The Guardians Crown (The Guardians Book 5) (2 page)

“Well?” he prodded.

The idea of telling Michael they had spoken to Mirada made Gabe anxious after the conversation he had with Haim. Would Michael, in fact, be infuriated that they had approached his long lost love for answers? He waited for one of the others in the group to speak first, but nobody did, instead the entire room looked to him.

With a deep breath, he knew it was time to enlighten their leader as to what they had learned. “Things are changing fast out there.”

“I know, we were just starting to find homes for all the refugees when an entire new group came in. Now we’re taking in humans, as well,” Michael explained.

“Isn’t that against the rules? I mean blurring the line between humans and Guardians like that,” Gabe questioned, glad to avoid the topic of Mirada a little longer.

“The curtain was pulled back, there’s no reason to pretend we don’t exist anymore,” Michael explained.

“They’re everywhere. Luxom was full of mercenaries, Wintoks, Braymars, Krinams walking around out in the open, like it was nothing,” Uri remarked.

“There’s no mistaking, the final war has begun,” Michael spoke softly as he revealed what everyone else already knew.

“So what are we supposed to do?” Haim inquired.

Michael looked at each one of his once students and then to Rachel. They all waited for his wisdom, the growing silence making them increasingly uncomfortable. “All we can do is protect her now.”

Rachel looked to Gabe; she wanted to disappear. The way the room was staring at her. You could see it in all their eyes. Even though they were fighting to save her, to save their friend, their faces revealed they feared they might not be able to help them.

“Why would you bring her back here?” Michael asked, glancing at Gabe.

“We didn’t know where else to go,” Gabe defended. “We tried running, but everywhere we went was infested with demons.”

Michael did not relent on his stance, “this place wasn’t safe for her before and it’s certainly not safe for her now. Going underground is your only option. You can gain a couple weeks rest here, but then you should probably leave again.”

“No, it’s not our only option,” Gabe argued.

“You’re not ready to fight Baal; it would be suicide. Then who would protect Rachel?” Michael demanded.

Rachel shifted in her seat uncomfortably. It was becoming increasingly annoying, the way they spoke about her as if she weren’t there.

“You’re right, if I went to go fight Baal right now, he’d kill me, and I have no desire for that to happen. But there’s a way we might be able to defeat him,” Gabe began.

Michael shook his head, “not one I or any of the elders can see. Do you have new information?”

“Have you heard of ‘the Guardians’ crown’?” Gabe watched Michael’s face, waiting for a sign of recognition, which he received instantly as his mentor’s eyes widened.

“It’s a myth,” Michael brushed off.

“No, I think it’s real. Do you know what it is?” Gabe questioned.

Michael turned and walked around the seating area, crossing the room, and securing the cracked door. As he returned to the group, Gabe could feel his heart quickening in pace as Rachel squeezed his hand tightly. “It’s a legend, but I don’t think there’s any truth to it.”

“Fine, then it won’t hurt for you to tell us the story then,” Uri prompted, intrigued by the secrecy.

“It appears you already know the story,” Michael’s response was flat.

“Only bits and pieces,” Haim chimed in, before falling silent again.

Michael peered around the room, as if to one last time ensure that they were alone. Stepping closer, he lowered his voice, “It’s said there exists a massive weapon, a tool with which a circle of Guardians might have the ability to send even the mightiest of Hell’s princes back to their fiery world.”

“And you never told us this because …?” Gabe asked, raising his eyebrows, never taking his eyes off of Michael.

“Because it’s just a story Gabe. Don’t you think if it actually existed, it would have been discovered by now?” Michael rebutted.

“Well there are obviously some who still think it’s real.” As soon as the words left Gabe’s lips he wished he hadn’t said them. There was no way Michael was going to simply let that statement go.

“Some like who?” Michael pushed.

Gabe looked over at Uri, hoping he would take the lead in the conversation, but from the way he avoided eye contact, Gabe knew he was. Somehow though, he couldn’t think of the words to say.

Michael took a step closer to Gabe, “where did you hear about ‘the Guardians crown’?”

Gabe looked away from him; he didn’t want Michael to see him avoiding the truth, “I don’t remember, and it doesn’t matter. If there’s a chance there’s a weapon out there that can defeat Baal, shouldn’t we at least try to find it?”

“Who told you about it, Gabe?” Michael asked pointedly.

“Just tell him,” Uri muttered.

Gabe peered into his mentor’s eyes, a desperate look on his face. With a sigh he confirmed the person Michael feared it would be, “Mirada.”

With swift movement Michael made his way to stand directly in front of Uri; swooping in close, he place a hand on either arm of the chair, only inches from his face. “You took him there? You took all of them there? How could you put her in that kind of danger?”

Gabe had never heard so much anger in Michael’s voice.

“We’re all in danger here,” Gabe pointed out, but it was clear this conversation was solely between Uri and Michael.

Uri pushed himself uncomfortably back in his seat, “I wouldn’t have done it unless I thought we had to.”

“You didn’t have to. You chose to,” Michael snapped, spinning around and beginning to pace in front of them.

“I swear, she was fine when we left,” Uri attempted to reassure his angered mentor.

“Damn it, Uri! Don’t you get it, she’ll never be safe if anyone finds out she’s alive. Both sides would do anything to have her!” Michael shouted, never stopping his movement.

“We were careful,” Uri said as if pleading for Michael’s understanding.

“You should’ve never been there and you know it!” Michael growled, shooting a sharp stare in Uri’s direction.

“Fine,” Uri said in a solemn voice. “I messed up. Is that what you want me to say?”

Michael didn’t say anything in response. The longer the silence grew the more uncomfortable the group became. Rachel looked to Gabe, wide-eyed, and he could see she wanted to be anywhere but in that room.

Shifting in his seat Gabe looked to Michael, and said, “She didn’t have any details for us, but it was clear Mirada knows the Guardians crown is not just some story. It’s real and we need to find it. I don’t know, maybe if you go and talk to her, perhaps she’ll tell you more.”

“I won’t be able to find her. Nobody will; she’s too smart for that. I’m sure as soon as you left, she was gone,” Michael explained.

“What do you mean, gone?” Gabe inquired.

“She knows how to stay hidden, a visit from you, Gabe, meant she wouldn’t stay hidden for long,” Michael added.

“Jesus, Michael, what do we have to say to convince you we were careful,” Gabe argued, agitated and almost feeling accused. “We were in and out, there’s no way anyone was following us.”

“No, Michael’s right,” Uri interjected. “Mirada’s careful; she’s probably long gone. She wouldn’t take the chance in case a tracker was on us.”

“Then who do we ask?” Haim moaned, the despair settling over him.

Gabe looked to Michael, whose gaze was affixed on the floor. “Do you know anyone who could help us?”

Michael took a deep breath, pausing before answering. “No ... maybe Sophie could comb through the archives; if you’re lucky you’ll find some sort of record somewhere. A hint, perhaps, as to where to start searching.”

Gabe’s heart sank at Sophie’s name. After the confrontation at his wedding, she was the last person he wanted to see.

Haim hopped to his feet. “Then I guess we should go and find her as soon as we eat. I’m starving.”

“I doubt that you’d starve to death anytime soon,” Uri chimed, following his friend and standing to his feet.

As Rachel and Gabe rose and began to follow their friends from the room, Gabe hesitated, turning back to look at Michael. The man was staring into nothingness. In that moment the reality hit Gabe; he couldn’t imagine how he would feel if Rachel had been put into the kind of danger they had evidently put Mirada in. Michael loved Mirada like he loved his wife.

“I’m sure she’ll be all right, sir,” Gabe offered.

“Huh?” Michael huffed, looking up. “Oh, yeah, she’s been there before, she’ll figure it out,” Michael replied, but Gabe could see he wasn’t convincing even himself. “Let me know if Sophie finds anything.”

Gabe turned and took off in a sprint to catch up with the group heading to the dining hall to satisfy their grumbling stomachs.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or keep sulking all day?” Rachel asked, peering over at Gabe.

“What are you talking about? I’m not sulking,” Gabe replied defensively, sitting up straight in an effort to sound more convincing.

“Oh please, you’ve been in a mood ever since we left Michael’s office. Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you or not?” Rachel asked.

The last thing Gabe wanted to do was have a discussion about what was actually bothering him. At first he was concerned about Michael and his obvious worry for Mirada, but after they ate his thoughts shifted to Sophie. He knew he should be fine talking to Sophie and going to her for assistance. They were all adults, but after the scene she made on his wedding day he preferred to avoid all contact with her.

“It’s nothing,” he began, but he could see by the look in her eyes that she was not convinced. “Really, it’s silly, it doesn’t even matter.”

Rachel sat for a moment, thinking about Gabe’s statement. She turned towards him, smiled and reached out, scooping his hand into hers, gently pulling it close to her chest. Looking into his eyes, she spoke softly, “I married you not only because I love you, but because I want to live my life with you. That means all the good parts and the bad. Even the bits you might think are silly. If something’s bothering you, I want to be able to help you fix it.”

“It’s nothing you can fix.” Gabe could see her sincerity and it only reaffirmed why he was with her.

“Maybe just talking about it will make you feel better.”

“I doubt it,” Gabe answered, looking away.

“Why don’t you try it,” she suggested. Silence hung between them for a time, “for me.”

Gabe took a deep breath. He knew Rachel was right. He had a habit of holding in the things that bothered him. She made him want to be better. She made him want to confide in her.

“It’s Sophie,” he said at last.

“What about her?” Rachel’s voice was still soft as she spoke to him. She never ceased to amaze him. Most women he had known lacked her maturity. The mere mention of an ex’s name would have unnerved many he had been with in his youth. But not Rachel, he loved her confidence in what they were.

“Michael said we should ask her for help.” Gabe hoped she would infer what he meant by the statement.

“And that’s a problem?” she inquired.

Gabe peered at his wife. How could she not understand that this was a problem? Had she already forgotten when Sophie shouted at her in front of everyone at the wedding? “Yes, that’s a huge problem. Sophie disrespected both of us on what should have been the most important day of our lives. She’s the last person I want to ask for help. I would think you’d feel the same way.”

Rachel’s expression didn’t change, and her voice remained calm. “Gabe, if you look back over your life, what was the best day in your memory?”

Surprised by her question Gabe responded, “Our wedding day, of course. What kind of question is that?”

“You said Sophie ruined what
should have been
the greatest day of our lives. It still was that for me and if you mean what you say, then she didn’t really do any harm.” This was one of the things Rachel did that annoyed Gabe, mostly because it made him feel like a real ass. She never held a grudge or an ill feeling towards anyone.

“You need to remember something,” Rachel continued. “Our best day was one of the worst for her. You can spend your time being angry about the past, or you can leave what happened behind us, and move forward.”

“How do you do that?” Gabe asked.

“Do what?” Rachel asked.

“And the fact that you don’t even know what you do makes me love you all the more.”

“If you say so,” Rachel replied as she laughed.

Gabe pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against and entwining Rachel’s arm around his, headed in the direction of the courtyard. “Come on, let’s go find Sophie.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, you’re right, like usual,” Gabe answered.

The two walked arm in arm down the long hall and out into the open air. Looking up at the sky, Gabe noticed the gray clouds and green overcast to everything. Ever since the demons had begun attacking the earthly realm, things hadn’t been the same. It was rare to hear a bird sing, forests all over the globe were burning, and there were places where ash would fall like snow. If talking to Sophie would help them put an end to this, then that’s what he’d do.