Ivory Guard Read Free Page A

not. But then the air around her seemed to move with a soft breeze and then Amber stood in the middle of her room. This time without the wings and gloriole, what made her look even more human. Well, that and the flips flops she was wearing now.
    “Is everything alright?” She grimaced. “Well, as much as it can be, given the circumstances I mean.”
    “Yeah. I just couldn’t sleep. Too many questions in my head. I thought maybe you could help me find the answers to some of them.”
    “Sure.” The blonde angel moved to the edge of the bed. “Do you mind?”
    “Not at all.”
    Amber sat down , putting one foot under her and relaxed against the headboard beside Lillian. “So, what do you want to know?”
    “Everything.”
    “Then you probably should talk to Raz. With me you need to narrow it down a bit.” When Lillian frowned, the angel laughed and explained. “Raz, his real name is Raziel. He’s the angel of mysteries. Secrets, universal knowledge and all that stuff.”
    “ Ah.” The angel of mysteries. No wonder he seemed so dark in contrast to Amber. “Well, that’s a start. So you two work together?”
    “At the moment, yes. It changes constantly so we don’t get bored you could say, but for the time being we both are on Ivory Duty.”
    “Which means?”
    “Automatically we tune in on the Ivorys we’re assigned to protect. The moment you guys turn eighteen, you’re on our radar, so to speak. We locate you, watch you for awhile, making sure you finish school and then we wait for the moment to show ourselves. Then we bring you in and start your training. Two months ago you rang our bell. We’ve been watching you ever since.”
    “Why wait until I finish school and I’m eighteen? Why not keep me and simply train me right from the start?” 
    “I knew you would ask that one.” She sighed, looking up as if searching for words before finally facing Lillian. “We wait because you need to know what you’re fighting for. If we had trained you from childhood on, you might not put your whole heart into saving the world and your loved ones from the evil that can walk the earth as you would now.”
    Lillian snorted, more than a little appalled. “Sorry, but that seems rather harsh and calculated.”
    “ Yeah probably…but given the choice what would you rather, to grow up with or without your parents? Isn’t it better to know their love and the life they have given you even if you have to leave them than not knowing it at all?”
    That was what it came down to, wasn’t it? So what if she felt cheated. She loved her parents. Sure they could be a pain in the ass but that was part of the job description. Lillian suspected she would have chosen a life with her parents no matter how a life among angels might have looked like.
    As if reading her mind Amber added, “Living and training among angels would have been hard. Not bad, but hard. Let’s say it wouldn’t have been as colorful as the life you have known. We’re more black and white.”
    After a moment of silence Lillian asked, “So what will happen to me when I go with you?”
    “We’ll bring you to a safe house and start with the training. Ivorys are strong beings, believe me, and demons will do anything to get to you before we do.”
    Her eyes were serious and honest and she really didn’t need to elaborate on the last bit. Demons wanted her dead before she learned how to off t hem. Figured. Basic food chain. When Lillian realized with what an ease she started to think about demons she rubbed a hand over her face.
    “And then, after the training, my life will be just…fighting demons? For the rest of my life? For the good of the world?”
    “Yes. But you won’t be alone. You will have a team. I have seen teams connect with each other and fight for each other….” She shook her head. “They’ve been a family. And we’ll be there too. Checking on you guys.”
    “I’ll come with you , but… I just wanted to know…do I even have a