“Welcome to the island of the Protectors, and to the royal court,” the grumpy Protector driving says in the most unwelcoming tone ever, as we drive straight towards an empty looking cliff. Finally, one of them talks to me. I know the Protector in the passenger seat is Connor, only because he spoke to grumpy once. It’s been a dead quiet three-hour drive, and I’m starving. I also have no plan to escape, and no idea where we even are. I look over at grumpy, and then at the speed he is driving us at as I think about what he just said. I look behind us at the car following us, the one I know Hali is in and then back to the cliff. Is he really going to drive us off a cliff?
“Are you fucking crazy? Don’t drive off a cliff–” I stop shouting when the car goes off the cliff, but it’s not a cliff at all, it’s a long road that just appears out of nowhere. A gold freakin road. I lean forward, looking at the five gold towers in the distance, the many gold roads stretched across the sea that lead up to the little city. It’s a hidden city, one I’ve heard of, but no one actually has any proof that it exists. Just rumours on the streets. Rumours from demons that say they have been here, but you can never trust a word from a demon. If anyone knows that, it’s me.
“So, you guys like gold then?” I ask sarcastically. There is a crap-ton of gold stuff. Any thief would have a field day here.
“Do you like blue?” Connor asks, smirking as he puts his hood down, and I finally can see some of his handsome features. He has golden hair, wavy and messy, but out of the way of his gold eyes. He reminds me of a lion in a way, an attractive way. I don’t answer him, knowing he is just taking the piss out of my blue hair.
“Blue, are you not going to reply?” Connor asks me, and the other Protector whacks him on the arm before returning his hand to the wheel.
“Don’t flirt with her, she is a fucking assassin,” he snaps at Connor.
“Trex, don’t be so stuck up. They are going to kill her anyway, if she doesn't help us, why not be nice?” Connor says, his voice downright seductive. He reminds me of succubus demons, they have sexy voices that can make you do anything they ask.
“You mean try to fuck her before they kill her?” Trex replies.
“I’m right here,” I interrupt, and then slowly drift my eyes up and down Connor’s muscular form. “Although I don’t mind the fucking idea, but that might have to wait.” Connor smirks, opening his pretty mouth to say something, but Trex interrupts.
“Both of you, shut it. Connor, do remember you have a job to do, and you can’t afford to fuck this one up. None of us can,” Trex’s harsh words do something to Connor, as he sits back and does just as he is told. I don’t bother speaking to them anymore, looking back at the secret damn city as we drive up to the towers. When we get closer, I notice they are less like towers and more like city high-rises. All glass windows on one side, and gold walls on the others. The protectors drive us straight towards the biggest tower in the middle, and I focus on the outside. There are no Protectors to be seen, it’s like a ghost town in here. The sidewalk is even gold. Where the hell do they get the money for a place like this? I glance up at the two angel statues outside the building, one on each side. Humans say Protectors have a tiny amount of both angel and demon blood, making them perfect to protect them.
“Where are all your people? Children?” I ask, distracting myself from my thoughts. This is a place I never thought I’d ever be.
“They know you are coming here, so they have all hidden,” Trex answers me.
“That’s a little bit of an overreaction, don’t you think?” I ask, trying not to laugh at the serious look he gives me through the mirror.
“No, it’s no overreaction at all. Now shut up,” he snaps, and I laugh as I sit back. After about ten minutes of driving through the town, we pull up to the biggest building. I look behind, not seeing the car Hali was in. I can’t believe I was distracted.
“Where is Hali?” I demand.
“She will be taken to a private room and kept safe. Only those with Protector’s blood can enter most of the buildings here. They have wards,” Connor explains to me, and I have to bite my lip to stop myself from saying anything stupid. Connor locks eyes with me, only for a second.
“She won’t be harmed. We are not the monsters here,” he promises me, almost sounding honest enough for me to believe him. Almost.
“She is a child, and your people just held a dagger to her throat,” I bite out.
“You know as well as I what she is, what she will be. She will be a monster, and you won’t be able to stop her. A witch’s mark is their destiny, and what she will do, will get her and everyone near her killed,” Connor replies.
“Hali is no monster, nor will she ever be. You and your suck-up race judge everyone before even giving them a chance,” I say, giving him a disgusted look.
“You say ‘your race’, like you aren’t one of us,” Trex interrupts, and I shake my head, not bothering with the annoying Protectors any more. I try to open my door the moment the car stops, seeing its locked and getting damn annoyed enough to want to break one of the windows.
“Child locks,” Connor says, a smirk on his lips before he gets out of the car at the same time Trex does. I wait for Trex and Connor to speak to three Protectors in hoods outside the car, not being able to hear what they say. I roll my eyes, climbing over the middle part of the seat and letting myself out Trex’s door. They don’t notice me until I slam the door shut and lean against it as they all turn to face me with shocked looks. Did they really think I’d just sit there? The three Protectors actually take a step back, their hands going to their swords on their hips that I can see when their cloaks move.
“Are we going inside or what? I’m getting bored and want to know what the fuck you all want with me,” I ask, making Connor cough on a laugh and Trex narrow his eyes at me.
“Stand down, she won’t attack us,” Trex says and waves his hand at the glass doors of the building. “After you miss–”
“My name is Evie, none of that ‘miss’ crap,” I say, lifting myself off the car and walking towards the doors. I pass the three Protectors, and I can’t help myself.
“Boo,” I whisper, and one jumps back, falling onto his butt. I laugh as I walk away and into the building as the automatic doors open.