The Lost Years (The Guardians Book 4) (10 page)

“What the hell was that all about?” Sophie gasped.

“Nothing.”

“It didn’t look like nothing.”

Dina rushed over to Sophie, taking hold of her arm. “Do you want me to keep your secret?”

“What?”

“Do you want me to keep your secret about your memories coming back?” Dina asked.

“Of course … are you blackmailing me?”

“No. But how would you like to find Gabe?” Dina asked.

“What? I mean, yeah, of course I would. What on earth are you talking about? I’m so confused.”

“I put a tracking charm with Gabe’s stuff. Nobody knows, not even him.”

Sophie felt her heart skip a beat as her hair stood up on end. “Are you serious?”

“You didn’t think I would let him leave without a way to keep track of him, did you?” Dina smiled.

“How do I find him?” Sophie asked.

“I’ll tell you, and I’ll keep your secret about your memories, you just have to do one thing for me,” Dina urged.

Sophie looked at her friend, a cautious stare in her eyes. “What do I have to do?”

“Just cover for me while I’m gone,” Dina said, trying to make the proposition sound as innocent as possible.

“Gone where?”

“I need to go and get Calysta.”

“What? No way! That’s too dangerous. You heard Michael, he wants you to drop it. I’m sure she’s fine.”

Dina knew she couldn’t tell Sophie the whole truth. She couldn’t share the fact that Calysta would probably know of a way to save Raimie. She couldn’t tell her friend about the witch the oracle had mentioned. She quickly thought of another excuse. “They are giving up on Raimie, Sophie. Leaving her there like that, it feels like I would be doing the same thing that they are to him. Do you get that?”

“She’s not your fight, Dina,” Sophie pleaded. “Please, just leave it be.”

“Look, I promise, I will transport to the stairs just outside her lair, give her a transportation stone, and then be back here before you know it. If things are bad, I will get out of there right away, I promise.”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t you want to see Gabe again?” Dina pushed at what she knew would be Sophie’s breaking point.

Sophie hesitated only a moment longer. “And you promise, after you help her, you will come right back?”

“I promise, pinkie promise!” Dina lied, extending a friendly finger.

Sophie latched on, exchanging a promise with her friend, one she didn’t realize Dina had no intention of keeping.

Dina lived up to her side of the deal by sharing how Sophie could use a tracing spell to track the charm and find Gabe’s location.

The small girl ran to Ramie and leaning in close to his ear, whispered, “I’ll fix this baby, hang in there.”

Standing up, she walked back to where Sophie stood. “Will you watch over him while I’m gone?”

“You don’t even have to ask. Please be careful.”

“Always, sweetie,” Dina replied. With that, she was off on her mission, one only truly known to her.

The recent chaos at Iron Gate allowed Dina to slip away unnoticed on top of one of the faithful alicorns. As the duo soared above the clouds, she closed her fingers tightly around the beast’s mane and then closed her eyes. Sitting up straight, she allowed the cool rushing air to sweep over her. She imagined it was water washing away all of the horrors. Her life had completely come unraveled in a single day. The only thing she could think about now was that she needed to fix it.

A few minutes passed before Dina relayed her thoughts to the alicorn telepathically, “This should be far enough.”

The winged horse immediately began its decent, bowing its horned head as if cutting through the clouds. The creature landed as gracefully as it flew, Dina barely noticed the moment when its hooves met earth.

She slipped from the majestic animal’s back. Standing next to her for a moment, she stroked its neck, staring into the oversized, eerie gray blue eye. “Thank you, my friend.”

“Lumineer.” The animal relayed with her thoughts.

“Pardon me?” Dina asked curiously.

“My name, it’s Lumineer.”

“Beautiful. Thank you, Lumineer.”

“Do you need me to wait here for you, m’lady?” the animal inquired.

“No,” Dina quickly answered. She couldn’t reveal too much in her thoughts, she needed to make sure, if questioned, the beast would not be able to relay her plans. “I’m just gathering herbs for some potions, I have no idea how long I’ll be and I hate to keep you.”

“I’m happy to wait.”

“No, really, please, I’ll be fine,” Dina answered before turning and beginning to walk away.

“Very well.” With that last thought, the mighty creature stretched its neck upward and soared into the air.

Glancing over her shoulder, she ensured she had in fact been left completely alone. Dina smiled as she realized that she was the only one around and then continued to walk for a brief time to confirm she was not being followed. She had preferred not to involve the alicorn, but knew she couldn’t waste time; Raimie was growing worse by the moment. Also, she had to be certain that she had put enough safe distance between herself and Iron Gate before transporting. The last thing she wanted to do was endanger anyone else she cared about.

Taking one last look around her, she prepared herself to transport. Ever since Dina had discovered that Raimie had been injured, Calysta’s words haunted her. To warn her against visiting a witch that she had never actually met made no sense. She was certain Calysta knew something about Raimie. A piece of her was holding onto hope that perhaps it was something that could help him. She knew it was a long shot, but it was the only piece of hope she had to hold onto at this point.

Dropping the transportation stone into her front left pocket, she considered what might be waiting to greet her on the other side. By now the demons had most likely discovered the caverns and were most certainly trying to figure out a way in. Clutching the incendiary potion in her other hand, she pushed it up between her middle two knuckles, ready to use it if she must.

Closing her eyes, she envisioned the moss covered steps just outside the caves; she remembered what the cool dampness of them felt like underneath her feet. With that, she disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Solidifying a moment later, she was met by the exact horrors she had feared. In her path were at least a dozen demons clawing at the invisible wall that prevented them from entering into the vast caverns.

As they shifted, violently pushing each other to one side or the other, struggling to be the first to reach their prey, it looked as though they melted into one gigantic mass of dark leathery flesh. Though the lighting was dim in the hall of the cave, there was enough to catch and bounce off of the moistness of the lizard-like skin. Dina shuddered, the sight of them turning her stomach.

It was only a few seconds before they smelled her presence. Turning their long, black fangs and clawed feet towards her, they crouched into attack position. She wasted no time moving herself into a defensive stance and tossing the incinerate potion, hoping to even up the playing field. The vial met with the thick brow of the first demon, shattering and causing the splatter to branch out and consume two additional monsters. It seemed like it was all happening in slow motion, but this is how it was for them, for guardians that is. Time would almost come to a stand still for them when engaged in a battle; it was one of the advantages their senses gave them. The demon’s bodies burst into flames; she could feel the intensity of the heat on her face.

Wasting no time, she launched her small frame through the air, ricocheting off the cave walls with great precision. One of the demons lunged towards her, confident it could catch the agile human, but instead was met with the side of her foot, the blow causing its head to throw back with such force it was knocked to the floor. Dina flipped through the air, curling into a tight ball before nearing the invisible barrier. Stretching out as long as her petite body would allow her to, as if threading the eye of a needle, she slipped through the small opening made by the demons she had rendered to ash.

Landing safely on the other side of the magical wall, the demons let out a blood curdling cry. Outraged not only that their prey had slipped past them, but somehow managed to accomplish what they had been trying to do themselves, breech the barrier.

A single applause rang out, filling the cavern.

Dina looked up to see Calysta standing nearby, congratulating her heroics. “Quite an entrance, my dear.”

“Thanks,” she groaned, taking her first step and realizing exactly how hard the impact of the landing had, in fact, been. “Glad to see you’re still in one piece.”

“No thanks to those bloody bastards,” Calysta said, motioning back towards the cave opening and the demons who were still trying to figure out a way to get in.

“They’re not a breed I’ve seen before, what are they?” Dina asked, staring at the blocked exit.

“If I had to guess, some twisted cross between a Hell hound and a tracker demon,” Calysta replied, turning to walk away.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Dina said in disbelief, brushing off her pants and running to catch up to the fast moving woman. “Like we don’t already have enough to deal with.”

“So, I take it all hell has broken loose out there?” Calysta asked.

“I guess— I mean it’s pretty crazy,” Dina answered in a solemn voice. “Where are you going?”

“I’m sick of listening to those damn things. I’m going in my cabin,” Calysta answered as they reached her front door.

“What? We have to get out of here,” Dina insisted.

Paying little regard to the girl’s words, the woman opened the door, leaving it ajar for her guest, and took a seat near the darkened fireplace. “And where do you propose I go? Remember? I can’t leave.”

Dina had trouble regulating her thoughts, because the sounds of the rabid demons’ teeth gnashing outside was still reaching their new location. Turning, she closed the door, gaining a bit of relief from the noise. “Calysta, we have to get you out of here. It’s only a matter of time before a more powerful demon makes his way down here, and believe me, he will make short work of that barrier.”

The woman stared at Dina intensely before asking, “Are you sure you want to go down this road?”

Confused, she asked, “What are you talking about? What road?”

“You’ve forgotten I’ve seen this, the path where you come back for me. It doesn’t end well, at least not for you.”

“So what are you telling me? I die if I try to save you?”

Calysta laughed softly. “Why is it all of you Guardians think death is the worst thing that can happen to you? And no, saving me is not what gets you in trouble. I can’t reveal too much without causing interference in the balance and you know that.”

“Oh please! That’s so much crap. Screw the balance; this is my life we’re talking about!” Dina snapped.

“Fine, I’ll just say there are questions you shouldn’t ask me. Questions about things that can lead you down a very dark path,” the oracle answered.

“About Madame Laveau?” Dina asked.

Calysta nodded in response.

“What kind of questions would I ask about her?” Dina inquired.

Calysta did not respond.

“You do realize how messed up this is? You tell me I can’t ask certain questions, but I wouldn’t even know to bring up the witch’s name if you hadn’t mentioned her in the first place. How can say you don’t want to upset the balance when you are the one who started me down this path in the first place?” Dina shouted, but Calysta still remained silent.

“Fine! Rot here then,” Dina condemned the woman as she reached for the door knob.

“Wait, you’re right … I shouldn’t have said what I did to you before. In the reality I witnessed, you already knew about her, you must have done your research. Because of what I said, I’ve already given you a head start.” Calysta explained.

“What do you mean by a head start? I’m so confused. Do you drive everyone this crazy?”

“In my vision of the possible future, you came to me in tears and begging for help. You had read about a spell that can bring back someone from the brink of death. I knew of the spell and of a woman capable of helping you to cast it,” Calysta continued.

“Madame Laveau?”

“Yes, but I also warned you in my vision that it was dark magic, the kind you do not want to be messing with. You did it anyways and it ended badly for everyone involved. Now, I’ve already said too much, leave it alone— please,” Calysta pleaded.

“No, don’t you see? I can’t, I need to know more!” Dina growled. “What did you mean when you said you gave me a head start this time?”

“I can’t.”

“Do you want to get out of here? Tell me!” Dina insisted.

“Please child, you don’t have the ability to get me out of here, so let’s not pretend you have something to bargain with.”

“Oh no? How about I transport you out?” Dina asked.

“You’re not strong enough to transport me past that spell, nice try.”

“I’m not, but this is,” Dina said, pulling the small stone from her pocket.

“Is that—”

“A transportation stone? Yes, and it’s yours if you tell me what I want to know.”