by Owens, Wendy
“That doesn’t make sense. They would have come into contact with the stones prior to Sophie.” Gabe argued.
“From this I don’t think it’s the length of time since exposure, but I do wonder if it is the amount of exposure. Sophie was working with the stone directly for extended periods of time.”
Gabe felt a pang of anger in his stomach. An anger that scared him. It was an anger he worried he would have trouble controlling. “So what you’re telling me is that this is your fault. Had you not tried to keep Sophie and I apart none of this would have happened. Now that you did though, what you are telling me is that we can’t get her back.”
“We’ll get her back Gabe!” Michael exclaimed.
“How Michael? How are we going to get her back?” Gabe insisted.
“I don’t know yet. The elders and I are working on some ideas. Honestly, we don’t even know if that’s why she’s still infected. Maybe she had lost her will to fight it sooner.”
“What do you mean?” Gabe cried.
“Well, when someone is already in a troubled state they may be more willing to give in. Was something bothering her?” Michael asked.
“I don’t remember anything out of the ordinary before she came in contact with the runes.” Gabe replied. “But…”
“What is it, Gabe? Anything might help.” Michael urged.
“Several times I was having dreams or hallucinations where Sophie was asking why I betrayed her and why I didn’t love her enough. It was like she thought I had abandoned her. But those were just dreams.” Gabe insisted.
“Gabe, she was cursed by a sleeper demon, that could have been her way of communicating with you. I don’t know what she was trying to tell you, but clearly at some point she lost the will to fight this thing.” Michael stated.
Gabe felt a crushing weight like perhaps he had been responsible for her loss of will. Perhaps she quit fighting the evil inside her because she thought Gabe had abandoned her. Panicked, Gabe tried to think of a solution.
“Wipe her!” The words slipped out of Gabe’s mouth before he even thought about it.
“No!” Michael exclaimed.
“It’s the only way, it worked with Artis.” Gabe argued.
“I won’t do it, Gabe. I have seen it go terribly wrong and I won’t put Sophie through that.”
“Well then you better figure something out and fast. If you don’t fix this, I will take her to Patina myself and have her do it.” Gabe’s voice had risen to borderline shouting.
“We’ll figure this out, we just need time.” Michael pleaded, wishing he could bring calmness to his student.
“What does Uri think of all this?” Gabe asked, looking around the room for any sign of his friend.
“Uri isn’t here.” As soon as Gabe heard Michael’s words he remembered back to that night at the Duke’s castle. He recalled the two men in the corridor discussing how they had captured someone.
“Where is he?” Gabe asked apprehensively.
“Has anyone told you yet what happened that night at the castle?” Michael asked. Gabe shook his head, wishing he already knew more about what had transpired.
“When we transported in the room it was just Uri and myself. Two of the other stones had… well I’m not sure what happened to them.” Michael began.
“They had gotten lost along the way. Yeah, I saw one of the summoning stones in the hall where I ended up.” Gabe explained.
“Well Artis began to panic and with Peter nowhere to be found, I told Uri he had to transport her back to Patina. Uri was only there a split second before he grabbed her and then they were gone. At the time, I didn’t even know what had happened to you or Peter.” Michael shook his head as he remembered the horrible feeling.
“They captured Peter.” Gabe added confidently.
“Yes, how did you know that?” Michael asked.
“There were two men out in the halls near me. They mentioned they had put someone in the dungeons but I had no idea who it was.” Gabe replied.
“When Uri transported out it was just the Duke and I. We fought for quite some time and I have to admit, I underestimated his power. Finally the explosive blast spell brought him down. He was dead, but I was too weak to do anything else. That’s when you came in.” Michael smiled in a thankful way at his young student.
“Yeah, with Baal hot on my heels. Thank God you transported when you did.”
“Gabe, I didn’t transport us.” Michael added.
Gabe furrowed his brow, revealing he was very confused. “Then who did?”
“You really don’t know what happened?” Michael asked.
Gabe simply shook his head in response. “My son, you’re already so much more powerful than I ever realized. You transported both of us back here without so much as a word. You were able to cast a long distance, two person transport solely in your mind.”
“No,” Gabe insisted. “I don’t know how to do that. I saw Baal taking form, I remember. I closed my eyes. All I could think of was Sophie’s face. And then I woke up here.”
“It doesn’t matter if you realize it or not, you brought us home safe and sound. It was hard on you but you managed to pull it off. Who knows, maybe it was adrenaline, or the thought of getting home to friends, but you managed to do it and for that I am grateful. That distance has never been done at your age.” Even though Gabe’s thoughts were consumed by worry for Sophie, he couldn’t help but blush at Michael’s gushing.
“Wait, what about Peter?” Gabe asked, remembering the poor scared boy from Iron Gate.
“Uri was able to get back to Iron Gate and tell Patina everything that had happened. A couple of her men were able to slip in during the chaos after Duke Mortiguard was killed. Peter is now home safe and sound, but I doubt he will want to visit us here at Rampart any time soon.” Michael slightly chucked as he thought of the boy.
“And Uri?” Gabe asked, worried about his friend.
“He is on his way back with the Alicorn.” Michael added. Gabe smiled at the thought of his dear friend’s return.
“So I guess everything turned out alright.” Gabe said in a snide tone. “Well, everything except Sophie.” Gabe stood to his feet and hobbled towards the door. “I mean what I said, Michael. If you can’t fix this, I will.” Gabe replied, reminding Michael of the threat to take Sophie to Patina to be wiped.
When Gabe left Michael’s office he found Haim waiting outside. He rushed to his friend’s side and offered the support Gabe needed to move.
“Hey buddy,” Haim exclaimed. “I thought you might need some help when you were done so I waited around.”
“Yeah, thank you, Haim.” Gabe replied, feigning a smiling. “That was very thoughtful.”
“No problem, it’s the least I can do.” Haim chirped. “So where to? Hungry?”
“I want to see Sophie.” Gabe replied.
Haim gasped; clearly he had not expected Gabe to make the request so soon.
“I don’t think you want to do that, Gabe.” Haim said trying to persuade his friend to reconsider.
“Haim, I need to see her. That’s all there is to it. You can either help me or I can find her on my own.”
Though Haim still thought it was not the best idea for his friend to see his beloved in her current state, he could not deny him his request. Silent, the two headed in the direction of Sophie’s cell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Each step Gabe took, though he knew he was getting closer to seeing his darling Sophie, seemed heavier than the last. Everything he had done up until this point was to help free Sophie from her bondage of this wretched curse. He needed to see her blue eyes, to be close to her, to smell her subtle floral scent, and feel her alabaster skin against his.
What Gabe feared the most, though, and what made him so heavy footed, was that he did not know if his sweet Sophie is who or what would be waiting for him. Michael had described to him before they ever left for Iron Gate what would await a cursed soul if the curse could not be
removed. The possible progression horrified Gabe beyond words. Catching a glimpse of Artis’ transform back in that court yard foretold of the vision that might await him.
Just before they rounded the corner, Haim placed a hand on Gabe’s chest, steadying him as they stopped. “Wait.” Haim instructed.
“What is it?” Gabe asked, seeing the anguish on Haim’s face. “I’m not going to change my mind if that is what you’re going to say.”
“Nothing… well… it’s just…” Haim stumbled over his tongue as he tried to find the right words.
Shifting his weight to lessen the pain, Gabe lifted a hand up to grip Haim’s shoulder and said softly, “Haim, it’s alright, you can tell me anything. Just take a deep breath and spit it out.”
“Gabe, it’s just.” Haim looked away, unable to say the words while looking his friend in the eyes. “About Sophie, I don’t want you to be shocked or anything. She is different. I know Michael will find a way to fix her. I just want you to know what to expect.”
“Haim, you’re kind of freaking me out here. How bad can she be?”
“She’s pretty bad. Try not to listen to anything she says. It’s not her, alright?”
“Let me see her already, this is ridiculous.” Gabe was consumed with worry by this point and discussing it with Haim was just making matters worse.
“Michael will fix her, I just know he will!” Haim confirmed, trying to reassure his friend.
“Just get out of my way then.” Gabe bellowed, annoyed and pushing past Haim. Bracing himself on the wall in front of the door, Gabe took a deep breath and then reached out, slowly turning the door knob.
As the door creaked open, a small hint of candle light peaked out.
“Why is it so dark in there?” Gabe asked, glaring back at Haim.
“The overhead light seemed to agitate her; she seems to like the candle light. The barrier shield can only be removed by Michael, but if you want, you should be able to cross in.” Haim explained.
“Wait, what are you talking about? What barrier shield?” Gabe demanded.
“Michael thought it would be best if Sophie couldn’t leave the room in her condition.” Haim said, attempting to delicately shed light on the reasoning behind the imprisonment.
“And a guard isn’t sufficient?” Gabe asked defensively.
“I just think Michael wanted to make sure she was safe.” Haim replied.
Gabe hung his head; he had no words left to say. Part of him just wanted to close the door and walk away. To close the door on the entire situation Sophie was trapped in. Somehow, if he could close that door, perhaps everything would return to the way it was. Go back to the way things were over the summer when Sophie and he were happy and together. Back to when Sophie was the light that made all of this worth it.
Gabe took another deep breath. He knew there was no going back, this was their reality now. He needed to go in and confront his fears. Confront the situation they found themselves in. He had to be strong for Sophie’s sake.
As Gabe stepped inside he heard Haim interject, “Stay close to the walls,” just before the door closed.
Gabe squinted, trying to readjust to the darkness. To the side, he saw a small table with a candle perched on it. Under his feet he heard cracking. Looking down he could see the floor was covered in straw. Gabe’s stomach twisted. He couldn’t stand the thought of Sophie being kept like this.
In the far corner of the room, Gabe saw a figure curled up in the corner. A pale blanket wrapped around them. In the dark, Gabe could not even make out the color of the person’s hair.
“Sophie?” Gabe spoke softly.
The figure trembled but barely stirred at his voice.
“It’s me, Gabe.”
Gabe watched, holding his breath as the figure slowly turned. The body moved in an almost unnatural way as it shifted and crawled slowly on all fours across the floor. When the candle light at last fell on the figure, Gabe could make out the auburn hair of his beloved Sophie. Her hair was matted, greasy, and hung in her face.
Gabe saw her shoulders were hollow looking and her skin was almost glowing white. Gabe caught sight of Sophie’s fingers, her knuckles were bloody and her nails cracked and peeling. Instinctively, Gabe fell to his knees and crawled to Sophie. Without even giving it a thought, he grabbed her hands and pulled them closer to the light.
“Oh Sophie, what happened to your hands?” Gabe cried.
Sophie jerked her hands from Gabe’s grasp. Arching her back she sharply hissed as she flipped her hair back and glared at him. Gasping, Gabe fell back onto his butt, crawling towards to the door backwards on his hands. His beloved Sophie’s blue eyes were gone; instead a deep full blackness stared back at him. Her lips were dry, cracked, and appeared almost blue in color. At least at the places that weren’t covered with spots of dried blood. Unlike the skin on the rest of her body, her face her face was the color of ash. It was marbleized by black veins that crawled up her neck and splintered around her eyes, making them appear even more haunting.
“Oh God, Sophie!” Gabe shrieked.
“Hst!” Sophie spat and bared her jagged, sharp teeth at Gabe, the spaces filled with a rotting blackness. She hovered close to the ground like an animal.
“Sophie, please! It’s me, Gabe. Don’t you recognize me?” Gabe begged as he searched for any part of Sophie.
Blankly, the creature stared back at Gabe. There was nothing left of her true eyes, nothing of what they had been, nothing of his former love.
“I’m so sorry.” Gabe whispered as he hung his head in his hands. He felt the overwhelming weight of failure. Everything he had done to try and help Sophie was a waste, leaving Gabe drowning in helplessness and hating himself for his inadequacies.
As Gabe sat there, he heard several curious popping noises in front of him. Glancing up, his eyes now fully adjusted to the dim lighting, Gabe could not believe what he was seeing. Sophie’s contorted and misshapen body was bending and shifting in ways he never imagined a human body could. Gabe had no idea what was happening. He wanted to run for help but he couldn’t stop staring at the breathtaking display of horror.
At last, it appeared that her body was actually beginning to resemble that of his Sophie once again. The former shell of Sophie was now in a kneeling position, head hanging down where her hair hid all view of her face. Slowly she rose into a standing position, her head still hanging. She somewhat appeared human again with her corrected posture. Gabe’s stomach twisted as he watched her, waiting for her to move or do something. Surrounded by the eerie silence, he was scared to even breathe.
“How could you?” Gabe gasped as he heard Sophie’s soft voice from behind the thick covering of hair.
“Sophie, is that you?” Gabe cried, so thrilled to hear her voice again that he didn’t seem to notice what she was saying.
“You said you loved me.” Sophie continued, still not lifting her head and standing perfectly still. The candlelight flickered, causing Sophie’s presence to appear even more unsettling.
“Oh Sophie, I do love you, and Michael is going to help you. I know he can.” Gabe wanted to run over and hold her, hold onto the small piece of her that was left, but something held him back.
“How could you leave me here, alone?”
“I didn’t want to. I had to, don’t you see? I went away to try and help you.” Gabe explained, taking two steps closer to his beloved.
“You let them do this to me.” Sophie said flatly.
“I’m sorry, I had no idea.” Gabe pleaded. “But we’re going to get you out of here right now, alright?” Gabe cautiously moved forward and reached out his hands to Sophie. She did nothing in response. Just continued standing there, head bowed.
Gabe was sure now that she was back. Sophie must be fighting the insurmountable evil that lurked within her. He moved forward again and wrapped his arm around her shrunken waist. She did not respond to his touch.
“Come on, Sophie,” he added, turning to face her and placing hi
s free hand on her other hip. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Without warning, Sophie’s head jerked back wildly. Her arms shot up and wrapped themselves tightly around Gabe’s torso, locking his arms at his side. Gabe managed to look up at her face just as she hissed, “Die Guardian scum,” and sunk her jagged teeth into his shoulder.
“Ahhggghhhh!” Gabe cried out.”
In an instant, Haim was in the room pulling Gabe free of Sophie’s grasp, a chunk of his flesh tearing away in her mouth as he did so. As Gabe was pulled out of the room, darkness creeping in from all sides, he managed to look back only to see his dear Sophie spitting his flesh to the ground. Then everything went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Gabe opened his eyes, Michael leaning over his lifeless body. It didn’t take Gabe long to realize he was lying on Michael’s sofa. Gabe thought about how many people he had seen injured, laid out on this exact spot in the short time he had been at the manor. It seemed to be a common theme that people were always getting hurt in one way or another.
Gabe attempted to sit up, but failed to do so. He tried to lift his hand to assist himself but again it would not respond to his brain’s commands. “Michael? What’s going on?” Gabe asked panicked.
“You’re going to be alright.” Michael assured him.
“I don’t feel alright. I can’t move.” Gabe cried.
“It’s just the numbing tea, trust me, better you have it with that nasty gash.” Gabe heard a voice behind the couch.
“Uri?” Gabe called out. “Is that you?”
A moment later, Uri was popping his head over the edge of the couch, a big grin on his face as his hair hung down in his eyes.
“The one and only.” Uri replied.
“I thought you were at Iron Gate.” Gabe tried to make sense of the situation.
“I was and now I am not. Crazy thing how those Alicorns work.” Uri added sarcastically.
“Wait, how long have I been out?” Gabe asked confused.
“I’d say a good six hours.” Michael answered.