by Wendy Owens
Gabe wasn’t normally a tea drinker, but he wondered if it might calm his nerves. He nodded to Michael who poured a second cup.
“I’m not exactly sure how much you heard,” Michael explained, walking slowly and carefully back to the seating area with the two cups. Placing one cup on the coffee table in front of Gabe, Michael turned and took his place in the other seat. Michael said nothing as he shifted his weight back into the chair and began sipping the hot beverage. Gabe mimicked his actions, taking a sip of the tea. Cringing at the bitterness, he remembered why he wasn’t a tea drinker.
At last, Michael continued. “I know there has been a lot of whisperings around here. I’m sure you’ve heard your name mentioned.”
Gabe nodded, “I’m rather curious.”
“I know we haven’t had as much time to talk as I would prefer. This morning I was called away to speak with someone very important,” Michael explained.
Gabe sat listening carefully to Michael’s words, holding the cup of tea up to his lips, he allowed the steam to fill his nostrils.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of time, so I need to get to the point quickly,” Michael continued. “You’re a guardian Gabe. That is the truth. We have been looking for you for a long time. We want you here with us no matter what happens. I know it’s hard to understand, but we view you as family. You’re a member of the Sacred Bloodlines. Nothing will ever change that.”
Michael paused for a moment, staring into his cup until he finally added, “What I haven’t told you about Gabe, is your destiny.”
Gabe laughed at Michael’s words a little. It was silly to hear someone speak about destiny when used in relation to him.
“Yeah, destiny,” Gabe replied sarcastically.
Michael hastily leaned forward, setting his cup on the table, staring intensely into Gabe’s eyes.
“I’m serious. The Oracle has been telling us about you for years -- well, about you and the prophecy.”
“Whoa! Wait a second. Oracle? Prophecy?” Gabe asked, feeling goofy repeating the words.
“The Oracles are another weapon we have been given to fight the evil that plagues Earth,” Michael expanded. “Our Oracle has told of a day when a great prophet would be born, a prophet that would guide countless souls to salvation. Upon the prophet’s death the end of days will be ushered in.”
“What does that have to do with me? I can tell you, I’m no prophet,” Gabe insisted.
Michael chuckled, “No, you’re not.”
Gabe was shocked and confused. He had expected Michael to try and convince him he was this person he knew he was not. Instead Michael just agreed with him.
“But you’re very important,” Michael continued. “There will be a great battle between good and evil to find this prophet. According to the Oracle you’re destined to be the protector.”
“Me? A protector?” Gabe questioned. “I’m not a protector. I can barely take care of myself.”
As Gabe set his cup down onto the table, Michael reached over, placing a hand on his. “Many of us are more than we realize.”
In that moment, as Michael spoke, Gabe was able to see the wisdom in his years. He commanded a presence of honor that was hard to put in words. Gabe found himself believing the man could in fact be several hundred years old.
Michael sat up, pulling his hand away before continuing. “We have a good idea of what has happened. Mammon has never been able to even come close to finding our location in the past. We think that when Uri brought you and Sophie back, you were being tracked.”
“No,” Gabe quickly defended. “Uri said he used some kind of cloaking spell.”
“Nobody is blaming anyone here. Uri is strong, one of my most advanced pupils. I don’t believe they know our exact location as of yet and they most certainly don’t know how to penetrate our protection spells ...” Michael paused for a moment and then added, “not yet.”
“Yet?” Gabe asked. Trying not to think about the night he arrived, but attempting to push it from his thoughts, only brought the regret closer to the surface. He wished he had been able to help Uri instead of passing out. He felt weak and useless. Everyone was in danger now because of him. The same theme he had seen played out over and over again in his life. Gabe felt sorry for these people who thought he was some sort of great protector; he knew they would be disappointed.
Michael explained, “Mammon is powerful and will not stop until he has found a way to get to you.”
“Me?” Gabe exclaimed, feeling a new sense of panic.
“You were born to be the protector, it doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. Mammon believes it, as do his soldiers. If they kill you, they think they can find and destroy the prophet.”
Gabe was certain he was no protector; he wasn’t sure how to react to the information that Hell’s army was hunting him down under another assumption. Consumed by what sounded like blood swooshing around in his skull, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
“Are you all right?” Michael asked.
Gabe shook his head; he was far from all right. “Are you sure this Oracle’s prophecy is about me? I mean, maybe she saw the wrong person. I bet it’s supposed to be someone like ...”
Gabe thought about everyone he had met, seeking a more likely candidate.
“I bet it’s Uri or someone like him. I’m telling you, it’s not me. It’s not possible.” Gabe insisted.
“Everyone has a destiny. It may not be the one you thought you were designed for. You may not even choose to follow it, but there’s no mistake. The Oracle saw you.”
“Wait,” Gabe honed in on Michael’s words with precision. “Choose to follow it? I have a choice?”
Michael smiled slightly. “Of course you do. Everyone has a choice. There would be no free will if we didn’t have a choice.”
“That’s it,” Gabe replied excited. “We just tell Mammon I choose not to fulfill my destiny.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.” As those words left Michael’s lips there was a knock at the door. A second later, Uri entered, hands respectfully drawn behind his back.
“Sir, you sent for me?” he asked looking at Michael.
“Yes! Please, Uri,” Michael replied, motioning to the empty spot next to Gabe. “Come and join us.”
Uri walked over and took a seat, resting his boot clad foot on his opposite knee. “I was just telling Gabe here about the trouble with destiny and how it’s tied to each of us,” Michael explained.
“Oh?” Uri inquired, sounding a little shocked.
“Yeah, he seems to think you’re better suited to be the protector,” Michael suggested, then laughed.
Uri joined in the laughter, then reached over and gave Gabe a light punch in the chest.
“Oh, you do, huh?” he asked playfully.
“Well, I just meant,” Gabe defended, stumbling over his words, “that you’re... I mean ... well, I’m no protector.”
“Not yet, but you will be,” Uri said confidently, looking at Gabe, who quickly glanced away.
“I know this is a lot to process, Gabe. I hate to do it, but I have more to throw at you,” Michael started. “If we took you home right now we wouldn’t be able to protect you.”
Gabe nodded, thinking of the demons they had met on the road the night before. He imagined similar creatures finding him, helpless and all alone. He felt his body consumed by a paralyzing fear. That was one thing he agreed with, he was safer with them.
“You have five days left on your leave from the group home.”
“I can’t go back,” Gabe said in a panicked voice.
“Gabe, we’d never willingly put you in harm’s way. My hope is that by the end of the five days, Mammon will no longer be an issue. To us, you were family the moment you were born. Of course we would like you to come and live here, learn our ways, fight for the cause. All of that is your choice, though,” Michael explained.
“It’s true, Gabe,” Uri explained. “You’re my brothe
r now.”
Gabe didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t had a family for so long. He thought of his parents and struggled to remember the life they had had. He’d resigned himself long ago to the thought of being alone. The idea of a family was quite enticing, but it came at a very high and dangerous price.
“I’m not expecting you to agree to anything right now. What I propose is for you to spend the next five days learning about us,” Michael persuaded. “Uri and his friends will tutor you in our methods. If in five days things are safe, you can decide if you want to leave. If you choose to return to New York, Uri will take you.”
Uri nodded in agreement.
“And what if Mammon finds this place before then?” Gabe asked.
“Unfortunately,” Michael explained. “It’s not what if, but when. But please, don’t worry about that,” Michael added, seeing the fear on Gabe’s face. “We have a plan that’s being set into motion. You let the elders and I worry about Mammon, all right? I want you to focus on learning everything you can.”
Gabe was surprised at the comfort Michael’s words brought him. When he said they were taking care of the problem, Gabe didn’t have any doubt.
“Come on man,” Uri chimed in giving him an elbow to the side. “We’ll have some fun!”
“Sure,” Gabe replied, actually feeling eager to be tutored, as Michael put it. “Fun,” he added with a hint of sarcasm.
“Wonderful,” Michael bellowed, clapping his hands together in excitement. “Go with Uri. He’ll be a key part of this journey for you. Unfortunately, I have to travel, so you may not see me for a short time.”
Michael stood to walk the two boys to the door.
“Come on Gabe,” Uri said standing. “You’ll need your rest for what I have planned for you tomorrow.”
Uri threw his head back, delivering a devilish laugh. He grabbed hold of Gabe’s hoodie, pulling him up to his feet and toward the door. A moment later, they barreled out into the hallway leaving Michael to his important and pressing business.
The two were falling over each other down the hall laughing, all the way back to Gabe’s room. They arrived at his door in a huff, arms draped over one another. Gabe realized this must be what it’s like to have a friend. A true friend. Not one who is scared of you or being nice to you out of obligation. Gabe had trouble explaining it. It was as if he had always known Uri.
“See you in the morning,” Uri said, vigorously rubbing Gabe’s head and tussling his hair into a heaping mess. A second later, he was half way down the hall, laughing and leaping up to see if he could touch the rafters.
Gabe walked into his room thinking about everything he had learned that day. He was still panting from the romping sprint to his room, a huge smile plastered on his face. His heart wrenched in his chest when he realized his fire was already lit. He looked around the room in a panic, but didn’t see anyone. Cautiously, he approached the high back chairs and noticed one of them cast a shadow that included a figure; clearly there was someone perched in it.
Gabe’s breath caught in his throat with a low grunt as he attempted to tip toe quietly around the exterior of the room, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the intruder. Gabe crept through the shadows. Just before he emerged, Sophie popped her head up over the back of the chair, “Gabe!” she gleefully shouted.
He jumped and gasped in fright, feeling a bit silly afterwards; he hoped Sophie hadn’t heard him.
“Sophie! What are you doing here?” He felt odd asking that when all he wanted in the world was for Sophie to be right where she was, looking at him. Her hair was an intense red in the firelight, and he wondered if she noticed how obvious his attraction for her was.
“I was just wondering if you might be in the mood for an adventure?” she inquired, twisting her body and leaning forward on the arm of the chair. She glared wickedly up at him from beneath her eyebrows. Gabe wasn’t sure if he should be filled with fear or excitement.
Gabe was excited and anxious at the same time about Sophie’s promise of adventure, but knew he should probably do as Uri suggested and sleep.
“Umm, it’s not that I’m not interested in your proposal. It’s just that I’m supposed to begin my training tomorrow. Uri told me I needed to get plenty of rest.”
“Oh come on,” she pleaded hopping to her feet. “You have your entire life to sleep. Let’s have some fun.” She grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him toward the door.
Gabe felt rather helpless in her presence. Putting her hand on Gabe’s chest, halting his movement, she placed a single finger to her full rosy lips signaling his silence and peeked into the darkness. He hoped she could not feel the quickened beating of his heart. A moment later they dashed into the hall, Gabe pulling the door closed behind them.
“Now you have to be quiet,” Sophie whispered, looking back at him. “Stay close to the wall and follow me.”
“If we’re not supposed to be out, maybe we should just go back to my room,” Gabe suggested.
Sophie slapped his hand giggling as quietly as she could. “I’m sure you would love that, wouldn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t mean—” Gabe felt his cheeks flush hot. Before he could finish his thought, Sophie had once again shushed him. She looked around cautiously before tiptoeing down the hall, slinking along the wall as if she were some sort of night cat. Gabe was quite impressed by her stealth as he did his best to mimic her.
Sophie waved a hand in the darkness to gain Gabe’s attention. She motioned to a large door at the end of one of the halls.
“That’s the library,” she whispered. “It’s absolutely amazing. There are books from all over the world. Hundreds of them date back so long ago that most current libraries aren’t aware of their existence. I could spend days in there,” she added with a charmed gaze. He found Sophie’s enthusiasm for books enchanting.
She continued past the library and down the hall. He wished they could go in right then, curious to explore the place that excited Sophie so much. They passed a few more doors before coming to an archway that led down several stairs. From the stairs, they stepped onto a dirt path. Gabe realized they were in a completely different courtyard, one he had never seen before.
“Where are we?” he whispered.
“You’ll see. Follow me and keep your head down,” she whispered, hunkering low to the ground to stay concealed beneath the bush line. Gabe slipped his hood up over his tousled hair to conceal himself.
As they reached the other side, Gabe saw blue lights in the sky and heard soft chiming noises. He looked around, trying to figure out the source, but saw nothing. Following Sophie into a clearing at the edge of the courtyard, they sat and rested for a moment. Sophie resumed her position and inched closer to the tree line, motioning for Gabe to come follow, a request that he was more than happy to comply with.
“Look,” she said using her hands to part the bush in front of them.
Gabe saw three robed figures. One was waving her hands around gracefully through the air as if she were the conductor of an invisible orchestra. There were lights dancing through the sky following the motions. Another had his hands bent as though he were playing a piano in the air. As each finger came down on the imaginary keyboard, Gabe heard a mystical chime. The third figure simply stood, a hood covering the bent head that stared at the ground.
“Are they doing all this?” Gabe whispered, watching in amazement. “Is he creating that music with just the movement of his hands? She can make lights appear?”
Sophie nodded her head, a thrilled smile on her face. She was pleased by Gabe’s response. “It’s a charm spell. It’s meant to distract and enchant its victim.”
“I can see how it must be quite effective,” Gabe replied jokingly, as he stared at the fantastic show, completely mesmerized.
“Sometimes, I love coming out here while they practice, especially at night,” Sophie added.
A second later, Gabe heard what sounded like soft drum beats. He saw that the third robed figure had j
oined in the festivities; his hands hovered in the air and every few seconds he would push his palm toward the earth with a mighty thrust, creating a hollow but deep drumming noise.
Gabe closed his eyes, allowing himself to get lost in the beautiful melody. When at last he reopened them, he caught sight of Sophie. She was gazing straight up at the sky. When he glanced up to see what she was looking at, he realized the lights were now dancing over their heads. She smiled at him, and in that moment his heart felt so full he thought it may burst.
He followed as she crawled further away from the tree line.
“Where are we going?” he asked in a hushed tone.
“Nowhere,” she replied rising to her feet. Gabe looked around frantically, but soon realized that where they were they could not be seen, so he stood to join her.
“Dance with me,” Sophie requested.
“What?” Gabe asked mortified. “No, that’s silly.”
Sticking out a pouty lip she extended her hand. Gabe didn’t want to disappoint her, but he had no clue how to dance. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, but quickly realized she was not going to relent. With a sigh he skulked over to her. He hated the idea of dancing, but to be able to hold her beautiful body in his arms was quite intriguing.
His dread and fears melted away once he took Sophie’s warm and delicate hand into his. They glided around the clearing, Gabe cringing as he stepped on her toes, but Sophie didn’t even grimace. She simply smiled at him. He felt her allow her body to relax into his.
She buried her head into Gabe’s shoulder; he didn’t know what to think. The last thing he wanted to do was mistakenly read something into her actions. After all, they had just met. She was beautiful, bright and cheery. Girls like her were never interested in the dark, brooding, tragedy-stricken loser kid, like him.