The Guardians Crown (The Guardians Book 5) (17 page)

“Gabe!” Sophie shouts.

“What’s going on?” Gabe called back.

“They’re everywhere!” she yelled, we have to get Rachel out of here, there’s no time.

“Who are they?” Gabe inquired.

“They have to be Valafar’s men, I’ve never seen anything like them before. Uri killed a couple, but they can cast, we don’t have much time,” Sophie explained, frantically looking back and forth between the door and Gabe.

Gabe realized his mouth was hanging open in response to the information. He quickly snapped his jaw shut and glanced in on his wife to see how things were coming along. She fumbled with the broken clasp on their suitcase.

“Just leave it,” Gabe instructed, “Grab what you need and let’s go.” Casting had always been something only a high-ranking demon could accomplish. If Valafar’s soldiers had this ability it would make them much more difficult to defeat.

“How’s it going?” Sophie asked, not taking her eyes of the door at the bottom of the steps.

“Almost ready, did Uri say where to meet?” Gabe asked.

“He said you had the perfect hiding spot, whatever the hell that means,” Sophie answered. Gabe knew exactly what that meant. He had hidden from the demons in his copper rich valley for more than a year. Gabe knew Uri was trying to hold that one in his back pocket in case of an emergency. Even though the demons occasionally patrolled the area since he left it, it was rare enough that they would probably be safe if they were in a jam.

“Can you help Rachel, and I’ll tell the girls where we’re going?” Gabe asked.

“Of course, we need to hurry, I don’t know how long Uri and Haim can hold them off,” Sophie added.

Gabe raced down the hall, bursting into Sera’s room, “We have to go now!” He demanded. Dina was helping Sera toss her and Uri’s belongings into an oversized duffle bag. “Do you know the cabin I built?”

Before either girl could answer, Gabe heard an odd rustling behind him. Looking back at his door he saw Rachel emerging.

“What’s going on out here?” Rachel called from her doorway.

From the corner of his eye, Gabe spied a hooded, humanoid figure, dressed in black, climbing through the window. The idea of a ninja instantly popped into Gabe’s mind. Through the openings in the mask, he could see the creatures eyes looked like they belonged to a serpent. His hands were raised and a green sphere of energy was growing in his palms.

“No!” Gabe cried out, but it was too late for him to do anything, the charge had already left the creature’s hands.

Gabe watched helplessly as the green ball of light hurled through the air, in the direction of his wife. It was as if all things around him were moving in slow motion, but as fast as he compelled himself to move forward, he felt stuck in one spot.

Just as the spell was about to make contact, Gabe caught sight of Sophie, her body rocketing through the air. Gabe’s breath stuck in his throat and he winced as he watched the scene unfold. When Gabe was certain there was no time left to save his wife and child, Sophie appeared, pushing Rachel out of the way.

His sigh of relief lasted only a moment as he saw the blast make contact squarely with Sophie’s chest. Sophie fell to the ground with a thud as Rachel stumbled backwards into the open door, and falling against the bed, as she watched with a horrified expression.

Once what had happened had a moment to register, Gabe heard his wife crying Sophie’s name over and over in a wild and hysterical panic. In an instant, rage consumed him, turning to face the ninja-like demon, Gabe raised his arms and prepared himself for battle.

Gabe could hear its breath as it hissed under the black mask. Rushing forward, he thrust a fist at the creature’s face, which it easily blocked. With each punch or kick the monster seemed to anticipate his movements, quickly blocking them, until finally it managed to land a shin kick against Gabe’s torso, sending him stumbling backwards.

Rachel’s screams still filled the hall, causing Gabe’s anger to intensify into a fury. He didn’t have his sword and quickly tried to think of a way to improvise. Suddenly, the agile demon pulled out two daggers that had been concealed at the back of his belt.

Just then, Haim rushed up the stairs, two at a time, the entire house shaking from his monstrous movements. His eyes almost immediately made contact with Sophie, then his gaze shifted to Gabe, who was grabbing a nearby painting off the wall.

Haim stared, frozen to the spot where he stood, as if his body was trapped in some sort of cement. The scene didn’t seem real. There was no way this could be happening. The demon launched the daggers towards Gabe’s head, first one and then the other. Lifting the painting high, and tilting it at just the right angle, he used it to deflect one of the weapons, and then the other.

Gabe tossed the battered art to the ground, then looking over his shoulder briefly he shouted to Haim, “Get Rachel and the other girls out of here, now!”

Haim hesitated, resisting the urge to rush over and help his friend take care of the demon. Seeing Uri coming up the steps behind him, Haim shouted, “You have to help Gabe!”

He then rushed down the hall, stepping over Sophie’s body and into Rachel’s room. Sera and Dina were trying to calm her, but Rachel couldn’t seem to shift her eyes from Sophie’s body, still screaming hysterically. His heart racing, Haim wrapped his arms around the three girls and disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Though heavily engaged in battle, hearing his wife’s cries stop gave Gabe a sense of calm. Uri reached the top of the stairs, wasting no time after hearing Haim’s words. Across the landing and down the hall, by the window, Uri saw the humanoid figure interlocked in an intense battle with Gabe. He knew all too well how difficult these new foes were to beat after his encounters moments ago outside. Instinct kicked in and he rushed towards his friend. Much to his shock, as he rounded the corner of the banister he caught sight of Sophie’s body.

Uri freezes for a moment, a confused mixture of disbelief, anger, and even fear washing over him. As if a switch went off, he rushed forward, leaping over Sophie, and raising his sword above his head. Uri crossed the distance in only a few bounds, though he was screaming a rage filled cry all the way down the walkway. The demon didn’t even have time to shift his focus. With a single swipe across the creature’s neck, Uri relieved it of its head. He said nothing to Gabe, didn’t even look at him. Instead he dropped his sword and rushed back to Sophie, scooping her up into her arms and repeating her name while shaking her. She doesn’t respond. Gabe cringed, the pain in Uri’s voice made him sick to his stomach.

Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps downstairs, dozens of them. “We have to go!” Gabe shouted. Uri wasn’t unaware of anything that was happening around them. Gabe ran into his room, making his way carefully around Uri and Sophie. He retrieved his sword, and just as the first demon made its way to the top of the stairs, Gabe wrapped his arms around Uri and Sophie, disappearing.

Gabe continued the transportations, one, and then another, covering their trail as best he could. The entire time Uri never looked up from Sophie’s face. At last they arrived in front of Gabe’s cabin. The tattered and weathered appearance didn’t make it feel any less like home when he saw it. Though he was finally home, a sadness filled him, unlike any one he has ever known. His mind shifted to Sophie.

Looking up, he saw Dina and Haim emerge from the cabin door.

“Is it safe?” Gabe asked.

“Seems so,” Haim replied.

“Dina … Sophie, you have to help her,” Gabe instructed.

She rushed to her beloved friend’s side, first feeling for a pulse. There was none. She then inspected her wounds. A horrified look crept across her face and her heart sank as she looked at Uri, who still could not release her body from his grip.

“You have to help her,” Uri pleaded.

Dina shook her head. “She’s already gone.”

“No!” Uri shouted, clutching Sophie’s body close against his, crying again, “No! She can’t be! No! Dear God, please no!” Saliva flying from his mouth, as though he was frothing, the news caused him to collapse into complete hysteria.

Gabe fell to his knees, the weight of the news crushing him. Placing one hand in the dirt, he reached up with the other, gripping Uri’s shoulder. A tear fell from his eyes and mixed with the earth.

Uri wailed like a wounded animal, the pain so overwhelming he thought his chest cavity my burst. Sera rushed out from inside the cabin, taking in the scene before her.

“It’s Rachel!” Sera shouted.

Gabe looked up, horrified, his cheeks still damp with the loss of one of his dearest friends. “What’s wrong with my wife?” he shouted, his voice cracking.

“Her water just broke. She’s in a lot of pain. Dina you should come, right away,” Sera replied.

Dina and Gabe leapt to their feet, rushing into the cabin as fast as their bodies would physically allow.

Sera moved in behind Uri’s slumped over body, lowering herself to the ground, she wrapped her arms around him. Though he continued to sob uncontrollably, and was unwilling to release Sophie’s lifeless body from his grasp, Sera continued to rock him, praying her presence gave him some sort of comfort.

Haim listened to the cries that came from the cabin, then the ones coming from his best friend in the entire world, helpless to do anything. Everyone there in that valley knew this was the moment when their lives changed, and nothing again would ever be the same.

Gabe emerged from the cabin, his head swimming with random thoughts. He had been looking forward to the birth of his and Rachel’s child for so long. He never expected it to feel like this. The last day had felt like a storm, big and powerful, pounding its full force against his life.

He looked out at the clearing in front of the cabin. Sophie’s body was now covered with a blanket. It still didn’t feel real to him. He thought about her red tangles blowing in the wind, the half grin she would get when she busted his chops, the way she had taken care of Rachel over the past months. It didn’t seem right she was gone; it was a concept he simply could not make sense of.

“How’s she doing in there?” Haim asked, approaching Gabe from the left.

Gabe glanced over his shoulder at the door to the cabin, “Good I guess. I never thought it would take so long. Dina said everything looks fine and we just have to be patient. She’s handling the pain pretty well, though.”

“I’m kind of surprised to see you out here,” Haim remarked.

Gabe smiled, “She said she needed a break from me.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, I guess I hover,” Gabe laughed. Looking to the edge of the trees, Gabe caught a glimpse of Uri, staring into the early morning misty forest. Sera stood only feet away, leaning against a nearby tree, but neither spoke. “How’s he been doing?”

“He stopped wailing, I guess that’s good. He’s been standing out there for a while. I can’t bring myself to go talk to him,” Haim replied, “It’s weird, you know? We all loved Sophie, but Uri … she was like a sister to him.”

“I know,” Gabe added softly. He knew exactly what Haim meant. No matter what was in Gabe and Sophie’s history, or how he felt about her, it paled in comparison to the bond between her and Uri.

Patting Haim on the arm, Gabe stepped off the small porch, crossing in front of Sophie’s body. He made his way to Uri’s side. Seeing him approach, Sera turned and walked away with a smile, giving them an opportunity to talk.

“Hey man,” Gabe spoke solemnly, coming to rest against a nearby tree that was three times rounder than he. “How are you doing?”

Uri glanced over at his friend and then back out at the empty forest. Gabe noticed his eyes were sunken and bloodshot, his skin pale and clammy. “How do you think I’m doing?” he groaned, his voice cracking as he spoke.

“I know …” Gabe said, “I still can’t believe she’s gone.”

“Do you have a baby yet?” Uri asked, wanting to avoid the discussion of Sophie’s corpse.

“Not yet, apparently the kid’s a stubborn one,” Gabe said, preparing for the apple not falling too far from the tree jokes. But Uri said nothing, just continued staring straight ahead.

A silence lingered between them for sometime. Gabe thought of a dozen things to say, but none seemed right. Uri looked Gabe over, his gaze empty. Gabe feared Sophie’s death would lead to his friend’s recklessness and ultimate demise. He couldn’t share that with him though, he could only think it, and worry. Instead Gabe said the only thing he could think of that might comfort Uri.

“Sera’s going to need you more than ever now.”

Uri looked away again, he seemed annoyed by the comment, “Sera’s never needed anyone in her entire life.”

“Fine, then I need you,” Gabe said. He didn’t even remember thinking the words; they just came out of his mouth.

Uri still didn’t look at him. “I’m going to take Sophie’s body to Michael. He’d want me to do that.”

Gabe shook his head. The idea made no sense to him, “We haven’t heard from him in months, we’re not even sure where he is on the battlefield. I think we should burry her here.”

At last, Uri turned his head, locking his eyes on him, but it made Gabe wish Uri would look away again. There was utter contempt on his face. He was disgusted that Gabe could even suggest such a thing. “Sophie won’t be buried in the place you fell in love with Rachel. She’ll go home, and be buried with family.”