by Wendy Owens
“I doubt that,” Uri scoffed.
Sera grinned. Casually opening her palm, a flame ball formed. Moving her hand elegantly, she allowed the fire to dance about before extinguishing it as magically as she made it appear.
“Impressive,” Uri congratulated.
“Seriously, though, I can’t say anything else.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop asking about the weapon, although, I really do want to know. Can you tell me other stuff?”
“Like what?” she inquired.
“Who are you?”
“Me?” the vagueness of the question bothered her.
“Yeah. I want to know everything about you. Where did you grow up? What was your family like? When did you become a keeper?”
“Whoa, slow down. You sure do ask a lot of questions, don’t you?”
Uri smiled. “Only when I find the subject so interesting.”
Sera blushed. It was nice to have someone say such sweet things to her, it didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes either. She hoped her years of solitude hadn’t made her naive. “You’re a charmer, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know about that, but some people say I can be pretty relentless, so you might as well start sharing.”
“Honestly? I don’t know who I am.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I have no memory of who I was, of a family or a home. Hell, for all I know, I never had a history to remember.”
“That doesn’t make sense, everyone comes from somewhere,” Uri argued.
“I agree, but what I’m saying is that I have no idea where I come from. I woke up in a cave; the keeper who trained me is the only person I saw for years. She had no idea about my past, but she said she could offer me a future, a reason to be alive. At the time, that seemed better than nothing at all.”
“And now?”
“Now? I don’t know — I don’t think about it very much. I guess sometimes I think about how I wish I could find someone to love me until I’m old, but that isn’t the path of a keeper.”
“What? Are you serious? Keepers are forbidden from finding love?”
Sera stumbled over her words, “No — I —well, that’s not exactly right. It’s not like it’s a law or something, but our work keeps us consumed. There isn’t a time that we are not focusing on our objective. My mentor trained me; she taught me everything I needed to know to make sure I would be able to carry on the torch. Then one night I went to sleep and when I awoke, she was gone. I like to think she left to find a different life, one with a husband and full of laughter. But I can’t help thinking she simply faded away into nothing.”
“You can’t think like that. You have no idea what happened to her. For all you know she’s kicking it back on a beach right now, living up the high life.”
“I hope so,” Sera whispered.
“So, where do you live now?” Uri attempted to change the depressing tone of the conversation.
“Nowhere, I guess. I go wherever I’m needed in order to make sure the weapon I keep is safe.”
“What about friends?”
“I don’t really have any.”
“I don’t understand—”
“I interact with people, like you for instance, but I don’t tend to stay in one place long enough to really make friends. Unfortunately, I spend most of my time alone.”
“That’s about the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” Uri said, trying to make it sound humorous, but failed in doing so.
Sera rocked forward onto her knees, slapping Uri gently on the arm, “Will you hush, I’m just fine with the way my life is. Friends would get in the way of what I have to get done.”
“How would you know if you’ve never had any? My friends are always there to help me and I know they have my back.”
“I can tell Raimie means a lot to you,” Sera added, moving in to sit directly next to Uri, linking her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder. He liked the way it felt to have her so close and didn’t dare say anything that would risk her moving.
“He does. It’s not just Raimie though; I have Dina, Sophie, Haim, and Gabe. They’re all there for me when I need them and I’m there for them.” Suddenly, the situation with Gabe came rushing back. “Damn it, Gabe!”
“What’s wrong?” Sera asked, lifting and cocking her head to the side to stare at him.
“My friend, Gabe, we got into a big argument over a misunderstanding and he stormed off just before the attack. Hell, I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead at this point.
“Gabe’s fine, don’t worry about him,” Sera reassured Uri.
“What? How would you know?”
“I don’t— what I meant is that he’s a Guardian, I’m sure he can take care of himself,” Sera clarified.
“Yeah, I suppose. But I would feel better if I at least knew he was okay; he may not even know about Rampart.”
“I’m sure it will all work itself out with Gabe.”
“I guess. I just know he would want to be here for Raimie. So, do you like being a keeper?” Uri inquired, shifting his focus.
“That’s an odd question. Do you like being a Guardian?”
“Are you kidding? I love it. The rush of adrenaline just before battle, wiping demon scum off the face of the earth, I don’t think there’s anything else like it.”
“I’m not sure all Guardians would agree with you,” Sera prompted him to explore his feelings deeper.
“All that is bull. Who would want to live as a regular human? They live in darkness, never knowing what really is going on around them. I couldn’t stand to live a life of such blind ignorance.”
“Ignorance can be bliss,” Sera offered.
“I don’t agree with that, ignorance is just a weakness.”
“And you have no weaknesses, is that it?”
“I didn’t say that,” Uri defended himself carefully. “I just don’t want being a fool to be one of them.”
“You think humans are fools? Why protect them?”
“No, I didn’t say that— well— at least that’s not what I meant. I was trying to say I love being a Guardian because I’m blessed with the truth.”
“Well, in answer to your question, I don’t know how I feel about being a keeper. Since it’s all I can remember, there really isn’t anything I can compare it with. It’s simply who I am.” she explained.
“I have to say, Seraphine, I am very glad you are a keeper.”
“Oh yeah? Why is that?”
“Because I think otherwise, I may never have met you.”
“Oh, Uri,” she said before leaning in and giving him a peck on the cheek. “You really might be the sweetest boy I have ever met.”
“Probably,” Uri replied with a grin before falling silent, enjoying the momentary peacefulness and her presence.
Sophie stared at the spell book sprawled out before her; she wasn’t sure how long she had been looking at it. The evening had become a bit of a blur. Initially, she couldn’t stop worrying about Dina, but her focused shifted to Raimie when the healers came in to check on him. She overheard them talking. He was getting worse and there wasn’t anything else they could do for him. It could be anytime now. Sophie was certain Dina would not forgive herself if she missed her chance to say goodbye to her beloved, but what could she do? She had promised her friend she wouldn’t reveal her plan.
Unable to sit alongside Raimie any longer, Sophie made her way to the library at Iron Gate. It had been one of her favorite places to be at Rampart. Now that her home had been ripped away from her, being surrounded by the books at Iron Gate gave her a small piece of comfort. The library was full and bustling with loud refugees who clearly assumed the crisis warranted an exception to the natural library rule of silence. Sophie hadn’t thought about what she would do once she found the book that contained the tracking spell, she just felt compelled to find it. Now, here it was, the spell she needed to find her Gabe staring her in the face.
Dina
wouldn’t waste a single moment of her life with Raimie, not now, not knowing how things would end. Sophie kept asking herself, what if Gabe was hurt? What if in the chaos Gabe had been captured, or worse? The scenarios continued playing out in her mind. Sophie was certain she had to know; she had to be sure he was all right. What she couldn’t decide was what else to say to him.
Sophie knew she broke his heart when she kissed Uri. Had she been herself, it never would have happened, of that she was certain. Part of her thought that she would simply tell Gabe that she remembered everything and she was sorry, that that would be enough and things would be like they were. But how could things ever be like they were? Rampart was gone, and now Ramie would soon be leaving them, as well.
Hopping up and scooping the book into her arms, she clutched it close to her chest and took off, dodging through the people and making her way out into an even fuller hallway. Lowering her head, she pushed through the mob, making her way to a small spiral stair case only wide enough for two people. Fleeing the masses, she climbed the narrow, dimly lit stone stairs. At last she reached the top and much to her delightful surprise, what met her was a small sitting room. On one side of the tiny room sat two chairs and on the other was a circular window. Looking out, she saw it overlooked the packed court yard below. She had found her own private hideaway in the chaos of it all; desperately, she hoped no one else would. The idea of having a place to escape to seemed priceless at this point.
Sophie looked at the chairs once more and decided the rug on the floor looked more comfortable than their antique wooden frames. Plopping down on to the carpet, she dropped the book in front of her. As it landed, a puff of dust rose, sending her into a coughing fit. When at last she managed to get her breathing back under control, she flipped the pages open to the tracer spell.
Sophie pulled the folded parchment from her pocket, opening it, she flattened out the ridges. She quickly realized it was an ancient map containing all the realms, earthly and not. Sophie decided she would have to choose her words once she saw him, for now, she just wanted to make sure he was safe. Carefully, she unclasped the necklace from around her neck, a small crystal dangling from it. The spell called for anything that would easily carry energy and a crystal was as good a thing as any. Dangling it over the map, Sophie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and attempted to focus her thoughts on the spell.
The one who is lost, carries a charm
He is loved, please protect him from harm
Reveal a path, show me the way
So I might save him on this day
She opened her eyes, staring at the crystal for a hint of movement, but there was nothing. It simply dangled from her fingertips, no indication of where Gabe might be. Just as she was about to repeat the spell, it happened. The crystal began to circle counter clockwise, speeding up and increasing in intensity. At last it pulled itself from her fingertips and slid across the map, coming to rest on the far corner. Sophie leaned forward onto her knees and peered at the location, holding her breath in anticipation.
Much to her surprise, Gabe was not anywhere she expected him to be. She assumed he may return to New York, to where his home had once been, or at least the closest thing he had to a home. Though he had no strong connections with his past or any of his foster families, it was the only exposure he had to the world. Instead, Gabe had chosen to leave the earthly realm all together, speaking to the hurt and betrayal he must have felt. In fact, according to the spell, he was now in the Underworld, in a place called Baynar.
Falling back on her bottom, Sophie absorbed the information. Even though his location came as a shock, it did not change her resolve. She was going to find him and see him. When she did, she knew it would come to her, what words she should say.
Sophie wasted no time. Closing her eyes and mumbling the words for the transportation spell, she disappeared; evaporated and reassembled to another realm. Opening her eyes, she was relieved to see she had been reappeared in an alley way, well concealed from prying eyes. Not many had the ability of transport and if anyone saw her using her powers, it would not take long for them to figure out she was likely a guardian, not the safest thing to be right now.
“Invisibilis,” the word rolled off her tongue elegantly. She looked down and watched as she faded away, no evidence of her being there, except the footprints she left in the gravel.
Careful to step lightly, Sophie made her way to the street, looking around frantically for her precious Gabe. The town wasn’t huge, but searching it for a Guardian, who himself was likely trying not to be discovered, would be a difficult task. Sliding along the faces of the buildings, staying clear of the walkways, she watched for anything that might seem suspicious.
Sophie was never one who enjoyed visiting the Underworld. In fact, she found it very unsettling, she always had, a fact Uri often had made fun of her for. Like Gabe, she was one of the older students when she had arrived at Rampart. Growing up in a world where the only thing that existed were animals and humans, the Underworld seemed to always rock that logic in a way she could not handle.
Sophie recalled once, a long time ago, when she had been sent on a mission with Uri. She was still very green and when they were told to find information out about a demon who had been harming humans, she didn’t know where to begin. Sophie recalled thinking Uri had gone mad when he asked a nearby buck if he had seen anyone matching the demon’s description. When the creature stood on its hind legs and answered him, she was convinced that in fact, she was the one who was crazy.
“This way, the body is over here,” Sophie heard a stranger’s voice shout.
“Oh, he’s dead for sure. Someone go and get the magistrate,” another voice answered.
Sophie felt her heart sink. She couldn’t see what was happening, but had a terrible suspicion that it involved Gabe. Just as she was about to push her way through the crowd, something caught her eye. Half a block away, a cloaked figure was standing with an oversized, burly creature in an apron. The hooded one was looking around uneasily when a young girl approached them, immediately causing Sophie to be suspicious of the behavior. She watched as the girl and oversized man whispered amongst each other.
In an instant the girl took off, the cloaked figure on her arm. Sophie held her breath as the burly man in the apron, made his way to the door where she stood. Lingering for a moment, he looked around one last time before slipping inside the door. From the security of her invisible hiding spot, she looked up to see she was standing in front of the inn. He must work here, she thought.
Sophie looked back to the alley way where the mob had grown even larger in size. Whatever had happened, she wasn’t going to be able to see anything right now. Making the decision to stay with the two suspicious characters she had seen moments before, Sophie followed them. They moved quickly, and Sophie found it difficult to keep up. When they reached a business at the edge of town, both paused for a second outside of the door, exchanging words. Sophie was still too far away to hear anything. As they entered, the cloaked figure glanced back towards the town. That’s when Sophie caught a glimpse of his face ... it was Gabe.
A chill flooded over Sophie’s body, all of her hair standing on end when she saw him. A piece of her had resigned itself to never finding him. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why there was place inside her that could give up so easily. Without much effort, there he was in front of her. Sophie quickened her pace, making her way to the outside of the gritty looking shack. Glancing at the sign, she saw she was standing outside a blacksmith’s establishment and wondered if perhaps he sought weapons. Still invisible, Sophie decided to observe for a moment longer before revealing her presence to Gabe. She had to know, who were these people? What had brought Gabe to them?
Careful not to reveal herself, she made her way into the hut and towards a sheer curtain hanging at the rear.
“I don’t understand, Clarite, what does this have to do with us?” a burly voice asked.
“Everything. You
always say these Wintoks are coming in here and acting like they own our town, about how if you had a chance you would fix things, set them straight,” the girl pleaded. From where Sophie stood she could see nothing, only hear voices. At last, there was a familiar voice.
“I don’t want to be any trouble; I’ll just be on my way.” Sophie held her breath, prepared to see him walk through the doorway at any moment, but he didn’t.
“No, sit.” the man’s voice commanded. “Just until I figure out what’s going on.”
“It’s simple. If we don’t hide him, they are going to kill him,” the girl that she assumed was Clarite answered solemnly. Sophie felt panic fill her from head to toes. She knew Gabe would be in danger if he was not under the protection of the guardians, and apparently she was right.
“Slow down, tell me who is after him and why they want him,” the man instructed.
“Kryn, Baylor killed a wintok to keep him from being discovered,” Clarite explained.
“Damn it! Where?” the man the girl had called Kryn asked.
“Just outside the inn,” Sophie heard Gabe interject. She remembered the mob and realized she had been right about that situation as well, the corpse did involve Gabe.
“Don’t talk, boy,” Kryn commanded. “If I have a question I want you to answer, I’ll ask you. What was Baylor thinking? This is just going to make things worse for the entire town. How could he be this stupid?”
“He did it because he was trying to protect a guardian.” Clarite replied.
“What? A Guardian? No, why would a guardian be here, especially alone? They’re never alone,” Kryn argued.
“I’m just telling you what Baylor told me,” the girl defended her words.
“Boy, is this true? Are you a Guardian?” Kryn asked.
“I was,” Sophie’s breath caught in her throat when she heard his response. In only a couple days had he already decided he was not one of them.
“You either are or you aren’t. A human can’t stop being a human any more than a guardian can stop being what he is. So answer me, and be sure before you do. Are you a guardian or aren’t you?”
