The Complete 8-Book Guardians Adventure Saga

by Summer Lee

  Achava left the secret room with her hands full. “Let’s get these things wrapped up and get to the bank to secure the shekels. That was a great idea, Sam.” She smiled.

  ***

  After arriving back home from their trip to the bank, Sam sighed. “I know what the glow means. It means it’s time to get off of our you-know-whats, and get back in the game. Doesn’t it?”

  Achava nodded, apprehensively. “Yes. I assumed you would figure that out. I have the ark piece wrapped in cloth, but you have to take the staff and sling.”

  They went back into the secret room. Achava clasped the wrapped piece of wood from the ark. Sam inhaled deeply and grabbed the sling with his left hand. He expected another jolt, which never happened. He was able to breathe easier as he picked up the staff with his right hand.

  As soon as he had both artifacts in his hands, he started to fade out of the room. Achava quickly closed and secured the secret room door and then reached out to touch Sam’s shoulder before he faded out completely.

  In a brief moment, they were both gone.

  The air shimmered around them, as they reappeared in a cavern similar to the one they had been in when they encountered the Ark of the Covenant the first time.

  There was an ark-sized box near a rock wall with a familiar looking cloth over it.

  Sam looked at Achava, nervously. “That’s the ark. It has to be.”

  Achava looked around. “Where’s Al-Achsah? I had more questions for her.”

  Sam shrugged. “Maybe she left as soon as we appeared.”

  Achava was not content with that answer. She noticed an entrance to the cavern so she followed it. Sunlight guided her to the opening. Her eyes widened, as she saw the entrance surrounded by some sort of shimmering energy. She could see through it and gasped. She saw Al-Achsah and Man battling outside. She attempted to reach out, but when she stuck her hand out through the energy, it didn’t come out on the other side. She realized that is was some sort of dimensional or time portal. She smiled and realized that she would probably never see Al-Achsah again.

  She said a quick prayer for her ancestor’s protection and turned back toward the ark.

  “Where did you go?” Sam asked, concerned.

  She smiled. “Al-Achsah bought us some time. She sent the ark here without anyone to guard it.”

  “That was pretty risky,” he said, as he removed the cover.

  The ark glowed brightly, illuminating the dark cavern.

  He sighed. “Here we go. We have to open up the ark.”

  Achava nodded. She approached it and started to place her hand on it.

  “Wait!” Sam warned. “Doesn’t this have some sort of defense mechanism?”

  “Yes,” she replied calmly. “I am a protector, warrior, and descendant of Achsah. If I cannot touch the ark, then no one can.”

  She placed her hand on the ark and was immediately bombarded with electrical energy. It snaked over and through her, as she fell back to the ground.

  “Achava!” Sam exclaimed, as he rushed to her aid. “Are you alright? I tried to warn...”

  Her face was caught in surprise, but she radiated a smile anyway. “I am not harmed, Sam.” Tears started to flow. “I... was... enlightened.”

  “Enlightened?” he repeated. “What are you talking about?”

  “The ark revealed something even I did not know.” She was torn between shock and excitement.

  Sam was as anxious as she was and he didn’t know why. “What is it?”

  She gently placed her hands on her stomach. “Sam. I am with child.”

  The End

  To be continued in:

  The Commandments of God

  Return to the Table of Contents

  THE

  COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

  by

  SUMMER LEE

  A Guardians Adventure #8

  The Commandments of God

  Published by Summer Lee

  Copyright © 2015 by Summer Lee

  All rights reserved.

  Ebook Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication

  To my grandsons:

  Nick, Jonathan, Joshua and Gilbert

  and my two great-grandsons:

  Jackson and Manny.

  The Commandments of God

  Previously

  The air shimmered around them, as they reappeared in a cavern similar to the one they had been in when they encountered the Ark of the Covenant the first time.

  There was an ark-sized box near a rock wall with a familiar looking cloth over it.

  Sam looked at Achava, nervously. “That’s the ark. It has to be.”

  Achava looked around. “Where’s Al-Achsah? She was supposed to stay with it until we got here. I had more questions for her.”

  Sam shrugged. “Maybe she left as soon as we appeared.”

  Achava was not content with that answer. She noticed an access to the inner cavern, so she followed the path to it. Sunlight guided her to a new opening. Her eyes widened, as she saw the ingress surrounded by some sort of shimmering energy. When she saw through it, she gasped. She saw her ancestor, Al-Achsah, and the one who called himself Man, battling outside. She attempted to reach out to Al-Achsah, but when she attempted to stick her hand through the energy, it did not come out on the other side. She realized that it was some sort of dimensional or time portal. She suddenly feared that she would probably never see Al-Achsah again. That was why she left the ark behind.

  She said a quick prayer for her relative’s protection and turned back toward the ark.

  “What’s going on?” Sam asked, concerned.

  She smiled. “Al-Achsah bought us some time. She sent the ark here without anyone to guard it for safety’s sake.”

  “That was pretty risky,” he said as he removed the cover to examine it.

  The ark glowed brightly, illuminating the dark cavern.

  “Gorgeous.” He sighed. “Here we are. We have to open up the ark.”

  Achava nodded. She approached it and started to place her hand on it.

  “Wait!” Sam warned. “Doesn’t this have some sort of defense mechanism?”

  “Yes,” she replied calmly. “I am a protector, warrior, and descendant of Achsah. If I cannot touch the ark, then no one can.”

  She placed her hand on the ark and was immediately bombarded with electrical energy. It snaked over and through her as she fell back to the ground.

  “Achava!” Sam exclaimed as he rushed to her aid. “Are you alright? I tried to warn...”

  Her face was caught in surprise, but she radiated a smile anyway. “I am not harmed, Sam.” Tears started to flow. “I... was... enlightened.”

  “Enlightened?” he repeated. “What are you talking about?”

  “The ark revealed something even I did not know.” She was torn between shock and excitement.

  Sam was as anxious as she was and he didn’t know why. “What is it?”

  She gently placed her hands on her stomach. “Sam. I am with child.”

  Chapter the First

  ACHAVA WAITED PATIENTLY for Sam to recover. He had been knocked unconscious by the news of the pregnancy and had been lying on the sandy ground of the cavern for at least twenty minutes.

  She checked to make sure he was alright, but other than that, she chose to let him sleep it off.

  She was ready for action as soon as he was. The backpack was packed with all the snacks and clothing that they would need. They could go anywhere.

  She looked at Sam’s soft features and realized what was to come. Knowing that their upcoming mission would be their last, she had no choice but to stay positive.

  Gently caressing his face with the back of her hand, she remembered the first time she saw Sam. She smiled when she thought of him as a burden back then. She knew he could not hold his own against super humans
and yet he survived, despite being extremely new at the adventuring thing.

  How far he had come since then. His determination and inability to recognize failure, brought him to where he now was. She needed to use every bit of his experience if she was going to finish the mission, and at the same time, be still breathing.

  Not only would Achava have to fight the greatest battle of her life, but she had to do it while carrying her first child. Her lineage had to continue. No matter what.

  Achava shook her head as she realized everything really did happen for a reason. It was all supposed to be as it was. She knew that somehow it would all work out. She just was not sure how. Her love for Sam, and the ability they had to work well together, was about to be tested.

  First, he had to wake up.

  His moans got her attention. After a while, he slowly sat up. He looked embarrassed. “I… feel stupid. I mean, wow. How long was I out?”

  “Going on two hours,” she replied nonchalantly. “I assumed that part of it was just your body needed rest. I hope you’re well rested now.”

  “Well rested?” he repeated. “Is that all you have to say? Don’t you think we have something else to talk about?”

  She smiled, knowing he meant the baby. As she helped him to his feet, she said, “It’s obvious that we must discuss it first, or it will weigh on us through our mission.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her with surprise. “I would hope that it would be something that we both wanted to talk about. I don’t know how you found out about your pregnancy by simply touching the Ark of the Covenant, but it is what it is.”

  “It is what it is?” she repeated with a touch of disgust. “You act like this is an inconvenience.”

  “Not so much an inconvenience as a game changer,” he replied, without sounding cold. “You can’t be that involved in the upcoming mission since you’re preg…” He stopped in mid-sentence, as he realized what the real issue was. A huge smile crept over his face, as his eyes lit up. He placed both hands on her stomach. “You’re pregnant! With my child!”

  Achava could not help but smile herself. She knew that the concept of fatherhood finally hit Sam. “Yes, I believe I am.”

  Sam’s smile faded, almost as quickly as it appeared. He referred to the ark. “How do we know that the ark is accurate when diagnosing pregnancy?”

  Achava laughed, not sure if he was joking or not. “If you can’t trust the Ark of the Covenant, then I’m not sure who you can trust.”

  “What if you get hurt?” he queried without allowing any pause after her statement. “That’s a distinct possibility.”

  “Yes,” she replied with a frustrated tone. “If we’re going to even hope for a chance at success, then we need to be on the same page.”

  “There seems to be only one page.”

  “True. Any dissension will destroy us. That’s why we need to clear this up now.” She had a serious look.

  “Not much to clear.” His tone was firm.

  She said, “This is not something that we can leave alone. If we go into battle and you worry too much about the baby, then all is lost. You must trust that God can protect our unborn baby as well as us.”

  “I know!” he exclaimed, showing his own frustration. “You know me, Achava. I’m a worrier. Especially now that I know that for the first time in my life, I’m going to be a father!”

  “For the first time in my life, I’m going to be a mother!” She flinched when she said it. It was almost as if her being pregnant was just told to her. She tried to shake off the distraction. “I am more than pleased and happy that I am carrying your child, Sam. What kind of world are we planning to bring our child into? If I take it easy, our child could be born into a world that we are not proud of. I can’t do that to her.”

  “Her?” Sam asked, stunned. “You already know the sex of the child? Did the ark give you that information too?”

  She shook her head. “No. I am pretty good at doing math. If you think hard, you’ll see it as well.”

  “Think about what?”

  “Girls are conceived a few days earlier in the month than boys are.”

  “Oh! So what are we going to do?” he asked, avoiding the previous topic.

  Achava placed her hands on his shoulders and stepped closer to him. “We are going to stick together. We are going to fight together and we’re going to do it as we have always done. If we are to win the battle over evil, then we have to go into it at full strength. I’m not saying that I won’t be careful for our child’s sake and our benefit, but I will not be so worried that I put us in danger. It could get us killed and then, so much for anyone’s future.”

  Nodding, he narrowed his eyes at her. “I was worried that I was going to be the one acting cold hearted about this whole situation, but now I’m beginning to wonder.”

  She shook her head. “You won’t understand, Sam. I have been a warrior for as long as I can remember and that is a long time. A warrior for the Lord. I have seen things that still give me chills. In order to fully prepare ourselves for this battle, we must give everything we have and leave nothing behind. It is our trust in God that clears the path of obstacles, so that we may do what we must. So we always follow His leading.”

  “I know that you’re a warrior first, Achava,” Sam said, with a hint of disdain. “This is our opportunity to become a family though.”

  She tried to contain her anger. “Are you then saying that we just forget about everything and be selfish? Are we to forget that we are on our last mission…?”

  “That’s what I’m talking about!” he interrupted. “Everything points to this being our last mission! There is a very good chance that we won’t survive!”

  “What about all of the other missions?” she rebutted. “There was danger in all of them as well! What makes them so different?”

  “You weren’t pregnant then!” As soon as he bellowed at her, he regretted it.

  “I told you that we cannot look at that as a deterrent from going on,” she replied, in a calmer tone. “We cannot look away from this. If we die, we die.”

  Sam looked shocked. At first he didn’t say anything. Then he snapped at her. “Alright then. If we die, we die.”

  ***

  ACHAVA COULDN’T BE STRONG ANYMORE. She fell to her knees and cried uncontrollably.

  “I’m sorry,” Sam said. “I don’t know what to do to comfort my wife.” He knelt down and embraced her.

  “No!” she yelled, while pushing him away. “I can’t deal with this anymore! I lost my sister and the country of my birth has declared war against me! I can’t…” Sobbing, she collapsed onto the sandy ground.

  Sam appeared frantic as he sat close beside her. He teared up as well, realizing his mistake. “I’m so sorry, Achava. You have lost a lot recently and I was selfish to bring up the subject. Please forgive me. I promise that if you do forgive me, we’ll do it your way. You’ve been doing this for a long time and I should always listen to you. I’m sorry that you have to be the strong one when I get stupid. I was just worried about our… daughter, I guess. I forgot about what you’ve been through. I can’t do a mission without you, Achava. I don’t ever want to do anything without you ever again. This is really a lot of stuff for a human to deal with, but I need to focus on what you’re dealing with. You’ve lost everything… except me.”

  He buried his head in her hair on her shoulder and choked back the tears. She slowly wrapped her arms around him. She held him tighter than she ever had before. “We have to be a team, Sam. If one thing comes between us, then all is lost. You do understand, don’t you?”

  Sam pulled away so that he could look into his wife’s face. “Yes. I really do. I need to trust you more and put my personal feelings aside. You know that I have never been in a real relationship, especially with someone as amazing as you. I have to admit that I am intimidated by your strength and beauty though.”

  “You’re a smart man.” Achava composed herself as she made it to her feet. “Trus
ting each other has power. I trust you. It is time for you to put away these insecure feelings and see me as I am. I can be hurt and I am more human since I have known you than I ever was before. I am no more supernatural than what you see right now. A woman, not a warrior, who loves you with all of her heart and soul. A woman who would sacrifice all for you. A woman still. We cannot continue until this matter is behind us, Sam. For good.”

  “That was a mouthful.” Sam nodded. “I know you’re right. My insecurities have gotten the best of me on several occasions. My toughest test is ahead of me. I must pass it.”

  “We both have to pass,” she said. “You have no choice but to lay to rest your negativity, before it destroys us both.”

  “I realize that I no longer have a choice to be neutral. Can you say a prayer for both of us, before we go into the fray? So to speak.” He forced a smile.

  Achava tittered and bowed her head. “Father in Heaven. Most glorious of hosts. Hear our pleas. We beseech You to guide us, as You have never guided us before. Strengthen us for this upcoming battle to rescue your stone tablets, and let us leave our weaknesses behind. We know that we will be put in the position to kill those who would stop us. If there is any other way, then please present it to us. Protect the child that grows within me now. Let us teach her Your ways. Give her the strength she will need for her future. We are as one in Your eyes, my Lord. Whether we win or lose this day, we will do Your will. We thank You for the trials and tribulations of life. Thank You for Sam. He is truly a Godsend. Keep Anthea within Your arms, until the time that we may be together again. These things we pray in the almighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

  Sam smiled. Achava opened her eyes. The sparkle and confidence was overwhelming. “Sam, I’ve been given a spiritual gift. Since Anthea and I were blood kin, what she knew, I now know,” Achava said, with authority.