The Sentinel Read Online Free PDF Page A

incidents, the fire and the coach crash were both very traumatic. It’s perfectly reasonable that you had stress induced hallucinations. But now you’re taking this too far, you’re running from the police, you’re running through the woods in the middle of the night in your pyjamas, and now you’re imagining that you have, what, magical powers? Eve, maybe you need some help.’
    I let my head fall into my hands, trying to make sense of it all. I was not surprised that he had this reaction. It was all completely unbelievable. I barely believed it myself.
    But then I noticed something, which made my heart leap. Seth’s pyjama bottoms were sticking out the bottom of his jeans. Why had he not got changed before he went riding his bike at three in the morning? Why had he been in woods that were miles from his house, when he had perfectly good woods surrounding his own home? How had he been in the woods, by sheer coincidence, at the exact place and time that I was? All through my life, the Guardians had never let me out of their sight for as much as a minute. That must have been them in the woods and if it was, why would they suddenly let me go when Seth turned up? Unless they knew I was safe, unless… I was with a Guardian?
    ‘Oh Seth, no,’ I looked at him in despair, a huge sense of disappointment and loss flooding through me. ‘Not you too.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘You’re one of them aren’t you?’
    ‘Eve, have you lost your mind. I’m a Guardian? Is that what you’re saying? I’m a being with super strength? I can barely open a jar of jam. This is insane. You’re really worrying me.’ He looked at me incredulously.
    Fear and anger erupted through me. How far did this deceit stretch? When was I finally going to get some answers?
    ‘Seth please. You’re my friend, my best friend, if I can’t trust you who can I trust?’
    He was silent for a moment, as he looked at me thoughtfully. ‘Evie, you’re scaring me now.’
    I felt angry tears pricking my eyes. I pushed him away and made to walk out the house. I had to be alone now. I had to have time to think. Silas was right; I really couldn’t trust anyone.
    He put a hand out to stop me ‘Evie, wait!’
    I turned back and he paced away, suddenly nervous.
    ‘I’m not a Guardian,’ he blurted out.
    ‘Seth…’
    ‘No listen. I’m not technically a Guardian although I have the strength and speed of them. I’m half human as well, which makes me mortal.’

4. What? How? Why? When?
    ‘What?’ I was stunned. What did he mean half human?
    ‘My Mum was human, my Dad is a Guardian. I was specifically made to be your friend.’
    ‘Made?’ I could feel my heart hammering against my chest, I was finally getting some answers but it still didn’t make it any easier to hear.
    ‘Oh in the traditional sense, my Mum and Dad got together, a few months later I was born, but I was conceived with you in mind.’
    ‘Ewww.’ I couldn’t help make a joke of the situation; I was feeling very tense all of a sudden.
    ‘No, idiot not like that, but sort of I guess. Once they knew you were on your way they created friends for you too. Strong, powerful friends that would be able to protect you.’ He enclosed my hand in his large strong paw and pulled me down next to him on the sofa.
    ‘All my friends are Guardians?’ I couldn’t believe this. My family, my friends, was any part of my upbringing normal? I thought about my sweet, lovely, quiet friend Persia. Surely she couldn’t be a part of this as well. ‘Is Persia a Guardian too?’
    ‘Persia isn’t a Guardian.’ He smiled, as if there was something else he wasn’t saying. ‘No not all of your friends are Guardians. I’m the only half-human Guardian. The human and Guardian DNA doesn’t mix too well. They tried to create a few of us, girls and boys, but all the babies died except me. My Mum died during childbirth, it was just too much for her human body to take, giving birth to someone of my strength and size.