Kyle did not like this.

As soon as the word, ‘Cinder,’ came out of his mouth, pain burst between his eyes. Tameka was rubbing her temples. Rayne was shaking her head. Sagan sat down and clutched her hair. Andrew’s knee buckled until he held onto the wall to keep his skate from rolling out from under him.

The pain receded, and Kyle managed to say, “Okay. How the hell did I know that?”

Andrew—long brown hair, teal eyes, and bronzed from a summer on his grandfather’s farm—took the initiative to suggest, “Maybe we should get some air and talk about it outside.”

Rayne seconded the idea. “Let’s get some water first. Tameka, what do you think?”

“I think there’s something weird happening, and I think it’s because of your guardian. But Andrew’s right. Let’s get outside.”

As they headed for the doors, Kyle frowned. “Guardian?”

Rayne held up a finger to stave him off for now.

Meanwhile, Kyle noticed Sagan looking over her shoulder. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

She whirled on him, concern marring her pretty face. “Nothing. I thought I saw someone, but I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Kyle pulled her in for a side hug as they walked into the back parking lot. He assured, “I think we’re all spooked tonight.”

In the cool September night air, Rayne told Andrew and Kyle her story about the strange customer at her mom’s bookstore. Then she looked away with a blush.

Did Kyle mention already how much he didn’t like this?

He couldn’t keep it out of his voice as he admonished, “You mean you trust this guy ’cause he said he was your guardian—Whatever that means?”

“Step off, Kyle.” Tameka got between them.

Around her, Rayne’s face fell, and Kyle felt like an asshole. “Look, I’m sorry. It’s just… Doesn’t this sound a little crazy?”

Andrew nudged him, saying, “No crazier than when I first heard you and Tameka were dating.”

Sagan snorted on a giggle, and Kyle wanted to bite Andrew’s head off, until he noticed how the joke perked Rayne back up.

Kyle was about to ask more questions when Sagan stiffened, staring wide-eyed behind him.

Looking in the same direction, Tameka muttered, “What the hell?!”

Andrew straightened as well.

Kyle and Rayne noticed at the same time and turned to face…

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A blond man.

Not the gray-skinned, dark-haired guy Rayne had described from her shop. Just a plain, almost indiscernible in a crowd dude.

Kyle swept his hair irritatingly from his face and tried his best not to growl when he asked, “You got a problem, mister? This is kind of a private party.”

Sagan gripped Kyle’s shoulder. “That guy’s been following us all night.”

Behind Kyle, Andrew asked, “Are you kidding?”

After Sagan shook her head in answer, Rayne stepped to the front of their group. “What do you want?”

Kyle admired her bravery, but if push came to shove, he’d get Rayne back inside the crowded skating rink.

When the blond man took a step forward, the teenagers took a step back. All the while, the guy said, “He’ll come for you. Salvation girl. The Progeny.” On top of his words not making any damned sense, the wild look in his eyes raised the hair on the back of Kyle’s neck.

With her entire body stiff from tension, Tameka said, “I think we should go inside now.”

The man advanced again, cutting them off from the back door. On and on, he droned with his psycho nonsense mostly directed at Rayne. “The most beautiful salvation. Even now, the Night King brings his armies for you.”

Sagan cried, “Leave her alone!”

Tameka pulled Rayne to her side. “Fuck off, man, or we’ll scream for security.”

Kyle glanced at Andrew, who took the hint. They flanked the girls, ready to force their way back inside—

A blur—A streak of black and gray soared by Kyle. One second, the crazy guy was upright and spouting shit about armies, and the next, his ass was on the pavement.

Another man stood over him. Tall. Gray. With black hair.

Rayne’s ‘guardian.’

Making for quite an imposing sight, the guardian dude loomed over the sputtering zealot. His voice was icy, deadly serious, as he warned, “Come near them again, and you’ll suffer the consequences.”

Beside Kyle, the three girls exchanged wide-eyed glances. Andrew even gaped. While it impressed Kyle the supposed ‘guardian’ could move faster than Kyle could blink, he still wasn’t convinced this situation was trustworthy.

The crazy stalker spat blood, but climbed to his worthless feet and shuffled back inside without another word or even a backward glance.

If Tameka’s hand wasn’t on Rayne’s arm, Kyle was sure their leader would’ve taken a step toward her ‘guardian’ as she breathed, “Thank you.”

The lightning-fast stranger turned with his hands up in a non-threatening gesture. Kyle narrowed his eyes. Sure, this guy was unarmed, but he’d just leveled a creep in the span of a heartbeat. How could they trust him?

Andrew, Tameka, Sagan, and Rayne seemed poised on the brink as their friend squad waited for the man to speak. When he did, it nearly floored Kyle.

“I got you.”

Seriously?! Was that some kind of lame catch phrase?

A brilliant smile blossomed on Rayne’s face, and the bubble burst. She asked, “Can you tell us about Cinder now?”

Andrew tacked on, “And why does the mere mention of it make my head ache?”

Sagan didn’t mind intruding. “Are you an alien?”

“Is that why you can move so fast?” Tameka added next.

Kyle waited until the others finished with their deluge, which seemed to amuse the ‘guardian,’ given how wide he was grinning at their intense curiosity. Once they’d had their turn, Kyle asked the most important question.

“Can you teach us how to fight like that?” If Kyle could learn to defend himself like that, he could pass it on to his two little sisters.

The grin faded from the older man’s face as he said, “Yes. We’ll begin training tomorrow.”

Rayne finally took that step forward. “Training for what?”

Kyle detected a hint of sorrow in the man’s voice while he dropped a bomb into the conversation. “For Cinder’s second invasion of Earth.”

Second.

Invasion.

Sagan gasped, cupping a hand over her mouth. Tameka chafed the other girl’s arm. Andrew shook his head and blinked, bewildered. Despite the shock, Kyle knew what would happen next.

Rayne declared on their behalf, “We’re in. Now, what do we call you other than ‘guardian?’” Her cheeky smile at the end made the man grin again.

“I’m Xelan. I’m an alien known as an Icarus. And I’m here to help you save the world.”

Rayne beamed.

Nope.

Kyle did not like this.