Shadow Guardians: The Promised

“This was his last location,” Draven said, indicating on the computer screen. “The CCTV camera caught him in a 24/7 shop, buying some rope, a couple of cokes, and a fine bottle of wine.”

Katherine, Ophelia, Arlena, Magnus, and Zachiel watched Rip exit the shop and climb into a black SUV.

Uriah wasn’t even watching the screen; he sat away from them in an armchair with his head in his hands, bobbing his knee up and down impatiently.

“This is from a shop in England,” Zachiel said.

“England is fucking enormous.” Uriah mumbled defeatedly.

They watched him closely while there was nothing but the sounds of the birds outside. The females in particular seemed worried.

“We’ll find her, Uriah,” Magnus reassured him, not that that had been helping.

“Sure.” Uriah couldn’t keep the hopelessness out of his tone.

And then Samson came into the library, holding a tray with finger snacks and a bag of blood. They’d been at it for hours and had skipped dinner.

Samson placed the tray on the desk and brought the bag of blood to Uriah, who looked at the servant with a very displeased expression.

“You need to keep up your strength, master.” Samson said politely.

Uriah stared at the bagged blood as if it were diseased.

“I don’t want that stuff.”

Uncertain of what to do next, the servant looked to the others for guidance. Magnus gestured for him to leave the blood here. He complied, bowed, and left.

“Uriah, I know what you’re thinking,” Magnus started.

“Oh, bullshit! You don’t know anything.” He snapped, and Magnus bit his tongue.

“You’re thinking it’s not fair for you to eat, because maybe she isn’t,” Katherine said, and that stopped Uriah’s knee bobbing, which told her she’d hit the right nerve. “You can’t starve; how are you going to have the energy to go after her? We have no idea what’s waiting for us there.”

At that, Uriah shot up from the chair and stormed out of the room, muttering, “You have no idea of anything; you’re all clueless.”

When the door closed behind him, everyone let out a collective sigh.

“Well, he’s wound up tighter than a vir-”

“Arlena!” Ophelia scolded.

“What it’s true!”

“You want me to go after him?” Draven asked.

“No, just give him his space. This is hard for him,” Magnus offered. “Let’s just keep digging on Rip. It’s best we don’t waste time.”

“If Rip’s in England,” Ophelia said, “my guess is that he’s probably in cahoots with Marionette’s dad.”

“Yeah, why else would he go there? I heard his father has basically disowned him,” Arlena added. “And what about those other nosferi? They rarely corrupt on their own.”

“There’s a demon bastard here somewhere,” Zachiel said, then shoved a mini jalapeno popper in his mouth.

Magnus looked at Draven since he had the connection to Uriah. “Where is he?”

Draven zoomed in on Rip’s face in the video. He felt bad about all of this. He should’ve just torn that traitor to pieces when he had the chance. “He’s going to the temple, and I don’t think it’s to pray...”

Uriah paced in the temple with his hands folded behind his back, counting his steps.

He didn’t mean to be a jerk, but all of this fumbling around for answers was making his mind spiral out of control, right down the tubes.

Weary from hunger and stress, he sank into a pew and stared through the statues before him.

His heart hurt. If he had his way, he’d be out the door and looking for her. But even he had to admit that that wasn’t rational. That was just bonding talk.

“Your soul cries for deliverance.”

Uriah closed his eyes at the sound of the goddess’ voice. He adjusted the collar of his turtleneck because he suddenly felt very warm.

“You won’t be the one to give it to me.” He muttered while not facing her. It was more out of fear that he might lose his temper than respect.

He knew the consequences of disrespecting a goddess. And he didn’t give a shit.

The goddess Astera floated towards him, gleaming in a ghostly, white, and flowy gown. Her silver locks gently moved through the air as if she were underwater.

“Why would you say that?” She asked.

Uriah did the unthinkable. He looked her in the eye, and with accusation no less.

“Because you would do nothing to help us find her! You, who mated us in the first place,”

Now he stood, too agitated to sit down. The goddess’ expression was fierce, beholding this outburst of disrespect.

“They are wasting time in there trying to find her, while you sit all comfortable in heaven. You could’ve sent someone to find her.” Uriah bristled, balling his fists and stepping far closer to her than any warrior would dare.

“Mind your manners, warrior,” Astera said evenly.

“I don’t have to mind jack-shit around you,” Uriah ground out. “I don’t respect you! Why give her to me when you were just going to take her away?”

Sudden spasms of pain racked his body and sent him down to his knees. It was the equivalent of getting hit by lightning, so he thought.

But he didn’t cry out. He sure as hell wasn’t giving her that satisfaction.

And while he was cramping up into a ball, he did something even more disrespectful. He forced himself to get up, to fight her pulling him down on his knees before her.

She reciprocated by intensifying the agony, but Uriah didn’t care if he cracked his teeth by biting down; he wouldn’t let up.

Astera frowned in the way a mother would if her child had insulted her, and she took away the pain. Punishing them hurt her as much as it hurt them.

“You are mourning someone who is not yet dead,” she murmured.

Uriah’s eyes shot up at her. “So she’s alive! You know where she is...”

“Yes, but I cannot tell you,” Astera said quickly before his temper cut her off. “She is awakening. And if you go to her now, you will jeopardize her coming to power.”

Uriah scowled and shook his head, not sure what in the abyss she was talking about. “They will kill her!”

Astera lifted a hand and, with it, lifted him onto his feet like he weighed no more than a feather.

“They won’t. If I tell you, warrior, verily, it could put all of you in grave danger.”

Uriah threw up his hands. “Are you kidding me? We go through danger every day!” He pointed out the doors as if there were a war right there in the yard. ”Every day, are you telling me you don’t trust us? They will kill her! I saw it! Why the hell did you ever give me this ‘gift’ if you won’t allow me to use it when I need it most?”

Their eyes bore into each other.

“I was not the goddess that gave you the visions, warrior.” Astera spoke carefully. “That honor belongs to Stara. Even I cannot see that which you can.”

She grazed her fingers over his face, and it took everything he had not to slap her hand away.

Seeing him struggle with it, she gave a knowing smile and took her hand away. “Many things are being revealed to your beloved now, as she comes of age. As she remembers, so will you.”

“Tell me where she is...” he spelled it out, at his wits end.

Astera studied him. “I can only do so under one condition. I will give you a time to go to her, and you must not rush off before that time.”

Uriah sighed and sank down on the floor before her with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

The silence between them stretched out.

“And if I don’t keep the promise?” He asked behind his hands. “What then? You’ll send me to the abyss?” He gave a sad laugh. “I’m already there.”

“If you love her, you will allow her to come into her power and be who she was meant to be. It is the only way you will all survive. To go in early would endanger you and your comrades and cut off her only chance at seeing the truth. Your only chance to remember...”

“Why can’t you make us remember now?” He asked, irritated. What was she even going on about? What was so important about remembering?

“I am not the one who took away the memories. Do you accept the offer of waiting?” She asked, cutting off any further questions.

Uriah let out a shuddering exhale that did nothing to ease the pressure in his chest. He let down his hands and stared at the floorboards.

What choice did he have? He was just a goddamn puppet bowing to the whims of a goddess who clearly doesn’t give a shit.

“I can’t handle knowing and then waiting,” he whispered.

“Then I’ll make you see when the time is right.” She offered.

Uriah shrugged hopelessly. “Fine.”

“I would not expect an apology from you. But if it is any consolation, I have known since the birth of you that you will be mated to each other. After all those years, I won’t allow her to be taken from you.”

Uriah frowned as her words sank in. They were promised since birth? Why did she only allow him to find her four years ago, then?

But when he looked up, she was gone before he could ask the question. He muttered a curse under his breath and rose to his feet.

He dragged fingers through his hair, wondering how he was supposed to wait until some undefined, predetermined time to save his only reason for living.

If they had been mated before birth, that just made it all the more senseless that she would allow this to happen.

He felt like he’d been gutted, like only his shell was walking around. He looked at his trembling hands, feeling the dryness in his throat. He needed to feed. Really soon.

Reining in the urge to trash the small temple, he decided to go back to the house and force bagged blood down his throat.