The

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The

GuardianLastMichelle Wachbrit

Aurora, Colorado

The Last Guardian:Copyright © 2011 by Michelle Wachbrit. All Rights Reserved.www.TheLastGuardian.com

Published by Tendril Press™www.tendrilpress.comPO 441110Aurora, CO 80044303.696.9227

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho-tocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Tendril Press and Michelle Wachbrit. The material in this book is furnished for in-formational use only and is subject to change without notice. Tendril Press assumes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the documents contained in this book.

All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.

ISBN 97809841543-6-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2008909903

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 First Publishing: 2011

www.TheLastGuardianBook.comwww.MichelleWachbrit.com

Cover Illustration by: Schin Loong aka “Luciole”

Art Direction, Book Design and Cover Design © 2008. All Rights Reserved by

A. J. Images Inc. Business Design & Publishing Centerwww.AJImagesinc.com — 303•696•9227Info@AJImagesInc.com

To my mom and dad, who believed in me through it all.

Bright bluish­purple fl ashes split the darkness and cast an eerie glow over the stillness. At the town’s

heart, a massive castle towered over a heavy blanket of fog that fl oated above the ground. As though alive, it twisted and distorted the lights into spirit­like im­ages that appeared to dance to some silent beat. The heat radiating from its surface evaporated every liv­ing thing it touched.

Serenea had been a peaceful community before the fog descended to fi ll the streets and permeate buildings and homes through open doors, windows, and fi ssures or cracks. It claimed its victims, leaving in its wake nothing but tiny glowing lights hovering over small mounds of dust.

The attack had come late in the evening after most of the residents had gone to bed. Only those who

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remained in the tavern for a last ale and one who dwelled within the castle saw the invading bank of fog. Looking out a castle window, a young guard watched it advance. His duty to protect the one that was most important to them all and to the cosmos propelled him into action. Following the protocol he never imagined he would need to use, he gave his life to save hers.

And now only two living souls remained—a young girl locked in a cavern deep within the castle’s walls and the one who had brought death to Serenea.

Water droplets rolled down the stalactites and plinked against the rock fl oor of the huge cavern. The dark, cold vault lay between dimensions where no one dwelled, and it offered Mienya absolute security. She took no comfort in that fact. Alone, frightened, and unsure of where she was or what had happened to her family or her people, she shivered. Nothing in the twelve short years of her life had prepared her for this. The only light radiated from a small orb that hovered an arm’s length above her head, casting shadows and providing just enough luminosity for her to make out faint shapes of her surroundings.

She pushed herself to her feet and began her third journey around the perimeter of the cavern. Placing

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her hand against the cold wall, she moved slowly so as not to miss anything. Her fi rst two trips had brought her full circle to the fl at rock on which she had just been sitting. About halfway around, she slowed down and stared at what appeared to be a pool fi lled with black liquid. She’d noticed it when she passed by be­fore, but she hadn’t stopped to investigate.

Leaning over, she sniffed and jumped back. The thick, gooey liquid bubbled. She watched it for a mo­ment and then bent down on one knee. Every few minutes, the bubbling began and, several seconds later, stopped. She stuck a fi nger into the liquid and pulled it away. Not a single drop of the substance clung to her skin. It was as though she had never dipped her fi nger into the pool.

Moving to its far end, she stopped at four oddly shaped rock formations that stood taller than her full height. Faces appeared to be carved into their smooth surfaces. Positioned along one side of the pool, they looked like sentinels watching over the murky liquid.

“I wonder what these things are.” Her voice bounced off the cavern walls and came back at her. Unnerved by the sound and bored of the rock fi gures and the black pool, she made her way to the sealed entrance of the cavern and sank down on the cold rock fl oor.

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Pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and rocked back and forth. In the soft glow of the orb light, her simple white leggings, blouse, and white shoes appeared to be smudged. She looked up at the muddy water that ran in tiny rivulets down the walls to snake its way across the fl oor. Her long, straight, hair fell over her arms, its dark red color barely discernible in the semi­dark­ness. Unable to see the wings that only she in all the cosmos possessed, she stretched them and wrapped them forward around her shoulders. The chill of the damp room couldn’t penetrate the warmth of their feathers, but her legs and feet felt almost frozen. Clos­ing her eyes, she focused mentally on the area around her. The temperature of the air and fl oor began to rise. She intensifi ed her concentration and straightened her legs. The fl oor beneath them radiated heat and comfort. Laying her head back against the wall, she allowed herself to rest.

Born into the royal family of Ckanizar, she held a position far above princess. Her special ability to cre­ate and manipulate immeasurable amounts of ener­gy with her mind—a phenomenon that occurred only once every fi ve thousand years—made her unique among her people. She opened her eyes and began to preen her wings with gentle strokes of her small

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fi ngers. They were the outward symbol of her status. Again her eyes drifted shut, and she slept.

Fog slipped through the cracks in the castle wall and made its way down the long hall, sending white fi ngers of killing heat into every room it passed. The guard grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the secret door that led to the hidden passage.

“Hurry!” he urged. “We do not have much time!”“But I want to see my mother,” she argued. “And

where is my brother?”

“No time, Mienya! We must go now!”She turned to look at him.“I am so sorry, your highness. I apologize for calling

you by name. It is just that…I needed to get your atten­tion.” He ran his hand along the wall. The hidden door opened. “I will get the queen and your brother and bring them to you. Now hurry.”

He gave her a gentle push toward the stairs. She looked back as the door clicked shut and became part of the solid wall. Turning around, she ran toward the spot where it had been.

“Garin! Mama! I need you! Please!”

The dream woke her. Beneath her legs and feet, the fl oor had grown cold, and her wings had retreated

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to their natural position. Unsettled by the dream and too restless to sleep any more, she stood and stretched. How much time had passed since she’d been hidden in the cave, she could only guess. But she couldn’t stay here any longer. Her sanctuary had become a prison from which she longed to escape. She ignored the voice in the back of her mind that kept insisting she stay put.

“Do I try to fi nd a way out, or do I just wait?” she argued aloud with the voice. “I cannot stay here for­ever, you know.”

Listening to the voice of reason and sitting still had never been her strong points. She would go; she had to go. It still took her a moment to persuade herself to leave because the tiny voice in the back of her mind urged her to rethink her decision.

“Hush!” she said fi nally. “I do not want to hear an­other word about it.”

She stared at the wall that held the concealed doorway. How could she open it? For a moment she imagined she heard arguing in her head, but before she could dwell on it any further, the answer to her problem popped into her mind. Placing her palms against the rough cavern wall, she concentrated on the spot where the door should be. Her hands start­ed to glow, softly at fi rst, and then growing brighter until a warm orange­yellow light emanated from her

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fl esh. Slowly, she pulled her arms back. Two radiant imprints where her hands had been placed glowed on the rock wall.

Nothing happened. She stepped back and frowned. I do not understand. What have I done wrong?

A deep rumble emanated from within the wall. The gift of energy within her body had the power to open the partition after all. She took another step back as the door swung out, revealing a stone hallway.

Mienya peered into the corridor and retreated to the safety of the cavern. She sank down on the cold fl oor, pulled off her shoes, and set her feet fl at on its surface. Then she stood up and moved around a little to get used to the feel of walking without her shoes before returning to the wall where her handprints still glowed. Second thoughts about leaving the cav­ern fl itted through her mind. Should I leave this place where I know I am safe, or do I go out to see what hap­pened to my family?

She felt dizzy, as though she were spinning in circles. Ignoring the feeling, she took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway. A part of her wanted to cling to the safe haven where the guard had sent her, but she wanted even more to fi nd her family. Sitting here, she could never do that.

Trouble was she did not know where to look. And she did not know what she would fi nd.

About the Author

Michelle Wachbrit hits the young adult book mar­ket with a powerful fi rst entry—a coming­of­age story that will grip both young and not­so­young readers with its believable characters and compelling plot. A professional baker by trade and an avid reader herself, Ms. Wachbrit has combined her fertile imagination, her extraordinary sense of story, and her vivid memo­ries of what young people love to read to create a unique action story with a memorable protagonist who will linger in the reader’s mind and heart long af­ter the novel has been read. A promise of more books to come in The Guardian series is the one redeeming hope for readers who don’t want the story to end. This twenty­three­year­old Nevada author will be a force to watch in young adult literature.

“Schin Loong aka “Luciole” was raised in Malaysia and at a very young age found herself spending hours sketching fantasy artwork with mainly markers and watercolors. Eventually her passion evolved into an interest in Japanese manga and anime. She enrolled in art school in Malaysia after deciding to get serious about her passion for art. As she worked through college, she was inspired by the digital arts and pro­ducing pieces using a tablet, Photoshop & Painter, as well as using a mix of watercolor and other digital el­ements for her work. In 2007, she moved to the Unit­ed States to attend the Ringling College of Art and Design, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree with high honors. Schin now works from Nevada and con­tinues to amaze us with her awesome illustrations.”

www. Schin­Art.com email: schin@schin­art.com

About the Illustrator

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