Free Guardian Of Fate (Fate Series) by L.J. Kentowski

we'd planned was cancelled, I grabbed a slice of pizza. Then I took a seat on the couch and turned on the TV. I found a channel showing "Silence of the Lambs," but it wasn't starting for another half an hour. I decided to pass the time until the movie started by reading a magazine. As I got up to get one, my phone rang.
    Praying that it was my mom finally calling to let me know she was all right, I grabbed the phone from the breakfast bar and read my mom's name on the display. Relieved, I answered quickly.
    "Mom! Where are you? Are you okay? I've been trying to call you! Why haven't you answered?"
    "Cassie, calm down. I'm fine. Sorry I haven't called before now, but I've been in areas without any reception. I should only be a few more days. I'm meeting with someone tomorrow who should have some answers for us, and then I'll be home. Everything okay there?
    "I saw another one of those men, or whatever it is, again."
    "You mean like the passenger of the car?" she asked, fear in her voice again. "With the eyes? Where?"
    I didn't like hearing my mom scared, but the more information she had, the more helpful it might be in getting answers.
    "He... it... was at school, following some guy. This one looked me dead in the eyes again. The guy almost fell down the steps in one of the buildings. Luckily, someone saw him and caught him before he went down. There was no way I could get to him in time. Just like the last time, though, the thing was gone, right before it all went down."
    There was silence on the other line for so long, I thought I lost the connection.
    "Mom?"
    "I'm here, Cassie. So this guy was saved then?"
    "Yeah, by this other guy that I knew. He happened to be walking up the stairs just in time." I didn't want to bother my mom about Caleb. It just wasn't the time. I'd tell her about him once she got back and we got all of this sorted out, if there were even anything to tell. Dinner with Caleb could end up being a complete bust.
    "That's odd too. You've never had one saved by someone else before. You said you knew him?"
    I guess I wasn't going to get away with keeping Caleb out of this after all.
    "His name is Caleb, and I met him the other night. He goes to the law school at Waitling. We had lunch today. He seems pretty cool. Nora met him tonight and agrees."
    "Nora met him?" she asked.
    It seemed like a strange question to me, but I answered, "Yeah, briefly when he walked me to the door tonight. Why?"
    "Oh, nothing really. I just think Nora is a very good judge of character. I value her opinion more than anyone that you're with. Is that it then, Cassie? Anything more that happened? I'm going to have to get going, the call is going to cut off soon."
    "But you haven't told me anything yet!" I cried. "Where are you, who are you going to meet?"
    "I'll tell you everything when I get back, Cassie. I promise. Now, I have to go. Be careful, baby. Try to stay low until I get back. Okay?"
    "Yeah, Mom. I will," I murmured, disappointment clear in my voice.
    I listened to silence for a while after my mom hung up. I hated that she kept all of this from me. The waiting in wonder felt as bad as what it must be like to wait for some doctor to relay the test results for a fatal disease. Would my mother come back with a deadly diagnosis?
    Not much in the mood for the movie anymore, I decided to take a quick shower and go to bed. The day's confusion exhausted my mind more than my body. I wished for a peaceful night of sleep before drifting off.

 
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Looking at the clock, I realized why. I had slept almost a full eight hours without any dreams to wake me. It was something that hadn't happened in a while. It was still fairly early, and I had a few hours before I had to be at the hospital for my shift, so I went for a run.
    Near the apartment complex, there was a trail that bikers and runners frequented in the warmer climates. Only the die-hard runners could be seen on the