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

by Wendy Owens

  “Okay, so what do I say to do this wind blast?” Gabe asked, his palms starting to sweat a little.

  Raimie stepped closer and reached out to position Gabe. “Your body needs to be centered. All of your weight must be evenly distributed. Widen the distance between your legs, crouch slightly, and open your arms, cupping your hands outward.”

  Gabe assumed he looked ridiculous, but did as he was instructed. Raimie continued his explanation. “If your weight is evenly distributed you’re more likely to achieve balance and sense energy around you to absorb. Now close your eyes and concentrate on the power. Think about it flowing in from everything: the plants, the sun, the dirt. Everything has an energy source—something that feeds it. Imagine you have tubes on the ends of your fingers and they can suck this power in.”

  “Tubes? Really?”

  “Come on man, I’m serious,” Raimie scolded.

  “All right, all right, I’m sorry.

  Gabe did as he was told; he kept feeling little tingles but wondered if perhaps it was his imagination or even nerves from being watched by the girl he adored. “When you feel like you’re filled to the brim with that energy you can begin the chant. Then envision you pushing all that energy out from your fingertips.”

  “Air in the trees,

  Come as I call you,

  Deliver your wind”

  Trying his best not to crack a smile, Gabe did just as Raimie told him. He found it easier to concentrate with his eyes closed so he didn’t have to keep seeing Sophie watching him. Even with all the focus Gabe didn’t feel anything more than the tingling. He decided to try to push the spell to completion anyways.

  He began to mutter the chant, once, twice, each time with Raimie coaching him and encouraging him. “With more force, Gabe,” Raimie repeated.

  Gabe focused intensely on the words, raising his voice. As he finished the third time, he imagined all his energy was being pushed out his fingertips.

  A moment later, he felt his hair being blown back and suddenly he was lifted off his feet and landed several feet back, skidding to a stop on his bottom. He quickly opened his eyes to see what had happened. Raimie was across from him. He too, was in a sitting position on the ground with a shocked look on his face, staring at Gabe.

  In an instant he heard shouting from the stairs and the other four came running into the circle. “That was freaking amazing!” Uri cried out.

  “What the heck was that?” Dina exclaimed.

  “Gabe, are you okay?” Sophie asked rushing to his side.

  “What happened? Gabe groaned and peered at everyone with a confused stare.

  “Your wind blast. You built up so much energy behind you that it knocked Raimie back and then had a kick back effect on you as well.” Sophie explained.

  “Craziest thing I’ve ever seen!” Haim shouted, rushing over to Raimie and helping him to his feet. Raimie walked over to Gabe, his senses returning.

  “I guess you’re one heck of a teacher after all!” Gabe said laughing. Raimie gave him a crazed look and then a moment later joined him in the laughter. It wasn’t long until the entire group was laughing hysterically.

  “How about next time you try it with your eyes open?” Raimie suggested.

  The fire flickered and as Gabe stared at the burning pit before him, he thought about his day with Raimie. He had never imagined he would be making the wind blow or the snow fall, but sure enough, thanks to the union with this new group, Gabe was doing all of that and more.

  To the left of Gabe sat Raimie and Dina right next to him with her leg draped across his lap. Dina’s head rested on his shoulder as they watched their boisterous friends Uri and Haim. Gabe laughed as they reenacted the day’s events to the gathered crowd. They exaggerated their movements, Uri pretending to be Gabe, rolling his hands and then waving them in the direction of Haim. Both stumbled backwards onto their bottoms and the people around the circle began to roar with laughter.

  Watching them act out his misfortunate magical accident made Gabe see the humor of the event all the more. Sophie approached his left side, gracefully taking a seat next to him. She slid her arm around his and pulled him closer to her.

  “I’m so glad you’re here with us, Gabe,” she said flashing him a smile.

  He took another look at the group of companions that in this past week had become the closest thing he had ever had to friends. “Me, too.” Gabe said softly and then fell silent again. He and Sophie had grown close so quickly, sometimes it seemed unreal to him.

  The bonfire never grew any smaller nor did it ever need wood since it had been cast. Gabe marveled at the simple spell. He hoped he would still be nearby when the time had come to cast the fire into oblivion.

  The night was dark and the crowd that had gathered around the fire had grown quickly, and by this time they were quite loud. Even with the deafening noise as a distraction Gabe still could not shake this awkward feeling, a feeling that something was happening. He looked around the fire but saw nothing. Glancing over his shoulder and peering through the gaps between bodies, Gabe caught sight of three hooded figures walking under the moonlight, their faces concealed in the darkness. They scurried across the courtyard quickly and seemed to move with great purpose.

  Grabbing Sophie’s hand he whispered, “I’ll be right back.” He then released her and grabbed her denim-clad leg for good measure. She nodded and watched as Gabe stood and weaved his way through the audience, a few bystanders patting him on the back as he passed. She lost sight of him for a moment and leaned to her right to catch a better glimpse. She stared as he walked toward the courtyard, where the three hooded men lingered. She wondered who they were and then returned her attention to the festivities.

  Gabe darted across the grassy area, quickening his pace in an effort not to lose sight of the figures. He watched as the three dodged around a stone wall, the last in the line looking around to see if they were being followed. Amazingly, he didn’t seem to notice Gabe closing in. As they disappeared, Gabe took off into a full run in fear of losing their trail.

  At last Gabe rounded the same corner, but all he saw was the blackness of the night. Collapsing against the stone wall to catch his breath, he was disappointed he had lost the trail. Just as he was about to give up and return to Sophie’s side at the bonfire, a light in the distance caught his eye. There was a trail to the left, which led to a small archway with stairs, inside the opening glowed a soft yellow light.

  Gabe cautiously walked to the archway and slowly down the stairs. The light began to dim and he realized the source was traveling away from him. He continued following the path, running his hand down the cold damp stone wall.

  Traveling clumsily down a couple flights of stairs, he arrived at the landing. At the base he looked down a corridor, at the end of the long hall was an arched opening. The opening glowed with the golden light that had caught his attention and Gabe froze when he heard voices below. A moment later, he tiptoed to the opening, being careful to conceal himself along the darkness at the edges of the tunnel.

  Glancing over the ledge, he saw that a vast room with a dirt floor was below. The three hooded figures were gathered around what looked like a huge open stone oven. Gabe watched as one of them muttered a spell and the stove began to glow with hot embers. Another opened his satchel and on a nearby table laid out two small objects. He then tossed a small velvet bag onto the table, which made a jangling noise like coins jingling.

  The three walked around for a moment, none of them spoke, and each seemed to be sure of what his task was. At last, the third figure walked over to the table, standing near the objects. He opened the velvet pouch and emptied the contents before him. Several coins fell out and rolled to a halt. The other men had stopped what they were doing to watch him. The third figure delicately gathered the coins and dropped them into a nearby small metal pot. Slowly he walked to the stone oven and perched the small pot onto the heated surface.

  As the man walked back to the table he unbuttoned his c
loak and a moment later slid out of it. Gabe stared curiously as the man revealed himself, it was Michael. Questions began rattling around in his mind as he watched intensely. Michael walked around the table and sat in front of the two small objects that had been placed there by another one of the figures.

  The other two men followed Michael’s lead and slid their cloaks off as well. One kept watch on the pot Michael had set into the flames. The other watched quietly and reverently over Michael’s shoulder. Michael lifted the small objects and Gabe squinted to try and see what they were. The torchlight shone on the metal in Michael’s hands and Gabe realized what he was holding: two small daggers.

  “Do you think it will work?” the man over Michael’s shoulder asked.

  “The Oracle was very specific. She said the Daggers of Sacrifice indeed would not be enough. She told us to fight him with the source of his power,” Michael explained.

  “But what if we chose wrong, what if the coins won’t work?” The man was clearly nervous.

  “Simon, Mammon is the Prince of Greed; I can’t imagine a better example of the greed of mankind than Judas’s Denarians,” Michael replied calmly and with great conviction.

  “But how do we know it will work?” the man continued to argue.

  The other man took a pair of tongs and lifted the burning pot from the flames to get a closer look. “They’re almost ready, sir,” he said placing the pot back into the fire.

  The man Michael had referred to as Simon began to pace, ringing his hands behind his back. Realizing Michael was not going to answer him the man continued. “The Denarians are a tragic example, but how can we be sure? If we’re wrong it’s suicide.”

  “Simon,” Michael snapped sternly. “Uri and I traveled a long way and went through a lot of pain to barter for the fruits of Judas’s treachery. Do you think we would have done that if I didn’t think this was going to work?”

  Michael stood and walked over to the man who was almost trembling at this point. “Faith brother, it’s a beautiful thing,” Michael said, softening his tone and giving him a distant embrace. The man nodded and Michael turned toward the fire, holding the Daggers in his hands.

  He approached the pot and using the tongs he dipped one of the daggers into the silvery liquid, lifting it quickly. A moment later he repeated the process. Michael carried the blades to the far side of the room and Gabe lost sight of him. Gabe leaned forward to try and get a better view from his hidden perch. As he rested his arms on the archway opening he accidentally brushed a number of small pebbles from the ledge. Before he realized what was happening, Gabe heard the dusty debris hit the ground below.

  The three men looked up at the window quickly, one shouting out “Who’s there?”

  Gabe ducked back into the tunnel. His heart was beating so heavily it felt like it was going to leap out of his chest. He heard the scuffling below and Gabe assumed at least one or more of the men were coming to investigate. He took a deep breath and pushed off his heels, scurrying up the dark tunnel. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him. When he climbed the stairs and emerged into the darkness he saw the bonfire in the distance.

  He wasn’t sure what he had just witnessed, but Gabe knew one thing without a doubt; Michael clearly didn’t want anyone to see them. He focused all of his energy into running, pushing as hard as he could. He felt a heat buildup inside him and imagined pushing it down and out his toes. He closed his eyes and a second later opened them. When Gabe opened his eyes he gasped in surprise, he had reached the edge of the bonfire, but at full speed. He tumbled into the crowd, everyone letting out sporadic screams and groans. He couldn’t explain how he had made it back so quickly. He wondered if he had unknowingly used some type of magic. The poor souls he had plowed into regained their footing and helped Gabe to his feet, laughing at his apparent clumsiness.

  Gabe stood and turned to see if he was being followed. In the distance he saw a torch round the corner and two figures stop at the edge of the courtyard, looking around frantically. Gabe turned, weaving his way back through the crowd. He sat back down next to Sophie and wrapped his hand tight around hers, still gasping for breath. She could feel his heart beat racing. “Gabe, are you okay?” she asked.

  He looked at her, feigned a smile and nodded. Gabe didn’t know how to describe what he just saw or even if he should. Instead he decided to remain silent.

  Gabe finally sat up, giving in to the reality that he was not going to be able to sleep anymore. A night plagued with images of Anthony turning to ash and Mammon bounding toward him on the beach had left him fearful to close his eyes again. He moved over to one of the high back chairs and staring into the blackness of the fireplace he began to replay what he had witnessed the night before. What was Michael planning? Based on the words and body language of the men with him, Gabe knew whatever it was must clearly be dangerous.

  He wondered if Uri was a part of the plan. Uri had traveled with Michael to get what he had called Denarians. He wanted to ask Uri about it, but feared if he did, Uri might feel compelled to bring his question to Michael's attention. Gabe was not ready for the man to know he had been the one in hiding.

  Gabe knelt to start a fire, once the flames began to climb up the logs he stood and turned to walk back to his seat. There was a small knock at the door. The sun was not even up and Gabe wondered who could possibly be coming to his room at this hour. He walked to the door and cracked it just enough to let the light from the fireplace leak into the hallway. Sophie leaned into the light and looked up at Gabe.

  “Did I wake you?” she asked in a whisper.

  “No,” he replied, pulling the door open the rest of the way and motioning for her to enter. “I had trouble sleeping last night.”

  “Me, too,” Sophie replied.

  Gabe walked over and took a seat in front of the fire. She followed and sat across from him. “Is something wrong?” Gabe asked, looking at Sophie whose face was wrought with worry.

  “I’m not sure ...” she hesitantly replied. “I think something is going on, but I’m not sure what.”

  “What do you mean something is going on?” Gabe asked, curious if she knew more about what he had seen the night before than he did.

  “I don’t know, it’s just since Michael and Uri returned I’ve barely seen Michael,” Sophie explained. “He hasn’t been to any of the meals. At first I thought maybe it was because of Anthony and the beach ...” Sophie stopped herself and then looked horrified in Gabe’s direction.

  “I’m so sorry, Gabe. I didn’t mean to bring up--” she continued.

  “It’s fine,” Gabe assured her.

  “Well,” she continued. “I thought maybe he was mourning Anthony, processing it all, you know? So I went to visit him and he was gathered in his office with several elders. When I knocked, one of them, Simon, answered and said Michael was unavailable and before I could speak another word closed the door in my face.”

  Sophie leaned forward and looked intensely at Gabe. “Before he closed the door I saw in the room, Gabe. There was a table set up with a map. I think it was a battle plan. But why … why not tell us?” Sophie was clearly frustrated. “We could help.”

  “Perhaps Michael thinks it’s a suicide mission. Maybe he plans to go himself,” Gabe suggested, remembering the words from last night.

  “What?” Sophie exclaimed. “Michael wouldn’t do that. Why would you say that? He knows we need him too much.”

  “I want to tell you something, but you have to promise me it stays between us,” Gabe began, reaching out to touch Sophie’s hand.

  Her eyes grew in size and filled with fear. Secrets had never proven to be a good thing in her past. She simply nodded—too scared to utter the word yes. “Do you know what a Denarian is?” Gabe inquired, hoping she would have some sort of explanation for him.

  “What?” she muttered, taken off guard. “Umm, money I guess. It’s what was once used in Rome, a silver coin I believe. What’s with the history lesson, Gabe?”

 
He still had no clearer picture of what he had witnessed the night before. Perhaps in the proper context, Sophie could help them both understand. “Do you remember last night when I left the circle?” he asked. Sophie simply nodded again.

  “Well, I saw something,” he continued.

  “What do you mean you saw something?” she asked, a bit apprehensive, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

  “I saw these three figures slinking around last night, so I followed them. I don’t know why, so don’t ask,” Gabe added, wishing he knew himself why he felt compelled to follow.

  She pulled her hand back, a little put off by his last statement. “I saw them too,” she added. “I saw you take off after them, but I didn’t give it much thought after that, honestly.”

  Gabe continued with his story of what had unfolded the night before, what he had witnessed, the daggers, the silver coins, and the horror of being discovered and him racing back to the bonfire. Sophie just listened without a word. Finally, when Gabe finished his story, he looked at her, but she still said nothing. Sophie simply furrowed her brow as if in great thought.

  “Well?” Gabe pushed for a response.

  “You said he had the ‘Daggers of Sacrifice’?” Sophie asked, clearly trying to work everything out in her mind.

  “I mean, I guess that’s what they were. I can’t be sure, that’s just what I heard him say. I saw he had two of them,” Gabe replied.

  “You said they mentioned Denarians and Judas’s treachery so what you saw must have been some of the thirty pieces of silver. That must be where Michael and Uri went,” Sophie said, clearly just thinking out loud and not actually talking to Gabe directly.

  “Thirty pieces of silver?” Gabe repeated clueless.

  “You know the story, Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver,” Sophie replied in a dismissive tone.

  “That really happened?” Gabe asked.