The Lost Years (The Guardians Book 4)

by Wendy Owens

  “Are they doing all this?” Gabe whispered. “Is he creating that music with just the movement of his hands? She can make lights appear?”

  Sophie watched the scene unfold, it was somehow suddenly familiar. The Sophie in her vision nodded her head and whispered, “It’s a charm spell. It’s meant to distract and enchant its victim.”

  She remembered this! It was after Gabe had first come to Rampart. How did I remember this? She wondered. She continued watching the two of them interact, discussing the show before them. As each moment of the vision passed, she could remember how it felt that night being there with Gabe.

  Sophie’s heart began to ache when she saw the lights dancing over their heads; she knew what was coming next.

  “Dance with me,” Sophie requested.

  “What?” Gabe asked. “No, that’s silly.”

  She watched Gabe and herself, not being able to help but laugh when his pouty lip protruded at her in the vision. She watched him take her hand into his as they glided around the clearing. She giggled before it even happened, for she knew Gabe was about to step on her toes. Then it happened, he did exactly as she remembered.

  They moved in closer to one another, holding each other as they gently swayed from side to side. She watched as the Sophie in her vision buried her head into Gabe’s shoulder. She could remember what he smelled like, a faintness of mothballs from the long stored clothes and cinnamon.

  “Sophie?” a voice called from the distance. Sophie looked around, but saw nobody else in her vision.

  Her body began to vibrate, “Sophie, wake up,” the voice commanded.

  Jumping up with a snort, eyes wide open, Sophie gasped. “Gabe!”

  “Huh? What did you say?” Sophie looked up to see Haim standing over her with a puzzled look on his face.

  “What?” she asked, still unclear about where she was.

  “Did you just say Gabe?” Haim asked, extending a hand to help his friend stand.

  “Huh? What? No—don’t be silly, why would I say Gabe’s name?” Sophie lied, not willing yet to tell her friends that she was regaining her memories. But she was, they were returning like an avalanche now. She remembered Uri was her dear friend, not a person she would ever be in love with, though. She knew Gabe was her soul mate, they were meant to be together. She had to find him as soon as she could. She needed to tell him how wrong she had been and beg for his forgiveness.

  “It sounded like—” Haim began, pausing for a moment and then shaking his head. “Never mind, I must have been imagining things. Have you seen Dina?”

  “Yeah, she went to figure out who was in charge. She told me to wait here,” Sophie replied. Seeing the concern in Haim’s expression, she asked, “Is something wrong?”

  “I just need to find Dina, right away.”

  “Haim, what’s going on? Do you know something?”

  “I— I should really wait for Dina,” Haim hesitated.

  “Spill it, Haim!” Sophie snapped.

  Haim’s brow furrowed. For a second he thought it was like the old Sophie was back, bossy and domineering. “It’s Uri and Raimie.”

  “What do you mean? Are they all right?”

  “They were just brought into the infirmary. It looks like Uri will be all right …”

  “Haim? What about Raimie?” Sophie pushed.

  Haim was unable to create an audible response.

  “Is he dead?” Sophie asked, filled with disbelief at the words that were leaving her lips.

  Haim shook his head, “No, but they don’t know if there’s anything they can do.” The oversized boy began heaving, the overwhelming grief consuming him. Without hesitation, Sophie reached out and grabbed her friend. Her head only reached midway up his giant chest. Holding him close, she remembered him. All of the battles, all of the laughter in the dining hall, all of her friends—she remembered them all.

  It wasn’t the right time to tell them that her memory had come back. They needed to focus on their friends that were injured at the moment; there would be time to discuss her progress later.

  “Haim, Sophie?” Dina’s voice called out from the distance. “Is everything okay? Haim, are you hurt?”

  Dina quickened her pace. Running up and taking hold of the man’s arm, she pulled him back and towards her. “Are you hurt?” she repeated.

  Haim sniffled. Dina thought about how she had never seen him cry, the idea of the horror that must be causing the emotions to erupt made her stomach ache.

  “Oh, Dina, I’m so sorry,” Haim began.

  “What is going on?” Dina demanded.

  Sophie could see that Haim would not be able to bring himself to tell Dina of the tragedy. She stepped between the two quickly, taking control of the conversation. Touching Dina’s arm, she looked into her eyes. “It’s Uri and Raimie.”

  “What about them? Where are they?” Dina yelped, not waiting for Sophie to respond.

  “Dina,” Sophie stated calmly, “Sweetie, I need you to listen to my voice, all right? They were hurt in the fight and they’re being worked on right now.”

  “What? Where are they exactly?” Dina groaned, trying to pull away from her friend’s grasp, but Sophie would not let go.

  “Listen to me. You need to listen to me,” Sophie insisted. “You have to prepare yourself, it’s bad.”

  “Are they going to be okay?”

  “They think Uri is going to pull through and be all right.” Sophie explained, pausing to allow the reality of her words to sink in.

  Dina’s face twisted as she fell to her knees. “And Raimie?” she pleaded.

  Sophie dropped to her knees in front of her friend, wrapping her arms tight around Dina’s petit frame. “We just have to wait.”

  “Wait? What do you mean, wait? Is he that bad?” Dina pleaded.

  “They are working hard to try and fix him up. We need to be patient, but it’s not good.” She held hope for her friend and that there was a chance.

  “Oh, God, no!” Dina shouted. “Please, God, don’t take him, please!”

  The cries that came from Dina almost sounded inhuman, they were more like those of an animal being tortured. Haim began to sob even more heavily at the sight of her pain. Collapsing to his knees as well, he wrapped his large arms around the two young girls.

  “Where is he?” Dina’s voice filled the crowded hallways.

  “Dina, stop,” a voice responded, the owner stepping into her path.

  Sophie and Haim raced up behind her, “Wait!” Sophie exclaimed, nearly tripping over her own feet. Coming to a halt behind her small friend, panting, she looked up to see a familiar face standing in their path.

  “I’m warning you, get out of my way,” Dina demanded.

  “Michael?” Sophie gasped.

  “I don’t understand, sir. What are you doing here?” Haim added.

  “I said get out of my way!” Dina shouted, having little interest in the return of their mentor.

  “Dina, you need to listen to me,” Michael began.

  “No, I don’t. What I need is to see Raimie,” Dina replied firmly.

  “They’re doing everything for him they can. This isn’t going to help anything,” Michael said, attempting to reassure the girl.

  “What’s not going to help?” Dina asked, pausing.

  “If you can’t hold it together, it won’t be good for anyone. You need to stop and take care of yourself, get your head straight,” Michael instructed.

  “I’m fine,” she answered flatly. “What I don’t understand is why can’t they just do a healing spell or give him some herbs?”

  “He was in an explosion, that same blast killed Bishop instantly. It’s a miracle Raimie is even clinging to life at all,” Michael continued.

  “Don’t say that,” Dina pleaded, the words making her cringe.

  “Our clerics can do amazing things, but he’s beyond their abilities of healing. I know it’s hard to hear, but it is the reality. He shouldn’t still be with us now. If you insist o
n seeing him, you need to know when you go in there, it’s to say goodbye,” Michael explained, attempting to place a hand on her shoulder.

  “What?” Dina shrieked, pulling to the side to avoid her mentor’s hand. “No! I don’t accept that. He’s holding on because he’s going to come back to us.”

  Without another word, Dina pushed past Michael, making her way into the small room that contained her beloved.

  “Is he really that bad?” Sophie asked, pausing in front of Michael.

  “I’m afraid so. The healers say he won’t wake up, there’s just too much internal damage,” Michael replied.

  “I don’t understand; we were told you were a member of the council now,” Haim continued, trying to think about anything except his friend dying in the next room.

  “After we got word about Bishop’s death, the council decided I was most needed on the ground. I will likely have to return, but for now, they accept this is where I will do the most good,” Michael added.

  “Sir, what about Uri?” Sophie asked.

  “Thanks to Seraphine, he’s going to be just fine,” Michael answered.

  “Who?” Haim asked, the name unfamiliar.

  “Here, follow me, I’ll introduce you,” Michael replied, turning towards the large open room. The vast hall had been turned into a make-shift infirmary. A few cots were strewn about, the rest of the rows were cluttered with bedding piled on the floors; bloodied and bruised patients scattered all around.

  As the group approached Uri, his line of sight did not shift from the woman who sat on the edge of his bed. He stared at her with such intensity that it made the others uncomfortable to interrupt them.

  “Ahem,” Michael cleared his throat in an attempt to garner their attention. The girl stood and turned to face them. Sophie’s eyes widened, she could not recall ever seeing anyone more beautiful.

  Though the bustle around them continued, for Sophie it was as if a hush had fallen over the room. The woman’s skin had a golden hue to it, as if she were from some place exotic. Her piercing eyes were like dark pools of gray, her eyebrows arched with exaggeration, bringing even more attention to her eyes.

  The bridge of her nose was perfection, the slope leading down to a dainty point that was a sufficient shape and size for the girl’s face. Her lips were plump and as she smiled at them, the edges curled in a way that did not rob her smile from any of its fullness. Her raven hair hung straight around her strong jawline, except for the few strands she had tucked behind her ear.

  “Hello. I’m Seraphine. But everyone calls me Sera.”

  Sophie thought how Seraphine seemed more appropriate for her beauty than plain old Sera. She was not surprised Uri was so obviously smitten with the girl.

  “I’m so glad to see you guys are all right,” Uri said, shifting his attention at last to his friends.

  “You too man, I heard you took quite a beating,” Haim replied.

  “You know nothing can kill me. I’m too stubborn to die,” Uri replied, but his voice trailed off and his stare shifted to one of sadness as he thought of his friend, Raimie. Death was too real of a topic in that moment.

  “Michael, Haim, would you mind if I spoke to you for a moment?” Sera asked, gesturing that they move to a more private and secure location.

  “No, of course not,” Michael answered, following the girl’s lead.

  Sophie furrowed her brow as she watched them, wondering why she had been excluded from the side bar.

  “Sophie, we need to talk,” Uri began.

  Shifting her attention, she moved in quickly, taking a seat at her friend’s side. “I guess everyone around here has to talk. Sorry, that sounded petty, of course, what is it?”

  Uri took hold of her hand, wincing from the pain slightly as he did so. “We need to talk about the other night.”

  “Huh?” Sophie asked in reply. She had completely forgotten about what he might be referring to. She had been so focused on the evacuation, as well as her returning memories, that everything else had slipped her mind.

  “I think you know what I’m talking about,” Uri continued.

  “No, really,” Sophie confirmed. “I’m lost.”

  Uri rolled his eyes in disbelief before whispering, “The kiss.”

  Sophie looked down at the bed in an effort not to laugh. “Oh, yes, of course. Uri—”

  Before she could discount what had happened as a mistake, he interrupted her. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to hurt you, you’re my friend. I mean— I can’t believe I’m even saying this. I never believed in love at first sight. That was for, well—I don’t know who, but not for me. But now, she’s all I can think about. It’s crazy; I want this more than life.”

  Sophie stared at her friend, confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “Sera, I think I might love her.”

  “What?” Sophie cried. This was not jealousy she felt, but instead disbelief. She remembered all the feelings she had for Uri as a friend. He was her best friend, and as such, she knew him and love never seemed to mix well. He would move from one infatuation to the next and never spoke of love. She didn’t know if she should worry about him getting hurt or him hurting this girl she didn’t know. Either way, she was certain someone would be walking away wounded. “Do you even know anything about her?”

  “I know enough,” Uri defended his feelings.

  “Like what? Where does she come from?”

  “Sophie, it wouldn’t matter if she were here or not. I am never going to have the same feelings you have for me,” Uri replied.

  “Huh?” Sophie gasped. “Are you insane?”

  “Oh, come on, don’t play dumb.”

  As the words left her lips, she thought about that night on the bluffs, the kiss … “Gabe!”

  “That’s right, don’t you think we’ve done enough damage?”

  Sophie remembered Gabe’s expression when he saw their kiss. She sighed, disappointed with herself and that she had put him through that.

  “Where is he?” Sophie moaned.

  “Who?”

  “Gabe, you idiot,” Sophie spat at Uri, who cocked his head. He thought about how her response sounded like the old Sophie he knew.

  “Sophie, is there something you need to tell me?” Uri asked.

  She looked around the room, praying Gabe wasn’t in one of the beds. Shaking her head no, she looked back to Uri. “No, nothing. Do you know where Gabe is? I should apologize to him.”

  “Dina didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “He left.”

  “What do you mean, he left?”

  “He told Dina he couldn’t be here anymore; he packed up and hit the road before the attack ever took place.” Uri explained.

  “What?” Sophie felt a panic rush over her. “We have to go find him. He’s not safe out there.”

  “That’s what Haim and I were going to do when Rampart was attacked. But now—”

  “What, why aren’t we out there?”

  “Michael told me to leave him be.” Uri replied.

  “No! Why would Michael say that?” Sophie questioned.

  “Talk to Michael, I don’t understand it either. He says if Gabe wants to come back, he has to do it on his own and we have to leave him be.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Sophie shouted, hopping to her feet.

  “What’s ridiculous?” Michael’s voice chimed behind the girl.

  Spinning around, she came to stare him in the eye. “How can you just leave Gabe out there? You’re going to get him killed.”

  “I don’t know if you’ve looked around lately, but Gabe is probably safer on his own. Don’t go against me on this, Sophie. He has to make his own choice; we can’t make him stay with us.”

  “But he’s confused, he thinks things are the way they’re not.”

  “What do you mean?” Michael asked. “Is there something you need to tell us, Sophie?”

  She didn’t know why, but she could not bring herself to t
ell them that she had regained her memories. “No, forget it. I need to go, Dina needs me.”

  Pushing past the group, Sophie ignored their calls after her, instead making her way to the small room where Dina sat. She stared at her friend who had her head lying on Raimie’s chest, her back severely arched as she leaned against the bed. Her heart sank. She missed Gabe, she needed to find him, but Michael was right, for now he was probably safer without them. In the present, she needed to be there for her dearest friend as she faced losing her one true love.

  Sophie didn’t speak. Sophie didn’t speak, and silently approached Dina. Entangling her fingers into Dina’s, she rested her chest against her back in an embrace.

  It seemed as though time stood still. The nurses and physicians avoided entering the room, leaving Raimie alone with Dina and Sophie for hours. Sophie held on to Dina until her legs went numb. Nervous she would no longer be able to stand, she released her hold, taking a seat in the corner.

  Sophie stared at her friend. In a way she rejoiced, she had all of her memories back; the late night slumber parties, the camping trips, helping each other dress for the annual ball. She remembered when Dina and Raimie first started dating. They used to stay up late, giggling about what it would be like to kiss a boy, and once it finally happened with Raimie, Dina was more than happy to share the details. When Sophie was at her worst, when she was alone and feeling the weight of the guilt about her mother’s death, Dina was the one who pulled her out of the downward spiral.

  Dina had always been there for her, now all Sophie wanted to do was take the pain away. She couldn’t though, there was nothing she could do except be there next to her. Sophie looked at Raimie; he was pale in color, a shade of blue hinting at the corners of his lips.

  Dina pushed herself up and stared down at her great love. She didn’t acknowledge Sophie’s presence, but instead she began speaking directly to Raimie. “You promised me, you said you would always give me a reason to keep going. I can’t do this without you.”