Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (read aloud .txt) 📕

her back to the Parker Mansion, and her eyes saw Mark Grey’s mysterious eyes staring at her. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
Mark placed the dishes in the sink. “I said, ‘You’re a quiet one, aren’t you?’” He repeated. “Didn’t you hear me?”
Ariana took her plate and followed him to the kitchen sink, rinsing them off. “No, I didn’t hear you. Sorry.”
“That’s okay.” Mark said. “Wanna help me wash the dishes?”
Ariana noticed an automatic dishwasher under the sink. “Not much to help with.”
“Come on.” Mark said with a wink. “I’m sure you could use the company, right?”
How did he know?
“Sure.” Ariana supplied.
As she helped him rinse off the dinner dishes, she dared to use her Empathy on him.
He was secretive, and closed in. Maybe he didn’t trust many people, as she never had growing up in the orphanage.
Katherine? Ariana thought to her friend, but she couldn’t sense her anywhere.
Looks as if she were on her own with this one.
Okay, what did his aura tell me about him? She asked herself as she stared at him. She made sure not to meet his eyes, or let him know she was watching him. First, he’s an orphan, too. No surprise there; he already told me he’s adopted into the Parker family. Second, that blond-haired ghost-girl was on his mind. Obviously, he’d known her, but for how long before she died?
When they were finished, Ariana sat down at the table, thinking.
“So, where did you come from?” Mark asked nervously.
Did she sense a hint of adoration in his voice? She could have sworn he had a crush on her!
“I, uh, came from an orphanage, same as you.” Ariana blurted.
She felt her cheeks redden.
Mark was amazed. “How did you know?”
Uh-oh. Can’t have him knowing of her powers, yet. “You told me you were adopted. I just assumed you were from an orphanage.”
Good enough, she mused with a mental sigh. Being a detective at the System had taught her how to talk her way out of any situation.
“Oh.” Mark said. “I saw the bag you brought with you. Did you need help unpacking?”
Usually, she’d say no, but something told her she should say yes. “Sure.”
As they headed upstairs, with him walking behind her, she smiled to herself.
Ariana truly believed she was going to enjoy being at the Parkers.

Chapter Seventeen:
Mixed Feelings

In the Dominion, Katherine was taking a walk through the Garden, thinking about her crush, Wolf.
"My, look what the cat drug in?" She heard a voice jeer.
Katherine hissed, recognizing her Cousin Sabrina's voice. She turned. "What do you want now, Sabrina?"
"I was just wondering. How are you able to come back if Father Banished you to the Outer Realm?" Sabrina asked, staring into Katherine's eyes.
"With help from Young Guardian." Katherine replied, frowning. "What business is it of yours?"
"None, really. I was just wondering." Sabrina replied innocently.
Katherine knew her cousin better than that. Beneath that spoiled exterior lies a wickedly scheming young dragon-mistress. Now, Sabrina had turned herself to an 1800's belle, so innocent-looking and proper. "Why would you care about me? All you usually care about is yourself."
"Not really. I do care about you, Katherine." Sabrina said sarcastically.
"Liar." Katherine hissed.
Sabrina shrugged her shoulders. "I know something about Wolf you do not."
Katherine's attention stirred and she stared at Sabrina's black eyes. "Tell me."
Sabrina shook her finger in shame at her. "Not so fast, dear Katherine. I want you to do something for me first."
"Never."
Sabrina's stare was harder. "You will, if you want to know what I do."
Katherine sighed. She closed her eyes and said softly. "Tell me. What do you wish of me?"
"Tell me all you know about the Outer Realm."
Katherine turned her back, unsure of whether to tell Sabrina or not. She thought of her crush, Wolf. She needed her cousin’s information about him. What did Sabrina need with Katherine’s tales of the Outer Realm?
In the end, Katherine told all she knew.
"Very interesting, cousin." Sabrina replied with a mischievous grin.
"Aye, whatever." Katherine breathed. "Now, as promised, tell me what you know about Wolf."
"Simple, really. When he found out you were Banished, he confronted Father. Well, Father did not take kindly to having a peasant such as Wolf talking to him as if he were a beast."
"Wolf is no peasant, but uncle is a beast." Katherine replied.
"I am not finished." Sabrina replied. "When Father found out he had been in love with you, Wolf was Banished to the Outer Realm as well."
Katherine gasped. Wolf had been in love with her. Now she must find him. She disappeared then, leaving her cousin standing with a smirk on her face.
Sabrina laughed wickedly, then disappeared to find her brother, Damian.

II

Ariana drove down the road, thinking about the past several months. She had a job as a secretary for a major company, thanks to the all the experience Chips had taught her at the System.
She and Mark became the best of friends and confidants. Ariana didn't know what to think of him still. She sensed his attraction to her, not really knowing how to react to him.
Caroline was going to school during the day, and hanging out with her friends at night, so she was rarely seen. Mrs. Parker was slowly turning into a workaholic, so she was rarely seen either. When Mrs. Parker was seen, she had a glass of brandy in her hands.
All in all, Ariana had to say her new life with the Parkers was perfect. There was no pain from beatings, just pleasure and happiness. If she wanted, she could have everything she ever desired. Instead, she decided to earn it by working.
Ariana pulled into the driveway, parked her Jeep and headed inside.
Mark smiled when he met her at the door. "Hey, how was work?"
"As hectic as ever." Ariana shrugged it off and put her keys on the rack, and signed to Charles to place her coat in the closet of her bedroom.
"Sorry to hear that." Mark responded.
Ariana waved her hand at him. "Don't be. I love it."
"What did you want to do tonight? Caroline's out with her prissy pal Patsy and Mother Parker is working late, so it'll be just us tonight." Mark told her.
"How about a marathon game of Monopoly?" Ariana replied. "This time, it's my turn to be the banker."
Mark nodded and ran to his room to get the game. Ariana grabbed an apple out of the refrigerator and sat on the couch.

In their fifth hour of Monopoly, Mark had his eye on her. Ariana was trying to pay attention more to the game than to him, and she was irate with his stalling.
"Are you going to buy it or not?" She asked Mark.
He couldn't stop looking at her. "Huh?"
"Are you okay Mark? You're spooking me out here." Ariana replied, holding the card in her hand.
Mark snatched it away from her and teased her with it, waving it back and forth in front of her face.
"Give that back!" She squealed, standing up.
He stood as well. "Only if you can catch it!"
She jumped to try to pry it from his hand. She started to climb on him when that didn't work.
Mark didn't know how she slipped, but she did, and he was there to catch her. "Whoa."
Their eyes met, and Ariana blushed.
Mark helped her up and felt compelled to do it. The one thing that had been plaguing his mind for the past several months.
Mark dropped the card, and brought her face closer to his own, kissing her soft lips gently.
"Ariana," He moaned when they parted. "I think I'm..."
"Falling in love?" She finished for him, looking into his eyes. She nodded. "Me too."
Mark then thought of something. "Is this right, though?"
Ariana shrugged. "I -- I don't know. I mean, I think so, but..."
He was anxious, and hated when she didn't finish her sentences. "But what? We're not exactly blood-related, you know."
She took her hand back and turned away. "Truth is; I feel funny kissing my brother, that's all."
Mark was crushed, silently looking down at his lap.
Ariana saw the sad look on his face and tried her telepathy on him.
I'm willing to get used to it, though.
It made him look up and stare at her in amazement. "How did you do that?"
She smiled. "You heard my thoughts?"
Mark nodded, hugging her. "But how?"
She pointed to her head and smiled. "A little thing called telepathy."
Mark Grey was shocked and amazed. "You can read minds?"
Ariana returned the nod, proceeding to tell him of her secret. He asked many questions about the Ancient Mystics and of the Dream Realm. When he saw the Dream Locket around her neck, he thought it was cool. Luckily, she was able to answer all his questions, telling him everything that had happened from the time she ran away from the Orphanage until the moment she arrived at the Parkers.
She never told him about her daughter. It wasn't the time, or the place, no matter how attracted to each other they were.
"You have to understand something about me, Mark." Ariana replied.
He took her hands and squeezed them. "Shoot."
"This has to be kept a secret. I have a feeling I can trust you to do that for me, so don't prove my feelings wrong, okay?"
Mark kissed her lips softly again. "Don't worry, Ariana. I'll keep this secret until you tell me otherwise."
"Thank you, Mark. I appreciate your cooperation and support, not to mention your understanding." Ariana replied.
"You’re very welcome, Ariana." Mark said softly before holding her close and planting a kiss on her lips.

III

Aluna Sister could hear them arguing next door. The strange young man and his twin sister constantly argued over their best friend from their youth. This time was no exception.
Luna sat on the porch, letting the warm sun soothe her worried thoughts. She thought about the young man. Why did he stare at her whenever their eyes met? There was something vaguely familiar about the young man, who Luna’s mother called Aaron.
Susan had told her a little about him, how he moved in when he and his sister were both thirteen. The Schmidt’s had found their lost children, Susan told her. The same year, the Schmidt’s adopted a young boy named Bradley Allen from the same woman who raised them.
Did Aaron know about Ariana? Luna wondered. The same woman, Helen Gertrude, owned the two orphanages, a country apart. Luna remembered when she was five-years-old herself, and how she had to take her own twin sister to the woman’s orphanage.
Why did life as an Ancient Mystic have to be so complicated? Luna thought with a sigh.
“Hey you.” She heard a voice behind her. When Luna turned, she saw her younger brother Christopher. With curly bright red hair and the Ancient Mystic’s silver-blue eyes, Christopher Woods stood a foot taller than Luna, though she was older by a few years.
“Hey.” Luna said softly. “Where’s Claudia?”
“Still at school.” Christopher said. Claudia was his twin sister. “What are you thinking about?”
“The Schmidt’s next door.” Luna sighed, looking over at the Schmidt’s house.
“What about them?” Christopher took a seat beside her.
“How I catch Aaron staring at me all the time.” Luna said, turning back to her brother. “Do you think he knows about Ariana?”
“What do you think?” Christopher asked.
“I think he does, but he and his sister constantly argue over their orphanage