Dark Guardian - Moonlight Part 2

I shook my head. "Not me. My parents. It's a long story-" I hesitated.

"It's okay. It's private. I understand," Brittany said.

I was relieved by her acceptance of my need not to explain.

Lindsey sat on my bed, took me in her arms, and held me tightly. She knew my story. I'd confessed it all to her during the past year, as our friendship had strengthened.

"Are you going to be okay taking these campers out tomorrow?" Lindsey asked. "We could get out of this, wait for the next group."

"No." Shaking my head, I pulled away from her. "I have to face my fears, and going into the wilderness is part of that. I'll be okay. Tonight . . . I don't know, maybe it's because we were creeping through the woods. I haven't had a nightmare in a while."

"Just remember that we're here for you." She glanced back at Brittany.

Brittany nodded. "Yeah, we are. Sherpas stick together."

"Thanks." I released a deep sigh.

Lindsey moved to her bed. "Do you want me to leave the light on?"

"No, I'm fine now." Or as fine as I could be, considering my issues. The really strange thing was this unexplained fear that I was experiencing lately. It was like a foreshadowing or something-a deep-down sense that something I couldn't explain was going to happen.

Lindsey turned off the light, and I snuggled beneath the blankets. I wished I understood what was bothering me. My adoptive parents couldn't explain it. My shrink couldn't figure it out. But since I'd returned to the national park, whatever it was seemed stronger than before. Part of me wondered if it was somehow tied to what had happened to my parents.

Was something in my subconscious on the verge of breaking free? And if it did, how would my life change?

The next morning when I woke up, the lingering effects of the dream were still haunting me. The unpleasantness of it hung around like cobwebs that couldn't be brushed off. I forced myself to concentrate on something else.

My birthday.

I didn't feel any older. For some reason, I'd thought I'd feel more sophisticated, better able to flirt with guys, when I turned seventeen. Instead, I felt like the same old me.

Faint light was visible through the curtain. Dawn was well on its way to arriving. My first day as a sherpa with an actual a.s.signment. I was about to embark on my maiden adventure of the summer. I couldn't wait.

The past week I'd been going through all kinds of preparation and training. This initial excursion would be my test. I reached over and turned on the lamp. Lindsey groaned and stuck her head under the pillow, mumbling something that sounded likeGo away .

"Don't mind her," Brittany said as she got out of bed and then dropped to the floor and started doing pushups. "She'd stay in bed all day if she had her way."

"I thought she enjoyed the woods."

"Thought wrong." She jumped to her feet and stretched. "She likes the woods well enough, but she'd rather not be here."

I glanced over at Lindsey. She'd never told me that. "So why is she?"

"It's expected. If you grow up around here, you're destined to be a sherpa during the summer." "And youall grew up around here?" "In Tarrant, just up the road." You have to pa.s.s through it to get to the park. It looks like any other small town in America. "So in our little group, you're all friends?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Connor, Rafe, and Lucas left for college this past year. Lindsey and I have one

more year in high school. Then we'll head out, too."

"Guess everyone can't wait to get away from home."

"Isn't that why you're here?"

I nodded. But there was more to it. I'd always enjoyed camping, but lately all I wanted to do was be in

the outdoors. "I guess I should feel like an outsider here, but I don't."

She shrugged. "You're one of us, aren't you?"

I smiled at the thought of all the training I'd pa.s.sed. "I'm most definitely a sherpa."

She angled her head and gave me a funny look that I couldn't quite interpret. Where was my shrink

when I needed him? "Exactly," she said, but I had the feeling she'd wanted to say something else. "Dibs

on the shower." I watched her walk into the bathroom. She was really toned. I found it a little intimidating. I was all of fivefoot-four, with a slender build. I hoped that hauling a pack and hiking all summer would add some muscle to my shape.

"Are you ready for your first official day as a sherpa?" Lindsey asked as she sat up and ran her fingers through her white-blond hair. I moved to the edge of the bed. "Honestly? I'm terrified." She gave me an incredulous look. "Why? You aced all the training." "Yeah, but that was all in a controlled environment. I know things can get hairy out in the real world." "You're going to do great." "Can I be honest with you?" "Sure. Always."

"I'm a little worried because I'm a.s.signed to Lucas's group. He sort of scares me. He's so intense." "Don't let him get to you. All the guys feel like they have something to prove. When they were young, their dads were sherpas. So it's a tradition pa.s.sed down from father to son. They've only let girls be sherpas for a few years now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They didn't think girls were strong enough."

"Is that the reason Brittany starts her morning with push-ups?"

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Maybe she feels like she has something to prove, too. I don't take it nearly as seriously as everyone else does."

Brittany came out of the bathroom. Her long, dark hair was pulled back severely into a tight braid. She was wearing cargo shorts, boots, and a red tank. She looked at her watch. "You know we have to report in about ten minutes."

"Oh my G.o.d." I rushed into the bathroom.

I wanted to take my time with the shower, keeping the water as hot as I could stand it, because I knew it would be my last one for many days. But I was pressed for time. No makeup would be needed on the trail, although I did use sunscreen-to try to keep my freckles at a minimum-and mascara. My eyelashes are a faint red, and without a touch of mascara they are barely visible. I slipped on my cargo pants, boots, and a thin tank top. Over the tank, I zipped a snug hoodie. I tied a bandana over my wild red hair.

I finished up my morning ritual by touching the pewter necklace I always wore. It was a circle of knots and twisted strands. Someone had once told me that it was a Celtic symbol forguardian . It seemed appropriate. It had belonged to my mother, and sometimes it made me feel as though she was watching over me.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, Brittany was gone and Lindsey was dressed in cargo shorts and a spaghetti-strap tank. She'd pulled her blond hair back into a ponytail. She helped me adjust my pack onto my back and shoulders.

"If it gets too heavy, say something to Lucas," she told me. "He can shift some of the supplies to the other guys."

"I'm not a weakling. I can carry my own stuff." I was a little insulted that she thought I'd need help.

"I'm just saying. Sherpas carried a lot of your stuff last summer, so you might not be used to all the weight."

"But this year,I'm a sherpa."

"Looks like you'll be a stubborn one, too," she mumbled.

I wasn't stubborn, but I was determined to pull my weight. And not to miss my adoptive parents. It was hard, though. Don't get me wrong, I loved my natural parents, but they'd been gone a long time. My adoptive parents had always treated me like I was their birth kid. I loved them with a fierceness that surprised me sometimes. But it was my nature to have strong emotions about things, at least according to my shrink. It was the reason that I was still coping with the senseless death of my parents.

I shivered as I stepped out of the cabin into the cool dawn air. The campers and guides were gathered in the center of the small village. The village was nestled just inside the national park. It housed the ranger station, a small first aid station, a gift shop, a camping supply store, and a tiny cafe. It was the last chance to stock up before heading out.

Excitement-and a little bit of nervousness-thrummed through my veins. After all, I'd be responsible for the welfare of these campers. Lindsey shut the cabin door behind me and knocked her shoulder against mine. "This is it, girlfriend. You ready?"

I took a deep breath. "I think so."

"You're going to have way more fun this summer than you did last year."

I adjusted my pack, took a deep breath, and strode toward the group that had gathered. Dr. Keane, his

son, and several grad students would be hiking into the wilderness. Six sherpas would be traveling with them. That was a lot for such a small group, but Dr. Keane had special equipment that he needed for whatever it was he was trying to teach his students, so he'd hired more of us. Which was fine with me, since I was still learning. Having someone to cover my back sounded like a great idea. I didn't want to be the one responsible for making a decision that would put us all on the nightly news.

One guy stepped away from the group. "Hey, Kayla," he called out with a bright smile as he approached me. Lindsey just gave me a questioning raise of her eyebrow and continued on while I stopped to talk with Mason. He was not only one of Dr. Keane's students, but also his son. I'd met him the day before. He was really cute. His dark-brown hair fell over his brow and covered his left eye.

"Hey, yourself," I said.

"I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

He had so much energy that it bolstered my own excitement about the coming adventure. "No, just off

to a late start."

"This trip is going to be so awesome," he said.

"Have you done much backcountry hiking?"

"Oh yeah. Not here, of course. But Dad and I have gone through other national forests. We've also

done a lot of hiking in Europe."

"So you and your dad are close?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes. I mean he's still a parent, you know? And my grad school advisor. Plus he

treats me like I'm a kid."

I smiled in commiseration. "Tell me about it."

"Maybe I will. Later tonight." He looked down as though suddenly uncomfortable. His stance reminded

me of Rick-the guy who'd taken me to the junior prom- right before he'd asked me to go with him. As though he was gathering his courage, afraid he'd get rejected.

"We're going to have a blast," I a.s.sured Mason, not sure why I was encouraging him when I'd only be with him for a few days. Except that he was cute and seemed friendly. And there weren't any rules against getting involved with the campers. When you're out in the woods together for several days or weeks, things were certain to develop.

Lifting his eyes to mine, he gave me a big smile. He had eyes the color of clover. With his tawny skin and dark hair, they really stood out.

"Maybe we could walk together." He said it like he wasn't sure if he should make it a real suggestion, a statement, or simply an inquiry.

"I'd like-"

"City Girl, you're with me."

Okay, I didn't know why I knew that order was directed at me. No one had ever called meCity Girl . Maybe it was because I recognized the voice. Or maybe it was simply the nearness of it. To be singled out irritated but thrilled me at the same time. I worked to get all my emotions under control while I slowly turned to face Lucas. "Excuse me? 'City Girl'?"

"You're from the city, right?"

"Yeah, I supposeDallas could be called a city. And why do I have to hike with you?"

He shifted the weight of his pack on his shoulders. It was twice the size of mine. I would have been bent over, but he stood straight as though it was nothing. "Because you're new and I need to check your skills. We'll take the lead."

He was dressed in cargo shorts and a black T-shirt. His hair was straight and lanky, but the variety of colors made it look anything except boring. His silver eyes held a challenge. Yeah, I was new, but I wasn't stupid enough to argue against an order before we'd even gotten started. He could easily declare me too much trouble and leave me here. I resented that he had so much power and wasn't afraid to wield it. I had a problem with authority, obviously.

I gave him a sarcastic salute. To my stunned surprise, his lips twitched as though he were fighting back a smile. Wasn't that fascinating?

"Interesting necklace. It's a Celtic symbol forguardian ," he said quietly.

I couldn't have been more surprised if he'd suddenly started talking about designer clothes. He didn't strike me as someone who'd care about Celtic anything. I touched it. "Yeah, that's what I heard. It belonged to my mom."

"Makes it special."

His eyes held mine, and it was as though we were the only two people around. For a moment, he wasn't my boss. He was just the guy I'd met last summer, the guy I'd dreamed about way too many times to count. I didn't know why he haunted my dreams, my thoughts. I didn't know why I wanted to confess about the wish I'd made the night before. Didn't know why I wanted to kiss him so badly. His gaze dropped to my lips as though maybe he was thinking the same thing I was.

Suddenly he seemed irritated with himself, maybe because Mason wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was studying us with curiosity.

"Meet me at the front in five," Lucas suddenly barked. Then he gave Mason an unfriendly once-over.

"Be sure you stay close to a guide, Mason. Wouldn't want you to get lost."

Mason's green eyes narrowed as he watched Lucas until he disappeared. The dislike was shimmering off him in waves. I wasn't usually so attuned to people, but something about being in the woods brought out my primal instincts, I guessed. Maybe it was the whole getting-backto-nature thing. But there was definitely some tension between these two.