The Prophecy (The Guardians) (15 page)

“Please, have we met?
 
I have not forgotten a single thing.
 
Anything and everything we need to make this a perfect day is accounted for in this bag.” Rachel confidently stated.

“Of course, I should have never doubted your skills m’lady.
 
Get one last look at home sweet home; we won’t see her until tonight.” Gabe said with a smile.

Since Rachel first arrived she had made many efforts to turn the little cabin into a cozy home.
 
Thanks to a few fabrics Gabe picked up on one of his trips the single window was trimmed with checkered curtains, the spare scraps used for a table runner.
 
Rachel had been keeping Gabe busy these days by asking him to build a bench for the front porch, as well as a proper bed for inside the cabin, up off the floor.

Perhaps the newest addition to their little home that Rachel loved the most was a proper outhouse.
 
Though Gabe had no problems peeing in the bushes, Rachel had never been fond of squatting in front of the number of forest creatures who enjoyed watching her relieve herself.
 
While indoor plumbing would have been a dream, an outhouse was enough to make her giddy.

“Shall we?” Gabe said motioning towards the path that led around the side of the tiny cabin and into the forest.
 
Soon they would be seated along the water’s edge, enjoying the sun dancing across the wet pebbles.

“Gabe, I’m so excited!” Rachel gasped.

“I know.
 
We’ve been working so hard on the winter preparations we deserve this day.” Gabe shared.

“I can’t believe I’ve only been here six months.
 
It’s kind of crazy, but after working next to you day and night, I feel like I’ve known you most of my life.” Rachel explained.

“That’s not crazy, I feel the same way.
 
I was with a lot of women after I left Rampart, but I never felt a connection with any of them, you know?” Gabe added.

Rachel’s brow furrowed.
 
“Umm, I am not trying to sound like a jealous girlfriend or anything, but what exactly do you mean by a lot of women?
 
I mean, I know you’ve said that before, but I honestly thought you were just exaggerating.”

“Does it really matter?
 
I’m with you now, and that’s all that should matter, right?” Gabe said attempting to direct the conversation down a new path.

“I suppose not.” Rachel replied hesitantly, not convinced it didn’t matter.

“Besides—” Gabe suddenly doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain.
 
Something was wrong.
 
The alarms hadn’t sounded, but he had that old, familiar ache telling him something was coming.

“What’s wrong?” Rachel exclaimed as she saw him stumble in pain.
 
She ran to Gabe’s side to aide him.

“We have to get back, now.” Gabe insisted.

“Why what’s wrong?” Rachel asked, trying to assess the situation.

“I’m having an Augurie.” Gabe cried.

“A what?” Rachel felt a rush of panic.

“You remember,” Gabe began through gritted teeth.
 
“I told you, I get pains.”

“Oh, the ones that are like warning alarms for you?
 
What do you think it is?” Rachel asked, her normal calm attitude giving way to panic.

 
Gabe grabbed his stomach more firmly, wincing again in pain.
 
“We have to get back to the cabin, now!”

“Here,” Rachel said shifting her pack and extending an arm to help.

Gabe attempted to straighten himself upright, but the pain again overwhelmed him, and grabbing his side, he cried out.
 
Gabe stopped for a moment, trying to focus all of his energy into stopping the pains.

“Are you going to be alright?” Rachel asked again.

Gabe did not reply at first.
 
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and imagined pushing all of the pain in his belly out of his body.
 
A moment later, Gabe stood, as if the agony had subsided.

“What’s happening?
 
Is everything alright now?” Rachel questioned, confused by the supernatural activity unfolding before her.

“I can control it.
 
It’s just been so long since I’ve had an Augurie that it took me by surprise.”
 
Taking a hold of Rachel’s hand, Gabe began to run in the direction of the small home.
 
“We have to get to the cabin now though.”

“I don’t understand all of this; does this mean they’ve found us?
 
How?” Rachel pleaded as she stumbled behind Gabe, him guiding her and pulling her along as if she were a weightless doll.

“I don’t know what it means exactly, but we need to figure it out and fast.
 
I don’t know if we’re safe anymore, Rachel.
 
You need to be ready to run, do you understand me?
 
No matter what, if something happens to me, you run and hide.”
 
Gabe halted as he reached the corner of the cabin.
 
Lifting a finger to his lips he motioned for Rachel to be quiet.

Creeping slowly and quietly, Gabe peered around the cabin, into the clearing.
 
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
 
He couldn’t be sure though if something were lurking, just out of sight.
 
“Come here, don’t let go.” Gabe whispered extending his hand.

Rachel said nothing.
 
She trusted Gabe would keep her safe no matter what dangers were hunting them.
 
The two walked carefully and quietly onto the porch.
 
Gabe turned the knob to the cabin door as quietly as he could manage and pushed it open, readying his body for a fight.

When the door swung open, nothing happened.
 
No demons came rushing out; no ambush was waiting to kill them.
 
Perhaps Gabe’s abilities were failing him.
 
Perhaps he wasn’t as amazing as everyone at Rampart had thought he was.
 
Stepping the rest of the way into the cabin, Gabe’s breath was stolen for a moment.

Lying on the bed, possibly unconscious or worse, was the body of Uri.
 
His body littered with wounds, seeping blood.
 
A gash across his eyebrow looked as though it should have been pouring blood, but wasn’t due to the swelling all around it.
 
Beaten, bloodied, and bruised, Uri did not stir at the sound of Gabe and Rachel entering the room.

“Uri!” Gabe shouted rushing to his side and shaking his friend violently.

“Huh?
 
What?” Uri snorted, stirring from his rest.

“Jesus, I thought you were dead,” Gabe gasped.

“Oh my God, what happened to you?” Rachel asked.

Sitting up, Uri moaned slightly.
 
“We have to get you guys out of here,” he huffed.

“What are you talking about?
 
We’re fine.
 
You on the other hand, you’re not looking so great.” Gabe informed his delusional friend.

“It’s happened.” Uri said flatly, licking his fattened lip.

“Come on man, you’re being cryptic.
 
What’s happened?” Gabe snapped, consumed by frustration and worry all at the same time.

“Baal attacked High Point.” Uri explained.

“What?
 
North Carolina?” Rachel asked, her voice cracking.
 
Rachel turned and slumped her body in a nearby chair.
 
Her defeated posture enraging Gabe.
 
He wanted to protect her from everything.
 
She had shared stories of High Point with him.
 
Stories of home.

“My family?” Rachel asked, almost in a whisper, clearly afraid of the answer.

“We don’t know.” Uri answered.

“You said if I left, they would be safe.” Rachel added, refusing to look at Uri.
 
Her eyes flooded with unshed tears.

“We’ll go back, Rachel, I promise, we’ll find them.” Uri pleaded.

The picture of why Rachel truly went with Uri became clear to Gabe.
 
She was willing to sacrifice everything if it meant it would keep her brother safe.
 
“No more promises, Uri.
 
I think you’ve done enough.”

Gabe walked to Rachel, reaching out and pulling her close.
 
She clung to him as if she were clinging to life itself.
 
“I’m sorry, Rachel.”

“It wasn’t my fault.
 
The trackers have been trying everything to find Rachel.
 
The last place they had her scent was High Point.
 
When they couldn’t find any trace of her they burned the city to the ground.”
 
Uri explained, trying to defend himself.

“No, that can’t be.
 
There were over a hundred thousand people that lived there.
 
They wouldn’t reveal themselves to humans like that.
 
You told me, they’re not supposed to reveal themselves.” Rachel argued, staring into nothingness as she processed the gruesome news.

“An attack on the humans is considered an act of war.
 
The demons have never wanted to bring the wrath down on them of the entire holy army, so they push the rules, but nothing like this.
 
Baal is bringing the fight to the humans.
 
This will mark the beginning of the end.” Uri explained.

“Are you telling me this was the start of the apocalypse?” Gabe asked in disbelief.

“Yes, the council has called all Guardians up for battle.” Uri said, hanging his head low.

“Do they know where we are?”
 
Gabe asked, realizing the danger could be coming.

Uri simply sat silent, his head low, consumed with guilt for not saving Rachel’s family.

“Damn it, Uri!
 
Do they know where we are?” Gabe shouted as he released Rachel and turned to shake his friend from his state of shock.

“Not yet, but it won’t take long.
 
I hid my tracks as well as I could, but I know I had a couple of demons on me.
 
The elder’s council has been moved to a new secret location.
 
Michael has instructed I get Rachel and bring her back to Iron Gate to await further instructions.” Uri explained.

“What?
 
No!” Rachel exclaimed, snapping out of her distant state of mind.

“She stays with me.” Gabe demanded.

“Look, Gabe, you do whatever you want, but Rachel is coming with me.
 
We leave in ten minutes, so be ready.”
 
Uri pushed himself up off the bed and limped out the front door.

“What are we going to do?” Rachel inquired, the tears now freely falling down her cheeks.

“If he’s right and the trackers are able to trace him here, there is no way I can protect us alone.
 
I think the best thing you can do is go with him.” Gabe suggested.

“What?
 
No, I won’t leave you.” Rachel cried.

“Rachel, calm down.
 
I’m coming too.”
 
Gabe reassured his distraught love.
 
Her entire home ripped away, destroyed in an instant and all she could think about was not being torn away from him.
 
He knew she loved him in that moment.
 
Gabe never wanted to be part of this holy fight, but now that he was, he was not about to lose.

“Rachel, I need you to listen to me.” Gabe began taking to one knee.
 
Rachel looked into his eyes, awaiting his instruction.
 
“Are you listening?”

“Yes.” Rachel said nodding and taking a tight hold of Gabe’s hand.

“There was something I was going to do today.
 
You know how we were going to go on this picnic?” Gabe asked nervously.

“Yeah, but what does this have to do with —” Rachel began.

“Just let me finish,” Gabe interrupted gently.
 
“We’re about to head into a world that is full of danger and chaos, and brimming with uncertainty.
 
We will never have anything close to a normal life.
 
There’s already no going back for us because of who we are.
 
Both of us will always be hunted.”

“Yeah, this is really uplifting and all Gabe, you know, considering I just lost my home and all, but is there a point anytime soon?”
 
Rachel urged, feeling as though she might come unraveled at any moment.

“I’m not certain if I will live to see tomorrow, but one thing I’m certain of, more certain than I have ever been of anything, ever, in my life is how I feel about you.”

“I love you too, Gabe.” Rachel said with a smile.
 
“Is this really the time though?”

“Rachel, I wanted this to be perfect and romantic, but now, well now I just have to say this because I don’t know if I will have another chance.
 
Rachel, will you marry me?” Gabe swallowed hard after finally managing to push the words from his lips.