tiny metal coffin. For someone used to living in the great outdoors, I’d never experienced the absolute torment of confined space before. The heavy beating of my heart told me that I might have a touch of claustrophobia. Good to know. Living in a forest didn’t provide too many opportunities for feeling trapped. Not in the conventional sense anyway.

  Frantically running my hand along the opposite wall, I found a small plastic box protruding at about my shoulder level. Tracing my fingers along the edges, I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached a miniature lever and lifted. Soft digital lights pierced the heavy darkness and I found myself confronted with another scanner. Swiping my borrowed card, I smiled when the door clicked open. This must be some type of airlock or failsafe in case one of the creatures made it past one of the doors.

  Closing the door quietly behind me, I looked around. This hallway was softly lit and looked much more high tech than the hospital wing I’d just come from. Careful to stay quiet, I crept along—just in case any of the lab geeks were still awake. I doubted they’d be okay with me making myself at home in their super-secret lair.

  The lab looked to contain a wide variety of species, some better protected than others. There were several rooms, for instance, that looked like a nuclear bomb couldn’t break the inhabitant out—the walls and door made of a solid, unusual metal. None of these rooms had windows or scanners for me to swipe into, so I had no idea how I’d find my hellhound. Greta didn’t exactly leave me a map.

  The low murmur of approaching voices startled me into a girlish jump, and I slammed my fist against my mouth to prevent the escape of the matching squeal. Looking around the hall, I trembled with anxiety—getting caught now made the whole stealth thing null—I might as well have stayed in my uncomfortable bed, waiting for Greta to wake me in the morning.

  At the last moment, I noticed a door unlike the others. This one appeared to be normal, with no extra protective measures, so I reached for the handle. The soft click of the door opening calmed my rapid heartbeat, and I threw myself behind it just as the soft voices turned the corner.

  I backed slowly into the room, my lips pressed together in a silent prayer that they didn’t see me. I knew that once I was caught down here, it would be practically impossible for me to orchestrate another trip. The voices grew closer, closer, closer, and then they started to fade away. Letting out a long breath, I backed against the cool wall, and glanced around the room.

  Unlike the others, this room was filled with a series of glass walls that allowed the researchers to look in on the inhabitants. That meant my poor hellhound was locked up in a glorified zoo. Anger coursed through my veins. How long would they keep him here?

  The rooms were all dark, making it impossible for me to discern whether or not they were vacant, except for the last wall on the left where a soft glow lit the area.

  I made my way to it.

  And then I let out a happy rush of air when I came face to face with a large dog, whose eyes were on the same level as mine. He was even more giant than I remembered. Intimidating, even. This close, I could almost understand why the protectors were afraid of him. Especially if there wasn’t a lot known about the species.

  Cyrus sure as hell had never mentioned hellhounds. And the only version I’d ever heard of had three heads and was found in Disney’s Hercules.

  “It’s you.” I pressed my hand against the windowed wall and studied the beast that had saved my life not once but twice. I closed my eyes, trying not to focus on the fact that in the last few days, I was attacked by two hell realm creatures. It was a lot to process. Especially considering I’d never seen a supernatural creature outside of my books before last week.

  The hellhound’s coat was pure black and looked like velvet. There was a small patch of grey surrounding his right ear. It almost made him look dog-like, silly even—insofar as a giant hellhound the size of a horse could look silly. But still, kinder perhaps? His eyes were a dark amber and looked far too intelligent for a domestic animal in the human realm. There wasn’t any animosity in those eyes, though there was an alertness, a hesitation.

  I watched, in turn, as he studied me, with almost as much critical focus as I was studying him. He walked slowly towards the windowed wall and I felt my heartbeat pick up with the dregs of fear. I doubted he could break through the small prison if he wanted to, but still, the creature was far more intimidating than any animal I’d seen before—his predatory stare more startling than even a lion.

  Not that I’d ever really seen a lion stare at me before.

  When he licked the spot where my hand remained pressed and let out a friendly whine of recognition, I exhaled. He hopped down on his front paws, his butt in the air, and wagged his tail.

  My shoulders loosened, recognizing the universal sign of a friendly pup who just wanted to play. It seemed suddenly ridiculous that protectors feared him.

  “I’m sorry I got you locked up in here, boy.” I paused, considering. “You are a boy aren’t you?”

  The friendly chirp of a bark confirmed that he was and also that he could understand me when I spoke.

  I smiled and sank to the floor, suddenly overcome by exertion. I must’ve lost even more blood than I’d originally realized. I leaned my forehead against the cool glass and looked on at my strange protector.

  “Why have you saved me twice?” I asked, fully aware that there would be no way for him to respond to such an open-ended question. He laid down next to the window, his fur pressed to the glass as if he wanted to be as close to me as he could. Warmth spread through my body, and it felt almost as if we were meant to find each other, that he was made to be kept close. I shook my head and laughed at the thought—as if a hellhound could be kept as a mere house pet.

  Still, struck by an idea I made eye contact. “How about I ask you questions and if the answer is yes, you bark once. If no, do nothing.”

  He barked once in response and my face split in what likely looked to be a maniacal smile.

  “Okay great.” I paused a beat, searching for a good place to start. “When the werewolf attacked,” I started, “had you been tracking it?”

  No bark.

  “Had you been tracking me, then?”

  One bark, soft and friendly.

  I pressed my hand into my brows, thinking. “So then you followed me to The Guild?”

  One bark, the hellhound’s tongue sloshed out the side of his large mouth, making him look like a blown up version of a cartoon.

  “So are you like a protective beast of some sort?”

  One bark.

  “Do you protect others besides me?”

  Silence.

  I wracked my brain, trying to think of a way to ask him why while remaining within the yes/no paradigm. Still, I couldn’t deny the fear that started to creep into my body. Looking up into warm, amber eyes, I opened and shut my mouth several times searching for the right words to ask. “You were born in the other realm?”

  One bark

  “Does this mean I’m evil? If you were sent to watch over me?” If guardian angels in human folklore watched over the good, it seemed only logical that hellhounds watched over the bad. But my question was met with silence, and I exhaled in relief. Nothing about this overgrown dog screamed evil. “Did you get caught on purpose?” He was much too powerful and agile to make it easy for protectors to catch him. He’d taken on a werewolf and vampire, for crying out loud.

  One bark.

  I smiled, feeling somehow lighter that I had a not-so-scary hellhound watching my back. “I’ll find a way to get you out of here. I can feel it in my bones that you aren’t evil, no matter what kind of creature you are or where you come from.” My fingers stroked lightly against the glass wall, as if I could pet him from here. “Do you have a name?”

  Silence.

  I smiled. Every dog should have a name. “Okay, let’s find you one. Let me know when you come across one you like?” He barked once in response. “Fido?” Silence. “Riggs?” Silence. “Bruiser?” Silence. “Ralph?” One bark. I smiled, my teeth gleaming in the reflection of the glass. “Alright then, hellhound. We’ll call you Ralph.”

  A deep throaty laughter from behind me had my heart beating something fierce—a sound that somehow both scared and enticed me.

  I turned my head, but saw no one in the room. Ralph growled in response to my fear, the sound low and haunting.

  I searched all around, trying to find the source of the sound, but every room was dark besides Ralph’s sterile little prison. I wondered, briefly, if Greta had left a light on in his cage, anticipating that I’d come find him. I seriously owed that woman. Maybe I’d send her a fruit basket or something. Like a really big one, covered in chocolate.

  “I can’t believe you’ve named a hellhound. And that you’ve named it Ralph.” The disembodied voice was low and deep and smooth, and I shuddered despite my fear.

  In the room across from Ralph’s, a dark, imposing figure slowly made its way towards me, stopping just as it reached the glass that wasn’t glass. The glow from Ralph’s room reached a bit, and I could make out more and more of the mysterious creature, the closer it stepped into the light.

  I held back a gasp. This wasn’t a creature, this was a man. And a beautiful one at that. Light, tousled blond hair framed an angular face. He was tall and built with lean muscle. But it was his eyes that had me captivated—they didn’t quite match. His right eye was a mottled gold, the left a dark brown. Watching my appraisal he lifted the left side of his lips in a smirk.

  “What are you?” I asked. The options were limitless. Incubus, werewolf, vampire, or some less common demon that I’d never heard of before. Cyrus wasn’t big on explaining our world beyond ‘kill, decapitate, stab.’ And truthfully, his approach worked on all creatures, didn’t matter the specific species.

  Something about the glint in the man’s eye, the lazy posture, and the confidence he exuded, despite being locked in a glorified cage, told me that this man—thing—was dangerous.

  Instead of answering, he tilted his head, not unlike a cat, and stared at my neck. Feeling self-conscious, I pressed my fingers to the bandaged skin, while Ralph growled a soft, threatening warning behind me.

  “You’ve been recently tasted, I see.” He continued his watchful stare, making me feel like I was the one being studied behind a glass wall. His lips stretched into a terrifying caricature of a smile. I felt my heartbeat increase its heavy drum. “And survived. How interesting.”

  “My wound is covered, how can you possibly know what caused it?” I asked. I rolled my shoulders softly, cognizant of my injured arm, and squared my body for a fight. Which was probably a bit silly since this man was trapped somewhere he couldn’t reach me. And while I was confident in my abilities, I wasn’t deluded enough to think that I stood a chance against him, not solo, and definitely not in my current state.

  He shrugged, cocking a single eyebrow. “There were others in here discussing an attack earlier. I saw the bandage on your neck and put two and two together. Your response confirmed it. They mentioned the fight was tonight. If that’s true, I’m not quite sure how you’re walking about and sneaking around right now.” He sat down and crossed his legs, watching me like I was a favorite television program. His lazy perusal had my blood running cold.

  What was he? Despite my fear, I couldn’t deny that I was drawn to him. I couldn’t look away, no matter how hard I tried. An incubus then?

  “I wasn’t bitten,” I remarked, briefly recalling the concern on Cyrus’s face. There was a reason I wasn’t meant to discuss the attack with outsiders. Especially not evil ones locked in a creepy dungeon. “This,” I touched my neck, “is just a cut. Ralph saved me before the fanghole had a chance to dig in.”

  “Whatever you say, little protector. Curious that you survived, all the same.” His eyes danced briefly to Ralph before refocusing on me. “And perhaps more interesting, you’ve gained the companionship of a hellhound. It’s rare for their kind to become familiars.”

  “Familiar?” My voice was soft and wispy. “You mean like a witch’s familiar?” I asked, recounting the old story books I used to read when Cyrus wasn’t hounding me to train or study up on more practical pursuits. As far as I knew, witches weren’t real.

  The man’s grin deepened, somehow making him appear more lethal. “No, not like a witch. Witches are merely humans with a few parlor tricks they’ve stolen or bought—nothing a familiar would ever waste their time on. Familiars never take a protector. But this one has. And a hellhound, no less. Why is that, little protector?”

  Uncomfortable with his proximity, despite the glass protection, I backed into Ralph’s wall. “You have a Hannibal Lecter thing going for you, you know that?” I tried to force as much confidence into my voice as I could muster. It wasn’t much. “What are you?”

  He laughed, and I caught my breath at the sound, at the look of the dangerous man with a beautiful smile. “You have fire, for such a small and young protector. I can almost pretend to understand why the hellhound, Ralph as you call him, has claimed you. You hold a certain fascination uncommon amongst your kind. His attachment must either be a very good omen, or a very, very bad one—I wonder which it is.” His head tilted, his smile widened, and I watched in fascination as his canine teeth extended into two sharp fangs. I cringed, the memory of the last vamp I’d faced too fresh in my mind.

  My lips turned in disgust. “Oh, you’re one of them.” I let myself feel briefly satisfied that the vamp was locked up in the middle of a research lab. The whole species deserved to be eradicated. His lips thinned into a tight, mocking smile while I turned back to the hellhound. I was no longer interested in entertaining his cellmate. “I’ll try and see you again tomorrow, Ralph. Cyrus and Seamus assured me that no one will harm you while you’re here—they are just keeping you locked up for preventative measures and appearances. My brother and I are already brainstorming ways to get you out as soon as we can.”

  Ralph barked once, licking the surface of the window that aligned with my cheek.

  “Until tomorrow, then, little protector.” The vampire’s voice followed me out, taunting and chilly.

  Maybe I could convince Cyrus to give Ralph a better neighbor.