Page 40 of Guardian

“They can, under the right circumstances,” Wesley said, “but I won’t bore you with the details. I’m sure you guys want to get settled. There should be food in the freezer.”

“Food?” Confused, Winter gaped at Wesley. “But didn’t you just say they’re vampires?”

“Amaury is, but his sons are hybrids,” Wesley explained. “They are part vampire, part human. They eat regular food, but they also drink blood. Keeps them strong.”

“Oh.” Her head was spinning already. So much to digest. But maybe it was best to get as much information as she could all at once. Then at least she would be prepared for anything.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it,” Wesley assured her.

She liked him. He was easy going and charming. Not to mention practical. “Thank you for helping us, Wesley. I hope I can repay your kindness one day.”

“No need. We’re all one big family here, and that’s what family does.”

Logan let go of her hand and offered his hand to Wesley. They shook hands. “I appreciate it.”

Wesley handed the key to Logan. “Oh, before I forget, I think you should go see Gabriel.”

“Gabriel, why?”

“Because of his gift. He might be able to unlock memories of some of Winter’s visions. I mean it’s just a thought. No idea if it even works. But it’s worth a shot. I’m sure he’d be happy to do it.”

Logan’s face lit up. “That’s a brilliant idea. I’ll discuss it with Winter.”

“You do that. Oh and before I forget it…” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cell phone. “This is a burner. Only I have the number so I can get in touch with you. My number is programmed in.”

“Thanks, Wes.”

Then he smiled at Winter. “Nice meeting you, Winter. I’ll be in touch soon and let you know what I can find out about psychics.”

She raised her hand to wave goodbye and watched him leave. Silence descended on the apartment when the door shut behind Wesley.

“Are you alright? I know it’s a lot to take in.”

She met Logan’s gaze. “Please stop asking me if I’m alright. You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me. I can handle it.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I mean, compared to demons, vampires sound like kittycats. And witches are basically just humans doing spells, right?”

“You’re right. You can handle it. But when it gets too much, when you feel it becoming too overwhelming, you’ll have to let me know. Promise?”

“And then what are you gonna do?”

“Everything in my power to make things right.”

She gave him a hesitant smile. As if anybody could make things right again. This was a world of demons, vampires, and witches. A world she knew nothing about. A world that was frightening, a world where evil reigned. And a single Stealth Guardian couldn’t change that. Maybe an army of them. An army who knew where the demons were vulnerable. She knew now where she was needed. “You’ll need my help for that. You’ll need my visions to fight them.” She looked into his eyes. “Let’s do what Wesley suggested. Let’s go to this Gabriel and see if he can help me dive deeper into my visions.”

“Even if that means you’ll have to relive the horrors of those visions?”

She swallowed away the fear. “What I see can’t hurt me now. Not anymore. It can only help us.” It was time to face her fears. And with Logan by her side, she was strong enough to do it.

~ ~ ~

The walk to Gabriel’s house in Nob Hill, a fancy downtown neighborhood, wasn’t far, but the streets leading to it were steep. Logan didn’t break a sweat, but he noticed Winter breathing heavily on the sharp incline, so he slowed his walk. He wasn’t going to ask her if she was alright, since clearly, she didn’t like him fussing about her. He liked that about her, too. She wasn’t prissy. She played the cards she was dealt and made the best of it.

“We turn right here,” he said and pointed to the next intersection. He’d been to Gabriel’s house on a couple of occasions in the last two years, and though he didn’t remember the exact street address, he recognized the street and the house visually.

Like so many houses in San Francisco, Gabriel’s was an old Victorian, a magnificent home he shared with his vampire mate and their three children. It was early afternoon, and though Logan hadn’t called ahead, he expected Gabriel to be at home.

“That’s his house?” Winter asked with awe in her voice. “It looks amazing.”

“Wait till you see the inside.”