Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (the lemonade war series .TXT) 📖

a leopard-man who was pacing the front door.
“May I help you?” The leopard-man asked. His face was wrinkled with age and he was hunched over, a cane in his hand to help him balance.
“Are you Essex Crowley?” I asked him sternly.
“Who wants to know?” He snapped, hissing.
“I’m sure you’ve heard of me.” I told him. “I’m the Young Guardian, Lord Guardian’s successor.”
At that, he attempted to bow. “My apologies, Young Guardian. If I had known...”
“Relax, Mr. Crowley.” I told him. “What is this business with Panther Grey?”
“He should not be here.” Essex told me with a mean glare. “This is the Palace of Mistress Sibylline and Braken Hawk, two Companions lost in the Wars for Power.”
“It was, Essex.” I told him. “Now, the home belongs to Panther and Marie Grey, with their young daughter Destiny. You would kick an entire family out of a home simply because you believe the Palace should be a shrine for the Hawks?”
“Aye, that is what I believe.”
I stared him down. “That’s what I thought. Come with me, Essex. We’re going to settle this right now.”
I barged in the Palace without knocking, seeing Katherine and Panther across the room. Panther was in his half-human form, the necklace around his neck glowing. He was sitting in a chair while he let Katherine tend his wound.
He roared when Katherine put a thick lotion on the wound.
“If you would sit still, Panther, I would be able to heal it the right way.” Katherine tugged his arm.
“You don’t have to be so rough, Kat.”
“The pain reminds you of life.” Katherine said. “Would you rather deal with a short pain while I heal you or would you suffer until your arm falls off? It’s your choice.”
Panther glared at her. “Very well. I’ll behave.”
Katherine grinned, patting his back with a free hand. “That is all I ask.”
I waited until she was nearly finished with the bandage before speaking. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the first.
“What am I doing here?” Essex demanded from behind me.
Katherine and Panther each looked up. Panther tensed, growling at the sight, and Katherine tried to calm him.
“Young Guardian.” Katherine tried to smile in spite, but it didn’t work. She shared a look with Panther. “What are you doing here?”
“Did I not just ask the same thing?” Essex threw his hand up.
“Silence, Companion.” I threw at him. “Sit and be quiet until I tell you to speak.” I turned to Katherine. “I heard what happened from the children and raced over. Honestly, Panther, I can’t leave you alone for one minute without you getting in trouble. What am I going to do with you?”
He could tell I was trying to lighten the mood, but didn’t buy it. “I’m in no mood for this right now, Ariana. Kindly leave my home.”
“It is not your home, imposter!” Essex shouted, standing.
I turned to him. “That’s enough, Companion!” I shouted. He sat again and I turned back to Panther. “And you will have more respect for your Young Guardian, Panther Grey.” I pointed in his face. “I’m not here on a pleasure visit, especially when I find out the Lord’s people are fighting over the Feline Palace.”
“Who started this?” Katherine wanted to know. “Were it you, Mr. Crowley, with your Before-Wars views and stubborn old mind? Or were it you, Panther, with your Companion-Crusader wisdom that turned to proud ego?”
As I feared, they both shouted at the same time. “He started it!”
“Young brat!”
“Grisly old man!”
“Enough!” I shouted, using Magic to clamp both their mouths. “Panther, sit next to him. This matter must be solved before Lord Guardian finds out.”
Panther gave me a look that said. “You must be crazy!”
“Don’t look at me like that, Panther.” I commanded. “I want this dispute settled before I have to get Lord Guardian himself involved. Would you rather I tell him what you two did?”
Both cats shook their heads.
I released the bars from their mouths. “Now then. I will tell you both what I am going to do.” I said. They sat quietly and listened. “Essex Crowley, you will leave this place and not come back until you accept this home is no longer Queen Sibylline and Lord Braken Hawk’s own. Panther earned his right to be here through the Crusades.” (At this, I saw Panther looked smug, with his arms crossed.) “He helped Exile the Master Orthos and his clan of Warriors. Lord Guardian welcomed him with open arms and I expect you to do the same.” I turned to Panther. “As for you, Panther Grey. I don’t want to hear of any more fights, understand? You are still a Crusader, whether Companion or human, it doesn’t matter. You fight only as a Crusader against evil forces who wish to destroy this world.” With hands on my hips, I looked to both of them. “Do I make myself clear, gentlemen?”
They nodded.
“Now shake hands and show me you’re sorry.” I told them.
It took a moment, but the two feline males shook hands. At that, Essex Crowley disappeared, leaving. I dropped onto the couch, exhausted.
Katherine clapped her hands after a moment of silence. “Ariana, that was brilliant! I never knew you had that much fight in you!”
I shook my head. “Neither did I.” I rubbed my temples.
“Why does she get to call you by your Earthbound name, and I can’t?” Panther sat next to me.
I looked at him. “You should be saying ‘thank you’ instead of asking silly questions, Panther.” I grinned. “I stuck up for you, as I always do.”
“It really was Mr. Crowley’s fault, you know.” Katherine told me. “He is the one to throw a stone through the window.”
“What does he know?” Panther asked. “He’s just an old man.”
“If he was just an old man, Panther, why did you fight with him?”
Panther stood. “He threatened my honor and my home! What else was I supposed to do?”
I stood as well. “For one, you could always call on me.”
“Or me.” Katherine said. “If she were busy, I could always help you.”
“You know that, so why didn’t you call on either of us?”
He turned away. “I wanted to show I could take care of my own affairs.”
“That’s very noble of you, but we’re still Crusaders, you know.” I explained, placing a hand on his shoulder. He winced. “Sorry, but we took an Oath as Dream Realm Crusaders, and you took an Oath as a Newly-born Companion. We fight against the enemy, not each other, got that?”
Panther turned back to me. “Yes, Young Guardian. I get it.” He turned to Katherine. “Thank you for healing me, Lady Kat. It’s feeling better already.”
“Will you be okay alone?” I asked.
Panther smiled, kissing my cheek. “You can trust me. I won’t make any more trouble.”
“Good, because I need to steal Kat away for a while.” I smiled, hugging him.
He waved good-bye as we took flight, heading back to her Castle.

It was too late; I woke up to the morning sun shining in my eyes and my stomach doing flip-flops. I hoped the morning sickness would be over soon.

II

While the boys were finally in preschool, Kelly was at school and Derrick was at work with Aaron, I decided to check up on my twin sister. I opened the door to her home to find it quiet. I sensed my sister was there with my niece Meredith, but something was definitely wrong.
“Luna!” I called.
“In the playroom!” I heard her call softly from the back of the house. I went to her to find her sitting in the rocking chair, rocking Meredith to sleep. “Hey, what’s up?”
She stood and headed to the nearby crib, placing a sleeping Meredith in it.
“I was just about to ask you the same thing, sister.” I replied, looking at her face. “When did you get eyeglasses?”
“Shortly after she was born.” Luna replied, shifting them up her nose. “It takes getting used to, but it’s better than going blind.”
“I could have told you that.” I teased, but she sighed. “Lu, what’s wrong?”
She ignored my question. Instead, she played with the blanket that covered her daughter. “Isn’t she beautiful, Ariana?”
I looked in on my niece. “Spitting image of her father.”
Luna looked up quickly. “Tell me, Ariana. Who does she look like most?”
I was confused. “Like both you and Shane, I guess. Mostly you, though.”
“Look closely.” Luna took my hand and placed it on Meredith’s heart. “Can’t you feel it?”
“What am I supposed to feel?” I asked.
“Use your Empathy and Clairvoyance together.” Luna told me. “Tell me what you see.”
I sighed. “Luna...” I started, but her stare was pleading.
“Please?”
I closed my eyes, doing as my sister told me to. I got not the image of Luna and Shane, but of her and Aaron.
“Aaron.” I whispered. I took my hand away. “Is she?”
Luna nodded. “I dreamed of it many times while I was pregnant with her. The rape, the Dark Magic, Aaron himself. It was torture.”
“Have you told him, yet?”
Luna shook her head. “I don’t want him to feel guilty. As you said last year, it wasn’t his fault he raped me. It was the Dark Magic taking over him.”
“What about Shane?” I asked.
“He can’t know.” Luna started to cry. “He’s such a proud father. I don’t want to shatter his feelings, you know.”
I nodded. “I know, Lu, but we at least have to tell somebody.”
Luna took both my hands. “No, please, not yet. Our lives are perfect now. I don’t want anymore pain.”
“You know you’ll have to tell them both sometime.”
“When the time comes, I’ll tell them, but until then, I have to keep the secret of Meredith’s birth from them.” Luna replied. “Aaron’s my friend and Shane is my husband. I love them both, and don’t want to hurt either of them. Do you understand this at all?”
I hugged my twin. “Of course I understand, Lu.”
We stood in silence, locked in each other’s embrace.
“Promise me you’ll keep this a secret?” Luna asked, pleading. Tears were racing down her cheeks, smudging her glasses that were identical to mine.
I wiped the tears away with my fingers. “I promise, Aluna.”
We hugged again, and I felt the baby kick. I jumped back, my hand going to my stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Luna asked me.
I shrugged, smiling. “Oh nothing. The baby’s kicking, that’s all.”
“Baby?” Luna whispered. “You’re pregnant! I can’t believe it!”
She hugged me again. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks, but this pregnancy is different.” I told her about the dreams and Dorianne’s story, the Melody mystery, and even of what happened in the Dream Realm. “I don’t get it.” I concluded. “How can one soul split into two bodies?”
“My guess are as Invisibites.” Luna shrugged.
“Invisibites. I remember them.” I said. “I was stuck in the Abyss with Kelly, only our bodies were still in our beds. Do you really think it could happen again?”
“Not in the way I’m thinking.” Luna said. “Let’s get out of the playroom and let Meredith rest. I’ll explain while I get us some lunch.”
I followed her to the kitchen. I helped fix some quick sandwiches while she explained in more detail.
“I was thinking like this. Melody Applebee came to you, wanting you to help her with her power, right? If she had the same dream you had, wouldn’t that be her Destination Vision?”
“Where a Mystic sees their death?” Luna nodded.
“Right. She wouldn’t want to lose her life, for fear of losing her daughters. It would be like history repeating itself.”
I was impressed. “My, you’ve