Ancient Guardian E-Book

M. C. Woody

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 715

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

After the brutal murder of her sister and her family, Sunny flees to her people, who live in hiding. Pursued by an organization that calls itself "The Order," she must trust a stranger who saves her and her grandfather from an enemy agent at the last second. Together, they reach her people, who call themselves "The Community" and hide themselves and their supernatural powers from the world. But even there, they are not welcome by everyone, and the enemy agent is not giving up so easily. Sunny and her companion face several dangers to protect their families and their people. Will they succeed, or will there be no future for them and the community?

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Imprint

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

Imprint

Any inconsistencies in the text are due to the fact that it was translated using computer-aided technology for a company-wide study.

© 2025 novum publishing gmbh

Rathausgasse 73, A-7311 Neckenmarkt

[email protected]

Dedication

For mom

Chapter 1

The short but heavy autumn rain ended just as suddenly as it had begun. A few drops fell through the light canopy of the birch tree under which the young woman had found only moderate protection from the wet. Once on the ground, they mingled with the silent tears running down her sad face. From the small mound on which her meager shelter grew, she had watched the small crowd of umbrellas that had gathered about fifty meters away and was now slowly beginning to disperse. Hesitantly, the sun fought its way through the clouds and sent a few rays like a final greeting to the mourners, who left the open grave one by one. Only the old man stayed behind after the priest had said goodbye with a few words of comfort. The old man had not even noticed him, his gaze stoically fixed on the three coffins, which were now waiting to be covered with earth and hidden under flowers and wreaths. He had done without an umbrella, so his clothes were now wet and cold against his skin. The young woman plucked up her courage and walked timidly towards the dripping man.

Her pulse beat nervously in her veins and she tried to swallow down the lump in her throat as she began to approached with a few steps. "Get out of here! You have no business here!" Startled by the harsh words, she paused for a moment, then stepped resolutely up to the grave beside the old man. "They were my family too, Grandpa!"

"Oh no, they weren't, you decided against us when you declared your allegiance to the freaks. That's when you stopped belonging to this family, my family." Turning his gaze to the coffins, he clenched his fists and said, "I'm sure you're to blame for this, it was only because of your clan that they were killed!" The woman walked past him and looked at the picture on the cross erected behind the pit. The little family on it looked happy, just as she remembered it from the last time she had visited the three of them. She remembered taking the photo herself. Nathaniel's first tooth, which he showed laughing in the picture, had been the occasion. "Dawn didn't see it that way, she knew that no decision could separate us. We were sisters!"

"And now she's dead!" The old man shouted at the woman, scaring off a few birds that had found shelter from the rain in a bush. Without another word, he turned away and left her standing there. Broken, he shuffled away, past the coffins of his family. The young woman was left alone with her grief; she had hoped to ease their pain together, but her grandfather was not prepared to do so. He blamed her, and she couldn't blame him. He had been through it all before, when he lost his wife and daughter to crime eighteen years ago. He was probably right about that, it couldn't be a coincidence. But how had the people who killed her mother and grandmother back then been able to find Dawn and her little family? Eighteen years! Eighteen years they had been in hiding. How did they find them? Only when the rain started again did she leave the three coffins to quickly reach the parking lot and drive home.

She had already noticed the man when she had arrived at the cemetery before all the other mourners. He looked to be in his mid-thirties and had a well-groomed appearance, so he wasn't a paparazzi. He didn't look like a policeman either, but she still suspected that he was somehow involved in her story. This assumption was confirmed when he approached her. "Excuse me, Miss Donavan, could I speak to you for a minute?" She looked at the man suspiciously. "How do you know my name? Are you with the police?" The French accent told her that he was certainly not German, but what did that matter these days? He smiled disarmingly at her and replied: "Not in ze proper sense." Sunny found his  accent sexy and looked at him more closely. His blue eyes looked very friendly due to the laugh lines and his tanned skin made them particularly bright. The full lips seemed to be made for kissing and, together with his square chin, gave him a very attractive appearance. "Well, what are you then? A private detective? I can't tell you anything that the world doesn't already know from the press."

"Well, I beg to differ. My name is Gérald Beloc and I'm from Interpol. Look!" He held a badge under her nose, which she barely noticed. What normal citizen knew what a real ID card from an authority with which they usually never came into contact looked like? "Well, how did you find out about me? I have nothing to do with the matter."

"Oh, I zink you have a lot to do with ze matter. I wonder why ze police don't know anything about ze sister of one of ze victims or why she hasn't come forward to help with ze investigation." She stared at him in alarm. "How do you know that and why is an international authority interested in this case?" It had started to rain more heavily again. Gérald opened his umbrella and offered it to her. "Shall we discuss zis somewhere a little drier? ‘ow about ze lobby of my 'otel?" He pointed to his car. "You don't seriously think I'm going to get into a car with a complete stranger after everything that's just happened to my family?" Sunny energetically made her way to her car. He followed her slowly. "Zere are more cases like zis, you know, all over ze world. I follow murders all over Europe and America. Zese are not isolated cases! Zese are targeted attacks. I've long suspected an organization behind zem." Sunny slowed her steps. He caught up. "If I'm right, you're in danger too. Zese people are always wiping out entire families. Zey are very zorough and if I could find you, zey probably can too." When she reached the car, she turned to the man who had now caught up with her. "So you think you have to protect me? Then why didn't you tell the police about all this? Aren't you working together?" He stepped closer to her to protect her from the increasing rain with his umbrella. "To be ‘onest, I've stopped informing ze authorities since I noticed zat I've always been ‘eld back by it and zat my opponents always seem to be one step ahead." Sunny stared at Gérald. "So this ominous organization has infiltrated the police? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm not saying anything, I'm just observing." The young woman became aware of his proximity and took a step back without taking her eyes off him. "I see, and you came across me while making these observations?"

"Indeed. I searched ze crime scene according to different criteria zan my German colleagues. I'm good at what I do." She took his word for it. If he had wanted to hurt her, there had already been more than one opportunity to do so. He was certainly very good with the gun she had noticed in the holster under his coat. "All right, you tell me more about your observations and I'll see if I can add anything. But don't get your hopes up. I don't know anything. Which hotel?"

They had arranged to meet at his hotel that evening. On the way home, she thought about his words. She knew that Gérald's suspicions were correct. She had experienced it painfully as a child when she had lost her mother and grandmother. These people, who Gérald suspected were wiping out entire families, really did exist. Her grandfather had gone into hiding with his two granddaughters to escape them. It had worked for eighteen years. What had happened? How had they been able to track her down after all these years? Could she trust Gérald? What did he know about the families who were the focus of this murderous organization? Did he suspect that they were very special people? Shaken by the events of the day, the pain caused by her sister's death came back to her. Her grandfather's accusation also hit her hard. She would never have allowed anything to jeopardize Dawn's safety. Her thoughts returned to the night when the horrible event had happened, when she woke up in the middle of the night screaming with this great emptiness inside her. The connection she had with her sister, that unique bond no longer existed, she could no longer feel Dawn. In a panic, she immediately drove to the little family's apartment. What she found there now haunts her day and night. Someone had broken into the apartment and ransacked everything. Her worst fears were confirmed in the bedroom. Dawn was lying on the bed in a pool of blood, staring up at the ceiling with dead eyes. Horrified, she looked around for her husband Daniel, but couldn't find him. Then an icy coldness gripped her heart and she ran into the nursery. The picture she found there almost made her lose her mind. Her brother-in-law had probably tried to protect his child, but hadn't stood a chance against the enemy. He lay in front of the crib with his throat cut, his face distorted into a disbelieving grimace, little Nathaniel dead on top of him. A stab to the heart had ended his short life just as brutally as his mother's. Sunny hadn't been able or allowed to do anything. There were other family members to protect, she could not allow herself to be associated with what had happened, her own life was in danger too. So she made sure that there were no traces of her and disappeared from the house without being noticed.

She must have made a mistake, otherwise this Gérald would never have been able to find her. That was one of the questions she wanted to ask the man, because it worried her a lot. The encounter with her grandfather also tormented her. It was the first one in five years. The regret of being separated from the man who took the place of her and Dawn's father and mother since she was twelve years old overwhelmed her and she began to cry, sobbing, only to fall into a restless sleep a little later. She dreamed of her mother. But the only thing she remembered when she woke up three hours later was her mother's admonishing voice: "Be careful, you're in danger!" "Oh mom, that's nothing new." Sighing, she got up to rummage through her closet. What should i wear? Sporty, casual? No, she couldn't go to the hotel like that! The little black dress? Absolutely not! After all, this wasn't a date. Business? Yes, if she had something like that. In the end, she decided on a pair of elegant jeans, a white blouse, sneakers and a gray short coat. As she brushed her teeth, she wondered how best to elicit information from the man without revealing anything to do with her family. She had sworn to keep the secrets, an oath she took very seriously. Sunny thought of Gérald. He was apparently very nice and strikingly attractive. When was the last time a man had shown interest in her? "You dumb cow!" she chided herself "He's not interested in you, he's interested in the murders! That's all you need to be interested in!" Nevertheless, she once again became aware of the loneliness she was living in. Even more so now that she no longer had Dawn or Nathaniel. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She had loved them both so much and their cruel deaths choked her heart. What kind of monster could kill a one-year-old? Why? Why did the three of them have to die?

The lobby was deserted. Only Gérald was sitting a little apart on a sofa, obviously studying a newspaper with interest. Sunny noticed that he hadn't changed his clothes. He was wearing the same clothes as at the cemetery. Nevertheless, he looked as good as new. A good-looking man, she thought. Then he noticed her and jumped up to greet her with a handshake. "I was afraid you were going to stand me up. You Germans are usually known for your punctuality." Gallantly, he helped her out of her coat. "Please sit down!"

"Well, to be honest, I toyed with the idea, but I'm sure you would have tried it at my house and I have very nosy neighbors." Gérald nodded with a grin. "Occupational disease, I won't be put off. What do you do for a living?" Sunny looked into his alert, blue eyes, which gazed at her innocently, and raised an eyebrow skeptically . "Don't play games, you've done all the research on me beforehand. Just say what you want from me!" The man raised his hands placatingly and replied with a grin: "All right, I can see zat I can't fool you. I just want to understand why your sister ‘as been targeted by an organization zat ‘unts down entire families. Families zat all ‘ave, let's say, an unusual background." Sunny's ears perked up. "Oh well," she thought, "we're getting into difficult waters right away." She said aloud: "I don't quite understand, what does that mean? Unusual background? My sister lived a normal life, with an average job, a loving husband in an unremarkable apartment. They were committed, but not aloof, a little stuffy, but well-liked everywhere. Just normal citizens." Gérald became serious. "And zat's exactly what I don't believe. These people don't target normal people! Everyone zey've ‘unted down ‘as ‘ad connections to people who don't exactly lead the average middle-class life that your sister supposedly lived. You're more likely to be ze target of zis organization." The young woman forced herself to remain calm. "Who or what do you think I am, Gérald? What could make me so interesting for 'them'?" Gérald leaned back and brushed a strand of his blond hair from his forehead. "You tell me! What kind of store do you run?"

"I don't sell drugs, if that's what you're getting at, and I don't have any contacts with the drug scene or any criminals. My store sells tea and herbs, scented candles and all sorts of spiritually-themed trinkets. Nothing else."

"So you're not a witch?" That was direct! She wasn't prepared for that. "Excuse me?" "You know! Someone who mixes powders and potions and influences people. Rituals in ze moonlight and ze worship of some obscure, dark figures?" Sunny had quickly recovered from her surprise and replied with a grin: "You've forgotten the dance around the Blocksberg and the night-time rides on the broom, although these days we prefer to use a Vorwerk vacuum cleaner, battery-powered of course." Gérald leaned back slightly and looked at her for a while, smiling. "I'm completely serious, Miss Donavan, I've seen zings in ze last five years zat can't be explained with rational arguments. Zings zat mustn't appear in any official report because otherwise you run ze risk of losing your job or being committed to an institution. Zings zat make you lose sleep at night. Yes, if you like, I'm a believer. The truth is out zere somewhere." Sunny raised her hands placatingly. "Take it easy, Mr. Mulder! I believe you that there are abysses everywhere in your profession, and there are certainly enough people who take refuge in occult worlds, but you don't seriously believe in witchcraft, do you?"

"Yes, I do, and zese people I'm with do too. Zere's a ‘unt going on out zere! A ‘unt for people with special abilities. I've got victims from all walks of life, poor and rich, young and old, black, white or any other color, women, men, children. Zey all ‘ave one zing in common: connections to groups with an occult or, if you like, magical background. I'm tired of being called to crime scenes and victims only to find zat someone ‘as tracked zem down and murdered zem all. You, Miss Donavan, are something special. Zis is ze first time I've ever seen a member of such a family alive. I'm not going to let this chance pass and watch someone kill you. Zey won't win zis time!" The woman had let him finish his emotional lecture, but then stood up and said regretfully: "I think I understand your frustration, but I can only repeat that neither I nor my sister have anything to do with any hocus-pocus. I like to make my customers think there's something mystical about the store, but that's just salesmanship. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you in any way. I wish you good luck in your search, but please leave me out in future." Gérald also stood up. "I can't do zat, I know I'm on ze trail of something big, I'm not going to give up now." Sunny walked around him. "Farewell, Mr. Beloc!" Then she left the hotel. He made no move to follow her.

It would have been nice if she could have trusted him, but in her family you learned that you couldn't trust anyone before you could walk. Sunny sat behind the wheel of her old Beetle for a minute and collected herself. Then she drove off. Today she wanted to try and sleep a little longer, although she couldn't shake off the fear of the same nightmares that had haunted her every night since Dawn's death. Gérald was right. If he could find her, they probably could too. She was deep in thought about all he'd said when her phone rang. "Samantha" lit up on the display. The only employee who had been covering for her in the store today was very reliable. If she was calling at this time of night, something must have happened, so she answered, despite being tired. "Hello Sam, what's up?"

"Oh, thank God! Sunny!" cried Samantha breathlessly. "Sunny, there's been a break-in here. I came back into the store because I left my cell phone lying around and I saw it straight away. The police are already here. They want to talk to you."

"Sam, calm down! I'll be there in a minute anyway." She decided not to drive the Beetle to its underground parking space, but made her way straight through the old town to her store. The police would certainly not tow her away when she had just been the victim of a burglary. "Tell the police I'll be there in five minutes!" She quickly ended the call. "What do they think they'll find in my store? Black altars and upside-down crosses?" Sunny realized that this couldn't be an ordinary break-in. Just a coincidence? No! There were no coincidences. It had to be 'them'. They had probably found her, just as Gérald had feared. Regenburg's winding alleyways were no longer very busy at this time of day at the end of October and so, using her local knowledge, she actually arrived at her store in five minutes. She could see the lights of the police car flashing from afar. Sam was standing outside the store, waving her arms around excitedly in front of the officers. Her friend's goth look was more like the cliché of a witch and she suddenly realized how much danger Sam was in if an inquisitor was actually up to mischief here. Who knew what was going on in these sick minds. Perhaps one of them thought they had stumbled across a whole nest of witches here. She shook off the bad thoughts, braced herself for the conversation with the policemen and got out of the car. Sam saw her approaching. "Sunny, Sunnyyyy!" Seeing her friend so upset was an unusual sight. Normally she always acted cool and mysterious, but now she seemed to be beside herself. "They've done quite a job in there. I can't even tell you if anything got stolen. It must have happened in the half hour I was gone. Imagine if I had come earlier. Maybe I would have surprised the thief. But the change from the register isn't missing. What on earth were they looking for?" Sunny glanced past Sam into the store. A wild mess told her that she was in for a considerable expense. "Hopefully the insurance will cover it." One of the policemen approached the two women. "Excuse me, are you Mrs. Donavan?" Sunny reached for her handbag. "Yes, that's me. Here's my ID." The two officers were very nice. After they had taken everyone's personal details, Sunny was allowed to have a quick look. Once it had been established that the doors closed properly, a seal was put in place that would not be broken again until the forensics team arrived the next morning. Now a mountain of paperwork awaited her, but that was the least of her worries. She gave Sam a few days off and asked her to stay with friends for a while, as she was afraid that the perpetrators had found information about her and might do something to her. Then she drove her car into the underground parking garage below her apartment and got out hastily. "I wonder if they've turned up in my apartment too? Maybe I should contact the council first and ask them what to do?" She locked the car and turned towards the stairwell when she noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. "Who's there?" she asked, her pulse racing. Had they come to finish their work? "I've told you." The young woman breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the voice. "Gérald, you scared me. What are you doing here?" Gérald's figure emerged from the shadow of a pillar. "I'm sorry." He stepped in front of her and raised his hand. "But you didn't want to ‘ear anything." She was about to ask what he meant: "What...?" when a bullet smashed into the wall between her and Gérald. The policeman rushed forward and pulled Sunny with him, then dragged the perplexed woman behind the next car just before the next shot echoed through the parking garage. He had drawn his gun and fired it once in the direction where he suspected the shooter was, pushing the woman behind him to shield her with his own body. "What the..."

"Sh..." with his index finger on his lips, he silenced her and listened. "He's gone." Gérald patted the dirt off his clothes, then turned to Sunny to help her to her feet. The trembling woman grabbed his hand and let him pull her up, but her legs wouldn't obey and she almost went down again if Gérald hadn't held her. Now she was leaning against his shoulder, still breathing heavily, his strong arms pressing her against him. "We should go somewhere where we won't make such a perfect target," he said, looking around in all directions. She looked at him with her big green eyes and nodded. "Is my apartment safe?" He looked around searchingly and replied: "It's certainly safer than ‘ere!" He then led her to the stairs and they hurried to her apartment, where he locked the door and checked the windows before settling down next to her on the sofa. They sat there in silence for a while, pondering their thoughts, until Sunny broke the silence. "Thank you."

“You’re welcome." She looked at him. "You saved my life." He returned her gaze. "It's kind of my job."

"Do you want a drink?" He shook his head without taking his eyes off her. "I'm on duty. But have a drink, it'll help with the shock!" She averted her eyes and tried to get up, but her legs gave way and she plopped back down on the sofa, where Gérald held her and said: "Maybe I should get you something." He stroked a strand of her raven-black hair out of her face. They were so close that they could feel each other's breath. "No," she replied, "I think I need something completely different right now." Without resistance, she pulled his head closer and offered him her lips. He hesitated briefly, then kissed her, first tentatively, then demandingly. She undid his tie and he opened his shirt while she removed her blouse. She peripherally noticed his numerous scars, then closed her eyes as his kisses traveled down her neck. Pleasant shivers ran through her body, she wanted more. He skillfully undid her bra while she tried to undo his belt. Then, unexpectedly, he lifted her up and carried her into the bedroom. She could feel the muscles of his well-toned body. He gently laid her on the bed. As he slipped out of his trousers, she took off her jeans to be ready for him. His gaze slid over her slim but well-proportioned figure. He paused briefly to look questioningly at her tattoo, a kingfisher across her chest below her left shoulder, before lying down next to her.

In the middle of the night, she startled herself awake. With the reverberations of her nightmare ringing in her ears, she looked around for Gérald. He was sitting by the bed watching her. "You 'ad a bad dream, didn’t you?"

"The same as every night since..." she replied. "Sorry, did I wake you?" Gérald was putting on his shirt. "No, to be ‘onest, I ‘aven't slept at all. I shouldn't even be 'ere. I am not allowed to ..." Sunny grinned wryly. "You weren't allowed to sleep with me?"

"Yes, no, it's complicated."

"So no alcohol and no sex while on duty! I won't tell anyone, so don't panic!" She swung her legs out of bed and wrapped herself in the sheets as she watched him pull on his pants and search for his socks. "You don't regret it do you? Hey, I don't expect anything from you. We're two adults, not teenagers in love." He had just slipped into his shoes. He looked irritated. "You don't understand, I have to keep my distance so that I can do my job, the situation is new for me, I've never had a conversation with one before, let alone ..." "With a what?" she interrupted him. "A survivor! I've told you that you're the first of such a family to survive. Everyone else is already dead when I arrive."

"Such a family? What kind of families are they?" She sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. "I already mentioned that when we first spoke. The victims are always people with special abilities. When I poke around in these people's pasts, I always find the same peculiarities. There are fortune tellers, miracle healers, people who can influence the weather, control water or fire, make themselves invisible and much more. Some were feared, others revered like saints, of course all without physical evidence. But zat doesn't mean zat these are fantasies. Zey were killed because it was clear to zis organization zat they were 'abnormal'. I believe zat, and I'm convinced that zat's why you and your sister became ze focus of zeir attention. She was one, and you most probably are one too!" Sunny looked at him seriously. "Your superiors don't believe you. It's too fantastic, isn't it? And that gnaws at you, you're starting to doubt it yourself, aren't you?" Gérald jumped up. "No, I can't afford to ‘ave any doubts. Zese people, zis sect, if you like, is convinced anyway, zey will continue to murder people who are different, proven or not. If I don't find out ‘ow zey find zeir targets, I'll only ever be 'interfering'. Zen I can't save anyone. Please don't leave ze apartment under any circumstances! I'll be in touch." He energetically grabbed his trench coat and prepared to leave the apartment. Sunny could literally feel the doubt that was driving him. He wanted so desperately to believe, but his conviction was slowly crumbling. She couldn't help him. She was even supposed to fuel his doubts, as she had sworn to do when she had joined the community. The very people Gérald was so desperate to track down. Without another word, he left the apartment. She hadn't intended to leave the safety of her four walls now anyway. In Gérald's opinion, they wouldn't try a second time in the same place, she believed him, he was the expert after all. However, she didn't want to sit idly by. It was time to get in touch with Great Uncle George. She pulled on her oversized Mickey Mouse shirt, which she used as a nightgown, and sat cross-legged on the bed. Listening to her increasingly calm breathing, she relaxed visibly and soon fell deeply into meditation. Despite her eyes being closed, she was now aware of every detail of the room. She noticed the furniture, curtains and bedding, the dancing shadows that the tree outside her window projected onto her walls due to the rising wind, even the fly that had strayed into her apartment during the day. Then she expanded her consciousness. The walls folded to one side and the cloudy starry sky could be seen above her. She focused on her great-uncle's energy and soon found a path into his mind. "Uncle George!" she called out in her mind's voice. "Uncle, I need to talk to you."

"Don't you have any sense of time? Do you actually know what time it is, child?" The tired reply reminded her that it was the middle of the night, but she ignored her guilty conscience. She needed to talk to someone who knew what it was all about. "I'm sorry, Uncle, but I need to talk to you, something happened today. Someone is trying to kill me."

"That was to be expected. The murder of your sister was just the beginning, now they're on the lookout for all the family members, like the ones who come to the funeral. A very old tactic! Did you go to the funeral?" Sunny knew she couldn't lie to him. "Yes." The old man snorted. "Against my orders! Child, you must learn to obey or there will be no place for you here. How is Thomas?" Startled by the harsh words, the young woman swallowed briefly before answering. "He's a broken man. He hates me and blames the community. He thinks I put the Inquisitors on Dawn's trail because I joined you." After a moment's hesitation, her uncle replied: "Your grandfather has suffered more than most of us. First he loses his wife and daughter to those bastards and now his granddaughter and great-grandson. Of course he is completely devastated. It's understandable that he lashes out wildly. When some time has passed, he will realize that you're all he has left. He doesn't really hate you, he loves you." His words comforted her a little, but she still doubted it. "Will he still love me when he finds out the whole truth?" Uncle George sighed. "You still haven't told him? What are you waiting for? Should Filly introduce herself when she's old enough? "Sunny thought of her little daughter, whom she had left with the community. Warm memories flooded through her mind. She hadn't seen Felicitas for half a year, it had become too dangerous. The four-year-old lived with her great-uncle's family because she was unable to raise her herself. The child's father had left as soon as he got wind of her pregnancy and Sunny was not in a position to look after her daughter on her own, especially as she knew that the child would not be 'normal'. The community could take better care of her and her special needs. "How's Filly?" She didn't like her daughter's nickname, but she didn't think she had the right to criticize. "Your little one is happy, you know that, her abilities are already very pronounced and we have our hands full keeping her in check. You were right to leave her with us. She wouldn't have been safe anywhere, even Thomas would see it that way. But that doesn't change the fact that he should know about her, she's part of his family!" Sunny thought back to the past few weeks. "No, I'm glad he doesn't know anything, not yet. Imagine if the people who tried to kill me today tortured the information out of him. He's an old, frail man." Her uncle reluctantly agreed with a "Hm." "Tell me about the attempt on your life!" In brief words, she told him about the funeral, the encounter with Gérald, the break-in at her store and the shots fired at her in the underground car park. Of course, she left out the little episode in her bedroom. "If it hadn't been for Gérald, I wouldn't have made it." Uncle George let the information sink in for a while. Sunny thought he might have fallen asleep when he came back with a question. "So this policeman approached you after the funeral?"

"Yes, but he was there beforehand."

"Hm." Somehow this fact seemed to bother him. "What did he want from you when he was waiting for you in the garage?" The young woman thought about the question, but had no answer. "Are you sure there was someone else there?"

"The bullet hit the wall next to us, it only missed us by a few centimeters. If you're suggesting that Gérald had something to do with it, why would he save my life? Then why was he protecting me?" Uncle George only let out a thoughtful "Hm", then he said: "You should come to us! Your place is here, now that Dawn's gone. Now you could look after your child and test your own limits. Your training is far from complete." Sunny thought about his invitation. It sounded tempting to be reunited with Felicitas. She missed her daughter. But then she thought of her grandfather. "I don't want to leave Grandpa alone. If you're right, they could be after him too." After a short pause, another "Hm" from her uncle followed. "I think they realize he doesn't know anything and that he's not like us. I've never heard of them doing anything to normal people, apart from destroying their lives and their happiness."

"I don't know, maybe it's time to fight back? To turn the hunters into the hunted. If I help Gérald, we could possibly harm them, weaken them."

"No! Under no circumstances will you reveal yourself to this human! I will meet with the council. Tomorrow already. Don't do anything without their permission! If you resist, there will be severe consequences! Think of your daughter!" With that, he severed the connection and she was alone under the canopy of stars. Slowly, she brought her mind back into her body until she found herself back on the bed in her bedroom. 'Severe consequences! Think of your daughter!' Had her great-uncle just threatened to keep the child from her? Exhausted, she dropped into the pillows. She should get some sleep, the day and  the connection with Uncle George had been exhausting, in more than a physical sense.

The loud knocking and ringing woke Sunny from the restless sleep she had finally fallen into after the conversation with her uncle. The sun was poking through the holes in her blinds, which she hadn't closed all the way yesterday. A glance at the clock told her that she had slept too long. She had actually intended to go to the police early because of the break-in to find out what happens next. She had a headache, a side effect of the conversation with Uncle George, and the ringing of the doorbell angered her. "Yes, yes, I'm coming!" Without even thinking about Gérald's warning, she opened the front door after throwing on a bathrobe. It was only when she stood opposite the police officer in the doorway that she thought about the situation she had just found herself in. Startled, she looked up at the man, who was certainly a whole head taller than her. "What's happened? Is it about break in into the store? I'm almost on my way to the station anyway." The giant grinned amusedly. "In this getup? I hope not!" Sunny looked down at herself. Angry at herself for her unkempt appearance, she replied snappishly: "You couldn't care less how I live out my individuality!" The policeman became serious and pointed to the doorbell on her door. "Are you Mrs. Donavan?" Sunny followed his finger pointing with her eyes and said stroppy: "If it says so, i probably am." Now his face darkened and he replied sourly: "Listen, I'm not here for my own pleasure! Neighbors said they heard gunshots in the underground garage of this house tonight. Did you hear anything about that?" She almost laughed out loud, but just managed to control herself. "Ha, that must have been Meisel from 10a again. She can't tell the difference between car backfire and a shot. Anyway, I didn't hear anything. Is that it? I've got plans." She wanted to pull the door shut quickly, but the cop wasn't satisfied with her answer and put his leg in the door. "You're being a little too casual about your situation. Yesterday you were the victim of burglary and now you don't even care about a supposed shooting in your house? Pretty hard-boiled!" Sunny looked at her counterpart curiously. The athletically built man had his auburn hair tied back in a plait at the nape of his neck and his police uniform didn't really match the rest of his appearance. She remembered that he hadn't even identified himself. She looked into his light brown eyes and asked skeptically: "May I see your ID?" He scratched his three-day beard and apologized with a grin. "Of course, I beg your pardon. My name is Philipp Schmitt. Inspector Schmitt. Here's my ID card." He held an ID card under her nose that looked a bit like the one the officers had in front of her store yesterday. Not that she could tell if it was genuine. She didn't know what an ID card looked like, but his eyes seemed honest. He looked very trustworthy anyway. Then she realized that he was returning her probing look, and she looked down at the floor, embarrassed. She could literally feel him smirking. "Well, I've finished my questioning here. Shall I take you to the station?"

"No, thanks, I'll probably get dressed first and then drive there myself. But thanks for the offer." He took his foot out of the door so she could close it, but held out a business card. "Take care of yourself, and if anything happens, don't be afraid to call me!" She took the card before closing the door. Shaking her head, she leaned against it. "How stupid can you be? I'll just open the door for the next person! Gérald would be better off saving the life of someone with more brains." Groaning, she went into the bathroom to get ready. She then put the cop's card in her pocket.

The underground parking garage didn't look any different from the day before, but she still felt uneasy and rushed to her car. Strangely, she hadn't been able to make out a trace of a scratch on the wall where she had been caught in the crosshairs of a killer yesterday. Perhaps she would examine the spot more closely later, but for now she wanted to drive to the police station as quickly as possible. They might already know more about the break-in. Gérald came to mind. His frustration was understandable. If it really was as he had said and all he ever found were massacres without making any progress in his investigations, it must be grueling. Everything in her urged her to help him, but Uncle George had made himself very clear. It was unthinkable that if he excluded her from the community, she could lose Felicitas forever and never see another member of the family again. She was a lonely young woman and only the thought of her daughter and all the relatives and friends she had found again five years ago kept her from despairing. When Sunny found out about her condition, all the memories of her childhood, which had been a summer fairytale, came flooding back until the day her perfect world shattered. They had found her, no one knows how to this day. Before the danger was recognized, the Inquisition had already wiped out half her family. It was only because there were so many of them that the others had been able to escape, but the price had been very high. Her mother and grandmother had had to sacrifice their own in their efforts to save the children's lives. She could never forget her grandfather's despair when he had to leave his dead wife and daughter behind to save his granddaughters. He was never the same again. As a result, he had demanded that the council block his grandchildren's powers and never interfere in their lives again. The council agreed on the condition that the children would be allowed to decide for themselves when they came of age whether they wanted their powers back or not.

Thinking of the child she carried under her heart, she had gone to the community and asked for help. Uncle George offered her any help, the catch was that she had to leave the child here and go forever or join the community. George had explained that it would be extremely difficult to raise the girl. Even in the womb, powers were showing that indicated tremendous potential. There would have been no hiding the fact that the child was different. Felicitas had to stay here, it was the only way to ensure her safety. So she had decided to stay with her family until the birth and then move on. The birth had been a traumatic experience, after which she couldn't imagine leaving her child alone for even a minute. However, her grandfather was heartbroken when she told him of her decision. The conversation with him at the cemetery came back to her mind. She absolutely had to try to talk to him again. She wanted to go to him straight after the visit to the police station. It didn't matter what Uncle George said, she should warn him, and maybe it really was time to tell him about Felicitas. It might comfort him a little.

Police investigations revealed that the burglar had gained access to the backyard through a toilet window. The old windows offered no real protection, the owner was aware of that, but he still thought modernization was unnecessary. Who would break into an old tea store? There was nothing to get here. The police officers promised to quickly draw up a report, which Sunny needed for the insurance company, and released the scene of the crime. The young woman decided to pop into the store and then visit Grandpa Thomas. The parking situation in Regensburg was catastrophic, so she decided to park the car in her underground parking space again and walked. On the way there, she called her friend Sam. The conversation with Uncle George had been the final push she needed to get herself to give up the store. Ever since Dawn's death, she had been toying with the idea of leaving it to Samantha. She wanted to cut ties here and return to her child. The reason she had come back here no longer existed.

Her thoughts wandered. When Felicitas was one year old, a phone call from Dawn shattered her new and actually happy life. Her sister had been diagnosed with leukemia. She had already survived chemo and a bone marrow transplant with Grandpa Thomas's help, but her condition was a cause for concern. There were enough healers in the community to offer their help, but Dawn had decided against the community and its powers when she had been given the choice and therefore lost access to it. Of course, Sunny begged the Council and Great Uncle George until they relented and made an exception, even considering Grandfather Thomas' fate. Sunny left her young daughter with her family and left the community to stand by her sister. After a visit from 'Aunt Clara', Dawn's recovery process accelerated rapidly and a few weeks later she was discharged as cured. When it came to the store, Sunny decided to keep an eye on her little sister for a while with the Council's permission. Then Dawn met her Daniel and it seemed Sunny's job was done. However, it wasn't as easy to part with her sister as she thought. When Nathaniel was on the way, she didn't want to leave Dawn, the baby alone was reason enough to stay. If it was gifted, like Filly, its abilities had to be blocked, otherwise it wouldn't be able to grow up outside the community. So she extended her stay for a while longer and would surely have found another reason to stay close to her. Now the only thing keeping her here was her grandfather, who hated her. Sam answered sleepily just before she was about to hang up again. "Hello, Sun, is that you?" A smirk crept onto Sunny's lips. "Well, how many people do you think have the same number as me?"

"Huh? Oh Sun, I'm not even really awake yet. Is the vacation over already? Should I come back to the store?" Sunny sighed. "That depends on whether you want to look for a new job or be your own boss in the future. I'll give you the store if you want it."

It must have been half an hour before she plucked up the courage to leave the car and walk to the house. She walked slowly through the front garden, remembering the first time she had set foot on the short gravel path. Her grandfather strode ahead with a large box and the two girls toddled along behind, holding hands, their eyes wide with curiosity. Each carrying a small suitcase with her belongings behind her. Weeds grew everywhere and the trees had not been pruned for a long time; in the girls' imagination, they had moved into an enchanted castle with a magic garden. It took Grandpa Thomas years to get it into the state it was in now. On closer inspection, however, the garden looked a little unkempt, the lawn should have been mowed and weeds were sprouting in the flower beds, and it also needed watering again. Everything would have withered by now if it hadn't rained in the last few days. The front door was unlocked, a carelessness that was unlike her grandfather. She entered cautiously and walked along the hallway to the living room. As she passed, she glanced into the kitchen and bathroom. Both were untidy and dirty. "Grandpa?" When nothing moved, she climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. Eventually she found him in Dawn's old room. He had obviously cried himself to sleep, a picture of his granddaughter in his arms. Sunny remembered the photo. It had been Dawn's first day at school, proudly holding her satchel and school bag and grinning with her gap-toothed face from behind the school desk. Sunny's eyes wandered around the small room. They hadn't been able to take any photos of their family with them into their new life, so Dawn had drawn pictures from memory, first quite childishly, then really well. She was so talented that she was allowed to go to art college and study art and design. Everything in the room was unchanged. She had lived in this room until she met and married Daniel after her cancer. Sunny slowly approached the bed, leaned over the sleeping man and stroked his unshaven cheek. "Grandpa! Please wake up!" He hesitantly opened his puffy eyes. "Get out!"

"No! You're not well, I'm staying!" He turned his back to her. "I don't need you. Go away!" She sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm going to tidy up a bit and make you some soup. Do yourself a favor and go to the bathroom in the meantime, you smell bad!" The old man pulled the pillow over his head. "Go away then, I don't want you here, I don't need your help!" She stood up and replied calmly: "You'll only get rid of me once you've listened to me. So, if you want me to leave, go and clean up!" An hour later, still unshaven but showered and with fresh clothes, he came into the kitchen and sat down at the table that Sunny had set for two. "The stew's just finished." Thomas looked around the now clean kitchen. "Hmph," he grunted. "You didn't have to do that!" Nevertheless, he hastily scooped up the stew she put out for him. Sunny also ate a little. They finished their meal in silence, then Thomas grumbled: "So, now I've showered and eaten, you can go."

"No, Grandpa, I can't just leave again. We should talk."

"I don't know what we have to talk about." Sunny put the dishes in the sink. She took a deep breath and turned to her grandfather. "I'm going back, I'm leaving town, not just yet, but then for good. I want you to come with me." Thomas stood up and went into the living room. "And I want you to get out of here!" The woman followed him. "I'm serious about this! There's nothing left here for either of us. The community is an alternative, it offers us protection and we could be together."

"I don't need protection. Nobody's after me, they're only after the likes of you!" He dropped onto the sofa angrily. "That's not true, they could be using you to harm us, to hurt us."

"Come on, I don't know anything. Just go away! And forget about me!" Sunny moaned. "I could never forget you. I love you." He slammed his fist on the coffee table with a force she didn't think he had, causing her to flinch. "But I don't love you! Not since you turned your back on me." She sat down in front of the table. "I haven't turned my back on you!"

"Yes, you have! You went back to the people who are responsible for the death of my wife and daughter. And that's after I raised and protected you for years." He literally spat out the words. With tears in her eyes, she reached for his hands. "It was the hardest decision of my life to leave you, but I had no choice, you have to believe me!" He shook her hands off. "You had a choice, between us and something much more important, didn't you? What was more important than your family?" He had become very loud and Sunny shrank into a heap of misery in front of the table. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she swallowed hard before answering, "My daughter."

The wine was too warm. Thomas hardly touched it anyway. "Why on earth did you never tell me about this? I would have helped. Didn't you trust this old geezer anymore? After I raised you and your sister?" Sunny took a sip of the stale wine and shook her head. "Yes, you've done a wonderful job of that too, you've largely given us a normal and happy life, but this case is different. You know, when I was four months pregnant, I noticed that strange things were happening everywhere I went. At first I thought I was making things float or turning on the radio. I thought the lights flickering meant I was losing control of my powers, that for some reason the block was gone. That's why I turned to the community. I couldn't trust myself anymore. But guess what, it wasn't me at all, it was the child!" Thomas stared at her in disbelief. "The unborn child?"

"Yes, Uncle George had an expert examine me and it was determined that my girl would be particularly gifted. In a way that couldn't be suppressed or completely blocked. She was too strong, her power simply cannot be tamed." She looked him in the eye and held his hand. "Do you understand what this means, Grandpa?" The old man's eyes widened. He whistled through his teeth and nodded in the affirmative. "She could never have grown up among normal people. For her own safety, but also for the safety of others, she had to stay where she wouldn't stand out and where she could be kept under control until she learned how to use her abilities."

"Exactly. The community gave me the choice of putting the child in their hands and leaving or staying there with her." She squeezed his hands. "Granddad, I didn't choose against you, I chose my child." Thomas wiped a tear from his cheek and closed his eyes. "But why, why didn't you tell me, why didn't you tell me about my great-grandchild?"

"I don't know, I was ashamed to have a child without being married and one with a lot of the power you despise so much too. I just didn't want to disappoint you. Besides, I didn't want to hear you say: 'I told you so!’ You were absolutely right with your bad opinion of the child's father. He dropped me like a hot potato when he found out about the pregnancy. Gave me a little money for the abortion and disappeared never to be seen again." Thomas snapped his fingers. "Ha! It was that idiot, that Mark! He was a windbag, I realized that right away!" Sunny smiled devotedly. "His name was Falk, and yes, you were right. He was an idiot." Her grandfather tapped the tip of his nose, grinning mischievously, then became serious again. "How old is she today?"

"She'll be five next March." He nodded thoughtfully. "What name did you give her? I hope not Spring or Paris, Venus or Star! I want to be able to call her that without feeling embarrassed!" Sunny smiled happily. It seemed as if he was interested in his granddaughter. "No Grandpa, I gave her the most beautiful name I can think of. Her name is Felicitas, I named her after her grandma."

"Grandpa, I know this won't make your loss and pain any less, but I would like you to get to know Filly. She is such an extraordinary child, so clever and yet so sweet. Everyone falls in love with her immediately. Maybe that's one of her gifts. "Oh child, what's such an old boy, and without powers to boot, doing in your community? I wouldn't feel comfortable among all the ..."

"Among all the freaks?!" she added to his sentence. He raised his hands apologetically and nodded. "But Grandpa, I don't understand, Grandma wasn't 'normal' either, any more than your daughter was, and yet you loved them both."

"That was different. They were my life, my love, my flesh and blood. Their deaths tore a gaping wound in my soul and it never healed properly. You and your sister kept me alive, but now that wound has been torn open again and I can't imagine it will ever heal." Sunny sat down on the sofa with Thomas and when he didn't put up any resistance, she took him in her arms and hugged him. They talked half the night and when she had put her grandfather to bed, she made up the sofa herself. She couldn't sleep in Dawn's bed and her own old room was just a junk room. She closed all the windows and left a little energy in the locks and bolts everywhere to fortify them in case anyone tried anything. After the long and conciliatory conversation, she hoped to sleep a little better than she had the last few days.

This dream was different. Much more peaceful than the previous ones had been. It showed a scene from her childhood, before the great misfortune, when her name was still Cassiopeia, or Kassie for short. She hadn't allowed herself to think about that happy time for a long time. The feeling of loss that always followed was too painful. But now she wanted to embrace it and wrap herself in the warm feeling of security. She had a distant memory of the area. She was sitting in a meadow in front of an old farmhouse, the sun was shining on the flowers and bees were buzzing on their way from blossom to blossom. A gentle breeze brushed her face and she breathed in the spicy scent of nature. In the background, the bells, that the free-range cows were wearing, rang softly. In front of her on the grass sat Dawn, then still called Elektra, playing with a wooden goose. Sunny remembered the toy well. At first it had belonged to her, but when her sister was born, she gave it to her. The goose was mounted on two wheels and could be pulled around the neck with a string. The paint was already quite worn, but the child loved the goose. Sunny looked down at herself and smiled. She carefully stroked the summer dress she was wearing with her delicate child's hand. It had been her absolute favorite. Then she heard a voice and immediately had to stifle her tears. "Kassie, take Elektra by the hand and come in! Dinner's ready." The sound of her mother's voice was unique, soft and melodic, yet fresh and humorous. "Yes mom, we're coming." She hastily stood up and pulled the little girl in front of her to her feet. "Come on Elektra! We're going to Mommy." The little girl clapped her hands enthusiastically and let her big sister pull her towards the house. The house, more of a hut, was nestled against a rock face that dug steeply into the ground of the Plateau, which was located at the foothills of a mountain range. Her memory did not reach far enough to be able to say which area it was. All that mattered to her was that it was safe and meant home. Sunny, alias Cassiopeia, followed her mother's call, leading the little girl into the simple hut and hugging her mother. She greedily inhaled the scent of their clothes. Her mother smelled of lard, cinnamon, apple and a unicque scent of her own that she couldn't identify. "Now sit down, the pancakes are getting cold!" She obediently took a seat at the table and grinned at her little sister, who was already impatiently tapping her knife and fork on the table until the pancakes were placed on her plate, steaming and fragrant. Sunny had let herself fall so deeply into this dream that she didn't even notice the change until her mother sat down with her and took her hand firmly in hers. Suddenly she was no longer Kassie. She was an adult and her name was Sunny. Elektra had disappeared and with her the kitchen and the cottage. "Mom, what's wrong?" she asked, irritated. Her mother looked her seriously in the eye. "Listen, my child, you're in more danger than you think. Don't give away your trust so lightly, things are rarely as they seem! Watch out!" Then a loud, insistent sound snapped her out of her dream.

Irritated and drowsy, she searched for the source of the annoying, repetitive noise. When she finally realized where she was and that the source of the noise was the doorbell, Thomas had already opened the door to confront the perpetrator of this morning disturbance. "Grandpa! Don't open the door!" she shouted, although she knew it was already too late for this warning. She quickly slipped into her trousers and sweater as the troublemaker stormed into the living room. "Didn't I make myself clear enough when I told you not to leave your apartment? What are you zinking, putting yourself in such danger again after it was so close ze day before yesterday?" Gérald stood up angrily in front of her and ignored Thomas, who had remained standing in the doorway with his mouth open. The agent probed Sunny with a strange look and shook his head in relief. "Well, everything seems to be all right, but we have to get out of here." He grabbed the astonished young woman's arm and tried to pull her along with him, but she resisted vehemently and shook his hand off vigorously. Sunny didn't know whether it was because of Gérald's patronizing manner or her mother's insistent warning, or whether it was simply her nature to disobey orders, but she was sure that no one could tell her what to do or not to do, especially not in such a tone. "I'm not going anywhere with you, I can take care of myself. Besides, I already have plans and they don't include you!" Gérald looked at her dismissively. "You don't seriously zink you're going to get out of zis without my help, do you? You need protection!"

"I can take care of myself! I..."