Some Protector
Chapter 1
"Damn it!" He shouted as he ran down the dark cobblestone streets. The pale silver light of the moon light his way down the street. He could see clearly in his mind everything that was currently happening. He saw his young charge, a human male of only 15, on the ground, bleeding from terrible wounds. He could hear the soft chuckle in his mind as he saw the other vampire come into his sight.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock, time's running out," The voice was a whisper in the back of his mind, but it echoed through his head.
"Why? Why Chris? He's got his whole life ahead of him!" He shouted in his mind.
"Too late, too late! Times up, Damien. Poor, poor Damien, yet another charge lost. I wonder what they'll do to you this time." The words stung deep, and as Damien watched, his charge breathed his last breath.
"No," He whispered, shaking his head furiously. He raced down the alley as fast as his legs could carry him, but he could sense that Chris's spiritual presence was beginning to fade away. "No!" He cried, and he knelt next to the broken body that was his charge. "Chris..." He trailed off.
"I....Don't blame... You..... Damien....." Chris whispered. "So you..... Don't blame..... Yourself......" The boy took one last, shaking breath, then exhaled and lay still.
Damien gathered the boy's remains in his arms and held them close. He felt the hot tear streak down his cheeks, and he pressed his face into the boy's bloodied chest as he cried. He felt the boy's spiritual presence fully slip away from him. He blocked all of this out as he sat in the alley, holding the broken body. Soft footsteps echoed through the alley around him, but he ignored these, too, until a pair of soft hands gently tugged him to his feet, and another pair pulled the boy's body from his arms.
"Come, Damien. There's nothing more you can do here," He heard the soft voice in his ear. He wanted to smash something, but resisted the urge. He followed along behind the woman who had spoken, the leader of the Council, and she led him back to their headquarters.
"Ann-" He started, but she cut him off.
"Don't say anything, Damien. Nothing needs to be said. You weren't meant to be in this time. We realized that in the end," She said.
"But this is my third charge. Gabriel's killed them all," Damien whispered in a tight voice as he fought back the tears.
"You will be granted one more. If this one fails, you will no longer be a Protector," Ann said.
Damien bowed his head. "Very well. What time shall I be in?" He asked.
"The year 2008. You'll be the Protector of a 17 year old female named Jamie. She lives with her mother, father and younger brother in Edmonton, Alberta," Ann said.
"Wait, Canada?" He said. "Why Canada?"
"Yes, Canada. We chose there because you've never seen outside of Europe. We figured Canada might be the best choice for you," Ann responded.
Damien nodded. "Fair enough. When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow morning. Be ready at dawn."
Damien bowed low, then turned and went to his sleeping chamber, the room provided to him by the Council of Protectors. He lay on the soft bed for a while, staring up at the dark ceiling. He wasn't sure how long he had been there like that before he fell asleep, but the next thing he was aware of was a banging on his door. He jumped up and changed into clean clothes, provided to him, once more, by the Council, and he went to the door.
"Ready to go?" Ann asked as a greeting.
"Good morning to you, too," He said.
"Yeah, yeah, save it for when you get to Edmonton. Here, I packed your things. Oh, you're supposed to go to a hockey game tonight, so wear this," She added, pulling an Edmonton Oilers Andrew Cogliano jersey.
"Am I supposed to know about this?" He asked, holding it up by one sleeve.
"Don't worry, that information will be implanted into your mind once you get there. You'll look and act like a normal hockey fan. You'll be fine, don't worry," Ann said.
Damien nodded. He trusted her; she was always right.
"I'm ready to go whenever you're ready to send me."
"Have a safe trip. I'll telepathically contact you later to make sure you made it all right."
Damien nodded again and closed his eyes in anticipation. He felt the small spark of warmth rush through him as the time magic infused itself with his own personal magic. He felt it twist around him, enveloping him in its soft, warm light. He could see the pale golden color even through his closed lids. In an instant, he was gone, drifting through space.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock, time's running out," The voice was a whisper in the back of his mind, but it echoed through his head.
"Why? Why Chris? He's got his whole life ahead of him!" He shouted in his mind.
"Too late, too late! Times up, Damien. Poor, poor Damien, yet another charge lost. I wonder what they'll do to you this time." The words stung deep, and as Damien watched, his charge breathed his last breath.
"No," He whispered, shaking his head furiously. He raced down the alley as fast as his legs could carry him, but he could sense that Chris's spiritual presence was beginning to fade away. "No!" He cried, and he knelt next to the broken body that was his charge. "Chris..." He trailed off.
"I....Don't blame... You..... Damien....." Chris whispered. "So you..... Don't blame..... Yourself......" The boy took one last, shaking breath, then exhaled and lay still.
Damien gathered the boy's remains in his arms and held them close. He felt the hot tear streak down his cheeks, and he pressed his face into the boy's bloodied chest as he cried. He felt the boy's spiritual presence fully slip away from him. He blocked all of this out as he sat in the alley, holding the broken body. Soft footsteps echoed through the alley around him, but he ignored these, too, until a pair of soft hands gently tugged him to his feet, and another pair pulled the boy's body from his arms.
"Come, Damien. There's nothing more you can do here," He heard the soft voice in his ear. He wanted to smash something, but resisted the urge. He followed along behind the woman who had spoken, the leader of the Council, and she led him back to their headquarters.
"Ann-" He started, but she cut him off.
"Don't say anything, Damien. Nothing needs to be said. You weren't meant to be in this time. We realized that in the end," She said.
"But this is my third charge. Gabriel's killed them all," Damien whispered in a tight voice as he fought back the tears.
"You will be granted one more. If this one fails, you will no longer be a Protector," Ann said.
Damien bowed his head. "Very well. What time shall I be in?" He asked.
"The year 2008. You'll be the Protector of a 17 year old female named Jamie. She lives with her mother, father and younger brother in Edmonton, Alberta," Ann said.
"Wait, Canada?" He said. "Why Canada?"
"Yes, Canada. We chose there because you've never seen outside of Europe. We figured Canada might be the best choice for you," Ann responded.
Damien nodded. "Fair enough. When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow morning. Be ready at dawn."
Damien bowed low, then turned and went to his sleeping chamber, the room provided to him by the Council of Protectors. He lay on the soft bed for a while, staring up at the dark ceiling. He wasn't sure how long he had been there like that before he fell asleep, but the next thing he was aware of was a banging on his door. He jumped up and changed into clean clothes, provided to him, once more, by the Council, and he went to the door.
"Ready to go?" Ann asked as a greeting.
"Good morning to you, too," He said.
"Yeah, yeah, save it for when you get to Edmonton. Here, I packed your things. Oh, you're supposed to go to a hockey game tonight, so wear this," She added, pulling an Edmonton Oilers Andrew Cogliano jersey.
"Am I supposed to know about this?" He asked, holding it up by one sleeve.
"Don't worry, that information will be implanted into your mind once you get there. You'll look and act like a normal hockey fan. You'll be fine, don't worry," Ann said.
Damien nodded. He trusted her; she was always right.
"I'm ready to go whenever you're ready to send me."
"Have a safe trip. I'll telepathically contact you later to make sure you made it all right."
Damien nodded again and closed his eyes in anticipation. He felt the small spark of warmth rush through him as the time magic infused itself with his own personal magic. He felt it twist around him, enveloping him in its soft, warm light. He could see the pale golden color even through his closed lids. In an instant, he was gone, drifting through space.