6 years later

Zandra hated mathematics and strongly believed numbers were useless.

"Auntie," Zandra remarked, "when is weapons class?"

Laurel smiled, but quickly replaced her expression with a sterner one,"A little while longer, Zandra. You must do your lessons before you can train."

Zandra groaned, loudly. She wanted nothing more than to burn off her frustration with a few hours of an increased pulse rate and a little bit of sweat.

"Your mother hated math, too," her uncle said, smiling as he remembered.

Zandra averted her eyes and grew solemn. She did not want to talk about her mother.

She felt her Auntie's dark eyes narrow.

Zandra did not even have to look to feel the woman's wrath. Her Auntie's anger was thick enough to suffocate.

"Never mind, Zandra, run along. Learn to dismember things," Laurel quipped, falsifying brightness.

Zandra spared a look at her uncle, who was looking at the floor.

He must of felt it, too.

Zandra was not fooled but left, regardless. At least she didn't have to sit through math class.

As she exited the library, where she was tutored, she ran smack into her cousin's friend, Julian.

His warm tone was flushed pink and he sported a wicked bruise on his cheek in stark black against his skin.

His black colored eyes were wide, as if he was panicked.

"Julian," she called,"did Chancellor-"

Julian cut her off abruptly,"Zandra, it's neither the time nor the place. Where is Laurel?"

He was panting, she noted with confusion.

Zandra rolled her eyes,"Library."

At that, she walked briskly away.

What a jerk, she thought.

She opened the door to the gym, where she practiced and worked out.

She expected a full room and a mad scramble to the climbing frame. Yet, the room was empty.

"Sweet," Zandra mumbled.

She began to stretch where she stood, in order to prevent strained muscles. She couldn't afford to be benched. Her work was her release.

As she reached into one of the cabinets for her stretching band, she felt a cold grip on her wrist.

Zandra let her training kick in as she whipped around and pulled the dagger out of her belt with her free hand.

"Get off of me, Audric."

Zandra used her foot to kick open the corresponding door to the cabinet.

It wasn't Audric.

On instinct, Zandra slashed downward against the grip and grabbed the intruder from curled up inside the cabinet.

"Who are you?"

Zandra was now face to face with a girl dressed in Tellurian clothing.

Small in size. Unremarkable. Yet, she was in a world she did not belong in.

"I'm Liliana. Your stupid friends kidnapped me. Where the hell am I?"

Zandra stood, shocked.

"Where are you from?"

Stupid friends?

"New Orleans," Liliana replied, haughtily.

"Yes, but," Zandra trailed off,
"Are you human?"

"Human?" Liliana sneered, "yes. What else would I be?"

Holy shit.

Someone kidnapped a Tellurian girl and brought her to a Guardian outpost.

Holy. Shit.

"Liliana!" A voice shouted.

Both girls whirled around. Zandra still held her knife, but directed it towards the bigger threat.

It was Chancellor, Zandra's cousin.

"Lili- Wait. Zandra? What the hell are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" Zandra replied, cooly.

"Zandra. Put the knife down," Chancellor said brows furrowed.

"Why did you kidnap a Tellurian? A little girl. Ordinary."

Liliana snorted,"Tellurian? We make up words now? Y'all are a bunch of crackpots."

Chancellor ignored her,"Zandra. She's one of us."

"I am not like you!" Liliana cried indignantly.

Zandra ignored Liliana's remark,"Her? A guardian? Why doesn't she know where she is, then?"

Chancellor took the knife from Zandra's hand calmly,"Her mother raised her as a Tellurian. Her mother's name was Iris Rosebay."

"Leave my mother out of this!"
Liliana shouted angrily.

"I thought she was dead," Zandra muttered softly.

"We all did," Chancellor replied, resting his hand on her shoulder.

At the same moment, Liliana murmered,"She is."

Zandra cleared her throat,"Liliana Rosebay. We welcome you to the New Orleans Outpost."

"Does that mean I can leave?" Liliana asked, exasperated.

"No," Chancellor replied, "However, we owe you an explanation."

Julian burst through the door,"Liliana!"

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards Chancellor,"Why the hell did you bring Zandra into this, Chancellor?"

"Well, she found the girl. The girl you and Isadora were supposed to be watching. So, forgive me for using our resources."

Julian's expression softened,"It's just Princess Adriana said to keep it quiet."

Chancellor sighed,"I know. Nothing can be done now."

Zandra gasped,"The princess is involved?"

Julian grimaced,"She sanctioned the rescue."

Liliana snorted,"Rescue?"

Liliana was petite, but fierce. Zandra could tell, the way her blue eyes burned with flames and how she had her arms crossed over her small chest. A small package filled to the brim with anger.

Zandra liked her already.

"You saw what happened to your mother. Yes. Rescue is the correct word."

Zandra groaned,"Chrissilinde, Iris's sister, didn't die, either, did she?"

Julian nodded,"Lucky guess?"

"The otherworlds have been buzzing for weeks. Auntie Laurel called bullshit, stopping the information from moving up the chain," Zandra replied.

"How do you know what the plebians' rumors entail?"

Zandra turned to make eye contact,"I hope you aren't suggesting conspiracy, Julian Ancelotti. I am this outpost's liason for the Ethereals."

She stretched out the last word, correcting his offensive word choice.

"Didn't realize we were being politically correct," Julian muttered.

He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome with his muscular build, dark hair, and angelic smile; Zandra could admit this. However, she also knew he was the worst kind of asshole, the self absorbed type.

"You know, it is always better to use the correct terms for people. They could literally tear your ass up. Calling them inferior is just going to piss them off," Zandra said hotly.

What kind of diplomat was he, if he couldn't refrain from insulting people?

Julian Ancelotti had arrived almost a year ago, wanting to train at the New Orleans Outpost. He claimed living in the capital was tiring and he needed a break. It drew her suspicions, but he was harmless. A jerk, but harmless, nonetheless.

"What are y'all talking about?" Liliana asked finally.

Zandra looked at her. Liliana was short, maybe five foot? Her long chesnut hair fell in spirals, like her own, but less defined and her tawny skin was marked in scrapes and bruises. God, Zandra thought, their similarities marked them obviously as relatives.

"We are Guardians. The invisible protectors of the realms of Earth," Chancellor said plainly.

Liliana flopped on the couch,"That's what you call kidnappers?"

Zandra sat down next to her,"No. We protect Tellurians from threats your people are unequipped to handle."

Liliana looked at her, fearlessly holding eye contact as she spoke,"I don't care what you think you do. It's none of my business. Some crazy psycho killed my mother today. All I want is to go home and mourn. I am not from your imaginary world, ok? Please just take me home."

Chancellor looked at the ground, as if he was remorseful,"Sorry. Our princess gave us orders. You have a target on your back."

"Your princess?" Liliana snorted,"Go figure. Y'all seem to have some cracked up excuse for every wrongdoing, huh? This is ridiculous. My friends will know I'm missing. They will report you to the police and you will go to jail."

"That may prove difficult. We are very far away from your friends and their police," Julian said with his voice solemn.

Liliana narrowed her eyes,"She just said we are in New Orleans. I live in New Orleans, you asshole."

Zandra used every ounce of her willpower to not laugh aloud.

Even the new girl could see through his infuriatingly brilliant smile.

"You live in the Tellurian New Orleans," Audric said, walking through the door.

He paused for a single moment, looking at Zandra. Suddenly, he smiled wickedly and winked at her,"Nice to see you, cousin."

"What do you mean? Tellurian New Orleans? You all are so, so, beyond help."

"We already told you. We are Guardians, defenders of Earth's realms. Tellurians are ordinary people," Chancellor said, boredly.

Zandra interrupted,"Are you religious?"

"Not particularly," Liliana replied, somewhat defeated.

"Do you know the stories of the angels?" At Liliana's slight nod, Zandra continued,"At the start of time, there was supposedly one God and a multitude of angels. Another celestial race existed, but this information was lost to time. At least to your kind. We call them Manifestations. Basically, the abstract source of all human emotions."

"Slow down, a little, cousin," Audric murmered.

Zandra shot daggers at him, but spoke more carefully,"We can all feel emotions. Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Joy. Without Manifestations, these feelings wouldn't be possible."

Chancellor nodded, a small grin on his face,"When Lucifer fell from Heaven, many Manifestations and Angels alike, also fell. The angels who stayed in heaven became the soldiers whilst the Manifestations who stayed became the keepers of peace. Each one of us Manifestation-Tellurian hybrids has a choice when they turn thirteen, join the Guardians and serve the light or join the Dark Knights and rule the shadows."

"All of us are Guardians and our duty is to protect the Tellurians from the creatures of Hell," Zandra finished with a sigh.

She had hoped she covered everything and didn't confuse her.

For a moment, Zandra really believed they were getting through to Liliana.

Her eyes were wide and her anger seemed to be gone.

And then she spoke.

"What you are not understanding is that I don't care. I don't believe a word you say, you kidnapped me. You are delusional. Take me home," Liliana said, still very much angry.

Zandra cursed mentally. This girl was getting on her last nerves.

Before she could respond, Chancellor spoke.

"Look, sweetheart, I don't care what you believe. I have orders. Walk out this door and you will see this is not your New Orleans."

"Take me to the exit," Liliana said defiantly.

Zandra rolled her eyes.

She knew Liliana was raised as a Tellurian, but how could they make up all this? It wasn't plausible to assume four people, two of them teenagers, could tell a tale of these lengths and it all be a lie.

Chancellor shrugged,"This way."

He weaved his way between rooms with Liliana on his heels. Chancellor flung open the door,"Go ahead, Rosebay."

No one followed her. Therefore, the door slammed shut.

Zandra laughed.

The group stood there, bored.

Audric smiled,"Anyone want to get a drink?"

Chancellor shrugged and the group, all at once. turned to leave the room but, suddenly , they heard the door creak.

"Well, there goes our drink," Chancellor mumbled sounding disappointed with a deep sigh.

Liliana walked back through the door,"So, tell me about the Ethereals. Who are they?"

Zandra smirked,"You believe us now?"

Liliana bit her lip,"It's New Orleans, but not. Like you said. I obviously don't know anyone here, you people are all I got."

"Self preservation is a good motivator," Julian agreed.

Zandra rolled her eyes, hard.

"Earth has layers of realms. Tellurians inhabit one of the many. Ethereals rule the majority of the others. Guardians rule this one," Chancellor explained.

"Think about it like an apartment building. There is a bunch of rooms. All the rooms are there, but you can't get inside, because that isn't where you belong. Only security has access to all of them. Guardians are security," Julian explained.

"Ok, that, I get. But what about the Ethereals? I keep hearing the name but I have no idea what that means," Liliana said.

Zandra was relieved. The girl finally started to understand.

"Ethereals," Audric drawled,"The Other Creatures. There is many names for these things. Many, many, many, many names."

Liliana scowled,"Is he always like this?"

Zandra smiled tightly,"Only after he has been drinking."

"Is that often?"

"Everyday, love," Audric slurred.

Chancellor grimaced,"Go to sleep, Audric. Please."

"Ethereals," Julian started,"are the characters in your horror movies. Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and Warlocks. The Fey. Pixies-"

"Pixies? Little sparkly fairies?" Liliana smirked.

"Those bastards are vicious," Julian clarified.

Liliana sobered,"What did you mean by I am one of you? What is one of you?"

"You are a Guardian. Born of celestial blood. Your mother was a Guardian. A good one. Her sister was the woman who murdered her. Iris couldn't tell you about this or you would have been at risk. Honestly, I can't tell you more than that. I have my orders," Chancellor said.

He probably already said too much, Zandra thought.

Chancellor was never the best at keeping his lips shut. Zandra still remembered when he told the Vampire head's lipman he was late to their meeting because he was battling explosive diarrhea.

Zandra smiled to herself.

Before Liliana could protest, Audric interrupted.

"You want to know what we do?" Audric drawled from the floor. "We do this."

Suddenly, Liliana's eyes were leaking water.
She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. Her steady breathing turned into full-out hyperventilation.

"Enough, Audric!" Chancellor snapped.

Liliana look disorientated, her eyes darting erratically and body wobbling slightly.

"What the hell was that?" Liliana muttered.

"It's what I live with," Audric muttered, voice dropping low.

No one acknowledged him.

"We take a test," Zandra explained softly,"It tests our blood. It sees what Manifestations are dominant. Most people only have have one, but occasionally two. We can harness that power. Audric's dominant is Madness. He can manipulate this feeling in other people. That's why he drinks so much, it numbs his own receptors to his power, affecting him less."

Zandra felt bad for her cousin. His demons chased him wherever he turned and there was nothing Zandra could do to help him.

He never let it show. He always appeared put together, as if he drank himself to numbness by choice.

Zandra knew him better than that.

"That's kind of cool, actually. What can I do?" Liliana asked, an expression of incredulity on her face.

Chancellor shrugged,"Don't know. You've got to get tested."

Liliana bit her lip,"What are we doing about my mom? She's dead. And I-"
Her voice broke,"I need answers. I need the person who did this to suffer."

Chancellor started to respond, but he was cut off.

"Well then. Nice to know we are all on the same page."

Zandra turned and threw herself to her knees, instinctively.

It was Princess Adriana.