Eveline

The program was flourishing, but being a teacher wasn't my life's ambition. I wanted to be out protecting the realm, but I tried to hide my restlessness from Alistor as best as I could for he would try to bow out of his position if it would mean my happiness and I couldn't do that to him. Even if it killed my own dream.

There were four Nephilium classman two years from graduating, and five four years from graduating. The mortal Guardian ranks were soaring, but what kept me happy was there was no corruption in the ranks as there had been when I had been training. These young ambitious souls were free to soar to heights above us all with no secret shadow looming over them. Even after all these years, the night I had been branded by the Keltcher still tormented the dark places of my mind.

Alistor made a good champion to Christopher and there was talk of allowing Dark Bloods to join our ranks. It was more of a question of best to approach it. Would there be special classes as there was for the Nephilium? Our three classes were originally to hone our angelic gifts that were made to be used on their race where as the Dark Bloods had a range of different powers. Sasha could sense moods. Jaspen could wield fire and possibly read minds (Alistor had a hunch, but we have never been able to prove it) and Sebastian could sense storms and sometimes manipulate them. There of course were the normal realm of powers of changing among the werewolves and the power to render a human unable to move for vampires, but there had to be other powers we hadn't even heard about yet. How would we even go about making classes for the Dark Bloods? I shook my head glad that burden wasn't on me.

I watched my students from the far corner of the court yard in the shade. This hour was my first years so they were all using wooden swords.

Timothy Vulvic of Pike was rather promising even for a first year and especially for his size. He was the shortest of the boys at only five foot and was rather scrawny. What he lacked in strength, he made up for in quickness. His feint attack always forced his opponent to give him an opening that was good for him as well as his remise technique. His father had taught him well. With some fine tuning, he would excel quickly.

What surprised most of the Guardians was that with my graduation, there wasn't a surge in woman joining. Christopher had even lifted restriction so they could based on trying to hopefully gain more Nephilium students. For whatever reason, there was more girl Nephilim born then boys every year.

I looked up at the clock and realized in my day dreaming, that I had allowed training to go five minutes longer giving them shorter time to get out of their padded training gear.

"Time!" I hauled. "Quickly now! Five minutes shorter than usual before the end of class bell to get ready."

I heard a chuckle behind me and I turned to see Alistor.

"Head in the clouds, my mouse?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes. Even after all these years, I hadn't lost that terrible nickname.

"Aye. What brings you here?" I asked surprised.

Usually I didn't see him till dinner. That's when I noticed he had several opened letters in his hands. It couldn't be. Letters of late attendance like mine for first years coming up in a month.

"Are those…"

My heart quickened with enthusiasm.

"Aye. Three Nephilium that need you to ride out and give the test," he said a broad smile on his face.

"You opened my mail," I said teasing him.

"Technically they were addressed to the king and you. He read them first and asked me to have you go and visit them."

I couldn't keep the smile from my face. Three Nephilium candidates. I would get out of the stuffy capital for a few days. I saw the look on Alistor's face though.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm to stay here and oversee you're duties while your gone," he pouted crossing his arms.

Was it possible he missed the old days of adventure as much as I did?

"That is troublesome," I teased trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh?" he said a spark coming to his eyes.

"I might come back to my students being worse off."

He laughed. "I am the king's champion. Surely you should be able to trust me to teach them if he trusts me to defend his honor."

I smiled. "Aye. You just looked too serious there, Renn."

He kissed my forehead. "I'm just going to miss you is all. In the olden days we would have been off together…"

"Your the one that wanted to be a desk guardian with a better salary," I teased. "Made it easier to keep an eye on me remember?"

He smiled slightly. "Never thought I'd be a desk guardian, but here we are."

Honestly I never thought either of us would be kept within the castle walls, but our duty was first to the king and our services were best kept close to him. It had just been too convenient that Octavian had decided to retire his shield as Christopher took the crown, but I understood. I secretly suspected that Christopher had asked him to resign knowing Alistor wouldn't be his champion if I was still out in the kingdom, but I kept my suspicions to myself.

"When did he say I was to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, but I need you to walk me through your schedule so everything is just how it was when you return."

"Do you have time for me to go over it with you now then?"

I was trying to keep my growing excitement from my voice for I knew Alistor was ambivalent over my leaving.