“It’s time.”
She stood up, instantly open and obedient. A slight smile played across her full lips, and she waited for his command.
Constantine nodded. “Such a good girl.” He stroked her blonde hair and she shivered. “What we feared is happening. It’s time. You must retrieve the child and go to the Garden. Be safe. Go quickly, and speak to no one save your new Guardian. You belong to Master Allgood now.”
Her brow furrowed in worry. “Sir … what about you?”
He touched the side of her face and her expression softened again. “Such a good girl. I’ll be fine, Abigail. No worries for me. Fulfill your mission. Save the boy.”
“Yes, sir.”
He kissed her for the final time. “Go now. Meet Master Allgood at the point we chose. Travel safe, my angel.”
She turned on her heel, then paused, looking back over her shoulder. “Sir? What about my brother?”
He spoke softly, but with a firm tone she knew not to question. “We did what we could, but we couldn’t save him. I’m afraid Isaiah is dead. Now go.”
Abigail nodded, a wave of sadness breaking across her face that disappeared almost instantly. “Yes, sir.”
She turned and left, running against the tide of Windhaven employees racing for the exits. The alarms ringing above her sounded distant, far away, and she couldn’t hear the screams of the people around her at all. Her mind was focused, set on her only goal.
Save the boy. Go to the Garden.
She found him in his playroom, where he spent several hours alone each day. He’d combed through all the books they’d given hi more than once, but he was still curled up with his favorite one about a Big Bird who taught kids how to count and recognize colors. He could recite it from memory, and she knew he did it to show off his intelligence. He was quite the charmer for a child not quite four years old.
He looked up when the door opened. “Hi Miss Abby! What’s that noise?”
She grabbed his backpack from his closet, and an extra bag she kept filled with his favorite toys and more books. “Would you like to go for a ride, sweetie?”
“Sure!” He jumped up and pulled on his shoes. “Where we going?”
Abigail helped him put on his jacket and ruffled his hair. “We’re going on a great trip! We get to go to the Garden!”
“Cool!” He stuffed his favorite book into his backpack. “When?”
“Right now. Uncle Allgood is waiting on us. This will be super fun!”
He giggled as they walked down the hall together. As if he’d heard her, her new master was there waiting, ignoring the people begging for information about why the building was being evacuated. he took the book bag from Abigail, kissed her on the cheek, and smiled at the little boy.
“Time to go.” He looked around as smoke billowed down the corridor. “We need to hurry.”
The heat rose around them, and the boy covered his ears as gunshots echoed around them. “Miss Abby? What is that? Someone is coming. He’s real mad.”
A screaming woman ran past them, her hair blazing, her clothes on fire. “The car is this way.” Allgood said, his expression stern, but calm. “We need to go now.”
Abigail shielded the boy against her chest and they ran. The flames, the roars of rage behind her, faded from her focus.
Someone called her name, but she couldn’t place the voice.
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