The Prophecy (The Guardians) (10 page)

“You weren’t angry about Uri taking you away from your life, your friends?” Gabe asked, stunned by her casual attitude.

“I suppose, at first.
 
Honestly though, it only took running into a couple more of what Uri called tracker demons, and I was glad he had found me.
 
I would have been a goner for sure if I was alone out there.
 
I’m grateful.” Rachel insisted.

“You seem to be taking the news very well.” Gabe muttered.

“What am I supposed to do?” Rachel asked, annoyed by Gabe’s repeated judgmental comments.

“I don’t know, but I think I would be pretty upset if someone told me that one day my kid was going to die.” Gabe growled.
 
As soon as he said it, he wished he had not.

“I don’t believe he will.” Rachel answered quickly.

“So you don’t believe in the prophecy?” Gabe pushed.

Rachel hesitated a moment before replying, “No, after all the craziness I’ve seen, I suppose you could say I believe.
 
But I don’t think my child will die; I don’t think you would let that happen.”

“Do you even get why I’m out here?
 
I decided not to be the protector; I’ve made my choice, Rachel.”

“Yet, here I am.”

Gabe was shocked by her candidness.
 
She was right, no matter how hard he had tried to avoid it, his destiny had found him.
 
Furious at the situation he allowed himself to be put in, Gabe snapped. “You do know that if I save your kid it means certain death for me?”

“Uri told me.”

“And you’re just ok with that?”

Rachel looked into Gabe’s eyes, reaching up with a tender hand and running the back of her fingertips across his cheek.
 
“I’m not alright with you dying, Gabe, if that’s what you’re asking.
 
I don’t know what the future holds.
 
Perhaps there’s something that’s unknown about your path, something that doesn’t have to result in such a devastating end.
 
All I know is, the Gabe I have gotten to know this past week is not the type that would allow someone to die if he can save them.”

Gabe rose to his feet and extended a hand, “Let’s walk more.”
 
Taking hold, Rachel stood and the two began strolling towards the creek bed, side by side.

“I shouldn’t have raised my voice.” Gabe added.

“I understand.” Rachel smiled as she tried to diffuse the tenseness.

Gabe had been given many opportunities in his life to trust someone; it was very rare that he would seize them.
 
As he walked next to Rachel he thought about the way she had nursed him back from the brink of death, and about the kind words she had just said about him.
 
She believed in him, even when Gabe could not believe in himself.
 
She saw a light in him, a greatness he longed to find within.

He decided it was time for him to trust.
 
“When I went to Rampart five years ago, I thought it was a miracle.
 
My parents had been murdered brutally when I was very young.”

“Oh God, Gabe, I’m so sorry.”

“I was there, I saw it all.
 
My parents and I were at a convenient store, wrong place, wrong time.
 
I was in the candy isle when it happened.
 
I didn’t know the store was being robbed, I ran to my parents, my arms full of sweet treats, begging to get them all.
 
They were just trying to protect me… When they went for me, the guy shot them— there was so much blood — so much.”
 
Gabe was surprised the memory still brought such feelings up in him as a man.

“That’s terrible, Gabe.
 
I can’t imagine what that must have done to you as a kid.” Rachel offered.

“Yeah, well, not a lot of people were eager to adopt a kid with a history like mine, that’s for sure.
 
I bounced from one foster home to the next.
 
Anytime I would get close to a family, something terrible would happen.
 
Evil always had a way of tracking me down, just another thing I can thank my heritage for apparently.
 
Eventually, I decided I wouldn’t get close to anyone.
 
That’s how I ended up in a boy’s home.” Gabe continued, surprising even himself that he was sharing all the messed up details of his past.

“I’ve asked myself all these years why I went with Uri.
 
I think I’m just now realizing I wanted what he was selling.
 
I wanted so bad to have a home, a family, to know people just like me.
 
I guess I should have known they wanted something from me.” Gabe explained.

“Doesn’t everyone?
 
I mean, I think people can still care about you, and hope to get something from you.
 
Think about any relationship.
 
When you fall in love do you want nothing in return?
 
Of course not, you want the same level of commitment and love.” Rachel gently replied.

“When you fall in love the other person is not expecting you to sacrifice your life.” Gabe retorted.

“I suppose…” Rachel hesitated.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“No, please, we’re being honest, let’s hear it.” Gabe insisted.

“Uri told me it was your choice if you wanted to fulfill the prophecy; they would not have forced you.” Rachel said.

“That’s true.
 
They did tell me it was my choice, but can you imagine walking the halls of a school dedicated to the training of warriors.
 
Had you made the decision to save yourself, you’d be viewed as a coward.
 
Honestly though, it wasn’t the prophecy that made me leave.” Gabe went quiet after he muttered the last sentence.

“The girl?” Rachel questioned intuitively.

“Her name was Sophie.
 
You know what’s crazy?
 
I would have died for her.
 
I was young and stupid.
 
Looking back, I think I had been alone in the world for so long that I made what we had into more than it was.” Gabe explained.

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s sweet.” Rachel blushed as she spoke.

“Don’t overestimate me.” Gabe snapped.
 
He could see Rachel had a look of longing in her eyes.
 
She would be mistaken to think he was still that boy who was so naive.
 
“When I left Rampart I left my ignorance of the world behind.
 
I’ve learned more than I cared to since then, and I’ve done a lot of things that would shock people.
 
If Michael and Uri thought I was destined to be some holy angel, they were sadly mistaken.
 
After what I’ve done, I doubt there is even a place for me in their world.”

“Come now, you couldn’t have been too terrible.” Rachel laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

“I suppose…” Gabe replied.
 
He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason he didn’t want Rachel knowing about his terrible deeds.
 
After he left Rampart there was a gaping hole, one he didn’t know how to fill.
 
He was young, full of pain.
 
It had been easy for him to give up, give into his desires; the countless women didn’t satisfy him though.
 
As the years passed, the nights filled with empty sex with random women, he grew tired and impatient of the growing void.
 
That was when he sought solitude.
 
Always running, often not even learning the names of the hookers or random bar flies he slept with.
 
It became tiresome.

“Now, Michael, he seems like a character.
 
We haven’t met yet.” Rachel continued, interrupting Gabe’s memories.

“Michael is a tough one.
 
I think I was angriest at him when I left.
 
Over this past year, I’ve started realizing it wasn’t all his fault.
 
I put him in a position he never asked to be.
 
He was bound to let me down no matter how things ended up, it was inevitable.”

“I see.” Rachel replied, her words lingering in the air for a moment before she continued, “What’s that?”

Gabe watched as Rachel ran to a nearby set of stumps.
 
He was unable to stop himself from smiling at the site of the tribute to his friends.

“Those are Raimie and Dina.” Gabe replied walking up to Rachel, who now was on her knees closely examining the newly discovered carvings.

“How many of these things are there?” she asked, not looking away from the masterpieces.

“Well, let’s see,” Gabe began.
 
“You already saw Sophie, then there are these two, over by the mine is one of Haim, and in the forest there is one of Uri.
 
Oh, and by the river to the north there’s Michael.”

“Seriously?
 
You have to show them all to me.
 
Please!” Rachel shrieked as she jumped to her feet.
 
“These are amazing.
 
Please?”

“Alright, alright.” Gabe gave in without much effort from Rachel, secretly thrilled his work was being appreciated at last.

Rachel slipped her arm around Gabe’s as if it were where it naturally belonged.
 
They walked side by side, Gabe sharing his stories of a life long gone, one full of friends.
 
This time he wasn’t angry when he spoke of them, it was with fondness he reminisced.
 
When he told stories of Raimie, he felt overwhelmed with honor to have called him friend and regret that he had left his side.
 
Had he stayed that night, perhaps he would not have fallen.
 
He shook the sorrow loose, continuing with tales of Haim and their grand battles.

Rachel hung on Gabe’s every word; she had never known such exciting stories could exist except inside the books she loved to pour over.
 
Even when the walk ended, the stories continued long into the night.
 
Both were content that night in each other’s company, sharing stories of good times.

Gabe peered out from the shallow covered porch; the gray sky cast a darkness over the valley that blanketed the home like a sheet. He watched as the oversized rain drops fell across the dirt path in front of him, as if in slow motion.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Rachel said, stepping out behind him in her bare feet and handing him a tin cup filled with steaming black coffee.

“Sorry, a penny’s not enough.” Gabe replied shortly.

“Excuse me?” Rachel inquired, unsure what he meant, her arm still extended, grasping the hot beverage.

“Sorry, I was trying to be funny, guess that didn’t work.”

“Nope, you failed miserably.
 
I wouldn’t quit your day job.” Rachel jested.

“Good to know.”

“So what are you looking so serious about out here?” Rachel pushed.

“My mind was just wandering, I suppose.” Gabe apologized, taking the cup from Rachel and pulling it up to his nose, breathing in deep.

“Wandering, huh?” Rachel continued to prod before taking a sip from her own cup.

“Actually, you want to know the truth?” Gabe asked, glancing over to Rachel.

“No, I asked because I really want you to lie to me.
 
Of course I want to know the truth, you idiot!” Rachel scolded humorously.

“I was thinking of Uri.” Gabe said before looking back towards the forest.

“Itching to get rid of me?” Rachel teased.

“Of course not.
 
Your cooking is too good to rush you out of here.” Gabe poked fun in return.

Rachel laughed before replying.
 
“I haven’t known him as long as you, of course, but Uri has always given me the impression that he’s the type of guy that can handle himself.
 
I don’t think you have cause to be too concerned.
 
I’m sure he’s just being careful.”

Gabe was becoming more appreciative of Rachel’s presence with each day that passed.
 
He thought back to when he had met her and wondered how he couldn’t have seen all her attributes then.
 
Though they shared a sense of humor, a love of nature, and had similar creative interests, they differed extremely when it came to outlook.
 
Gabe was always the one to instantly assume the worst, whereas Rachel’s glass never dipped below half full.
 
Once again, he was grateful to have her perspective giving him hope, “I guess you’re right.”

“Don’t you know by now, I’m always right.”
 
Rachel added.
 
She had turned out to be a total surprise for Gabe.
 
She was only supposed to be there a few days and now months had passed.
 
Not only had Rachel made herself indispensable by helping with all the chores, she also filled a void he didn’t even know he had.
 
She would share stories about her home, family, and friends, as well as listen to his tales.
 
It was a level of engagement that he hadn’t known since his days at Rampart.
 
Part of him didn’t want her to go.
 
He was worried about his friend, but with Uri’s return would come Rachel’s exit.