The Garden Gate

by Christa J. Kinde

  “Fine,” she sighed. This was something she could do, and she didn’t really have to do anything. Only be there. “But it makes me feel like a baby.”

  Tamaes gathered her close, cradling her against his chest as he’d done on that fevered night when she’d first spoken Adin’s name in front of everyone. “I remember when you were one,” he countered. “With your fuzz of blonde hair and quavering cries. You could have fit into the palm of my hand.”

  “More like he was wrapped around your baby finger,” Abner interjected.

  Tamaes held his big, calloused hand up, and Prissie pressed her own to his, then giggled when Omri fluttered in and pushed his tiny hand against Tamaes’s as well. The yahavim smiled at her, whirled through several somersaults, then got back to the business of feeding. And squeaking.

  “You’re being scolded,” Prissie said with a smile.

  “Perhaps I deserve the reprimand.”

  “Tamaes, this next bit may feel strange,” Abner warned. “Bear with it.”

  “I wi – ” The Guardian’s breath caught, and his eyes watered.

  Padgett gently chided, “Let him brace himself before the next one, sir.”

  Prissie winced on Tamaes’s behalf. “The next one? How many ones are there?”

  Abner briskly replied, “More than I’d like. Less than there might have been. Does it matter, girl? Distract him!”

  “Please,” his apprentice added in softer tones.

  She glanced at Koji, who’d been standing silently by. The Observer tipped his head to one side, a funny little smile on his face. “Marcus would not scold you if you held onto Tamaes.”

  “Marcus?” her Guardian asked, his brows furrowing. “What did you do to deserve a reprimand?”

  Prissie blushed. “Koji needs to leave soon. Marcus was mad at me for trying to hold Koji back from his Sending. For tempting him to Fall.” She hid her face against Tamaes’s soft, new tunic. “I was wrong to ask him to stay.”

  “Ask me.” Tamaes gently touched the top of her head and said, “Then you will be asking for a good thing. Something right.”

  Koji climbed onto the bench beside his teammate. “Yes. And you can hold as tightly as you wish. Tamaes is very . . . sturdy.”

  She leaned into his strength, listening to see if she could hear a heartbeat. It was there, but not quite the same. Even an angel’s blood sang as it coursed through his body. “What good would it do to ask for something I already have?” she murmured, thinking aloud.

  Edging closer, Koji said, “I could not accept, but I was glad to hear the words. He cannot refuse, but I believe he also wishes to hear the words.”

  “Now the next, Tamaes,” Abner interrupted.

  Prissie could feel the Guardian tremble, and hear the way his heartbeat changed. “Are they hurting you?”

  “They are helping me,” Tamaes replied. “If I did not endure this, I would not have the means to protect you.”

  Just then, Kester plucked an experimental note. The Worshiper held a slender instrument Prissie didn’t recognize. Drawing a bow across its two strings, he began a slow, melancholy tune. Tamaes heaved a shuddering breath, then tried to look over his shoulder. “Thank you, Abner. That feels better already.”

  “And well it should,” Abner replied in pleased tones. Silken light seemed to flow from the Caretaker’s hands, layer upon luminous layer. “Try pulling this side forward.”

  Padgett had to help Tamaes bring around the edge of his wing. The Guardian nabbed Koji by his ear, gently tugging him into the crook of his other arm. “For now, you two should stay together,” he said, sheltering them as best he could.

  Koji’s expectant gaze reminded her that she had yet to follow through. Looking up into Tamaes’s face, she met a gaze of startling intensity. Whatever she said next . . . it mattered to him. And once again, she was grateful that he needed something she was able to give. Words could be a gift. Better than any present. “You’ve been with me since I was born?”

  “From the very beginning.”

  “And will you stay with me?”

  “Always,” Tamaes promised.

  “No matter what?”

  He began to smile. “This is where I belong.”

  “You, me, Taweel, and Omri,” she listed. “Other things might change, but you’ll be here.”

  “Yes. This is a promise I can make.”

  Koji was right. Her guardian angel liked hearing these things. His voice deepened. His smile broadened. His eyes sparkled. Prissie impulsively asked, “Tamaes?”

  “Yes?”

  The words bubbled up, heartfelt if a little strange. “You make my joy full!”

  From the expression of wonder on his face, she’d somehow managed to say exactly the right thing.

  17

  THE GOOD FIGHT

  Eventually, it was just the three of them. Tamaes hardly remembered a time when it wasn’t the three of them. “You, me, and Omri,” he murmured hazily.

  Taweel grimly replied, “If you are awake enough to talk, you are awake enough to eat.”

  Small feet pattered across the top of the injured Guardian’s head, then bounced off his nose. Tamaes cracked one eye in time to see Omri’s twirl, and a moment later, the yahavim thrust manna past his lips. “Enough,” he sighed. “I am no longer hungry.”

  “You are far too dim,” grumbled his mentor.

  A small arm pushed past Tamaes’s lips once more, and he managed a weary smile for his provider. “Fear not. There is no danger of my fading away while Omri is near.”

  “And there is this,” Taweel said. The big warrior took his apprentice’s hand and carefully pressed something against his palm.

  Long fingers curled around the sword hilt. “This feels like . . . this is mine!”

  “I have been holding it for you.”

  With some effort, Tamaes brought the weapon around so he could trace the name that God had placed under his hand — ​Priscilla Mae Pomeroy. With a small shake of his head, he relaxed into the shelter of his mentor’s wings and revised his definition of home. “You, me, Omri . . . and Prissie.”

  Both Beau’s and Prissie’s grades were at Sunderland State Park for the field trip Abner had mentioned back in December. The students wouldn’t be underground this time. Today, they’d be traveling the network of intersecting hiking trails, which Prissie knew backward and forward by now. Tromping through these woods wasn’t anything new for her, but she was looking forward to showing Koji all the pretty spots she and her brothers had discovered over the years.

  She followed Marcus off the bus, just in time to overhear one of their classmates compliment Ransom. “Yesterday’s presentation was too funny! Great show, man. Nailed it.”

  Ransom grinned and offered a short, “Thanks!” But as soon as the other guy walked on, his smile faltered. He offered his study buddies an apologetic grimace. “Woulda rather he said ‘good news’ than ‘great show.’ I’m guessing he missed the point.”

  “Lots do,” Marcus said, giving his best friend’s shoulder a thump. “He’s right, though. You nailed it. Both of you.”

  Ransom peered at the milling students. “Yeah, but will it make a difference?”

  “Always,” Koji replied confidently. “Even if you do not see it for yourself.”

  “Uncle Lo said the same thing, but it’s small comfort,” Prissie sighed, her gaze seeking out Margery.

  Hooking his thumbs through his belt loops, Ransom followed her line of sight. “What were you hoping would happen?”

  “I thought maybe it would fix things,” Prissie admitted quietly.

  “Maybe it did.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Obviously not.”

  Ransom’s grin was back, smaller but more genuine than his last. “Hey. You had your ulterior motives, and I had mine.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked suspiciously.

  He glanced around, as if making sure no one was eavesdropping. Then he leaned down, waving her closer. All four of them huddle
d together as Ransom admitted, “I wasn’t really worried about getting any of them to listen to me. But you’re finally listening to me.”

  Koji tipped his head to one side. “Your goal was to fix Prissie?”

  Marcus shook his head. “That’s some serious lengths. And all for dialogue?”

  “What’s wrong with talking?” countered Ransom. “I like to talk.”

  Prissie wasn’t quite ready for the conversation to move on. Raising a hand, she demanded, “Hold it. You volunteered me for your group . . .”

  “Koji’s group,” Ransom corrected.

  “ . . . so I’d talk to you?”

  “Mostly. Yeah.”

  “Why?” Prissie asked, truly perplexed and vaguely annoyed.

  The teachers started herding stragglers, and they quickly followed the sidewalk toward the ranger’s station. Ransom walked backward as he answered, “Because you’re hilarious!”

  “In what way?”

  Marcus’s and Koji’s gaze swung to the teen to see how he’d respond to Prissie’s shifting mood, but Ransom totally ignored her warning tones. “Haven’t you ever wanted to poke at a wild animal with a stick, just to make it growl?”

  Prissie’s eyes narrowed. “Are you comparing me to a badger?”

  He snapped his fingers and pointed at her, the picture of innocent delight. “So you do understand!”

  One of the teachers hushed him.

  Abner stood on a bench in front of the learning center, voice upraised as he explained, “Each team will receive a map, a compass, and a set of unique instructions. While you’ll each cover roughly the same distance, the routes vary. This isn’t a race. Speed isn’t important, but accuracy is.” He gave a quick run-down of compass basics, then continued, “This course involves a combination of orienteering and code-breaking. You’ll need information from your first checkpoint to proceed to the second, and so on. We’ll know if you skipped a step, so step it up. Fight the good fight! Keep the faith! Finish the course!”

  Ransom chuckled and elbowed Marcus, then waved to catch Prissie’s attention. He held up two fingers and mouthed, “Timothy!”

  She rolled her eyes. But he was right. Again.

  Abner cleared his throat. “While I’m pleased that my allusion was not entirely lost on the group, let’s proceed. You’ll go in teams of two, so pair off. Ideally, those who are directionally challenged should seek out someone with better bearings. Either that, or choose someone you wouldn’t mind being lost with. Should you stray too far and lose your way, rest assured, we can find you.”

  Splitting up into teams didn’t take long. Koji stepped closer, silently declaring his intention to stay with her. Ransom put Marcus into a headlock. Some giddy exclamations drew Prissie’s attention to the far side of the group, where it looked as if Elise had laid claim to Beau.

  Abner spoke up over the hubbub. “If you’re ready, Ranger Prentice has your instructions. He’ll make sure you’re equipped.”

  Padgett lifted his hand, “Right here.”

  While they waited their turn, Prissie craned her neck to see what Elise was doing to her younger brother. Beau carefully slid his arm out of her grasp, but he didn’t turn his back on the girl. A small crease between his eyebrows hinted that he was thrown off by his unexpected partner. Prissie saw him offer Elise the compass, but she waved it off.

  “Worried?” asked Ransom.

  She shrugged unhappily. “I don’t trust her.”

  “Beau’s a big boy. And from what I hear, a Pomeroy is a sweet commodity when it comes to this place. The way Neil was talking the other day, you guys were practically born in the campground!”

  “Camping, fishing, hiking,” she replied with a nod. “We spend plenty of summer days here.”

  Just as they reached the front of the line, Ransom added, “Plus, you’re in with the rangers.”

  Padgett’s dark eyes held a smile. “Sirs. Miss,” he greeted, offering their gear.

  “Is this a good day?” Prissie asked in a low voice.

  The Caretaker lightly touched her shoulder. “We had rain yesterday, so some of the smaller trails will be muddy. Mind the puddles.”

  Koji’s fingertips brushed hers. “Fear not.”

  Their answers told Prissie everything she needed to know. Puddles were the least of their worries.

  Beau stifled a sigh and slowed his steps again. “Okay back there?”

  “Eeew! Mu-ud!” whinged Elise in disgust.

  “They did tell us to wear sturdy shoes today.”

  She glared at him. “This is as sturdy as my wardrobe gets.”

  He immediately felt bad. It wasn’t her fault if she didn’t own boots. “Once we pass the next checkpoint, we’ll be on one of the mulched trails.”

  “Wonderful,” she drawled. “Splinters and slime.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Beau caught a flicker of movement, but when he turned, nothing was there. Dismissing it, he returned his attention to the info sheet and studied the course laid out by the rangers. Most of it was an easy walk, but they’d have to go up and over the ridge. He hoped Prissie’s trail didn’t require the same climb. “She’d hate that,” he muttered.

  Elise brushed past him, taking the lead. “So . . . your brother’s Neil, am I right?”

  “Yep.”

  “What does he do in the summers? Part-time job? Hang out with friends?”

  Beau sighed.

  “I heard the other girls talking about football camp,” she persisted. “Since Neil’s quarterback, he’ll have to attend. Is that in June . . . ? Or July?”

  “If you want to know Neil’s plans, talk to him.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at him. A hard, speculative look. “Did she tell you to say that?”

  Beau blinked. “She?”

  “Your stuck-up sister.” With a frustrated huff, she complained, “You people are so close-knit, you may as well be inbred.”

  “Sure, we’re close. We’re family,” he replied, fighting to keep an even tone. “But I don’t get it. If you have a problem with us, why are you after Neil?”

  Elise’s smirk was pure patronization. “I’m sure your daddy and mommy will tell you about it when you’re older.”

  Something moved through the trees off to their right, and Beau slowed to a standstill, looking hard. “That’s weird,” he said. “There’s no trail through that part.”

  “So?”

  “I saw something.” Pointing, he said, “Just there.”

  She gave him a cynical smile. “If that was an attempt to scare me, I have one word for you. Lame. I’m gone. Have fun playing boy scout.”

  Beau checked his compass. “Wait a sec. We need to take this fork. You’re going the wrong way.”

  “Are you going to let that little spinny arrow thing rule your life?” she called.

  “That’s our assignment,” he pointed out.

  “Well, you can keep the assignment and the antiquated crap.” Elise waved her phone at him. “I have GPS.”

  He let her go. What else could he do? “Not like I’m gonna follow her lead. But Lord help her. I don’t think she’ll get much of a signal unless she gets to the other side of that ridge.”

  That’s when he heard them coming. Deep voices with an odd rasping quality.

  At first, Beau assumed some men were hiking on the trails. It’s not as if the school had reserved the whole park. The place was always busy. But . . . he suddenly felt that he didn’t want to meet whoever was coming. Not alone. As quickly as possible, Beau stepped off the trail, picking his way over to one of the bigger trees. He peered around its edge, gaze fixed on the trail he’d just vacated, but no one seemed to be coming.

  Then he spotted something strange. Although it was too blurred to make out any details, he could see a smudge moving furtively through the trees. It looked sort of like smoke, but it smelled far worse. Beau pinched his nose, wondering what had died. His heart skipped a beat when he heard them again, much more clearly. Hissing laughter
mingled with gibberish, but sometimes he caught a phrase he could understand.

  “Which one’s the whelp of a Protector?”

  Beau’s eyes widened. Wasn’t that one of the types of angels Prissie had mentioned?

  “ . . . it’s the girl he wants!”

  “Or the brother,” came a grinding voice. “Wait here. I’ll scout ahead.”

  “And claim the quarry for yourself?” snapped the first voice.

  Pressing his back against the rough bark of his hiding place, Beau did his best to keep it between him and the shadows. As the first voices faded away, he peered cautiously after them. The Fallen. That’s what Sis had called them. And “the girl” was probably her. With a silent prayer for help, Beau bent double and ran, aiming for the trail Prissie and Koji had taken.

  Two dark smudges fell back and followed.

  Prissie found a flat rock, took aim, and skipped it across the wide, pebbled stream. “If it’s warm enough, and if we have enough time, we could come back. Catch minnows and crayfish in the shallows. There’s also a pond with tadpoles. And the fireflies will be everywhere by . . . midsummer.”

  Koji nodded. “I will be gone before firefly season.”

  “Too bad,” she sighed. “They’re my favorite.”

  Conferring with their instructions, Koji said, “We still need to locate four more checkpoints.”

  “We will,” she replied. “We’re just going to take the scenic route.”

  Koji reached out and caught her arm. “W-wait,” he stammered, pulling her into some bushes and crouching down. She huddled beside him and would have asked him what was going on, but the Observer held a finger to his lips and shook his head.

  A whole minute passed in silence.

  And then there came a sudden rattle and racket from up behind them. Marcus slid down the ridge, sneakers skidding on moss and mud. “Run!” he hollered. Waving furiously to their right, he added, “Move!”

  Snatching her hand, Koji took off. Prissie stumbled, but found her stride, and Marcus quickly caught up. “What a mess,” he said harshly. “I need a more defensible place.”