Celestial Princess

Chapter 6

A long and bumpy horse ride, Sapphire, and Grayson still haven't made it to the safe spot. Eventually, after what seemed like a long time, there was an abandoned cabin that Grayson stopped at. He tied the horse to a post just outside. It was right next to a waterfall. "Beautiful," Sapphire exclaims as Grayson helps her off the horse.

"It's a place that only a few people know about. Designated to be a safe space." He assures Sapphire.

"Who all knows?" Sapphire asks as they shuffle to the cabin door.

As he reaches for the handle, he takes a moment to think. "As far as I know, now. You, Dean, Oliver, Skyler, Claire, and I."

"So how exactly... You called this a safe spot?"

"I mean." He lets a small laugh out. "Hardly, no. It is a designated stop that the others know about. But they had to take a different route. Don't worry, this route will meet them. I just need word from them that we can head to them." Grayson looks Sapphire in her eyes. "I will take care of you."

Sapphire's heart melts a little. "Why did they have to take a different route?"

"We need supplies and allies." He states. "I know they split off. According to the plans, Claire, should be the one to gather food and clothes. Then your brothers are most likely the ones to figure out alliances." He takes a breath. "Skyler will be setting out updates as to what is going on in the Temple."

"Alliances? And why is Skyler alone in the temple?"

"Carter is waging a war amongst the Guardians. It is masked. But all he seeks is power and to destroy. Carter puts on some sort of visage that he will be our benevolent ruler." He lowers his head. "It's a lie."

"How is waging war?"

Grayson reached the front door to the cabin and sighed as he turned the handle. "Carter wanted to use your magic to control everything."

"Everything? What do you mean by that?"

"Carter wants to take down all The Orders and invade humans. He essentially wants to merge worlds but control humans as well as Guardians." He scoffs. "He wants to destroy our roles as Guardians and just strip everything we have away." His voice shakes with anger. "All Carter cares about... all he craves is power and we didn't see it. I was foolish to believe in him, fighting my unsteady feeling being around him."
"Ever since I met him... I have had a weird feeling as well, about him. A pit in my stomach I couldn't shake. But I tried to ignore how I felt."

"I don't have your intuition. But, apparently, Sorceress is supposed to have some sort of powerful intuition- The first Sorceress did at least. So it is best to not ignore those feelings."

Carter leads the way in and Sapphire follows. "What of the good ones I have about you? Does it mean I like you or that you are a good person?" Sapphire just blurts without thinking over her words.

Grayson gets all red in the cheeks. "I don't know. But you hardly know me." He closes the door behind him.

Sapphire got nervous and started to feel embarrassed. "I am so sorry! I normally don't talk like that- I- Uh- Anyways..." She clears her throat. "I was going to marry a man I hardly knew. What do I know?"

"Sapphire. You are astonishingly beautiful. It would be an honor to know you better and I am sure you are an amazing person- hell, you sacrificed yourself for what you believed was right. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of romance."

Sapphire tries to hide her face by looking at the ground. "You are right, I am sorry. I didn't mean to..." She shakes her head. "It isn't like I was confessing my love for you. Yes, we hardly know each other. But maybe it's some sort of phase that I cannot shake. I don't understand this intuition thing quite yet and cannot pin it out. Maybe I am mixing emotions."