The Lost Years (The Guardians Book 4)
Copyright © 2013 by Wendy Owens
Cover design by Claudia of Phatpuppy Creations
Interior book design by Angela McLaurin Fictional Formats
Editing services provided by Chelsea Kuhel of MadisonSeidler.com
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted, in any form without the prior written permission of the author of this book.
This book is a pure work of fiction. The names, characters, or any other content within is a product of the author’s imagination. The author acknowledges the use of actual bands and restaurants within this work of fiction. The owners of these various products in this novel have been used without permission and should not be viewed as any sort of sponsorship on their part.
This book is dedicated in loving memory to my brother-in-law, Mark Gambrel. You were an amazing talent and a light to all of our lives. I miss you daily and love you very much.
The night air was cool, so crisp that one’s breath lingered upon it. Uri stared at Sophie, unable to take his eyes from her. His chest ached as a popping noise sounded in his ears. With a sudden gasp for air, he realized he’d been holding his breath.
“Are you all right?” Sophie asked, quite concerned about her handsome evening companion.
Uri coughed heartily, clearing his throat thoroughly before answering, “Yes, I mean, I suppose so. Are you all right though?”
“Of course, I’m better than ever. What kind of question is that?” she inquired with a flirtatious smile.
Uri looked Sophie up and down again, taking note of the numerous layers she was draped in. He wondered where she had found such an elegant gown; the sheer white fabric seemed to almost be dancing behind her in the moonlight. As long as Uri had known Sophie, he had never seen her look the way she did this evening, and it had him quite puzzled. “Something just seems off about you, I guess.”
“What do you mean?”
He decided hiding his thoughts wouldn’t do anyone any good and blurted out exactly what he was thinking. “I’ve known you for a long time, and in all those years I have never seen you in a gown except for the year you arrived at the newcomers ball. Even then, you just bitched and moaned the entire evening about how uncomfortable you were. Now, here you are, acting like this is natural for you.”
“That’s funny, I don’t remember that,” Sophie replied with a playful giggle.
“You don’t remember anything, that’s the problem. Like that stupid laugh, Sophie wanted to punch girls who would laugh like that,” Uri complained.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see it that way. Honestly, I don’t think I have a problem at all. I don’t remember this Sophie everyone keeps telling me I am. From the sounds of it, I am glad I don’t remember, she sounds horrid. If I don’t remember her, why should I try and act like her?”
“Umm, I don’t know, because she’s you?” Uri rattled off sarcastically. “And you weren’t horrid, you were funny. Like one of the boys, you know?”
“No, I don’t know,” Sophie answered flatly before spinning away, consumed with frustration.
“Look, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to upset you, but the fact is that you’re not acting like yourself. I know this is hard on you too, I can’t imagine if I didn’t remember who I was, but I— well— I miss my friend.”
Sophie slowly turned to face Uri, gazing into his eyes. Uri narrowed his brow, confused by the longing in her stare.
“Are you feeling sick?” he asked, assuming the answer must be nausea.
Sophie giggled softly, taking a step closer, tracing the line of his shoulder with her fingertip. “No, silly.” Her girlish behavior set him on edge.
“You’re really starting to freak me out. That Sophie was crazy, but not this kind of crazy.”
“That’s just it, that’s what I have been trying to tell you. I’m not that Sophie, at least, not anymore. I’m a new woman, a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to take it.”
“You’re really scaring me, now quit it,” Uri insisted.
Sophie reached out, caressing her open hand over his arm, but he instinctively pulled away. She stepped forward, reaching for him again, yet he only backed away even more. Sophie’s face contorted, she was furious. He watched as, without warning, her anger shifted to a devastated hurt. Ashamed of being vulnerable, Sophie turned and walked to the edge of the cliff side. Burying her face in her hands, she began to sob.
Uri stood blank-faced for a moment, unsure how to react. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Sophie cry; the sight of it was unsettling for him. Realizing this was actually happening and not a hallucination as he had first theorized, he rushed over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. His only desire in that moment was for the flood of emotions to stop. Pleading, he said, “Please, I didn’t mean to upset you. You’re just confused right now, it wouldn’t be right—”
His words were cut off by Sophie’s sudden movements. Turning around, she threw her arms up, wrapping them tightly around his neck. Uri didn’t have a moment to think about what was happening before Sophie’s lips were pressed firmly against his. At first he tried to pull away, pushing against her, but after a few short seconds, he found himself surrendering to the pleasure of the moment. No matter how wrong it was, and even though he had no romantic feelings towards Sophie, it didn’t take away from the fact that her lips felt good and that she was a beautiful woman.
It was only a single moment that he released himself into the passion. Just a second he allowed himself to taste her, to enjoy the tender side of Sophie, one that he had never known before.
“Sophie?” They heard someone mutter behind them in the shadows.
Uri pulled himself away from her grasp, turning to face the familiar voice. There, standing just below the stone steps, was his dear friend, Gabe, with a look of hurt and disgust on his face. Uri’s heart began to race; he looked back to Sophie who simply stared at Gabe with a blank and emotionless glare. He didn’t know if he should condemn Sophie for her lack of compassion in that moment, or go and beg his friend for forgiveness. How could I have been so stupid, so careless?
Looking back to Gabe, he struggled to find the words that expressed the depths of his sorrow. At last he exclaimed the cliché line, “It’s not what it looks like!”
Gabe did not wait to hear the excuses, he didn’t want to argue, he didn’t want all the reasons why what he saw was all right, he simply wanted to be anywhere but there. Immediately, he twisted and called out over his shoulder, “Save it.”
In a flash, Gabe was at the top of the stairs, fleeing the scene at full speed. Uri gave chase, ignoring Sophie calling after him. By the time Uri made it to the upper level, Gabe was barely visible. “Gabe! Please, wait, you have to let me explain.”
Gabe did not look back, instead he continued to put as much distance as possible between him and his once friend. Uri huffed as Gabe darted out of his line of sight. He quickened his pace in an attempt to catch up, but by the time he reached The Cleric’s Garden, there was no sign of which way Gabe had went.
Even though he was more frustrated with himself that he had let things get so out of control, Uri mumbled, “Stupid girl.”
When he had met with her that evening, he actually thought he could reason with her. Perhaps, somehow, he could even bring her back in to her right mind. The person she once was when she was his best friend, the person that was still in love with Gabe. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. Gabe was always sad, Sophie made no sense to him anymore, and Uri just wanted to make things right, which was all he had intended by talking to Sophie. He decided he would find Gabe and make him understand that it was a misunderstanding, that what happened was a mistake that would not happen again.
“Uri!” Raimie shouted, running up and slapping him on the back. Panting heavily, he bent over and heaved deeply.
“Raimie, are you okay?”
Raimie took another moment to catch his breath, at last standing upright and grabbing a tight hold of Uri’s arm. “It’s Michael, he needs to see you right away.”