The Guardians Crown (The Guardians Book 5) (8 page)

The pain raced up his body, but it was too late, he was already gone. He was in neither one place nor the other, floating in limbo. He shook violently, fighting the pain in order to focus on where to re-appear. His first stop was a place he had visited long ago, while hunting down a demon. It was a small, abandoned mining town. If Baal somehow managed to follow Michael, he wanted to make sure he didn’t lead them into a populated area.

Looking down at his leg, Michael saw the deep red blood spilling from the wound. The final blow inflicted by Baal was far worse than he had realized. He needed help, and fast. Gritting his teeth, he transported again, this time, inside of an old stone tower, half crumbling all around him. The outside air was crisp, and his breath hung in a white cloud in front of him. He couldn’t go to Iron Gate, doing that would be far too dangerous for everyone.

Suddenly he felt his consciousness slip away from him. He maybe had one last transport left, if he was lucky. He struggled as he tried to think of a place, of any place he could go. Closing his eyes, he was gone, once again.

Michael refused to open his eyes; he didn’t want to know what happened. The last thing he could remember, his body was broken, and he was slipping into unconsciousness. The only thing he imagined that could be awaiting him, if he opened his eyes, was something he did not want to see. Either he was already dead, or worse, he in fact had been captured.

Instead he chose to think about Mirada, his beloved beauty. Her long, pale blonde hair that she would sweep around over one shoulder and the way her nose was small and turned up just slightly at the end. Her thin lips that matched in color, the hue that would flush over her cheeks when she was embarrassed flashed in his memory. He missed her haunting eyes, their blue color, that in the right light appeared as if they were gray.

“Mirada …” he whispered longingly.

“Yes, my love?” When he heard the voice reply he thought at first that he had gone mad. After the ensuing debate in his mind, he decided that he had, in fact, heard the voice. Opening his eyes, his heart sank when he saw the eyes he had been missing only moments ago, staring back at him.

“Mirada?” he gasped, attempting to sit up.

“Whoa, take it slow. All right? You were pretty beat up when you got here. You have to take it easy,” Mirada warned him.

“When I got where?” Michael asked, looking around him. He recognized it instantly. Though the years had taken their toll on their love nest, the tree house was still standing.

“Do you know where you are Michael?” Mirada asked, trying to determine if perhaps there were a head trauma she were unaware of.

“Of course I know, I can’t believe this place is still here,” he replied softly.

“You came here, not knowing this place still stood?” Mirada attempted to relieve her confusion.

“I came here? Of course ...” Michael muttered, realizing what had happened.

“I’m confused,” Mirada replied.

“I didn’t realize what I was doing. I was hurt and trying to transport, this must have been the first place that popped into my mind. I think of it often,” Michael explained, sitting up the rest of the way. He reached out and clasped her hand into his; he wanted to feel her flesh against him. Her warmth was soothing.

He took in the surroundings, as he did, memories of their young love came flooding back. When they had begun their affair, they used to daydream of having a simple home; one where they could live out their days together, perhaps even raise a child together.

This was the tree they had shared their first kiss beneath. He built her this home among the trees. It was simple, a wooden floor, a thatch roof that now appeared to be riddled with holes, and one open room, consisting of a bed and a makeshift cooking area.

Looking at the walls that he made from a mixture of mud and canvas, it made him smile. Though most of the mud mixture had crumbled, and fallen away, the fact that the canvas beneath still stood gave him a sense of hope.

“What happened to you?” Mirada asked, checking on the bandages she had applied.

“Did you do all of this?” Michael inquired, looking down at his battered and bruised body, no lovingly wrapped in clean dressings.

Mirada nodded.

Michael thought about her question. What had happened to him, it seemed unimaginable. Could things have really happened the way he remembered? Was the council really dead? Did he actually fight Baal and survive?

“It was Baal. He must have had a spy. He killed all of the elders and then lured me there. He wanted Gabe,” Michael explained, unable to look at Mirada as he recalled the blood-soaked scene. He had always been truthful with her. Always answered every question she had, even when he knew he was forbidden to. He was incapable of anything but full disclosure with her.

“Did you tell him anything?” Mirada asked, concerned.

“Of course not,” Michael answered, allowing his gaze to meet hers. His hand ran up her arm, cascading over her shoulder, and cradling her jawline. “I was so scared. I thought something might have happened to you.”

Mirada pulled away, this time she was the one who was unable to look at her beloved. Leaning forward Michael pushed, “Did something happen?”

She nodded, but said nothing.

“You have to tell me, what happened? Are you all right?” Michael asked, now panicked by her reaction.

“They found us,” she muttered before falling silent again.

“I don’t understand, who found you?” Michael inquired.

“I don’t know exactly, they were demons though. Stimely did everything he could to protect me. He held them off long enough for me to escape, but …” Her words trailed off as she looked down at the ground.

Michael reached out, pulling her into his battered body, holding her tightly within his arms. “I’m so sorry.” She collapsed into him, the sobs flooding out of her. As she trembled in his arms, the despair filled him and all he wanted to do was to take her pain. Stimely, though an undead, had been her only companion since she went into hiding. He knew, for her, it must have felt like she was losing her last friend in the world.

“I know baby,” he whispered, stroking her hair.

Breaking through the tears, she asked, “What are we going to do?”

Michael didn’t have an answer. In the past, when he didn’t know what to do, he went to the council and asked them. He felt like he had no direction. They had no idea where the Guardians crown was, they had no one to turn to now, perhaps Baal was right. Maybe the fight was already lost. Maybe this was the end and he should enjoy what little time he had left with Mirada.

“I suppose we could stay here. I think we could fix it up, don’t you? I doubt anyone will even come looking for us,” Michael suggested.

“Wait, what?” Mirada asked, pulling away.

“Yeah, I mean, with the council gone, there isn’t much left of the guardians. I guess our hope died with them. It doesn’t matter now, nothing does, as long as I can be with you. We could be so happy together. The life we always wanted,” Michael pleaded.

Mirada rose to her feet, crossing the room, “I don’t believe what I’m hearing.”

“I don’t understand, I thought you’d be happy,” Michael stammered, attempting to follow her and then falling back to the cot, unable to put weight on his leg.

“What? You thought I’d be happy that you’re just giving up? All these years, were you fighting for the cause or the council?” she demanded.

“I don’t understand why you’re reacting this way? You hated that I let them drive you into hiding. You hated the fact that we couldn’t be together. I figured you of all people would be glad I decided to stop this madness.” Michael argued.

Mirada shook her head, frustrated by what she was hearing. Without space to pace, she began to walk circles around the tree in the center of the room. “Have you really changed this much over the years? It’s like I don’t even recognize you.”

“Why would you care? The oracles are neutral!” Michael shouted feeling wounded by her words.

“And you think I’m just like all of them. I thought you knew me,” Mirada whispered, the words too difficult for her to say any louder. She came to a halt in front of him, staring, as if hoping to recognize something inside him.

“I’m sorry,” were the only words he could think to say.

She sighed and took a step closer, allowing him to wrap his hands around her waist. He buried his face into the folds of her skirt. Not allowing him to escape their conversation she lifted his chin until their gaze met. “The resistance was never defined by a council, their existence did not give cause. The cause was what gave them purpose.”

As Michael watched her speak, he swallowed hard, remembering in that moment it was more than her beauty he had fallen in love with. “I don’t know what to do,” he replied, his words barely audible.

“People need hope Michael, as much as they need a leader. You and Gabe are the answer to both of those things. You’ll lead the people of earth to victory and Gabe will give them the hope they need to keep going,” Mirada said, her voice sensitive, yet unwavering.

“I don’t know if I can,” For the first time in Michael’s life he was completely unsure of what he should do. He had lost all sense of purpose.

“You can, and I’ll be at your side every step of the way,” she said with a smile.

“Are you serious?” Michael asked, his heart now racing.

Falling to her knees she embraced him, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. She pulled away, looking into his eyes. “I’m never going to leave your side again.”

Michael felt as if his heart might burst. With the death of the council he had felt as though he had lost everything that mattered to him, but here in his arms, he found the last piece of hope he had left in the world. “We have to go back and help Gabe.”

“Why, what’s wrong with Gabe?” Mirada asked.

“They found a book that says the guardians crown is real,” Michael explained.

“Well it is real, or it was,” Mirada stated, staring back at Michael.

Michael watched as she rose, taking a seat next to him on the bed and wrapping her fingers around his. “What do you mean it was?” he asked.

“The crown has been damaged, what’s left of it will never work against Baal,” Mirada explained.

“Are you certain?” Michael inquired.

She nodded solemnly. “I’m afraid so.”

He fell silent, his heart sinking. Shifting on the cot, he laid back, Mirada crawling up next to him, allowing him to wrap one arm around her back. “That’s unfortunate. I’ve never seen Gabe this engaged in the fight before. The crown gave him something to search for, something to hold on to. I’ll admit, he even had me believing it at the end.”

“He doesn’t have to lose that. Rachel needs him more than ever right now. He just has to figure out she’s enough for him to hold onto and that she is what he is ultimately fighting for,” Mirada explained.

Michael soaked in her words. Perhaps she was right and he was going about this the wrong way. Mirada had given him a reason to fight. When he thought she might be hurt, it awoke a beast within him that would have stopped at nothing to rescue her.

“I suppose we should get back and tell Gabe the hunt for the Guardians crown is pointless,” Michael suggested.

Pushing herself up onto one elbow Mirada peered into Michael’s eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“What? Why not?” Michael questioned.

“If you take this away from him too soon, it might be more than he can handle. He needs to hold onto it for a while longer. Sometimes the journey can help us find what we’re really looking for. Perhaps looking for the Guardians crown will help him find what he is searching for.”

“I wish I knew what he was truly searching for, so I could help him.”

“He’s searching for what everyone else is my love,” Mirada explained plainly. “His destiny.”

Arching his back, Michael lifted himself, kissing Mirada on the forehead. A wave of relief consuming him as he realized he had just found his destiny.

They paused for a moment, Michael looking to Mirada for some indication she might be ready to enter through the gates. It had been some time since she had felt like she was safe to be anywhere near the Guardians. Her sister had been held captive for so long that she had grown comfortable in the idea that the Guardians were no different than the demons. For her, if you were fighting against evil that did not automatically align you with the Guardians.