~
I burst into Mr. Harlixton’s office, ready to pump him for information about St. Lucy’s church in Harlem. Silence greeted me in the empty office and the stench of despair filled my nostrils, seeping into every pore. A deadly aroma of French press and moldy books, the hollow cry of a neglected office, reeked of so much more than stale coffee. If only my frustrations could drown themselves in the murky darkness.
On the wall, the clock ticked as I cleared off a chair to wait for my teacher. Maybe it knew more than I did, that time was running out. I couldn’t wait another moment to explore this new lead. But even I could admit when I needed backup.
Mr. Harlixton bustled past me with a stack of books up to his chest and dumped them on the floor. “Miss McAllen, right on time I see. You’ll have to forgive my oddities. You know some people say that a messy office is the sign of a productive person. At least I do.”
“Never heard that one.” I crossed my arms, leaning on the edge of his desk. “I found something in one of the chapel books that I want to explore.”
“Oh really? Do tell.” He scratched his chin and stared right back at me.
“Do you know anything about a St. Lucy’s church in Harlem? I think it might somehow be connected to my brother’s disappearance.” Crap, I’d said too much. I gnawed on my lip, my leg jiggling like crazy. Hopefully this was one guy I could trust.
“Yes. That church has an amazing library. It was once a Guardian church, if I remember correctly.” He pushed up his glasses as an expression of curiosity swept over his face. “But why do you think it has something to do with your brother?”
“Um…” I snapped back in my chair, trying to think of something that wouldn’t give all my secrets away. “I have my reasons.”
“That’s very vague.” His loud laugh roared around the small room. “I’m not sure if I can help you if you don’t feel like you can confide in me.”
“Okay, but please don’t tell anyone else about this.” My plea came out high and breathy as I glanced around the room. Luckily, Mr. Harlixton had shut the door to his office, so I decided to take a shot. “I got a postcard from James a few months ago. Of a Santa Lucia church in Italy.”
“I see. That could most definitely relate to something at St. Lucy’s church in Harlem.” He waddled over to the pile of books he’d left by the door. “I found these on a table in the chapel library. You should really be more careful about re-shelving your books. Anyone could’ve found these.”
“Oh, no.” I gasped. The real question, the reason I’d ran straight to his office, waited on the tip of my tongue. “Should I wait to check out the church now?”
“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll just keep these here for safekeeping.” He crammed the remaining books onto his shelf. “Actually, I have a better idea. I think you should go to the library at St. Lucy’s church and try to find the information you need.”
“Really?” My heart buoyed in my chest. “What’s the catch?”
He zeroed in on me with those beady little eyes behind his thick lenses. “You should take the rest of the student Guardians with you. It can be your Guardian initiation.”
“Oh.” My arms went slack, all my dive-bombing into the pit of my stomach. “I guess that’s a good idea.”
“I’m sure you want to keep your options open, but hear me out.” He rolled up his shirtsleeves and plunked back down in his seat. “The initiation is just an introductory step to join the Guardians. There are a few more hoops to jump through to become a full member. This way you’ll have plenty of people to keep you safe.”
Pressure built up between my eyes as I wrinkled my brow at him. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. And I really don’t want to go by myself.”
“Perfect. I’ll let Bryan know.” He rubbed his hands together, a smile creeping up his face. “I’ve even got an initiation present to sweeten the deal.” Then he opened his desk drawer and slid out an ancient skeleton key, with a modern-looking key hanging next to it.
“For me?” I snatched the wrought-iron keychain from his hands. “Cool. What’re they for?”
“The big one is for the chapel door, the small one for the library. Once you get back from your little trip, you might need to do some extra research after hours.” He wiped his hands on his plaid dress shirt. “From what you’ve told me about your incident at the Hard Rock Cafe, you could use some alone time to practice wielding angel fire. Also, it’ll give you a chance to read up on the more subtle powers of the Seer, like premonition and discernment.”
“Thank you for this little present, but what exactly do you mean by discernment?” I turned the keys over in my hands.
“I think you know what I mean, but let me spell it out for you.” Harlixton scratched the scruff on his chin. “It’s that feeling you get when you know something’s about to happen. You can it explain how you know. You just know.”
His words rolled around in my brain. “Yes, I’ve had that feeling many times. I guess I thought it was one of the lesser gifts I had as a second born.”
“Discernment is a gift usually bestowed on siblings of the firstborn, but it is definitely not a lesser gift. I like to call it an early warning system.” With that, he scooted me toward
