Blake continued, “As any of the older Guard can tell you, being a Guardian is no easy task. It takes strong men who are required to make any necessary sacrifices to protect their Essence. This is especially true in light of the instability that awaits outside our borders. Becoming a Guardian is not a choice; it is a calling, and your very being will be connected to your role. I know that you will all take your positions seriously, especially the Guardian chosen as the Gerard, the ultimate protector.” I tried to understand what Blake was saying, but I didn’t have enough context.
“Protecting the Essence is how our people remain in power, how our nation remains strong; the Gerard has the most important position of any in our land. As most of you know, the tie between the Gerard and his Essence is the most natural and strong bond imaginable. I expect that the Gerard might realize that he has been chosen as soon as he meets the Essence, but either way, we will know for sure after the ceremony.”
As I listened, I started to tense up even more. I couldn’t understand what he was talking about, and the panic got worse. I was so nervous that I didn’t realize that Blake had stopped speaking. He rounded the corner, took my hand, and helped me to my feet. He tried to lead me into the main part of the room, but I resisted. From what I heard, the room was full of men, and I absolutely did not want to face them. Blake squeezed my hand gently and told me to relax, so I took a deep breath and followed him.
Walking around the screen, I understood why the room was called the Great Hall; it was huge. The high ceilings made for good acoustics, making our footsteps echo as we moved through the room. A number of large sconces lit the room on all sides, illuminating a long table at the center, most seats occupied, all by men who stood as we approached.
Blake addressed the men as we neared the table. “Gentleman, may I present to you, our new Essence.”
My chest tightened again, and I found myself leaning on Blake for support. He looked down at me encouragingly before he joined the other men at the table. I calmed enough to notice that one side of the table was lined with six men who were a lot older than me, at least in their thirties. I looked across the table and saw that the other side was lined with boys closer to my age; I even saw a blond-haired boy who looked younger. I took a deep breath and looked further down the row for James. I let out a gasp because there, in front of the last chair, standing next to James, was Calvin.
The same onslaught of emotions that I felt the first time I had seen him hit me as we locked eyes. Joy and surprise dominated his face, but his eyes also held a hint of something else. Before I could figure out what it was, everything went black.
***
I sat up slowly and looked around the dark room. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed that there was a single candle burning.
“Hello?” I asked tentatively, wondering if I was alone.
A figure walked out of the shadows and took a seat on a chair next to my bed. “I was beginning to think we might have to call a doctor,” James said in his typical hard-to-read tone. I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.
“James?” I asked, surprised, still trying to remember how I had gotten back to my room. My head hurt, and I was really disoriented.
“I think we were too much for you, Charlotte. You passed out before you could even be formally introduced to your Guard.” James laughed. “I had to carry you up here.”
“Considering the circumstance, I think that’s pretty normal,” I said with an edge to my voice. I wasn’t going to let James make me feel bad when he was the reason I was even in this situation. I was also very uncomfortable about James carrying me anywhere, especially in front of Calvin.
“True. It has been quite a day, has it not?” His voice was still thick with humor.
“So, what happens now?” I was scared that I had somehow made things even worse.
“We will have the ceremony tomorrow night as planned; the rest of your Guard will just have to wait to make your acquaintance.”
“I keep thinking this is all a dream, but then I wake up, and I’m still here,” I explained, suddenly wanting to let him know how I felt.
“I have a feeling this is not the first time you have tried to convince yourself you were having a dream when you were not.” He looked at me intently.
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused yet again.
“You know how you asked me the other day in class if we had met before?” He looked at me for agreement. I nodded.
“You were right. We had met before.” Once again, I was speechless, so I waited for him to continue.
“Once my father found out where your mother went, he routinely sent Guardians to check on her. When I was twelve, I was invited to go.” I nodded again, encouraging him to continue.
“They told me to wait in the garden while they checked out the perimeter, so I sat on the bench by the fountain. I was feeling pretty bored, regretting having made the trip, when a voice called to me from behind. I turned around, and there was a girl about my age dressed in a nightgown with her hair all wild. She asked me what I was doing in her yard, and I told her I was out for a walk and was taking a break. She told me I shouldn’t be there, so I assured her I would be leaving soon. I heard her mumble something about this being such a strange dream before turning around and walking away from me. I think we both know who that girl was.” James’s face was barely visible in the low candlelight.
Suddenly, I remembered that dream, the memory of it just below the surface of my consciousness. I knew it was a dream because there was no way I would have talked to the boy. I would have called for help instead, but if it wasn’t real, then how would James know about it? I was speechless; if possible, I felt even more overwhelmed. James must have sensed that I wasn’t going to reply because he continued talking.
“I never told anyone about meeting you, afraid that I would get in trouble, but I never forgot you. You were beautiful even then, and to a boy who had spent most of his life with only men, I was enamored. It was not until my father shared his frustrations that he could not find the new Essence that I realized just how important you would be. I expected my father to be happy with my revelation, but he lashed out at me for keeping your presence a secret from him for so long. I assured him that I could make up for it, that I would bring you here.”
“But how did you know when I would be back?” I finally began to understand James’s presence in Charleston.
“The first time I went back, I found out that you had moved away. My father was still angry, but he was hopeful. He assured me that as long as Monty lived there, you would be back one day because Monty would always watch out for Emma’s children. He set up a sentry to bring word as soon as he heard anything about your return. Last summer, we heard your uncle discussing your move, and I set up a cover in Charleston in hopes of getting close enough to you to bring you in,” James said, as though replaying events from a distant memory and not something that had happened only months ago.