The Prophecy (The Guardians)

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR



The first day was long, a chill in the air caused Gabe to feel as though his bones were brittle. He didn’t care though, wrapped tight around him were Rachel’s arms. He felt the exact moment her body gave into exhaustion and her head collapsed onto his back. It was a peaceful feeling to have her so close to him, to hold onto her hands, and to know she was safe, at least for the moment.

They had been riding for nearly six hours and achieved a significant amount of distance from Iron Gate. Gabe estimated if they could keep the pace up, besides camping, they would reach Luxom in two days’ time. Luxom wasn’t the richest area in copper, but the earth was still littered with the resource, and Gabe knew it would help in shielding them from trackers. He was sure it would be a delicate balance, and someone would always have to be on watch, casting protection spells, until they reached Luxom. But with Uri and Haim along for the ride, he was confident it was a very doable task.

“Gabe, we’re going to have to take a rest if it’s alright with you.” Drachon called over his shoulder to his riders.

“Of course, whatever you need.” Gabe replied, motioning to the other members of his party.

As the Dramares kneeled, Rachel awoke, slightly startled by what was happening.

“Where are we?” she gasped.

“Hey, everything ok?” Uri asked, leaping from the back of his Dramare. Haim followed suit.

“Everything’s fine everyone, just taking a quick rest stop. Stretch, take some water in, and we’ll get back on the road in about thirty minutes.” Gabe explained, helping Rachel down.

“Gabe, can I talk to you for a second?” Uri requested, motioning for Gabe to follow him away from the group.

“Rachel, are you alright?” Gabe asked, looking at his wife that was still clearly waking up from her nap.

“Yes, of course, go.” she reassured him.

Gabe walked to where Uri waited for him. He could tell his friend was clearly concerned. “Is something wrong?”

“Have you thought about what we’re going to do if we can’t hide?” Uri asked, an urgency to his tone.

“I’m sorry, what are we talking about? This conversation is taking me completely by surprise.” Gabe answered.

“Do you have any kind of plan? I’ve had the past six hours to really think about this. What happens if you’re wrong? I mean, at most, in the valley, there were three people? Now we have four and Luxom isn’t as rich in copper. Maybe it’s not enough to block our signature. Or what if we’re recognized? What’s your plan?” Uri was careful to keep his voice low so the rest of the group would not hear.

“Calm down, alright? Freaking out isn’t going to do anyone any good.” Gabe urged. “What do you want me to say? No, I don’t really have a backup plan. I’m just hoping we figure out a way to defeat Baal before he finds us, I guess. Is that what you want to hear?”

“Not exactly—” Uri said, then hesitating briefly. “Look, I know how you feel about some things, but I’ve been thinking.”

“Why does it seem like I am not going to like what you are about to say?”

“Just hear me out. Sophie is at home trying to come up with a way to defeat Baal and that’s great. Not to mention, you have Haim and I am thinking about the problem as well. Let’s say, for arguments sake, I knew someone who could help.”

“Help what?” Gabe asked.

“Figure out a way to destroy Baal.” Uri replied.

“You know someone who can help us figure out how to vanquish Baal and you haven’t told me about them yet? I have to assume there’s a reason.” Gabe continued.

“Well, sort of— I know how you feel about Oracles.” Uri began.

“Nope, stop right there. I don’t need to hear anymore.” Gabe replied, his voice increasing in volume, turning to walk away and ending the conversation.

Uri reached out grabbing Gabe’s arm, and spinning him around before pleading, “Will you just wait and hear me out?”

“Really? You can’t be serious, you know my history with Oracles. They are simply trouble makers! Neutral my ass, I tell you what they are, they’re twisted, they get off on treating people like they’re toys, there to manipulate for their own amusement.” Gabe didn’t care if Rachel heard at this point. He was not afraid to explain and defend his position on Oracles.

“I get all that, I do, just listen, please!” Uri begged.

“Fine, you have sixty seconds.” Gabe offered, crossing his arms in disapproval.

“Have you heard of Mirada?” Uri asked.

“Yeah, sure, everyone in the Guardian world has. She used to work with the elders, but decided it was shifting the power in favor of good and has since refused to help either side. I thought she was killed though?” Gabe asked impatiently.

“Not exactly. First, you have to believe me, she’s not like the other Oracles you’ve met. She has no desire to see you in pain, she really is neutral. When Michael was young, he met and befriended Mirada.”

“What? He never told me that.” Gabe said, his curiosity piqued.

“The council said they wanted the Guardians to track her down, she would have to be kept by us, and that she knew too much. Michael decided he would be the one to bring her back and impress all of his peers in doing so. Well, when he finally found her, he couldn’t.” Uri explained.

“Why not?” Gabe snapped.

“I know it sounds crazy, but he fell in love with her. He wanted to be with her, and he went to the council to plead their case, but it became clear very quickly they were not going to listen, and they weren’t going to stop until they found her. That’s when he told them she had been killed in his attempt to retrieve her.” Uri’s tale of lost love made so much sense now, Gabe had always seen it in Michael, but didn’t understand.

“There have been rumors she’s still alive. How did he keep the council from hunting her down?” Gabe inquired.

“Gabe, why do you think Michael agreed to join the council? He wanted to stay by your side all those years ago, but he couldn’t risk that they would discover Mirada. The only reason I know is because he trusted me enough to ferry messages between them.”

Gabe leaned against a nearby rock, resting his weight on it. He remembered when Michael left him, about how he had thought he was abandoned. He knew he would do whatever it took to protect Rachel. Michael was no different than him.

“I don’t know, Uri, I’m just not sure I can trust one of them with Rachel’s life.” Gabe answered softly.

“I’m telling you, she’s not like that.” Uri assured him.

“How about we go to Luxom for now, if things change I’ll consider it.” Gabe offered, no intention of actually considering the option.

“That’s all I’m asking.” Uri said.

When Uri walked away, Rachel used the opportunity to approach Gabe. Sitting on the cold, hard ground next to him, she reached out and placed a hand on his knee. “Everything alright?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, everything is fine.” Gabe answered, his thoughts clearly somewhere else.

“Gabe, I can tell something is on your mind.” Rachel insisted.

Gabe looked at her, a smile across his face. Leaning forward, he reached an arm out, wrapping it tightly around her. “I love you so much. I never want to let anything hurt you. I want to share everything with you, but you have to understand, sometimes when it seems like something is bothering me, it’s just me thinking about everything I need to do to ensure you are safe.”

“Oh, Gabe, I hate that my safety does this to you.” Rachel sighed.

“Really? You take me the way I am, you always have. I want to keep you safe, and it consumes a large chunk of my thoughts because of how amazing you are. The idea of losing you is something I can’t handle.”

“You’re making me blush, stop.” Rachel giggled, waving a hand in her husband’s direction.

Gabe reached out with his free hand, turning her chin towards his face. Slowly, he leaned in for a kiss. It was so delicate and perfect that she had to remind herself to breath. After a moment more of longing, his mouth at last touched hers. The softness pushing together until their lips parted. Her heart skipped a beat as his tongue slipped past the barrier of her teeth, exploring her mouth until it connected with her own tongue.

Her head spun, and as they pulled apart, the sigh she released told Gabe he had done his job once again.

“I love you,” she whispered, her eyes still closed.

“I love you, too.” Gabe replied, staring at her face.

“Gross, enough already.” Uri groaned from across the way. “How about you two take a pee already so we can get out of here?”

Gabe and Rachel both chuckled at Uri’s crassness. He could be crude at times, but it was also one of the things that made him so special.