The Sacred Guardians Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Omnibus

by Wendy Owens

“Well, not exactly.”

  “How can you not exactly be pregnant?” Gabe was quickly becoming agitated with the conversation.

  “She is going to get pregnant and the child she has will be the prophet,” Uri tried to explain, realizing he wasn’t shedding any light on the situation.

  “Do you know how crazy you sound?” Gabe worried his friend may have lost his connection with reality during their time apart.

  “No, now hear me out. When Rampart was destroyed, they captured the Oracle. All these years we assumed she had been killed during the attack, but Haim and I picked up on some intel that they had been using her for information,” Uri elaborated.

  “Why does it not surprise me that she has been giving information to the enemy?” Gabe snarled.

  “That’s not fair, Gabe. She has been their prisoner all this time. We have no idea what they have put her through.” Uri pleaded.

  “I suppose,” Gabe conceded. “So what did she share?”

  “That’s how we found out about the girl. The demons had already located her and they were heading in for the kill. We managed to grab her and run just before they arrived. Needless to say she has been struggling with all of it. Unfortunately we did have a couple of demon run-ins that forced her to understand all too quickly what kind of war she’s in the middle of. It’s been a long road just to get here.”

  Gabe didn’t like the direction the conversation was heading. “And what does this have to do with me?”

  “Well, I just thought …” Uri stammered, surprised by Gabe’s reaction. “With us finding her and the prophecy, I just thought this would change things.”

  “You must have forgotten one part of that prophecy. If this girl’s baby lives, I die. That means you just thought you would come back here and I would be happy to march off to my death. I may not be afraid to die Uri, but that doesn’t mean I want to!”

  “Well no, it isn’t like that,” Uri insisted.

  “Then what is it like?”

  “We’ve tried everything to hide her but they always seem to find us. I was running out of options. I just thought with the prophecy you would … I don’t know, somehow know what to do,” Uri pleaded.

  “I’m not a Guardian anymore Uri, I left that life.”

  “You’re right, I’m sorry…” Uri replied, the uncomfortable silence growing between them. “I’ll go and tell her.” Uri said standing and walking to the door.

  “Wait! What? Did you bring her here?” Gabe asked, infuriated.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

  “Well it is! She needs to go. You both do,” Gabe suddenly felt threatened, like the safe place he had worked so hard to build was slipping away. The life he had left was trying to pull him back in. A life that had promised his death.

  “I’m sorry, we’ll go,” Uri said shamefully as he bowed his head and opened the front door.

  There in the doorway stood a young woman. She obviously had been listening in on the conversation, or at least attempting to. Her hair was brown and shoulder length, she had it pulled back in a tight band at the nape of her neck; a couple wild strands fell in her face. When the door opened, her cheeks had immediately flushed red. Her lips were full, her nose petite, and Gabe thought her large, almond shaped eyes looked almost as if they had been painted on they were so exaggerated in size and color.

  “Hello …” she whispered, looking over Uri’s shoulder at the stranger. “I’m Rachel.”

  Gabe didn’t know what to say. He wanted his safety back, he wanted them both gone right away but it was also clear she was scared. He smiled slightly and replied, “Hi Rachel, I’m Gabe. Why don’t you two come in and rest for the night?”

  Gabe didn’t want to be pulled back into his old life, but he also knew there was no way he could send his dearest friend and a scared, demon-hunted girl into the night. They would simply have to leave first thing in the morning. Gabe took another look at the small creature and wondered if allowing her into his home might just be the biggest mistake he had ever made.

  Thank you to the many bloggers out there who have given my books a chance and helped to spread the word about them. I wouldn’t be here without you. And lastly thanks to all my beta readers who helped make this book even better.

  Thanks to my editors Ashley’s Freelance Editing and Chelsea Kuhel for making my book stronger.

  To my husband, you always keep me going and I wouldn’t be here without you. For my three beautiful children, I love you all to the moon and back.

  Thanks to my cover artist Claudia Lucia McKinney for doing an amazing job capturing Sophie. To the beautiful Laila for being the model for Sophie, I can't imagine anyone else.

  This book is dedicated to my one true love,

  Joshua, I’m blessed to be living my happily ever after every day.

  The squeal of the tea kettle sent Uri leaping from the make-shift bed on the floor. Gabe laughed at his friend. He had been so immersed in his solitude for the past five years that he couldn’t help but smile, reminiscing about Rampart Manor. No matter how much Gabe had tried to convince himself otherwise, it was comforting to not be alone, even if it was temporary.

  He had forgotten what it was like just to hear someone else breathe. Being completely absent of any kind of companionship can play tricks with one’s mind; Gabe had been fighting off the madness of loneliness for longer than he cared to think about.

  In an instant though, the five years that had passed seemed to melt away. It was as if he and his friend, Uri, had never been apart at all. The overnight visit had already turned into a three day stay. It was hard to say goodbye when it had taken them so long to find one another again.

  Gabe would never have admitted it out loud, but he loved being entertained by Uri’s tales of ferocious battles each night. Rachel, on the other hand, hadn’t made much of an impression on Gabe. She was quiet and seemed to be more of an observer. She would occasionally snicker at one of Uri’s funny stories about the good old days when he and Gabe were going to take on the world.

  In particular, the story of Gabe’s tests to enter Guardian school had her in stitches. When Gabe faced those deadly challenges years ago, he never imagined he would laugh at the retelling of them, yet here he was, chuckling at the boisterous way Uri shared the tale.

  After only three days together, Gabe was already used to having Uri around. They didn’t speak much about the war that was going on in the real world. Here, in this little hide away, both were content to simply enjoy reuniting.

  “Where’s Rachel?” Uri asked, straightening his long arms out into a stretch. When Gabe looked back at his friend, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat inferior. Though Gabe had matured and developed into a fit and lean man, in no way could his muscles compare to those of his longtime companion.

  “She went outside,” Gabe replied, focusing on the kettle.

  “For what?” Uri quickly replied, almost panicked.

  “What am I, her keeper?” Gabe snapped. While Gabe enjoyed having Uri as a guest, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the presence of Rachel. He had left Rampart with the intention of not meeting Rachel, and not looking after her. He wasn’t about to be roped into becoming The Protector now.

  “Wow, all this time alone hasn’t done much for your personality, has it?” Uri groaned, while pushing past Gabe, and opening the front door to the small cabin.

  “Uri I’m—” but before Gabe could finish the apology, Uri was outside calling for Rachel.

  As thrilled as Gabe was to have Uri with him, he had a sneaking suspicion there was more to his visit. He couldn’t be certain, but he was confident in the assumption that Uri somehow thought there would be this magical connection when Gabe met Rachel. Perhaps Uri thought Gabe would feel compelled to step into his role as protector. Gabe, in fact, felt absolutely no connection to the girl.

  As annoyed as Gabe was by her intrusion in his life, he was relieved to meet her, in a way. He had spent so much time avoidin
g his destiny that it had grown into a fear that haunted him. The prophecy that was foretold to him by the Oracle was one of certain death for either him or the one he protected. Rachel would give birth to the child he was supposed to save, it was her destiny.

  Now that Rachel was here, he no longer felt his own destiny was some mystical thing he couldn’t escape. It was clear to him that he still held the power to choose his own path. Eventually, Uri would come to understand; nobody should be expected to die for a stranger. At least Gabe hoped he would understand.

  Gabe sat at his empty table, in his empty cabin, running his finger tip around the edge of his cup of tea. He wished he had not been so short with Uri. It felt good for the home he had built not to be quiet, but to be filled with laughter. A thought had been on Gabe’s mind since Uri arrived, he wanted to ask him to leave the cause, abandon the Guardians, and come stay with him. He didn’t ask Uri though, because he already knew what his answer would be. Gabe was sure. Uri is not one who would ever run away from a fight, unlike myself, Gabe thought.

  He was certain that everyone he had known in his old life now thought of him as a coward. He had told himself that the reason he left was because of Sophie and his broken heart. Now though, after all this time, perhaps the others were right. Maybe the reason he now stayed away was fear. Maybe I am a coward; Gabe couldn’t shake the words from his mind.

  Several more minutes passed and still no sign of Uri or Rachel. Gabe suddenly felt an uneasiness wash over him. He knew his fortress of solitude was sound, well, at least he thought it was until Uri had found him. The scenarios began to run through his head. What if Uri and Rachel were followed? The magical alarms were not triggered; they have to be safe. Of course Uri had managed to not trigger the alarms, either.

  Gabe couldn’t take it anymore; he had to ensure Uri was all right. He stepped out the front door and glanced around; they were nowhere in sight. Another twinge of panic hit him before he turned and rounded the corner of the cabin.

  “Uri … Uri?” Gabe called out, searching for any sign of his friend. He waited a moment for a response, but heard nothing. Gabe continued on the path to the creek. Perhaps they had gone to gather more water.

  Concentrating, he pushed the thoughts that they were in danger out of his mind. Dodging through the brush, Gabe picked up the pace. The sooner he found them, the sooner his mind could be at ease.

  He came to a clearing. Moving past the tree line he saw a figure near the stream. After a moment’s hesitation, Gabe realized it was, in fact, Uri. He wasn’t yet used to his friend’s new physique and the image of a broad shouldered, muscular man had unsettled him at first.

  Gabe approached Uri, a smile beaming across his face. Remembering how they had left things at the cabin, Gabe quickly tried to explain his attitude. “Hey man, about what I said back there … I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Look at her,” Uri said, as if he hadn’t heard a word Gabe said.

  “Huh?” Gabe asked puzzled.

  “She is always so blissfully happy,” Uri added.

  Gabe glanced over to where Uri was directing his attention. There, Rachel stood in the stream, the water tickling her ankles. Her bohemian skirt was pulled up and knotted at her knees, one leg was locked straight and the other bent, the light bounced off the water illuminating her silhouette. Gabe’s eyes traveled up her curvy body. The white tank top clung to her torso, and for the first time, without the baggy sweatshirt to cover her, Gabe noticed her exquisite figure.

  Rachel’s arms were out stretched, her chin raised to the sky, a colorful butterfly dancing on her fingertips. Gabe hadn’t noticed how beautiful she was until that moment. Her large, almond shaped brown eyes sparkled in the light and her smile lit up her entire face. The sun traced her petite nose and her full lips glowed with a rosy color. Her dark hair crept down her arched back; the strands looked as though they were dancing in the wind.

  Uri noticed Gabe’s sudden enchantment with her. Knocking the wind out of him with a blow to the stomach, Uri laughed saying, “Be sure you pick your jaw up off the ground.”

  Gabe shook his head as if coming out of a trance. “What? No, I wasn’t … sounds to me like you’re the one who has a thing for that girl.”

  Uri looked back at Rachel and smiled. “She’s special, that’s for sure, but she and I are not meant to fall in love.”

  “Oh yeah, and how do you know that?” Gabe questioned in a sarcastic tone before steeling another glimpse of Rachel.

  “Let’s just say, I know,” Uri replied, turning and walking back towards the cabin.

  “Oh, that’s right. Now I remember, all the mysterious mumbo jumbo crap they would feed us at Rampart is coming back to me. It’s your life, Uri, how about you live it for yourself,” Gabe huffed as he turned to follow.

  “You really have no clue what you’re talking about. It has nothing to do with Rampart. There is no room in my life to fall in love with anyone. Rachel deserves to be with someone that can love her back,” Uri explained.

  “And what makes you too busy to love her back?” Gabe goaded.

  “Some of us are fighting a war, Gabe,” Uri replied coolly.

  “Oh, now I get it. You’re all brave and noble; you don’t have time for love because you’re rescuing the world. Well, we cowards don’t have room for love either!” Gabe added defensively.

  “Nobody called you a coward, what is your deal?” Uri questioned.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Gabe snapped.

  “Yeah, whatever you say.” After Uri spoke the silence lingered for a moment until Gabe continued at last.

  “I know what everyone must think about me,” he added.

  “None of your friends expected you to be anything more than yourself,” Uri said, attempting to reassure him.

  “No, I’m not stupid. I know what people are saying, I wasn’t always alone during those five years. I heard things while I was traveling. I abandoned the Guardians, I was a disappointment, a coward, selfish, I even heard a rumor I’d joined the demons at one point,” Gabe rattled off, frustrated.

  “Those words didn’t come from your friends, none of the people who really knew you. Who cares what anyone else says?” Uri added.

  “Yeah, well it’s not you they are saying it about.”

  “Gabe, I’m sorry. You have to understand, people had a lot of hope for the protector. Even though all of your friends still love you, there is going to be a level of disappointment you just have to expect from everyone else,” Uri continued.

  “Why? I never asked to be the protector. I never asked for any of this, so why do I now have to live in hiding? Why do I not get a shot at a normal life?” Gabe found himself becoming furious at the idea of it all.

  “Gabe, you have been in your own private little world for too long. Soon enough, nobody is going to have a shot at a normal life. Not if Baal has his way,” Uri argued. Gabe fell silent, hanging his head as he considered his friend’s words. “Look, I’m running out of time. I have been needing to talk to you anyways, I suppose now is as good a time as any. I have a huge favor to ask you.”

  “Oh no, here it comes,” Gabe replied in a snarky tone.

  “Really? It just keeps coming with you, doesn’t it?” Uri barked in astonishment as the two walked into the tiny cabin.

  “Just saying, I figured out a long time ago that’s how things work when it comes to Guardians. They tend to only come around when they want something from you,” Gabe explained, confident in his opinion. “When you need them, though, they are nowhere to be found.”

  “You’re a Guardian whether you like it or not. You left us, Gabe! We didn’t abandon you, we respected your choice. Do you think it’s been easy to stay away?” Uri was losing his patience quickly. “I thought maybe you would have grown up a little in these past five years.”

  “Excuse me?” Gabe asked, not disguising that he was offended.

  Uri walked over to the pile of bedding and sprawled his long body
out, resting his head on his hands and forearms behind his head. “For your information, nobody else knows I’m here. There is no big conspiracy to pull you back in. Life went on without you just fine, and it will continue to. I came here because out of everyone I have left, I trust you the most for what I was going to ask. But it’s fine, if we are too much trouble to bother you with, I get it. When Rachel gets back, we’ll clear out.” Uri closed his eyes, the exhausting conversation taking its toll.

  Gabe felt conflicted; on one hand, he regretted ever leaving Rampart. He was young, a child, his feelings were hurt, and he wanted to escape it. After he was gone for so long, he felt like he couldn’t go back, too much had happened for him to just slip back into that life. He also felt bitter, used, and now unwanted.

  “I’m sorry, Uri,” Gabe said quietly. “I shouldn’t take my frustrations out on you. I know you’re a true friend.”

  Uri opened one eye, and with a cocked eyebrow asked, “What? The great and mighty Gabe Harwood just apologized?”

  “Come on, don’t be like that.”

  Closing his eye, Uri didn’t move as he continued, “Gabe, you’re the one who left all those years ago. I’m not really sure why you have a beef with me.”

  Gabe didn’t know what to say. He had thought Uri and Sophie were having a relationship behind his back at the time. He had been so wrong. There never had been anything between them, even though Sophie may have been interested in Uri during her confusion, Uri had been a true friend and not betrayed him. Uri had never done anything to deserve the way Gabe treated him.

  “Just tell me,” Gabe urged, wanting to change the tone of the conversation.

  “Tell you what?” Uri asked, opening his eyes and looking at his friend.

  “What you need from me,” Gabe explained.

  “Nah, just forget it,” Uri dismissed.

  “Come on man, are you going to make me beg?” Gabe pleaded.

  “Hmmm … maybe, begging could be nice,” Uri laughed.

  Grabbing a nearby towel and flinging it at his friend’s chest, Gabe bellowed, “Forget it then.”