Inferno

By Divamercury

Not much more left, sorry to say. Only two or three more chapters to go; I haven't decided how many yet. But thanks for supporting this story and I hope you enjoy it. Danger Zone comes next in the series, and then after thatwho knows? :)

Chapter 16

When I arrived at the park, I headed for the statue of President Theodore Roosevelt. It was the first place that I thought I might find Sara. I was surprised to find that she wasn't there. I smiled and slapped myself mentally. I then left the commonly known part of the park, found a dirt trail, and followed this discreetly hidden path to my sanctuary.

I carefully lifted the low branches of the trees and walked beneath them, following the path to the clearing. The full moon lit the way through the branches, and I stopped once I stepped inside the ring of trees.

It was as I had assumed. Sara was sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms around them, staring up at the moon. She seemed so peaceful, bathed in the heavenly glow of the celestial orb that ruled the night sky, and I hated to disturb her. She was in her element, completely separated from everything else. Just as I was about to say something, my foot inadvertently snapped a twig in the trail. She turned around and spotted me before I could hide. She smiled.

"Ian. Hi. I wondered if you'd come after me. Just wanted to clear my head after being exposed to that tiny corner of hell that is also referred to as a wedding rehearsal."

I laughed.

She smiled at my reaction to her humor. "So, did you want to talk?"

I nodded slightly. "I noticed that you weren't home and I wanted to find you. I didn't know where you'd gone." I took a few steps forward, getting a little closer to her.

"I wish you had come looking for me earlier. If you showed up for me at the chapel I would have had an excuse to leave," she said with a little grin. "It was pretty terrible, but I think I behaved myself for Ciara's sake."

I smiled, trying to picture what Sara would refer to as "behaving." It certainly wouldn't be the same definition that other people would use for the word.

"Ian, I have a question for you. I would really appreciate a straight answer, too, because that's all that I can really process well at this time of night. It's been bugging me for some time," she asked after a few moments.

"I shall do my best to help you in any way I can, Sara. What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Remember when you mentioned my Guardian, or protector, or whatever it's called, a while ago?"

"Yes," I said warily, not liking where this was heading.

"Well, do you happen to know who this mysterious person is?" she asked.

Damn. She asks me the question I most want to tell her the answer to, and I can't tell her. She has to work it out, to ascertain it for herself. After all, she might want someone else, not me,' I thought. Aloud I said, "I'm sorry Sara, but the very question you want to know most I can't answer. I have been forbidden."

"So you know but you won't tell me?" she inquired.

"I'm afraid not, Sara."

She got to her feet and walked over to me.

"Ian, why can't you help me this once? Just this once?" The pleading look in her strikingly green eyes was killing me slowly in its longing fgor knowledge. I looked away to save myself.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you; I do. It's just that–"

"–Irons won't let you," she said dejectedly.

"Well, that is a plausible reason, but not the one I was about to explain. I no longer care what he thinks of what I tell you. He lost my absolute loyalty the moment he put that virus in your drink. I never thought much of what he did when trying to achieve his ends, but what he did to you beat everything he's ever done before. I can't enlighten you because the Witchblade herself won't allow me to tell you."

"Wha? The Witchblade won't let you tell me?"

* * *

Well, that was a surprise. The bracelet that had strangely decided to attach itself to my wrist had now decided to intensify its torment on my life by becoming my own personal censor?

"How can that be?"

"Sara, you can't get all of your information from just asking. That would be too easy. Some of this journey will require you to look beyond this realm and into another. Your heart will tell you who your Guardian is; it's not straight black and white. It's really your decision, but there are people that would be better Guardians than others would be. It all depends on you, Sara, and that's all I can tell you."

"Well" I trailed off, sighing heavily. "Thanks for telling me that much at least, Ian. I'd better be heading home; I've got a long day tomorrow."

"What happens tomorrow?" he asked.

"The wedding. At least it'll be over," I said, smiling. "It's worth it, anyway, just to see how happy Ciara'll be. But at least I get the day off."

Ian smiled at that.

We left the clearing together without speaking. The night was so serene we didn't want to break the silence. When I reached my Buell, I noticed that Ian had this unusual look on his face. It seemed like he was dying to tell me something.

"Well, out with it, Ian."

He looked up at me, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"There's obviously something you want to tell me. What is it?"

This time it was his turn to sigh. "It's nothing, Sara. Good evening," he said, and vanished into the shadows.

"Damn!" I muttered. "I could have sworn that he was going to spill aboutwhatever it was." I put on my helmet, got on my bike, and sped out of the park's parking lot and off into the New York City night.