Free The Guardians (MORE Trilogy) by T.M. Franklin Page B

knife again. Gripping the handle firmly, he went to work.

Chapter 5

    Ava stared at the clock on the classroom wall, the tick-tick-tick keeping pace with the thudding of her heart. Her English professor rambled on about allegories in The Faerie Queene , but she couldn’t even track the conversation.  
    Caleb was gone. He’d disappeared without a word two days earlier, and she had no idea where he was. She’d finally broken down and asked Katherine, but she seemed genuinely surprised. She had tried to reassure Ava that sometimes Protectors were called out for emergency assignments at a moment’s notice.
    “I’m sure he’ll contact you when he can,” she’d said, but her eyes had betrayed her own concern. Which had been enough to really worry Ava. She was relatively certain that Katherine had never been one who was easily concerned. At her continued prodding, Katherine had tried to contact Tiernan to see if he knew anything, but so far she’d been unable to reach him.
    Ava sighed as the minute hand moved ever so slowly, finally settling on the eleven as the professor announced a quiz the following afternoon. She couldn’t even summon the energy to groan with the rest of the class but got up and left the room, her backpack bumping heavily against her hip.
    She had no idea what to do. She knew Caleb was a big boy—more than able to protect himself—but her instincts continued to scream at her that something was wrong. Ava felt weak, powerless, left to flounder about helplessly, and she didn’t like the feeling one little bit.
    She started toward the dorm then whirled around, deciding to go by Caleb’s apartment once more, just in case. She checked her phone, but didn’t call him again, having texted and left numerous voice mails already. She swore if he was okay, she was going to kick his—
    Well, first she was going to hug him. And kiss him.  
    Since he’d been gone, she’d truly begun to understand what Caleb was talking about when he’d warned her of the so-called addiction. She felt tense and unsettled without him nearby, her power reaching out as if searching for him, needing his presence to fill a hole she hadn’t realized was forming. If Caleb was right and that feeling only intensified the closer that they got? Well, it was a little scary, to be honest.  
    So, yeah. First, she was going to touch him and relieve this ache inside her. But then she was definitely going to let him have it.  
    Ava hitched her backpack up higher on her shoulder and gasped as a familiar sensation tingled along her skin. The hair stood up on her forearms and the back of her neck, and she spun around, her heart racing wildly.
    “Hi,” Caleb said, scratching at his neck nervously. “You’re losing your touch. I can’t believe you didn’t sense me sooner.”
    Ava gaped at him. “Well, I’ve kind of had a lot on my mind. My boyfriend disappeared without a word two days ago. I’ve been a little worried.” She fought the urge to grab him and nuzzle into his neck, despite the fact that she could feel her gift reaching toward him—and his reaching back.
    “Yeah. I’m sorry about that,” he said, brushing a finger down her arm. Her skin tingled where he’d touched her, even through her clothes. “Last-minute assignment and I was constantly on the move or I would have called.”
    Ava nodded, feeling tears prick her eyes. She knew she should be strong about this. Caleb was only doing his job—trying to help people—and she knew she should be supportive. She was just feeling so . . . not.
    “Hey,” he said softly, finally moving to take her in his arms. “I’m fine. Really. I’m sorry you were worried. If there was a way to get word to you, I would have. You know that.”
    Ava took a deep breath, settling against his chest as their gifts mingled and swelled to fill the hole inside her. “I know,” she said. “Where were you, anyway?”
    “West coast.” He pushed her hair back over her shoulder and