****Paradise Sagas:  Book 1: Warriors of Paradise****

 

Chapter 9

 

     She didn’t know where she was going; she just knew she had to get out of there.  She started her jeep and drove away from the student parking lot.

     Before she realized it, Lexa was out of town, driving north.  Away from her friends, away from the cave, away from Lilith, she hoped.

~*~*~*~        

     He placed a sight shield around himself as he 'ported into her small, red jeep.  She looked like she was going to cry.  But why?  He couldn't read her thoughts.  He reached out to touch her, but pulled away and just watched her as she drove.  For now, this was as close as he would get to her.

     For now.

~*~*~*~

     Lexa pulled off the interstate about an hour later, and pulled into a small town.  She decided that she should go talk to her grandmother.

     Her grandmother lived in a small home for the elderly.  It was white and had turquoise green shutters on the windows.

     After checking in at the front office, Lexa wandered down to the old woman's room.

     She knocked softly, before brushing the heavy white door open.

     "Gram?" She asked softly.  The room was dark.

     "Alexa?  Child?  Is that you?  Come, come in.  Close the door behind you."  A scratchy voice whispered.  Lexa obliged, "I knew you'd be coming."  The voice continued, "Especially since the disappearances of your two friends."

     "How did you-"  Lexa stuttered as she ran into a chair.  She paused as she sat down.

     "I've seen them."

     "Gram?"  Lexa reached out to turn on the lamp on the table beside her.

     "Don't get all worried.  I saw them, the boy on Friday night, and the girl last night."

     "But-Gram-"

     "Don't interrupt me!"  Gram sat in the corner, her back to Lexa.  She had gray hair, from age, that hung long over the back of her wheel chair.  She was thin, fragile.  A small hand flung out and smashed down on the armrest of her chair as she yelled.  "They were here!  The boy was wearing some weird outfit and the girl was wearing a beautiful outfit that was sky blue."

     "Gram?"

     "Oh, Lexa, it was beautiful.  I wish you could have seen her.  She was surrounded by light and she told me you'd come."

     "But, Gram,” Lexa finally broke in, "How could you have seen them?  Gram?  You couldn't have."

     "Why not?"

     Lexa bit her lip.  She didn't want to answer.  She didn't want to state the obvious.  Gram was blind.

~*~*~*~

     Kevin paced around Lexa's Front room, like a caged tiger.  He walked back and forth, while Daenna silently watched him.

     The front door opened softly, then closed again.  He heard a sigh and a thump.  Daenna didn't mover.  Kevin stopped and stared at the hallway, leading to the door.

     Lexa walked in, paused to look at them, then placed her bag on the couch and headed into the kitchen.

     "Think we did something?" Daenna looked to the kitchen door.

     "No.  She's taking this really hard."  Kevin didn't move as he spoke.

     Lexa came back in with a soda, before she collapsed into one of the chairs and stared at the two for a moment.

~*~*~*~

     Lexa wanted to cry.  Lord knew she wanted to, but she didn't.  She saw Kevin’s pickup parked on the curb as she turned into the lot beside the building.

     She gathered her books from the passenger seat and headed upstairs.

     She closed her door and leaned against it.  She shut her eyes and heaved a sigh.  Before walking into the Front room.

     Kevin looked at her sadly, Daenna didn't look at her.  Lexa threw her bag to the couch and went to the kitchen.

     She returned to find the two in about the same position as she had left them.  She pretended to ignore them as she slouched onto one of the chairs.  She took a drink of her soda and looked at the two.

     "I'm sorry."  She began, her voice too calm.  "I couldn't take it anymore.  I drove up to see my grandmother.  She started babbling on about how David and Kendra had stopped by, in uniform, to see her.  She said Kendra told her that I would come."

     "Maybe they did stop by.  Before they disappeared."  Daenna moved her left had elegantly.

     "But my grandmother's blind.  How could she have known what they were wearing?"  Lexa took another sip of pop.  Kevin opened his mouth, but closed it again and didn't move from his spot.

     "Okay, so maybe you're grandma's losing it."  Daenna muttered, eyeing Lexa.  Lexa didn't reply.  She stared past Kevin, into the dark, unlit fireplace.  She closed her eyes and leaned back.  She was so confused.

     She sat up, "I don't want to sit here anymore.  We're wasting time!  While we're sitting here, they could be suffering, they could be injured, they could be-"

     Kevin grabbed a hold of her shoulders as he sat down on the armrest, "You can't go off to fight while you have other duties.  We'll think for now and act later.  If you get yourself killed, you'll be killing your friends as well."

     "What's left of them, anyways.”  Daenna muttered.

     Before Kevin could stop her, Lexa sprung.  She attacked Daenna with a savage look in her eyes.

     How can you say that?!"  Lexa screamed, "Don't you have any faith?  Any hope?"

     "How can I have hope when my leader is trying to strangle me?"  Daenna shot back.  Lexa's eyes widened.

     "I'm sorry, Daenna."  She stepped away from the other girl.  She felt Kevin grip her.  She looked back at him, "I'm sorry."  She whispered before she tore herself from his grasp and ran into the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom.

     She cried herself to sleep.

~*~*~*~

     She was beautiful when she slept, even if she had been crying.  But those two with her were down stairs.  Maybe...

     He bent down..."Ahem." Someone said from behind him, "What do you think you're doing?"

     He straightened to look at the person and plastered on a fake smile, "Ah, Pure.  I was examining her."

     The female stepped closer to him, "Why's she so important?"  

     "She will be the end of us all.  She is the Ultimate Guardian."  He smiled evilly.

     "And you were going to KISS her???" Pure took two steps back, "Remember who started this.  Remember whose side you are on."  She said in a stealthy voice before disappearing.

     He gave one last, longing look at her before he turned and disappeared also.