The Guardians of the Relic

Emily woke early the next morning. The sun shone brightly through her window and the birds chirped without a care in the world. It looked like it hadn’t even rained the night before. She heard music coming from next door. She groaned inwardly. Her neighbor, Daisy, was the loud and energetic type. She got up at 5 a.m. every weekday morning to do Yoga and Pilates, and always did so with the music blasting. She told Emily once that it was the best way to wake up: fully energized. Emily had been like her once, but the stress of life had changed her.

Emily sat up in bed and thought of the strange events of the night before. Now, when she really thought about it, it seemed like it had all been a dream. Those men were very strange. Alastair. She thought that name was a bit familiar, but she wasn’t exactly sure where she’d heard it before. She was trying to recall when she heard a knock on the door. She wondered who she knew who’d be up so early. She put on her robe and went to answer.

She opened the door to see Daisy smiling at her.

“Hey there, neighbor, I was hoping you’d be awake,” said Daisy.

Emily wanted to ask her how she could still be asleep with that loud music playing, but thought better of it. Despite her early morning theatrics, Daisy was a sweet and caring girl. Emily had grown quite fond of her.

“Morning, Daisy. Yeah, I just rolled out of bed,” said Emily.

Daisy was wearing her usual blue shorts and white t-shirt with the words ‘ENJOY LIFE’ written in bold red on the front. Her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail and she had on her running sneakers. She looked to be in great shape, thought Emily jealously.

“Sorry to bother so early, but I ran out of orange juice. I was wondering if you might have some?” asked Daisy.

“Umm…sure, I think I have some. Come in,” said Emily.

“Thanks, I came by last night but you weren’t here.” Daisy walked in and scanned the place.

“Yeah, I got in a bit late.” Emily searched through her fridge for some orange juice.

“So how’s your brother doing?” asked Daisy. She had a big smile on her face.

Emily’s brother rarely visited her at her apartment. Usually, she went to see him at his place. The few times he did come over, Daisy had happened to be there and she had been smitten with him ever since.

“He is well, thanks. He has an exhibition this Friday,” she said and took out a carton of Tango orange juice and left in on the counter.

“Oh wow, that’s fancy. His art is really good, I’m sure it will be a success,” said Daisy.

“Yeah I think it will. I’m so proud of him. He’s really accomplished a lot in these last few years.” Emily always knew her brother had great potential. He just needed to find his way. She suddenly realized something.

“Wait, when did you see his paintings?” she asked. Daisy’s face went red, maybe even a little redder than the writing on her t-shirt; it only made her look prettier thought Emily.

“I kind of went to the gallery a few times.” She stood twisting the cap of her juice bottle, looking like she was a bit unsure what to do with her hands. “Just to see his work. He wasn’t there though. He must have been in the back, or out. I didn’t get to talk to him.”

Emily thought she sounded very disappointed that she didn’t actually get to talk to him. “Daisy, you like him, don’t you?” she asked.

Daisy looked embarrassed and hesitated. “Well...he is a very nice guy. Attractive, ambitious, funny. But I’m sure he has plenty of girlfriends,” she said nervously.

An idea struck Emily. She could take Daisy to the exhibition on Friday. She was quite sure her brother wouldn’t mind. She recalled him asking about the pretty gymnast from next door on the phone. He could use a little romance in his life too.

“Actually, he is not seeing anyone at the moment. I was just thinking; why don’t you come with me to the exhibition on Friday?” asked Emily.

“Oh, really? Do you think he’d be okay with that?”

“Of course. The more the merrier. I’m sure he will be thrilled to see you.”

“Ok, thanks. It will be fun. What time is it?” Daisy sounded excited already.

“It starts at seven in the evening. I will be going early, say around five,” she said.

“I’ll be ready. See you then, Emily,” said Daisy with a smile. She quickly headed towards the door. Just before she left Emily noticed something. “Eh, Daisy, are you forgetting anything?”

“Oh gosh, the juice! So silly of me. Thanks a million,” she said. She took the carton Emily handed her.

“No problem, anytime, see you soon,” she said in a whirl as she closed the door behind Daisy. It was sort of cute how nervous Daisy had become when they starting talking about her brother. They would make a nice couple, she thought.

After Daisy left, Emily got ready for work. She took the bus; for some reason she really didn’t feel like walking. During the ride to work she closed her eyes and began to think about that book she had read the day before on wizards. She wondered why it bugged her so much. Those stories were old tales, and she hadn’t gotten too far into it. But she had a curious mind; it was the Carson way. Her father, Peter Carson, had been a journalist. He was always chasing a story, and most of the time landed himself into trouble for it. He was always after the truth. He wanted to make sure his readers got the right story. She had loved that about him - his perseverance. It was a character trait that had made him a good journalist, and it was one she had picked up, too.

Her mind drifted to all the times he had taken her with him on the hunt for a story. Emily loved playing detective, and after a long day on the job he would buy her an ice cream. She must have been about seven years old at the time. Her mother always said to him, “Pete, honey, you’re spoiling that girl.” The memory of her mother made her smile.

Beth Carson had been an archaeologist. She had worked at The Elgin Central Gallery. Emily always thought the real reason her brother had opened his own gallery - apart from his love for art - was that the atmosphere of the place brought back memories of their mother. He had been closer to her than their dad, and while Emily was off on her adventures with their dad, Mike would spend time with their mom at the gallery.

She really missed her parents. She wondered constantly about what had really happened to them? What were they doing outside of town? Had they suffered? She had so many unanswered questions.

As soon as she got to work she settled in with a nice cup of coffee. She decided to head over to the storeroom to get a new collection of books that had just arrived a few days before; most of them were new releases. Emily went down the rickety old stairs to the storeroom. She fumbled for the storeroom key, and then she heard a sound coming from inside the room. It was just past seven and Emily knew most of the regulars only came in around nine. Who was inside?

Emily froze and a dozen possible scenarios went through her head. At first she thought robbers, but with the exception of late fees there wasn’t much to steal. Perhaps it was just a stray cat; she sometimes forgot the close the storeroom window and one could easily have jumped in. Then again, after her encounter last night, she couldn’t be too certain that the men from the park had changed their minds. She slowly turned the handle on the door, only to find that it was already open. Even though her heart was racing, she pushed the door open and went in.

“Oh, hey Emily!” called a surprised male voice. She jumped in a shock before she recognized the tall figure standing on the ladder reaching for a book.

“Oh my God! Jason, you startled me,” she said with her hand on her chest.

Jason laughed. “Sorry Emily. Who did you think it was?” He climbed down the ladder. Jason Calhoun was the son of the owner of Elgin Central Library. His father Bernard Calhoun had re-opened the Library twelve years ago, after the city had shut it down due to lack of funding. Bernard had a great passion for literature and thought the community needed a library. He also owned Calhoun Industries, one of the largest firms in the town. Jason managed the company and the library for his father, who spent his most of his time travelling around the world to secure new clients.

She watched Jason carefully as he turned around to face her. He was ruggedly handsome. He had broad shoulders and muscular arms which showed that he must worked out. He had one of those chiseled faces that made girls melt at the sight him. His eyes were crystal blue and captivating. Her heart skipped a beat and she found it hard to take her eyes off of him.

Jason noticed she was staring. He had always thought Emily was very attractive. She wore a long-sleeve knee-length velvet red dress with black boots. Her curly hair was chestnut brown and tumbled over her shoulders. He always liked it when she left her hair open. Jason came to the library once a week, usually every Wednesday. His father had instructed him to check in occasionally; Bernard was fond of Emily and trusted her to manage everything. His father never specified how often Jason should check in at the Library. There wasn’t much to actually check in on, but he came to see Emily.

“Emily....you okay? I’m sorry I startled you, I got in early and thought you wouldn’t be in until later, so I locked the front door.”

She snapped out of her dreamy state. “Oh, yeah I’m fine. I thought it was a robber or something,” she said, feeling her face flush.

“A robber?” Jason asked and laughed. “I doubt anyone would want to rob this place. It’s not like we have money lying around here.”

She smiled. “I guess you’re right. I just wasn’t expecting you this week. I thought you’d be in London.”

“I just got back yesterday afternoon. The deal closed faster than I had expected,” answered Jason.

Emily guessed he was really getting the hang of running his father’s business himself now. “That’s great.” She noticed he held a book in his hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh this? It’s just a book on the stock market. My dad told me he ordered it two weeks ago and said that I should read it,” he shrugged.

She fidgeted with her hair. “Okay, I think I remember him calling to see if it had arrived. So you came all the way over here to get that book? You must be exhausted from your trip. You should have called and I would have sent it over to your place.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I actually wanted to ask you something,” said Jason. He hesitated and wondered if this was the right time to ask her out. He had been postponing for ages, always thinking of one excuse or another.

Emily wondered what was going through his mind. He usually got fine lines on his forehead when he was concentrating hard on something, and his brow was positively furrowed right now. “What did you want to ask?” she asked, breaking the silence that had settled in.

He rubbed the back of his neck. He asked girls out all the time, he wasn’t sure why he was so nervous now. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner with me on Friday night,” he blurted. A sense of relief washed over him.

“I would love to,” she smiled, but her smile quickly turned to a frown. “I would love to, but I have to attend my brother’s art exhibit on Friday.” Emily felt a little disappointed. She had been waiting so long for him to ask her out, and now she couldn’t accept his offer.

“Okay, no problem,” he answered. His voice sounded flustered. “Rain check then?” he asked.

“Maybe you could come with me to the exhibition?” asked Emily as the idea occurred to her.

“Okay, sounds good!” He preferred to be alone with her, but circumstances didn’t allow it. At least he would get to spend time with her outside the Library, thought Jason. “I will pick you up. We can take my car. I’ll give you a call,” he said. Then, with a grin, he turned to walk back upstairs.

“Great,” said Emily with a growing smile. She needed to call her brother and let him know she wasn’t coming alone on Friday.

The day went by quickly. Emily finished most of her work, and Jason had helped her a little before he got a call saying he was needed at the office. Normally she would have worn one of her work outfits, but they were too “professional.” Emily realized he had nothing date-worthy to wear to the exhibition. That was a big problem. She was already feeling nervous and excited. Now she was stressed about an outfit.

The next day flew as she worked and fantasized about the exhibit on Friday. After work she went shopping and found a lovely bottle green dress. It had sliver sequence and was a halter neck. The dress hugged her body and accentuated all her curves in just the right way. Emily thought it was a perfect evening dress.

Emily woke up the next morning fully energized. The weather had changed from cloudy and dull after the rain to bright sunshine. On her way to work she stopped to buy a newspaper at a small newspaper stand. On the front page was an elderly man handing over a man-sized check to a woman. The caption read: James Cunningham, entrepreneur and multimillionaire, gives back to the community. According the article James had donated a million dollars to a local children’s charity. At least some rich people do good deeds with their money, thought Emily.

James Cunningham was quite good looking, too. He appeared to be in his late fifties, and she thought he had aged well. She read a little more of the article when she got to work. She always loved feel-good stories that showed the goodness of people.

Besides the regulars, she noticed some new faces in the library, especially the tall, smartly dressed man with glasses. She had never seen him before, but lately he seemed to be here every day. She had noticed that he usually spoke to no one, and went straight to the computer section of the library whenever he arrived. Elgin Central Library offered an unlimited access to a range of books on all subjects. Emily thought he seemed like the nerdy scientist type. Maybe that was why he was here.

Time slipped past her for the rest of the day, and before she knew it she was back in her apartment and it was time to get ready for the exhibition. Jason will be here any minute, she thought.

Jason barely made it on time to pick up Emily and Daisy. His day at the office had been very busy, and he had completely lost track of the time. He pulled up the Emily’s apartment, and Emily and Daisy made their way down the steps towards him. He wore a grey pinstripe suit.

Jason watched the two as they walked towards his car. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Emily. He was stunned. She looked breathtaking; her dress glittered and her hair was tied up in way that exposed her elegant neck. Jason thought she looked gorgeous.

“Good evening, ladies,” he said chivalrously as he moved around the car to open the door for them.

“You were almost late,” teased Emily. She thought he looked sharp in his grey pinstripe suit. She also loved the ways his eyes were watching her as she made her way to the car.

“It couldn’t be helped,” he replied, “but I promise to make up time on the way to the exhibit.”

“Just get us there in one piece,” replied Daisy.

True to his word, they got there with time to spare. Michael and his team were still setting up. The paintings that hung on the left wall were all his work and on the right were some of the new artists work. Michael stood holding his chin with his right hand, contemplating the positioning of the paintings. He wore a long-sleeve silk maroon shirt with grey pants and tie. He was a bit skinny but had a handsomely sculpted face. He was so focused on positioning the pieces right that he hadn’t seen them arrive

“Hey Mike,” called Emily with a wave. She walked towards him with a big smile on her face.

“Hey Ems. Wow you look beautiful, I love the dress,” complimented Michael. He gave her a hug.

“Thanks. You remember Jason?” asked Emily as she gestured towards him.

“Yes, of course. Welcome, so glad you could join us,” said Michael. The two men shook hands.

“Sure, this place is really great,” said Jason. His eyes wandered around the artworks.

“Thank you. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time.” Michael’s eyes shifted to Daisy, who was standing demurely next to Jason. She wore an elegant short black dress.

“Hi Daisy. You look amazing,” he said. He kissed her hand.

“Thank you,” She blushed. She watched his eyes dance over her, and noticed that he had fallen silent, as if he had forgotten what to say.

He seemed to realize it too. With a goofy grin, he shook his head and waved his hand around the room. “Please make yourselves at home. The servers will be around with the drinks soon,” he said.

Emily got a chance to catch up with her brother a little, before some of the guests arrived and he got called away. Jason, being a Calhoun, knew more of the guests than he liked and as a consequence found himself tied up in conversations. Emily stood with a glass of wine in her hand and skimmed through the crowd. The man at the corner of the room caught her attention. He appeared to be very bored while sipping a drink and staring at a painting. He looked a bit familiar to her. She then realized he was the same man that she had seen earlier at the library.

“Hey beautiful, sorry, those were some of my dad’s friends,” said Jason, interrupting Emily’s thoughts.

“Oh, it’s ok. Do you know him?” she said. Jason’s eyes followed the direction she was looking.

“Ethan Cunningham. His father is a multi-millionaire,” Jason said authoritatively. “Although I am not quite sure what he does for a living.”

She remembered the newspaper article she read “Cunningham...oh his father is James Cunningham?” It was more of a question than a statement.

“Yep. I see you’ve heard of him,” said Jason.

“Well he did make the front page of the Elgin Times. What do you mean you’re not sure what he does for a living?” asked Emily.

“Ethan is a strange guy. The story is he is some kind of genius or something. He’s not exactly a people person. I’ve heard he runs a small computer shop down town, and that he sometimes rents out the room next door to some strange people.”

Emily stared at the man as he stood staring at the painting. They were right about one thing. He was definitely anti-social.

As the evening progressed she spent more time getting to know Jason on a personal level. Michael was busy charming Daisy, and they seemed to be getting rather cozy with each other. The event turned out to be a success and Michael told her they sold several very expensive pieces. When it was over, he walked them all to Jason’s car. She gave him a big hug, and they left the gallery.

On the drive home Emily stared out the window and into the night sky. She thought about how everything in her life suddenly seemed so perfect. She had no idea it was all about to change very soon.