Fade-out: Take 2 of the Kanyon and Daylen Series, page 12
“If what he said was true and that last cast was him, then I would say he was one really lucky guy. Except, I don’t know where he buys his underwear.”
Daylen shook her head. “I was thinking more about if he was guilty or innocent.”
“Oh. Well, I didn’t see any of the typical five signs of lying. He gave no physical tells of deception. His replies were consistent and absolute. He did not appear to have any personality traits that would lead me to believe he was lacking confidence, of course I wouldn’t either if I had a…” He turned a shy smile toward Daylen and got a don’t-finish-that-statement look in response. “You know. Anyways, he didn’t seem to have a need to fill voids by obtaining material objects. When you mentioned the inkwell and pen, his pupils did not jump or react to the words, leading me to believe he has no association or interest in the articles.”
Daylen stopped at a red light and looked at Theo.
“I scored 34 on my ACTs, 2278 on the SATs, got straight A’s in college, and I watch a lot of Criminal Minds and The Mentalist.”
“Right, of course.” Daylen turned back as the light turned green.
“Am I right? Was that what you assessed from him too?” he asked excitedly.
“Exactly what I got.” Minus the five signs of lying part and non-jumping pupils part. Instead she’d simply lowered her shields slightly and got a pervy, cocky, (no pun intended) ego-driven, and most importantly, a non-guilty read from him.
“So I can go with you again sometime?” Theo asked.
Daylen shot him a wink. “Sure.”
Theo high-fived himself then quickly spun in his seat, a pleading look on his face. “Please don’t tell her I just did that.”
Daylen crossed her heart. “Never.”
Chapter 7
Kanyon was taking the first curve down the hill, talking to Princess Kate, “Sorry Princess, I don’t understand the whole King and Queen thing. What if the heir to the throne is like a total tool? You’re saying he’ll get the title no matter what?”
“That is tradition. First son is the heir, though I do not understand your usage of the word tool.”
“The sacrifice of one’s personal life for honor and duty is not something which is to be taken lightly,” a deep male voice said from her passenger seat.
Kanyon jumped. “What the hell?” The tires of the car went off the side of the pavement, coming dangerously close to the cliff banks. Kanyon jerked the car back on the road. When she regained control she turned to look at her insta-guest. “Let me guess, Marcus?”
“My bride said she enjoyed a ride in one of these godforsaken things, but I do not understand the enjoyment,” the mass of a man said, as he tried and failed to stretch out his legs in an effort to adjust his massive size in the seat. “Give me a horse any day.”
“Did your wife happen to mention that it’s not a good idea, Marky Mark the Pop-in Prince, to poof in on people when they are driving one of these godforsaken things? Jesus, I almost ran us over a cliff.”
“I do not know of this Marky Mark you speak of, but Guardians should be alert and prepared for all situations.” He jostled around uncomfortably, his knees bent up nearly to his chest.
“Oh, excuse me M-a-r-c-u-s, again I’m guessing, for not being prepared for a Titan to drop into the front seat of my car without warning.”
“I am Marcus, the Guardian for Seeker Isadora, I am NOT a Titan,” he said, obviously insulted.
“Oh, sorry. What happened? Did they turn your application down for exceeding the height and muscle mass limit?”
Marcus scoffed, adjusting again, his head bent awkwardly as it hit the roof, knees now around his ears, and his shoulders touching her and the passenger side door.
“Here, geez, Gigantor.” She used the controls on her side of the car to move the seat back as far as it would go then laid it back slightly, trying to give him some head room. “That’s not much better. If I knew you and I were going to take this little scenic drive today then I would have driven an extra-extra,” she took a quick glance at him, “extra-large car. Where do you shop for clothes anyways? The Mastodon and Skyscraper shop?”
“You need not be concerned of how I clothe myself. You need to be aware that you are being followed.”
Kanyon glanced in her rearview mirror, seeing only Marcus’ shoulder. She checked the side view. “I don’t see anyone. Wait, is this some Guardian initiation test or something? A joke maybe? Ha ha, let’s tell the newbie Guardian she’s being followed and watch her freak out? Well, I’m not freaked and no one is following me. Nice try.” Kanyon took another glance at Marcus. Of course, he didn’t exactly look like the jokester type. She glanced in her mirrors again, nothing.
“I’m sorry, Kanyon. I’m unable to compute all your recent questions. My programming is unable to translate the patterns of your speech, therefore-” Princess Kate interjected.
“Why do you have a woman trapped in this vessel?” Marcus looked at her narrowly.
“It’s a computer.”
“I’m sorry, Kanyon. Are you asking me to give you the history of a computer?” Princess Kate asked.
“No, Princess. I’m talking to the refrigerator in the passenger seat.”
“I am not detecting any appliances in use and the capacity of this vehicle is not conducive to-”
“Figure of speech. I’m fine. It’s all good,” Kanyon explained.
“All is not good. You are being followed,” Marcus said calmly.
“I’m not being-” Kanyon started to say but then caught a red truck speeding toward her, taking the winding roadway too fast. “Shit!”
“We do not have time for that now. You should work on training your body to go long periods of time without relief,” Marcus offered.
“Are you freaking kidding me right now? You pop in out of nowhere, showing your face for the first time only to give me warrior advice on my bowel movements?” The truck struck the car’s rear bumper. “When someone is trying to kill us no less?” Kanyon pushed down on the gas pedal.
“Us? No, I am immortal so he does not know I exist. It is you he is trying to kill.”
“Perfect, now we’re on to semantic lessons.” Kanyon took the curb as if she was in the middle of a NASCAR race. When the road straightened back out she shot a quick look at him. “Immortal, huh? That’s kind of cool. So how did you get that gig?”
“I died,” he replied.
“Damn. Tough application process.”
“I strongly suggest, Guardian, that you pay attention to what you are doing.”
Kanyon looked down and saw Marcus’ hand clutching her console, while his other had a vise-grip on the handle above the door. She smirked and gunned the engine, mostly for fun but also to gain distance between them and the guy wanting to play bumper cars.
“I am detecting damage to the rear of the vehicle. Kanyon, would you like me to locate the nearest repair center?” Princess Kate asked.
“Not now Princess,” Kanyon ordered.
“Were you injured at the time of the damage to the vehicle? Shall I call emergency services?” Kate continued.
Kanyon took the next corner even faster, gaining more distance between her and the truck. “I’m perfectly fine, thanks!” she yelled over the squealing of her own tires.
“Just for your information, in battle horses do not cause distractions by talking to their rider,” Marcus advised.
“Well, I have 510 horses under the hood and they’re all going to be screaming here in a second.” Kanyon hit the straightaway with the gas pedal punched to the floor.
“I must warn you, Kanyon, you are exceeding the speed limit by an excessive amount,” Kate warned.
“Thank you, Kate. Completely aware of that.”
“Move this vessel to the left side of the path,” Marcus ordered.
Kanyon looked at him. “Ahhh, there’s a blind corner coming up here, Chief.” Kanyon heard a loud explosion then heard and felt something slam into the trunk of her car.
“And there is a weapon back there, Guardian,” Marcus mocked in a solemn tone.
“Are you freaking kidding me! He just shot at a $350,000 car?”
“And he hit it. Two things, Guardian; horses are cheaper and I warned you.”
“Little advice; a clearer warning would have been something like, ‘Hey, Kanyon, the person following you in the truck has a gun and they’re getting ready to shoot you, so you might want to move over.’ That would’ve been way more helpful.” Kanyon took the upcoming corner hard, as she was at the wrong angle when she entered the turn. The back wheels skidded off the edge, losing traction in the gravel.
“Kanyon, I am receiving a signal that the rear wheels have lost traction causing a hazardous driving condition.”
“Thanks, Kate!” Kanyon yelled through gritted teeth.
“You are welcome, Kanyon, but I do have to say again that I am concerned about your erratic speech patterns, your excessive speeds, and strange behavior. If you would please allow me to contact appropriate medical assistance or if you are simply experiencing stress, I would be most happy to locate the nearest masseuse for you.”
“Maybe later,” Kanyon growled.
Marcus waved at the dash. “I would recommend, Guardian, that you remove that woman from your vessel. She is an unnecessary distraction.”
Kanyon shot him a roughened glare, thinking there was something else in her vessel that was a good 250 pounds of distraction. “If I remember correctly, there is a-” She didn’t finish her sentence, simply jerked the wheel at the last moment and whipped them onto a side road. “A road right here.” She glanced over to see Marcus still clutching the car handle and console.
He cleared his throat. “I am glad your memory served you correctly.”
She drove down the road, keeping an eye behind them, watching for the red truck to pass. As expected, she saw the red truck fly by, unaware of her little detour. The highway was just another mile or so down the road, she assumed that her pursuer would likely believe that she had made it there and he simply lost her in the traffic. But just in case, they doubled back and she took another left, turning around in a short tree covered path and parked out of sight. Car in Park, she let her head drop back to the headrest and took in a deep breath. She let it out as she rolled her head to the side to look at Marcus. “I believe we lost them.”
“Yes, I believe that was an effective evasion, Guardian.”
Kanyon nodded, took another pulse-calming breath, and got out of her car to inspect the damage. She walked around the car trying not to think about the last time she believed Marcus had visited her. She kneeled down as she whirled a pinky finger in the hole left by the bullet. “Damn.” She stood, running a hand down the crunched in bumper.
The car tilted hard to one side as Marcus pushed open the passenger side door and attempted to extricate himself from the front seat. When he was finally able to free himself, he walked around to inspect the vehicle as well. He studied the damage sternly before he stated resolutely, “Horses do not dent.”
Kanyon spun slowly to look at him as he held out the car handle and the lid of her console. “Nor do they come off in pieces.”
Kanyon held her hands out and he dropped the parts in them. She flipped them over and back absently before looking back at him. “Nice.” She popped the still working trunk, threw the car parts in, and slammed the lid, which caused her bumper to drop another two inches. “Super-duper, nice.”
Kanyon took in the man now. He had looked huge inside her car, but now standing near him she could see his true size. She guessed him at 6’6”- 6’7”, linebacker size, but there was not an inch of fat anywhere on him. He was pure hard chiseled muscle; DC Comics couldn’t have drawn a more perfect superhero type. He had dark brown hair with streaks of unnatural gold that lay just short of his shoulders. His hair was a perfect compliment to his dark tanned skin, a tan she knew by looking at him was earned from years of battles in the field, not a beach, as she had accused him of being on when speaking with Isadora. His eyes were a very distracting pale brown, almost golden like his hair. Looking directly into those eyes she asked, “So is this going to be our little thing? During times of trouble you pop in and help save the day?”
“My role is to guide you, teach you of your powers, and if needed, offer assistance when I can, yes,” Marcus confirmed.
Kanyon sighed, lowered her head, and watched her foot move dirt around with the toe of her shoe. “So that was you in my head when Daylen and I were…” She skipped over the uncomfortable parts in an effort to keep her voice from cracking with emotion. “You showed me the flashes of what was going to happen. You saved her?”
“I was there, yes.” Marcus’ voice softened. “But it was you, Guardian, who saved her. Your powers are what protected her and what saved you both. I only helped you open your mind so you could see possible scenarios… options, but it was you that chose how you responded. And I must say, you did so very well.”
“You are saying I can see the future?” Kanyon asked, disbelief apparent in her voice.
“No, a Guardian is simply gifted with a mind for battle. They cannot see the future, at least not in the way in which you speak. They see threats, potential targets, and vulnerabilities. They also are keen to attacks, retreats, strategies of war, and of battle.”
“So I’ve got like Sun Tzu super brain?”
He looked at her confused. “Your mind is your own. I do not know what Sun Tzu has to do with it, though he would be one good course of study for you.”
“Right. Anyways, another question, how about this little gift?” She snapped her fingers several times, trying to recreate the flames as she had a week ago.
Marcus looked down at her snapping fingers. “I am sorry. Guardians do not have any special gifts in the ways of music.”
“No, geez, not music.” She snapped her fingers again. “The fire starter stuff.”
Marcus nodded. “Ah.” He brought his hands up and his fingers lit with flames. “That is a most handy gift.”
Kanyon eased her way forward until she could reach out and run a quick hand through the flames. “Yeah, that. How do I do that? I’ve tried a thousand times.” She snapped her fingers a few more times for emphasis.
Marcus lowered his hands and the flames went out as quickly as they had blazed to life. He cocked his head slightly. “Do you believe your fingers are made of flint?”
Kanyon looked down at her fingers then back up to Marcus. “Ummm, no?”
“Then why do you act as if they are?”
“Ah, because once again there doesn’t seem to be a nice little ‘How-To-Book’ that goes along with this gig,” Kanyon answered.
Marcus stepped close to her, took her wrist, and lifted her hand between them. “Everything you need is within you.” He waved a hand over Kanyon’s fingers and they lit with flames.
Kanyon could only stare at the flames as they danced and licked before her. “But I don’t understand, how do I…” she finally started to ask, only to find that she was standing alone. She spun around searching the immediate area, as if the mammoth of a man would be hard to find. “Damn freaking...” She took another spin, slower the second time. “Seriously, is it like a job requirement for the head Seeker and Guardian to be all cryptic and mysterious? Once again… manual… I really don’t think a manual is too much to ask for,” she yelled to no one but the trees. She looked at her hand again, which still had flames coming from it. “Like right now, super handy, Chapter 15 - How to Turn Your Fingers Off.” She waved them in the air like one would do with a match. Nothing. Waved them again.
Marcus materialized behind her. “Please correct me if I am wrong, Guardian, but I do not take you as the ‘study before one acts’ kind of warrior.”
Kanyon spun toward his voice. Marcus leaned back as the flames from her hand passed within centimeters of his chest. She scowled. “A little help turning these things off, please.”
“I will help you on this matter because I saw what you did to the one man’s domain the last time and I would hate to see the same fate for this most beautiful forest.” Marcus smiled.
Kanyon cocked an irritated hip. “Seriously, is no one going to let me live that down?”
Marcus waved a hand over Kanyon’s fingers, extinguishing the flames. “Answers to your questions are here.” He pointed to his temple. “And here.” He pointed at his chest, at his heart.
“See that’s what I’m saying, that’s part of the problem. The answers are in your head and your heart. If you would just take the time to jot down a few tips even-”
“I was symbolizing. Answers are in your…” Kanyon watched as Marcus’ calm and in control demeanor started to slip, as he pointed awkwardly to Kanyon’s head then her chest. “In there and there,” he said quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “The answers are within you.”
Kanyon looked down at her chest and crooked a grin back up at Marcus. “Wild guess here, He-Man, not too many female Guardians in the past?”
“No,” he said clearing his throat.
“So haven’t had to deal with chicks on the battlefield having to stop fighting because she got her monthly visitor?”
Marcus quirked a confused eyebrow.
“You know, Aunt Flo?” She paused, waiting for him to click the pieces together.
“The battlefield is no place for visitors or relatives, you…”
Kanyon watched him with a shit eating grin, and click, she thought as she watched him go white. “Oh, that I…” he stepped back from Kanyon, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Kanyon laughed. “Man, we are going to have soooo much fun together.”
Marcus stopped his retreat and quickly regained his normal control and demeanor as he watched Kanyon enjoying his discomfort way too much. He sighed loudly. “My bride told me I might find you… challenging.”
“You know, I hear that a lot actually.” She tapped her chin, perplexed. “I really don’t know why.”
