The Guardians Crown (The Guardians Book 5) (13 page)

“Jesus, Uri, can you shut up for just a second? I need to think,” Sophie commanded. She looked up at the riddle, to the rift that kept them from their destination, at Rachel, and then back to the rift.

“I think Rachel’s onto something,” Sophie added.

“What do you mean?” Haim asked, moving in close to his companion.

Sophie bent down, scooping up a fist full of dirt she rushed to the edge, tossing it over. It fell down to the lava just as Rachel’s pebble had. Quickly she scooped up another handful and tossed it over in another area, the entire time Rachel watching her intensely.

“Okay, it’s official, Sophie has lost her mind,” Uri said sarcastically.

Without a word, Rachel scooped up her own pile of dirt and scurried to the edge, tossing it over.

“Yup, and now she’s driven you’re wife mad, too,” Uri joked.

“There!” Sophie shouted. “You see it?”

Rachel rushed over, and tossed some dirt in the direction Sophie pointed. Afterwards, both women began crying out joyously and laughing together.

“All right, I give, what’s going on?” Gabe questioned.

“Don’t you see? It’s an illusion,” Rachel explained.

“What’s an illusion?” Haim asked.

“Look over there,” Sophie directed. “Where Rachel tossed that last bit of dirt. It landed on something. There’s a pathway here, but it’s been cloaked somehow.”

“I thought you couldn’t use magic here,” Uri argued.

“My guess is whoever created that portal, created this as well, somehow making it immune,” Sophie suggested.

Rachel grabbed more dirt and tossed it in the general area they had exposed. Quickly the others joined in and before long they had exposed a six-foot area.

Sophie tugged on her shirt, pulling it away from her body and turning it into a makeshift sack. She filled it with dirt before instructing the others, “You need to gather up as much as you can.”

The group complied, and then they all gathered together and prepared to cross the invisible path.

“I’ll go first,” Uri directed, pressing one foot on the dirt-covered area in front of him. His heart began to race. He could see the lava flowing beneath him in the area uncovered by the dirt. Breathing a sigh of relief when he managed to plant his second foot, without plummeting to his death, he started to toss dirt he had gathered, in front of him. His friends moved out onto the platform, huddled close together, following Uri’s moves.

They made it a couple more feet before Uri turned and said, “I’m out,” holding up his empty hands.

“Here, I’ll go next,” Sophie offered, scurrying forward.

Uri moved to one side to make his way around Sophie, but suddenly lost his footing when he stepped into an unexposed area. Scrambling to propel his body forward, he slipped even more, but just as he was about to fall completely from the path Gabe reached out and grabbed his forearm, pulling him securely into place at his side.

Uri sighed in relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, then looked to Gabe and said, “Thanks man, I owe you one.”

One by one the crew worked to expose the path before them, it zigzagged, making unexpected turns, clearly meant to confuse and disorient anyone trying to pass. Rachel was the last one who had any dirt left. She tossed the last bit in her hands and then looked back to her friends with a great concern in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Gabe asked.

“I’m out,” she replied plainly.

“Should one of us go back and get more?” Haim questioned.

“It’s too dangerous,” Sophie remarked. With all of us moving across the path a lot of the dirt has been displaced. It’s too much of a risk.”

“So what do we do?” Gabe questioned, grabbing Rachel’s arm and pulling her in close to him.

While the others were speaking, and debating the best course of action, Uri was staring at the other side. It was so close, he was certain if he reached out with one hand he would be able to reach the other side. Without warning he pushed himself off with his toes, leaping the six feet of the divide with ease.

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” Sophie laughed.

Uri scooped up a few handfuls of dirt and began tossing them out in front of him, revealing the last of the path for his friends.

One by one, the group made their way across the last remaining narrowness. Looking back at the mess they had just travelled across Gabe remarked, “Let’s hope there’s another way out of here.”

“Ready to find out what’s at the end of that tunnel?” Uri asked, looking at Gabe.

“I am if you are,” he replied.

And with that, they were off, blindly moving into the next piece of the puzzle.

“Pst,” Gabe pushed Rachel behind him as he attempted to get the other’s attention. Motioning to his hip, he pulled out his sword, indicating for them to ready their weapons.

Dividing, the group took their positions on the outer edges of the cave, attempting to go unnoticed by whatever might be awaiting them. As they came closer to the end of the path, they all could see the blue light shifting across the ceiling of the cave, as if it were shimmering.

“What is it?” Rachel whispered, looking over her husband’s shoulder.

Gabe raised a finger to his lips, directing her silence. He then signaled for Uri to enter. Rachel held her breath as Uri bravely moved through the small opening. A couple minutes went by, and they heard nothing. Rachel thought her heart might burst from the anticipation.

“Uri?” Sophie whispered, cautiously stepping through the opening. In a moment, she was gone, disappeared into the unknown.

Haim looked to Gabe, confused and seeking guidance from him. Gabe didn’t look back, though, instead he stared silently at the opening. The unknown hadn’t frightened him before, not like this. Now, with Rachel by his side, the unknown gave him a whole new sense of terror. He knew he had to make a decision; he needed to do something.

“Are you guys coming or not?” Uri asked, poking his head out from the opening.

“I’m gonna kill you!” Gabe snarled, lowering his sword and gripping Rachel’s, they walked through the archway.

Rachel felt her chest start to ache, in complete awe of the beauty she saw around her. In front of them was a large stone cavern, the ceiling domed and smooth. It almost appeared as if it was wet, and she suddenly wished she could float up and touch it.

Dancing across the dome were greens, blues, whites, purples, all the colors she never imagined could naturally exist. “It’s beautiful,” she gasped

Gabe walked the perimeter, examining the small pools of water that were in a circle around the outside of the cave. “It looks like the lights are coming from these.”

“What’s in them?” Haim asked, cautiously keeping his distance.

Gabe moved forward, peering into one. “I don’t know, some sort of liquid. God, look at all the colors.”

Rachel walked to the one closest to her, “That’s odd, I wonder why it doesn’t show our reflections.”

“It does,” Gabe argued, looking into the pool in front of him.

“No it doesn’t,” Rachel insisted, shifting from side to side.

Sophie walked up to a different well and peering in she said, “Rachel, it shows my reflection. Maybe you’re just not looking at it right.”

“Me too,” Uri said from across the cave, looking into a different glowing pool of liquid.

“I’m serious, this one doesn’t reflect,” Rachel replied.

Walking around, behind his wife, Gabe peered over her shoulder. Much to his amazement, his reflection looked back at him, but there was no sign of hers, though she was standing right next to him.

“I don’t understand,” Rachel gasped. “What does that mean?”

“Maybe it’s another riddle of some kind,” Sophie suggested.

“Perhaps they only reflect supernatural beings,” Uri interjected.

“That’s not why she can’t see herself!” a voice called out from the opening behind them. Uri’s face shifted into one of complete shock. He instantly recognized the voice.

“Sera …” her name slipped from his lips, but he knew it was her before he even turned around.

“It’s been a long time,” she said softly, her eyes fixated on the back of Uri’s head.

He felt a rush of adrenaline flood over him, he had been looking for her for so long, and now, without warning, here she was. With a deep breath, Uri turned around. As soon as his eyes found her, he wanted to rush over and sweep her up into an embrace, never letting her go. But he was caught in that awkward place of knowing he cared deeply for Sera, perhaps even loved her, but he was unsure how she felt about him, she had, after all, been the one to leave.

Uri’s eyes grew wide as he stared at her, he didn’t know what he was searching for, perhaps an indication she felt some sort of remorse about how she left, or maybe a glimpse of a smile that would show she missed him, too.

“Who is this, Uri?” Gabe asked.

Uri shook his head, trying to focus on Gabe’s question. He hadn’t thought about the fact that Gabe and Rachel had never met Seraphine. Gabe had been away, in hiding, when Sera came into Uri’s life.

Realizing Uri was having trouble saying her name again, Haim interjected, “Her name is Seraphine, she saved Uri’s life once.”

Uri didn’t care that Gabe didn’t know her. As soon as Haim spoke, he decided he didn’t care about anything but getting answers. Without any further hesitation he rushed across the cavern, coming to stand directly in front of Sera. When he looked at her, up close, he saw something; there was a sadness in her eyes.

“Why did you leave?” Uri asked, wanting to instead ask more specifically …
why did you leave me?

Sera looked down at the ground and then back at Uri, her eyebrows lifted and with a sorrowful stare explained, “Uri, I’m a keeper, and I failed.”

He waited for more, but she stood silent. He could hear Sophie and Gabe talking behind them, but their words made no sense in the moment. All he could see, think about, or hear was Seraphine. He had searched for so long, and here she was.

“What does that mean? How did you fail?” he pleaded.

Sera looked around at the group, explaining her actions to everyone now. “I have known all of you for a good part of your lives, though you have not known me. I watch from afar, always there, in the distance, as a protector.”

“Wait, what? Protector of what?” Sophie asked, confused by the revelation.

“My job was only to interfere if it looked as though your lives were at risk,” Sera continued.

“Why would you do that?” Gabe asked.

Sera looked at Uri, whose mouth was hung open, staring at her in disbelief. Everything he thought he knew about her, or even things he had convinced himself of, seemed to be coming undone with each additional word she spoke.

“I have no memory before I came to be a keeper. I woke up here, with my master, who taught me my job, and then was gone one day. There was a weapon I was to guard.” Sera continued.

“The Guardians crown?” Rachel asked, hopeful.

Sera nodded.

“Where is it?” Gabe demanded.

“That’s what I’m trying to explain, I was supposed to protect it and I failed,” Sera’s voice quivered as she spoke.

“Wait, I thought you were protecting us? You also were protecting the crown?” Sophie inquired.

“You are the crown,” Sera answered plainly.

“What? You’re making no sense,” Gabe huffed in frustration.

“These six pools were designed to harness the energy of a very special circle of Guardians, all together they are referred to as the Guardians crown. When all 6 points of the crown are activated, your magic can be focused into immeasurable strength,” Sera weaved the story of the group’s destiny.

“I don’t understand, then why can’t we still use it?” Haim asked.

Sera didn’t answer. Uri looked to the pools then back at Sera. “Because Raimie’s dead,” he said, everything suddenly becoming clear. “After Raimie died, there was nothing else you could do. For the magic to work you needed Dina, Gabe, Haim, Sophie, Raimie, and myself. I’m right, aren’t I?”

Sera nodded. “I’m sorry I let you all down.”

“So wait, there’s nothing we can do? Can’t another Guardian stand in for him?” Gabe’s voice was suddenly panic stricken.

“I’m afraid not, the six of you were linked, a circle like this might never exist again,” Sera answered.

“Then why? Why leave me like that? A note? I thought you cared about me,” Uri’s raw feelings came bubbling to the surface, shocking his friends into silence.

Sera approached him, reaching out her hands and grasping Uri’s fingertips.

“It had nothing to do with how much I cared or didn’t care about you. My mission was to protect all six of you. After I failed at that, the least I could do was come back here and protect the secret,” Sera said.

“Protecting a secret was more important than what was happening between us?” Uri was now shouting, not caring who witnessed their intimate conversation.

“If the demons discovered there was no longer an ultimate weapon that could destroy them, what would they have to be afraid of?” Sera explained, running her hand back and forth against Uri’s flesh. His pain made him want to look away from her, but he had longed to see her face again since they had parted. He could not bring himself to shift his gaze.