The Prophecy (The Guardians) (20 page)

“Here?
 
You told him about the engagement?” Rachel asked after a moment’s hesitation.

Sensing the discomfort in the conversation, Uri turned to walk away, over his shoulder muttering quickly, “I’ll be right outside if either of you need me.”

Gabe did not acknowledge his friend’s exit; instead he was consumed by Rachel’s reaction.
 
Pausing a moment, he examined her stare before finally asking, “Rachel, are you having second thoughts about agreeing to marry me?”

“God no!” she exclaimed.

“Then what is it?
 
I thought you would be excited.” Gabe inquired.

“It’s just— well, I thought when I got married my family would be there, now I don’t even know if they’re —” Rachel began, flinging herself forward, unable to contain her sobs.

“I’m sorry, Rachel.
 
I didn’t even think about it.
 
God, I can’t believe I could be so insensitive.”

“No, I know you didn’t mean anything by it, don’t be silly.
 
I’m fine.”

“You need to know there are people searching the ruins as we speak, they’ll find them.” Gabe offered as little relief.

“I just can’t imagine them being gone.” Rachel cried, heaving with every couple words.

“Shh, it will be alright.
 
We don’t know anything for sure yet, you can’t give up hope.” Gabe said in an effort to comfort, holding her tight to his body with one hand and using the other to wave at Dina.

Catching sight of Gabe’s gesture, Dina approached quickly.
 
“Is something wrong?” Dina questioned.

“Dina, can you give something to Rachel to help calm her?” Gabe asked.

Pulling away from Gabe, Rachel shook her head, “No— I’m fine.”

“Rachel, you’ve been through a lot—”

“No, I said I’m fine.”

“Rachel, listen to me, you experienced your first transportation spell and you are under a lot of stress about your family.
 
I think you need to rest, Dina can help you with that.” Gabe insisted.

“Really, I’ve already slept, I’ll be okay.” Rachel pleaded.

“Sweetie, he’s right.
 
You could probably sleep for a week and not be your old self.
 
With worrying about your family on top of that, well, I just can’t imagine.
 
I’ve got a sleep potion right here, guaranteed to get you a good six hours at least.
 
You’ll feel much better by morning, I promise.” Dina urged.

Rachel stared intensely as Dina unclipped a small bottle from the cluster of tiny vials she had latched to her belt.
 
“I don’t know.”

“Trust me.” Gabe assured her, reaching out and taking the bottle from Dina, twisting the top off and handing it to his beloved.

Rachel looked to Dina and then to Gabe.
 
With a big sigh she threw it back, draining it of its contents.
 
Turning and lying back on the cot, Rachel was asleep before Gabe could finish tucking the blanket around her body.
 
Gabe lingered a moment, staring at her peaceful face.

“Don’t worry, Gabe, we’ll take care of her.”
 
Dina added, touching him on his shoulder, before turning and walking away.

Gabe stood and turned to exit the building, there was no time to waste.
 
Gabe intended on planning a list of possible places for the group to travel to in their attempt to outrun Baal.
 
Rushing out the door, Gabe headed in the direction of the room where he had spoken with Sophie.
 
He remembered the room had been littered with maps and decided it would be as good a place as any to start.

“Hey!
 
What’s the rush?” Uri called out behind him.

Spinning around to face him, Gabe halted.
 
“Oh, sorry, I forgot you said you were coming out here.”

“Is Rachel alright?” Uri asked moving forward, coming to a stop next to Gabe.

“As much as she can be, I suppose.” Gabe answered.

“What do you mean?” Uri inquired, clearly concerned.

“She’s upset about her aunt and brother, and who can blame her?
 
Talking about the wedding just made her remember about High Point.
 
Damn it!” Gabe yelled, kicking the ground and swinging at the air.
 
“I’m supposed to keep her safe from all this bullshit.”

“What are you talking about?
 
You were somehow supposed to protect her brother from an attack that nobody could have ever dreamed would happen?” Uri argued, trying to point out the fault in his friend’s logic.

Gabe twisted, then began to pace.
 
“I don’t know.
 
I can’t stand her feeling like this.
 
She trusts me, I’m supposed to protect her and keep her safe from everything.”

“That’s insane, there was nothing you could do, so stop beating yourself up.” Uri reiterated.

“What’s going on?” Haim asked approaching the two men.

Uri rolled his eyes before answering, “Oh nothing, just watching Gabe martyr himself.”

“Huh?” Haim asked, confused.

“Rachel’s brother, Haim!” Gabe snapped.
 
“She is completely torn up about him, alright?”

“Huh?
 
Why?” Haim inquired.

“Oh, I don’t know— because she loved him!
 
Damn it!
 
I should have protected him.
 
I don’t know, somehow.”

“How are you supposed to keep track of some college kid while you’re protecting Rachel?” Haim asked.

“Exactly!” Uri exclaimed.

“Wait!
 
What did you say?” Gabe exclaimed.

“Who, me?” Haim asked pointing to himself in disbelief.
 
“About you protecting Rachel?”

“No, before that.
 
You called him a college kid.
 
Why would you call him that?” Gabe pressed.

“Because he is?” Haim answered in the form of a question, unsure if his response was what his friend was looking for.

“How do you know he is?
 
When Uri took Rachel he hadn’t left for college yet.
 
Rachel thought after she went missing, he probably wouldn’t go.” Gabe explained.

“Oh no, he went.” Haim confirmed.
 
“His Aunt insisted.
 
He enrolled at North Carolina; it’s about an hour outside High Point.”

“What?” Uri gasped, realizing the point Gabe was getting at.

“You told me to check up on the kid and his aunt every now and then, so I did.
 
I don’t understand, I did what you told me.” Haim answered Uri defensively.

“That’s right, I did tell you that!” Uri leaped forward and slapped Haim on the shoulder.

“Haim!” Gabe began, “I need you to do me a favor, and this is important.
 
Take someone with you and go get Rachel’s brother.
 
Bring him back here, alright?”

“Really?
 
A human, here?” Haim asked looking to Uri for approval.

Uri simply nodded.
 
Without a word, Haim turned and he was off on his mission.

“Don’t say anything to Rachel until we know for sure.
 
It will be hard losing her aunt, but if we can find her brother, I think it will at least give her something to hold onto.” Gabe confided.

Uri didn’t respond.
 
He just stared at Gabe.

“What?” Gabe exclaimed, feeling Uri’s eyes.

“You really do love her, don’t you?” Uri inquired.

“Of course I do.
 
What kind of question is that?
 
What is with the people in this place?” Gabe added, annoyed.

“You know, I’m happy for you man.
 
I guess I just never imagined you with anyone— well— anyone but Sophie.
 
I don’t know, I always thought when the two of you saw each other again— never mind, it doesn’t matter.”

“You knew!” Gabe snapped.

“Knew what?” Uri inquired.

“You knew Sophie got her memory back and you never came to tell me.
 
How could you do that?”
 
Gabe could not conceal his hurt or his anger.

“What was I supposed to do, Gabe?
 
She told me not to.”

“Did you know she still had feelings for me?”

“Of course, everyone knows that.”

“And you gave me no heads up?” Gabe snarled.

“I mean, really, it’s not exactly been all roses here either.
 
Do you know how many nights I got to hear Miss Sophie bitch in her drunken stupor about how you two were written in the stars and meant to be?”

“Why would you have listened to her when she told you to keep it from me?” Gabe questioned, unafraid to reveal his outrage.

“Please, don’t give me a hard time.
 
Your love life is not a place I want to stick my nose in.
 
Honestly, I was surprised you stayed away.
 
Two people don’t feel the way you guys did about each other and it just disappear.
 
She may have crippled your relationship as much as you, when you left Rampart, but you chose to stay away.”

“What was I supposed to do?
 
It didn’t look like she was going to get her memory back.
 
I thought if I stayed I was standing in the way of you and her.”

“Now I know you can’t possibly believe that!
 
You know there was never anything between Sophie and I.”

“Now I do!
 
All I knew then is she didn’t notice me, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of you.”

“You really don’t love her anymore?” Uri asked softly.

“What?” Gabe was furious Uri could even ask him that question.
 
“You know how I feel about Rachel!”

“I get that.
 
I’m not saying you don’t love Rachel, but can you honestly say you feel nothing for Sophie?
 
You risked your life for her.” Uri argued.

Gabe took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and seriously consider his friend’s words.
 
Uri was right; he obviously felt something for Sophie.
 
He couldn’t deny there were certain feelings that swelled in him when she confessed she still had feelings for him.
 
There was also no denying that she was exquisite, her wild beauty still captivated him.

“You’re right.” Gabe answered.

“Huh?
 
What do you mean I’m right?” Uri looked concerned by Gabe’s confession.

“I do still have feelings for Sophie.
 
I think, if I’m honest with myself, I always will.”

“What are you going to do?” Uri asked, his mouth hanging open in shock.

“Nothing.
 
What I feel for Sophie will always be part of my past.
 
It can’t compare to what I feel for Rachel.
 
I was alone for so long out there, part of me was ready for it all to be over.
 
I think I even wanted Baal to find me in a way, to put an end to my misery.
 
But then I met Rachel, and no matter how hard I tried to fight her, she somehow managed to pull me back from the ledge.”

“Are you saying you wanted to die out there?”

“I don’t know what I felt.
 
I know I was miserable and then Rachel opened my eyes to the joy life still had in it.
 
She makes me want to be more, does that make sense?
 
When I’m not with her she is all I can think about.
 
When I thought of a life without Sophie, I found a way to go on.
 
It was hard, but I did it.
 
I can’t even bring myself to imagine a life without Rachel in it.
 
Just talking about it makes me feel like there’s a vice tightening around my heart.
 
She’s my everything, man.”

“Then I’m happy for you, and Sophie will understand.”

“Yeah, I think you might be wrong about that part.”

Pacing the length of the room, dodging pieces of furniture as he did so, Gabe studied the squares in the stone floor.
 
Anxiety over the wellbeing of Rachel’s brother consumed him.
 
Haim had been gone for several hours on a mission to retrieve the boy.
 
Too frightened things would not turn out as he hoped, Gabe kept the plan a secret from Rachel.
 
She already felt like she had lost him once, he did not want to give her hope, only to then take it away.

The scenarios ran through his mind, the countless possibilities, perhaps the boy was home, visiting his aunt when the attack occurred.
 
What if Baal already knew he was away at college?
 
If that was the case, what if they beat Haim there?
 
Was is a trap, would it be an ambush?
 
Gabe squeezed his eyes tightly shut, attempting to push the questions aside.
 
As hard as he tried though, he couldn’t quit thinking of Haim and wishing he was there, watching his friend’s back.