The Guardians Crown (The Guardians Book 5) (9 page)

Peering at the oversized entryway into Iron Gate, Michael attempted to put her at ease. “Clarite’s here, can you imagine how excited she’ll be to see you?”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Mirada said, delivering a half smile.

“Come on now, a lot of time has passed, I’m sure she has changed just as much as you have,” Michael reassured her.

“She never could forgive me for getting away when she didn’t. Well that, and she always thought I stole your heart from her,” Mirada reminded him.

“That will never make sense to me. I never had any feelings for that woman, I have no clue how she thinks there could have ever been something between us. Although it does explain why she loathes me so much,” Michael remarked.

Mirada laughed and looked back at the gate. Michael noticed how her eyes widened as she took in a deep breath. Though she had aged, she still looked like Michael remembered her.

The joy of that moment overtook him. Without another word, Michael turned to her and said, “This past week, being alone in our little tree house, I’ve been happier than anytime I can remember. I feel like the moment we were torn apart, my life stopped moving forward. I can’t imagine ever being without you again.”

“Awe, sweetie, I feel the same way,” Mirada replied, confused as to why he would be bringing this up now of all times.

Falling to one knee, he peered up at her. Her stomach twisted in knots as she felt her heart begin to race. Michael thought his own heart might leap out of his chest if he didn’t say what he was thinking, “I love you Mirada, you complete me. And I don’t want another day to go by without you as my wife. Will you marry me?”

It didn’t happen like in the storybooks. She didn’t squeal and say yes, there was no ring, there was simply the two of them, the gray clouds over head, and the undeniable bond between them, and an evilness darker than anyone had ever known lurking on the outskirts of their existence. She collapsed onto her knees in front of him, the tears streaming down her face. She simply nodded, and that was enough of an answer for him. Burying her head into his chest, he held her, and they were complete. It took more than a lifetime, but they had found each other once again.

“Michael?” Uri’s voice rang out. Rising to their feet they looked on as his loving family rushed out to greet them. They were all there: Gabe, Rachel, Dina, Haim, and Sophie.

Michael smiled; he had everything in that moment, and it made his heart feel fuller than it ever had. He delayed telling them of the council, wanting to prolong the joy of the moment.

“What happened to you?” Uri inquired, grabbing hold of his mentors arm, and looking into his eyes. The worry that had consumed him over the past week was evident.

“I found Mirada,” Michael said as he exhaled. That seemed to be the part that mattered at the time.

“We can see that, old man,” Gabe laughed. “I think what we’re wanting to know is if the two of you are you all right?”

“She’s just agreed to become my wife,” Michael replied.

The group erupted into congratulations, embracing the couple, and sharing in the happy occasion. Even Gabe, who inherently distrusted all oracles was pleased the man who gave him a chance all those years ago found his way back to the love of his life.

“When are you getting married?” Rachel asked.

“As soon as we can,” Mirada added, the smile on her face larger than any one Michael had ever seen her display.

“And the council finally approved this?” Uri inquired.

With those words the energy shifted. The smiles faded from Michael and Mirada’s faces as they looked at one another.

“What’s wrong?” Gabe quickly asked, sensing the change.

“The council’s gone,” Michael answered plainly.

“What do you mean gone?” Uri pushed.

Michael looked at him, holding onto Mirada with one hand and reaching out to grab Uri’s shoulder with the other. “You were right, it was a trap. When I got there, they were already dead.”

“No!” Uri exclaimed, pulling away.

“That can’t be,” Haim argued.

“Baal slaughtered them all. He demanded I hand Gabe over or he would kill me, too. When I refused, we fought. I barely escaped with my life. Luckily Mirada found me, and nursed me back to health. I’m still banged up, but I’m much better than I was,” Michael explained.

“Baal? You actually fought him?” Gabe asked, moving in closer. “What was he like?”

“As evil as they say,” Michael answered.

He watched as Gabe’s shoulders slumped forward, his mouth falling open, and despair washed over him. In that moment, Michael was confident Mirada was right. He couldn’t tell Gabe about the Guardians crown, he needed to hold onto that hope, at least a little while longer.

“What are we going to do?” Uri moaned.

Michael squeezed Mirada’s hand. She peered up at him; he nodded as if giving her permission. She looked to the group, “I know where the Guardians crown is.”

All eyes turned to her, she watched as hope returned to the small group. “What?” Dina was the first to ask the question.

Mirada explained, “Over the years, the weapon has been relocated many times, but in 1952, it was moved to the center of Mt. Rainer, in Seattle. It’s watched over by a keeper.”

For an instant, when she said the word keeper, Uri thought of Seraphine. He remembered her beauty. His heart ached, but he shook the memory away as Mirada continued. This was no time, he thought, to get lost in days gone by.

“The mountain is basically an active volcano. It’s decaying from the inside out because of the acid being discharged inside. Nobody would dare go near it and therefore, it’s the last place anyone would look for it,” Mirada explained.

Gabe shook his head, unable to shake his distrust of oracles. “And you’re telling us this why?”

Michael glared at him, angry he would even question his beloved. She reached up a calming hand, placing it on Michael’s chest, and flashed him a half smile, ensuring him she was fine with the question. Looking back at Gabe she replied, “Because I love Michael. And he loves all of you.”

“And how do you know about this?” Uri followed up, honing in on Gabe’s doubt.

“Come on Uri,” she began. “You of all people should know I know an awful lot of things. I choose not to share everything I know because sometimes people can abuse such information.”

“And suddenly you trust us?” Rachel asked, stepping in front of her husband.

“Hey! You guys need to show a little respect. Mirada didn’t have to tell us anything!” Michael said in a raised voice.

Mirada laced her arm through his, squeezing it tightly. “Michael, they love you, that’s why they’re so protective. And to answer your question Rachel, Michael trusts you, and that’s enough for me. I’m not saying the weapon is even still there. I’m telling you the last thing I heard about it, that’s it.”

Uri looked around at the group and then back to his leader. “Then we leave tomorrow. Tonight, we have a wedding to attend.”

“What?” Michael choked.

Dina, grabbed a hold of Sophie’s arm and volunteered their services, “Don’t worry, me and Sophie will take care of everything.”

“We will?” Sophie grumbled.

Sophie busied herself hanging the handmade tissue paper balls around the great hall, the boys had spent most of the evening clearing the floor of cots and bringing in the tables from storage. They had since gone in to watch the chef work on the last minute feast preparations, their mouths watering. Rachel had a table at the front of the room covered in cut flowers where she was attempting to make centerpieces.

Dina set the last of the dinnerware on the table nearest to Sophie. “How you doing?” she asked.

Sophie looked down at her, then up at Rachel, and then back to the ball she was hanging, “Fine.”

“Wow, yeah, really seems like it,” Dina jested.

“What? I didn’t say anything,” Sophie defended herself.

“You didn’t have to,” Dina replied. “How are things with Damon?”

Sophie refused to look at Dina, instead she made her way down the ladder, shifted it to the next location, and climbed up with another ball. “He’s fun,” she added, shrugging her shoulders.

Dina paused, considering her friend’s behavior. “But he’s not Gabe.”

Sophie quickly looked up to where Rachel was busy working to ensure she had not heard her friend’s statement. Once she was confident they were out of earshot, she looked back down at Dina with an angry glare. “Will you shut up? Nobody said anything about Gabe.”

“You didn’t have to,” Dina remarked. “I get it, nobody will ever be Raimie.”

Sophie thought about how selfish she had been. Her loss in love could never be compared to Dina. Her beloved died, was brought back from the dead, twisted into a monster, and then Dina must turn around and put an end to the creature he had become. Sophie shuttered at the thought.

“I’m not sure what’s worse, what I went through, or having to watch the man you’re still in love with be in love with someone else.” Dina reached up, squeezing her friend’s hand and then turned to walk away.

Sophie climbed down off the ladder, scurrying after her friend, grabbing the sleeve of her shirt, “Wait, I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to be a friend. I shouldn’t be such a bitch.”

“We used to tell each other everything Sophie. Now I feel like we barely talk,” Dina continued, her lips turning downward as her eyebrows lifted.

“I know, I don’t even know what to talk about anymore … with anyone,” Sophie explained.

Dina took her friend’s hand and guided her to a set of chairs at the back of the hall. “Come on, let’s sit down and actually talk like we used to.”

Sophie smiled; the idea of it did give her some comfort. “Do you ever feel like everyone is destined to find love except us? I mean look, even Michael found it.”

Dina smiled, “He did wait a long time for it. Maybe you have to be patient.”

Sophie paused, debating whether or not she should say the next statement that was on her mind. Finally curiosity outweighed her better judgment. “Do you think you’ll ever be with anyone again?”

Dina shook her head, “I’m different.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sophie pushed, puzzled by her friends statement.

Dina hung her head, “I’ve actually given this a lot of thought. For me, no, I won’t ever be with anyone again. But you have to understand, it’s a choice I made because of what I did.”

“But it was an accident. You didn’t mean for any of that to happen. Nobody blames you,” Sophie argued.

Dina squeezed Sophie’s hand; she wanted to make sure she was aware that she had made peace with her decision. “You’re right, I never meant for any of the bad things that happened to happen. But that doesn’t change the fact that I knew right from wrong, I made the choice to bring Raimie back, and as a result a young girl lost her life. She will never have that chance to fall in love. Knowing something I did took that from her, I couldn’t live with it.”

“I think you’re being too hard on yourself,” Sophie noted.

“There are some things in this life that can’t be undone, we simply have to live with the choices we make,” Dina replied plainly. Her statement reminded Sophie of the conversation she and Gabe had at Rampart recently. He had told her almost the exact same thing.

“I don’t want to love him anymore,” Sophie said.

“Love who?” Rachel asked, as she approached with one of the centerpieces.

“Umm ...” Sophie stammered, she was at a complete loss for words.

“Damon,” Dina quickly chimed in, trying to save Sophie from total embarrassment.

Rachel tilted her head considering what she had just been told, “I’m not really sure what to do with that information.”

Sophie blushed, though the conversation was awkward, it would have been far worse if Rachel had discovered that even now, Sophie still carried a torch for Gabe. “You shouldn’t do anything with that information, because you weren’t supposed to hear it,” she said continuing with the farce.

Rachel wasn’t pleased with Sophie’s reply. “Well, too bad he’s my brother, and that’s what sisters do. First off, I didn’t realize you guys were so serious. I had no idea you loved him. Second, if you love him, why on earth would you want to stop loving him? He’s such a great guy, and he really seems to like you.”

Sophie hopped to her feet, as if outraged by the questions. “I said I wasn’t going to talk about it with you.” And with those words she stormed out of the hall.

Rachel looked down at Dina, her mouth hanging open. “All right. Come on, there is no way she should have reacted like that, am I right?”

Throwing both hands up in the air defensively Dina answered, “Hey, it’s none of my business.”

“Oh no, not so fast. Unless you want me discussing this with my brother, you’re going to tell me why she doesn’t want to love him,” Rachel demanded, aggravated with the sidestepping.

Dina felt her chest flutter. This was about to blow up into a much bigger issue than it needed to be. “You promise if I tell you you’ll let this drop.”

“Scouts’ honor,” Rachel said lifting her fingers in a salute.

Dina smiled, she could see why Gabe loved her so much, she was quite adorable. “Things are getting real now. We’re at war and Sophie can’t deal with losing Damon if he was hurt or something. Or worse, what would it do to Damon if he lost her.”