God of the Abyss by Rain Oxford Page B

guards can’t live above ground,” I
reminded him. He grinned, his mind seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,
and I knew that wouldn’t help matters. “You have the most important job in the
world, more important even than Nano.”
    “You’re not helping,” Mordon advised. He was
right; Nila looked miserable.
    “But think of what you’ve done for the people. You
gave them back the world they lost because of war. You made the entire surface
world habitable. Why do you sit in this chair with your head down like you’re
grounded?”
    He looked at me. “Because if I leave, they will
follow.”
    “Of course they will; it’s their job to protect you.
You stay here in a kingdom like a sitting duck. Everyone knows exactly where to
find you, where to strike, so of course you need all of them. However, if you
were to hire a single bodyguard, someone with skill in magic and the sword, you
could go traveling. If they don’t know where to find you, you would be safer,
so only one bodyguard would–” The rest of my words were cut off as my breath
was forced from my lungs.
    One second, I was sitting on the arm of the chair,
the next, I was flat on my back with Nila hugging the life out of me. His words
were a rushed jumble of English and Dego. Essentially, he liked my plan.
    I finally got him calmed down and reminded him that I
was here to speak with Nano. “Nano is not here,” he said.
    “Where is he?”
    “No idea. Another world. He disappeared many days ago
and left Vivian to be scared. She is frightened that he is hurt. There was
nothing I could do, not even call you.”
    “He left her alone? Does she know where he went?”
    “He was talking and then he was gone.”
    I sat down on Nila’s throne, which didn’t bother him
any, and focused my energy. Through my book, I reached my magic across the
world. I could feel the emptiness of Nila, Mordon’s fire, and the occasional
powerful wizard, but nobody as powerful as Nano. Nano was nowhere to be found.
    Divina must have sensed me through my connection with
my book. “What are you doing?” she asked me.
    “Nano is missing.”
    She paused. “That is not good. This is proof
enough for Zer that Nano is deceitful. Is there any sign of a struggle or…”
    “Or that he’s a traitor? No I haven’t found
anything. I’m going to try to flash to him.”
    “You have to prove Nano’s innocence. He has always
been an informant for me, so he’s always one of the first to be suspected, but
he’s also Sammy’s biological father. If he can’t be proven innocent, my
brothers will be suspicious of Sammy by association.”
    “But Avoli will still want him as a Guardian?”
    “Avoli is terrified of betrayal. If Nano is a
traitor, his son is the same. Regivus can be swayed since Sammy was raised by
us, but Zer, Erono, and Azenoth would go on the warpath.”
    “Again. I hate your brothers sometimes.”
    “Me, too. Keep in touch. If this thing really is
targeting Guardians… Don’t forget that you are one.”
    I opened my eyes and stood. Mordon looked worried.
“I’m going to try and find Nano. I’ll be right back,” I said. He nodded.
    I focused on Nano, the sound of his voice, the feel
of his magic. My magic caught and I let it pull me along, but when the flash
cleared, I found myself facing Zer, not Nano.
    “That didn’t work,” I said. Zer stared at me like I
was the weirdest thing he had ever seen. “Your Guardian is missing, but don’t
worry, I think he was attacked. Wait, that might have come out wrong.”
    “No, I understand; you are afraid that I would
misconstrue my Guardian’s disappearance as him being devious and running away,”
he said. I opened my mouth to lie when he continued. “You are correct. When you
find him and prove his innocence, he can return to Dios. Until then, I will not
allow him to be on my world.”
    He flashed me back to Mordon. “We’re getting nowhere
real fast. My magic can’t even find him. That has only happened